News from Prague

 The pictures are of Alena's baptism which occurred a few weeks ago in Pardubice. She was baptized in a river by the branch president. It must have been an amazing day, judging from the smiles on those faces!

 Excerpts from Taylor's email, complete with typos that occur when one types very quickly, as he does:

Sunday was  a good day. WE met with our Chinese investigator, Jackson, before church and then of course he stayed for church. he is such a funny guy. I love him. One problem: he is very busy with his business, which means we have not a ton of time to meet with him. Also, his business is selling cheap czech beer at really high prices to China. Interesting. Every sunday night before call ins, we have a meeting with President at which we discuss the week and the needs of the mission and anything he wants us to pass on to the zone leaders. WE started a study of Luke last week with President and he said we're going to do it every week. Elder sewell and I are so excited to just sit and bask in his wisdom. It's going t obe GREAT.

(Elder Knapp's mission president is Bruce R. McConkie's nephew. He was one of the first missionaries in the Czech Republic when the mission opened 20 years ago or so.)

Monday we had the normal schedule. We did a bunch of office work in the morning, then had ofice meeting, then taught Viktor, Isabel, Jan, and Martin. We went to FHE and did some studies. It was a pretty hectic day, most Mondays are, but it was good. Viktor is doing so well! I don't remember if I told you much about him, but he is Ukrainian, has as of yet refused to take a Book of Mormon, but the last few lessons have been great, and I'll tell you more aobut him in a bit.

Tuesday we had training for new district leaders and it went really well. Immediately after the training we had district meeting and then another meeting with President. he's had a rough week. A lot of tough things with missionaries and members. We actually picked up a missionary tonight who wants to go home. President had a good chat with him, and he's agreed to stay for a bit more. Pray for him please. My heart aches to think of all that someone would lose by going home early. We also taught a couple lessons today, a recent convert Jitka and a less active Drahomir.

Wednesday I took Elder Sewell to the dentist for hopefullly the last time. I've been to that doctor's office so many times with my past copule companions, I'm glad to see the last of it. But we came back and taught a few more lessons. We taught Viktor again, a wonderful lady named Vera, she's the mother in law of a member here and so great, a semi active guy named vitaly, then went and visited a member family named the Pavluvovi. Mom, I had some of the best soup ever. Vera made a Russian soup called Boršč, and it was amazing. the family we visited also made some good soup for us. I love soup. I just realized that was a dangerous sentence to write. but I'm going to get some of these great soup recipes and pass them on. Viktor btw promised to finally take a book of Mormon!!! We just need to download it in e-form, and then he'll read it on he e-book. So happy about that.

Thursday we taught a bunch. We contacted a couple referrals, some way cool folks. We taught 7 lessons total, one to the Pavlicovi and their OLDEST DAUGHTER YEAAAAAAH! We set up again for today, and we are so pumped. We're going to baptize the whole family! We also visited this lady whose mother in law is a member in the Philipines and sshe works here in the embassy, so she's way smart and successful. She has a cool story aobut how she ended up here in Prague, and we know that she is totally here because she needs the Gospel. 

Friday we gave Viktor the Book of Mormon! He's probably even going to come to church! Hes such a good guy. he feels the Spirit in our lessons ,and slowly but surely he is coming around. We went to lunch with a couple of members, and now are going to start teaching the sister of one of them. We met with a recent convert and his girlfriend, Isabel, and Jan. Jan is getting baptized next week. He's such a good kid. He likes to joke around a lot, but he always accepts what we teach and lives it. 

Then today! We are just kind of relaxing today. I mentioned at the beginning that the Lord blesses us despite our very limited finding time. We have received so many solid referrals this week, and we are going to end up with loads of new investigators from it. it's so awesome. We're going to go play ball in a few hours after teahing some lessons. for now, we're just going to write some letters and stuff. hayden finally wrote me! I was way excited. so, I have some letters to write. Love you all, the Church is so true.

Starsi Knapp

 

Today's email

Sorry this email is so long. I didn't cut much out--it's too good.

Draha rodino,

It's been quite a week. A really, really good week with lots of events.

Sunday was a good day, pretty normal. it was fast and testimony meeting of course, and all were very good. Except the first one. There was a big YSA conference this past week, and the first young guy to get up told about how he met this girl and they got engaged in one week's time and gave each other "neviditelne prstynky," or invisible rings. He then told about how he was praying that God would make everything work out so that they could get married. He then mentioned taht God needed to work fast becasue she is leaving for a mission next week. I don't think they're going to get married. But, after that one little interesting bit, the meeting was great.

monday was a great day. we taught a few lessons, but the highlight was an experiment taht Elder Sewell and I did with one of President's new finding ideas. We had a member take us on a tour of a landmark in Prague and bring a friend along. It was just a was casual, comfortable environment and we started to chat with his friend, way cool girl named Veronika, and the conversation just led right into the Gospel. She is way interested and we're meeting with her this next week. We're pumped. We then came home and prepared for the Mission Leadership Council that was on Tuesday.

Tuesday we had our council, it went really well, and it was great to see all the mission leaders that came in. I love them all so much. I've served with many of them, and we seriously -- sorry Kaitlin and anyone else who served somewhere else -- have the best missionaries ever. But then that afternoon/evening we taught some more lessons, two of which were to our baptismal dates. Isabel, from Angola, and Jan. They both went really well. We also taught Isabel's friend Joanna, among others.

Wednesday was another really good day. We tend to have a lot of those. We said goodbye to an investigator today, Martin, I've included a pic, who is moving to Russia. Actually, he's there already. We met with Jan again, and also visited one of the counselors in the Branch Presidency and his family. they are amazing. Four kids, solid all of them, and we are going back to there house soon to have FHE with them and some friends. We're way excited for it. Families are the best to teach by far.

Thursday was a crazy day. So. We had a training in Brno, progression training which is for all new missionaries and their trainers. AS we were leaving, we received a phone call from President, who was going to meet us in Brno. He had a conference, with multiple members of the quorum of the twelve on Friday and Saturday. Which got changed to Thursday Friday last minute. so. He stayed for 15 minutes, then raced back to Prague to catch a plane. so, Elder Sewell and I conducted a four hour training without him. It was quite an experience, but it went well.

Friday we had a pretty full day. We went and visited the mother in law of member, such a sweet lady. We are way optimistic for her. She doesn't like her church, and has already promised her grandson that she will always come to our church. HELLO!!! She's totally getting baptized. WE also met with Isabel and Jan again, wtih a great ukranian guy Viktor, and a couple others. They all are doing so well. Isabel's baptism was scheduled for Saturday...

And it was beautiful. We did a musical number, President McConkie and one of the senior missionaries here did a piano violin duet as well. And the baptism itself was just perfect. Her testimony was amazing. She has had so many miracles happen to bring her here. She had a friend who was meeting with other missionaries, and Isabel felt a need to be closer to God. She prayed that two people could meet her and teach her things to bring her closer to God. 15 minutes later the missionaries called. She faced a lot of opposition from her family who did everything they could to convince her that she didn't need to be baptized twice. She finally talked to her grandfather, an Anglican priest, and asked if it was wrong to be baptized twice. He said usually it was, but in some cases it was okay. She told him she was getting baptized again, and he gave his blessing. We were blown away. She's great. I threw in a picture of us as well.

That's about the lot! It's been a great week, like I said. We have so much going on right now, so the next couple weeks look to be pretty hectic as well. I'm stoked.

love you all tons,

Starsi Knapp

Back to Prague

We received a phone call from Elder Knapp's mission president, Pres. McConkie, a couple of weeks ago telling us that we have an exceptional son--which we had already suspected--and letting us know that he (Pres. McConkie) had asked Taylor to be his assistant. I have included part of the email Taylor sent after that phone call to show some of the duties he will now have as an AP (Assistant to the President). We are grateful for the many opportunities Taylor has had to learn and grow in various assignments on his mission.

The above pictures are of Pardubice, a city filled with people Taylor has come to love, and the three sister missionaries that he knew in the MTC and who arrived in Prague with him 18 months ago--their missions are finished and they have headed back home.

Draha rodino,

Well, it's been an experience. 

 

So the week really starts Sunday. I made all arrangements to leave my long time residence in Pardubice and return to where I once was. It was 1) hectic as all get out and 2) even hotter than it was hectic. but I got everything taken care of and got to Prague. Elder Osterloh, the AP leaving, and Elder Sewell came and picked me up at the train station and took me back to the office. We did a little bit of training Elder Osterloh and I, then went and had dinner with the McConkies. President McConkie is a n amazing cook. We had bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with potatoes and other good things. It was delicious. After dinner we came back and had the huge callins session to end the night. I got to listen in and participate a little. It was cool, but it's going to be a mad dash the first couple of times I do it. 

Monday we finished preparing the reports generated by callins last night, and sent off the weekly email to the misisonaries. We had office meeting, met with President and discussed the state of the mission. It was a good first meeting for me. This is wild that I'm AP. I'm stil a little shell-shocked. We also taught a few lessons, one to a recent convert and his girlfriend, a couple to investigators, and one to a girl who is getting baptized next weekend. Her name is Isabel, she's from Angola, and she is absolutely awesome. I'm way excited for her. It was all in all a good first full day back in Prague.

Tuesday was an exciting day. We got a bunch of stuff ready, sent Elder Sewell to the dentist, then Elder Osterloh and I and the McConkies went to the airport to pick up all the new missionaries! it was so fun. They're a good bunch. It was so surreal watching them come through the gate with all their luggage and everything. It was way exciting though. We took them back to the building, dropped off their stuff, then took them on the walk around Prague. It was good fun. by the time we finished dinner though, they were all looking pretty jet lagged. we took two of them back to our house to sleep, showed the rest of them where they would be staying, then went off to teach a way cool lady named Katka. We had a great lesson with her, got some concerns out, and taught well. 

Wednesday was a crazy day. We got up way early, and took all the new missionaries back to President's for breakfast, then had them come to the bulding where we paired them up with their trainers. It was pretty great. We had a few more lessons today, including one with a former member who is getting rebaptized soon. Wild. but it was good. That night, we met up with all the missionaries who are going home and had a goodbye dinner and testimony meeting with them. it was a great time, but also a little sad. Elder Osterloh, my old comp Elder Bird, and all the sisters from my MTC group went home! It's awful. We had a very good time though, and it was good to see them all again and here their testimonies once more before they departed. But the madness didn't stop there. We didn't get out of there unitil about 10, took the missionaries to their hotel, found out there was no longer any room there, os the guy that owns that hotel took them somewhere else to accommodate everyone, then came back to let the sisters in. One of the sisters had some weird allergic reaction and had been to the doctor earlier that day. The doctor told her that if she didn't have aspirin, she could possibly get blood clots on the plane. So, after much running around and a long time, we got everything figured out, got her aspirin, and put everyone to bed. We didin't get home until laaaate. But, it happens.

Thursday, also crazy, and a little sad, and good. We had to get up at 4:30! 4:30in the morning! We went to the airport to drop off all of the departing missionaries. So weird. I've included a picture of me with my MTC sisters. After that, we came home, did some study, had some lessons, did district meeting, and taught some more lessons. I met one of our investigators, Ricardo, a guy from Peru. he's so funny. We're also teaching a girl from guatemala, so our teaching pool is pretty ethnic. 

Friday was a pretty normal day. We took Elder Sewell to the dentist again, got him sorted for now, and taught a few lessons. We also had Polar Bear, the weird little thing when we all get together and teach each other Czech. Sorry the days are getting shorter, I'm running out of time. Btw, yes, I served with Elder Sewell in Pardubice, he's the English one. He's a little offended that you didn't remember him. but I think he's mostly joking when he says that.

Well, folks, it's been a good week. I'll throw some pics from Pardubice in as well, enjoy. Love you all so much,

Starsi Knapp