What’s Up with the Whites in Croatia?
Mission updates: November 19- December 11, 2025I will do my best to get a Christmas post out, but this will be our news until then. We have wonderful devotional instructions every Sunday evening with amazing speakers. We just had Hank Smith and then John Hilton if you know who they are. We get to have Brad Wilcox next Sunday. We aren't bored at all, we stay just about right, busy but peaceful. Worry about things at home is just not an issue. I don't seem to care as much about shopping (and I like shopping!). It is nice thinking more than usual about Jesus Christ, especially during Christmas season. The true spirit of Christmas is Christ, because of Him we have hope.
We were fortunate to get to meet up with our grandson, Elder Teige White and take he and his companion out to dinner. He is serving in Maribor, Slovenia about 5 hours away from us but we all meet at zone conference so that is special! This is at the mission office.
We ended up taking quite a few out to dinner. This was an asian restaurant.
At zone conference with Elder White and Elder Gardner. Those of you who know Rod Gardner from Bear River this is his nephew (from Vegas)
This is only a part of our zone, The Croatia West District (and our mission presidency in the front) We are all the ones who live on the Dalmatian Coast. (I think the lucky ones!) Elder White and I are 3rd from the left. These couples are some of the best people ever, we feel so blessed to rub shoulders with them!
Almost time to say goodbye to our two sister missionaries (Sister Kay and Hunter) Transfers are always hard for me! (Milinka our new member)
This is at our branch on game night. We had a great senior couple come to visit from about 6 hours away, the Schmidt's. They ae so fun, and the one in the rust sweater is a new member of the church from Amsterdam, but was raised here in Zadar. He is amazing and we loved getting to know him. He spoke in church the next day.
Such a great story, he was already so ready before the missionaries found him. No coincidences! We hope he comes back to visit Zadar often!
Now for the part that just leaves a hole in my heart, saying goodbye to these wonderful ladies. Sister Hunter going to Split, Croatia, Sister Kay going to Lublijana, Slovenia for her last transfer before heading back home. I love these people!!
And then the Elders, Elder Warner leaving to Zagreb, Elder Warncke (from Germany) stays with us but goes to get the brand new elder and bring him back to Zadar.
We will really miss this group of 4, they were a perfect blend of hard work and fun!
And then we return back to our apartment on our funny elevator up 6 floors! It's true!
This is training your trainers in Zagreb with Pres. and Sister Cordray. These two sweet ladies are coming to Zadar!
We absolutely love our two new Sister missionaries in Zadar. Sister Call- from New Jersey fresh from the MTC. Sister Price from California on her last 6 weeks of her mission. She is an identical twin, her twin sister just came home from her mission in Denmark and gets to be home for Christmas. So we are going to work especially hard to help her while she misses another Christmas, she returns home Jan. 7. She is so talented with music and will be a great trainer.
Our new Elder- Elder Hughes from Durango Colorado. Fresh from the MTC. Elder Warncke from Germany is the one we get to keep from last transfer, he will be a trainer. We love all these missionaries already. So fun and they love that we play pickleball with them and love the games. They don't get much game time, but when they do we have a lot of laughs and treats!
A fun branch game night every Saturday evening at 6 pm. This one we had Sister Alora Capson and her parents (she is leaving and released and traveling with her parents for a bit, from Ammon, Idaho)
A good friend of the church Jovan who loves to come to game night, he is 88 years old and always so happy!
Thanksgiving celebration, it was 2 days late since all the new missionaries were traveling on Thanksgiving. There were no whole turkeys, but I found turkey legs and a breast and made a decent dinner for all of us! We got to do a long FaceTime in with our family back home. All of our kids met in Tremonton and used our house and Jared's house for the weekend. It was great getting to see and visit with all of them together. We definitely miss home, but we are doing lots of good here too and that helps the heart tugs.
Derek and Rachel sent a picture of them keeping up some of my Swedish traditions baking the breads! Love to see traditions passed down!
After a long game of pickleball (by the way as of this writing not one of the pairs or co-ed teams of young missionaries have beat Elder and Sister White in a game yet! )Not sure that record will last so thought I better say it! They try hard and somehow this old couple keep sinking shots!
Here we are teaching the newbies about Kresimir Cosic.
This was a funny one, Elder Hughes needed his hair cut and couldn't find a barber open on p-day so he asked Pres. White if he would try. (Had never cut someones hair before)(I told him no way would I do it!) So out came all the tools he could find and it worked well. It took a long time but worked for now.
The barber and his victim.
We all love p-days with pickleball and sunshine!
The sisters are teaching a missionary discussion and needed me to be with them. I get to help comment once in awhile and love it.
It's time for the City Christmas Markets. This one is in Zagreb. We are having a thick hot chocolate.
Our favorite: Frutile (a fried fresh donut hole with nutella) Oh so warm and good!
District council in our apartment every week with a good dinner too!
Then a great day for our branch, a baptism. Zelko.
We love the early morning walks by the Adriatic Sea. No one around, the full moon was still up!
Again (I have sent pictures of him before) Our man by the sea. We have to touch the seashell for good luck each time we pass him. I just love being here on the Riva with no crowds and such peace. We usually listen to a conference talk or podcast while we walk.
Another fun game night. The boy in the sky blue sweatshirt is Lucian, a great member who just turned 13. We celebrated with a cake. Kian next to him. We are going to take 4 youth to Slovenia to youth conference this weekend! (5 countries of youth)
Then we all went down to show the newbies Zadar at Christmas.
"I know I'm gonna like it here!!! (words from Annie)
We had to do a p-day with Sister Price before she left so she could see Plitvice Lakes National park.
This place is a little piece of Heaven on Earth! Even in the Winter!
Totally random, we ran into Elder and Sister Thompson who are in our zone (from Idaho) at one of the waterfalls, they had their missionaries there. A fun moment.
And yesterday, was the half way point of our mission!
9 months done, 9 months to go!
Some seems fast, some seems slow!
Until next time!!
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