February 24, 2014

Hi!

So, the Roma people are the gypsies. It's a race, like, they have darker skin. Most of them are pretty poor so they're all the beggars and people you see here biking with a huge cart of recyclables attached. They're all over Europe. There were some in Germany when I was there. 

This week when I went to teach that girl didn't come back, so I taught the little kids with Elder Barber. Three little girls came that day. We planned to teach them the weather and seasons but they got bored after about ten minutes so we spent the rest of the time playing cards with them. I miraculously understood when a six-year-old girl explained the rules to me/saw it being played by them. The game was called "donkey". At the end you all have to put your hand in the middle and whoever is last loses and is the donkey. The little girl helped me cheat, I think mostly because they all really liked to see Elder Barber lose. At one point she said something to me which I didn't understand, and then told Elder Barber and he didn't understand either, so they were all energetically gesturing together and shouting the words at him.  I feel like that's the time where I learn the most Macedonian, because the kids want to talk to you and don't speak English. They were all sad when we left. I will never forget the Macedonian word for "donkey". I'm sure that will come in handy. 

Please pray for me to find opportunities to practice my Macedonian with people.  It's frustrating that I'm in the country and yet struggle to find someone who I can have a conversation with. It's for now a necessity but also a crutch to have the elders always helping us out.

One of the elders' investigators just had a baby. We've been going with them when they teach her because they figure it's nice for her to become friends with girls. I made her chicken noodle soup (I don't need a recipe for it it's so simple) and Sister Schofield made her some brownies. We got all the way to her house and then she wasn't there so I was super disappointed. We went back the next day and she invited two of her friends, too, which was cool. She asked the elders, "She's from America too?" (meaning me) "The first time I saw her I thought for sure she was Macedonian!" The lesson was on prophets. She told me if I ever had a question about the language I could call her and ask her, so that was very nice.

Last I heard about Elmaz was that he was doing better-ish. I'll let you know.

Well, we just went to an internet cafe the last two weeks because the place they normally go has been closed. And yeah, the pub was basically just an American-style restaurant/bar. No, there aren't many fat people here. In America it's kind of like, not everyone's fat but occasionally you see someone who is SUPER FAT. Here, not everyone is skinny but occasionally you see someone who is SUPER SKINNY. From what I can tell, Americans exercise more though. Elder Krajnc said to me, "The way the women here stay in shape is by smoking." 

For exercise one day we met up with the elders to play soccer in the park, and I had a lot of fun and asked if we could do it "every day for the rest of my life...or maybe just my mission", and we have been doing it every morning since. It's great because then I don't dread when we have to exercise (me and Sister Schofield would run or do something lame in the apartment before) and I have some incentive to get up so early. Today since it's P day we played later in the day, and for longer too. I "accidentally" bodyslammed her a couple times and she "accidentally" pushed me once while playing. (We were on separate teams.) We jogged there per request of Sister Schofield and then she had us run laps afterward too. We met up at a nicer park and played Risk afterwards. It was a fun day.

This past week I feel like I've been running a lot, too. One time was when we were late to a lesson. Then one of the elders' investigators backed out of his baptism so they were all super sad, and Sister Schofield really wanted to buy one of them a sword because she felt like it would cheer him up. We got done with a lesson and then she was like, "The mall closes at 9." And we ran all the way to the mall, I don't know how far but it was several intersections, over a bridge, etc. Keep in mind this is while wearing skirts, carrying our bags and everything. As if people don't stare at us enough already. I heard her say behind me, "This is totally going in my journal tonight." When we got there we felt really stupid because the mall didn't actually close until much later. On the way back we walked like normal people, carrying fake swords, and I was confronted by a ravenous beagle! I never took a class or anything but instinct kicked in and I stared at it and screamed. It ran away. Anyway the moral of that story is that their investigator ended up deciding to be baptized.

One night Sister Schofield wanted a blessing, and then they asked me if I wanted one too so I said sure. (Just a blessing of comfort.) Since the elders aren't allowed in our apartment and vice versa we did it in the hallway of our place. Luckily we were uninterrupted, but the longer I'm out the more I realize why people think mormons are weird.

I should go, but I love you!

Sister Riddle