Couples Conference

This week we made our usual trip to from Varaždin, Croatia to Tuzla, Bosnia but still no Internet.  We did get our Elders.  Two great young men who got up and caught a bus in Sarajevo at 5AM Wednesday morning so they would be in Tuzla by 8:30am.  We picked them up at the bus station and took them back to the apartments.  We fed them breakfast then they got cleaned up.  Then Gary took them across the street to get a cell phone.  After securing their phone we departed  back to Varazdin.  We were scheduled to attend a couples conference with the rest of the senior couples in Zagreb on Thursday afternoon.  When we arrived at our apartment all our electronics starting pinging as we stood outside the door trying to open it.  We got on the Internet and found out details about the conference, did some laundry and started preparing for the conference the next day.

The location of the conference was  a hotel in the mountains above Zagreb.  It was a 10 km drive up a one way winding road.  The drive was worth it.  We were on the top of the mountain.  We stayed in a hotel called "Snow King".  As we went through the lobby to our room this picture was on the wall.

There were pictures all over the wall from the 2002 Olympics.  They had a picture of a young lady who won 4 different medals in skiing from Zagreb.  The hotel is located close to a ski resort.  It was a wonderful change with beautiful scenery. 

The conference was just what we needed.  It was filled with talks from the Misson Presidency and various couples who had assignments as well. We shared about the Humantarian work in general and talked about several projects that are ongoing in Croatia and Bosnia.  Friday night we visited downtown Zagreb.  The town centar was much bigger than most with large billboards like you would in Times Square.  We went on a walking tour of Old Town Zagreb and learned various folklore.

Josif Jelačič

Children performing folk dancing in Centar

St. George Kills the Dragon

St. Marks

Croatian Parliament Palace

What we got from the conference was that we need to have the faith "to jump out of the boat".  Peter had the faith to jump out of the boat and walk on the water to the Savior.  We need to replace fear with faith.  We need to exercise faith that we will be able to get the Internet and do our work in Tuzla.  Satan does not want us to succeed.  We know that is because he knows the difference the gospel can make to the people of Tuzla, which is why we have so many challenges.  But we "Can Do It". We have renewed determination to make it work.  We have discovered that we can get a wireless router which will at least get us the Internet.  We will press on in getting a secure connection so that we can do our humantarian work.  One other thing we gained from the conference was a renewed desire to become Preach My Gospel Missionaries http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/61112/Elder-David-A-Bednar-Becoming-a-Preach-My-Gospel-missionary.html#.  

Thus ends our week.  We request you to pray for us in our challenge to get the Internet so we can move the office and open the area of Tuzla to the gospel.  An added note, today is our wedding anniversary-44 years.