Dear News Bringers of the Book of Mormon

 March 9, 2013

Wow, thanks for the great email!  I feel very informed on everything going on at the home front, and thankfully things are going good here abroad in the Czech Republic. I really do love this country - it is so beautiful and the experiences I'm having here make it even more beautiful. 

Thanks for all your  work and info on registration. I am so, so grateful that we made that curriculum plan together - it saves me a lot of headache out here. Thanks so much, Marmee and Christers, for all your work on that front. The classes you picked out look great, would that add up to about 13 credits or so with the Czech class? So I'd still need a credit or so in extras. President Irwin said that a lot of the returned missionaries from this mission take that class together, so that might be a fun one to put me in, with a back up class in case nobody else is taking it. Great idea and thanks for helping me out so much. Is it even possible to have a minor in Czech? Or is there at least some sort of certificate program at BYU to get some recognition for speaking Czech? It would be nice to just have some sort of standardized recognition to put on a resume instead of just subjectively putting "speaks Czech" haha. Anyways, thank you again for all of your help on this. It is such a blessing for me to not have to think about it all so much here and devote more time and mental energy to the work. And what a blessing to have Christers make some professor recommendations! The professors I have will make a big difference in my education - there's nothing quite like a really good teacher. How I respect them after teaching the gospel here. I'll get to the dance classes later, but thanks so much! Also be sure to thank Emmett for me - one more tender mercy! He's such a dear friend and I'm thrilled to room with him this upcoming year. Isn't the Avenues where Chris stayed? I can't remember exactly. But cool!

Jenna, you're in my prayers in the next few week! When I show the picture of all of us together EVERYONE thinks Landon is the cutest boy ever and then when I tell them that you're going to have a baby girl next month (I say "A ona bude mít holčičku!") they think it is the cutest thing ever. I hope and pray all goes well and you'll have to send me pics of my future favorite niece! 

Marmee, I got your letter yesterday about the YW activity you had and it sounded amazing. What a blessing you are to those girls. And it sound like Táta is just doing an amazing job with Gospel Doctrine. I have seen over and over again of the blessing a person can be to the members of the ward/branch when they magnify their callings. Thank you thank you thank you for that. You have to tell Bishop Sebesta that I want a calling that summer when we get back if possible!

How exciting for Peter! In all honesty it feels to me as if time has frozen at home while I've been here. When I imagine all these people I love so much at home, I see in my mind's eye the faces of nearly 2 years ago. It's incredible how time seems to fly and stay still simultaneously.

 So here are some answers to your questions this week!

1 - We will be on the road this week! It will be packed with training. On Tuesday night we're going to Olomouc to have a specialized training for Olomouc zone, then afterwards on Wednesday we drive to Zilina for Slovakia specialized training. After that it's back to Brno where we'll have specialized training on Friday. Afterwards we will be driving a Czech member back to Prague with us, where he will be set apart as a full time missionary! I got to know him well in Brno and he is a wonderful youth there. He will be serving a 2 year mission in the MTC! We're so excited for him. Of course President Irwin will be in all our travels with us, which we are excited for. It's always a blessing to be with him and Sister Irwin so much.

2 - When thinking about classes for next year...Hmm, not sure on this one...280 would be a lot of fun, so that might be my inclination. I got a letter from Kexin that she's looking for a Latin partner next year to compete open with, so it also might be fun to take 285 I think it is (Silver latin) - is there a possibility to sign up for both and drop one this summer when I have more time to think about it? By the way, on this note, please thank Kexin for her letters for me. She is such a good friend and I look forward to seeing her next year.

3 - So one of our investigators is leaving for his home country in about an hour from now. We had a short goodbye lesson with him this morning at his house and he is so amazing. He bought us a tie and some chocolate. I will pray for him so hard. Over these next 2 months I'm sure he's going to have a lot of opposition, but if he follows the spirit as he has so far he will be able to pursue his desires. So he will be back at the end of May to begin his long-term job here in Prague. Until then, we have his email address and we will pray for him.

Another investigator understands the Book of Mormon really well but wants some time to read more of it before meeting again, so we have a meeting set up for a week from Monday. This'll be time for the spirit to work with him, so we're hopeful! Yet another investigator said she'd come to church tomorrow! So that's exciting!

4 - So 3 spiritual experiences this week that I want to share specifically. The first happened on Monday. We went to an address a potential investigator gave us to meet with him and found out from a guy living there that he moved out of that apartment 6 years ago. So we were a bit sad and went around the corner to tract a bit. We rang a few of the buzzers and one let us in. We walked all the way up to the top and there was a guy speaking American english to us. He knew the missionaries it was obvious and after a bit of discussion we asked if he had a Book of Mormon. He said of course! So with that kind of answer we asked the next logical question taken from Elder Perry's conference talk - "Are you a Mormon?" He said "No - but my wife is." How amazing is that? They moved here from New York and his wife is a member. We talked for a bit and will try to set up a meeting with them in the coming weeks. It was such a testimony builder for me, though, that the Lord is mindful of each of us and leads us to those we can help if we're willing to listen to the spirit and be diligent.

The second happened when a lesson cancelled that we had planned in the building. We stood outside the gate waiting for him and contacted people as they walked past. We stopped this way cool girl and talked about how there is a living modern-day prophet. She was way interested and we walked into the building with her and gave her the first presidency message for March in Czech from President Monson. She gladly accepted it and asked if we could meet the following day. We had an amazing lesson with her and she is great! She'll be out of town for the next 3 weeks but said that before she met us she was pondering what book to take and read. She was happy that she found one, and so were we - she probably doesn't even know how much what she will read can change her life. But we're excited to meet with her when she returns.

The third miracle happened on an exchange. This last week I went on an exchange with Elder Knapp in Pardubice. We taught some great lessons and the whole day we had hardly any time for contacting on the streets - but we were constantly on the lookout for those who the Spirit told us we needed to talk to and we got 6 potential investigators! My favorite memory was a text that we received from one of the potential investigators we received who is a nurse. She sent (translated) "Dear news-bringers of the Book of Mormon - thank you for talking with me today. I have a smile on my face now in work. You fell straight from heaven. Thanks and have a good night. " - how cool is that? This truly is a work of miracles, both small and large.

My, I just blinked and realized it's already been another week. The time is going quicker and it's incredible. But I love it and I love you all. Thanks for all you do. I know that God lives and that this is His church and His work. 

S laskou,

Starsi Mullen

(ps. dum dum!)