Greetings From Olomouc!!

Ahoj, rodino!!!

So here I am, typing you my first email from area 2 - Olomouc! I'm super excited to be here, and feel it a privilege to serve in this beautiful city. I am serving with Starsi Ingalls, who is awesome and a super stud missionary. K, but for now, I'm going to start with my last week in Plzen and then I'll tell you more about my amazing new area!

K, so last week in Plzen was fantastic. First, I want to tell you the biggest and probably coolest story of the week.

Remember in my first email when I talked about two investigators we met, and then how we totally lost contact with them? Well, that was a way bummer, and we thought they were just ignoring us. But last Monday, after I sent my email off to you, we went to a park with the other elders to climb this giant spider web thing (picture will follow in due time, almost have another one all filled up haha) and guess who we saw in the tram? One of those investigators! She came up to us and said hi and was super happy and excited to see us. She said that they got a new phone, and that’s why we couldn’t get a hold of them. But she went to the park with us, climbed the giant spider web, and then we invited her to our Game Night program on Thursday - she said that she couldn't remember the new phone number, but would text us. (that made me kinda nervous, because usually people don't text back...) But we trusted that she would. Tuesday came and went. Wednesday too. No news. I was kinda heartbroken again. But then, at around 3 on Thursday, she sent us a text - "5:45 at the tram stop, right?" - in Czech of course - I was ecstatic. She came to the game night, read from the KM for the spiritual thought, played UNO, sang a hymn with us, got to know some other young people in the Church  - it was sweet. Then, Thursday night I found out I would be leaving Plzen, which I was kinda sad about. I had just come to love those people so much, and kinda selfishly didn't want to leave haha. But anyway, Starsi Egger found out he is training yet again, which is cool - so he's staying in Plzen Lochotin with another Greenie. And in our mission facts, guess what I saw? The name of our investigator under the "investigators with Baptismal dates" section in Plzen. Oh mylanta, I am smiling so big right now. I pray she will continue, and am so excited for her, even from across the country.

K, so on Friday we had my last lesson with our other investigator we have been teaching, which was way cool - he has been taught everything except tithing and has accepted it all - he is so cool, and I am way excited for him. He is excited too, which is even better. I also got to say goodbye to our young adult friend in the ward, which was kinda sad. She was sad when she found out I was leaving, and wrote such a touching entry in my mission journal. Tell SIster Abinante thank you again for that gift!

I will definitely miss Plzen. It will always be a city close to my heart, and will probably call myself a Plzenak haha.

But now for OLOMOUC! I am so psyched to be here with Starsi Ingalls. Unlike Lochotin, which we basically had to build from the ground up, Olomouc south already has an awesome foundation, thanks to Starsi Ingalls and his companions. We have 3 investigators with baptismal dates, and 2 of them came to Church yesterday, which is way awesome. Olomouc is a way historical city and has so many amazing Kostely and statues/monuments. Plus, they have the famous Olomouc ties, which I'm excited to buy haha. Anyway, I took a train ride on Saturday from Plzen to Praha and Praha to Olomouc. I got in at about 2 and was greeted by my new district. They're awesome. There are 4 missionaries here in Olomouc, Me and Starsi Ingalls and Starsi Peterson and Rhodes. All of them have about a year and a half in the country, so I definitely have a lot to learn from each of them about missionary work and about Czech! It's so exciting to be here though (yes, I know I've probably typed that like 50 times before, and probably yet will haha).

We drove to our new apartment, which is right in the middle of the city - way nice. We can walk most places and it only takes like 5 minutes walking to get to the church building. What a contrast to the 30 minute walk/tram ride from Lochotin in Plzen! So that's definitely nice. Our apartment is bigger, too, which is awesome.

Starsi Ingalls is from Minessota (butchered that one...) and is an awesome elder who is way on top of things. He has an amazing relationship with the branch and branch president already, and is the Elder's Quorum President. Also, kinda crazy, he was Elder Egger's follow-up trainer, too here in Olomouc. So I'm kind of walking in my trainers footsteps here...literally haha. He loves tennis and plays guitar, and is just such a confident missionary. I definitely have a lot to learn from him, and am way excited to serve with him this transfer (and maybe beyond). This will be his third transfer in Olomouc, and I count it a privilege to be here.

So yesterday we had church, which was cool. We have a huge primary program and a decent relief society/priesthood group (there were about 30 people at church yesterday) - and nearly no YM/YW/YSA. Kinda sad. But we do have a young adult who is 19 and is way cool. She was baptized only last transfer and is an awesome addition to the branch. I'm way excited to get to know her better.

Also, I have to tell you about the one of the families in our branch. The husband is just such a cool member. He is someone who has the right attitude of missionary work. I talked with him for a little while before church, and told him I had heard so much good about him from Starsi Egger, and that he was awesome about teaching with us. He told me that the Prophet said that members have to do their part in helping the work move forward, and so he is happy to do whatever he can to help us out. Starsi Ingalls said he is the kind of person who you can call an hour before you have a lesson (if one is set up last minute) and he'll be there - perhaps 5 minutes late, but he'll ALWAYS be there. How cool is that. If every member had that kind of attitude, the church here would be growing like mad. He is way awesome, and I'm excited to get to know and serve with him more. We are having a family home evening/RCLA lesson with members in the branch tonight, and I am just so excited. His wife is a hoot - she reminds me of Sister Rose. I love it. They also have these two little twin boys, who are little firecrackers - every time they see the elders, they shout at the top of their lungs "Bratri!!!" and run and tackle us. They're a hoot.

I've met 2 of our investigators so far. Both are in their 40s or 50s - and one was a referral from another investigator. Please pray for them. We had a lesson with one of them last night, and he is an interesting person with an amazing heart. He was homeless, and said one day he just decided to stop drinking and turn his life around. He has an apartment now, and is getting by. In our lesson, we read the baptismal covenant in Mosiah 18 with him, where it talks about mourning with those that mourn, etc. We read all the way through the verse that talks about the people clapping their hands for joy and saying "this is the desire of our hearts" - and without saying anything, he just said that this is the desire of his heart too. He REALLY wants to get baptized. It's way cool, and caught me off guard. Even Starsi Ingalls, who only has 3 transfers left on his mission, has never heard somebody be so excited for baptism. He might have a problem with smoking though, so pray for him. We're excited to continue teaching him, though.

I'm glad you got my SD card and enjoyed it. I'll send the next one as soon as it's full.

Anyway, the people here are wonderful and have great spirits, and I'm way excited to be serving here. My heart will ever be with Plzen - and now my heart will ever be with Olomouc. That's one thing about being a missionary that I love - Love. I feel like it's just endless here. I love every person I meet (their whole package, Marmee!) - every member,  every investigator, every contact. It gives me a taste of the love that our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ must have for us. It's endless. The more I give, the more I receive. It's a miracle and a blessing.

I am looking forward to another wonderful transfer here in Olomouc. What a wonderful message I have to share!

S laskou,

Starsi Mullen