Zagreb, Croatia

These past two weeks have been spirit filled! Last week our friend Prince got baptized. Then this week our friend Zoran got baptized. 

Prince's baptism was wonderful, he shared his testimony about how he felt lonely. He testified that he now felt the opposite. He is already an amazing missionary. He brought multiple of his friends to church this last Sunday and has participated in multiple lessons helping other missionaries. He wants this work to go forth! This Sunday we also were able to ordain him to the office of a priest! 

Zoran's baptism was this weekend and I have never seen him so happy. He has experienced so much trial in his life. When I first met him he was quiet and awkward. Now he is one of the happiest people on the planet. He often comments about how this church and this community has brought him more joy than he has ever experienced. He wants to get to the temple!

Please pray for Zoran, Prince, Tadiwa, Doris, Mujhim, Ali, Rauf, Otto, Marina and for the Adriatic North Mission. 

This week I led a district Council about how we might better study to prepare and get the most we can out of the upcoming conference. 

D&C 18:34 

34 These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man; 

I shared a story to express the importance of knowing how to study. When I was in high-school I remember I was driving with my father I believe to a basketball tournament. We were discussing what I had recently learned in my studies with my Grandad. My father made a comment which I have never forgotten. “The most important thing that your Grandad is teaching you is not just what you study but more so how to study.” 

How we study determines what we get out of it. As we prepare for the general conference we should prepare to make sure that we are studying in the most spirit filled manner possible. If you want general conference to be great you need to prepare and improve your studies greatly. Not necessarily more studying. Not more time, but refocusing and asking yourself how I can improve how I internalize the word of God.

D&C 6:7

7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

Love you all! I hope you have a good week! I would love to hear from you! 

george.mcconkie@missionary.org

Zagreb, Croatia

This last Sunday I was teaching one of our friends Ali. When I first met Ali he said he did not want anything to do with religion. I asked him if he had heard of the book of Mormon. This peaked his interest and he began to meet with us. He is one of the smartest men I have ever met and as we have met with him it has been amazing to see how the gospel has answered his questions and helped him with concerns. Today he said “I have been an atheist for a really long time now, but I want to try to believe again. I want to believe in this.” He said “I am going to try an experiment of having faith.”

I immediately opened to Alma 32:21-28 and we just read. We spoke about how we love this idea and then we testified that if he plants this seed and then nourishes it will grow. At the end he looked at me and said “it is as if God knows what I am thinking and has written something just for me. “

Recently we have been meeting with our friends Prince who is from India and Zoran who is from here in Croatia. They are both on Baptismal date. Pray for them and Ali and if you go to the temple put their names on the prayer role please!

Two Sundays ago a man came to church who had been disturbing and touching the sister missionaries. One of the other Elders told him that he was making them feel uncomfortable. This made him get very loud and angry. He began to get physical and push my fellow Elder. I took the initiative of taking him outside and essentially told him to fix it or stay away. He did not like that but because like Nephi I am “large in stature” he chose to leave.

We have been playing basketball every monday for P-day. It has been so much fun.

Those are a couple things from the past two weeks. I love you all!

Elder McConkie
george.mcconkie@missionary.org