Skinny, Croatian Diet, and Being Japanese

His email to me:
(I asked him how he lost 15 pounds!)
"yeah i lost 15 pounds. the secret is to eat less than you do now and to work harder during the day. take stairs instead of elevators, walk everywhere, and if you can walk faster than you do normally. just take in less food and use more energy. also every morning do a little workout and eat a light breakfast. you know just like all the health people say. its really not that hard you just have to be focused and actually do it.
Everything is going good. still working hard and trying to work hard. we actually do have some investigators now, so the work has paid off. we have 3 right now. Saša, Boris, and Zlatko. all great guys and they are awesome.
the food is good. everything is a little lighter here. not as much of everything and a lot more fresh vegetables and fruits. I'm eating a lot of what i would never eat at home. like peppers and olives and other veggies. i'm trying to get over being a picky eater. which is hard but i need to do it. i still hate olives though. nasty little things. they do have pizza, though it is very different from the u.s. pizza. a lot different actually but sometimes very good. i love the pekarna(bakery) so good. So much better than US bread and stuff. I love it."

Another email to the fam:
"the mission is very obedient and we dont have nearly any worthiness or obedience issues. I just realized that this mission is really amazing and that its different that most others around the world. I found out that when you become a senior companion you are automatically either a district leader, trainer, or a branch president. its a crazy mission. but its awesome. next transfer at least two of our group will be companions, that means that two brand new missionaries will be a senior comp, that could be me! i dont even know the language let alone be a district leader or something like that. its a little weird knowing that. our transfer is still going and ends in December. our transfers are two months not just 6 weeks. Jesus the Christ by Elder Talmage is one of the greatest books I've ever read. As I read it with the Bible it explains all the questions I have and its just a wonderful way to come to know Christ better. I've also read Our Search for Happines by Elder M. Russel Ballard. I love reading it. it helps me deepen my understanding of the gospel. I do enjoy reading the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and also all the religion books i have. The biggest thing that hit me lately is that we shouldn't read the Book of Mormon to know the book better, but we should read it to know Christ better. Doing that has helped my reading a lot.
Just a few more things. Being Japanese here is so different. People stare at me not only for the fact that im dressed us and have a name tag but also that I'm not white. the other day a kid in the tramvaj leaned his head out the window and yelled "konichiwa" to me. i just couldnt help but laugh and my companion was so confused on what just happened. i get asked all the time what I am and where i came from and all that jazz. its fun being the only one in the mission thats not all white. I stand out like a sore thumb."

Haha oh he makes me laugh.