Slovenija~Happy 10/10/10 at 10:00

This morning I got a lovely wake up call at 7:00 b/c I don’t have my cell phone with me (which is what I usually use as my alarm). I went and tried the free breakfast they have at the hotel and then went and met Majda near the pink church at 8:45 so we could drive up to Celje and go to church there. It was really foggy this morning, and we got close to Celje a little earlier than we planned, so we got off the freeway and took the back roads through the country. She told me to take a picture b/c the sun looked like the moon b/c of all the fog. These poles with the strings tied to them are where they grow hops for beer, and you can see them all over the countryside.

We found where the new church is, and it’s SO NICE! I was thrilled to see so many of the members that I grew to know and love on my mission. Anytime someone else would walk in the door, I would get a big huge grin on my face and run over and give them a huge hug. I picture this is what Heaven will be like…just complete and utter joy of seeing people we love. This is Simon & his Dad. It was fun to think that on 10/10/10 at 10:00 I was attending church in Celje!

I was SO HAPPY to see the chapel almost completely full. It was fast Sunday today b/c of General Conference last week. I was brave and got up and bore my testimony even though my language skills stink. These cute little kids were running around during sacrament and it made me smile to think that church in Slovenija is the same as church in America. They are so sweet and innocent and it thrills me to no end to see the second generation of the church growing up! Especially since Maja Hocevar's little girl said the closing prayer at the end of sacrament meeting! That would never happen in my current ward, and it just made my soul happy.

It was great to see Dejan & Nada there as well. I was sad Mladen wasn’t there, but he had to work. Nada got up and bore her testimony and it was so touching to hear her testimony. I also loved hearing the testimony of some members that have been baptized since I was there. They are so faithful and strong in their testimonies, which only helped to strengthen mine.

After sacrament meeting, Maja taught a great Sunday School lesson on the Holy Ghost and while she was teaching, her little girl was drawing on the white board and when Maja would ask a question her daughter would stop drawing and say, “I know,” and then would proceed to give an answer. It was wonderful! This was a group picture of just some of the members in Celje (there were more that had already left when we took this picture).

I got a huge smile on my face when Borut walked in half way through sacrament meeting! He is a homeless man that is a genius. He used to draw portraits of the missionaries and I still have a few he drew of me from my mission. Church in Celje just isn’t the same without Borut (don’t mind my big old booty sticking out…I had to bend over so I didn’t tower over Borut).

This is Uros and he is only 26 and has been the branch president for a year and a half. His Mom was baptized while he was on his mission, and she is so sweet and loving. He is such a neat and incredible person who is always happy and smiling.

Here he is locking up the church, and he lives in Maribor during the week b/c he goes to school there and then comes home during the weekend to fulfill his church duties. Dad sent me with about 6 or 7 little keychain holders for consecrated oil, and I asked Uros if he could use any of them for some of the men in the branch. He got a huge smile on his face and said that just yesterday he had sent Erik (who is coming on Wednesday) an email asking if he could bring some! And here was a direct answer to his prayer just one day later. Talk about a tender mercy! I was so glad the male branch members will be able to use them.

After church, Majda and I drove over to the Vitez/Pecnik apartment to say hi to Milena & Tina & Nina. Tina is just the same, just taller. I love this family so much and was deliriously happy just sitting on their couch and being with them. Nina wasn’t home when we first got there, b/c she had spent the night at a friend’s house. But, when she came in, she sat down next to me on the couch and I didn’t talk to her at first b/c I was trying to decipher what Milena was saying (I only understood about 1/4 of what she said b/c she talks so fast).

Anyways, I was trying to follow the conversation she was having with Majda about Tina’s condition and medications when Nina reached over and just put her hand on my leg. I looked up at her and she had tears rolling down her cheeks! It made me start crying and I asked her why she was crying. She just shook her head and quietly said in Slovene, “I am just thinking about the good old days and just miss the way things used to be.”

It made me so sad, b/c she is such a special and sweet person that I care for so much. I think a lot of the changes she has felt have to do with the fact that there are no sister missionaries in Celje, which made me so sad. It was an incredibly touching moment for me to connect with her again. I love her so much!

At 2:00, we left and went and met up with Claudia & Marko at McDonald’s. Majda & I were super hungry, so we got some food (I know, I was bad and broke the Sabbath but was on vacation) and ate outside on the patio w/ Claudia & Marko. Majda was saying she hasn’t had McDonald’s in years and remembers why b/c it makes her feel sick. That was so odd to me, b/c McDonald’s is such a normal staple in a lot of American families lives’. Anyways, just thought that was interesting. After that, we followed them in the car to Vitanje, where Claudia’s Mom lives. I have always loved this house that looks like a castle on the drive to Vitanje.

The drive to Vitanje is just gorgeous and Majda & I thought it was funny that the dog kept poking his head up in the back window of their car to look at us. Her name is Lynne and she’s a cute dog.

I LOVE Claudia’s Mom and think she is absolutely GORGEOUS! I think she said she was in her 60’s, which is completely unbelievable. They are both so pretty (both on the inside and outside). Her Mom went to a lot of work and had made us some mushroom soup (and she goes and picks the mushrooms herself on her daily walks in the wood around the village), rice & meat with gravy, and a salad. I forgot how good Slovene salad w/ pumpkin oil & vinegar dressing is! We were stuffed from already eating at McDonald’s, but the food was so good that we just had to eat it.

Claudia had asked me if I could bring some of Autumn’s old baby clothes with me for her baby, b/c baby clothes are so expensive in Slovenija. I didn’t have any to take for her b/c I gave all of Autumn’s baby clothes to Mindi when she had Angel. But, Mom had some baby clothes she had bought for foster babies that we didn’t need anymore, so I gave those to Claudia along with some baby bows. She was so happy that she almost started crying it and it made me so happy to be able to make her happy!

Mici is 84 years old and just the cutest little lady! I am almost as tall as she is when I am sitting down. I love her so much and have adopted her as my Slovene grandma. I wish I could put her in my pocket and bring her home with me.

Claudia’s little baby bump is so cute and Marko is so good with her and they make a cute couple. I am so happy for them and the sweet baby girl they are going to have.

We had this most moist and scrumptious cake w/ fresh cherries on it for dessert. Then we sat and talked for a while. After all the good food and good conversation, it was time to go. I LOVE their house. It was built in 1775 and has so much character and charm.

It is such a treat to get to drive through the countryside and see all the amazing old buildings. This was a cool castle on top of a hill. This is a normal site in Slovenija, which is one of the reasons I love Slovenija so much. We don’t have cool stuff like centuries old castles. Majda & I drove back to her apartment so I could see where she lives. I was able to use her internet to send Mom an email about how the day was. Majda took me back to center and dropped me off. It was only 8:30, but I was so tired that I went to bed.

It was a great and fabulous way to spend 10/10/10!