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!