There is a C Walk competition going on outside the library...mam prahu rada. :) -- June 25th, 2011

Hello my dears!



This week was full of so many little surprises, I just loved it!

I.e.--the BYU folk dance team came and did FHE with the young single adults here. We had an investigator there (Zuzka) and her two friends and they just LOVED it. It was so much fun--we played all sorts of games and then they danced for us and then taught some of the youth how to do some of their dances. They even sang and bore testimonies at the end, which was apparently so good that one brand new investigator came up afterwards and asked a member how he could become a part of the Church (we had to leave early because of curfew...skoda). I think it's so cool what they do--they get to be like missionaries all over the world and use their talents to share the gospel with people. If only I could clog...

Also: Elder Stephen Kerr from one of the quorums of the 70 came and spoke to us. He's Scottish and a hoot and completely inspiring! One thing I loved: he told us that it's our job to become teachers of the Book of Mormon, to use every experience and example and scripture from in our teaching from that book in order to help people understand it and fall in love with it like we have. He also came the next day and did a fireside for members. TWO of our investigators came! Two that we've been concerned about somewhat. One has been meeting with the missionaries for almost 2 years off and on--her name is Jitka. I think this time around something has changed with her--her desire has increased. She told me on Sunday that she feels the Spirit so strongly when we come and then it leaves again when we leave. So we talked about baptism and how she can have those feelings and that day she began working on quitting coffee. She came to the fireside, which was all about faith and how it helps us with obstacles. At the end of the fireside, he talked directly to the investigators--about how they will receive answers and that when they do that will lead them to baptism. Afterwards we met with her to give her some Caro to replace her coffee, and she accepted a baptismal date for July 30th! It was so great! And she seemed really excited about it. So that will be my birthday present to Michelle, I hope. :) She had one baptismal date at the very beginning, but we don't know exactly what happened with it (thanks, area book), but I really think it'll go through this time! It won't be without obstacles, but I really think it'll happen! Weeee! (Shout out to Sister Austen if you ever read this--she loves you. I found an email from you to her printed out in the missionary closet last week and gave it to her--she really loved it.)

Also: Vaclav. I talked about him a little last week, the hardened old man who's made a lot of mistakes in his life. He's been meeting with the missionaries for several months now--maybe since February. No ones ever talked about the Word of Wisdom with him--probably because they know he smokes and they're all afraid to. But we addressed it and he surprisingly agreed to live by it for a week with little hesitation! But he really struggles with recognizing answers to prayers and the talk was perfect for him! Elder Kerr also helped us with a few ideas with getting investigators to read the Book of Mormon who struggle with that...it was really great!

And today we saw a cathedral called the "bone church" in Kutna Hora. See if you can find pictures of it online--it's so cool! They took the bones of all these people that died from a cholera epidemic and used them to decorate the inside of this chapel. It contains 40,000-70,000 skeletons in it! The centerpiece is a great chandelier that includes every single bone in a person's body. How great is that? Jane's (the member from Kazahkstan who just moved to BYU) brother came with us, who's not a member but is kind of interested in learning more and is here in Prague with his ma for the summer.

As far as increasing their fire for missionary work in your mission, Dad: Once we had a district meeting on increasing the fire in our investigators that might apply--I think it is based upon the same principles, no matter who you're talking to. We talked about faith, hope, and charity and sharing these three things with them to increase their fire and desire. I.e.--hope = their vision--work to increase their vision by sharing a greater vision with them--a vision of who they can become and who they can influence in their work and who God knows them to be--let them really feel that people are prepared; faith = show your faith by not hesitating to promise them blessings, telling them that you know God sent them here for a reason, etc; and share your love with them as well as reminding them of their love for the people there and God's love for the people there. I know as missionaries a lack of vision is the greatest hinderance to the work. When Elder Pearson was here he talked about it this way: he employed the statistic that each person who eventually investigates the church has 7 interactions with the church before they become investigators. He talked about how each of our interactions with people help them along that path. So instead of being disappointed by a lack of interest, we can be excited because we helped people move from a 1 to a 2 or a 3 to a 4. Things like this that expand our vision are the biggest factor in the desire we have to work.

And life is just wonderful. Rumor has it that a new missionary named Sister Bean is coming in next transfer--how cool would it be if we served together?!

I really really love being a missionary. I feel as though things are beginning to come together for a few of these people we're teaching! I just want everyone to be able to have the blessings of the truth in their lives. It's the greatest work in the world! Everyone should do it!



s laskou,



Sestra Dean