Different Missionary Challenges

We have had a busy week.  We are so happy when we can help people in need, or when we see good strides in the people with whom we are working.  They balance out the times when people reject our message.  And us.  And while we work hard every day and are pretty pooped by the time we go to bed, our issues are not as tricky as what we had in Brazil, and what others have around the world!  A Senior Couple who works in the Mission Office here told us about friends they have who are serving in the Adriatic North Mission.  That is an amazingly complex mission with trials we can't imagine.  A few facts about the mission "by the numbers" that I found quite interesting:

• 5 Countries: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro
• 4 Monetary Systems
• 3 MAJOR Languages: Bosnian, Croatian and Montenegrin (Lots of others - a package purchased in the grocery store can have directions in 23 languages!!!)
• 2 Alphabets: Cyrillic and Latin (which is what English uses)
• 1 Mission

The implications are amazing:   All these countries have been part of other countries, and warred against each other.  If a missionary is called to one of those countries, he/she cannot be "transferred" out of that country, even if he/she could speak the language, because of Passport/Visa issues.  Paying the mission bills in so many different currencies would be tricky!

There are 1313 members of record in the mission, but only 371 active; members are spread out, poverty is endemic, baptism can result in being treated as a traitor by one's family.  (One interesting point: Because of all the wars which created so many orphans and/or fires that destroyed records, some people have NO ID, which means they can't get a job!)

These challenges are so different from ours, but we know the Work will go forward when and how it's supposed to!  

We didn't have any pictures from this week, so we took
a Selfie; very hard not to get the giggles when doing that!

The Gospel is True!  We are glad to be Missionaries, and are glad we are here!  We love you all!