Elder Joshua Winfield August 2015 - August 2017: 15th

So this week was a very busy week! we started off with exchanges with the zone leaders which was great we had a lot of fun although we couldn't get 5 minutes without getting into a conversation with a random about random things, one guy was interested in being taught but then went on about how babies cry when they come out of the womb because the world is so evil. Another was telling us how he believes in all religions which really didn't make any sense but that's fine I guess when you are talking with everyone you get all kinds of personalities and people.

So most of the week was like normal, just contacting people and trying to find new people to teach. We didn't have a super successful week but that's okay we will get them next week!

We had a really busy week because we organized a branch activity for Christmas with a Christmas party on Saturday, a lot of people brought there friends and there probably was a good 30 people there! very successful! There is also a guy in our branch who is from India and knows about cricket so I brought my cricket ball and he liked that. He doesn't really follow it much more as there is not TV showing it in Croatia ect... his wife is a member and all his kids are too young to be baptized but they always come, we are hoping to work with him a bit more he is a really cool guy though!

So I don't know whether this is a Croatian thing or just Zadar but 1 month before a holiday and 1 month after people are permitted to light there own fire crackers and fireworks ect.. so you literally do not go 5 minutes without a big fire cracker going off by you it is crazy! I am not looking forward to new years.... at all....

So last Sunday I had to give a talk for 15 minutes and it went fine, nothing to special I wrote it all then just kind of read most of it off the paper it's hard to talk like you would at home! then at the end when I was baring my testimony I used the word "Porodica" which is family in Serbian but here in Croatia it is "Obitelj" so I was a bit embarrassed after that, I'm slowly adjusting to the grammar and words though and the mission president said I would return back to Serbia just "be patient" haha its fine though Zadar is nice it is just different though.

I also got called as the branch clerk so now I deal with all the tithing and pretty much help President Dever who is a senior missionary here, President and Sister Dever have all the missionaries over for dinner every Sunday night, they are the coolest senior couple! So I don't know, usually people who get called into the branch as something will stay there a while......... :/

The weather has been beautiful here though, it's around 12-16 degrees everyday, the sun has been out everyday, it hasn't been windy although apparently there is this big "wind season" called the Bura and if you ask the locals when Bura is coming they say today... it's quite funny, but its really windy apparently it blows over old grandmas so I assume its going to be quite intense.

So in closing I wish everyone a merry Christmas! I'm looking forward to skyping my family and I hope that I don't get too sad after the call. It should be fine though, I'm also really looking forward to the Christmas Conference at the mission home where I get to catch up with all the good mates I've made I haven't seen then in over two months! it gives me just a little glimpse of what it would be when I get back home and see everyone.

Merry Christmas, Love Elder Winfield!