If Humans Evolved from Monkeys, then Why Do Monkeys Still Exist? June 13th, 2011

No nazdar. :)

I don't really know where to begin. I feel that I am usually more prepared when we email but this past week was just so...so...full. I can't really think of how else to describe it.

I am beginning to feel the weight of a missionary's responsibility. Not that it's outweighing the joy, don't get me wrong--NOTHING can outweigh the joy that I feel as I give myself over to a work that means everything; it means everything to the Lord, it means everything for these people that we teach--thus means everything to me. But we certainly do have a lot of investigators right now. Sometimes it's difficult to keep track of them all and make sure they're all progressing and getting everything they need. Each person is just such an individual, it's amazing to me! Teaching one person is nothing like teaching the next person, which makes this work exciting and fulfilling and hard all at once. So I've stopped counting the unicorn hairs and am embracing the fact that loving people makes life hard and oh so worth it.

A few highlights:

Tuesday we were able to help an American family in the ward clean so they could move out. For some reason, all the American families in our branch are BIG--an average of 6kids each, I'd guess. This helps me envision the DeMourdant family traversing the world with lots of little kids, learning new languages every couple years. Wowza. But they had a huge van and lots of little kids running around eager to help. This branch in Prague is the closest thing you'd find to a State-side ward in this country--lots of little tykes running around and crying during sacrament meeting. It helps me remember that salvation really is a family affair. Families are just so cool. Mine in particular. :)

We taught a hardened old man named Vaclav yesterday with this wonderful beacon of faith and hope that Ludek has become. Sisters have been teaching Vaclav for several months now. I've prayed about dropping him at times, wondering if our time could be better used differently, but I keep feeling that we need to keep working with him. He's been blessed to see the Lord's hand in his life several times, but will not acknowledge these miracles because he fancies himself an intellectual. It was interesting to see the stark contrast between the two of them. Vaclav outwardly fights the things we teach him, but inwardly knows it's all true and loves us for it. Yesterday we taught him about repentance. He began crying, talking about how hard he's tried to repent in his life but how he feels that it's availing him nothing.

Ludek, this wonderful man who's life is completely different now that it once was, bore his simple testimony that he needs to believe that it really works, believe that Christ really can save him from his past. Vaclav wept and got a little snotty (if Czechs don't have tissues handy, they just let it leak all over the place--no one sniffles when their noses run) and protested some, but we could tell that he knew it was true. Please pray for this man's heart to be softened so he can find the peace he is looking for.

On Saturday we made a wonderful little trip to OSTRAVA!! Jirka, the young miracle we found almost exactly the same way we met Martin, was baptized, as well as the girlfriend of Ondra Tomsik (the boy in the MTC with that kid from the Paramount ward). It was so wonderful to see everyone! Jirka's thinking about serving a mission someday--he told me that he went contacting with the missionaries. He really enjoyed talking to people, but he thinks they're doing it all wrong. He's come up with some secret strategy that he's promised to tell me sometime in the future so that we can convert all of Prague. It was so wonderful seeing those two young people baptized--I really see the future of the Church in this country in them and all sorts of wonderful young people like them. It's just so beautiful to be a part of this!

I also saw DUSAN AAAND his girlfriend Martina at the baptism! Weeeee!

Michal, the one you asked about that we met on the tram in Ostrava, has actually made somewhat of a comeback, apparently. A while ago they sent out a mass text about game night. He didn't come, but the next day he called them up and they met and it actually went really well. The miracle's not lost! Woo!

The man that we met in Karlak actually just texted us a few days ago and told us that he's had a problem in the family and he won't be able to meet with us. :( But I really feel that we were supposed to meet with him and talk to him when we did, so who knows what will happen in the future.

Everyone, I just love you all to pieces. I really am convinced that this is true and it's the only way to have real happiness and peace, to really understand oneself and one's purpose in life. Just tell everyone, okay?

s laskou,

Sestra Dean

P.S. Birthday--no need to buy anything. Buuuut, remember when I sent home a bunch of headbands when I was in the MTC? Well I would LOVE it if you could send those back to me. The MTC made me think that they weren't necessary, but being a real missionary makes me appreciate all the wonderful little beautiful things in life. And I would really appreciate those if you could find them.

Also:

I've totally become that missionary I always laughed about--the one who writes the boring emails home about people that no one else knows. Sorry Courty, don't be mad. I'll make it better next time. :) I can't believe Danielle is driving. It's really blowing my mind. She'll probably have to re-teach me how when I get home. Sorry I haven't posted pictures in a loooong time. My camera is, once again, a little mimo provoz, if you know what I mean. Also: the a button on this keyboard is slightly broken and I have to hit it with a lot of enthusiasm if I want to make it work. I've never realized how often I use the a key before--my poor pinky can only handle so much.