January 4, 2016 -- "The very best and the biggest roller coaster ride I have been on."

Ahoj to my Fav Family and Friends,

Thanks soo much for you emails. I can not tell you how much they lift my spirits each week. I love hearing about school, jobs, missions, and your lives. I promise I will try to get to you as soon as possible.

Well this week started out fairly terrible, for me at least. Within two days I had three drunk men attempt to kiss me. Thankfully all three times I had enough time to dodge. I guess sisters have not been in this area that long.  So in there minds my broken Czech probably almost sounded like I was drunk, too, talking about Jesus.  And then I was just so disgusted this whole week dodging their throw-up from celebrating the New year.  Even seeing men laying on the streets from alcohol poisoning. Then I decided something.  That these humans need the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than any humans I am pretty sure.  And even if they try to kiss me, I will just kick or punch them and leave a Resto Pamplete. 

After that I started truly listening to people and realized I could honestly understand (partly) what they were saying.  Czech wasn't just a black hole that was trying to eat me.  It was sooo happy! Then instead of my hobby of planner-making during the hour we get after our nightly planning, I started studying the language.  Then I understood more.  So I started to study it during breakfast, lunch, dinner.

 I finally started understanding people.  But then this whole last week our investigators didn't call us.  No one would even talk to us long enough for me to practice my Czech.  Also before we tract houses we usually leave letters saying when we will be back.  When we went back there while it was snowing there was one of our letters. It looked like it was written on in blood "Ne mam zajem." My least favorite Czech words that mean "I don't have interest"  Wow, it was so hard. I was like, "What the heck are we doing wrong?" Then I read something in this letter thing called the "Riccardo Letter." It said a mission is about doing what you are told, when you are told. Heavenly Father knows where each future investigator lives and their names.  But we need to be trusted servants first. We need to do what is right, even when it is hard and that is how Heavenly Father measures our worthiness. Hard times truly do make you stronger and the Lord knows this and that is why they exist.

The hardness of this past week was all made up by today when all of the sudden our investigators called us back.  Pople stopped to talk to us on the streets.  We set up appointments, got numbers, in the midst of the beautiful snow storm in town square. Serving a mission is the very best and the biggest roller coaster ride I have been on. Anyone who is thinking about doing it. DO IT!

Go to the temple. Also, recycle glass. It is 100° recyclable.

Sestra Baxter