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