Some end-of-mission thoughts from Elder Knapp

It has been such a privilege for me to serve as an ordained representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a great blessing for us as young people to be entrusted with such a sacred calling. It afforded me my first opportunities to experience how the Lord works through us and with us. I now know that it is real, and that even I can be an instrument in His hands. I also know that it is a pattern that will continue in my life of service and ministry in this, His Church. While my full-time service as a missionary may be finished, for now, I have learned that by virtue of my covenants with the Lord, I am called to be His disciple forever.

My mission has totally shaped my life. The way I think, the goals I have, my perspective, my desires, everything has been absolutely transformed by the sacred experience of these two years. I cannot imagine what my life would look like without my mission. Because of my time in the Czech Republic, my life has focus and direction, and I draw comfort from the knowledge that the Lord keeps His covenants when we keep ours. I know that this is His work. God is with us. This is the one true Church of Jesus Christ, as it has been restored by His prophet, Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is true, and the Jesus of whom it testifies is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. This testimony I have gained thanks to the Spirit I have felt as a minister of the restored Gospel.

Last Email

Draha rodino,

It's been a wild week. I'll get right to it.

Sunday we had testimony meeting of course. It was good. We said good-bye a lot of missionaries who were transferred elsewhere after the meeting, but the meeting itself was good. I bore my testimony, along with a couple other missionaries from the districts. I love this bunch of Elders and Sisters. We've grown close these past few months. Sunday we also picked up my replacement, Elder Burton, as well as my old MTC companion, Elder Greener. He went home a couple days early to see his cousin of on a mission, so he came in and stayed the night with us. We had a few lessons as well on Sunday, but I left my old planner at home, so I only remember having a good lesson with Jitka and Maruska. But there were more. 34 in total last week.

Monday we got up way too early and took Elder Greener to the airport. We came back and got the weekly mission newsletter off, had office meeting, lunch, and then taught Vera. She's doing well, like always. We had a lesson on missionary work, but it was like...ahhh my english vocabulary is gone...I can't remember. Retrospective? I'm not sure if that's right. But what I'm trying to say is that she has already been doing missionary work for a long time. We're teaching her son, she invited us to her house to meet her boyfriend, she's given out tons of copies of the Book of Mormon, and she is constantly inviting friends to church and activities. the lesson was mostly to say good job, you're awesome. We also met with Drahomir at his house, and then taught Sergei, Vera's son. We had Ary and Artur and FHE, and a special guest showed up part way through...Elder Sewell!!! We knew he was coming back, and I was so excited to see him. I was over the moon. He probably is my very favorite companion. I guess that's what happens when you serve for six months and baptize 7 people together.

Tuesday we taught Artur in the morning, and we also had a lesson with a guy Elder Sewell and I taught once together. His name is Petr, and he called me and set up with us. I was a little skeptical because the last lesson ended with us inviting him to meet, and him saying probably not, he only wanted to learn english. Well, this time he agreed to meet, and even bring a lot of people too, if we would advertise his real estate company. We said no. But it was an adventure! We then went to the airport to pick up the new missionaries! It was a great walk, emotional for me, but I'm way running out of time so I'll have to fill you in later.

Wednesday we paired up the new missionaries with their trainers, and sent them off, and then Elder Strobel and Elder Hansen joined me, and we went around Prague for a few hours. It's tradition that the missionaries who are going out together spend a day with their MTC group just seeing the city one last time. We did some sight-seeing, and some shopping. Then we had a tearful last dinner and testimony meeting in the McConkie apartment. Then, the three of us spent the night in the same hotel we started teh mission in.

Thursday we met both the Hansen family adn the Strobel family. It's always interesting watching missionaries see their families for the first time in two years. Then we had district meeting, a lesson with Vera, one of our investigators Veronika, Maruska, Sergei, then skyped with Veronika in England, then...I think that's all on thursday.

Friday we had game night...and taught 12 lessons, the most I've ever taught in one day. Being in a threesome means that you can go on all kinds of exchanges. I think we went on three today. we tuaght Viktor (a different one), Ary, Drahomir, Pavlicovi, Pet'a, Vera, Sasha, Artur, Martin Novak, Miroslav (a new guy)...and two others. I can't think of who. They were scheduled last minute, so they aren't in my planner.

Saturday, today, we went to a place called Petřin, where there is a replica Eiffel Tower. Took some good pics, had good fun, and good food. And taught five lessons.

I love you all so much, I totally ran out of time, so we'll do some major catch up.

Elder Knapp 

Running Through the Finish Line

Draha rodino,

That's so cool about Dallin! Is he already 18? I have no idea anymore. I realized awhile ago, and this is no joke, that I have legitimately forgotten the names of some people that I used to hang out with before the mission. That's going to be awkward..."Hi! Yeah, it's good to see you...what's your name again? Disregard the fact we've known each other for years, tell me your name!"  Real quick, before I get started on the week, yes Mom, we did teach a record number of lessons. It was intense. We were pretty excited about it. President was proud of us.

The week! Sunday we had a meeting before church, then met Ary and Viktor after church, then made a couple of visits after singing with the missionaries at the train station. We taught our 41st lesson at seven o clock Sunday evening. The previous record was 35. Also, we had the first ever Sunday without our late night calls to all the zone leaders! It was nice to go to bed on time.

Monday was pretty normal. We had a meeting with President, then office meeting. After office meeting we went to Elder Boysen's first driving lesson!!! I may have mentioned this already, but the new AP doesn't have a driver's license, so Elder Boysen is getting one. It's an adventure haha. We had a nice lesson with Vera once we got back, ate some lunch, then went to the Cambelovi. Whew.  We went to FHE later, and taught Maxim. We started teaching Vera's son, Sergei, today. he's a good guy, a really really good guy. He  is making fantastic progress.

Tuesday we had a lesson in the morning, it went okay. It was with a really nice guy, who claims yoga as his religion. He has a lot of interesting ideas, which mostly just means that he is confused about the world. I think we're making progress with him though. His name is Michal. We taught Vera again, then visited the Cambelovi. We had a really good lesson with Sergei after that, the Restoration. He's going to get baptized, I can feel it.  We had a good lesson with Artur as well, who is also going to get baptized, he's making great progress.  After that we had a nice lesson with Maxim again, and then we had a part inthe mission prep class here, so we went to that. 

Wednesday we taught a first lesson with a waaaaaaaaaaay cool guy I found last week at singing display. He's a self-employed accountant, well-off, searching for the truth, two kids, cool cool guy. His name's Lad'a. We had another driving lesson, taught Vera, skyped with Veronika in England, got dropped by the Cambelovi, taught a family history class, then visited Jitka Zahradnikova. The Cambelovi dropped us by leaving their Book of Mormon in a plastic bag on the church door. I've never had that happen to me before. I've heard Elder Holland talk about it, but this was the first time for me. But we're not licked! We are so not done there. They were doing so well, then they got attacked by this catholic guy that comes and waits outside the chapel every Sunday. It shook Sis Cambelova pretty bad. We were annoyed. And are. But not finished!

Thursday we had a good day. We had a big lunch together with both Prague districts, then we had a short singing display. It was good, got some good potentials. Then we headed back to the building to meet with one of our Italian investigators, Eleanora. She is currently working on her PhD thesis, which sounds like a total nightmare. She will be defending it in three different languages, Czech, French, and English. Then we met with Sergei, had a good lesson with him, watching the Joseph Smith film. We then went and visited our Filipino investigators, Millette and Maricel. We had a good lesson with them about the First Vision and what it means. They are extremely attached to their Catholic traditions. Tradition seems to be as binding as doctrine at times. 

Friday we had good lessons with Vera, Pet'a, Sergei, Ary, Viktor, and Maxim. We started the Plan of Salvation with Sergei, and he is great. We asked if he'd read in the Book of Mormon, and he said, "Yeah just a little...the first seven chapters." We were pleased with that, but he was way low-key about it, and was just like "It's no big deal, I just had 30 minutes free at work, so I read some." We asked how he'd understood it all, and he proceeded to summarize in great detail the first seven chapters of the Book. It was great.

Today we have fun things on plan. A hike at a nature preserve, a baptism, and then dinner at the McConkie's.

Love you all,

Elder Knapp