When we were set apart, the Stake President blessed us that we would be able to "love the people and see the divinity of the people."  I remember turning around in the plane as we were departing to Zagreb and looking at the people and feeling an overwhelming feeling that they are all children of our Father in Heaven.  How they would be blessed in their lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Then off the plane, through customs and into the arms of President and Sister Melonakos! 

We arrived in Rijeka on Saturday evening.  It was a two hour drive from Zagreb.  We drove through the rain and mountains, with snow along the side of the road.  It was a beautiful drive. We are in a typical European town--tiny streets lined with buildings from the 1800's, roads that zig and zag everywhere, sometimes two-way streets, but a lot of one-way streets due to the narrow lanes.  Paying attention while you are driving is a white-knuckled requirement.  We are in a coastal town that lines the Adriatic sea.  We are about 1/4 mile from the sea, but we do not see it except glimpses through buildings.  In back of us is the Church and castle in the pictures below.