Hello Everyone! Dore here... This week's post will be another compilation of e-mails that he sent to various family members. We tend to get a more detailed picture of his life when we read each other's e-mails! Enjoy....
To his little sister:
Kaj ima? Kako ide?
Guess what? That whole "One Direction" thing won’t be an
issue by the time I get back. No one even knows about them here, and they wont
be popular in a year and a half when I get back to America. So I think I'm okay.....
What the heck? Are they doing kickball now instead of softball? That
sounds a lot better, but yeah, I would have skipped it
too. (Mollie skipped Stake Kickball in order to go with us to Oklahoma for swimming and BBQ. Plug here for Texas folks....BEST BBQ EVER in Sulphur, Oklahoma...Smokin' Joe's BBQ. Mmmmmmmm!!!! :) )Barbecue sounds so good right now! I wish I could go
swimming. It would be so much fun. The ocean looks so nice all the time, but I
can't go in. I'm getting kind of tan-ish though. I don't really look tan, but
it's a lot whiter underneath my sleeves. But it's really bad because my dress
shirt sleeves are longer than t-shirt sleeves, so whenever I wear t-shirts,
it's a big farmers tan....around my neck because of the collar too. And
that's soo cool about the bald eagle. It's kind of one of my random/weird
dreams to see a bald eagle in the wild. It would be so cool. I sound so white
trash, but whatever.
Good luck at the school orientation. Not to be a downer or anything,
but those things are always awkward. I never liked them all that much because
it means that school's about to start again. And school isn't too bad, but with
school comes seminary...and waking up for class at 6 isn't too much fun. I
don't even have to wake up before 6 as a missionary (6:30 on the dot), so just
be glad that after senior year, you wont ever have to wake up that early again
until you have kids. I'm excited to hear about your teachers and classes!
I got the post card sent off. I hope you like it! It's a pretty cool
one. Maybe if I ever get time/money....doubtful that I’ll ever get both, I'll
start collecting some to bring home.
I don't think I have too many questions for you. When are you
starting drivers ed? That will be weird to have you driving by the time I get
home. It seems like it was just a couple of years ago that I started driving.
It's weird to think of you as 15 and then think back to when I was 15 because
it feels like it was just a little while ago. And for some reason, I still
think of you as being 7....I don't know why. It's just the way it happens.
Whenever I think about you I just picture an elementary schooler. It's weird
that you're going to be starting your second year of high school. How is it
having a cell phone? Do you still like it? It seems like you've only had it for
a couple of weeks, because it doesn't seem like I've been gone all that long,
but it's been over 7 months now (back on Saturday was my 7 month mark). Does it
seem like it's been that long? It's even stranger that I have less than a year
and a half left...weird. Some times it seems like I'll be here forever, but
it's already flying by. Some say the second half is faster, some say slower.
I'll find out in January. Guess what? We only have like 4 months until we get
to talk on the phone again. Isn't that crazy? It'll be cool fosho!
I think that's about it....nothing too exciting happened this week.
Just the same stuff, just a different week. Our landlord found out that we've
never had snails before and now he says that he's going to make us some. I'm
scared. Even he says that they don't taste the best, but they are good for your
health....wish me luck if he ever actually follows through with his threat!
I love you and hope you have a good week. Good luck with the yearbook
pics and orientation!
S ljubavlju,
P.J.
To his Dad:
Hey!
I'm so jealous about the Oklahoma bbq. It sounds so good. I could go
for some good beef or pork....just as long as it has bbq sauce. It sounds so
good!
That's cool about the mac. I want one when I go back, but I also
want a phone, a motorcycle, and all sorts of stuff. It's going to be expensive.
Being here has made me decide that it would be so awesome to have a bike. I
really want an Aprillia. They are probably the coolest bikes ever. I see them
all the time here and I already liked them before I got here, but now I want
one for sure.
I feel sorry for those guys at the Ford dealership. They didn't know
what they were getting themselves into when they sold you that car. Most people
have issues affording the car, but you know its trouble when the dealership
can't afford you. That's good that it's all getting sorted out though. Let's
hope that they get it right this time.
This last week was pretty good. We were able to meet a few cool
people and have lessons with them. No new investigators yet. But once we set up
return appts. and go to them, we'll have them on our line ;). Church was a
little crazy. Did I tell you that two Sundays ago I blessed the Sacrament for the
first time in Croatian? I did it again yesterday. We have 4 priesthood holders
in the branch....the branch president, me and Elder M****, and a man named
L*******. So L******* usually passes....not sure why he passes and doesn't
bless. I think he just likes passing. And then Elder M**** and I bless the
sacrament. Well during sacrament, Ž******, the branch president, leaned over to
me and Elder M***** and asked if we could talk about our experience and feelings
from being in the temple, because it's Croatia temple week this week in
Frankfurt, Germany, and members were going. So I got to do an impromptu little
5-7 minute talk about the temple. That was fun.....and the night
before, Ž*****asked me to pick a topic for priesthood meeting and then we
would just talk about it since it was most likely going to just be the three of
us....so I picked a chapter out of the gospel principals book, it was Faith in
Jesus Christ. So I didn't read the chapter or anything because I didn't think
that I would need to....Well in priesthood we had an American guy from Las
Vegas who was here on business, an old German man that barely speaks Croatian
and speaks even less English, and L******* (the local member). Well we got into
class and it ended up into me having the lesson.....So I got to teach an
impromptu priesthood lesson....in Croatian. It was weird because 2 out of the 6
people in there had no idea what was going on, so every once in a while I would
pause and summarize in English, but the poor German man was so lost. He would
just point to scriptures about faith in his German scriptures and then I would
try to explain to him that I already used those scriptures, but it went
okay.
I think other than that, this week has been pretty bland. I threw up
last night while walking out to tracting....Well it was like 3 times. Once in
the bushes, once in a dumpster, and once in the grass next to the road. And
then I threw up once when we got back. It was nasty. I still feel a little off,
but it's better now.
I hope that all is good for you at home and at work. I hope that you
have some safe travels. Guess what? Like 4 months until Christmas. I'm already
excited. And another thing: I've been out for 2 days over 7 months now. And
it's just about been a year since I got and opened my call. It seems like it's
rushed past and it's all been a blur. The crazy part is that from August when I
got my call, to January when I left, it felt like forever, but that was only 5
months, and so far I’ve been on my mission longer than that. It's so crazy how
the perspective of time changes. Another weird part is that I have friends
getting home from their missions starting in 4 months and Jake comes home in
like 5....that's so strange to me. Soon it will be me....weird!
Well, I best be gettin' going. I still have to e-mail mom!
Love,
P.J.
To his Mom:
Hey to the whole famn damily! ( I know I used it before, but I still
find it funny)
That's so cool about Jesse (his cousin). I didn't know that he was thinking about
enlisting. Good luck with the linguistics. Knock on wood, but I think the plan
right now is that Serbo-Croatian/Slovene (if I have to go back) will be
the last language I ever learn. It's a pain to learn languages....unless
it's Spanish because then it's easy. I heard a rumor that
most Spanish speaking missionaries in Spanish speaking
countries are fluent by their year mark....must be freakin' nice ;). I'll
find a way to survive with just Croatian and English.
That's so cool about Santa Barbara. It's just your favorite because
you've never been over here. I'm still of the opinion that California is sorely
over-rated.
And about the lady and the dog....We have no idea if she was telling
the truth, so for the last week I went to sleep with a loaded rifle, just in
case he started foaming and I had to take him out onto the back balcony and
finish him "Ole Yeller" style...but luckily he never showed symptoms,
so we hope he's okay. We think he is. I also tie him up during full moons now
just in case....
The fish nugget....why not eat it if it tasted good? I think you
have a fish phobia...speaking of fish:
Our land lord asked us if we cooked fish and we said no we
didn't because we didn't know where to get good ones and how to cook/clean
them. So he said that if we bought fish sometime from the Ribarnica (fish
market in center), he would show us how to clean them and then he would show us
how to cook them on his outdoor grill in the back yard. So I might have to eat
fish soon.... Today we went to the Ribarnica to check out what they have and
it's like a fish farmers market and they sell all sorts of stuff....huge hunks
of tuna, fish that I don't even know what they are, octopuses/octopie (whatever
it is), squid, shrimp, and sea centipede things. I don't think I've ever
smelled anything so nasty in my life. When you walk through the doors into the hallway
that leads to the market area, it smells bad, but when you enter the place, it
knocks you off of your feet. Strongest fishy smell of my life. Mom, you would
have puked.........But I kind of want to try some stuff....It might be good. I
think I'm gonna buy a bunch of shrimp to cook.
It's Croatia week or something at the Frankfurt temple, so a bunch of the
members are going from the whole country. It's quite the ordeal to go....a whole week stay and a 14 hour
bus ride each way.
That tractor tricycle thing is nasty....but I do miss Wal-Mart. So
much good food! They sell cheddar cheese, root beer, Gatorade, and stuff with
sugar in it there. I can't wait to open a big bag of Cheetos when I get home.
Or maybe a nice sandwich with Colby Jack and not gouda.
Yeah....I’ll get around to the picture. I still have a year and half
or so until it gets out dated......Do they have the right mission information
on it? Like the Adriatic North Mission with Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, and
Serbia in the outline? Just wondering..... I'll have one for you in next week's
email.
Yeah.....we've had 3 sisters come in since I left, but no elders.
I'm still the newest Elder in Croatia, after being here for 5 months. But
starting last month, we have quite a few people leaving every two months, so we
should be getting more people. I think 3 elders and 2 sisters are coming in the
middle of next month. I'm not sure which countries they are going to
though.
About the advice for handling the raw meat....you should save it for
someone who can afford to buy meat.....
Sorry to send such a lame email this week, but because of the
lesson, I'm out of time. There's more information and stuff that I sent to Dad,
Bri, and Mollie. Sorry! Please don't hate me. I uploaded some more pics to Shutterfly,
so that should appease your anger ;)....
Gotta go!
Love,
P.J.
P.S. Do you think you could check with Ecco and see if it's possible
to buy just the insoles....mine are pretty trashed already in the slip-ons and
the lace ups are getting pretty bad too. Just a thought. They are size 48... I
guess that just goes to prove that we do too much walking here. I'll send
pictures of what they look like next week if I can remember.
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