Sister Brimhall laughing at my claw.
February 6, 2012:
As we all know, there is opposition in all things
This morning Sister Smith was off getting a haircut, so I decided to get bangs. You know. Something new and whatever. How hard is it to explain bangs in a language you don't speak? Weeeelllll... I am now rocking a CLAW on my forehead. Aaahaha, I made Sister Brimhall just cry laughing when we got home, because I was walking around the apartment acting like my claw was the best thing in the world. Plus this morning they both told me I dress somewhat like a pioneer out here, so I'm a pioneer with a claw. It's quite fancy you know. I hope my bangs will tame down in the next week or soo... hold on. I should upload a picture. Just a sec...
As we all know, there is opposition in all things
This morning Sister Smith was off getting a haircut, so I decided to get bangs. You know. Something new and whatever. How hard is it to explain bangs in a language you don't speak? Weeeelllll... I am now rocking a CLAW on my forehead. Aaahaha, I made Sister Brimhall just cry laughing when we got home, because I was walking around the apartment acting like my claw was the best thing in the world. Plus this morning they both told me I dress somewhat like a pioneer out here, so I'm a pioneer with a claw. It's quite fancy you know. I hope my bangs will tame down in the next week or soo... hold on. I should upload a picture. Just a sec...
From left: Sister Brimhall, Sister Smith, Sister Ostergaard, and I.
Ok, I uploaded a few. One of us eating fantastic Czech food at this restaurant we are going to when you come here to get me in Brno. It's fantastic. And then there is a picture of us in front of this statue in Brno with Sister Ostergaard, the Slovak senior missionary. She came down with her husband for the conference, and we [talked to people] with them for an hour. Way fun. The statue is this big steel man lifting up a steel block. During the summer there is water squirting out from under the block, and it's representing the end of communism. Communism being the rock and freedom being the water. Anyway, so it's a cool statue. Very symbolic. And haha, so one day it just dawned on me, and I stopped Sister Brimhall and I said, “Hey, that guy could be Joseph Smith lifting the rock up. We should put Books of Mormon with flashlights in that hole and do a street display.” Aaaahah, I don’t think President would approve, but now you kind of have a visual. We're somewhat blocking it though. I'll try to get a better one.
This week definitely had its ups and downs. I'll start with the downs. You know, get them out of the way:
I tried to talk to [one of our investigators] a little, and he stopped reading and praying. We haven’t had a lesson with him for five days now when he last week said he wanted to meet every day. Anyway, so keep him in your prayers. He sure is in mine.
[Another investigator] didn’t come to church with us, and didn’t respond to our invite. Stopped reading the Book of Mormon this week. GOODNESS! Satan must be working really hard because we sure are, and we have YET to do more than he is doing. P.S. on a side note: how does that work? Isn’t work a godly principle? So does Satan work hard? I think so... but....?
[Another investigator]: hasn’t answered texts all week.
[Another investigator]: also hasn’t answered texts or calls. SIGH...
This week definitely had its ups and downs. I'll start with the downs. You know, get them out of the way:
I tried to talk to [one of our investigators] a little, and he stopped reading and praying. We haven’t had a lesson with him for five days now when he last week said he wanted to meet every day. Anyway, so keep him in your prayers. He sure is in mine.
[Another investigator] didn’t come to church with us, and didn’t respond to our invite. Stopped reading the Book of Mormon this week. GOODNESS! Satan must be working really hard because we sure are, and we have YET to do more than he is doing. P.S. on a side note: how does that work? Isn’t work a godly principle? So does Satan work hard? I think so... but....?
[Another investigator]: hasn’t answered texts all week.
[Another investigator]: also hasn’t answered texts or calls. SIGH...
From left: me, Sister Smith, Sister Brimhall, Sister Ostergaard.
OK, SO ENOUGH OF THAT! Miracles also happen, because as we all know, there is opposition in all things!
1- Mommy's fantastic Valentine’s package came! Thank you so much! Ah, I was just dying for good chocolate. Thank you, it was divine! And I totally SMOTHERED the apartment with those [heart shaped] doily things. It said only eight were in the package, but if you looked closely, you could tear them apart into layers... I got about thirty out of the package. Bahahaha. The Sisters say it's tacky, I say it's MAGNIFICENT. All over the walls. Happy Valentine’s Day. I also was nice and let them have some of my candy corn, even though candy corn is my favorite. Thanks for the package :). And Yak even sent me a REAL letter that was more than a sentence long! That was fantastic! Thanks little one!
2- We randomly got this text on Wednesday saying, “Hi, can we meet, and can I bring a friend?” Haha, we didn’t know who on earth this was, but of course we said yes! The next day we met up with a young girl [who studied the gospel before] who just felt like learning again. Fantastic! Alrighty! We're getting her started on the non-smoking program we have here, and I asked this member who stopped smoking using that program to teach it with us, so I hope that turns out well. So pray for [her]! I hope she makes it! I will do everything I can to help the process! Heavenly Father will do the rest, after she uses her agency to change her life. (Isn’t mission work great?)
1- Mommy's fantastic Valentine’s package came! Thank you so much! Ah, I was just dying for good chocolate. Thank you, it was divine! And I totally SMOTHERED the apartment with those [heart shaped] doily things. It said only eight were in the package, but if you looked closely, you could tear them apart into layers... I got about thirty out of the package. Bahahaha. The Sisters say it's tacky, I say it's MAGNIFICENT. All over the walls. Happy Valentine’s Day. I also was nice and let them have some of my candy corn, even though candy corn is my favorite. Thanks for the package :). And Yak even sent me a REAL letter that was more than a sentence long! That was fantastic! Thanks little one!
2- We randomly got this text on Wednesday saying, “Hi, can we meet, and can I bring a friend?” Haha, we didn’t know who on earth this was, but of course we said yes! The next day we met up with a young girl [who studied the gospel before] who just felt like learning again. Fantastic! Alrighty! We're getting her started on the non-smoking program we have here, and I asked this member who stopped smoking using that program to teach it with us, so I hope that turns out well. So pray for [her]! I hope she makes it! I will do everything I can to help the process! Heavenly Father will do the rest, after she uses her agency to change her life. (Isn’t mission work great?)
Sister Brimhall, Sister Smith and I eating at a favorite restaurant.
3- Elder Causse came to town. It was a really great conference with him. He taught us for almost six hours on Thursday. He also gave a fireside on Wednesday to the branch members and investigators who came. The training was great, and I got to shake his hand, and then he called us to the front for one part. Hahah, oh it was fun. I took a lot of notes. Anyway, he then said that what percent of these people do we think have been PREPARED by angels to accept our message. He said, “Well, let's just see what it would mean if .1 percent of people here were prepared and totally ready to hear our message, what that would mean? Point one percent.” Bah. That's a TON. So my question is where on earth ARE these people?! I'm sifting... sifting.... MAN. I gotta get to work! Keep praying for us. Blah! Much to do. Much to do. And Andrew keeps asking me if there are any native missionaries here. The answer is no, none. We are all American. Except for one Italian who just came in and two English men. And then me supposedly. I guess since I have an EU passport I'm considered one of the foreign missionaries, which cracks me up since I came from PROVO Utah. Haha, but I'm down. Anyway, so no natives, so our language is limited and everything. There are only 3 Czechs on missions at the moment, and they are all in England. So yep! But I have a feeling I will see a lot happen in this little place in my lifetime. The gospel is true, and Elder Causse called us pioneer missionaries. There is SO MUCH work just going into prying the members to do their callings, traveling for hours trying to just LOCATE less actives, and then filling in when callings aren’t getting done. But hey, God called us here, and as Nephi says.... there's a way [1 Nephi 3:7]. Just got to be in tune [with the Holy Ghost] and keep working to figure out what that is exactly.
4- Mommy, I'm SO HAPPY Sister Francis called you! I'm glad my letter got to her in one piece, and I'm so glad she called you!! You HAVE TO HANG OUT WIT HER! And then send me pictures :). She'd LOVE it.
5- We have a new [Senior Couple]! I adore them. The Martins. I REALLY like old people. I just adore them! I am so happy they are here. Life is so much better with variety. I'll try to send you pictures next week. Don’t have any yet.
6- This last week was rough on our companionship. Lots of built up tension. Don’t know what exactly was going on, but we had a companionship inventory last night, and I have a testimony that they work. We are all totally happy now, and Preparation Day can be great once again, haha, so I think I'm going to include companionship inventory into my future marriage. It works. Haahahah.
7- Peanut [the goat] is the biggest missionary tool. Everyone just dies when they see his picture. It cracks me up.
Well, time’s up again. I love you all! Thank you for ALL YOU DO. Seriously, I'm so GRATEFUL! Thank you. Also, Mommy and Daddy, you're going on a Senior Mission, right?!
Love,
Satu
4- Mommy, I'm SO HAPPY Sister Francis called you! I'm glad my letter got to her in one piece, and I'm so glad she called you!! You HAVE TO HANG OUT WIT HER! And then send me pictures :). She'd LOVE it.
5- We have a new [Senior Couple]! I adore them. The Martins. I REALLY like old people. I just adore them! I am so happy they are here. Life is so much better with variety. I'll try to send you pictures next week. Don’t have any yet.
6- This last week was rough on our companionship. Lots of built up tension. Don’t know what exactly was going on, but we had a companionship inventory last night, and I have a testimony that they work. We are all totally happy now, and Preparation Day can be great once again, haha, so I think I'm going to include companionship inventory into my future marriage. It works. Haahahah.
7- Peanut [the goat] is the biggest missionary tool. Everyone just dies when they see his picture. It cracks me up.
Well, time’s up again. I love you all! Thank you for ALL YOU DO. Seriously, I'm so GRATEFUL! Thank you. Also, Mommy and Daddy, you're going on a Senior Mission, right?!
Love,
Satu