Week 3 in the MTC

Oi famíilia

I can't believe another week has gone by already! The days are so long here but the weeks just fly by like they never even happened! This is a good thing though because as great as the MTC is, I still can't wait to get into the field! I do have to say I am kinda sad right now but only because all my international friends from Brazil and France are leaving today and Wednesday! :( I am a little jealous that they only had to stay three weeks here because there speaking English, lucky dogs! Tcox will be here for the perfect amount of time, three weeks. 3 weeks would be perfect but no I have.. get to, stay here for 9 weeks!! Its going to be a journey for sure. I do have to say that I have really fallen in love with the MTC though the only reason I want to leave is because I want to actually teach people! I am so excited to get out there and share this amazing message that we have for them. Sorry if I don't answer questions that you may have written in DearElders because they are moving the post office place so I won't get any DearElders till Wednesday or Thursday I think, which is going to suck. This week has been really crazy as usual, but so enjoyable as well. P-days are always a nice break from the intense schedule that we have to follow everyday. Laundry is always exciting because you have hundreds of Elders and Sisters trying to do all their laundry at the same time and there are never enough washers to go around. So everyone is waiting for someone's load to be done so they can use it. Its crazy. It's funny to watch some people get really upset and frustrated with it. I like to just sit and laugh. The problem I have is I don't know how much soap to put in. So I just put as much as my little heart wants. It seems to have worked out so far. My clothes always come out clean and smell good and that's all that matters to me!
Our Tuesday devotional was pretty good. Jay E. Jenson spoke. It was helpful he talked about how lots of missionaries get discouraged because their investigators don't except their commitment invitations. He taught that we all have to look for what he called the "gorilla walking across the room" which means the hidden things that the investigators will say or do that a lot of missionaries don't catch. It was a very good talk as usual. Sunday fireside was good last night. We watched a small video about 9/11 and then the motab choir did a concert kinda thing for 9/11 that we watched. It was pretty intense. There where a lot of tears in the crowd. It even got me a little, which it really never has before. I think this is because the whole big message was families. It really touched my heart about how many people lost there loved ones. It gave me an even greater love for you guys and how truly much I love you.
I cant even describe the ways my mission has already changed my life! Its truly amazing how much love the Lord has for all of us. The experiences I have had here are incredible. I already know that this is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. The things I have learned the things I've felt are impossible to describe. The Spirit is so strong here at the MTC. Anywhere I go, I know its right with me. A lot of speakers tell us that we have angels lifting us up here and as missionaries and I know its true. I have changed so much in how I act and how I look at things. I know it's the Spirit teaching me what I am truly supposed to be. One of the biggest lessons I have learned here is to rely upon the Lord. I have been humbled so much these past weeks. With trying to learn a new language, leaving everything I've ever known, and not being able to talk to those I love. It really has been a humbling experience and I've learned that I can not do this by myself. I know that the Lord is helping me in ways I don't even know. But he has really helped me in ways I could never forget. I have really learned how to depend on the Lord. Prayer has helped me so much here. My prayers have really become one of the most important things to me here. They help me so much through out the day.
On another note, Portuguese lol what a smack in the face that has been. But the really cool thing is these past couple of days I have been doing pretty well with it. I can actually understand some that my teachers say while standing there and talking for six hours a day! lol which has turned out to be very helpful, considering in the past I sat there and looked at them with a confused look on my face and just asked my companion what they where saying. But I have been doing good just the last few days which I am really excited about! Whenever I say a sentence in Portuguese in class everyone claps because I actually know something. lol The Lord is the only reason I have learned what I have in Portuguese because, well, I cant do it myself lol.
My district is so cool! Everyone gets a long really well which is a huge thing here at the MTC. A lot of districts have some problems. One just had a kid go home because he was sick of everyone around him. But mine gets along so well. Its really cool to see how we have bonded and come together. My companion, Elder Rawlings, and I are still doing good. We tease each other a lot so that's always fun. He makes fun of my Portuguese... everyone does. lol but its all in good fun. We are still getting a long well and haven't had any big arguments yet. We have this window we always go look out when we are sad. lol We call it the Window of Life. haha We even wrote a poem about it that is three pages long. lol I have to admit we are pretty good poem writers! But the window just looks over all of Provo and we can see pretty much all of BYU which is cool. It always makes us happier to to look out and know there is still a real world out there. Our district always has someone tell their life story when we finally get back to our rooms. So wee all know each other pretty well. lol There are a lot of different backgrounds; some pretty amazing, others usual, and others pretty bad, but we all get along so well its amazing really.
We get in 50 mins of gym time and we always go play soccer which is awesome!! There are so many kids that are so good its pretty crazy haha but 50 of us play at the same time of day. It is not even close to enough to what we need so there is always some goofing around in the residence halls at night lol There just so happens to be some wrestlers by us and one in my district so there is always a wrestling match going on in a room with everyone watching. lol Its funny to see everyone wrestle. It makes me laugh! I hadn't really gotten into the whole wrestling in the rooms because the floors are literally crappy carpet on cement lol so its super hard. But the other night Elder Fish who wrestled in Washington but on the other side of the state he wrestled 135 and his companion who is a huge black guy lol he is like 6'3 easy 200+ pounds and nothing but muscle like seriously one of the most cut guys I have ever seen!! lol we where just messing with each other poking fun and then Elder McIntyre who is the huge guy and I were just playing and pushing around then we started wrestling lol pretty crazy lol after a little big of crashing into things I finally took him down lol but in the process got some pretty bad rug burns and a bump on the head lol I have rug burns across my forehead and next to my eye lol it looks like I was in a bar fight or something haha he got a pretty good cut on his back from the bunk bed lol I got some pretty good pictures of my head I'll have to send you but in the end I won so don't worry lol everyone was surprised I won haha but it was all in the name of good fun. Plus I'm not someone to back down from a challenge lol but I'm all good and we are still friends haha
The food is still the same lol it tastes pretty good most of the time but your belly never likes it lol
I hope Zoe starts to like the school. I was sad to hear she had to sit on the floor for lunch because the cafeteria was to small. They should make one like the MTCs. Its so biiiiig! haha Oh dad for the host thing you only get to do it your 8th week in the MTC and they just ask you to do it so we will have to see. It would be fun to do that. When does T-Cox come here?? Not a lot of Visa stuff going on here yet about 5 Elders got theirs this week and are leaving to the Brazil MTC so that's lucky, but still no word on my stuff which kinda sucks. A lot of people are getting reassigned to the US the last group had a lot of people get assigned to Provo lol how lucky! I'll let you now whenever I hear about my stuff for sure. I haven't heard from Madi in over a week how is she dong? Must be staying busy with school. I guess you guys stopped paying her to be my friend. lol jk jk I got a letter from Tcox which was awesome and Marissa!! that was really cool and I did get the letters from the primary kids haha that was nice of them to remember me lol they only wrote me to get points for class, they made sure to tell me that haha Well I am doing good here nothing bad has happened oh wait lol a guy in our district tore his ACL and is getting surgery tomorrow and one of the sisters in our district a has a nasty infection from here foot. But I'm great, just some scabs on my head lol and still working hard with everything. I love you all hope you have a great week. Can't wait to here from you! I miss you tons and love you more!!

Love Elder Novakovich

No longer a Newbie

Hello Family!

This week has been so much better than last! Now that I have the hang of things, it so much better! Tuesday was awesome! Jeffrey R. Holland spoke at the devotional and it was absolutely incredible. He gave the best talk I have ever heard! He spoke on missionary work. Haha no surprise. The way he was able to deliver his message was mind blowing! He spoke with the power of the Spirit like I had never heard before. His talk has truly changed my life and the way I will look at missionary work forever! It was just what I needed to keep me going. He spoke for little over an hour and I was sad when it was done I would have sat there all night just listening to what he had to say! That experience really testified to me that he is truly an Apostle of God. It was crazy! When he ended his talk everyone was kind of in shock. I think everyone's mind was blown all over the place lol It was one of the most spiritual experience I have ever had.
Wednesday was great mostly because I was no longer the newest in the MTC! haha But it was also a good day for Portuguese I actually learned some stuff and whenever that happens its a good day. To tell you the truth, Portuguese is still killing me! Its been so hard for me to learn a new language! I have really just put all the faith I have into God and I hope he can help me lol jk but I do need all the help I can possibly get from him. But I'm sure I will get it eventually... Class is just great lol I love sitting in a tiny room with just enough space for 12 really small uncummfy desks and a teacher and sitting there for 6 hours a day! Its my favorite!! lol But its also the most useful thing to learn the language since the teacher sits in front and rants about who knows what while everyone in the class does but me. The whole time and starting tomorrow our teachers wont understand English so now I cant even ask questions lol its going to force me into learning I guess.
Thursday was just the same old day; wake up, shower, breakfast, class, teach class meeting, bed haha. One of the hardest parts of being here is there is literally no time to just sit and take a breath and relax. Every second is planned our for us and always have to be doing something somewhere.
Friday was a bad day. We where so busy we had a lot of class and the language was worst as ever for me. I was getting so frustrated! My brain was about to pop and I had a horrible head ache and a stomach ache; just wasn't a good day. it was one of those days where you feel like you cant do anything right no matter how hard you try. Toward the end of the day I was just so done and I needed help so I just said I quick prayer and when we went back to class the teacher put on a video clip. In it was an answer to my prayer. it gave me so much comfort. Before I was so done, and had no ideas what I was doing here, and this video was about a missionaries story of baptizing someone and it comforted me so much it helped me keep going. It was really cool!
Saturday was the usual class, nothing really exciting happened besides we did get the day off and we didn't have to teach an investigator so that was really nice but we had more class instead lol
Sundays are amazing here! Its my favorite day of the week... never thought I would say that but its so true I love them. Its so nice just to get to read my scriptures and go to really good firesides that are always so amazing and spiritual. The MTC is an amazing place. its the best/ worst place ever haha it can be so amazing one second then horrible the next I guess that's part of being a missionary though huh? lol but the good outweighs the bad by a lot so that's good.
P-day today we didn't get to go to the temple because its closed due to the holiday idk what it is. lol because days don't exist here, everyday is the same. The DearElders are awesome mom and dad! I love getting to read what you have to say at the end of the day it helps so much. thank you so much I love you tons. I miss the family a lot. I found it better to try and not think about it and that helps just trying to get lost in learning here. NO word on the Visa stuff only a few people have gone to brazil everyone is getting reassignments to the states I hope I don't but we'll have to see what happens.
I am holding up good, no need to worry haha I have grown so much spiritually its really cool how the lord watches over us missionaries he has a deep love that is really awesome its been good so far. keep up the good work with the DearElders, its great!! I miss you guys a lot and love you all so much have a good week I love you

Love Elder Novakovich

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.

.

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