Ahoj,
Tuesday we had training in Bratislava. The assistants to the President picked us up and drove us to Slovakia which was nice. Then we had about a 6 hour training. It was really long but we got a lot of good information on member missionary work, finding, and weekly planning. Then we went to the bus station to take a bus home. We had to take out some Euros from an atm because Slovakia has a different currency. Then we bought bus tickets and went to the bus. Well, my companions didn't have their passports so they wouldn't let them on the bus in case boarder control stopped the bus. I already had my residency card, so I was fine. Unfortunately, they refused to let us on the bus and they wouldn't give us a refund. So we lost a bunch of money and sped walked 2 kilometers to the train station. We were able to get train tickets and make it back to Brno. They apparently only check passports on buses. So that was an adventure. Then we went to dinner with Simone and he told us all about his trip to Spain.
Wednesday we went and cleaned a members house because he is moving back to New Zealand. It was good to do some service. Then we went over to the Geidlovi's for lunch and had a lesson with them. They are an awesome family. Afterwards, we went to the church and did our studies and then went to institute. From there some members picked us up and drove us out to a gourmet hamburger resturaunt. It was so yummy and it was fun to talk with everyone.
Thursday was Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! We did our studies in the morning and then we went to a papírnictví (paper store) and bought some paper and cut out hearts. Then we went and heart attacked a returning member's mailbox. It was a lot of fun. Then we went to dinner at the Ferrell's house. We had a lot of the Young Single Adults there, recent concerts, returning members, and friends of the church. We had breakfast burritos and pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving dinner. 😂 Then we taught about why we celebrate Thanksgiving and we all went around and shared what we are thankful for. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Friday we went to a cafe and did weekly planning. I got a carmel hot chocolate and it was probably the best hot chocolate I have ever had! Then we came home, ate lunch and did the rest of our studies. Afterwards, we met up with a recent convert, a friend of the church, and a returning member on the náměstí (town square). We went to watch the lights on the Christmas tree turn on. There were so many people there! You could barely move! There was a cool video projected onto the front of a building and then a count down and they lit the tree. Then we slowly made our way through the crowd to a big wooden nativity and then down to some trhy (christmas markets). There was a concert and they were singing both Czech and English christmas songs. Then they had another count down and lit another huge tree. After that we went to dinner at an Italian Resturaunt and it was really yummy. It has been really cool to show people that you can have a fun time without getting drunk. I have also learned that a mission is all about developing a relationship with people and helping them come closer to Christ. I love bringing joy and the spirit into people's lives.
Saturday we went visited Tes and brought her a pumpkin pie. She has 3 cute kids and we shared the footprints in the sand poem with her. It was fun to get to know her better. Afterwards, we went and got flu shots. Then we came back to the church and played floorball. (It's like hockey). Sister Scott fell and scraped up her knee pretty bad, so we bandaged her up. Then we went and met up with Viktoria who we met at the Halloween party a while ago. We went to the Christmas markets with her, her boyfriend, her friends, and her mom and her friends. By knowing one person, we had the opportunity to meet 8 more people. It was cool to tell them about why we are here and what we do. None of them believe in God, but they are really nice people.
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. It was wonderful to partake of the sacrament and be with the members. Then we came home and broke our fast. Afterwards, we went to a traditional Czech performance that some less active member's children were in. It was really cool to watch and to see the traditional Czech clothing. The second half of the performance was about Christ. I thought it was really interesting that in the most atheist country in the world, they would do a performance about Christ's birth. It is Chrismas time though and the first advent. It was good to support these members and they were really happy we came. Then we returned home and did our studies.
My heart is so full of gratitude for the many blessings the Lord has given me. I wouldn't trade the experiences I have had on the mission for anything. There have been hard times, stress, and trials, but I have learned that we can be happy in all circumstances. By faith and the power of the atonement, we can overcome all things. If you are lacking joy in your life or you are stressed, take a moment and think about your priorities. Is your life centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I promise you that if you will make Jesus Christ the center of your life, you will find greater happiness.
S laskou,
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