I love to see firsthand the changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Ahoj, rodino!!!

I loved getting your email this week - it sounds like your vacation has been wonderful! What a cool experience you're having together. The day with Landon sounds like a blast! Do send pics ASAP. Also, if you could send some pics of Chris and Jenna's new apartment I would love that. How exciting! I have been getting your mail and also received your package last week - thank you thank you thank you! I can't wait to bake those up and have a taste of home. I also loved getting the blog printouts - after planning at night I'll sit down on our sofa or on my bed and read em one after the other. It's way fun to hear how my friends are doing all over the world. What a blessing it is to serve the Lord, no matter where you are in the world! 

So now about this week...yeeeeeeeeeeeah...this week was a little rough. We came out on a super high last week, and this week kept us humble haha. That's usually how the Lord works, right? Anyway, we had a bunch of investigators either drop us or all of a sudden stop answering their phones, which was disappointing. It's always a little sad to see people turn away from the happy and joyous message of the Gospel, but everyone has their agency. But despite being a disappointing week in some respects, in others it was awesome!

First off, I have to say here that I'm amazed at how time flies. It's crazy - I'm approaching my 6 month mark, and it just feels like a moment. And, from all I've heard, it just gets faster and faster. So I'm just trying to make the best of every day and moment I have, soaking everything in and letting it all out in the work of the Lord. I love it here - I really do. 

And, to answer your question, yes, the leaves did change colors, and now it is officially winter in the Czech Republic! haha. It's starting to get nippier, but my trenchcoat we bought before still is enough. In the next couple weeks, though, I'm gonna have to go buy a warmer coat. But all is well! 

And, yes, we did get to watch conference!!! It was SO good! I loved every minute of it, and can't wait to show some of the talks to investigators who couldn't make it to conference to see it. We just watched it with DVD players on the TVs in the building in Olomouc - we watched in English (except for one session for me, see below) in the relief society/game room, and the branch watched it in Czech in the chapel. It was a great experience, and I definitely came away spiritually nourished. I especially loved Elder Holland's priesthood talk - it was just so good. It was fiery, but he gave his talk with a love that was so deep for each member of the church. How grateful I am for apostles of the Lord!

Now, a few cool stories for the week...

First off, we're continuing to meet and work with one of our investigators, which is so cool. It is so refreshing to teach someone who is so willing to learn. We started teaching her with the Erbovi, the senior couple in Olomouc. Senior couples are such a blessing - what Elder Holland said in Priesthood was so true. Them being here is a blessing to us and to everyone in this city. Our last lesson with her was wonderful, and we taught a lot about what the Holy Ghost is and how we feel it. One thing we've been struggling with her about is that she still does not believe in God, which is a huge step to make. But in the last lesson, we were talking more in depth about what she DOES believe, and she said that she believes in a (quote) "Great Spirit" that is around us that helps us. Alma 18 instantly popped into my head, and we opened right up and read it, where Ammon teaches Lamoni by asking if he believes in God. Lamoni answers that he doesn't really know what God means, so Ammon asks him if he believes in a "great spirit", to which Lamoni replies yes. Ammon then says three words - "This is God." It's beautifully simple teaching. So we read that and she was impressed at how simple it was. Starsi Erb then explained that we are made up of a physical body and a spirit, which she 100% agreed with, as her family prays to her ancestors. He then explained that the father of that spirit is God. It was a way cool moment for her - it was silent for a little bit, then she smiled and said "now that's logical." It just clicked with her. We have another meeting with her today, and we're excited to continue talking about God, Jesus Christ, and His restored gospel.

We are also working with two other investigators - We had a good lesson with them last week where we gave them each a Kniha Mormonova - the spirit was strong, and they could feel it. We invited them to general conference on saturday, and one of them came (the other had work or something)!!! She watched Saturday morning session with me in Czech and loved it - she said that she could feel the spirit during the meeting, and especially loved it when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang. So we're hoping that our lesson tonight will go well with them as we talk more about Joseph Smith and the restoration.

We are also continuing to work with two other investigators - we had sports night again on saturday, which was great - one of them even brought his boss who is a 35 year old Czech guy who is super successful, is not a believer, but wants to learn more about God. I think we can help with that haha. But it was great, and we also had a great lesson yesterday with them about obedience. We taught them about the law of heaven and that blessings in the long run come from obeying that law. It was a great lesson, the spirit was strong, and we're moving forward.

Now for the last story of the week that I have time for - this one actually happened just about an hour and a half ago. Last week, we contacted this gal who is from (of all places) Minnesota! We talked with her for a bit, and came to find out that she had a lot of friends in Seattle that were members and had been to church with them a couple times. She is such a fun person - she's in her young thirties, married a czech guy she met in Prague while teaching english abroad, and has decided to settle down in Prerov, a town just outside of Olomouc. She also has a 5 year old son, and is just such a fun person to talk to. She is so funny, and really reminds me of Natalie (Love you, sis! *hugs*...oops, not allowed to do those right now...*handshake* haha). Anyway, we had a first lesson with her and the Erbovi today and it was so cool. She has such a strong relationship with God, and is super sensitive to the spirit. We taught her about our personal relationship with God and also the role prophets play in that relationship. It was a really good lesson and the spirit was so strong. I am so excited to keep talking to her - we have another lesson set up for wednesday. Please pray for her - we know that Moroni's promise will ring true to her if she'll take the step of faith and do what he asks. She just needs that spiritual confirmation that this is right. 

How grateful I am for the gospel and the power it has to change lives and touch hearts. I love this opportunity I have to serve and see firsthand the changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true.

S laskou,

Starsi Mullen

Happy in sharing the message that makes people the happiest!!

Hey, Family! Oh boy, was this week awesome - I just want to jump right in and tell you about it! So here it goes:

The first big news of the week - our investigator in Plzen was baptized and confirmed this week! They had the baptismal service Saturday and apparently it went really well. The spirit was really strong, Starsi Egger said. They did it in the river that runs through Plzen, and he said there were swans all swimming up and down the river. I'll forward a pic starsi Egger sent me. Starsi Egger's greenie, Starsi Osterloh, was the one who baptized him, and President Holub confirmed him yesterday at Church. What a wonderful feeling! I have to admit I was a little sad that I couldn't be there to see it. I would have loved that. But I just laid in my bed on Saturday night thinking "This is what it's all about." I look forward to the day when I can return and shake his hand as fellow brothers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am just so happy for him. I think back to when I first contacted him on the tram...I often think "What if I hadn't talked to him? What if I got scared or shy or something?" It motivates me to talk to everyone. This word is so important. So SO important. And I am so happy to see him coming unto Christ by making sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father. It's the best.

So that was WAY exciting! Good stuff going on in Plzen, even though I wasn't there to see it.

And there's good stuff going on in Olomouc, too!

This week was the most successful week teaching-wise of my mission. We ended up teaching about 21 lessons, and picking up 5 new investigators, which is awesome! A couple cool stories to share from the lessons:

We picked up 2 new investigators in one lesson last week when we started teaching investigators we had contacted before. They're way cool. They're both in their 30-40s I'm pretty sure, and actually contacted us! It was way cool - we were in the building doing weekly planning (we don't always do that, but that morning we both agreed that we should do it in the building that day), and were about to leave, and just as we walked out the door we ran into some of our investigators! They had a little time, so we went back into the church building and started teaching them a lesson. And as we were teaching, we heard a knock on the door - not usual to hear. So Starsi Ingalls goes to answer it as I continue the lesson, and there stood a guy  who was wondering if he could learn English from us and maybe, if it was possible, bring a friend along to learn English and maybe talk about God. ANO, PROSIM! Haha so we set up a meeting for last Monday and it went so great. We taught them English for a bit, then started teaching lesson 1 with an emphasis on prayer. It was great - we have another meeting with them tonight, which I'm way excited for.

We are also continuing to work with two other investigators. We had 2 way cool lessons with them this week, one of which I wasn't there for (I had exchanges last Wednesday with Starsi Peterson). At the first, we taught them about the Restoration again, mainly because he is a lot newer of an investigator than his friend. It was so cool - we had given them a Slovak restoration pamphlet, and they loved it. He was basically teaching his friend all about the apostasy, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon. It was way cool to see. Then, on Wednesday, Starsi Rhodes and Ingalls had an AWESOME lesson with him, in which they got them back on track for baptism. They both had a concern with baptism, because they have been baptised before. But they used pictures of baptism by immersion and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost to explain that this is something totally new for them. Apparently a light turned on in their heads and they just got it. One of them apparently said "What do I have to do to be able to do that?" Way, way cool. We're rescheduling their baptismal dates at our meeting on Wednesday when they return from Slovakia, and I'm super excited for them.

We are also starting to work with the girl who I had a bench lesson with from last week! We taught her on Tuesday and it went really well. She is such a happy person and is so willing to try new things. We focused the lesson on how God is our loving heavenly father, the gospel blesses families, and the importance of prayer. It went really well, and she even said the prayer at the end! We have another appointment set up for tomorrow, and we are praying that she will really feel the spirit as we teach of the restoration of the gospel.These next couple lessons will be crucial for helping her move to really progressing in the Gospel. Please pray for her!

So all is going well here in Olomouc, and it sounds like you're having lots of fun on the East coast, too! What a fun trip you are having! Be sure to give that little boy (and his parents too) a big hug from his favorite stryc! haha

I have gotten the packages from everyone and am currently in the process of getting letters sent in reply! But until I get those mailed, thank you everyone for your love and support and other goodies haha. I love you all, and pray all is well. Know that your Starsi is safe and happy in sharing the message that makes people the happiest!

S laskou,
Starsi Mullen