SCM - Bohinj & Bled

Hello Family & Friends, Sister Lindorf has sent out the past few updates, so it's my turn this time.  Hope you enjoy the photos. Recently we were privileged to have Elder Christofferson visit our mission to dedicate the new chapel in Zagreb, Croatia.  Here he is with some of our Sister Missionaries. Just in case you think missions are all work and no play, I have included a few pictures of our district P-day trip to a lake and waterfall at Bohinj, Slovenia. This is Elder Hunter, my trainer, getting a drink from one of the natural springs. He didn't train me to do that.  I prefer water from a bottle! This is Sister Knudsen.  She helped us in the office for a few weeks between assignments.  How we have grown to love her! Here's the waterfall at Bohinj.  Just one of the natural wonders that are so abundant in this beautiful country.  The water is crystal clear coming off the mountain. At the end of the day, we stopped for dinner at our favorite restaurant.  The Elders all had teaching appointments, so I ended up with a table full of sister missionaries.  I've never complained about being 'on the girls team'! We had to say 'goodbye' last week to some of our beloved missionaries including Sister Lindorf's trainer, Elder Godfrey.  But fortunately, we got to say 'hello' to a brand new group of missionaries fresh from the MTC.  Here are a few getting on the train on the way to their first assignment. Now for a personal note.  Today, August 24th, is Sister Lindorf's Birthday so I'm sending her a rose We celebrated early by taking a trip to Bled, Slovenia - another natural wonder. It's hard to capture in photographs how beautiful Slovenia is.  We're really enjoying the green.  It reminds us a lot of our home in Oregon. Here's the birthday girl with her favorite companion. We are very grateful for the opportunity we have to serve here.  We love the missionaries and the members.  Today a group from our District is leaving for the Temple in Frankfurt, including one member we taught the temple prep lessons to over the past few weeks.  We are also teaching The Marriage and Family Relations class to two recently married couples, and today Sister Lindorf was asked to teach Seminary.  The blessings just keep coming.  It's a wonderful life. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Elder Lindorf

SCM - Pula, Croatia

Dearest Loved Ones! What a joy it is to sit down and contemplate your receiving this update!  As I think of you and ponder the miracles we behold from day to day, it is hard to narrow them down to just one or two.  Most of those miracles are quiet and quite unadorned.  They are sacred and often very difficult to put into words.  Nevertheless, they are a powerful force in our lives, and combined with all of God's Work in this corner of His Kingdom, they become a powerful force for good in our beloved mission countries. We had the chance recently to visit Croatia, our neighbor country to the south.  We had some business in Pula and Rijeka and were delighted to see these cities for the first time.  Pula is a beautiful coastal city and busy port.  With Italy just across the the Adriatic Sea, we saw a lot of Italian influence.  In fact, right in the middle of this bustling, modern city, is an amazingly preserved Roman Coliseum.  Knowing much of what originally transpired in this edifice, made the beauty of it both great and terrible.  It took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes, all in one.   The grandeur of that experience still lingered with me as we attended our little "Twig" (we have a "Group" in Pula, not big enough to be a Branch yet) the next day.  Between the handful of missionaries and members that attended, we basked in the Spirit and partook of our Lord's Sacrament, in lands where the Lord's Twelve Apostles likely traveled and administered the Lord's emblems of Salvation.  We spoke and bore our testimonies of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, brought back anew just for them! After such a rich outpouring, we broke into our separate meetings, only to participate in a most historic moment in Pula...  No, it was not heralded by kings or parades, but was sanctioned all the same by the King of Kings.  I was privileged to participate in Pula's first ever Relief Society Meeting and Elder Lindorf in Pula's first Priesthood Meeting.   As we four sisters made the very first footprints on the pathway called by God "Relief Society," as we studied in faith the first Relief Society meeting held in Nauvoo, I felt a sweet thrill to know that God's daughters were once again organizing in the perfect pattern He has given us.   I rejoiced with the angels above that these humble sisters were joining hands with millions of women across the world.  Having raised my voice in songs of praise with thousands of Relief Society Sisters in the Conference Center and felt the magnificence and power of that sisterhood, I shared my testimony that they belonged to the largest women's organization in all the world!   This little field of grain is green and tender, it is true.  Missionary work in Pula began a year ago and has been lovingly nurtured by full time missionaries; two Elders and a Senior Couple.  However, gradually, one by one, our Senior Couples are going home and there is no one to replace them.  Our Senior Couple from Pula went home yesterday.  They were the ones to open Pula, to nourish those first converts, to laugh with them, cry with them..., to encourage, strengthen and lead them with their every waking breath and thought.  They leave behind a baton that needs, yet, to picked up and carried, again and again, until our little Pula becomes a beautiful, golden field with full and drooping heads of grain!  We send our dearest and fondest love to you, knowing the Lord and His tremendous love for each of His children. Yours always,  Sestra Lindorf

SCM - Happy Father's Day

Dear family and friends, I want to begin this Father's Day update by thanking each one of our children for being independent enough to make it possible for their parents to serve this mission in Slovenia.  There is no greater joy than knowing that your children are walking in light and truth.  Challenges abound, but they are met by capable hands and hearts.  Thanks for making this Father's Day a happy one for me. I've heard from some of you, after seeing the pictures of our ONE hike, that we've been vacationing in Europe.  So that you'll know that we actually do work in between P-days, I've selected a different set of pictures this time. We recently went to Zagreb Croatia with President & Sister Hill for a Zone Conference.  The fountain in this picture was designed by a church member. We are fortunate to have such a spiritual and talented mission president.  Zone conferences with President Hill are a highlight.  Elder Lindorf with Elder Estigarribia from Spain during a break The new chapel in Zagreb was scheduled for dedication in two weeks, so we did and 'advance fly-by' to be sure it would be ready on schedule. Well, it looks pretty good from the outside.  There was still a lot of interior work to complete in the final hours. After the conference we took a walking tour of downtown Zagreb.  Quite a contrast between the old and the new. Two Dads We had a baptism recently in Ljubljana.  Elder Hunter (the beaming one) was our trainer. Sister Lindorf, always cheerful. Earlier I showed you a picture of our apartment from the inside.  This shot shows the back of our home from the street.  We have the whole upstairs of the house in the center.  We were trying to capture these magnificent sunbeams, but the picture doesn't do it justice. I thought this rose 'tree' would look prettier with Sister Lindorf in front of it. We appreciate your spending a few minutes with us.  We would enjoy hearing from you as well.  You don't have to send us pictures, but just a quick note to let us know what you're up to would be great! We LOVE being on a mission.  We LOVE the missionaries.  We LOVE the work.  We LOVE Slovenia. And we LOVE YOU! All our best, Elder and Sister Lindorf

SCM - Smarna Gora

Hello Family & Friends, Ever since we moved into our apartment, we've been watching Slovenes going to and coming from Smarna Gora.  Here's a picture of the 'hill' rising steeply above our village of 'Ljubljana-Smartno'   Hiking this mountain is a little bit of a local obsession.  There is a parking lot near our house which they fill to capacity almost every day... And they always take their walking sticks.   So for 'P-day' we decided to try it. Because there are so many and because they are all ages and fitness ranges, I have mistakenly supposed that it was a fairly simple hike. I was so wrong!  I'm not sure how they do it so casually, but this hill/mountain that is in our backyard and that we look at every day, is a bear to climb!  I should qualify that it wasn't that hard for Elder Lindorf.  He really enjoyed it.  The view from the top was spectacular! You can see plainly how rural Ljubljiana is...  And this is Slovenia's biggest city.  They purposely work toward maintaining a rural feeling in their communities.   Here you see the beautiful river that winds past our house.  Up on top there is a very beautiful and very old, stone church.  I can't help but wonder how many people, for centuries, have climbed that hill every Sunday to go to church?  There is a steep road that goes up the back side of the mountain.  There are also shops, picnic tables, lounging chairs to look at the view, and a restaurant.  It's a real party, once you reach the top!    They also have this amazing launch ramp for hang gliders.  It made me dizzy just to look at it!  All and all it was a wonderful adventure.  But we promise, if you come and visit us we won't make you climb it...  Unless you want to, of course!  Elder Lindorf will be happy to accompany you!  We are excited to report that we have four baptisms scheduled in our branch in the next few weeks.  Our missionaries have been very busy teaching lately.  We are also excited to have Elder Christofferson coming this weekend to dedicate a chapel in Zagreb, Croatia.  He will meet with the members in Slovenia for a fireside on Sunday evening and have a special meeting with all the missionaries on Monday.  We're looking forward to that. Love to each of you, Sestra Lindorf

SCM - Lovely Country

Hello Friends and Family, Sister Lindorf got to do the last update, so it's my turn.  You will get this from her email address because she maintains the lists. I wish I could capture in a picture how beautiful the countryside here is.   The evergreens have now been filled in by all the deciduous trees and the panorama of the rolling countryside of dense forest, punctuated by small farms and villages.  It's just too quaint to take it all in.  I can see why the Slovenes love living here.  Who would have thought?  They have successfully retained a rural feeling even in the larger towns.  The houses aren't 'wall to wall'.  There are many greenbelts and parks in the cities and the countryside is just breathtaking. You can't see it too well in this picture, but those are the Alps in the background, still covered in snow. Today we drove to Novo Mesto, about an hour from Ljubljana, to attend church in a branch with NO members - just missionaries and investigators.  It must have been what it was really like in the early church to open an area for the first time to proselyting.  What a great experience.  Our young missionaries are undaunted. We also went to Trieste, Italy a couple weeks ago to get our visas.  Here we are standing by the Adriatic Sea.  It was a cold day, but we enjoyed some real Italian pizza while we were there. We also received our first group of new missionaries.  President Hill took the group for a short walk from the mission home to a nearby grove for a spiritual retreat. Some of these missionaries are now in Serbia and Croatia, but we got to keep two of the Sisters  in Slovenia.  I love working with these young people who are so full of enthusiasm and testimony. We also had to say goodbye to 4 missionaries who have finished their missions and have now returned home to resume their studies.  How quickly we grow to love them! One of the local attractions in our neighborhood is a river that is very popular for kayaking.   This river is about 100 yards from our house, so we walk by it everyday.  The water has an unusual bright color from the mineral content. They have even created what I would call a 'terrain park' if it were snowboarding.  They have obstacles and stunts they have to complete in the water.  Here's a look at a few practicing. They actually have organized kayaking events here that are very well attended.  The Slovenes love being outdoors.  And now that the weather has warmed, there are bikers in greater numbers and hundreds that climb the mountain behind our house every day.  We're looking forward to a Saturday very soon when we can join them.  Then we'll show you some pictures from the top. I can't tell you how much we're enjoying being on a mission and serving in this lovely country.   We count every day a joy and a blessing.   Of course we miss our family and friends, but fortunately it's easy to keep in touch with technology.  We now have the internet installed at home so we're able to use our CA number for phone calls.  If you want to say hello, give us a call at 949-698-7476 most mornings (which is evening here).  We are nine hours ahead of PDT.  If we're not available, just leave a message and we'll get back to you.  Of course, we also love your email notes. We feel your love and support and appreciate all you do that allows us to be able to serve and to "lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better." (D & C 25:10) Elder Lindorf

SCM - Spring in Slovenia

Dear Family and Friends,  Spring has arrived in Ljubljana and we love it!  It is such a joy to walk to work without our coats and to open up our windows at home.  We hear that it gets very hot in the summer months (we have no AC), but for now, we'll take the sunshine…   It is the perfect introduction to Easter!  Tomorrow we will have been here for one 9-week cycle, which we call "transfers." Every nine weeks we send a group of 4 to 8 missionaries home, and the next day 4 to 8 missionaries arrive.  We arrived 9 weeks ago and now we've seen one complete cycle from beginning to end.  Since our job is to do all the processing that transpires during those 9 weeks, we feel like we've "seen it all" and are now seasoned and ready to run!  (This is our daily "picnic at the office" – sweet!)  Paul has done such a nice job keeping in touch with everybody and sending out updates!  As for me, I have felt like I've been drowning much of these past two months.  Even though we were "Office Couple" in Thailand also, I never realized how much help we had!  And since we have always tried to keep the young missionaries out of the office, rather than being tied up helping us (they learn the language fluently and that is priceless in sharing the Gospel with others), we are working in this office "solo." We love it!  Here is a picture of the two Elders who trained us.  Do you want to know why they're so happy?   This was taken on our LAST training session.  And now that we've gone through an entire transfer cycle, my nose is definitely above water and things are looking good.   I'm going to share a journal entry from a few days ago, to show one of the reasons I have been overwhelmed, and to show the Lord's miracles in His Work… We have a tree, of unknown origin, in our apartment that we fondly call "the tree of life." That symbol is not only found in the Book of Mormon, but it can be traced to cultures all over the globe.  As we hold fast to the Word of God, and look to our Redeemer for love, for life, and for daily breath, He will bring us to the tree of life!  Every day that we are privileged to consecrate all our time, our meager talents, and what energy we have to building the Lord's Kingdom on earth, He gives us the fruit of the tree of life.  This blessing is the sweetest and most cherished I have ever known! Happy Easter! All my love, Sister Lindorf

SCM - Getting Settled

Hello Friends and Family members, I told you last time I would elaborate on why we've been so busy in this assignment. While in Thailand, we had the same job - but a LOT of help to get it done.  We had another full-time Senior couple in the office as well as Office Elders and a full-time church employee who just handled Visas.  We also had a part-time returned missionary volunteer who helped us with translation needs. In Slovenia it's just us – period!  Now, in fairness, we don't have as many missionaries to keep track of, but that doesn't offset the sheer number of tasks that we were used to sharing with others.  So it's been an adjustment, but we're beginning to get on top of things. We also moved last month to an apartment closer to the office that cuts an hour a day off of our commute.  It's also much larger and ready for visitors.  We've already hosted our first guests; a couple that arrived on Thursday going to Zagreb, Croatia. Here are some pictures of our new apartment Well, we ALMOST have a view of the river. This past week we traveled with the Mission President on a Zone Conference tour to Serbia and Croatia and we finished up Friday in Ljubljana.   During Zone Conferences I made a presentation to all the missionaries about finances.   Here's a picture of one of our role play sessions.  Sister Lindorf found one of the props the Missionaries in Serbia use for street contacting. Zone Conference was AMAZING.  President Hill's background is in CES as well as having served as a bishop and Stake President twice.  As he opened the scriptures to us I  became very distinctly aware that we are greatly blessed to be serving with him.  He is so kind, and deeply spiritual.  He LOVES the way the Savior taught us to love. Here is a picture with three of our Sister Missionaries.  We have a special place in our hearts for the young Sisters. We were also blessed to be able to attend District Conference in Ljubljana and two baptismal services the past two Saturdays.  The baptism yesterday was particularly inspiring.  A young brother, 24 years old who joined the church four years ago, was able to baptize his older brother, aged 30.   He bore strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel.  He said that he's known ever since his younger brother joined the church that it was true, but he didn't feel worthy.  He has now prepared himself to enter in at the straight gate and has a firm desire to stay in the path. As I watched those two brothers, dripping wet, hug each other in the font after the baptism, I realized that it just doesn't get any better than this.  We are so blessed to be able to serve the Lord as full-time missionaries.  There is nowhere else I would rather be. Until next time, Elder & Sister Lindorf