Wahoo!

Here are some excerpts from Taylor's wonderful email which we received this morning:


So. The big question. Was Veronika baptized? Well. YESSSSSSS! It was great. She is great. She's so solid. Elder Mills, the male portion of the senior couple here thinks she is the greatest person he's ever met. he seriously can't even talk about her without getting emotional. He is also one  of my favorite people ever. This week has been absolutely incredible, one of the best yet

  I love the living prophets so much. They are one of the biggetst testimonies to me of the truthfulness of the work. I recently started a very in depth study of every Conference issue I have. It will take awhile, but it's awesome.

Yesterday I was just thinking about how I don't ever want to come back. If you want, you can come see me in a year a nd a half or so. It's just too good. The thought of having to come back makes me scared. Because here, we are somewhat in the world, but we truly are on a completely different plane. I don't want to have to come back. Sorry.

Alright! This week was spectacular. May have mentioned that. It was spent planning the baptism, and fighting all the problems that came up, namely because of the branch presidency. It was a great service though. The water was freeezing, but the Spirit wasn't. One thing that I'm proud to report is that my spiritual sensitivity has increased. It's a great feeling. I've had what some may call a charmed life, and as a result I've nver really been pushed. It takes a lot of practice learning to rely on, listen to, and follow the Spirit. I've got such a long way to go. Thomas S. Monson is my role model in this. I don't know if I know anything as sure as I know that he is called, by God Himself, as a prophet to lead and guide us today. If you don't think people are prepared from their youth to serve, you study that man's life. Anyways, Veronika. She's awesome. I don't really know what else to say about her, but it was a pleasure and an honor to serve, teach, and baptize her.

The other major highlight of this week was the progression training, also known as greenie conference. Thursday we were in Brno for it, and it was the best conference I've ever attended as a missionary. So really ever. The best part was when the trainers all went into a separate room and talked with Elder Durrant, one of the Aps. We just talked about the importance of missions, our expectations for ours, and kind of a little testimony meeting. Let's just say it was powerful. One of my problems is more things run through my mind than I can say, so I really had to slow down, and let the Spirit guide my words. It was very powerful. pthe whole thing. I'm going to tell you though. This trainer thing is the hardest thing I've ever done. 

Sunday, yestereday, we also had some cool experiences. I gave three blessing in Czech. Before yesterday, I had given none. So it was somthing new. And great. Very simple blessings, of course, but I felt the Spirit with me still. Well, except for one. I'm worried about that. Veronika has a friend, who wanted a blessing for her youngest daughter. Which is great, except...she thinks her daughter has a devil. Because she SLEEPWALKS. So I didnt' have a lot of faith giving that blessing because I couldn't help but think it was a tad unnecessary. If sleep walking means you have a devil, Tanner...

Well, folks, thank you so much for everything, the emails, the package on its way, the ballot app inside, and especially your love and support and prayers. Love you all. Just remember this, you will never see the young man you put on a plane seven months ago again. He's slowly disappearing. If I don't come back completely changed, it wasn't enough. One of the trainers siad that one of the greatest things that made him want to go on his mission was the difference he saw in his older brother. It completely changed him, from a good kid to a powerful servant of the Lord. So, Tanner and Hunter, judge me when I get back. And here's how to prepare: Read every day, start now making your prayers more sincere and really find that relationship with you Father in Heaven. Do everything Mom and Dad say. They are wise. DO EVERYTHING. they have a reason for it all. Promise. The Church is true. 100 percent.

  This is the greatest experience ever. I know you've heard that from others, but it is so true. It is a refiner's fire, there's no point in sugar coating. But the spiritual blessings are worth it all. This is the work of the Lord, which He has given to us to do it. Let us all press on and do it.

Love,

Starsi Knapp

Catching Up with Taylor

 Here are a few paragraphs from the emails Taylor has sent in the past two weeks.

Okay, so the week in review. First of all, I am eternally sick of the train ride to Prague. It's no fun. Especially the fact that I've made it twice in the past two weeks, and it costs a load of cash. Not a fan of that. But, it's all okay because I am the proud companion of a greenie. He'll get his first taste of real Czech teaching tomorrow. It's gonna be great. He's Elder Prymak, from Woodbridge, VA. You may have gotten our picture. He's a pretty fun kid, and it's an exciting prospect. He speaks really good for someone fresh from the MTC, and he's going to be great. This is really one of those defining times in a mission, and if it applies to the mission, it applies to life. therefore, this is a defining time in both of our lives. Whew. I'm excited, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Just because I'm so young and it's a first time thing. Prayer is what we do. I'm not too worried, because I know where this call comes from.

Alright! It's been a good week. Slightly frustrating in that a few of our lessons fell through, but it was a good week overall. Veronika is doing great, she's totally going to make her baptismal date on Saturday. She's doing excellent. It really is a privilege to teach her. She bore her testimony in church yesterday, and it was awesome. Also really cool, we were at her house, teaching, and she had a girl there, 11 or 12, who has sat in on a few lessons before. Before we started actually teaching, she asked if she could come to church on Sunday. Ummm...yeah. You can. She said that she's seen a big change in Veronika since we started meeting with her, and she wants to try it for herself. Great! Then veronika said that Jana, the girl, was nervous about death because she doesn't know what happens after death. Well, conveniently we had a Plan of Salvation pamphlet in my backpack. Way cool. We'll meet her again on Wdnesday. 

Something real quick from a story President Irwin shared. Just because we have difficulties doesn't mean we're doing something wrong. Just because the path we have placed ourselves on has obstacles doesn't mean it's the wrong path. There was a man who felt that because medical school was so hard, God didn't want him to be a doctor. He found the story of Nephi and the brass plates and changed his mind. Life is meant to try us so that we can become better, even perfect. the only reason to actually change a path is if it is not inline with God's will, and will not lead us to His kingdom. Let us go forth in so great a cause.

 

s laskou,

 

Starsi Knapp