I know that spring has to be close, but winter is doing it's absolute best to keep a death grip on the land. This week I think we got at least three to four feet of snow, some of it for a straight 24 hours. Many of the Slovenes say that this much snow is incredibly unusual, as for example last year, they only had one week of snow in February, while this year they have gotten tons of it. Nonetheless, Slovenes are very good at getting rid of snow quickly, even if they hate being in it for a extended amount of time. From my experience living in it for a season, I don't think my opinion of it has changed at all. It's nice to look at, and can be fun for an hour to play in, but overall is not good at all to live in.
This week in terms of work and success has been a great one. Now that we have established the right kind of relationship and desire with the people we meet with, they are really progressing in coming to know for themselves if the message we share is true. That and they really like us. When we contacted one of the people we met with last week and asked if there was anytime outside of the normal time we meet, he said yes and set up with us then. Then he asked if we could also come over to his house on the normal time!! It was great, and he has expressed over and over his appreciation of how we have helped him understand faith, God, and himself better. Also this week, we've had some great success with being directed to people through other people. One of my English class students for example told her friend about us, who was interested in meeting with us.
This week we also had interviews with President Rowe about how we are doing and how we can improve. Unfortunately, as most things do with President, they ran over, and so we had to catch a later bus up to our area than we had expected. However, as we were on the bus, a girl was staring at us as occasionally people do. As we were walking by her, I said hello, how are you, and she responded, ˝Čakaj! Imam uprašanje! (Wait! I have a question!)˝ We then had a good 20 minute conversation standing on the bus about who we are, why we're here, what we do, and why we do it. She gave us her number and said we would be in contact later. A few days later, we called her, and as we talked she said that this week she had told her grandmother about running into us and how we are here to help others through faith, and that we support ourselves through it. Her Babica (Grandmother)'s response? That's impossible. And so, I have now reached impossible status. And really, from an outsider's, material, worldly concerns, point of view, it kind of does seem impossible. To pause school for two years, pay yourself through, living with few worldly conveniences, and be happy to constantly be serving others, it does kind of seem impossible. But all of them take one reality out of the picture: God. It this work weren't true, real, and powered by something greater than man, then the Babica would be right. This probably would be impossible and have no purpose. But it is real. I know beyond a doubt it is real. I have seen people be blessed from my service here. And know many more will have the opportunity as well. And so the work goes on. I have reached the impossible, and continually defy it. Because with God, nothing is impossible.
I hope everyone is happy and growing stronger and better every day ahead!
Much Love-
-Starešina Benson
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