January 4, 2016

Sorry for not emailing much last week, our P day was super packed with activities and I only got online for like 30 minutes to email President McConkie and send a short message home. This next Transfer, I'll still be in Jíhláva, and I'll be serving with Elder Oviatt. Elder Oviatt was an Elder who is in the same MTC group as my last companion, that means that he's about 8 or 9 months into his mission. The situation is different however, because Elder Oviatt just BARELY got into the Czech Republic. He has spent his last 8 months in either Canada or the US... Because he didn't recieve his Visa until just a few weeks ago. So he has had a lot of Experience with working in the English speaking missions, and his Testimony is really powerfull about member missionary work and the like. Member missionary work is one of the hardest things to do here in the Czech Republic due to the small numbers of members in each Branch. We typically teach our lessons alone with the Investigator simply because it's dificult to find a member that has time to help us teach sometimes. But Elder Oviatt knows 100% that missionary work works BEST with MEMBERS being involved in EVERY teaching opportunity. This will be able to be used to our advantage this Transfer, and Elder Oviatt will be able to help repair my testimony about the possiblity of working with members because my efforts have yielded little results. Elder Oviatt, because he has only been in the Country for 4 weeks, does not have very much experience actually SPEAKING Czech. That means that I am training Him in Czech for now. I am blown away how much the Lord is helping me to improve my Czech and how much I'm able to understand now that I am being forced to use it more. I have no doubt that the Lord Qulifies His Servants! I'm going to post a story to the Eagle Mountain Missionary email so you'll have to go there if you want to read it. I am so happy to be here in this missoin. I am learning so much... about how I know so little. and Sometimes it is hard. I'll be completely Honest, Sometiems it's hard, knowing that I have already served 25% of my mission, and I have not helped even one person come unto Christ via Baptism. Sometimes I feel like a Failure as a missionary because it is my Calling for crying our loud... to help people come unto Christ and into the Gospel THROUGH Baptism... and I have not done that thus far... Sometimes it is hard. But above all... I know that this Gospel, is true. I know, that we have the way out... of ANY trial, through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He is active in the Work of Salvation here in the Czech Republic, and I know Him well enough to know that He is no respector of persons... and He is just as active in each of your lives as He is in mine. I know, that my efforts are not in vain, and even though I cannot see the fruit, I know that He's got a plan for those people who I meet on the streets. Sometimes... Most times, I have no idea what His plan is. But I know that He has asked that we simple go out and work, and forget ourselves and have faith in Him. I'm still trying to figure it all out... but I can say that it is true, even though I don't know exactly how... really ANY of it works yet. But it is true. "I am a Deciple of Jesus Christ", as Mormon says it. How true that is. Have a good week. Love you all. Elder Dean