We do cook most of our meals, we go to restaurants probably twice a week at most, but the restaurants here are grrrrrrrrrrrreat. Cheap, and delicious. healthy....I don't know. but, we started a diet this week, and I want to cry every time I think about it. It has taken away almost everything I love. There's a missionary I served around a couple times who is a nutritional know-it-all, and he had made a diet for elder Stimpson awhile back, and we're trying it. No fruit, no grains. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. I'm tearing up right now. But, we do get one day a week to go crazy, and I'm way excited for that.
My son is on a diet???!!!! This is weird...
We also had District everything. It was nice. Elder Stradling is a funny guy. Almost every week he colors and copies some little drawing for us to remind us what the commitments were. So far we have a listen to the Spirit shield, a key to there hearts, and a bold commitment badge. I'm getting the giggles just writing about it all.
We do miss hearing Taylor laugh!
Wednesday we had a bit of a tougher day, but also some
real cool things happened. We had many many many lessons on plan. Almost
all cancelled. The heartbreaker was the lady who said that she couldn't
come because her boyfriend didn't agree with it. Boyfriends are dumb.
She was so cool. But! WE fouond this young lady, Stepanka, who actually
met with missionaries in the past in Brno, still reads the Book of
Mormon from time to time, and is a pharmacist. Way cool. We did also
teach Jarda and Simona, it went well. They still have serious financial
difficulty, but we're trying to overcome.
Thursday we also had many lessons
planned and less taught. It happens from time to time. We did get to
teach Ludek and Jarda and Simona though. They all are doing well, Ludek
is still clinging with surprising tenacity to his lazy tendencies. But, I
love him. jWe taught again with President Novotny's son, and he is
great. We did some more prep for the zone conference, President's last!
which is on Wednesday. I will cry.
And now, excerpts from today's email:
Draha rodino,
Goodness me what a week. Two baptisms in
the zone, last zone conference with the Irwins, new baptismal dates and
investigators and who knows what else! It's been quite a week folksMonday! Crazy day. It was sooooo hot, so obviously that's the day we had plannedt o go play basket ball with the district in HK. It was brutal, but also a bunch of fun. I will say, my team won every time, no big deal. We also had good lessons with Jarda and Simona, the Pavlicovi, and Ludek. Ludek is still Ludek. But my goodness he is funny. I was dying at the lesson again. He is just a goof. But, we'll see what happens with him once we start teaching in our new intense look at the pamphlets approach. IT begins today.
Tuesday we didn't have district meeting because we have training on Wednesday, but we did get together still, do Polar Bear, and practice for the musical numbers that we have, one for the training and one for the baptism that is this weekend. We also taught Alena, great, Alexander, Jarda and Simona again, and English. they're all doing really well, Alena is on fire. She is looooving it. Alexander is actually leaving the country for awhile to visit his kids in Moldova, but he'll be back. We have already put into place a plan for him so he keeps reading over the break. He's a great guy. WE also took some good time and put the finishing touches on our part of conference that is tomorrow!
WEdnesday was one of the greatest/worst/hardest days of my life. The training was fantastic, ours went well and I really enjoyed it. I enjoy giving trainings the most when we use the prophets, ancient and modern, the most. It's great. We talked about the importance of a good first lesson with new investigators and we used the New Testament and the Doctrine and covenants some with it. I just finished reading the Gospels again, and it was amazing. You know what, I'm not afraid to admit it, I cried like a little baby, okay? It was absolutely terrible. As soon as President stood up I started to rain, and didn't stop until I had cried all through the closing song, I didn't do a ton of singing for that one, and t he closing prayer, after I hugged the Irwins (yes, we were even allowed to hug Sis Irwin), and took a little time getting my act back together. Apparently I am not a tough guy. We then drove to a city called Trebic to do two baptismal interviews, one for this weekend, one for next, and then headed home. I interviewed a 15 yr old girl who's getting baptized next week. She is amazing. Her knowledge is way solid, her testimony is very strong, and the missionaries there have told me all kinds of great stuff about her. As we drove back from Trebic after conducting the interviews, I obviously had Pres and Sister Irwin on my mind. At the time, the thing that occupied my thoughts was the great love that they both expressed for these two countries. The countryside in that area of the country is so beautiful. I was filled with a truly inexpressible love for this country as we drove and admired the wonder of God's creation. I'll have to show you around some time.
Thursday was a nice day. The weather is still terrible, so hot and humid. They claim, I want that in italics, that it was over 100 here. I don't know if I believe that. But it was still pretty dang hot. but we had good lessons with Alena and Alex, and also visited the Novotny family. They're great. Their middle son should get his mission call this week, and we're all excited. He's one of my favorites.
Friday we had a great lesson with Jarda and Simona about faith, Jarda was marking scriptures like crazy, which really surprised me. We also went to a baptism in HK which was really nice, and taught Alena and Alex again. They are both willing to meet almost every day, and besides, we're trying to really pack it in with Alex before he leaves. But the lessons went well.
SAturday we did weekly planning, we've got a pretty good one on plan this week, and taught a few. WE tuaght Alena again, and also this waaaaaay cool young kid Honza. He has been contacted on the street three times: once in 2011, once in 2012, and once in 2013. IT IS HIS TIME. We had such a good first lesson with him, he was so excited to get his own Book of Mormon, and he said a beautiful prayer at the end of the lesson, and we're set up for Tuesday. He's probably 23 or 24, and a great guy. I love him.
Sunday was pretty typical, church, district lunch (Elder Stimpson and I made banana pancakes, YUM), studies, and call ins.
To find out more about what Mormon missionaries do and to see why Taylor is so happy, click here.
