Mon 6/25/07 11:41 PM

Dear Family,
Well another week has zipped by. We left on friday the 22 June for Beograd. But we stopped at the chapel in Zagreb so I could interview and receive the paper work for a Sister Sajevac to serve a fulltime mission. She will do very well as she has been on a mini mission for four months. She will serve on that for two more months. She has found a way to serve a two year mission as a Sister. Six months on a mini mission and then Eighteen months on a full time mission. She wants to serve in this mission in Croatia. That is where she has been serving the mini mission. We will be excited to see what happens. Then we finished our drive to Beograd arriving at about 7pm. We actually went to bed early except for a few phone calls to us. On saturday we drove to the Sremska Mitrovica Branch which is one hour out of Beograd back toward home. We had to do that because there is not hotel accomodations there. We met with the District President Vucenovic and his wife and his two daughters: Melica 11 and Ada 9. In fact it was Ada's birthday. She was born on President Hinckley's birthday. Roylene had purchase alot of coloring books and color pencils and markers and a couple of games to give to both girls. Those two little girls sang and played the piano for us for about one hour. At the end the older one Melica ask me to sing something for them. I made an excuse instead. Roylene also gave a crystal pouring picture to Sister Vucenovic. She was so greatfull as they don't have one. She kept telling Roylene that she is inspired. They have so little and yet they feed us a wonderful meal at their home. We had Elder and Sister Lunt with us. They are the Senior Couple over CES. They do alot for this mission and they travel as much almost as we do. They work with the Young Single Adults and Seminary Students as well as the Senior Couples in the Institute Outreach Centers. Then on saturday evening we took the Vucenovic family and the Branch President Ivanovic to the concert in Beograd. It was put on by our mission. We had Brother and Sister Gruppman perform with a concert pianist. They play the violin and cello. It was first class. We had about 500 people attend. Many are now interested in learning more about the church. Even the pianist that they brought is not a member but he wants to know more. Brother Gruppman is the conductor of the church orchestra at the Conference Center. We sent our car home with the District President and told him we would come to church the next morning with the Ferre's and Sisters Ashton and Rodabough along with my two Assistants. Ferre's had taken the Sisters to Novi Sad Branch to set up and train for a small Family History Center. A first in Serbia. They then met us for the concert on saturday evening. At church in Sremska Mitrovica I had the Sisters and then the Ferre's bear their testimony in sacrament meeting. Then the two little member girls sang to us. And then Roylene gave a talk. Then I stood up to speak and told the members (after a greeting to them) that Melica had ask me to sing yesterday in her home. So I invited Sister Rodabough to come up and sing with me the Hymn "Have I Done Any Good In The World Today". We have never sung together before nor have we practiced. And we did it acapella. Melica was just grining and beaming and then she shed a tear or two. It was great to see how happy she was. She had her father ask for the sheet of music as she and her sister want to learn that song in English. It was a good experience. We then made the five hour trip home from Sremska Mitrovica to Ljubljana. Yesterday was email day for Presidents letters and other emails. I also had some time to read and finish some other paper work. What a blessing it is to be on a mission and read and study scriptures. It seems that the Lord opens our understanding with each call that we receive and helps us in everyway. Keep praying for the success of this mission. We are greatfull for those prayers.
Love Dad