Parts of This Week's Email

Draha rodino,

Het. The week has been greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. Thsi has been the best transfer of my life. I have loved it all. And this week is looking even better, details next week...haha.

Taylor and his companion had a busy week. They taught lots of lessons--one day they had 6!--and picked up a couple of new investigators. I don't want this to get too long, so I'll skip to Friday, which was an exciting day!

Friday. We tuaght some good lessons today. We had one with Alex and Alena and Jarda and Simona. President and Sister McConkie visited too. Why? Because we had a BAPTISM! It was so beautiful, just a great service. She is so wonderful. I don't have any pictures yet, but Sister McConkie took some and as soon as she sends them to me, I'll send them to you. President Novotny baptized her, and the whole thing really was just great. I love her.

Saturday we were pretty busy. We tuaght a bunch of lessons, and then weekly planned. WE had a way intense lesson with Alex. Sergei, the Russian member from HK came down so as to not have any communication issues, and we went. The problem is, there are definitely still issues that we haven't discovered yet. He says he has burning questions that he needs answered, but doesn't believe the Book of Mormon or sacrament meeting will help him. He did promise to read and pray every day, but won't commit to sacrament meeting yet. He had some bad experience with some other church awhile back, and hasn't gone anywhere since, except to ours once, and alos the baptism on Friday.

Sunday was beautiful. Alena was of course confirmed, and right after gave a short testimony. I was a little worried ust because she can be quite a talker, but she stood up, bore a sweet, short, powerful testimony. She is great! I want you to meet her. We had correlation after, then district lunch, then studies, then callins. Our zone had another solid week. Transfers are this week ahhhhhh I'm so scared. There is almost a 100% chance I'm out, and I'm sad about it. Also, Wednesday we have a super secret conference for only missionaries currently in the Czech Republic. We are so excited, even though we don't really know what to expect.

How fun to have something to look forward to! And how wonderful to have this gospel in its fulness upon the earth.

 Well.....vacation kept me from updating the blog. So here are some excerpts from the last few emails....

Wednesday we headed to Prague for zone leader Council, the first with the McConkies. and actually, it's not zone leader council anymore. It's missionary leadership council or something like that, and sisters are called to be leadership training sister agents or something, and so one companionship of sisters comes to the council. It was really good. Pres McConkie is a great man. Very powerful, tons of faith. I love him already, and I'm waaay excitedto see where the mission goes with him at the head.

Sunday was good, testimony meeting and all. I bore mine, which is interesting because we do it daily, but I did. We only had one interesting one. I have a strong testimony that there is at least one "storyteller" or similar in every branch or ward. I didn't share that in my testimony yesterday though. There is a dear sweet older sister in the branch who gets up evry month. I have absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I lost her very fast. My attention was grabbed when she hid behind the pulpit as part of her testimony. It was...you know. We also taught Alena and Alex after church. it went really well. We almost finished the Plan of Salvation with Alex, and he likes it. That's 21 lessons by the way.

Tuesday we began the first of our journeyings. We drove to Jihlava to observe a district meeting there, and then start an exchange with the district leader Elder Eliason and his greenie companion Elder King. The meeting was good, and that district is great. A very young district, and small, only one other companionship and a senior, thusly the not so young part of the district, couple. Both missionaries in the other companionship are only in their second transfer. But, they're doing pretty great. But anyway, we drove two hours there, two hours back, taught three lessons and that was the day. The lessons went well. Alena is doing greeeeeaaaat! Her baptism is all planned and set for Friday at 6. It's wonderful.

Sunday was good as well. We had a very good sacrament meeting, Alena's baptism was announced, a good number from the branch are coming, and probably President McConkie as well. We had Branch Council afterwards, which we aren't even supposed to go to, but the District Leader was in a lesson that went a little long, so we subbed in on Branch Council. A good week in the zone, as I said we taught the most lessons as a companionship that either of us has ever taught, 23 btw.

Quick answers: The McConkies are from Salt Lake, four kids, one daughter three sons. Yes, Dad, I am getting nervous for transfers. I am consigned to the fact that I probably won't be where I am now in a couple weeks. Yikes. Also, to add my own voice to that what has been said, Do not ever get complacent. As Elder Holland once said, "It isn't over til it's over." and "[the adversary] is determined to get his licks in later, if not sooner." Our power is in Christ.

 

Taylor is doing great. We are praying for Alena--her baptism is scheduled for this Friday, July 19th!

 

Some might ask: Why are Mormons so anxious to share our beliefs with others? I quote Neil L. Anderson, a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:

"With the confusion and commotion of today's world, it's not surprising that fewer people are attending their places of worship. Although many want to be closer to God and to better understand the purpose of life, they have unanswered questions.  Many have hearts open to the truth, but as the prophet Amos described, 'they (are running) to and fro (seeking) the word of the Lord, and (cannot) find it."--Amos 8:12. (We) can help answer their questions."

 

And, from our previous prophet, Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley: "Let me say that we appreciate the truth in all churches and the good which they do.  We say to the people, in effect, you bring with you all the good that you have, and then let us see if we can add to it. That is the spirit of this work.  That is the essence of our missionary service."