Bulgaria Here We Come

	And thEy’re off!

 

          

 After much investigation and work on Elder Segeberg’s part we are about to depart for Bulgaria. Since missionaries don’t often move from one mission to another, it has been slow getting it figured out.  The original concern was that if we went on a tourist visa our paperwork for the more permanent visa might not be completed in time. We would then have to leave the country after 90 days and could not return for another 90 days. But he discovered that although we will have to leave after 90 days, we can return at any time on different type of visa. It may take another two months or more to get everything ready to even apply for the type D visa. So why waste time? We are going to go on Thursday on a tourist visa and spend three months getting things in order there. According to the mission president, things are crashing down around them. On June 1st we will return to Riga, by way of Warsaw, if our paper work is in order, to apply for the visa. We can continue to work on many of the Bulgarian Mission’s things from here since a lot is on the web. Once our visas are processed, we will pack up everything and pick up the visas in Warsaw on the way back to Bulgaria. We think it is a great solution since we will be able to get there soon to help where we are most needed. Also, we can find out just what we need there and what we don’t. Since we have feathered our Riga nest all ready, we can take whatever we find that we need with us and not take anything unnecessary. Anyway, the adventure continues! 

Aside from the detective work, we managed to have a busy week! We taught the final two lessons of the Strengthening Marriage course that we have been teaching to the sweet couple we have been working with – one on Tuesday and the other on Saturday.  It really seems to have been useful for them. Now they have a bag of tools to use when they have a conflict or a problem to work out. They actually seem to be using the things they learned. We have made great friends!

After the lesson on Tuesday we stopped in the Center (of town) and had lunch. It began to snow great, big flakes – the kind that never last very long.

 It was very pretty so we took a walk through the park on our way to visit the Museum of the Occupation which is all about the history of Latvia and the countries that have occupied them for their prime location and access to the Baltic Sea. It was very interesting! When we left we expected the snow to have stopped. Not so much! It was more like a blizzard! Where was my warm hat when I needed it? It was at home nice, dry and warm while I was frozen, wet and cold. By the time we got home my hair was frozen and covered with snow that did not just brush off. It was an unpleasant end to a pleasant day. We were ready for hot cocoa!

On Sunday it was sad telling everyone at Church ‘good-bye.’ There was a lot of hugging and kissing going on. Elder Segeberg discovered that mustaches really are scratchy when one fellow hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  We have gotten close to many people and will miss them dearly. Returning in June has many benefits.

Talk to you next week from Bulgaria!