What’s Up with the Whites in Croatia?

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas Pt. 1

Mission updates: December 12-December 20 2025 (continued on next blog)

This Christmas season has been full and wonderfully busy. We are truly loving our time here and never feel bored for a moment. We are grateful for so many opportunities to share, testify, and rejoice in the greatest gift ever given—Jesus Christ, the Great Redeemer of the world. I love the names used from Handles Messiah taken from scripture:  Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Because of Him, our lives have hope, meaning and are full of joy! Share your light with the world!

So we took 4 of our youth in a van to Slovenia to a district youth conference. 3 of them were from our branch, 1 from the Split branch. About 26 youth gathered from 5 countries.

Benjamin, (16) Lucian (13) , Kian (16) and in the back our sweet Karisa (12) It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive away, and a border crossing into Slovenia.

We went on a beautiful hike, a lot uphill and slippery mud and moss.

We were by far the only older couple, they try to not have many adults since it can overwhelm the small size of youth. We tried our best to be fun, active and out of the way. We did teach two sessions: one on mental health, and one on missionary work including service missions. We used some fun power point pictures and videos of our young missionaries talking.

So amazing, but we met up with my nieces friends (when they lived in Missouri but now this family lives in Serbia, a long way from us in Croatia but still in our mission district). So we had a great 2 days getting to know them better! So random that we both end up at a youth conference in Slovenia!.

Jane their daughter is only 12 and can only speak English. The youth conference was only in Croatian, Slovien, and Serbian. So she and I spent a lot of time together, I wanted her to feel like she fits in. Most of the youth have grown up together so this is hard for her to speak English and be the new kid in the district. What a sweet girl she is.

In 2002 I was a volunteer at the Olympics. A man came up to me to trade a pin. He gave me this tiny pin in my hand and told me "someday you will go to Slovenia" I told him I had no idea where that country was. He said I will love it. Well, this was my first day entering the country of Slovenia, and I have always kept this pin! Was he prophetic? Notice it says Slovenia and has the Olympic rings. Made me tear up!

                      Some pictures of our Youth at the Youth Conference

                                                Not too many natural blondes in our area. 

                    Russell had a good time getting to know some of the YM leaders

These were the leaders, from Slovenia and Serbia

This is our missionaries (with an exchange from Rijeka) doing a whiteboard activity in downtown Zadar, having people write down what brings them joy. They loved it. 

This is a senior couple that just left us, Elder and Sister Turner who served in Slovenia. We just loved getting to know them, they went to the Rome temple before returning home, they live in Highland, UT

This couple is amazing, they are over all of the senior missionaries that work as Service Missionary Advisors like us. (all over central Europe). They have been the ones we have personal visits with on zoom, have devotionals and we just love them. This is their family in Brussels, Belgium. Their son just returned from a mission before Christmas.  

Now it is zone conference, a couple days after we returned from Youth Conference, we headed back the 3 hours to Zagreb to 2 days of Zone Conference. This is Croatia West, only one part of the big group. We are mostly the coastal cities. We are on the right side.  Our mission pres. is in the middle. 

2nd day for Christmas was a fun day, we did white elephant gifts, and skits. Our Zadar group did a skit about telling stories and role playing. The sisters (our daughters) taught Santa(s) about Jesus, and they said "we came bringing you gifts and you have given us the greatest gift of all"

                              Santa skit from Zadar group

Our friends the Larson's, they are leaving in just a few weeks, we have loved getting to know them. He and Russell were both branch presidents and talked to each other often. They go home for 3 months (Meridian ID) and then they go on another mission to Milan, Italy for 18 months! Wow

More favorites, the Shefield's. They have worked humanitarian opposite exchanges with my cousin Kathy going from Croatia to Turkey. They may be headed next to Frankfurt. He was a stake president for 9 years and then they put in the papers to serve a mission. What amazing people. (she played volleyball for BYU, He is pro level in pickleball!) And some of the nicest people I know!

Kathy Bates, my cousin. Reed was too busy with the humanitarian project they were doing. Amazing amounts of supplies to the needy. Pictures to follow. They leave very soon also, home to Washington.  It has been a joy to serve together, though we rarely have much visiting time. 

Zone conference break out discussions. Isn't Pres. White a sweet missionary? Sure do love my companion! Honestly, I absolutely have loved being together with him. This mission has blessed our lives as a couple and bonded us even more!

Sometimes in zone conference we get to sit by kind of close to our grandson Teige. This is during skits. 

Getting some time with our service missionary at zone conference. We love her!

This is the huge humanitarian project. Filling the bags with so many hygiene supplies. Working with other charities. I was the shampoo lady! 

This is Elder McConkie. He is 7 feet tall so I look a little short for sure. These missionaries are so fun, I love trying to get to know them and remember their names. 

The night we arrive in Zagreb before zone conference we try to take our grandson Elder Teige White out to dinner. This time he got some fine dinning at our hotel. His new companion is Elder McBratney. He is from Gilbert AZ. Such nice young men. 

Right after the first night of zone conference we were finally able to go visit one of our branch members who has had such a serious infection was in an induced coma, they didn't think he would make it. He is the only member of the church in his family, and he is now in Zagreb with his parents. Just a couple days out of the hospital. He still cannot walk. We absolutely love his parents, they can only speak a little bit of English so we tried to show love the best we could. They were wonderful and Russell was able to give Filip a priesthood blessing. This made the Christmas spirit for me. We pray he will be able to walk again. 

This is our grandson Elder Teige White (grey sweater) in Maribor, Slovenia with his other missionaries there. He seems happy when we get to talk to him. 

Zagreb Old town at Christmas

Our family (kids) sent a box (via Kim White) to us with a few sweet gifts, games, blankets and treats. These are the socks they sent that say Elder and Sister by our little tiny fake fireplace. Seems so cozy and about all we have under the tree except for our missionaries. 

Our sister missionaries on an early morning run in our old town Zadar. They have decided it is way worth it to get up early and get in exercise and get the dopamine going! Love these two. Sister Price - an identical twin, she goes home Jan. 7 and leaves us. She lives in CA, but won't even get to go home, her family will meet her at the airport in UT. to say hello and she will go directly to college at BYU, jet lag and all. Oh how we love her! 

The night before Zone conference in Zagreb (3 hours from us) This is Zagreb, Croatia's capital. So beautiful at Christmas. We always drive either the Sisters or the Elders with us, the others take the bus since we only fit 4. 

Our branch Christmas party, we had 27 come which is a good turn out. A few were friends of the church. 

We had Croatian traditional dinners, Cod fish potatoes, Sarma, and some soups. We all went into the chapel and watched the nativity on the TV, and sang Croatian Christmas songs, 

Then Santa came bearing gifts! We had a great night, so many laughs and loves. 

I am going to have to split this blog, this one is getting way to long. If you made it all the way to here, you are really a good friend! Continued on the next blog.