March 22, 2013
Well it sounds like it was
a fantastic family weekend in Granite Bay! How exciting. Please send my
greetings and prayers to everyone there. Isn't family just the best!?
So here are some answers for my favorite family! haha
1) Did you get your Easter Box? How about the cookie box? We think there is plenty to share. Ha Ha!! Just no clues again this year! - Yes, I got both of them, and wowzers! There certainly is plenty to share. Thanks so much. All of the missionaries send their thanks - I gave a box to each district in Praha and HK zones and they were so appreciative of you. Missionary after missionary told me to thank the both of you. Especially Elder B, Elder Coleman's trainee, send his thanks for the pen, Tata. He absolutely loved it and it is a common sight for me to look out at the missionaries at specialized trainings and see them taking notes with a hand-carved olive wood pen. Thanks for that gift to each of them.
2) Do you have any idea whether or not you are staying in Prague? If you are not staying, do you know where you are going? We think you mentioned there are like 5 elders and 6 sisters coming this transfer. Are we remembering correctly? And that two of the sisters are Slovak speaking. How cool is that. - Well, I do know that I'm not staying in Praha, but as for where I'm going, that's not for certain yet. President's final decisions for the transfer will be made tonight and then he, Elder Gabrielsen and I will call all the missionary companionships tonight to inform them of the transfer. You're spot on with the group breakdown, there's 4 Czech Elders, 1 Slovak Elder, 4 Czech Sisters, and 2 Slovak sisters. It'll be a fantastic group and I'm thrilled for them to arrive. One of my favorite responsibilities of being Assistant is getting to pick up and be with the new missionaries that first day.
3) We will be registering you this coming week. We sent you your schedule. Does it look okay? You can decide about art vs english after you get home. We do however need to ask you about Isys. Is your first preference to have it at 930 on Tuesday/Thursday or at 2 pm on Tues/Thurs? It's with the same teacher either way and is the one Chris had and recommended. We will go for your first preference and leave the other as a backup. - The schedule looks fantastic, thanks again for all your work to help me out with it! I'd say for Isys to go for the 9:30 one first to keep my afternoons and evenings as open as possible. I never would have even considered taking an earlier class before my mission haha, but waking up at 6:30 for 2 years does have its effects haha.
4) Any other changes to your schedule that you want? We will register you this coming week! Very exciting! - No other changes, that looks great to me. Thank you thank you thank you!
5) Are the Irwins still planning on coming to the States for conference? We would so love to meet them one day and thank them in person!! - Yes, they are still planning on coming. It'll be a blast for you to be able to meet them - you'll absolutely love them.
6) How are your investigators doing? We got your pictures plus some from sister Munro and a couple from the Martins when you were there in Brno for training. It looks like you had pizza! :) We love these glimpses of your life. You always look so happy, but then you are "our happy boy"! - Our newest member is doing great and the sisters continue to meet with her often to teach the new member lessons. Another investigator unfortunately had to cancel our meeting we had last Sunday but we're still in contact and hopefully he'll come to church. I'm glad you got the photos - Whenever a senior couple takes a picture with me in it, I always wonder how quick it'll be until that picture ends up in your email box haha. That's wonderful and I am so grateful for all the senior couples we have here in the mission. They are a light for the work here.
So this week we have set a high goal and are going for it full speed. We have been mindful of something that Elder Causse trained on when he was here a year ago - that when a companionship can teach 20 lessons a week, baptisms will double. So we decided to really go for it this week and we're totally going to achieve it. We are being so blessed in our efforts to find and teach new people in pursuit of achieving our worthy goals. Let me tell you about a couple miracles:
Go
ahead with the plane reservations for the trip, that'll be a fun trip!
My feeling about the traveling is that probably the easiest and
least-hassle way to do it would be to only sleep over in 2 cities -
Praha and Brno. All the places that we would want to visit are easily
accessible for day trips from one of those 2 cities. As far as the
hotels here in Praha, I haven't a clue as to where is good - sorry I
can't be of help in this area!
How
cool that the Smilanick's ran into the Bohne's (or it might have been
the Ostergaard's) in London. They'll have a wonderful mission there in
Zimbabwe.
So here are some answers for my favorite family! haha
1) Did you get your Easter Box? How about the cookie box? We think there is plenty to share. Ha Ha!! Just no clues again this year! - Yes, I got both of them, and wowzers! There certainly is plenty to share. Thanks so much. All of the missionaries send their thanks - I gave a box to each district in Praha and HK zones and they were so appreciative of you. Missionary after missionary told me to thank the both of you. Especially Elder B, Elder Coleman's trainee, send his thanks for the pen, Tata. He absolutely loved it and it is a common sight for me to look out at the missionaries at specialized trainings and see them taking notes with a hand-carved olive wood pen. Thanks for that gift to each of them.
2) Do you have any idea whether or not you are staying in Prague? If you are not staying, do you know where you are going? We think you mentioned there are like 5 elders and 6 sisters coming this transfer. Are we remembering correctly? And that two of the sisters are Slovak speaking. How cool is that. - Well, I do know that I'm not staying in Praha, but as for where I'm going, that's not for certain yet. President's final decisions for the transfer will be made tonight and then he, Elder Gabrielsen and I will call all the missionary companionships tonight to inform them of the transfer. You're spot on with the group breakdown, there's 4 Czech Elders, 1 Slovak Elder, 4 Czech Sisters, and 2 Slovak sisters. It'll be a fantastic group and I'm thrilled for them to arrive. One of my favorite responsibilities of being Assistant is getting to pick up and be with the new missionaries that first day.
3) We will be registering you this coming week. We sent you your schedule. Does it look okay? You can decide about art vs english after you get home. We do however need to ask you about Isys. Is your first preference to have it at 930 on Tuesday/Thursday or at 2 pm on Tues/Thurs? It's with the same teacher either way and is the one Chris had and recommended. We will go for your first preference and leave the other as a backup. - The schedule looks fantastic, thanks again for all your work to help me out with it! I'd say for Isys to go for the 9:30 one first to keep my afternoons and evenings as open as possible. I never would have even considered taking an earlier class before my mission haha, but waking up at 6:30 for 2 years does have its effects haha.
4) Any other changes to your schedule that you want? We will register you this coming week! Very exciting! - No other changes, that looks great to me. Thank you thank you thank you!
5) Are the Irwins still planning on coming to the States for conference? We would so love to meet them one day and thank them in person!! - Yes, they are still planning on coming. It'll be a blast for you to be able to meet them - you'll absolutely love them.
6) How are your investigators doing? We got your pictures plus some from sister Munro and a couple from the Martins when you were there in Brno for training. It looks like you had pizza! :) We love these glimpses of your life. You always look so happy, but then you are "our happy boy"! - Our newest member is doing great and the sisters continue to meet with her often to teach the new member lessons. Another investigator unfortunately had to cancel our meeting we had last Sunday but we're still in contact and hopefully he'll come to church. I'm glad you got the photos - Whenever a senior couple takes a picture with me in it, I always wonder how quick it'll be until that picture ends up in your email box haha. That's wonderful and I am so grateful for all the senior couples we have here in the mission. They are a light for the work here.
So this week we have set a high goal and are going for it full speed. We have been mindful of something that Elder Causse trained on when he was here a year ago - that when a companionship can teach 20 lessons a week, baptisms will double. So we decided to really go for it this week and we're totally going to achieve it. We are being so blessed in our efforts to find and teach new people in pursuit of achieving our worthy goals. Let me tell you about a couple miracles:
So
after last week, where we literally didn't have hardly any time to
teach investigators, we were both really praying for an opportunity to
help someone at church. As we drove up to the chapel, I saw a
middle-aged lady I'd never seen before walk into the building. So when
we went inside, I looked around and saw her sitting alone in the
chapel. I introduced myself and sat down and we began talking. She is amazing! She told me how this was here
first time at one of our meetings and she decided to come and see what
it was like. She has been searching for a true church since she was in
her 20s and is so sensitive to the spirit. We set up a meeting for this
last Tuesday and it was amazing. She has so many individual beliefs that
coincide perfectly with the doctrines of the church and it was cool
seeing those lightbulb moments for her. She agreed to another lesson
this coming Tuesday and has already been reading the Book of Mormon. At
the end of our lesson we knelt in prayer and she said her first prayer
she's ever said out loud. The spirit was very strong and we are so
excited to see her progress.
So
after church on Sunday we had a lesson with one of the
relatively recent converts we're working with, and afterwards went to
visit a family from Nigeria to drop off a French Book of Mormon they
requested. We didn't get to teach them, though, because the father was
not home, so we continued on and spent some time finding. We walked
around for a bit talking to a couple people and talked with this French
girl who is studying here for a semester. She didn't have
interest in meeting but we wrote down the time of some activities, then
she took a portrait photo of us for a photography project she's working
on, and we parted ways. I'll return to this story later. As we tried to
return to our car, we took an accidental (or so we thought) turn and
met a man who has been living in the Czech
Republic for 20 something years. But he is amazing and it was such a
tender mercy to teach him as he invited us into his office. We're
returning tomorrow and are very excited.
SO
fast-forward to Monday evening. We had just finished some office work
and went to cross the street to the building to go to the YSA family
home evening dinner that the Curtis' host every week. We go to cross the
street and who do we see walking up to the gate? Our recent contact and a friend.
We walked into the building with them, so excited and shocked to see
them actually here, and guess who just "happened" to be there at FHE? ... a French exchange student who is a member. Miracle! We brought him
over and said "We have some French friends for you!" He
was a little confused and stunned at first, but then he managed to get
out "bonjour" and they were off. They had a wonderful experience and are coming for another lesson on
Monday before FHE. It was a testimony builder for me to know that truly
no effort is wasted.
So
then, after FHE, we taught someone who is a real seeker of
truth. We read from the Book of Mormon with him in Alma 32 and there
were times that he read it and was about to comment on it but had
nothing to say. He then said "well, it's true. That's it, I have nothing
more to say. Full stop. Let's move on." How cool to see the spirit work
with him at that moment. We're also meeting with him Monday.
Another
miracle has to do with the branch choir. A recent convert's daughter,
came at the end of church to choir and absolutely loved it. She talked
with the choir director afterwards and promised her to come to church
tomorrow for all 3 hours and to choir afterwards - something that she
wouldn't do as an invitation from us. How cool to see the members doing
missionary work. She is also going with all the YSA to an activity
in Brno for Easter weekend, which will be a wonderful opportunity for
her. I pray that she'll feel the spirit and will continue to be willing
to keep learning. The spirit's working with her for sure!
The
last experience I want to share before I run out of time happened last
Thursday. Plzen branch has moved into a new building and they were
holding an open house for the members and public. President Irwin spoke
with the branch president there, and arranged to have a
missionary choir come to sing a series of short concerts throughout the
open house night. So I got to return to Plzen! How cool it was to see
that branch thriving in that beautiful new building! My first investigator on my mission turned member was there as
well and is still super active in the church. It was cool, though, to
see all the members and when we saw them, I saw a little light of
recognition come on in their faces as they said "you were here before,
weren't you?" Almost 2 years ago that was. Wow.
Čas letí křídly blesku, rodino!
I
love you all so much and look forward to letting you know where I'll be
next transfer sometime next week. My prayers and thoughts are ever with
you. I love you so much, Marmee and Tata. I am so grateful for you and
for all you have done and do for me. I am so blessed to have you as
parents.
Know that your favorite Starsi loves you all, as Heavenly Father and our Savior love us all, and I'm praying for you!
S laskou,
Starsi Mullen
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