Matea, my friend

 

This is Matea, she is my dear friend.  I met her when I first came to Zagreb and we became instant friends.  She loves the missionaries and has had contact with the missionaries for almost five years. 

She is working on developing a testimony of The Book of Mormon.  I have grown to love her, she is always happy, very intelligent and always acknowledges the Spirit when she feels its.  She is an inspiration to me for many reasons, but one of my favorite things about her is how seriously she is taking learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ, if everyone were as committed to becoming truly converted to the Gospel Plan as she is no one would ever fall away.  She grew up here in Croatia in a small village near the boarder of Serbia, so when the War was going on their little village was destroyed along with their home.  She told me she grew up very happy though because her parents filled her childhood with love.  Her father fought in the war to give her the freedoms she now enjoys, including the freedom of religion.  She honors and  respects her Mother and Father very much, she is a perfect daughter and it is obvious they are wonderful parents to have such a sweet and intelligent daughter.

She told me something I thought I would share with you about the War, the Serbs used land mines in the woods and the surrounding areas around villages and cities and today the land mines are still there, so whenever she would watch an American movie and the children were playing or walking in the woods or a field she was always afraid for them, because she was never allowed to walk in the woods or fields for fear she would be killed by a land mine. 

It is hard to believe that things like this are going on in the world.  I am learning from these people great life lessons about surviving and what really matters in life, these people are beautiful and strong and the gospel will restore the hope and faith that has been taken from so many of them.  I am thankful for the faith I have in Jesus Christ and His Plan of Salvation and Happiness and for the hope this knowledge brings to my heart every day of my life!

 

from carrie with love