November 15th, 2010

Familyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!

Just so you know, this email may be a tad shorter than my previous emails...I'm trying to type on a Czech keyboard instead of an English one, which basically just means that the z and the y are switched around, as well as all of the symbols. Usually you can click a button on the computer to switch them around, but I can't seem to find it. I'm getting the hang of it, but I still can't manage to find the at symbol....

Waaaah! We're already half way through November!! It's so crazy--my missions basically over!

Okay, that was a joke. But really, it goes by so quickly! So I have some things to say to you, family (/friends/strangers who've happened to stumble across this on the internet)

-Mam vas tolik rada. (See if you can google translate it)

-"Binkyheads" is a term of endearment that my dear trainer Sestra Beely used and commanded me to use it as much as possible so that it could multiply and grow and fill the whole earth. So pass it on.

-I got a text from president concerning the whereabouts of the mysterious package. It said something along the lines of, "Your parcel came and it's huge!" (yes, parcel--hes British, remember? My entire mission is like one long BBC movie)

-I would send Petr a hand written something and a picture or something... if you send the typical family letter probably just explain in the handwritten part that its something you send out every year to family and friends...I don't think that's really a tradition here in the CR. You could send him a gift too, if you like, but nothing big (he wouldn't like it), and nothing sweet (also wouldn't like that). Make sure you include some sort of testimony in the letter or something--he really likes hearing stories from people that help build his faith.

-We stumbled upon a miracle tracting this week! Really! I've been tracting 3 times so far on my mission and two of the three have been miraculous. Earlier in the week we put some tracting on the back-up plan but didnt have enough time to actually do it...when we planned on it, however, we pulled out a map of Ostrava and looked at it. I couldn't stop looking at this one area close to our house--it just seemed to stand out to me. So we put that street--Gen. Sochova--on the plan. Never happened. But naturally, when we wanted to go tracting again (p.s. it gets dark here around 4 or so...bummer, huh? hence, tracting will be a big deal) we thought to go there first. So there we went. ¨

Tracting here involves giant apartment buildings with tiny living quarters, which means there are often a lot of people. These ones weren;t enormous, (I've seen some with 9 floors and maybe 12 across...yeah, that's communism for you). Another part of it involves buzzing various apartments and asking them to open the doors for you. In this case, however, instead of conveniently pushing a small button by the intercom in their room, the people had to come all the way down and unlock the door to let you in. So, chances of getting in aren't looking so good, right?

First apartment--an older man let us in right away. Great. Began to talk to us about God. Awesome. Continued talking at us about God for about 45 minutes. Talked about the war for another 10 and then about how Americans don't really have their own culture for 5 more. The whole while (or at least the second half of it) we were trying to slip away so we could go talk to people. Finally we got out of there and just moved on to the next building so he couldn't have another reason to keep talking at us.

Next apartment building: no luck. No one wanted to let us in. People at the top yelled at us to ask someone closer to the bottom and people at the botton yelled at us to mind our own business.

Next apartment building: the first lady let us in, but told us she didn't want to hear any of it. It's amazing to me that people want to let us in when they aren't interested in our message. What a good woman. Gave one man a Book of Mormon who was interested in reading it, but then gave us the, "don't call me, I'll call you" line.

Finally we knock on the door of a man named Petr. (Oh how I love that name!!) He is about 30 or so, single, loves to travel, and is kind of quiet. He told us he was an atheist. We said we brought a message of happiness--of how God exists and that He has a plan for us and that plan is one of happiness. We showed him this film on our phone called Finding Happiness--it's something really great, this video, let me tell you. AFter that he asked us in and we taught him the entire plan of Salvation. The spirit was SO strong--I don't think I've felt it so strong during a lesson as I did with him.

We came back yesterday and taught him again and have another lesson with him this week. He says he's not completely convinced, but he's willing to try praying and to read in the BOM. I tell you people, this guy is golden! I can just tell by the way he just listens as we teach, he doesn't try to fight it. He's not a push over at all, just humble enough to hear us out. I'll keep you posted on this guy.

-Last story: found a guy named Marek who's even more of a hippie than Petr. More of a reallyintouchwithhisfeelings sort of guy. Anyways, to make a long story short, we taught him how to pray at the end of our lesson and Sister Laws prayed for us...but when the prayer was supposed to be over he just kept his eyes closed for at least 10 more minutes. At first I thought he'd fallen asleep! But no, just praying. Haha...I had to try so hard not to laugh while he was having this really spiritual experience. So we just watched him sit there for 10 whole minutes, wondering when he was going to come back to us...haha, missionary life is the greatest!

I must jet, but I love you all so, so much! Don't forget how important all this stuff is! Thanks for your prayers!

Sestra Dean

P.S. Bekahhhhh--what the?! You're leaving!! Ahhh.....go get em girl!

Petr Bandik's Baptism Pics - October 16th, 2010 (See October 18th Post, "Chubby Mush")

Daddy Long Legs Part I

Cauky, family!

I´ve made it to Ostrava--the cold, daunting North...actually it´s not so bad. I think I could really love this place--if only there were more people out! We arrived on Friday and have jumped right into the work, calling all the old investigators and setting up appointments. Itś already been an interesting experience, trying to get in touch with the investigators/potential investigators of the old Elders. One potential investigator that I called (they´d only talked to her once before) told me that her phone number was never intended for us and that she´d never meet with us. It was pretty funny. But for the most part people are pretty willing to set up something. We´ve already met with a guy whoś planning to be baptized on Nov 27th. Heś from Vietnam but speaks both broken Czech and broken English, so we make do with what we can. Heś 22, studying engineering here in Ostrava and his name is Linh. Weŕe not exactly sure if he'll be ready for a baptism that soon, but I hope so. He has a good heart and is eager to be baptized...but he also asked us during our meeting if the Bible and Book of the Mormon were the same thing. So he still has a little bit to learn.

Last time you mentioned that you didnt know what I did on a daily basis. So here is an average day in the life of Sestra Dean:

0615 wake up. run our little brains out. feel awesome because the beds we sleep on here are so so so comfortable. and there are fans.
0700 be girly and primp and stuff so that when we bat our eyes on the streets people will want to stop and talk to us...that's a lie, actually. and we eat.
0800 personal study. I've been re-reading the BOM this transfer, paying special attention to the promises that the Lord gives us. Its pretty neat--He really loves us, in case you didn't know.
0900 companionship study. we plan for meetings we have and practice things in Czech that we might have to use that day.
1000 language study. You keep asking about how the language is coming...I won't lie, I think I've been blessed with more of a knack for it than others in the mission. I really love learning it! It's so much fun. On Sunday, President Irwin and his wife came to our branch in Ostrava and I had to translate for her during Relief Society! Jejda--little ol me, just barely in her second transfer! It was pretty intimidating, but I managed well enough and just kind of made up the rest of the stuff that I didn't get into something that sounded spiritually uplifting and relevant. My lesson for Sister Irwin was probably better than the real thing anyway. (Just kidding). I only did that like once...or maybe twice. But I got more out of that lesson than I have in any other lesson since Ive been in the Czech Republic. Watch out Beks, this could be you in a few months.
1100 eat something delicious, probably
1130ish leave...it takes about 30 or 45 minutes to get to the center of town from where we live, which means we have 30 or 45 minutes to talk to people on the tram as we ride. I'm starting to get a bit better at this (I have to!). Usually I just start off by asking someone if I can practice my Czech with them and they inevitably ask me what in the world I'm doing in Ostrava and that's when I bring in the gospel. It's still a work in progress--sometimes it's hard to be bold in tram contacts, so I'm working on that a little more.
1200 from here on out we have various meetings and--dun dun dunnn!--CONTACTING! Im really getting to love contacting, although its been a little disappointing here in Ostrava thus far. It's interesting--while in America everyone is home for the weekends, here in the CR everyone leaves and goes to some mysterious cottage for the weekend. In Brno, which was twice the size of Ostrava, we always managed to find someone to talk to...here it's a little bit harder. I've already seen a lot more people out and about today, and it's afternoon and rainy, so I think that's a good sign. And we do that sort of missionary stuff until about 8:30, when we head back home and plan for the next day and loaf around in our underwear and stuff.

Also--PETR BLESSED THE SACRAMENT ON SUNDAY!!!! WEEEE!!! Apparently it was "quite nice", as he put it afterwards. I told him that you want to send him a Christmas card in the mail and he was really flattered by the idea and wants to send you something too. I gave him your address, but now the pressure is on--if you don't send him one he'll be really disappointed...
Petr Bandik
Šmejkalova 130
BRNO Žabovřesky, 616 00
Czech Republic

Also...you may wonder about the subject line. So our district leader here, Elder Doxy, is a little bit of a stiff. A really really good missionary, but rarely cracks a smile. So mine and Sister Laws (I LOOOOVE her!) is to help him loosen up a little bit this transfer...here him tell a joke or something. Unfortunately, I may have jumped the gun a little bit....
The building we attend church in has a men's and women's bathroom, like everywhere else. However, the men's only contains urinals, so if a man needs a little more relief, he must go in the women's. I'd heard about this, but kind of forgot about it once I arrived here....and sure enough, after our weekly district language study, I charged mindlessly into the women's restroom and opened the second stall door (I don't know why, but I ALWAYS go to the second stall...I'd never noticed it before my mission.. I don't think I do it on purpose) and there was Elder Doxey, sitting on the pot. I SAW HIS BARE LEGS. Gross. But don't worry, that was all. Boys are so weird...why don't they think to lock the door when they take their pants off?? This happened after the ward Halloween party in Brno too, when the Elders were changing out of their costumes too...but I only saw their garments. Elders are gross.

ahhhh I have to go, I love love love you and don't worry I bought a warmer coat and I'll let you know if I hear about the package and bye!!

s. dean (your fav daughter...and I'm writing danielle today)

I Don't Play X-Box

Hi binkyheads! How are you? I hope that means good.

This week has been full of surprises--really. I have a feeling that the mission is about to completely change for Sister Laws and I. There's so much to tell you that I made myself a list! Here we go:

1. Sister Laws and I are moving to Ostrava. Remember that man that I told you about a while ago--I contacted him on the namesti (town square) with E. Bailey and he came to conference and afterwards said he wanted to quit smoking? Well, he's turned out to be a bit of a weirdie. He is at least 50 and always wears this women's coat with fur around the hood. He speaks a little English, but acts really different--like he's always a little bit drunk or he's had some brain damage or something. Apparently he's taken a fancy to me. The weird part is, there's never much of a problem when I'm around--he merely wants to talk to me and maybe shake my hand a little longer than necessary. Once he gave me a book in Czech with funny sayings about what women think of men. I didn't understand much of the little bit that I've read. His ambition to quit smoking has also been a dismal failure--he says that the devil puts cigarettes in his mouth and makes him smoke them. In the past few weeks his obsession has seemed to increase. He comes to the building unexpectedly and asks for me. Of course no one ever tells him where I am. I'm lucky to have some Elders here with me who are a little on the protective side. On Friday, President Irwin came to interview a few of the missionaries he hadn't spoken with in a while. When he came Vladislav was here. He asked him where I was and told President that he hasn't been able to sleep or eat since he met me. He's not really dangerous, just crazy, it seems.

So we're moving to Ostrava--maybe one of the ugliest cities in the CR. It's way up north and among the coldest in the country. Apparently some binkyhead decided to put a big stinky smokey factory right in the middle of the town. They also talk a lot faster there. We are switching areas with a set of Elders that are currently there (one of them is E. Betts, who was in the MTC with me), which means S. Laws and I will be "blinding in"--i.e. neither of us will know our investigators or the area or really anything at all. I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit intimidated by the whole thing. Especially the fact that people speak so much faster up there--I feel like I'm just getting comfortable understanding people here. I don't really want to be a greenie all over again! The more I hear about where we're going, the more I feel like I could be in that BBC movie North & South (shout out to all DeMordaunt women). We're leaving the nice, friendly, beautiful, peaceful college city of Brno and going to a city all about industry, where people talk differently and are always hurrying and everything is ugly. Perhaps I will make friends with some factory workers, one of which who will start a revolution against the overseers while his daughter is slowly dying because of poor labor conditions!

In spite of all the seemingly gloomy things about the change, I'm staying optimistic. I can't help but get a little excited when there are bends in the road like this--it makes me feel like the Lord really is in charge of where I go and what I do and that He has a specific plan for me, not only in life, but also as a missionary. It's going to be hard--Ostrava hasn't seen a baptism since February--but I know that the Big Guy upstairs knows what He's doing. And I know that if there was anyone I could do this with, it's Sister Laws. She is fantastic. But more on her next time, time is running short.

2) Petr gave a talk in church on Sunday AND received the priestood of A! I KNOW! Seriously, you should send him a Christmas card. I will tell him about all your prayers--keep 'em coming, he needs them. I'm not sure how he'll feel about us leaving--he really likes the Sister missionaries. And we really like him. He's going to become a legend someday, seriously! BUTTT his dad lives in Ostrava--hopefully we can teach him there!

3. Viktor is a little MIA at the moment. His brother is a Jehovah's Witness--I hope that's not influencing his desire to meet with us. But it's not over--I'll keep you posted.

4. Liba's doing really well (another sad thing about leaving). She's finally reading on her own and we just taught her about tithing, which she said she'd keep.

5. Met two amazing people contacting yesterday. One is from Ghana and the other is Czech. We were able to set up appointments with both of them. The Czech one, Vojta, was a little reluctant at first. But there just came a point where I had to whip out the big guns--I just told him flat out, "YOU NEED THIS BOOK. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE." And now he's meeting w/ us on Thursday.

6. The food here is pretty good. Basically everything fried. More on this next time, I have 30 seconds.

I looooooooooove you! Pray for us!

s.d.