Writing you a little later this week because we had our Zone meeting on Monday and we are so booked that we did not have time to write on Tuesday. This zone conference was so spiritual! Every time President and our other leaders know what we need ! This last meeting we had one of the first missionaries in the Czech Republic come and tell us how he got his call to Austria and then got sent to the Czech Republic. It was beautiful.
Everyday I live or wake up, I feel an overwhelming gratefulness for the opportunity I have to serve here. I used to joke with my companions that the Lord sent me here to love "white" people. I already love asians, latinos, africans, but I was sent here to learn to love white people and I truly am. I love these people! I have started to feel like they are my children, and I think about their welfare all day.I can't even begin to explain the miracles happening in Jihlava. God is with us in this work. I am on an Alma 26 right now.
10.Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work."
11. I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
12. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." We have wonderful investigators, wonderful members, and the people of Jihlava are just super!
Andrew is a soooo awesome. He is a YSA boy and met the missionaries like a year ago, and they gave him a Book of Mormon. We had our second lesson about the Plan of Salvation. He had so many great questions (dinosaurs, evolution, etc.) and is so engaged. A lot of the questions we could not answer. We shared with him that God truly knows everything and that He will answer our questions. He also expressed how he told his girlfriend that he is meeting with us and how she thought that was really weird. (On the mission I have not loved girlfriends of boyfriends because they get in the way of salvation.) We invited him to invite her to our next lesson he said he would try. They came to our English class yesterday!! :) She asked at the end if we would be in a video for her school class and so she recorded us explaining why we were here. She also told us in the video that we could invite the students to meet with us. She took some cards and a Book of Mormon. Also, both Andrew and his girlfriend stayed after for the Intro to Mormonism class. (We started doing the class after English class and have had great questions.) Andrew said before one of his questions in the class, "I am not like you yet, but I am learning!" By the end of the night his girlfriend gave us a hug and thanked us for helping her. Andrew also texted us after and thanked us for being positive and awesome and told us we are doing a great work here. (temple marriage;)
We are working with Veronika. We just had a lesson with her. She said that the Law of Chasity was her only problem with things so far, and also, she works like every Sunday. It really has been hard to figure out times we can meet with her. Also we have discussed about moving her date back so she can be ready. On the good news side, she is continuing to read and to pray. So that is wonderful. We will just have to continue to work with her.
Tomas is another great investigator who we have been working with. We have had some amazing members at his lessons. The first lesson he was really shy and timid. The next lesson was about the same. But the last lesson we had, he talked and asked questions and showed a lot of enthusiasm. He even came back with scriptures that he liked in reading First Nephi! He was really excited about the invitation to be baptized and said he would pray about a date that would work. We have already done the 1st 3 lessons and are going to start working on Word of Wisdom! He has so much time to meet!
We also have seen a lot of progression with one less-active family, the Gunorovi family. The other night they let us in, and all who were baptized were there. (Usually, it's only the mother.) We talked about how that was such a beautiful time in their life, and how they want to start coming to church again. They even gave us permission to come get them/wake them up before church so they will come! Also one sweet girl who lives with them expressed how she would like to start taking the lessons with us.
We also have had opportunities to work with high school students who are very confused as to why we are here and what we are doing. Great service opportunities and so on and so forth.
Sister Heap and I really cannot take any credit for the wonderful things that are happening in this town. I know that it is the hasting of the work of the Savior Jesus Christ. There are no other probable explanations for young adults going around the earth leaving family, friends, animals, their identity. Then there is the realness of the Savior's everlasting atonement. I love Him for He is my strength and my never ending song, and He has become my salvation. I am ever grateful for the opportunity to become new person each week when we take the sacrament. He has provided never ending life with our families in heaven, the freedom from our guilt for sin, and the chance to become more, to overcome our hard times through the enabling powers of his atonement. I love Jesus Christ. In his glorified name. Amen.Pictures of Tracting
The Easter Whipping Tradition Begins
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