Spring Senior Conference

Twice per year all of the senior missionaries in our Mission have an opportunity to meet together for several days to receive instruction and to build relationships with each other. One of the unexpected joys of serving as a senior couple is the friendships that we develop with other seniors. Last week was no exception. We had a wonderful and uplifting time.

We have been fortunate to have the largest number of senior missionaries of any proselyting mission in the world. They come from many different backgrounds and walks of life, but we are all here to serve and love the people of these countries.

This time we gathered at the beautiful city of Pula, Croatia. It's on the north coast of the Adriatic Sea. Pula is very old dating back to before the Roman empire and the time of Christ. It has one of the best preserved Colosseums from the Roman era still erected. They still hold music concerts and the oldest film festival in Europe in this structure. There were several other sites to see as well.

Our friends, Elder and Sister Lamb, offered a walking tour of old town and the next day we visited a neighboring city of Rovinj. I think it was everyone's favorite place to visit. 

Helen and a few friends actually climbed all the way to the top of the bell tower. They said the old wooded stairs were very scary.

Our Mission Leaders, Brian and Angelika Cordray will finish their assignment here in June, so this is their last time for this event. We gave them a surprise tribute video from all of us. It was a very touching time for all present. It was truly an inspiring and uplifting time. 

It rained like crazy the last day. The wind was so strong that it was raining horizontally. Most of us got very wet

There is a coastal mountain range between the coast and the inland part of Croatia. We didn't realize until we prepared to depart that what was rain at the coast was snow on the mountains. Most of the roads were closed either from the snow or the downed trees from the wind. Everyone were able to arrive to their homes safely but many took several hours longer than we had planned. Because of the many detours we got to see parts of Croatia that we hadn't planned to see. haha

All in all, it was a very memorable week. We're not sure how to feel, that this is our last time we will be together with all of the seniors in our mission.