January 2, 2012
Happy new year, family! No, the world hasn't ended here in the Czech Republic (although we might have thought that due to the lack of people on the streets yesterday...Czechs like their alcohol haha), and I'm happy to be here! Thank you for all of your many emails - I have copied them into a word document and will read them all in depth later today, but I made sure to skim them all. What a fun day Christmas was! I, like you, also loved our phone call. I hope I could give you at least a taste of the Czech Republic and that you could hear how I'm doing through my voice. You even got to talk to Starsi Rhodes for a bit haha! But it was a real treat to talk with you all. And, just in case you were wondering, no crying followed the call - all of us gave each other the update on the fam, then we went and played with the remote control helicopter/cars again haha. It was truly a fun night.
But now it's back to work!!! This week was pretty good overall. We've been picking up some really cool potential new investigators that we are in contact with but don't have a solid meeting set up for this week yet - please pray for them to be able and to have the desire to meet and talk about the gospel.
Our investigators are doing pretty good - one of them is in Italy for the week, so we won't get a lesson with her, but please continue to pray for her. It's kind of nervewracking for us with transfers coming up. President Irwin is predictably unpredictable, and we really don't know what will happen. But just in case I do leave, I have begun passing around my pamatnik (memory journal that Sis. Abinante gave me - thanks Sister A!!! Luv you!) to be written in. But if there is one thing I do know, it's that whatever happens will be for the best and will be exactly what should happen.
Another of our investigators didn't come to church yesterday, which was a big bummer...he brought up a concern last week in one of our lessons that he has joined organizations in the past where it started out all great but after a couple months started getting angry when he didn't do something that he didn't know he agreed to. Because of that, he is scared of the baptismal covenant. We've been teaching everything very clearly and hope he will overcome his concerns. We need more solid priesthood holders in Olomouc!
We had a way cool lesson with two of our other investigators last week. We had another lesson with them on baptism and the importance of the baptismal covenant, and for some reason this time it really hit home with one of them. We taught the restoration with the Gospel Picture book Gram Libby and Sherry sent me for Christmas (thanks, guys!) and it clicked. When we taught about authority to baptize, I pulled out my priesthood line of authority (thanks, tata!) and she absolutely loved it. We commited her to baptism and she got it this time. She said that she wants to learn more before making that commitment because she is an active roman catholic, but is going to read in the Book of Mormon, pray, and wants to visit another baptismal service (hopefully our other investigator's!) to see it. Please pray for her to receive a confirmation from the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of this message - for it is true!
We had a specialized training last Wednesday also, which was great - super focused on working with members and the branch council. Starsi Erb has been such a huge help already in this branch. Sister S. is the relief society president and an english teacher, so she can translate for him in Branch council. Having his experience with leadership in the church is helping leaps and bounds here. It's so true what Elder Holland said - that there is a maturity and experience that a senior couple brings to an area that no number of 19 year old boys can. I am grateful for their presence here, and know that you two will also be a blessing to your mission when you serve (wink wink).
I also gave a talk yesterday in church, which went quite well! It was on using time wisely and setting good goals, and I used a lot of material from Starsi Ardern's conference talk last conference. It was well received by the branch and I got lots of compliments on it. How crazy that I can give a 15 minute talk in Czech?! Miracles happen!
We are going on a vylet (day trip) to a museum with the Erbovi and another couple from the Branch, and are leaving in about a half an hour. We're all wearing our Czech pants (I just got my pair this morning shopping at Globus - they were on sale!) and are going to have a great time.
Know that I love you and pray for you often. I know that this Church is true and what I am doing here is right. How grateful I am for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!
S laskou,
Starsi Mullen
(ps...dum dum!)
But now it's back to work!!! This week was pretty good overall. We've been picking up some really cool potential new investigators that we are in contact with but don't have a solid meeting set up for this week yet - please pray for them to be able and to have the desire to meet and talk about the gospel.
Our investigators are doing pretty good - one of them is in Italy for the week, so we won't get a lesson with her, but please continue to pray for her. It's kind of nervewracking for us with transfers coming up. President Irwin is predictably unpredictable, and we really don't know what will happen. But just in case I do leave, I have begun passing around my pamatnik (memory journal that Sis. Abinante gave me - thanks Sister A!!! Luv you!) to be written in. But if there is one thing I do know, it's that whatever happens will be for the best and will be exactly what should happen.
Another of our investigators didn't come to church yesterday, which was a big bummer...he brought up a concern last week in one of our lessons that he has joined organizations in the past where it started out all great but after a couple months started getting angry when he didn't do something that he didn't know he agreed to. Because of that, he is scared of the baptismal covenant. We've been teaching everything very clearly and hope he will overcome his concerns. We need more solid priesthood holders in Olomouc!
We had a way cool lesson with two of our other investigators last week. We had another lesson with them on baptism and the importance of the baptismal covenant, and for some reason this time it really hit home with one of them. We taught the restoration with the Gospel Picture book Gram Libby and Sherry sent me for Christmas (thanks, guys!) and it clicked. When we taught about authority to baptize, I pulled out my priesthood line of authority (thanks, tata!) and she absolutely loved it. We commited her to baptism and she got it this time. She said that she wants to learn more before making that commitment because she is an active roman catholic, but is going to read in the Book of Mormon, pray, and wants to visit another baptismal service (hopefully our other investigator's!) to see it. Please pray for her to receive a confirmation from the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of this message - for it is true!
We had a specialized training last Wednesday also, which was great - super focused on working with members and the branch council. Starsi Erb has been such a huge help already in this branch. Sister S. is the relief society president and an english teacher, so she can translate for him in Branch council. Having his experience with leadership in the church is helping leaps and bounds here. It's so true what Elder Holland said - that there is a maturity and experience that a senior couple brings to an area that no number of 19 year old boys can. I am grateful for their presence here, and know that you two will also be a blessing to your mission when you serve (wink wink).
I also gave a talk yesterday in church, which went quite well! It was on using time wisely and setting good goals, and I used a lot of material from Starsi Ardern's conference talk last conference. It was well received by the branch and I got lots of compliments on it. How crazy that I can give a 15 minute talk in Czech?! Miracles happen!
We are going on a vylet (day trip) to a museum with the Erbovi and another couple from the Branch, and are leaving in about a half an hour. We're all wearing our Czech pants (I just got my pair this morning shopping at Globus - they were on sale!) and are going to have a great time.
Know that I love you and pray for you often. I know that this Church is true and what I am doing here is right. How grateful I am for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!
S laskou,
Starsi Mullen
(ps...dum dum!)
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