May 23rd--I Feel Weird, I Feel Weird

So we're emailing for the first time in the CVUT University library, because I finally got my library card and it's cheaper. It makes me feel really out of place and suddenly aware that there are people going to school and living normal lives outside of missionary lives. Whaaaaattt?!

Being a missionary in Prague is crazy. Maybe it's similar to the temple square mission? Maybe.

Guess where the people we teach are from:
a) the Czech Republic
b) Slovakia
c) India
d) Honduras
e) Peru
f) Thailand
g) Russia
h) Ukraine
i) some of the above
j) all of the above

If you guessed a or b, you're probably like I was before serving in Prague. But sorry, you lose. J is the correct answer, ladies and gents--J!!

Can you believe this? I'm starting to get a brief feeling of what it might be like to teach in South America. Maybe I told you about Norris last week--she's from Honduras, 31, living with her binkyhead boyfriend for over a year in the CR who's also from Honduras. He's not so good to her, cheats on her, doesn't like children, etc. She doesn't have a job (doesn't speak Czech and only speaks English kind of well, so she's not so eligible for one here) and can't afford to move back home because her stinky bf won't give her any dough. So she's kind of sad at this point in her life. We met her through a member, Diana Wichterle, who's a member from Peru who was baptized here in Prague (Sister Wheeler taught and baptized her! woo!) and is married to a non-member Czech man. Diana is awesome because every time she makes a new friend she wants to introduce her to us. That's what it must be like in South America. In our first meeting we found out that 8 people in Norris' family are already members of the Church! She had already moved out of the house, so she kind of missed that boat, but she was really receptive to our message. We brought her the Joseph Smith video in Spanish and throughout it she was nodding and agreeing with everything. Then we talked about baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and she said that she would prepare for baptism on June 18th!! Woooooooo! She's just the nicest, most wonderful woman in the world and she deserves this happiness in her life!

AHH! Ludek's getting baptized this week! He's just so so prepped, I can't even believe it! We've been teaching him everything so fast--taught law of chastity last week, which was interesting because they are pushing us to teach things more specifically and boldly than in the past, due to a few problems they've had come up...I learned a few words I never thought I'd need to know as a missionary in preparation for that one. Niiiice.

People you may hear about in the future (based on how our meetings with them go today):
Gabor--the wonderfully happy Slovak. All he does is laugh. Martina--a high schooler who said it'd change her entire life if she knew who she was and where she was going in life.

Also. I'm now the official translator in Relief Society. I sit in the back and speak into a little microphone while all these women listen to me in their headphones. And I have to look up scriptures really fast and read really fast and there's this one woman who ALWAYS talks and NEVER breathes between her sentences and tells stories about really random things. So, I must confess, the English speakers may not be getting much out of her thoughts in future Relief Societies. It's kind of crazy and stressful. Yesterday I didn't know a word they said, so my translation came out kind of like this: "Well, I don't know what ------ means, but they said it. So the Holy Ghost isn't ------ and we shouldn't be ------- if we want to be able to recognize and understand his promptings." I saw a bunch of heads turn and smile when I said that. I'm just beginning to realize the extent of my power in this position. It could be really fun.

Something amazing for all you missionaries and wanna-be missionaries and converts and wanna-be converts out there--Jeffrey R. Holland, out of his talk "Missionary Work and the Atonement":

"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why can't our success be more rapid? Why aren't there more people joining the church? Why isn't the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?...I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and he is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary."

"I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price. For that reason, I don't believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is."

"When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known; the only pure and perfect life ever lived."

This work is amazing. God's plan is so complete, it even includes the trials and obstacles we personally need in order to grow and improve. I love this. And we're all a part of it, whether we're converting ourselves or helping someone else find himself. And Jesus Christ showed us how to handle it all, showed us that it's possible, and gives us that saving grace we need when we think we can't possibly make it through. Man, I love that guy!

And I love YOU!

S laskou,

Sestra D-izzle

That Czech guy that he [ward friend Tanner Sawyer in MTC] met is probably Ondra Tomsik. Czech/Spanish/English extroardinair headed to Canada Spanish-speaking. We were teaching his ma and the elders were teaching his girlfriend in Ostrava. He's really awesome--completely changed his life for the truth and now he's off to change the lives of everyone else. How cool is that?

Molly Huish, Rosemary Mitchel, and Staisha Stratton--expect letters soon!

Beks--I canNOT believe how long your binkyhair is!! It's unreal! LET'S GO MISSIONARY! (Challenging and Testifying Missionary, anyone?) I have a letter for you almost finished. It's kind of like a masterpiece.

Sister Wheeler--I am SO SO glad you saw Sister Stratton! It's so good to know that she's doing so well--finally, some sort of news! But Sestro, it's so wonderful getting to know all the people you taught here in Prague! Sometimes I meet/hear about someone new in the ward and the name brings to mind some miracle you told me of last year! I just LOVE Diana....I really think her husband will one day come around. He's come to church once since I've been here and they were going to come yesterday but Sebastian got sick. Uvidime... Also, we're hearing from Elder Pearson again next week. Remember how intense he was last time? I'm excited!