Vesele Velikonoce!

April 9, 2012

Happy Easter Everyone!

So we got to see conference this week! It was really good, and I really learned a lot! We even had an investigator come to a session, which was really awesome! I really enjoyed the talk, I think by Neil L. Anderson about not caring what anyone thinks but the Savior. Such a great talk!

 

So we didn't teach very many lessons this week, we've been loosing a few investigators lately, but we found a lot of new people with some potential, so we're really looking forward to meeting with them!

 

We had a training meeting for all the new missionaries and their trainers, so that was really good this week. I had the opportunity to work with Elder Nichol, one of the assistants to President Irwin, for a few hours. It was a really good experience. He taught me a lot about being really bold, and not letting people go, just to keep them talking until they feel the spirit and agree to meet with us. It was really great, and he is a great missionary. We also got one of our investigators to commit to baptism, for this month! It was really cool because we have been trying to help him accept a date for a while, but I just kept saying this next one is the time, and it was! He is a really great guy, and we're really going to help him make this date.

 

For Easter, we didn't do too much. We watched conference, and ate lunch at the Martin's, the senior couple here in Brno, which was really good. They are really good to us! Easter traditions here in Czech Republic, the only one I know is where the women get hit with these woven sticks by the men, because it brings them better health. Pretty interesting! There is a lot of stands selling stuff on the namesti again like there were at Christmas, it's exciting!

 

It's been a great week, and I'm looking forward to another great one! Hope you all have a great week this week, I love you all and pray for you all!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

On a side note, there is this member here in Brno who is from Arizona, who went home for a week, and brought me back Cholula hot sauce!!! It was such a happy day. Already used some, and it's better than I remember!

Easter in Brno!

April 8, 2012

Main Dish!!

April 2, 2012

Hey Everyone!

So It's been a great one! This last week has been really good. There was another baptism here in Brno, so that was pretty exciting! This one guy Dalibor, about 25 years old was baptized. He is a really great guy! He will be a real strength to the Branch here.

 

We're really trying to build up our teaching pool here, haven't found too many new people recently. There was a training here though last week, and President Irwin talked about finding new people. It was really good, and really helped to build my faith. We did find this one really great kid so we'll see if we can't start teaching him. 

 

The coolest part of the week was when this one girl we're teaching came to church, and stayed all 3 hours, which she doesn't normally, and just really had a great experience from it! It was just really cool to see how the spirit affects people when they attend church.

 

So no, we didn't get to see conference yet, but we will next week. I'm not entirely sure how it will work out, but we'll find out when the time comes. I'm really looking forward to it! We will watch it in English, for those who asked. Sounds like everyone had a great week, and I really hope you have another great one! Love and miss you all!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Hey!

March 26, 2012

Hi Family!

It's been a good one this week. So, there was another baptism here in Brno. The sisters were teaching this girl who decided that she wanted to be baptized this week so she was! I got to do the interview too, so that was something new. It was a really great experience. 

So our area is doing good though. I still see our old investigators, and they are doing great. We extended a lot of baptisimal dates this week, but no one accepted any, so we're  working with that. It's going well though.

So this Sunday, about 5 minutes before sacrament meeting, the Branch President asks me to give my testimony during church. It was really cool though! I had never done that, or given a talk in church before, so it was pretty neat to do. 

We also working with some of the young single adults this Sunday to find some less active members. It was a really cool experience! I hope it helped them out, to have a good missionary experience. I heard it was fast Sunday there, but it wasn't here this week. It was daylight savings though, so that wasn't too fun. We will be watching general conference in 2 weeks I think it is, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Elder Hansen is still doing great! He really understands Czech really well. He really likes to work hard and get the work done. Not too much else exciting happened this week. We're just doing all that we can to find these prepared people! Hope everyone has a great week! Love you all!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Texas!!

March 14, 2012

Hey family!

So it's been a great week this week! Working hard with Elder Hansen. Elder Hansen is a really funny guy! Really hard worker too. He's great! He is from Texas. Just a really great guy.

There are 11 missionaries here in Brno right now, 6 Elders, 3 Sisters and the Martins (senior missionaries here), so it's great! Elder Ozmun is still here in Brno so I get to see him a lot still. There is only 1 branch here in Brno, although in the past, not sure how long ago, but a while ago, there used to be 2. So I'm in a different area right now, so we have new investigators now, and Elder Ozmun and Jones have our old investigators. They are taking really good care of them though.

So I have a lot more to do now since I'm the district leader. And I thought I was busy last transfer! So I have to go to a lot of branch meetings now, and do a lot of other stuff (district meeting), it's been a really good experience so far though, and I'm enjoying it. It's great to be able to serve the missionaries here in Brno!

Our investigators are doing great! Haven't met with all of them yet, but we will get around to it this week! We had 2 investigators at church though which was awesome! One of them said she had a question for us, but from the talk during sacrament meeting, she found her answer! That really helps me see just how important it is to have our investigators attend church. They really feel the spirit there, and find answers to their questions.

There was a baptism here this Saturday too! The Zone Leaders here were teaching this older lady, and she got baptised yesterday! It was a really great experience to see that, and for Elder Hansen to see that too on his first week here in the country! We're inspired to baptise some people ourselves now! Ha, we always are!

Well, hope everyone is doing great back home. Sounds like it's going pretty well though. Love you all a lot and I'm always glad to hear from you! Have a great week everyone!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Střidání

March 14, 2012

Hi Everyone!!!

So we had a great week! We had transfers and I'm sure everyone is waiting to hear about it. So the news is that I'm staying in Brno, but I'm in a different area in Brno though, I'm training again, and President Irwin made me a district leader. So pretty crazy stuff is going on here. For the second time I'm being blinded into an area (all missionaries leave and new ones come in), but not re-opening it this time.

I'm training Elder Hansen, who is from the proud state of Texas!!! He is great! He seems like just a really hard worker, and a great guy over all! Elder Ozmun is staying in Brno, so I get to serve around him still! I'm glad for that. He is being followed up trained by Elder Jones from my group. So the area we are in is Bohunice. The other Elders did a great job with it, so I feel very fortunate to be here now.

Other exciting news. We got to hear from Elder Corsse again and from Elder Christofferson! It was a great conference in Prague. We took a rented bus there with all the missionaries in Moravia and Slovakia, which was really fun. It is about a 2 and a half hour bus or train ride to Prague from Brno. We rode there Sunday morning and rode back Sunday night. President Irwin even let us watch the church movie, "17 Miracles" on the way back, which was a really good movie.

So Elder Christofferson talked about a lot of good things! He talked about following Christ, even when it's hard. He also talked about prayer, and receiving answers from our Heavenly Father. It was really good. Then Elder Christofferson had a missionary only conference after that at the Church building in Prague. He shook all our hands and talked to us, as well as Elder Corsse, their wives, and Elder Christofferson's son, who served here 17 years ago! It was really, really good. Elder Christofferson complimented our mission a lot, and then opened it up for anyone to ask questions, except where the 3 Nephites are. He said they never call, they never write. He is just a really funny guy! He is just a really motivating speaker, and I really enjoyed hearing from him.

So, my faith has been strengthened, it's a new transfer, and I'm ready to just work as hard as I can! Hope everyone has a great week! Love you all and appreciate your prayers! I'm praying for everyone too!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Jestě Jednou

March 5, 2012

Co pak!
Hi Family!!!

It's been quite a week of blessings. So it was just a normal week...most of the week. Just working with our investigators and members. We did visit a few members which was really good. I always enjoy visiting our members here! We visited this one member from the Ukraine who lives here. He speaks Czech which he has picked up working here (hasn't studied it), so it's hard to understand each other at times, but it's great! He's a really cool member!

We had a really amazing miracle this week though! So I got a call Tuesday morning or something from one of the senior missionaries in Prague. Sister Curtis was telling me she had another referral for Elder Ozmun and I. There was a guy who had ordered a free Book of Mormon through the mail and we were supposed to call and see if he got it. I meant to call him, but forgot for 2 or 3 days, but finally got around to it. I think I was meant to forget, because when the man answered he said he had gotten it the day before (I would have called before then), and asked when we could meet to talk about it!!! So that doesn't happen too much around here. But we set up a meeting for Saturday, and what then happened was that I was part of one of the best lessons of my mission so far! This man is about 37 and he came and said he is looking to change his life. He committed himself to attend church and told us he has other books he wants to read, but the Book of Mormon is really important for him to read now. It is really a blessing that he was led to us, and he has so much interest and desire and real intent. He came to church and could only stay 2 of the 3 hours, but when I asked him how he felt, he said - nadherny, basically, really awesome!!! So he is just such a great guy and we're really looking forward to meeting with him more and helping him progress. Such a blessing!

Our other investigator is doing good too! He is still preparing for baptism, so we're working hard with him to help him progress as best as we can! Finally got a picture with him, but I forgot my camera cord, next week.

So we are headed to Prague this Sunday for our conference with Elder Christofferson, which should be really good! I'm really looking forward to it! We will be having a missionary only conference after the district conference, so it should just be great!

Transfers are next Wednesday, so you won't hear from me until then. Hopefully I will stay in Brno, there's just so much going on! I'll be fine wherever I go though. I hope Elder Ozmun is well prepared for the next transfer though, and that I taught him all the secrets to missionary work right. Have a great week everyone! I love you all and appreciate you so much!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

So a few questions I was asked:

-Favorite place to visit in Brno, I really like to go to Luzanky (Lužanky) park, and Spilberk (Špilberk) castle to contact people, just a lot more relaxed and people aren't rushing and are more willing to listen. Plus they are way cool places!

-Favorite food, it's got to be svitckova (švičkova) and dessert, ovocne knedliky (fruit dumpling things)

-Weather, it's getting a lot hotter right now, and it's nice!