Hey Everyone!

Aug. 15, 2011

So it's been another good one. Sounds like everyone is just doing great back home. Seems like its vacation time for everyone again. Hope you all have a great time!

So, this week. It has been a great one. Lets start with story time. So I contacted this lady on a bench who was smoking. She jumped and was really scared when I talked to her. She started saying stuff but all I could catch was špatný (means "bad"). Elder Nielson then talked to her for a minute and I heard him say we were missionaries and then she calmed down and said she wasn't interested and we left. I asked what happened. Apparently in the Czech Republic, if a doctor tells you to do something, you better do it because you can get in trouble with the police if you don't. So what she was saying was, "I'm smoking. It's bad." She was most likely told by her doctor not to smoke and she thought we were police getting her in trouble. So when I heard all this, I had a good laugh. It was pretty funny.

But on a different note, we had several good lessons this week. Elder Nielson and I had a really good lesson with a lady where we read the Jeffrey R. Holland talk where he talks about the Book of Mormon. It was a really good lesson and the spirit was very strong. She said she would really start reading in the Book of Mormon more and with more purpose.

Another really cool experience was when watched the Joseph Smith movie with the sisters and one of their investigators. We then talked with him about his progress after, and I think we really made some progress with him. It was a really good experience.

At sports night, we had a lot of people. I think we had like 8 people playing soccer besides the missionaries! It was really cool.

There is a university here in Hradec Kralove and a lot of people come from Europe and Africa to study medicine here. So the sisters brought these 3 guys from Africa who were really cool. The sisters are teaching one of them right now and he even came to church Sunday for all 3 hours! Elder Nielson and I also had 2 investigators at church for their first time, and they both stayed all 3 hours! It really makes a difference when they stay all 3 hours. So hopefully that will turn out well. We will be meeting with them again this week.

We teach this guy in a parking garage where he works. We are really trying to get him to pray and read the Book of Mormon sincerely. I was able to bear my testimony on prayer to him and I think it got through to him.

So I am still just trying to do my best though. I am still learning the language slowly, but surely. It is really a great experience to be out here though and I feel so blessed.

So for some questions I got this week.
The transfers are 9 weeks, not 6, I'm pretty sure because the MTC groups are there for 9 weeks and I'd be hard to be putting them with people mid-transfer. I like it though. 6 weeks seems way to short.

So the missionaries teach the second hour at church, Gospel Principles. I haven't taught and I don't know if I will this transfer, but I might. The third hour is by the Elder's quorum leaders. our Branch President is awesome. He is a really really nice guy who really cares for the members of the Branch.
Well, I hope again that everyone has a super week and I am excited to hear about trips!

-Starší Salas