December 8, 2012
Vánoce, vánoce přícházejí
So the intro is actually the first line of a really popular song for
little kids to sing that is so fun. The first line says "Christmas,
Christmas is coming! Friends, let's sing!" All the YSA here in Praha
remember singing it when they were little kids and it's really funny,
you'll have to try to see if there's a translation into English of the
lyrics! Just a bit of fun Czech Christmas culture for you all.
But yes, Christmas is in full swing! Lots of packages
coming into the office - speaking of which, thanks so much for the
package! I got the big brown open now one and it is wonderful - we're
reading the stories and have set up the charlie brown tree in our
apartment. Such a great time of year to celebrate. And it sounds like
Christmas is all up and ready back home, too! Such fun. The nativity
exhibit sounds like a huge success - what a wonderful activity! I hope
the missionaries used that opportunity to its max to invite
investigators and such. What a wonderful way to celebrate Christ's
birth. I'm glad that our nativity got to be a part, too! And I remember
Sister Wheeler in the MTC - I taught her in the TRC a couple times and I
remember her saying she was from Rocklin. I'm glad the Czech Republic
was well represented!
It sounds like Chris and Jenna will have a fun weekend! Such fun times all around the world. How I love you all!
And
how amazing that Spencer is already back...wowza. Please give him a big
hug from me - what a dear friend. When is everyone else heading home
from our Priest's quorum group? Elder Ferguson and Clift? How exciting
for all of us to be serving missions and then to return and to continue
our missions. The mission never ends - as Elder Holland put it, we have
put our hand to the plow, and we will not turn back.
And SARAH CROFT! Congratulations! I wish you and
_____ (I don't even know your fiancee's name!) all the best, or as we
say in czech, Všechno nejlepší a hodně štěstí (all the best and lots of
happiness/luck)!
On that note, I'll just add in here that we just
attended a wedding today! We've been teaching the boyfriend of a less
active member from Kladno, a city just outside Praha, and he and her
finally tied the knot! He is a wonderful man and will be a good husband - now we just would love him get baptized so they can get
sealed in the temple! It was so cool - at the wedding today (which was
held in the chapel of the church building) the branch
president gave them advice before the marital vows to live according to
the gospel and to have as a goal a temple sealing so their marriage
will not just last "Till death do us part", but forever. It was
beautifully said and we hope that this will be the impetus for him to
really take his investigation of the church seriously. We just got back
from their wedding luncheon in Kladno and it was a good experience to
support them. It's very interesting how Czech traditions differ from
American ones. For example, when they walk into the restaurant after the
wedding they smash a plate on the floor and the couple clean it up
together for good luck. Then the tradition is that they eat lunch and
dinner all together and have basically the entire day in the restaurant.
We left after just the lunch with the Branch President and it gave us some
wonderful time to get to know him better. He is an amazing man and I
absolutely loved that time we had to talk with him and discuss the work
in a very private and personal setting. I stand in awe of how wonderful
these members here are who have built the church through the years and
continue to do so by living the gospel.
OK, so now for a few answers!
1 - Our
Christmas gathering will be on Friday, December 21. We're very excited
for it and are planning everything as it gets closer. This week we are
planning and sending out travel plans for everyone to have so they can
buy their tickets as soon as possible. The program will again have a
Christmas talent show, followed by some Christmas caroling in various
parts of Praha (we'll split the mission into groups and send them out to
sing), then lunch, a mini walk around the park, then a spiritual
Christmas program with some music and talks by President and Sister
Irwin to end the day before we send everyone back out. We're really
looking forward to it!
2 - We aren't 100% on the dates yet, but we will be having 4
concerts - in Bratislava, Uherske Hradiste, Jicin, and Praha. We have a
group of 10-12 missionaries (some are joining in just for a performance
or two) and we have about a 1 hour program or so. We had our rehearsal
for the program last week and it sounded so good! It was so fun to be
there with all those talented singers. Elder Egger is at the piano and
is amazing. I don't have time to outline the whole performance, but I'll
quickly just tell you the songs that I'll be singing: We're doing 4
choir numbers (Joy to the World, Nesem Vam Noviny [a czech christmas
song, in English I think it's translated as Carol of the Shepherds],
Ticha Noc (Silent Night), and Jingle Bells) and I'm also a part of a
quartet and a sextet number. The quartet is of Beautiful Savior with me,
Elder Knapp, Utley, and Meredith and the Sextet is of Good King
Wenceslas with me, Elder Utley and Meredith, and Sisters Izatt, Bowler,
and Barney. They all sound so good and I am so excited for it!
3 - Yes! We had one at our Progression training for new
missionaries and trainers last Tuesday. This past week we had 3
trainings (Progression training, the concert rehearsal, and then a new
district leader training), but luckily they were all in Praha, so not
too much car driving! This next week will be pretty much all in Praha
also, which is a blessing.
4 - Not 100% on the call this year, I assume it'll be the same as
last year since it worked pretty flawlessly for most missionaries. But
I'll let you know more, promise!
5 - So I'll end this email
with just a couple cool experiences with investigators - we have really 4
super solid investigators who we meet with multiple times weekly. One of the families are doing great and are really excited for their baptism at
the end of the month. Another investigator is already in 2nd Nefi and is loving the
BoM, and she's travelling 2 hours from Chomutov to come to church on
Sunday. We taught our young adult investigator the plan of salvation this week and he loved it.
He's also coming to church again on Sunday and is a really cool.
He's very easy to talk to and is very intelligent. He's currently
studying Economics in his college right now, and I know what that's
like! Another of our investigators seems to be doing well, too, and loves coming to church
with her member friend. We're praying for her to have sincere desire to be baptized. We're also
teaching many other peopl and I wish I could tell you
everything, but unfortunately I'm out of time.
Please know that I love you and think of you often. I
love being a missionary at Christmas! May you all feel even closer to
the Savior this year as the time when we celebrate His birth approaches.
What a gift we have received from our Heavenly Father (John 3:16).
S laskou,
Starsi Mullen
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