Call for Help in the Kitchen

Elder Novakovich needs your help cooking on a missionary budget and time schedule - see below.  

Elder Nyman and I are in desperate need of some good recipes. If you recall any other, cheap delicious meals, don't hesitate in sending them my way.  I wan't to be known for being the kid who can cook well.  I have also collected some delicious recipes from members.  When all is said and done, I am hoping to have a nice collection for when I go back to college.  It's amazing how cheap one can live when you have too. We spend about fourty dollars a week on food for our apartment.  We have found this amazing breakfast thingy that keeps you full for hours upon hours, all the while being cheap and insanely tasty.  If you want a amazing thing to help you with your weight loss, I would give this a shot:

The Breakfast of Wisdom!:

1 Cup of Old Fashioned Oats

1 or 2 Tablespoons Wheat Germ

1 or 2 Tablespoons Flax Seed

1 or 2 Tablespoons Wheat Bran

Almond Milk, for creamy texture

4 to 5 spoonfulls of Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt

Cup of Frozen Blueberries

1 Bannana.

Mix all the Dry ingredients into bowl and then add in 4 to 5 spoonfulls of Vanilla Yogurt.  Add Almond Milk until creamy enough.  Add the Frozen Blueberries and diced up bannanas to bowl.  Enjoy. 

This meal is perfect for keeping you full, as well as being healthy. I have had this at 7:00 in the morning and had it last till 4:00  in the afternoon multiple times. 

Rural Vermont

Elder Novakovich has commented in all of his letters that the area where he serves is very rural.  They have a truck vs. a car.  The roads are dirt road, muddied and rutted during bad weather.  Houses are far apart - they walk a lot.  I had to see it for myself.  Thanks again google earth.

Week #2 in Vermont

Things are going fine.  Elder Nyman and I had two dinner appointments with members last week.  I absolutely love dinner appointments.  I love the opportunity to get to know members out here.  The ones I have visited through dinner appointments are the ones that know me the best.  It’s always fun to get to know families, all the while enjoying a free meal!  You can never complain about getting a free meal.  

I have had the chance to teach a non-member.  In fact, we meet twice a week with a man and his fiancé every week.  They are getting married in June, and are planning on being baptized a month or so before that.  From what I have heard, this man was converted awhile back and then left the church two years or so later.  So it’s cool to talk with him and see the repentance process that he has gone through.  He is a good guy and has made some life choices that hopefully reflect that he is willing to make the change to become a member of the Church. 

Yeah, I got the package!  Dear Elder sure does load up the packing peanuts!  I was impressed at the quantity they were able to squeeze into the box. It’s perfect though, because I need packing peanuts for my package that I am sending home.

Thank you for the fast on my behalf.  It's such a comforting feeling that my family cares that deeply for me.  I really do appreciate it.  It makes a huge difference.  I love you much! Thank you.

Elder Novakovich

First Letter from Elder Novakovich

The language is coming along great!  Its like I have been speaking the language my entire life.  I understand every word that is being said.  Its truly the gift of tongues, haha.  I miss Serbian though, I really love that language a lot.  I enjoyed learning it and only wish I could of become much more fluent before I had to leave.  But such is life I guess. 

Yeah the area I am serving is very, very rural.  There are houses every quarter mile and thick, forest along the way.  For finding, we park our truck, which is actually pretty nice, and go contacting along a long strip of road.  Unfortunately, we only 1,500 miles each month with driving our truck.  So we don't have the pleasure of driving up to peoples houses and go contacting that way.  We walk a ton.  Not as much as in Novi Sad, but more than you would think having a vehicle. 

For transportation, we ride in a truck and bike or walk the rest of the time.  And from what I saw on the deck of our apartment, there are two bikes sitting there.  So I guess I will not have to purchase a bike at all.  I imagine that every apartment has a pair of bicycles for the missionaries that live their. 

Out here, we have a ward of about 70-100 members.  But we meet at a normal chapel building.  Its a very nice building.  It feels good to have a normal, functioning ward to come to.  The members were very nice in welcoming me to their ward.  The bishop asked me to introduce myself as well as give a small talk the moment I arrived.  So everyone now knows who I am. 

Thank you for everything.  This week has been the worst, and I am so grateful that I have such great parents.  You have made the greatest difference.

Love you!

First Pictures of Darren from New Hampshire

Big Change for Elder Novakovich

As Elder Novakovich commented in his last e-mail, there have been some big changes over the past couple of weeks.  With much sadness, he found out that he and three older elders who were serving in Serbia would be re-assigned to new missions, leaving only two missionaries in the country (Belgrade).  While the work was challenging and success minimal, he loved the people and language and will miss both greatly.  He has been re-assigned to the New Hampshire mission and arrived there on Friday.  He was assigned to serve in Johnson, VT which is a small town about 50 miles north of Sharon, VT where the Prophet Joseph Smith was born.  We've spoken to his new mission president who seems to be a wonderful man who loves and supports his missionaries.

His new address is:

Elder Darren Novakovich                                               

1754 Plot Road, Apt. 3

Johnson VT 05656-9512

I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.

Letter from Elder Novakovich - March 7

Well this week has been very, very interesting.  So I guess I will start off by saying that I am now in Croatia.  I have no clue why, but they moved me here to Zagreb for this transfer, and possibly next transfer.  I still have no idea what is going on, but I assume I will find out shortly.  Im not going to lie though, it’s really hard being here.  I finally got used to the Serbia, and all of a sudden I get moved to Croatia.  I feel kind of cheated in ways.  I don't even know what to think about it.  When President told us on Thursday, I left for Croatia that night.  Without any warning, it happened.  Anyways, what else have I done......  I believe I said my final goodbye to Elder Porter.  Its incredibly sad to say, but I might not see him as a missionary again, that is unless we have Zone Conference here in Croatia in the next while.  Speaking of Elder Porter, he is now one of 4 elders in Serbia. 

President Hill told me that I would return to Serbia either this next transfer or the one after that.  We will find out I guess tonight. The AP's are picking me up here in Zagreb in about an hour and we will be driving to Serbia to have another meeting with all the Serbian Elders.  I have a lot of questions and I hope I will be able get answers to them tonight. 

With that all said, I absolute love it here in Europe.  I still am a bit reluctant to be here in Zagreb, understandably given the circumstances.  I finally got into a groove in Serbia, and in a flash, I start all over anew in a completely different country.  I must say, Croatia is much prettier than Serbia.  However, I would never want to stay here over Serbia.  I love Serbia.  But I should be back soon enough.  I'm just trying not to count the days.  I hope everyone is having a good ol time.  I will be sure to report back when things get situated here in Eastern Europe!

Will all of this chaos, the language is really progressing for me.  I feel really comfortable know talking to members.  The other day, I gave a full 7 minute testimony slash introduction about myself during fast and testimony meeting.  By the end of the meeting, I had real conversation with most of the members.  I am to the point now I can understand pretty much everything people say to me in basic conversation situations.  It’s amazing how these things happen over the course of a week period.  I went from struggling beyond comprehension to being able to speak.  It feels so good to have no fear of being alone with a native and being able to communicate with them.  It’s an awesome thing. 

Love

Elder Novaković

Letter from Darren

There was no group letter from Darren last week, but below are some excerpts from his letter to his mother.  She always gets the best letters - fair payment for all her efforts in raising her son.

Things are growing great here in Novi Sad.  This week, we have been working at the sajam knjiga, which is a huge book fair here in Novi Sad.  The church bought a booth for us and we go their and sell Book of Mormons and other things there.  Its been pretty fun.  I have the chance to master explaining what is for sale, what's free, and what the Book of Mormon is.  Its been quite the experience doing that.  Unfortunately though, we are not currently teaching anyone.  Hopefully that will change, but since last Wednesday, all Elder Porter and I have done is work at the sajam knjiga.  We haven't really had the chance to doing any calling from numbers we received about a week ago.  Hopefully those people even remember who we are.  We will find out here in the next few days though! 

Actually, I will be here in Novi Sad for the next two months.  Transfers here in Serbia are in two months periods, which would suck if you disliked your companion.  Good thing I don't, right?  Elder Porter is doing great. He and I are still getting along very well.  I might even get the chance to "kill" him from the mission. 

Haha its hilarious to hear about the bromance going on.  From what I hear, a lot of people are having bromances with Jimmer.  Every article I read it "Jimmer this, Jimmer that.  Jimmer is the man, Jimmer for President, etc."  Its hard to believe, but there are 4 other players on the court with Jimmer :)  Its so funny to hear that Dad is caught in the Jimmer bonanza. 

Its friggin cold here in Serbia.  We have had about two to three feet of snow in the past week here.  No bueno.  I strongly dislike the snow.  I can't wait for the humid summer... Of course that too is something I am not looking forward too.  At least I will be able to run and get my smexxy tan going.  I hear the babes love t-shirt tan lines on the bicep area.  OH baaby, I is going to be smexyy.

Well things are going amazing!  Thank you for everything you have done for me.  You are an awesome mother.  I love you so much.

Elder Novakovich