I'll share my Savior's love, by serving other's freely

Well, in case no one knew that this week was mother's day, it is (Most Slovaks didn't know it was, we reminded multiple people about it being Mother's day). This week was short, and there wasn't a lot of crazy stuff except we had a really crazy Friday night that was really cool then got bad and then got weird.  I'll tell you about it later but this week was fun like the rest, I actually felt really really satisfied because of all the work that took place this week. We tried really hard like we always do and we were blessed to be able to hit standards. This is a goal that I've wanted to hit while here in Zilina but I always thought that it probably wouldn't happen because hitting standards is hard. I only ever hit standards with Elder Ringer and Elder Lyman never has so we are so grateful for the wonderful people were teaching and for the great time that we're having with our investigators. I hope all of these people make their dates and feel the love that we have for them and the love of God.  It is really cool to see the changes in people and the desires to follow God in their lives. We talked with a member yesterday and he said, many people here are satisfied with their lives, they don't have many problems and they don't need God they think, so it's great to see people who don't have problems get interested in God and try to learn about Him and follow Him. We're doing our best and that's good enough.

Well, I guess I'll start with our very crazy night on Friday which we had no control over and was very funny but sad but weird but great but crazy. We started the day kind of on a  downer because we tried to meet with some of our people and all of them basically cancelled but we had on plan to go to Martin to visit the guy from Norway, so we texted him and he confirmed that it was okay that we're coming so we went to him. As we get up to his door a taxi comes out and this guy gets out who is one of his friends and say hey guys how are you doing. This guy was a guy that we met as we got home Monday from the family in Vrutky, and they got off the same train and were headed to the movies to see the new Avengers movie. He is from Bulgaria but lives in Norway. He heard that we were coming over to meet with Alexander and said he'd  come too because he has some questions for us. So for the whole night we answered his questions and talked with them and it was really cool they both had a great time. We even invited Alexander to the barbeque we're trying to have and then also the party for the celebration of dedicating Slovakia, which is in Trencin on the 23rd and he said he would have interest in coming to that. It was really cool through and the Bulgarian guy asked for a Book of Mormon in English and said he would be over the next week and we could bring it to him. So we walked back to the train station with the Bulgarian guy because he lives over there.  We have to run to catch our train, and then made it and wound up waiting for another 20 minutes for a different train to come up. In Slovakia you have fast trains that don't stop at every stop and trains that stop at every stop and are slower. We were planning on the fast train because the only time we could get a train was at 8:40 at night, we would then get home around 9:15. Well it ran late and we got on the first train to Zilina which happened to be a slow train and we get on and there are about 25 people on it. Well we go and in between Martin and Vrutky, someone jumped in front of the train and the train stopped. It doesn't happen often that people commit suicide that way but it happened tonight. It was pretty awful the whole thing, but basically we were stuck there. When this happens the train conductor can't work the train, and a new one has to come and the new one happened to have to come from Zvolen, 2 hours away by taxi. So we were stuck in this train for around 3 hours before we were finally able to get going. The entire time we were stuck on this train there are two 16 year old girls across the aisle from us. When  we roll into Zilina these two girls then proceeded to hit on us and try to get us to hang out with them at this restaurant, they were headed to Kosice later that night and had time to kill. We kind of said no we can't and then walked away and finally  got home around midnight. It was a very long night and we got very little sleep but it was pretty interesting.

As far as our investigators go it was a very rewarding week. We had the privilege of putting our family on date and that was really cool.  They were gone this weekend so we haven't had a chance to meet with them again and so we're excited about today when we get to talk with them. We're hoping to really strengthen them today and were thinking of tactful ways to tell them that they have to get married in order to be baptized. We have yet to come up with a way besides explain it and just telling them haha, so we might wind up doing that. 2 of our dates came to church so that was very good and we're hoping that they do well and hope they had a fantastic time at church.   It is always nice to see people here and the members love it when people come because it doesn't happen all the time. I think a lot of them are pleased with the current work that is going on and they're on the fringe of excitement. I think that many of them have seen how many people get on date and then never make it and it can be discouraging at times but you know, that's missionary work. We were able to find pretty well this week as well since we did hit standards and we have been working really hard. I feel like the end is coming and so I want to work harder.   I guess I'm that kind of missionary who just needs fire under his butt to get moving and this is my fire. It's good and I'm glad it's happened and I'm so very glad that I have had the chance to know such awesome people.  I will try very hard to stay in touch with everyone and I hope it will help each of us.

Well, that's pretty much everything that I have, it was great talking to my parents even though we will see each other in 6 weeks and then we can talk for more than an hour. I haven't really gotten hit with homesickness from the skyping simply because it doesn't really mean much saying this is the last time I will call home because the end is so close. It was great seeing Connor and I hope he has fun without me for 6 weeks and I hope he doesn't find a girlfriend before I get home and then ignore me when I get home, but somehow I doubt that ;p. Well thanks for all the support and everything, I love you all.  Have a great week!

Elder Ferrell