Wet Week

Hello all family and friends!!!

I apologize for not emailing yesterday on Monday (granted with the delay of blogging, you probably didn't even notice it). Yesterday night, the BYU symphony orchestra came to Slovenija and had a charity concert, all proceeds going to a local firefighters volunteer organization which experienced major flooding and ice storms this last year. The concert was phenomenal, with hundreds of people from the surrounding community coming. However, because of the needs of the concert that day,we missionaries were asked to help, setting up the whole stage and all the seating Monday, then doing a lot of last minute advertising to the town the concert was held in. To say the least, we had no time to do any of the normal Monday p-day things, much less have a break from the work. But the concert was a huge success, and the program was phenomenal.

Otherwise, this week, we had some great things going on. The 17 year old kid we teach who reappeared last week met with us twice this week. The first time Tuesday we had the opportunity to teach him more, then on Sunday, well... that was interesting. We were set to go meet him at 8pm Sunday night, and he doesn't have a working phone right now so we can't call to change anything. So we left a fireside the BYU orchestra was having early to make it to him by 8, bringing a member from America who we recently learned had moved to the same neighborhood. So we go, and when we get on the bus, everything is fine, but we might be a little late. Then we notice it has started to rain a little while on the bus, but it wasn't bad. But when we finally got off the bus, wow, it was pouring buckets, and because of the wind it was all sideways. We got drenched almost instantly. Thankfully, we were given two umbrellas from the sister missionaries to return to a member who lives by us, so we at least had cover, if only for our heads because of the wind.

So we finally make it to where he is waiting on us, thinking he surely had left by then, we were about 15 minutes late, and the rain was incredible. But no, he was still sitting then outside on a bench waiting on us. We meet up and start walking to the member's home, but the weather just keeps getting even worse! We go for another 2 minutes, and then the hail starts. And the rain gets even harder. Impossible. So we quickly ran for cover by a shopping store. The weather let up a little over the next five minutes, just enough so we could get to the member's home, soaked.

So, because of the delay, we didn't have a lot of time, so we quickly read a bit from the book of Mormon, sharing with our young friend its importance in our lives, even how it has changed our lives, and committing him to read. He also said he might still be baptized once he knows it is true. It was a great, shorter visit.

Then, as we were leaving, we were about 30 seconds from the bus stop (keep in mind it is still pouring), and we see our bus go right by us. ugh. It's Sunday, and the buses run very rarely. So we have to sit and wait in the cold and the rain for another 30 minutes nearly for the next bus. It was a great night for the lesson, but terrible for the weather and the luck.

But this week should hopefully be great. President moved up the transfer a week, so I have now started the last transfer of my mission, 10 weeks long. Elder Burdette went back up to Maribor this morning, back to the land of his birth to finish. Elder Stott, who started his mission in this area in Ljubljana some 10 months ago is now back with me as Zone Leader and will be my last companion.

Heres to a great week filled with miracles!

Well wishes (even if they are a bit wet!)

-Starešina Benson