My God is a God of miracles. I'm grateful for that. November 24th, 2011

Dear good people of the United States,

What a great day it is! We have so much to be grateful for! Some days I feel as though I have more to be grateful for than anyone else because I am obviously God's favorite daughter.

Joke not blasphemy.

I want to tell you a story about a girl. A wonderful, wonderful Czech girl with orange hair and colorful clothes. We'll call her K. (ma, your note definitely reminded me of this--I'm SO SO happy for them!!)

When K was a young teenager and recovering from anorexia, she first met the sister missionaries. She loved the light they brought into her life and felt a big change in herself and was, after a few month baptized.

When I first arrived in Prague, at least 5 years later, all I heard of her was that she was considering leaving the Church and wasn't feeling comfortable there. We were able to meet with her once, when she said she'd let my companion teach her to help with her Czech. We met with her more often the next transfer and it seemed to be a little bit of a roller coaster--for a while I was afraid our meetings made things worse. And then last transfer, all on her own, she just started coming to church on Sundays. At first she came with some friends in the branch. Then she came even when none of her friends were there. Then she began staying for all three hours. Last night, another girl in the branch, her best friend, received a mission call to the London South mission (she'll be in the Provo MTC Feb 4th!). I walked in on her family and K, and K's longtime boyfriend and some other friends, all talking about it while she was talking to President Irwin and K looked like she'd been pretty emotional, but happy. Last night K sent us a text asking us to teach her boyfriend about the gospel next week. She wrote that she knew she needed to change something in their relationship but she didn't know how.

How's that for a miracle??

I really love that girl. I love how life seems to be a progression of tiny miracles that we hardly even notice. I'm sure one day we'll look back on our lives and the people we've become and say, Man, I'm some kind of miracle!

Another miracle: met a man from New York. I really have forgotten what American people are like. Teaching him was unlike any other lesson I've taught on my mission. He was so open, said he really respected the life styles we lead and felt as though he was in the presence of three angels, we were that wholesome (we invited another American member to join us). He prayed at the end of the lesson (in the upper level of KFC) and we all felt so good after the meeting that he was disappointed when we told him we had to go and wanted to meet with us again the very next day.

Furthermore: we held a FHE for single adults last night. Yesterday morning I sent out a mass text about it to all the people in our branch that might be interested. One member had 2 different numbers in the phone, so I just sent it to both. Maybe 30minutes later one of his numbers called me back, except it was a woman. A woman who didn't know anything about the Church. But she asked me more about the activity and told me she couldn't come that night, but would like to come another time--she said she was looking for a place to go to church (and when she said 'go to church' she used the verb for go that means 'to go often and or regularly') and asked if we sing.

I know, right?

This was all yesterday. It's so incredible: after nearly 3 weeks of very little to show for our work, amongst other difficulties, I found myself on Tuesday night crying a little as I fell asleep and asking Heavenly Father what more I needed to do. I hardly slept. And yesterday I fell asleep crying out of sheer gratitude and amazement--I hardly slept because I was so overjoyed.

The car sounds great. Thank you SO MUCH for doing that.
And I'm SO SO glad that Chris and Corey will be in Boise.

Life is pretty neat, isn't it?

S laskou,
Sestra Dean

The Lord commanded us to be of good cheer and it's probably the commandment we break the most."--J.R. Holland (November 19th, 2011)

Pictures:

1. Our display at the concert--all about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. We had a huge picture of Christ visiting the Nephites and the Book of Mormon in 12 or so different languages. Also had copies of The Living Christ for people to take.

2. Sister Bean and I and our new daughters, Sister Smith and Sister Dolinar.

Hello my dears!

I am so grateful for all your emails this week. You guys are just the best. :)

We've seen a lot of little miracles this week. And we've seen a lot of little Satancles.

I won't lie, this area has never been super happening since I've been in Prague. The missionaries here always work really hard, but it's seemed to be an area of learning and growth for the missionaries here. So we've begun our time here with a LOT of phone calls and a LOT of contacting--a little bit of a throwback for me to the days of blinding in to Ostrava. I've grown so used to just contacting when a meeting falls through and when I'm in the metro. We've been really fortunate to set up a lot of meetings with people that we've called or met, however it seems that 90% of those have fallen through. And many of the people we've had meetings with haven't been completely willing to hear our message--more trying to disprove it or debate it. HOWEVER.

We did meet the most prepared person I've maybe ever met in the past year and a half. Her name is Jana. She was raised as a __________ but has been disappointed by the 'fruits'of the _________ church. She's asked herself what Christ's church would really look like. We taught her the whole Restoration on the spot. When we began speaking of a living prophet today she told us that he must be a really inspired and wonderful person. And she asked us where she could go to buy the Book of Mormon--she's just looking for people who don't try to change the doctrines in the scriptures to fit the things that appeal to them. Great right? We were really stoked to meet with her. We called her the day before our meeting and asked her if she had any questions about the pamphlet she read and she thanked me at least three times for calling. But the next day something happened--we waited for a half hour (way longer than we normally wait) but she never came. And her phone has been off for the past 3 days. We really hope she is okay.

However. God turns moments like this into opportunities. The member that was with us suggested that we say a prayer. So we did. Just after that, a CHINESE man approached us and asked for change for a 100-crown bill in great English. As the member searched her purse, we began telling him that we talk to people about Jesus Christ. He told us he works at the embassy here, but that more and more people are interested in him in China and that he'd like to talk with us. This all happened in maybe 3 minutes. So we're hoping that Li Hang will have a friend soon. :)

I went to a leadership training this week. I've been thinking a lot about what great leaders do that make people listen to them. I've been so impressed by King Benjamin's great impact on his people lately--how he taught them the consequences of their actions and led them to do great things by working alongside them and expecting great things of them. Man, the scriptures are so cool.

Ma, the concert was wonderful. I suppose the greatest miracle was that Sister Bean, who typically suffers from severe performance anxiety and has never successfully performed since she was 12 or so, overcame it. That was half of the reason we wanted to do it--to help her. During the first two songs it was a little shaky, but it was arranged in a way that she couldn't just give up--she had to continue playing. And she played through it and played beautifully. I'm not sure how many referrals we got total from it, but we got two phone numbers as well as made contacts with several friends of members. And it seems that lately members have been more excited to trust us with their friends and family.

Also: just met a less-active member here named Linda yesterday. It almost immediately felt like we were old friends. She's obsessed with geneology however, and agreed to let us help her prepare to go to the temple. And said we could meet her husband and talk with him about the gospel as well. Cool? I think so.

Everyone, I love you so much. Thank you for your prayers, we feel them.

S laskou,

Sestra Dean

P.S.'s

Smelly--the ARMY? What?! Do I need to start doing more pushups in the mornings?...

Binkyhead/Sis Wheeler/Jocelyn Heinzen??--Your picture is absolutely beautiful! I'm so happy for you! I think of you all the time now--it's almost like I'm in the position you were in when we served together and it's really interesting and weird--you handled it really well. I try to make myself be like you when it gets too weird. (I don't know if I ever told you this, but I found that other angel mug in the dejvicka apartment and remembered the story you told me and used it almost every day.) You are just so wonderful. I do know Hilary--not only did we go to Jerusalem together, but we also worked together! She's really great. Of COURSE I binkyhead everyone. I have yet to hear President Irwin say it though...

Ma and Daddio--you two are just wonderful. I don't even deserve you. I thank Heavenly Father for you every night. :) I'll be praying for your talk, Dad.

So I lied. It's Saturday and I'm emailing - November 12th, 2011

What did the Buddhist Monk say to the hot dog vendor?

Make me one with everything.


This is a joke that my new, awesome greenie told me. Her name is Sis Clare Smith and she's from Arizona, where they farm alfalfa, make goat cheese and breed people (7 kids). We had a class together at BYU--venturing outdoors leadership. She studied art history. She also taught art to elementary school kids. She's really really funny and really really brave--she just kind of throws herself into contacts and lessons and it's really impressive.

Sister Bean, Sister Anderson and I are ALL training. We are still in Prague, however we've been blinded into a formerly Ëlder-owned area. Usually thriving areas aren't blinded in. So there's quite a bit of contacting and finding to do. Sister Bean and her new companion are taking over the Dejvicka area and, for the two weeks when I'm not here they will try to manage two areas with Sister Smith's help. They just began this new training program this transfer which is pretty intense--TWO hours of comp study. You probably read when Beks mentioned this in her email. It's really new and slightly intimidating and important and I feel really blessed that the Lord is entrusting me with it.

I don't have a lot of time but yesterday Sis Smith wanted to contact the only family on the tram. And we did. And they ate it all up. And we are meeting with them on Monday. I can already tell that we are going to see lots of miracles this transfer.

And yes the concert was fabulous.
And yes, coming home after Christmas was my decision. Don't be mad, we shall have an eternity of Christmases together. :)
My goal is to be spending Christmas with a new convert. Pray for us. :)

I love you!

Sestra Dean