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!