Kde slouzim na posledni stridani? Where I serve at the last Toggle?

March 25, 2013

Hey Everyone!!!

Been a good week this week! Good things are happening here and I'm really excited for this transfer!!!

So the news. Everyone knows I've left Slovakia, and now I have come back to the amazing city of Brno!!! This is where I served for 6 months a year ago. It is a really great city and I'm so excited to be back! I am serving with Elder Boyson, my second companion from England! He is from Lancashire, which is near Manchester.He is a big guy, probably 6 foot 3, and built like Ryan Grochmal. He is so great!

So this morning I had 5 hours of trains, and an unexpected bus ride, several changes, and 2, 60 pound suitcases, so it was quite an adventure, especially considering they don't really have elevators in most train stations. Quite an adventure, but I finally made it to Brno! It snowed today too, which hasn't happened for a few weeks now. Things are good though, and I'm so ready to work hard this transfer!  Elder Sewell is also serving here in Brno, so I'll see him too which I'm excited about!

In Banska for my last week, we had a really good week! We met with a Sister and she is really starting to get more on board with everything and work towards baptism! It is really cool to see just how much she sees the gospel bless her life, and really wants it. She and her husband were sad to see me go, but Elder Hammond will take care of them. We have been meeting with some other really cool people there too, and it was sad to leave, but I'm glad I can serve where the Lord needs me.

We have seen some really cool miracles this last transfer though, finding people and teaching them. I would say that the Lord has really watched out for us and blessed us a lot, more than we deserve I feel at times. I am so grateful for all His blessings.

Not too much else to report. Sounds like everyone had a really cool week, so I'm glad to hear that! I just want to wish everyone a great week though! I'm praying for you. Keep praying for us! Love you all!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Uz posledny tyzden v Banskej Bystrici?!? Already last week, in Banska Bystrica?!?

March 18, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Hope things are well back home! Sounds like everyone is doing really well, so I'm glad for that. I'm grateful  for all the emails I got, so thank you so very much for them. This has been a very good week here in Banska! Things are going well. It has once again gotten cold, started snowing a little bit, but spring is just holding out on us! Hopefully soon it will be here.

 

We had a lot of lessons cancel this week, people getting sick, and other things happening, so that was too bad, but we have stayed strong and continued to help others as best as we can to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

 

So our members wife is doing well. She is continuing to attend church, and just loves it, and is doing really well, but it's still hard to get meetings set up with them, so that continues to halt her progress. We're going to try to make a big push on it this last week though! She is so great though, and is just such a sweet lady. I really love meeting with her a lot.

 

Our other investigator is doing well. He had a match in Bratislava this last weekend though and couldn't meet up or come to church. He continues to be great though! I'm really excited to hopefully see him this week!

 

We were in Zilina this last week for a zone conference. President Irwin had just gotten back from a Mission President training in another country, and had a lot to say. Elder Holland was there and taught them a lot of things. Overall it was just really uplifting. He talked a lot about obedience and other things which we need to be successful. It was really uplifting.

 

Church was good, we had one investigator there, and it was really uplifting! It is always so great to feel the spiritual power which enters into your life from attend church every week. It really just re-sets my entire stamina, and helps me to face the next week with a renewed determination.

 

So as this transfer comes to an end this week, and we'll have transfers next Monday, I have been really reflecting on what I've learned and could share with everyone this week. I feel the greatest lesson I've learned is from a quote in Preach My Gospel in chapter 8 on the last page of the chapter. It says something along the lines of "Take full responsibility for your actions. Never blame circumstances or others for the results of your progress". I feel that as I've faced trails and troubles this transfer, the lesson I've learned is that by choosing to take full responsibility for whatever happens has helped me to get on top of things and to be able to solve them. I'm really grateful for this lesson, and hope everyone can learn it too.

 

So, thanks for everything you have all done for me. Thanks for all the prayers and everything. I'm definitely praying for you out here too! Have a great week, and you'll hear from me next Monday from my new area. Love you all!!!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Happy Birthday!!!

 March 11, 2013

Been a weekend full of birthdays hasn't it!!!

I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to mom, the greatest mom ever!!! Thanks for all you do!

I would also like to wish happy birthday to dad, the greatest dad ever!!! Thank you also for everything you do!

Hope you celebrated well!!!

So this has been a really good week! We're still working hard here in Banska Bystrica. Things are going well, and I am really enjoying the work a lot.

 

We're still working with our member's wife to be baptised and she is doing well. She is really feeling the joy that the gospel brings into her life. It is a real blessing in my life to see her life change by the gospel. It's been hard to meet up this last week, but we've got a few lessons on plan this week, so that should work out well. She is really so great though! She came to church too!

 

We're also continuing to work with another investigator! He has accepted a date to work towards for baptism, and came to church as well! He is one of the most humble people I have ever met in my life. He just listens and applies the gospel so well. It continues to amaze me how people are drawn to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is really amazing to see!

 

We also taught this new guy who was really cool! He was really open to hear more about the gospel, and it was really cool to be able to teach him.

 

There wasn't too much going on this last week which was exciting though. Things kind of took a slow down for a week, but I'm excited to keep them coming along really well this coming week! I've got the drive to do it, and I'm excited to do it!

 

Things are going well with Elder Hammond too! It's good to be working with him, and I really enjoy it. He's a great guy.

 

Hope everyone has a really great week though, happy birthday once more! Keep praying for us, and I'll be praying for you as always! Have a great one!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Krasny Pondelok! Krasny Monday!

 March 4, 2013

Hey Everyone!!!

Hope all is going well! It's really been such a great week here! Things are at times hard, but they always turn out well when we stay faithful! The area is really taking off!

So we had 2 investigators at church today, which was a really cool miracle! One of them has been having a hard time getting her parents permission to attend church, but she was able to come, and she did come! She really enjoyed it so much, and I'm really glad she has been able to make it. She is a really great investigator, and we are really happy we get to meet with her! Our other investigator was the one members wife, and she is getting along with the members in the branch so well! Really just such a great investigator as well!

Our other investigators are doing fine too. One of them is doing so great! We taught him once, and he's just so humble and so willing to accept what we teach. He is so teachable and we really enjoy teaching him a lot. He's just one of the most elect people I have ever taught! He's really great.

We had some cool experiences with finding new investigators including one where we had someone just call us up to meet. He saw we had free English classes and just got interest. The Lord really does work on these people in so many ways!

We have a few recent converts from the previous transfers going to the temple in Freiburg Germany this week, which is really such a sacrifice for them, but will really be such an amazing experience. We're really excited for them.

I really just feel like things are taking off though. Almost faster than we can handle them! I'm really learning a great lesson that when we're in unity with each other, the Lord can bless us so much more with his spirit. I feel and see the difference in our work, the more in unity we are.

It's just been a real miracle of a week here though! Elder Hammond and I are working really hard! I really love this area, and these people! There's so much to be done here, and I'm glad I'm a part of it.

Thanks everyone for the emails! I really appreciate them from everyone. I wish everyone a great week, and hear from you all next time! Have a good one!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Krsty!! Baptism!!

February 25, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Sounds like it's been a really great week for everyone! First off I want to wish Diego a Happy Birthday! I heard he had his party and it was great, so Happy Birthday little guy!!!

 

It's been a great week here in Banska Bystrica! We've been seeing really cool miracles!

First off, we were in Brno this last week for a zone conference. Elder Lopez of the area presidency came to talk to us. He is from Spain. He talked a lot about his conversion and about how as missionaries, we need to make sure as messengers, we are close to the message we are teaching. It was a really good conference. I really like how he told how the missionaries who taught him weren't very good at Spanish, but he wasn't looking for Spanish teachers, he was looking for people with the spirit of the Lord. It was a really good conference overall. President Irwin gave a great training on the spirit in the work.

 

So, some really cool things we saw this week, we have a few investigators now working towards baptism! One is this guy. He's a really sharp guy, really smart and organized. He is a really great guy and I really like teaching him! He accepted a baptismal date. I can just see how much he would really help the church out here, and how much that would help the people here in Slovakia to find the peach and joy that only the gospel can bring.

 

Also the member who I talked about last week who we brought the Book of Mormon to, we met with him  and his wife, and she is now working towards baptism as well! Next month it should be. She is really getting to know the members well and is fitting in well. The members make a huge difference in this work. She really opened up a lot though and is seeing the joys of the gospel! She came to church too! So great to see!

 

Things are going great! We had a branch party Saturday and had food and games and the members just had a great time, and mixed well with our investigators. We're finding cool people too! We found this other really cool kid who is just so open to the gospel. Such a blessing to us and him that we got to meet.

 

So we're really starting to see a lot of blessings come from our hard work and diligence, which I'm really grateful for. I know the church is true, and the Book of Mormon is the convincing evidence of that. I've seen too many confirmations of my testimony come from the Book of Mormon to not know it's a book from God. It's true in any language. I love this work and know it's God's work. I can't believe I only have so much time left.

 

I wish you all a great week. I love you all, and hope everything goes well. Keep praying for us out here, we need it. Our investigators especially. I'll be praying for you too. Love you!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Zazraky! A Miracle!!!

February 18, 2013

Hey Everyone!!!

It's been a great week this week! We're really trying to work hard and do all we can. Elder Hammond is working hard at his Slovak, and is really seeing improvements in it, which is really great! He is great to be with.

 

We're still having trouble finding people to teach, but we actually did recently get in contact with a few investigators who hadn't been able to meet for a few weeks and met with them. It was really great!

 

We've have been getting the Slovak Book of Mormon to the members and they are really excited about it. One member gave a talk on faith and hope, and how there has been so much faith and hope for the church in Slovakia in these past many years in getting the church recognized and going. She talked about all the troubles in getting the Book of Mormon in Slovak. It was a really, really good talk and I was really grateful she gave it.

 

We had a really cool miracle, when we got a hold of the Book of Mormons on Friday, we called up this member and he said to bring it immediately! So we went over and got to read a chapter in it with him and his wife, who is an investigator. She had been sick and we couldn't meet with her for a while, but it is great we got to. We committed her to church and she didn't seem sure, but then she came on Sunday so it was a really cool miracle to us!

 

There is this other investigatorwe hadn't been able to meet with yet, but we invited him to church as well, and he showed up! It was really cool to see him there too. Such a tender mercy of the Lord. He is a thai Boxer and trains a lot and doesn't have much time, but he made time for church. It was really cool. He is going to France this weekend for a fight, so he's always all over the world. He is a really great guy too.

 

We're just working on doing all we can though, and we see really cool miracles! I'm really grateful for the restoration of the gospel, and the Book of Mormon which is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is the work of God, in any language. I know this is the restored church.

 

Have a great week everyone! Thanks for the emails! Love you all lots!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Hey Family!!!!!

February 11, 2013

Hey everyone!

So I guess the great news is now very old news, as I see everyone knows about it. Yes, the Slovak Book of Mormon is in print now. 

 

Seeing as I'm serving in Slovakia, I got one of the first copies in this country. It has been such a great blessing to see the Lord's work going forth, and I know we will find much more success with the book of Mormon in their own language! It's an exciting time!

 

So we had a really great week though. We were in Brno for that conference where we got the book of Mormon. We also heard news that there will be a new area opening in Slovakia, Nitra. There are a few members there, it's near Bratislava, but now the time has been right to open it for missionary work. There will be missionaries there next transfer. It is an exciting time.

 

So, church here. In Banska Bystrica there are about 4-5 active members. We meet in a rented space in a building, so there's a good amount of space for classes and such. We meet for 2 hours and have all 3 parts of church, just in a shortened form. Elder Nye is the unit leader, and he is serving as a senior missionary with his wife here. So we switch off every week for which missionary will preside in Slovak each week. This week was my week. I got to preside in Slovak, and translate Elder Nye's talk in church. It was quite an event. I think I did alright though and I really was glad I had the opportunity.

 

We also go to Zvolen to help them with their church. There is only 1 active member there. We only have 1 hour of church, 30 minutes of sacrament, and Sunday School. It is really great. I love church a lot here.

 

It's been hard to find people this last week, so pray for us to find some new people. I feel like the new Slovak Book of Mormon will catch people's interest though!

 

Elder Hammond is great though too! He is from Cache valley Utah (nothern Utah). He has been in Slovakia about 6 months, and is doing good. His family owns a cattle farm back home. Really great guy, I like serving with him.

So we've just been working hard, and looking for people to teach, and things are good.

 

The investigators are doing well in Plzen as well as in Pardubice. The members are still great in Trencin as well, I hear.

 

Thanks for all the emails. I love you all a lot and thank you so very much! Have a great week!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

This wasn't expected!!!!!

 February 4, 2013

So hey everyone!!!

I have news for you! Just 1 and a half short weeks in Plzen was all that was in store for me. That's right, just that long. Elder Salas has taken the long train across the border to the sweet city of Banska Bystrica!!! Back in Slovakia, back speaking Slovak! Wow what a great surprise. But I couldn't be more excited!

 

Update on the area. Banska Bystrica has about 80,000 inhabitants. The branch...isn't even a branch. It's part of the Zilina branch, it's just a unit. Also Zvolen which is in the distract is just a unit. There are about 3 or 4 active members and they are just the best! I love them so much! The unit leader is Elder Nye who is a senior missionary. He is so great and him and his wife do so much for us here!

I just got settled in completely on Saturday night so we haven't had much time to do much, but I am so excited to do this work here! It is a really exciting work to do, so much to be done! I don't know why, but I get really excited working in an area where the church is just beginning. There's just so much to do and I'm so grateful I get to be here and help out with it! We're looking for a solid family who can strengthen and support this branch!

We've got some big goals and I'm ready to get working! 

 

Met a few of our investigators and they are great. We just taught this girl and she is so cool! I just loved teaching her. She's really loving the gospel and feels the difference in her life it makes, which is such a testimony builder to me. I'm so grateful that we have the fullness of the gospel!

 

I'm serving with Elder Hammond, another companion from Utah! (most missionaries here over the years are from Utah) He is so great though. He has been in the country 6 months and is so great! I love him so much! He's a really stocky guy, probably about 5 foot 8 or something. He's just so great though.

 

We're working hard though and just loving it! Don't have any pictures today, but I'll try to remember for next week.

When it was just warming up in Plzen, it is snowing here in Banska. It fine though. It's a beautiful city, and I'm so glad to be here. Elder Zabriskia and Elder Meredith are in our zone, and they are in Zvolen. I served with Elder Zabriskie in Trencin, so it's really great to be around him again.

 

It was a cool miracle to me when I was in Plzen though because the other Elders in the city, the other companionship both got sick on different days, but because we had 3, we were able to go on exchanges and keep their area going. Just when we had helped them out, the Lord called me elsewhere. Just a testimony builder to me that the Lord knows whats going on. Our investigators there are in good hands, and are doing fine, so I'm not worried too much.

 

I was really excited to hear from everyone this last week though! Thanks for all your emails and all your support. I love you all so very much! Have a great week!!!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

ps Salaš in Slovak means "some sort of cottage that shepards stay in" -Can't tell you how many times I've heard that

-other note, the Slovak book of Mormon should be coming really really soon, this transfer! They have never had the Slovak translation, they just use Czech here

Skvela Sprava!!! Great News!!!!

 January 28, 2013

No, cau cau vsichni!!!
Well, bye bye everyone!!!!

How is everyone doing? Sounds like everyone has been having good weeks. I'm really excited to hear about that!

Things are just so great here! I love it in Plzen! I also have such great companions! It's so great here! We have great investigators here. First of all, we are teaching this family who is a referral from our branch president. They are so great! They have 2 kids, a son and a daughter and they all came to church and just loved it. They have been before, but this was their first time as a whole family. It was just so great! Referrals are really the way to go! They are really so much more willing to live by the gospel because they have friends in the church, whom they trust and have a great relationship with! It's really a miracle to me to see how great their progress is. I really love them a lot!

 

We're also teaching a lot of other really cool people. The area has been doing really well, and I'm really enjoying the work. We had 6 investigators at church, which was really great. They all loved it too. Elder Wilford, one of the senior couples in Plzen was talking to people trying to find people who speak English, and found this young guy, and invited him to church. So he came to church and loved it. He's coming to English class Tuesday and meeting with us too. It's really just such a cool miracle to see that there are so many prepared people here, anywhere you could be.

The branch is so great here. There are so many strong members here. I think total there are about 40 active members. They got a new church building about 3 weeks ago and it is really nice. The members are so great though and so willing to help us as much as they can. I really love them all already. They feed us a lot and are always bringing us food too to the building!

 

Elder Osterloh and DeAngelis are so great too. Elder Osterloh is from Sandy Utah, which is a great place! He's really bold and outgoing. He's a really great missionary. Elder DeAngelis is really humble and has such a great testimony. He's really great too. I really have gotten to love them a lot already and we're really looking forward to a great transfer! We're already seeing so much success in our work!

 

We had some really cool experiences finding people this last week. We just seemed to be led to so many prepared people. We ran into this one guy who told us he's really thought about the questions of life when he was younger, and really wants to meet sometime and talk more about it. I feel there are just so many elect people here in Plzen! We're working hard and seeing a lot of success. I just love it so much! I'm learning so much too as time goes on. I know the gospel is so true, and I love it so much. It really is the best thing in my life.

 

Hope you all have great weeks, and I'll look forward to hearing more next week!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Kam jdem? Where do we go?

 January 21, 2013

 

Hey Everyone!

 

So the exciting news, transfers!!! So I unfortunately had to leave Pardubice. It is such a great city and I really love it there. I am now however, in the beautiful city of Plzen! It is so great! We got here this morning, and it\s been snowing all day. It's just a grate place here. My companion, I now have 2! Elder Osterloh and Elder DeAngelos (from Italy). Elder Osterloh came into the mission right after me. He's great. Such a great missionary. Elder DeAngelos is from italy and met Elder Hess in the MTC. He is so great too. He was in Elder Ozmun's group. We're in the Prague zone and I really love it here! 

 

So Plzen has been the miracle city of the last year in the mission though. There are a lot of miracles to be seen here, and a lot of baptisms to be had. We're apparently teaching many families, so we're really excited about that.

 

This last week was great with Elder Sewell. It was sad to leave him and Pardubice, but I feel good about our work there. We had some really cool miracles this last week! First one was that we visited an investigator and she was home and we taught her a lesson! She is still wanting to do these things and she is so great! It was really exciting to meet with her. We are still meeting with another and he's doing really well. He's so great too. He just really wants to live the gospel and is doing so much to be able too. I really love him a lot, and really think he will be baptised soon. Other exciting news, we visited this referral from a lady on the street finally, and it turned out to be this really cool guy! 'He was really happy we came to visit him, because he lives outside the city, and he wanted us to come back! It was really cool for us to see that miracle. We taught another as well, and he's still making good progress. He's a good kid, but has some really hard times right now with work and such, so we're still trying to work around that.

 

We were in the hospital because Elder Sewell slipped on some ice and had to get stiches which was also some unusual news for this week. But he's completely fine. it wasn't really that bad.

 

One thing I really have been learning this last week is a lot on knowledge and virtue. It's said that a good measure of our spiritual growth can be seen by what we think about when we have nothing to think about. I've really been trying to fill my mind with the doctrines of the gospel, and have been learning and understanding so much better as I do that. I also feel the spirit in such a greater measure. I really love the gospel, and have such a strong deep testimony that it is so true. I'm learning more and more that we show our diligence, our faithfulness, our love, our desire, our discipleship all by action. It's one thing to say something, it's  completely another thing to show exactly who we are by each action we do. Every single action we make, tell others exactly who we are. I've really been trying to show other who I am by my service, and I hope it's going well. Have a great week everyone! Love you so much! I'm really excited and there's a lot of good times to be had here. Wish we luck, and keep praying for us!

 

sLaskou

 

-Starsi Salas

 

I also got my birthday package today so thanks everyone for that! It was really great to get. you're all great and I love you all!

 

Hezky tyden jsme meli! We had a nice week!!!!!

 January 14, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Things are great here! Great experiences as always! It was a really cool week though as always. We were all across the country this week with exchanges, but it was great! We had to go to Jihlava as well as to Trebic, and had some really good exchanges. I really love and appreciate those missionaries there. They are all great missionaries! We had some cool success in the other areas too so it's going well.

We've been continuing to teach our investigators though, and to have really great success with them! Our investigator who was a referral from our other investigator, we're seeing such great success with him! He came to church even after he worked a 16 hour shift at work, and he really enjoyed it! We talked about home teachers in priesthood quorum, and he asked Elder Sewell who his home teachers were. Elder Sewell told him to ask the Elder's quorum president, and they got in a great conversation about it! He is such a great guy and really progressing well. We see such great miracles here all the time! 

Our other investigator also came to church which was great, but one has still been working and can't make it. He wants to though!

We are starting to pick up our finding too and have been finding some really cool people. We found this really cool guy  who is just so impressed by our church. He sees that we really live by what we believe so much. He has researched a lot on the Church's welfare programs, and is just amazed by how much service we do in the church. It is great to see the effects of all we do and the good it brings!

I have been studying a lot lately on goals and working to achieve them. I truly am convinced more and more about the power there is in setting a goal and making plans and really putting in your all to achieve it. Goals are such an important part of life!

It's also so great to see how I can really increase my knowledge of gospel truths so much on a day by day basis. I have really come to know over the past week many new truths about the plan of salvation, and just how big of a role Christ plays in all of it. I know how important He is and how much we need Him and His atoning sacrifice. I am eternally grateful for all He has done for me. I am grateful that through His teaching I can improve so much as a person. I have truly seen His hand touch my life and so many others.

Thanks for all you all do! I am grateful for every single one of you! Have a great week and I will really look forward to hearing from you all next week. Transfer week is next week too, so I may be headed somewhere else. I really do love Pardubice and the members here so much though.

sLaskou
-Starsi Salas

Narozeniny!!! Birthday!!!!!

 January 7, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for all the emails! I really enjoyed them all a lot! It is so great to hear from all of you. You all sound so great. Thanks.
 
So this week was a great one! We've been really bold as we've worked with all of our investigators and are seeing really great success from that. We had some great miracles this last week!

Unfortunately, none of our investigators made it to church this last week. The problem in all areas was related to work. It was really unfortunate, and it made me a bit sad, but it's alright, because the church is still true! They will make it next time, and the work will go on. The work will always go on. Nothing can hinder it. I have such a testimony of that!

We've been working with an man, and he's good, still so elect, but is having a really hard time in his life, and it makes it hard right now with him. We're teaching his friend though, and he's doing so great! He's really elect and such a great guy! I really enjoy meeting with him. He works 16 hour shifts sometimes, which makes life harder for him. He has been seeing just how much prayer helps him in work though! He said he feels the difference when he prays for the strength to make it through work. I have the same testimony of the power of prayer! He's doing great though.

Our other investigator is doing really well too! He also has work on Sundays sometimes which make it hard, but he's seeing a really great strength from prayer as well, as well as from reading in the Book of Mormon! He's so great! We've been seeing really great miracles with him as we get him involved with members. The members really help him to understand better, as we sometimes can't explain things too well, and they are doing really well at being his friends. It's great!

We had a lot of setbacks this week, but we kept pushing through strong, we kept a high hope, and we really have seen the blessings that have come from it! I see that we have a lot of success in missionary work, then all of a sudden everything goes wrong, but if we really understand that this work is in our Father in Heaven's hands, then we push forward with faith and a hope that it will all work out, the miracles come. I feel in the past 6 months, my faith and hope have been tested a lot, and I feel I truly have grown so much in those areas, to the point where I know that when trials come, that just means the miracle is around the corner! It's exciting to push through hard times so I can see what miracles await us! It's so great to work here in Pardubice and to see these great miracles. I love it here!

I've really been working a lot at mastering goal setting and planning, and I've been seeing the blessings of that in my life. It really is quite a quality to master goal setting and planning and working to achieve goals.
We had a great meeting with our branch president this Sunday too, and I really realized how much I respect and trust him. he is so great and really helps this work out so very much. We're so blessed to have him!
It's great to be with Elder Sewell too. He is still such a great companion. I feel he has helped me out so much in this time together to become such a better missionary. We have transfers in 2 weeks I think, and I'll be sad to leave him. It's been great with him!

Well, things are great here, I hope you all have a great week, and I look forward to hearing from you all next week! Love you all! Have a great week!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Stastny Novy Rok!!!

 December 31, 2012

Dnes je Sylvestr! Preji Vam stastny novy rok!   
Today is New Year's Eve! Wish you a happy new year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Sounds like everyone had a great year! I enjoyed talking to you all. It was a good Christmas. We went to our branch Presidents for dinner with his family. It was really great. They made this fried steak and potato salad. No carp this year, but that's alright. I really enjoyed it a lot. It was a really great night! That was the 24, which is Czech Christmas. On the 25 we went to Hradec Kralove and were with the missionaries there, Elder Jones and Carlson. It was a really great day too! We ate a lot of pie and treats. It was really great. We played some games and had a really great time! I really enjoyed it. Today is New Years Eve. The people celebrate by lighting off fireworks all night. It is 1 in the afternoon and there are already fireworks. Last year they light them off nonstop all night. It's really loud. Anyone can use them where ever. It's crazy!

So the rest of the week. We had a really great week, full of awesome experiences! First miracle, we were going to a lesson, and we were running late, so we were hurrying, but then this guy recognized us so we stopped to talk to him. It was the friend of our investigator, who we had taught once before. We didn't have his number though, so we got it and set up for the next day. It was really great! We taught him, and he committed to church though, which was a miracle! Then our investigator committed too. So we went to church with both of them. It was a really great week at church! They loved it, and this one member talked to them a lot, and everything just turned out perfect. They want to come next week now too. It was a real miracle. I loved it.

Another miracle, we always go to this one less active member families house to teach them, and they often have friends over. So they had a friend over when we stopped by, we taught him, and set up and taught him again! It was really great! He is really open and it's just been a miracle to find him! Referrals from members are so great because they always are so much more open. I love meeting all these great people!

Been a really great week though. I really do love this work and helping others. I have realized so much more how grateful I am for Christ and for all that He has done for us. I am so grateful for His life, His example, and for His sacrifice for us. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to tell this great news to others and to help them accept Christ as their Savior, by accepting His restored gospel. I know this is His restored gospel!
Thank you everyone for everything you have done for me. I love and appreciate you all so much, and I am so appreciative for your love and support. Have a great week!!!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Vesele Vanoce!

 December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

I really hope you all have a great one! We've had a really good week here in Pardubice! It's been snowing, and raining, and right now all the snow is gone again, but it's still great here! Not too cold today.
So today is Czech Christmas! They actually have 3 days of holidays which start today, but today is the main one. We're going to a members house today for lunch, then to another for dinner, so we're excited!
 
This week was a really great one. We focused most of our teaching on Jesus Christ, and His birth. It really brought a special spirit to everything. I really enjoyed it.

We are still meeting with one investigator, and he is doing great! He is visiting family in Ostrava for Christmas though right now. He is just such a cool kid, and I really enjoy teaching him. He's progressing really well.

We are still also meeting with another. He brought his friend to a lesson and it was such a good lesson! He was excited to teach his friend with us, and it just turned out so well. It's so much more effective to do missionary work when the members/investigators feel the spirit of the gospel and invite their friends to hear from the missionaries. I have such a great testimony of that.

We had this really cool lesson where we taught this businessman, who was determined to bring up every opposition to religion to us. We just were so bold though, and we didn't back down at all with our testimonies. It reminded me of a talk Elder Christofferson gave once. It was really great though, and he agreed to keep reading the Book of Mormon and to try praying about it. Such a good lesson though!

On Friday we were in Prague for a Christmas conference with the mission. It was so great. We had a talent show as well as a Christmas fireside. It was really great and such a good spiritual experience. I learned a lot and have some good goals for improvement.

On Saturday we delivered Vanocky (Christmas cakes) to some less active members. It was really great! They were all really appreciative of that. It was a really cool experience though and we shared the story of Christ's birth with all of them.

On Sunday our investigator came to church. It was really great to see him there. He stayed for the branch Christmas play after which was really great too. It was just a great week of Christmas. We worked really hard too though, and taught the most lessons this week in the mission in our companionship.

I know miracles are happening here, I know Christ is our Lord and Savior. I know His Atonement is a real thing, that through the Atonement we truly can overcome our challenges, we really can become from the pains of sin. We really can invite a greater hope and peace and happiness into our lives, and we really can return to God. I am so grateful for the greatest gift ever given, the gift of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful He came to the earth, that He did all that He did do. I know Him to be our greatest friend. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

sLaskou
-Starsi Salas

Snih, dest, atd... Snow, rain, etc...

 December 17, 2012

Merry, almost Christmas everyone!!!

Been a great week! It's been snowing, been raining today, and it's all great! Some may get discouraged by such weather, but I know no weather or holiday season can slow down the work of the Lord! We've been having such a successful week, and we have a great one on plan!!!

So we had some miracles with one investigator this week. After not showing up to a meeting, and not being able to meet for half a week, we get him to commit to a YSA activity in Prague! So he comes, loves it, and is so much more on track now. He really connects with the gospel so well! He understands the doctrine so well, so he asked us to teach him commandments. He was so excited to learn the commandments! We are still teaching them, but he definitely needs some prayers for help! He's doing great though!

We're also continuing to teach another guy, this other YSA we found. He is just something else! In such a short time of teaching, he has come from a completely non Christian background, to really start recognizing the differences that praying and reading in the Book of Mormon bring into his life. He accepted to work towards baptism! That is something that strengthens my testimony, that I can meet someone here I've never seen in my life, teach some of the gospel, and in a week have them testify to me about the changes they have seen in their life, how much happier they are doing these things. It is so great! I really do love this great work, even though it is so hard sometimes, and Satan's power is so real. The strength we can draw from prayer, the scriptures, and the love of others is so powerful though.

We're seeing miracles in the zone as well, and we really had a great week too. That is a true blessing as well, to see the success of other missionaries!

Sounds like everyone had a great week! I'm really excited to hear from you all every week. I'm looking forward to hearing from you all next week, when you call! Have a great week family, I love you all so much.

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Vratil se! He's back!

 December 10, 2012

Kdo veri v zazraky?  
Who believes in miracles?

Hey Family!!!

So it sounds like it was a great week for everyone! I was grateful to hear about all your experiences. It was exciting to hear about all the Christmas things happening! Looks like a lot of fun!

Things are great here though! We're having a great time! Elder Sewell and I are continuing to work hard and see some really cool miracles! We really are loving the work here!

So, our investigator has still been working in Brno, so we haven't seen him for a while, but we're still in contact, so he's doing fine still! We have seen some really cool things this week though!

We had some really good lessons, and really taught by the spirit. After we teach a really good lesson, I always feel so good inside, I feel the spirit, which just makes me feel so great, and I really want to work harder because of it! There is nothing quite like seeing the spirit work on someone, and see them really think, and ponder, and change because of it. We have such experiences all the time here!

In church, someone gave a talk on receiving revelation. I really could see how by doing these things, I have been a lot more open to revelation and the spirit! One thing I think that has really helped, is better living the word of wisdom. I have such a big testimony, that when we go out of our way to eat healthier, and to avoid unhealthy things, that we feel so much healthier, but we also are so much more receptive to the spirit. It's really such a great blessing to recognize change in oneself!

So the biggest miracle of this week, was an investigator who Elder Heath and I taught 3 months ago here. He had a lot of work, and kind of fell out of the picture, but we recently started teaching him this week again! He is so prepared I cannot believe it! He came into our lesson, asked for a new Book of Mormon (he lost his old one), said he'd start reading again, said he'd come to church, asked when it would be ok for him to be baptised, asked if it was ok for him to bring a friend to a lesson, and asked if we could meet daily. That's something that doesn't happen often. It was really just such a blessing to get to meet him again, and to see that there really are such prepared people here!

We're still teaching a lot of other people, some progressing slowly, some not so much. It's just so great to be able to meet and teach people about what is so important to me though. I really love this great work! I feel my love growing for all those around me, I truly do feel concern for them and their lives. It's a great time to be a missionary!

Weather, it's been snowing a lot here! I love it! It had been -10 Celcius a few times already, which is pretty cold it you don't know (about 14 Farenheight). It's a lot better when it snows though. It getting a lot more Christmasy though. I love it!
Hope you all have great weeks! Love you all, and I'm excited to hear from you next week!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas

Pada Snih!!! Snow Falls!!

 December 3, 2012

Rikam Vam, Cau!

Hey Family! Hope all is well! Sounds like you all had a great week! First things first, I would like everyone to know that Ryan Grochmal got his mission call and is will be serving in Kyiv, Ukraine!! Right next to Slovakia, so just 2 countries over. He is excited, and so am I!
 
It started snowing a little bit this week, but not very much. It always melts pretty quick too which it too bad. It starting to get really cold though. It's fine though because we're teaching a lot and we're not outside too much. I really am enjoying this weather though! Things went really well this week though! We had some really great experiences. We taught this one investigator, who was taught a year ago. He recently has had some experiences in his life, that have really opened him up a lot to accept the restored gospel! It is a miracle that we were led to call him when we did. We're really grateful for that experience.

We also taught this other guy yesterday who we found earlier in the week. It was such a good lesson! I had studied the Restoration right before, and I was just wondering how great Dan Jones was to go and declare the gospel, and how excited he must have been. I got Elder Sewell really excited too, so we were really enthusiastic when we taught! We may have gone overboard, but our investigator said that he really liked that we were enthusiastic. We felt really good after though, so I'm sure it was fine. We didn't have too many other great teaching experiences that I feel would be good to share, but we did go to Svitkov, this part of Pardubice which is a little bit nicer. I love going there because we always get some kind of success there. We went and contacted this guy who was working on his garage, and talked to him. He wasn't too interested to meet, but he really wanted to read the Book of Mormon! It was great to talk to him and share the gospel with him.

Elder Sewell is still great! I love serving with him, sometimes too much maybe. He is such a great worker though, and we work really hard. I love working with him!

No investigators came to church last week, but we already have about three committed to come next week! Miracles!

Thanks for all the emails. Christmas is starting here! There is a namesti (town square) and they will be having a Christmas market soon! There are lights around the city, but not too many people put them on their houses. Everyone celebrates Christmas though! We wont be having a Christmas concert in Pardubice like in Brno last year. The branch is a lot bigger there in Brno! Also, people do have Christmas trees like us, but smaller. Hope that answered all the questions I got!

Have a great week everyone!!! Love you!

sLaskou

-Starsi Salas