Me, Sister Brimhall, Sister Smith.
January 11, 2012:
Ok, want to hear where I am?!
BRNO! Hahahaah, yep. I'm staying here. Good thing too. I am way too in love with these people to move! The work is just PICKING up. Sister Brimhall and I are seeing miracles, and this last week my Czech started being so much better, and man, it is just SUCH a blessing. I can’t even describe how wonderful it is. AND. I love Sister Brimhall and good thing, too, because WE ARE STAYING TOGETHER! Hollah… but... actually, President decided [to make] us a threesome! Our new companion's name is Sister... SMITH. Hahah, oh my word. (The last Sister Smith is already ENGAGED to her boyfriend whom she had before her mission. Crazy.) AND... this new Sister Smith is a baby in the Mission, so Sister Brimhall and I are team-training her. Well, kind of. We're follow-up training her, because she is in her second transfer now, but there's this new training program which goes for 12 weeks, and so her training is oozing over into our transfer. So yep! That's the story! Man. I am stoked.
Ok, want to hear where I am?!
BRNO! Hahahaah, yep. I'm staying here. Good thing too. I am way too in love with these people to move! The work is just PICKING up. Sister Brimhall and I are seeing miracles, and this last week my Czech started being so much better, and man, it is just SUCH a blessing. I can’t even describe how wonderful it is. AND. I love Sister Brimhall and good thing, too, because WE ARE STAYING TOGETHER! Hollah… but... actually, President decided [to make] us a threesome! Our new companion's name is Sister... SMITH. Hahah, oh my word. (The last Sister Smith is already ENGAGED to her boyfriend whom she had before her mission. Crazy.) AND... this new Sister Smith is a baby in the Mission, so Sister Brimhall and I are team-training her. Well, kind of. We're follow-up training her, because she is in her second transfer now, but there's this new training program which goes for 12 weeks, and so her training is oozing over into our transfer. So yep! That's the story! Man. I am stoked.
Brno sunset from the Church.
This morning we were cleaning and flying like MANIACS around the apartment, because it really is a small apartment, and we were trying to make it work for 3 people. The desk we study at is terrible, but we will make it work... somehow. Haha, we'll try to all fit at it, and then there were only two beds in that bedroom. But I took out the box springs from our beds to make her a fake bed thing, and then we put our foam pads on there, and her bed turned out to be the most comfortable! Haha, so we are all sleeping in a row really close to each other, but I told Sister Smith that Sister Brimhall is half deaf, and I sleep with earplugs, so she's going to be the only one who can hear the heavy breathing five inches away… hahahahahah, oh my gosh. I love my life! I love my mission, and I love Brno. I really do. I love these people so much. I can’t even begin to describe it. I just love them. I love watching the Spirit work on people. I love that I know my trams and my busses, and I love that I can talk to people in stores and get around with the little language ability I have. I love feeling like I am being a tool for my Heavenly Father. I love His Son Jesus Christ. I love that this Brno Branch is benefitting from the combined talents of my companions and I that Heavenly Father blessed us with. I love it.
Sister Brimhall, me, Elder Durrant, who is being transferred back to Slovakia.
Last interview I had, President told me that he doesn’t like putting greenies in Prague or Brno, because everyone speaks English with us, and your Czech doesn’t improve very quickly. Boy, have I felt that. In comparison, (don’t ever compare, it's bad, because the word ‘compare’ is a black line with the word ‘pride’ above it and the word ‘depression’ below it, hahaha) to other missionaries my "age" I noticed that since they were serving in smaller cities they were teaching in Czech only, and I was teaching a lot in English... but anyway so President said that he'd probably move me, since I'd already had almost 2 transfers in Brno, but hey! I am here again. Someone must need me or something. I hope. Anyway, I am here. And our 15-[phone number] contacting day has given us so many potentials, and we are TEACHING! I used to spend all the days out on the streets, and now we are TEACHING. Teaching is the best thing in the world. I love it! And I am improving, and I just love watching people change. I told Sister Brimhall when our teaching pool started growing that heartbreak was up ahead. I know it probably is. And well, whenever you open your heart to someone or something, your heart is in prime condition for getting broken. I have learned that when you don’t just open your heart wide open, though, that you miss out on a lot of good experiences, and you never truly live life to the fullest. So we are opening our hearts out... but let me tell you. Sister Brimhall and I both cried one night...and I'm not a big crier unless something is really important to me and falls apart, and neither is she...
All last week I had nightmares about [an investigator]. Maybe not nightmares per say, but I'd just wake up CONSTANTLY and have thoughts for him or just have bad feelings or whatever. Haha, I even woke up one morning with a note scribbled on the back of my hand I'd forgotten I'd done during the night, since I could only find a pen in the dark with my eyes closed and no paper. So I wrote on my arm. It was great. Anyway, SO. I kept feeling like we needed to call [this investigator], our miracle investigator, and I'd talk it over with Sister B, and we'd end up texting him instead. He stopped responding like he used to, and you know when you're in a relationship, and they start acting just the TINIEST bit different, and you know immediately something is up? Yep. That's how I knew. So one night I told Sister B that I was waiting NO longer, and so I stole the phone and called [him]. Man. That was an intense conversation. [He] is a GOOD good man. He really takes things to heart. He loves God, and he loves people around him. He had read in the Book of Mormon that those that do not get baptized (let me just add in here with the proper authority) will be damned. It just ate at him and ate at him. He stopped reading the Book of Mormon, which we weren’t aware of. Sister Brimhall tried everything to comfort this man, and I was just praying, nothing else mattered, and while we spoke to [this investigator], my soul was just pouring out in prayer to Heavenly Father. I felt so connected to Heaven right then, and I just knew that God knew exactly what was happening. And then finally Sister Brimhall said, "Those people who don’t get to hear this gospel on this earth will have a chance after death." It was exactly what he needed to hear. "Po smrti?" he asked. That's what was eating at him. He didn’t understand the plan of salvation. We hadn’t taught it properly or something. There was a hole, but the Spirit helped Sister Brimhall fill it. She gave him Alma 42 [to read] and hung up. She started sobbing, and then when we prayed together I started crying. But it was a good cleansing cry. The Spirit was with us, and the apartment felt like it was on fire that night. It was an experience I won't forget. And [our investigator] is reading the Book of Mormon again, and through his texts you can just feel light again. The gospel really does radiate joy and happiness. And no wonder, it's Christ's, and He is the Light of the World.
Another neat thing this week was we got a referral from a youth. This youth called us and said, "I HAVE A FRIEND WHO WANTS TO MEET! SISTERS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?!" And boy, did this friend want to meet. I love her. Just love her. She is so prepared. I am SO blessed to be staying here. Also...
[Another investigator] is back! We got a text on Sunday saying, “Sisters, I’m so tired, I’m so sorry I didn’t come to church, but I got home late from my trip last night so that’s why I wasn’t there.” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I was so happy! He wanted to come to church!!! All by himself without us asking! He said he wanted to meet! We were worried that the trip would make him forget this a little bit, but he came right back. Anyway, keep him in your prayers, he is just fantastic.
Another neat thing this week was we got a referral from a youth. This youth called us and said, "I HAVE A FRIEND WHO WANTS TO MEET! SISTERS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?!" And boy, did this friend want to meet. I love her. Just love her. She is so prepared. I am SO blessed to be staying here. Also...
[Another investigator] is back! We got a text on Sunday saying, “Sisters, I’m so tired, I’m so sorry I didn’t come to church, but I got home late from my trip last night so that’s why I wasn’t there.” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I was so happy! He wanted to come to church!!! All by himself without us asking! He said he wanted to meet! We were worried that the trip would make him forget this a little bit, but he came right back. Anyway, keep him in your prayers, he is just fantastic.
Me, Jana, and the Brno Branch President.
Also... we had a baptism last Saturday. Not my investigator, but it's the lady named Jana who invited us over for Christmas. She is darling, and is going to do SO MUCH good for the gospel. She is a rock star, and it was beautiful! She is so funny. She thought the baptismal dress was ugly, so she... made some alterations. She looked like a Greek goddess, she was beautiful.
Anyway, time's out, I'm so sorry! It just flies! I love you all! Thanks for all you do for me. I love you, I love you, I love you!
Love,
Satu
Love,
Satu