Transfer 8: December 27,2016

This Christmas has been awesome. I remember last year when I was still fairly new in the mission field, and I was in Jihlava. At that time we were experiencing some tough times with the missionary work there, we didn't have any progressing investigators that entire transfer, and we just worked, and worked, and it felt quite dark at that time. I remember that we visited one of the Sister Missionaries' investigators for Christmas dinner. That dinner was interesting, we had our Christmas carp, carp soup and carp filets, and the classic Czech potato salad. The Carp that year was terrible, I've got to be honest, it sucked... I was not looking forward to more carp this year. But it was really good this year. On the 18th this year, it was the Sunday before Christmas, a less active and her son came to church, and immediately we jumped on the opportunity and asked if we could come over and visit before Christmas, she said yes, so on Thursday the 22nd, we went to her house and taught her and her son about gratitude and the Holy Ghost, and about Baptism. We invited her son, who is 11, to be baptized after his mother bore her testimony of her baptism. The boy told his mother, "I've never heard your baptism story before." the boy agreed to be baptized. We'll be working with them soon. On Friday the 23rd, Elder Geier and I visited a very active family here, we just dropped in to say hi, we just wanted to ask if we could read a verse with them, and they told us to come inside. We went in and the two sons (ages 14 and 18) told us to come see their Christmas tree. "Nice! Where'd you steal if from?" I asked. they just laughed because many Czech people just go into the forests and cut down their own Christmas trees, even though it's illegal, but the K clarified that they did not steal it... this year. So we shared a verse with them and then the parents looked at each other and whispered something, then sister K said, (in english) "We have gifts for you." she walked into the other room and came out with two small wrapped presents. We opened them, and they were some really cool Czech ties! I got a purple one and it looks awesome! On Saturday the 24th we visited the K, another very active member family here in UH. We visited them in the morning and they gave us a ton of "cukrovi" or little baked sweets, there's not a good work that accurately translates into English. We went with the Sister Missionaries and the Sisters taught the lesson. Saturday afternoon, Elder Geier and I went to visit the bishop's family. We had been personally invited by them to spend our Christmas with them. We took a train from UH to Bujkovice, a small town just outside of UH, and we went to their house for Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner was awesome, we had carp again, and potato salad, and a TON of Cukrovi. There were 7 us of at the dinner, but as a Czech tradition they prepared an eighth plate and utinsles that remained empty at the table. This tradition is old, and goes back many years for Czechs, and they do it in case of visitors, who may wander in, and the extra plate is prepared to give the visitor a place at the table. The carp was cooked really well. Bishop clarified that Christmas carp is clean and good, but if people eat carp during the middle of the year, it usually stinks and tastes terrible. I must have had a bad carp last year. But Christmas carp taste better because they are raised cleaner, eating only good things and pupposly being grown to to eaten. They cooked the carp by covering it in bread crumbs and then deep frying it, classic here in CZ. But then bishop gave us the lowdown on how to eat carp, because many people have to go to hospitals every year from eating carp bones on Christmas. He taught us how to look for the bones, and how to chew the food so that we could feel them in our mouths so that we could remove them with our fingers. It's so cool what they do here! Then Sister D got up from the table and went into the other room. Suddenly we all heard a quiet bell, like a jingle bell, coming from the living room. Bishop's son said, "dad I heard something!" then bishop said, "I wonder if Ježíšek (baby Jesus) came." We got up from the table, walked into the other room, and there under their Christmas tree were some presents for everyone that "baby Jesus" had brought. We all sat down, bishop was up with his smartphone trying to get angles on everything from every direction with his camera. Then everyone settled down. Their son, his name is m, is 11, and he was up bringing everyone their presents, looking at the names on the wrapping paper and then giving them to the other members of his family. Then he brought one to Elder Geier, and then to me, a nice surprise, I guessed that we'd be getting more ties, I was right. The other members of their family opened their gifts one at a time, and everyone appreciated what "baby Jesus" had brought them. It was the exact same feeling that we have at home, on Christmas morning, when everyone is just excited. At one point during dinner, Bishop looked out the window and just got all excited, "We have a white Christmas!" (in english) he said to everyone. Suddenly all 7 of us were at the window looking out from the 3rd or 4th floor where they lived, and we saw it snowing, and everyone was just so happy about that! After everyone had opened their gifts and were grateful (lesson to be learned here for some of us), bishop and his daughter hoped in their car with Elder Geier and I and they took us back to UH. We got home around 9:30pm. On Sunday the 25th, we only had 1 hour of church. Bishop talked a little about our wonderful visit at their house the night before, and bishop cracked a joke over the pulpit about how Elder Geier had accidentally said, "The food was cooked with Christmas Beer" when he wanted to say, "the food was cooked with Christmas Magic" the night before in the car on the way home. A wonderful Sister in the ward gave a talk about the feeling of Christmas, and how we need to keep it our whole lives, and not loose it when we're adults. Then we visited the W(ActiveMemberFamily) for lunch, all 6 of us missionaries in our district were there. we had chicken shnitsl (řízek) and more cukrovi. Then we visited the P (ActiveMemberFamily) for dinner, and then had more cukrovi, and I almost died because my stomach was soooo full of food after meal appointments one after the other, and then Brother P gave us a ride to Brother S house where Elder Geier and I Skyped home. . . . Then we had more carp with Brother S... ...................................................... Then, on Monday the 26th, M Z was baptized in a pool that we reserved at 15:00 by M S, and was afterwards confirmed in the chapel by Elder Geier. We had a testimony meeting after his confirmation, and I was one of the last to get up. I shared my testimony and said, "byv povolan božím prorokem, svědčím o tom, že tato Cirkev je Cirkev Ježíše Krista." (Having been called by God's Prophet, I testify that this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ). Then M Zgot up and bore HIS testimony, and it was awesome! and he actually concluded "I say this as a testimony, int he name of Jesus Christ, Amen."! WAY COOL! Afterwards, Sister K came up to me and said, in english, "thank you for your testimony." I told her, "thanks" and then she said, "no really, every time you speak, I feel it, and it is very powerful." ............................................................ I am so happy to be serving in this area, and the strength that the Lord gives us and the blessings tha we have are without measure, but I've found that we often are only able to see them when we come to the lord and say, "Heavenly Father, I just want to do the right thing, I don't know what it is, but please just tell me what to do, and I'll do it." It's only when we purposefully soften our own hearts and plead for the Lord's help in doing so that we can come to feel the joy the scriptures talk about, and the joy that the Gospel promises. God truly does have the best plan, if you truly believe that, you will be willing to do anything that He tells you in your prayers. I love you all, and wish you a happy new year. Tomorrow we'll all be heading to Prague for the mission conference. Till next year! S Láskou, Starší Dean

Transfer 8: December 12

This week has been a good one, there have been many miracles and tender mercies since lest monday. The 10th was the day that the czech republic officially prepares for christmas, and we had been hearing that the town square would be filled with more christmas attractions but we had no idea that on the evening of the 10th (which was a Saturday) that we would have some of the more beautiful weather, a wonderful sunset. Elder Geier and I were on our way to go visit a referal, and as we were at the bus station. We wanted to go look at the town square so bad, but we knew that we needed to be doing Missionary work. We checked the bus times, and we realized that there wasn't going to be a bus for 15 minutes, and we knew that would be just enough time to just go and take a look at the Town Square. Well, I am so glad that we did that. Elder Geier and I started walking towards the center of town where the Town Square is. We started hearing music and singing, and it smelled wonderful. When we walked around a corner onto another street, we looked down the street and we could see the Square clear down at the end, and we just saw a line of tents and booths covering our view of the Square, and we knew that it was going to ba packed, and it was. There had previously been only a couple of booths out on the square, selling various things like treats and drinks (mostly alchoholic) and some trinkets, but we thought that was going to be it. I'll send the pictures below, of when we were approaching the town square for the first time that day, it was insane! As we approached the square, the singing and music got louder, as did the muttering from people in every direction. there were kids everywhere with toy wooden swords and shields and crossbows and there were moms everywhere with strollers and there were old men huddled together around tables everywhere drinking, and there was just a new booth selling something different at every glance in any direction. I was standing on the Town square (In czech it is called a Naměstí) and I was just so happy to see this. I had seen these type of things in pictures in Mr. Mansfield's german class at school, and I had seen it once also before last year in Jihlava, but I will tell you what, there is nothing like a deep Moravian Czech Christmas Market, let me tell ya, this place is so cool! I'm going to search for a handmade-woodcarved-Nativity in the Christmas Market today so wish me luck. As we were standing out on the Naměstí, I just kept looking around with my jaw dropped, they had a big stage that they had built and on it was a big lifesize nativity made out of straw, litterally everything, the people, the baby jesus, the stable, everything, it was so cool! I just wandered around all excited like a little 5 year old for about 8 minutes, and then we had to go back to the bus station. As I was leaving the Naměstí, I just started crying, this place is sooooo cool, It is such a tender mercy to be here. I could never have imagined this, my Father in Heaven truly knows what I want more than I do, and He often give me what I desire even when I may not nessesarily deserve it. I cannot acurately describe just how grateful I am to Him. Then yesterday, Elder Geier was feeling sick so we went home after church, I did some calls while he took a nap, and I called the sisters at one point, they were out contacting at the time, and they seemed excited to tell us/me something. They have been meeting for a while with a girl who comes regularly to our English Class. Her name is E , and E has never been interested in learning about the gospel, but last transfer Elder Andersen and I felt that she was getting close. So we talked to her about prayer and stuff, and, as expected, she was not interested at the time. We would consecutively ask her again and again every week after english, "have you prayed yet?" and she would always reply, "still, no..." At the beginning of This transfer, she finally set up to meet with us, and we set her up to meet with the Sisters. She has been meeting with them weekly every sunday for the past 3 weeks now I think. Although she missed last week, but yesterday she also met with the sisters. During their lesson, the sisters asked her, "E, have you prayed yet?" and she said, "to be honest.... yes." She finally prayed ) and she told the sisters that when she started praying, she just started crying. The sisters asked her if it was because she was sad, and E said she was not sad. The sisters explained to me that the feeling that made E cry during her prayer was just a big suprize and a slight startle to E. But we all know that it was the spirit, and it was just Heavenly Father saying, "E, my daughter, I have been waiting for you to come to me for so long! I LOVE YOU!!!" We'll see what happens with her. She's definitely going to get baptized. Prophecy from last transfer is coming true, the 5 people who are going to get baptized are finally emerging from the woodwork. I love you all, and I'll keep you in my prayers. Stay safe, don't get hurt. Spend time together, and love the Gospel during this time of year! Light the World! S Láskou, Starší Dean.

Transfer 8:December 5,2016

This week has been awesome, we had a volleyball turnament here in UH, members came from several other places around the czech republic to play in the yearly UH volleyball turnament. Elder Geier signed the six of us in our district up, and he put us under the team "Misionarří Uherského Hradiště" When it started on Saturday morning around 10:00, we had also realized that Elders from Olomouc had also signed up and were there to play. Elder Neilson is the Branch President in Olomouc right now, and so he was able to get permission to come down and play volleyball with his whole district, but no other missionaries in the entire mission got to do that, he's milking that calling of Branch President so bad haha. So we are still practicing for our christmas concert which will be on the 18th of december. We're going to be singing some christmas classics like Deck the Halls, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. But we're also going to be singing several Czech traditionals like Narodil se Kristus Pan, along with several small czech carols. The weather is getting colder and today in Zlín (we all went to spend part of our P-Day in Zlín) I bought a 2nd hand trench coat to go over my suitjackets. It looks pretty good, it was 455kč but I talked the lady down to give it to me for 400kč. That's about 20bucks. Our Investigator M is progressing very well, yesterday he took the day off so that he could come to church, what a good guy, that's more faithful than most active mormons. We're all looking forward to Christmas and to the Christmas visits that we will be making with memebrs here, and I know that the Gospel is true, and I know that our Savior lives. I also just bought some new shoes, Baťa's. they look really good. my old shoes are dying. Love you all! S Láskou, Starší Dean

Transfer 8: November 28, 2016 Thanksgiving!

This week was awesome, we had thanksgiving at the Sister's appartment. I know that in some missions, what we did, by going to the sisters' appartment, would be a big big big big no-no. But there were six of us, four elders and two sisters, and we just do things differently in our mission. So we went over there, the six of us, and we had a fun time cooking everything, and I got us cooking everything on timelapse with my go-pro. The Elders in zlín cooked the trukey, and we had a District conference call on Wednesday night to confirm who was bringing what foods. The Elders in zlín told us that they were bringing the bird, and also an apple pie, an american apple pie, that they had made from scratch, as well as some freshly baked rolls. We were all excited and the quote of the day by far was when Elder Stacy (our District Leader) said, "So here's the main question... How are we going to get a 350degree turkey, to your appartment?" We all showed up at the sisters' appartment Thursday Morning and Elder Geir and I brought two cheesecakes, two boxes of Kraft Maccaronni and Cheese (thanks mom is was a big hit at Thanksgiving!) as well as the mashed potatoes. But when we got to the Sisters' appartment, which is on top of a HUGE hill that overlooks the city, Elder Geir and I realized that we had forgot the cheesecakes in the freezer at home. So the Zlín elders just waited outside the sisters' appartment while Elder Geir and I ran down the hill to get the cheesecakes. That day we all ate like kings, Elder Stacy did a good job with the turkey. After we had eaten, Elder Stacy stood up and said, "I'm going to tell you a story" it was the dumbest story ever, about a man who ran over a chicken in his truck, and Elder Stacy had a towel in his hands that he was messing with, and this whole time he wa telling this story about how the owner of the chicked was mad that this guy had run over his chicken, and then at the end of the story Elder Stacy flung the towel open and said, "here's your chicken sir" and he had folded the towel in such a way that it looked like a chicken, it was the siliest thing ever! We then all went outside into a nearby grassy field, and we played Ultimate frisbee. There were six of us so it worked out just fine. Elder Geir rolled his ankle 4 times! so we stopped. Then after we went back inside for pie. We then played Bang (a card game) and then we went home. It was a good day! This is the coolest mission ever, I could not ask to be in a better place right now. I understand that home is home, and I'll be there when I am called home, but for now, This is where I am supposed to be, and I am very grateful for that. Yesterday at church there was a man who spoke from Brno, he came to speak to our ward, and his talk was about Perfection. Often as latter day saints, we want to be perfect, and that is hard. We often have an incorrect perspective of the word Perfect. Oftentimes we misunderstand it to mean, "without fault" or "100 percent successful ALL the time" but that is simply not true. In his talk, this high councelor spoke about two types of perfection. This life, and Eternal perfection. We often think of Eternal Perfection when we hear the word Perfect in the church, but we need to understand better the first meaning, which is different. The word perfect in czech has two words... each word described the two types of perfection. The first word is DOKONALÝ, the second word is PERFEKTNÍ. Each of these words are directly translated in to english to be "perfect" but they are not the same. DOKONALÝ or DO-KONALÝ means to make whole or to do wholly. In other words, we are to fulfill our responsibility. The word PERFEKTNÝ means to be perfect, Eternally. we can be DOKONALÝ when we faithfully visit our assigned families for home teaching each month. In the aspect of Home Teaching, we are "perfect" or Dokonalý because we fulfilled or did wholly our responsibility. This means, in effect, that we are Perfect at our calling as a home teacher. Now, this is not to mean that we cannot improve as a teacher, or that we cannot improve our capacity to serve better, with more love or whatever, but it DOES mean that we are doing our part, and that we are obeying the commandment to "be ye therefore perfect." I have since told myself that I want to be a guy who completes things, who fulfills things, and who does things until they are whole. Don't ever become discouraged thinking that it is impossible to improve. I am learning so much about the Atonement here on my mission, and I know that our Heavenly Father will always provide a way for us to be successfull, and to overcome the world with His help, because He has already overcome it. I'll be helping to prepare for this christmas season here in Uherské Hradiště, the ward is doing a christmas concert, and we're (the missionaries) are going to be a part of it! We'll make sure to get pictures and perhaps some videos too. These members are the best, truly the most faithful people I have ever met in my life, (no offense everyone, but they lived through communism and were baptized in lakes and stuff running away from police and stuff) also, there are red Book of Mormons which were only around during communism, I am trying so hard to find one, and I want to bring it home as a suveneir. If any of you happen to see, hear of, or get one, let me know. Love you all, S Láskou, Starší Dean