Zdravo, prijatno, cao cao, and flip floppin sta ima PORODICA?!
You guessed it. Those words mean I am back in the motherland. SERBIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
In the words of Elder Radakovic: "Bruce. You're back."
And to business.
This week has been pretty wild. And pretty awesome. Minus that I haven't written in my journal since normal Christmas day....so if I miss anything just know I'll be as ticked as the rest of you when I realize it later this week. I'll do my best.
Just after I wrote home and told yinz that I was going back to Beograd on Tuesday, I was told by the AP's that I was asked to stay (again) in Zagreb, but just through the leadership training meeting. I guess they thought it would work well with travel if I just went back with the Serbian Zone Leaders after the meeting, and President wanted me at the meeting. So we rolled with that. We had a Trio with Elder Bennett, Stuart and I on Wednesday after the regular with Elder Bennett Monday and Tuesday, (during which we found another African male to investigate the church.) New Years Eve was kind of sketchy, sounded like a war zone outside at night. But we lived!!! And the Croats take a full day to recover, so everything was closed and there wasn't a soul outside. We had a good last hoorah, and then we went our separate ways and I spent Wednesday night at the Zone Leaders' apartment. Elder Scirkovic had me running at 6:30 and that stunk! But I kind of liked how my day went after that....so we are employing his methods here. Anyways. We had a good go in the training meeting, the Spirit was strong and much was learned. Things are changing and it's gettin real folks! The work is moving fast!
Then we made the long haul Thursday night to Beograd in the box. It was foggy as I've ever seen, so I was impressed when Elder Blackburn got us to the white city all in one piece. I was then reunited with Elder Rad and Elder Fisher, back in my old apartment.
Which is so wild. I kept looking around for Elder Wade. It was like....I didn't feel culture shocked or even a tad homesick. Nothing. I felt so at home driving around Novi Beograd on our return. the only hole was where was my companion?? Where is Elder Wade?! I still wake up and have to accept the fact that my little piece of heaven over here is one good friend short. I don't know! It's just, he and I started that area, and that apartment, and did a lot there. My whole life is what it is today in a large part because of Elder Wade and this little part of the world. So, that was a trip.
But my new companions are awesome! We are struggling to find people to teach, more so than normal, but we are doing our best! Elder Rad you all know, he's the one who was my first companion in the field for 2 days, from Tasmania so he's got a gnarly accent and some of our curse words aren't curse words to him, so I laugh a lot around this guy. He's awesome. And Elder Fisher is very smart, and just an easygoing kind of guy. He has been in country 4 and half months, we're nearly "technically" the same age in the mission, I think I have 2 weeks on him if you don't count my 4 and half months MIA.
And the BRANCH. Oh man! Being reunited with missionaries is a blessing and a joy I'll never be able to fully describe, but when we went to Dragan's restaurant and I just walked up to him, the look on his face! He nearly dropped dead, and I hadn't seen a happier Serb in my whole life!! And then we visited Nana and Zoe, and MAN!!! Such joy!!! They're actively serving in the church, and the kids!!!! Johan's HUGE! The kid's gonna be a football superstar!!!! And his hair is just GOING! So dang awesome! And Ceci can walk!?!? BAH!!! I loved it. It was incredible, so good to see them again. And even though our first night with them took a turn for real bad, with President Rowe's help things are on the up and everything is working out. They are a beautiful family and I love them with all my heart.
On Saturday we had a huge party for Christmas (check us Serbs and our dual holidays out.) I told you all how Christmas was good, but it didn't feel like Christmas? Well, I'm convinced that Christmas really isn't about the date (duh, cause it's technically not accurate on the 25th either..) but I mean, the "Christmas season" spirit that I felt was missing this year is so here! The branches from Novi Sad, Sremska Mitrovica, and Beograd all met here at the church and had a devotional, a little party with food and drinks to go around (non alcoholic obviously.) It was a riot! Member after member and I had wonderful reunions. I chummed it up with Elder McAllister and it was the funniest and happiest I've been in a long time! I just was on cloud 9, (someone explain that saying to me, please) and I was just SO HAPPY. President Rowe and his family were there, as well as Brother Hansen and his wife, and President Rowe said to Elder McAllister and I "You two look good together, Elders."
BADABING. President knows my heart, and knows that it needs a good transfer and a half with Elder McAllister. So, be expecting that in the future. We rocked out after that comment.
The best, though, was that we all went to the top of the church and Dusan Vasica read the nativity story from the New Testament as all the little kids acted it out (Johan was a sheep. A black sheep! hahahahahahahahaha) and it was just so funny all in all, but so powerful too. So many kids. There had to have been 12?! Give or take. And the Spirit was so strong as these innocent little ones had a good time with each other, and members sang and did various talents. Then, to top the party off, Goran Strbacki came up dressed as Santa and MAN, I've never seen a more Serbian Santa!! The man can't weigh over 130 soaking wet, and he had on a sewn together red felt over coatish thing, and the scraggliest white beard on that I've ever seen. It was AWESOME. He came up and had gifts for all the little kids, and it was just a funny time. The best was little Jakov, looking up at his dad dressed up and looking so confused. hahaha.
All in all, it was the most wonderful time I've ever had. I loved being with everybody. We met with Nemanja last night too, to top off an excellent week. We've been tracting and contacting like nobody's business, still trying to find someone who will be baptized before Elder Rad goes home in the beginning of February. So, if you all could pray for us to have that happen, we truly believe it can.
Tomorrow is Christmas here, so we are all celebrating in Novi Sad and that will be loads of fun (just missionaries, and mainly for Elder Radakovic I think.) And that means tonight we are bunkering down and aren't going out except to go to a gypsy bonfire with Zika. So that'll be fun.
I hope not to sound boastful when saying this, but it sums up how I feel. Elder Radakovic told me this yesterday: "You know what impresses me? My Arizona boys. They truly love this people. I don't understand it. You have Elder Adams, and man that kid LEARNED Serbian! He put his life into learning this language! And why? Who wants to speak Serbian? He went above and beyond what he needed to teach this people, he learned because he loved them. He's a Serb. Then you have Elder Wade, and after serving most of his mission in Croatia, you think he'd be an Ustasa like many elders who come here from there. But no! He starts learning Cyrillics and even cursive Cyrillics! He drops his Croatian and picks our language up like he was made for it! And you know, you served with him. He loved these people. And then, we have you Brucey. You know what I would tell people here? Elder Hixon loves the people of Beograd more than I do. (Because I hate Beograd. Kidding.) But really. You Arizona boys love my people. And that inspires me."
That's all I can think of! Happy birthday this week Dad!! I love you old man!
All the best and my love and kisses!!
Elder Hixon
