And here we go again.

We will now be updating our blog once again because as of last Wednesday, we have another missionary in the field. So we will post his letters each week.

hello everyone!

I am dong good. A lot of what went on in the first day I sent in a letter so I hope you got that. The first couple of days sucked. I have to admit they have us gong every second of the day and there is no time to even think straight. You have a schedule for every minute so no lollygagging around in the MTC. It has definitely been a learning experience for me.
My companion is Elder Rawling from California. He is a good guy. We get along pretty well and we are both willing to work hard so when we have the opportunity to do so we do. He is a lot better at Portuguese than me because he took 3 years of Spanish so he has a head start along with everyone else in my district. There are 12 of us. They all have some kind of background in Spanish and then there is me... with nothing but a tiny bit if French so I am deffinatly; well ill be honest the worst in the district at the language but they enjoy me making mistakes. I am able to keep everyone laughing so im good for something around here lol. I have learned a lot as I said in the letter. the teacher speaks no English at all and its three hour class in a tiny room and super hot and sweaty and pretty stinky lol after about two and a half hours of class I really start to mentally check out because its at the end of the day and my brain is being stuffed full of everything. I have learned how to introduce myself, say a little prayer and I am pretty good at testifying in Portuguese but still have a ton to learn.
the days are so long here its amazing. By the time noon rolls around you feel like you have already done a days work. But its only begun. Sunday is when it really turned the corner for me. Time started to go by faster and I was able to relax a little because I am familiar with everything going on. Sunday was amazing the best Sunday I have ever had. it was so spiritually intense! for the first time I was able to personally read my scriptures which hasn't happened since I got here because I was to busy trying to get lessons ready and talks. But when I finally was able to read them it was awesome! The scriptures have really opened up to me. things make sense that never have before when I read them. In here its so much easier to really imagine and see the story and to believe what's in them. It's so amazing the way the spirit is able to do that, especially for me! oh and I even joined the MTC choir!!!! lol I thought it would be fun so I convinced two other elders from my district to join me; Elder Hogg and Elder Harston which was fun lol. The conductor not only thought us a song but he incorporated it with the scriptures it was so good the spirit was so strong and the conductor was able to tell the story of Abraham and I was able to realize things that I hadn't before!
Reading the scriptures and hearing the lessons of them is now like I knew them personally. The spirit here has really worked on me haha I hope I didn't steal from someone else... Sacrament meeting was fun lol. some Elders gave there talks in Portuguese so I had no idea what was said and the sacrament prayer was also said in Portuguese so good thing I know what it says lol but how they give talks is after the sacrament the mission pres gets up and says two names and if your name gets called then you have to go straight up and give your talk so everyone has to prepare a talk every Sunday haha its not bad though it doesn't have to be long. Oh Elder Rawling and I taught an investigator on our third day here! in Portuguese!!! knowing almost nothing it went, well... horrible lol Elder Rawling did really good considering the situation but I was only able to say a tiny bit lol it was so crazy. she said things and I just starred at her like she was speaking another language! lol I cant wait for the day I can understand and speak some real Portuguese. the first nights I didn't sleep well at all no surprise there. And as for the food... its not to bad taste wise but it does tear up your insides for sure lets just say my best friend is the toilet lol and yes gas is always a problem haha. I still haven't heard anything from madi she has probably forgotten all about me and moved on already. Looking out the MTC and seeing the real world is really weird. I have to admit its like its so far away idk how to explain it but it is weird for sure.
Today we got to go to the temple and it was really cool with all the missionaries I love being in the temple, its really relaxing. OH!! I saw Elder Augie Rife here!! the first day! lol at dinner and I get to see him everyday. His classroom is just on the other side of the building of mine so we see each other a lot but he leaves tomorrow so that sucks and he has been able to really help me. I had a really bad day Saturday and I just sat and talked to him for a little and he helped a ton. I miss you guys a ton. WRITE ALL YOU WANT ON DEARELDER.COM I love getting mail! Only what you have sent is what ive got. Write everyday if you want. I gotta go. I love you all so much have a great week I love you!!

Love Elder Novakovich
its weird im an elder

Well, I got a hold of the family blog so I'm going to start updating the Novakovich family from now on. -Zoe
Nick is now married to Ryleigh (Riggin) Novakovich.
Jaren is about to leave on his mission in August to Santa Maria, Brazil.
Darbi just started Driver's Ed. and got her permit. So look out world for a very unstable, driver. ;)
I (Zoe), just got finished up with track and placed 1st in 3 out of 4 of my events and 3rd in one of them. :)
Carli may or may not be pregnant, we are still unsure. Boomer is still alive (miraculously) and is 6 years old.

Cool kid date idea.

The other day our older kids were at youth conference. Zoe wanted to do something fun and so we took her downtown and took pictures of different things that spelled out the letters in her name. She had a blast taking the pictures and looking for those objects that looked like the letters she needed. It was an inexpensive day that she had a blast doing.

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Last Transfer

mom and dad-

Well i did get transfered!! but not to PEI...I am going to a place called Sydney. it is in nova scotia but on an island called Cape Breton. i hear it is nice up there. so i'm excited about it. kinda a weird ride of emotions for me the past few days. i realized how short my time is out here. it all started yesterday when we got transfers. we were up in Dartmouth for meetings. but president pulled me aside and thanked me for my service as a zone leader and told me what he expected of me up in Sydney. I won't be a ZL any more. which was kind of weird. President told me that i will serve with a elder Bain, he is a cool kid. he is from Atlanta Georgia. i have served around him before. but president told me to go serve with him for six weeks then i am going to train a new missionary and then i go home. but i got to thinking about it and it made me choke up a bit. i just didn't like the thought that i go home soon. i love it out here and to be honest, coming home scares me a bit right now. i don't know what is going to happen. kind of a leap of faith really. i know it will work out it is just a big transition. i don't know. my plans right now are to work for the fall and then got to SCC in the winter time. finish my AA and then transfer somewhere. my options right now are Eastern, Whitworth, or BYU. i might look into Oregon, but the big thing for me is where can i go that is cheap. i know whitworth is not cheap but i might try and play baseball. but other than that things are going well for me. i'm excited for this transfer coming up. it is going to make time go by so fast. it will be a change of pace for sure after being a zone leader for an entire year and a bit. but it will be nice to just focus on being in the area and loving the people and doing straight missionary work for 3 months. mom and dad i can't tell you how much i love it out here. this place has become a part of me, i love it so much. i love the people. i love the gospel. and i love testifying to people. I feel like i have grown so much and become a pretty new person. i have learned a lot of valuable lessons and i love to teach people. Teaching is just one of my favorite things to do. i love the scriptures, they are amazing. i just love it all. that is cool that Darren got his mission call. that will be fun for him to be there. i actually watched it on their blog site. so i thought that was cool. but i love you all and hope that things continue to go well for you. i'm excited to tear things up on the wakeboard when i get home. i really want to go atleast once before you put it away for the winter. i don't care how cold it is. sounds like you are all doing really well. mom i got your package so thanks. i love you all so much and can't wait to see you. it is going to fly by, but i'm soaking it up dad. thanks for the advice. love ya.

Elder Nick Novakovich

4 months left

mom and dad-

thanks for the emails this week, they both brought a big smile to my face. that is so cool that jaren and darbi did so well with their track meets. I'm telling you, jaren could run track for university easy. just get him to talk to matt about how he got to BYU and get his times out there. but that is all up to him. and tell Darbi that i am proud of her. that is too bad that zoe still likes to run, i feel like the black sheep of the family, being the only one who doesn't do the running thing. I have been thinking a lot about the whole baseball thing for when i get home, and i am just going to decide where to go to school once i get home and then try out for the team there. so that should be interesting. I have been thinking about coming back to Halifax to go to dental school, because they have Dalhousie university here. a lot of members come from the states to go there, so that might be an option. i don't know for sure though, i have to do a lot of research on that when i get home. as for the missionary work, things are going great. i learned a ton yesterday at our zone leader council. President simpson is amazing! transfers came out yesterday as well, and nothing changed for me. I'm still in Kentville and serving with elder Hitchcock. We are working hard though and trying to see success while we are here. it makes things a lot easier when you work hard and do what you are called to do. I learned a lot about obedience yesterday and the blessings that come from that. mainly the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, but there is so much to be learned from obedience to anything. that is how we grow and develop faith is by being obedient to a gospel principle. Deborah Sanford is being baptized tonight, so i am excited for that. she is a really cool lady. we don't have too many other investigators close to baptism but we are working hard so that is good. i know now that i have been working hard enough to know i have done all i can and i have accomplished the will of the Lord. But i still have 4 months to accomplish more, i am excited for that. well i love you all and hope you have a great day, know that i am happier than i have ever been in my life right now. i absolutely love the Lord and His work, it is true that when we lose ourselves, it is then that we find true happiness. my advice to you all, just love people. Charity is the key. i love you all so much, have a good day and week.

Elder Nick Novakovich

PS
I forgot to tell you we got a new car yesterday. a 2010 Subaru Impreza. it made me happy and feel cool but then i realized it is just going to highten the disappointment when i have to drive the van around again when i get home. lol. have a good one.

Elder Nick Novakovich

"Sweet 16"

Our First Girl Baby turned 16 years old on April 27th. We wanted this to be the most special birthday to date for her so we planned a surprise party with all of her friends. The plan was that Ryleigh was going to spend the day with her since she would be out of town on Darbi's "real" birthday. They were going to see a movie and then Ryleigh was going to cut Darbi's hair and then head over to our house where the party would be held.

Everything was going along nicely. We had arranged with a couple of friends to make up a list of friends that would be invited to the event and then have them hand out the invitations at school.

Some of the activities would be Volleyball out in the yard, ping-pong, and Guitar Hero. We had planned a bar-b-q for dinner and lots of fun food to eat. The only problem was that we didn't really have anywhere to eat outside and so...the wonderful deck was created just in time to celebrate. It was perfect, the Gazebo was put up and the bar-b-q was placed on the deck. We loved the way everything was coming together.

The weather was going to be "OK", by that I mean that it was not supposed to be sunny and warm but it was not supposed to be raining either. We had moderate temps and stronger than desired wind, but it was fine. Everyone was still willing to be outside playing and eating.

Guests started to arrive at about 5pm and Darbi was scheduled to arrive at 5:30. Ryleigh kept us posted on their activities and as soon as they were close we had everyone go to the garage and Darbi would enter this was to the house because the front door would be locked. Everything went as planned...it was perfect...she didn't have a clue...all of her friends were totally excited for her and had done a great job of keeping the whole thing a secret.

Kids played and ate all night long, we even had a "frosting" eating contest which was rather gross but fun to watch. Cody certainly won in my book and Jenna was a close 2nd, Baily just couldn't bring herself to put that whole "frosting balloon" in her mouth.

22nd Anniversary

Nikki and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary yesterday. We decided it would be fun to use our backyard a little more effectively so we decided to put in a deck and place the gazebo on it. So here are pictures of the progress after day 3. I hope to have it done by day 75.

The choice was to use this spot for a garden and have the added chore of weeding, planting, picking, and the such, or to use that money to build something where you can sit around and watch your neighbors work hard. Then, with the added height of the deck, it makes it easier to jump the fence and steal their harvest. Just saying.

We did hear from the missionary this week and he is doing well. He is hoping to go back to yarmouth (his first area) to end his mission. He would be transferred there in May if that ends up being the case. Hard to believe he only has 5 months left. He is finally teaching a few people who are scheduled to be baptized in May so we are hoping and praying for his success.

Jaren and Darbi are both in the midst of running track. They both run distance but occasionlly dabble in the 800. Jaren has been happy with his mile times at around 4:45. He is doing great. Darbi is deciding whether she likes the 3200 or the 800 better.

Zoe continues to be a voracious reader. She averages about a book a week. I have told her continually that books will rot your mind and to watch more TV, but she hasn't listened yet.