Hosting New Missionaries

Oi Familia

What a long long week. It has gone by so so so slooooooow! I have been having some pretty down days. Monday night was really bad I couldn't sleep or anything. Tuesday wasn't much better I was in some kind of slump and it really was tough to say the least. The Tuesday night devotional helped me get out of it a little. It was a good talk that helped me realize once again why I was out here. The Devotionals here are life savers they are always so good and inspirational, it really helps me keep going and stay strong even when it is the hardest. By the time Wednesday came around I was feeling better and had some energy. In one of our classes on Wednesday our teacher did the lesson/discussion on why we are here and then we talked to someone in our district on a really personal level for about 10 mins then we had 20 mins to search the scriptures for things that could help the other person. We than had 30 mins to teach and help the other person with his problems or concerns. It was a really cool experience I was with Elder Amdal and he found some really cool amazing scriptures to help me out. It was really good to be able to help him also. I really liked helping him out it allowed me to forget about myself and help someone else. I really gained a testimony this week of giving service to others. Doing so has helped me forget about myself and serve others around me. Whenever I was really down I tried to look for something I could do for someone else. It really helped me out more than anything else I think. Its amazing what you can find in the scriptures. You could find the answer to any question you want in them. They have really been helping me this week because it has been so long. Whenever I get the chance to read my scriptures I always feel so much better and the rest of the day goes by so much better. I am very thankful for them.
My district is awesome! Sometimes it just amazes me how different we all are but how well we get along. I am pretty sure we have one of the strongest districts in our branch. We are all so close and only getting closer. They have helped me a ton whenever I needed something they are always more than willing to help me out. It is sad now that we are all realizing that in two weeks we will all go our separate ways to different missions. Last night we were all in the same room just laying on the beds and talking about how big of a bummer it is that we are all not going to the same mission lol Elder Collins and I where talking and he said Elder Novakovich and I are like the same people I just have a bigger body lol then something about souls and spirits came up and he said we came here with one spirit and he just took more of it so he needed a bigger body and I just got a little bit of it so I got a little body lol it was funny maybe you had to be there. Elder Collins and I get along really well we have the same kinda humor so we are always making jokes it a good time lol As of last week our district is now the oldest one in our Branch! Pretty crazy I remember when it was our first week and seeing the older districts and remembering just thinking they had been here forever! haha now that's me and my district pretty weird. I cant believe we only have like two weeks left here!!! I will get my re-assignment in a week and a half next Wednesday!!! Crazy!! Some really cool news/ really sad bummer news is Elder Harston from my district got his Visa! That's the great part but he is also the one with the torn ACL... so they may not let him go right away. He is supposed to leave tomorrow with two other Elders who got their Visas. So that is a huge bummer for him. I will keep you posted on when or if he gets to head out to Brazil. More good news is he is from right by Spokane so maybe I'll be next! haha I could only hope. I really wish I did get to go to the Brazil MTC it would have been awesome to have that experience but the Lord knows just what he wants me to do so I'll go where he wants me to go (oh look at me quoting a hymn lol) But it will be pretty fun to get a new call haha this time I know its in the states so it wont be that big of a bummer haha It will be exciting to see where I end up going.
I did see Sister Novakovich!! lol I was walking through her building to get to mine and we ran into each other pretty crazy but awesome! She is super cool I wish we could just sit and talk but we always have somewhere to be or places to go. But its all good she is way cool. Pretty crazy that we are here the same time. Everyone that sees us talking is like wow you two have the same last name lol Oh yeah representing the Novakovich name here at the good old MTC!
I got my first hair cut on my mission this week that was a treat lol they definitely go as fast as they can lol I sat down laughed at Elder Rawlings hair cut and bam I was done too lol It was crazy fast and it looks ok lol I will have to send a picture for you to enjoy. I have to admit I did get one of the better ones. Some Elders in our district got butchered lol its so funny! I got some sweet packages this week!! I got two from Sister Barnes one had pumpkin/cream cheese muffins in it which where amazing!!! then the very next day I got a Halloween package from the Barnes!! with some sweet stuff in it with lots of candy! I got a package from Madi also!! Guess what she got me!?! Hawaii chips!!! ahh she is awesome! lol I was so excited when I saw them! She also got me lots of other goodies that will be put to good use lol I have lots of food to eat in two weeks. Some funny news is that I have gained 6 pounds since being here so I am filling out quit nicely lol If this place can make me gain weight it can make anyone gain weight!! I am definitely getting and well out of shape. I went for a run the other day starting out at my usual pace from back home and about 30 seconds later I felt like I was gong to die. lol That made me really sad actually because I really miss going on runs by myself back home. It was a good time to just relax and enjoy being alone which I really miss. I have to be with my companion every second of the day. Good thing we get along pretty well.
Portuguese is well... its Portuguese. I am actually doing pretty well, like second worst in the district so that's good. Sometimes when we are teaching I really want to say something so I try and then I am pretty sure it comes out way wrong like one time I was teaching about the Atonement and I said "Jesus Christ killed for our sins". lol instead of he died for our sins lol pretty funny to my defense the words are very similar lol the thing that gets me most is the pronunciation of things because there are different from English so its hard to forget the English stuff but I am getting better. It is frustrating sometimes but its coming. I realized the other day that in not to long I will have to teach real people... super scary to think about lol but super exciting at the same time. Sometimes I feel so inadequate for this work. I have so much to learn I feel. I am really relying on the Lords help and he is blessing me greatly. Some more exciting news is I get to Host this week!!!!! I am so excited!!! And Tcox comes in I could totally Host him!!! That would be so sweet I am so excited to see him! I cant wait to host but I am afraid I actually might cry lol So it should be very interesting if I am trying to bring this Elder into the MTC and I am crying more than him lol I think I could give the moms a run for their money! haha So I will definitely keep you posted on how that whole thing goes for sure! Nothing on Visa Stuff. 4 elders got theirs this week so things are starting to move a lot better it seems. It is pretty cold here now which kinda sucks! It even snowed this week!!! I am better ready for the cold than a lot of Elders I have my sweatshirt and coat so I am good a lot of people just have there suit coat nothing else. Oh and now since the weather is colder everyone has to wear their suits all the time now which really sucks for us one suit elders we have to wear the same thing everyday should be fun haha and my style choices have gone down even more. Now I don't even get to choose what pants I want to wear. I only get to choose my tie now, pretty sad... lol I am doing well though the beginning of the week wasn't very good but I am a lot better now and happy. I am so tired though I cant believe it!! I haven't felt like I've have had a good nights sleep in forever! I could really use a catch up day but I wont get one of those for hmm lets see.... another 22 and a half months!! lol But its all part of the mission experience living two years with next to no sleep haha I am good though so no worries I am still living the MTC up lol doing the same thing everyday I love it!! lol I did get to go to the BYU health clinic last week because Elder Harston needed someone to go with him to his Physical therapy. It was so nice to get out of here!! lol Well that's about it for this week thanks for all of the DearElders again I love them!! Thanks for all of the love and support you give me!! I love and miss you all tons have a great week!!

Love Elder Novakovich

P.S. Hey dad for your question with helping members staying active once they get baptized, we had someone come and talk to us about that. The number one thing is they have to keep reading the Book of Mormon! If they continue to read it they will stay strong in the church! Second Tithing which really shocked me but is really cool. If members pay their tithing they will more likely stay a strong member of church. If they really understand the importance of it, it will bless their lives greatly! That's about all the advice I have haha love you

P.S.S. How did Lexi's wedding go??? it would be cool to get some pictures of that!