Saturday, March 25, 2017

Week 2 - Prague

Well this week has almost been as crazy as the first! Church last week was awesome! Really fun members, and member missionary work is in full swing! There is a family From Utah that is here. Both of them served missions here about 24 years ago, and the fathers parents are Czech. They lived here about 10 years ago for their older children to learn Czech and now they are back again for their younger children to learn and they are incredible member missionaries! Every Sunday they have an inspirational night at their house. They called 5 new ward missionaries about 2 months ago. And every week they are supposed to bring a friend to this nights. We play games and things and then have spiritual thoughts. They have it structured out so the people there for the first time learn about god and things. 

Then we are supposed to set up with them during the week. To make the transition the Pohorelciti invite us to teach at their house which is the third story of the church building! So its pretty awesome! Most of our investiatiors are from this! Last Sunday there was also a family from Florida. They had two boys.. Both played water polo. Got to talk to them for a while. There mom got baptized about 3 months ago and they are still investigating. Pretty cool! 
Sunday night at 9 finally got everything for standards and hit standards! Then had call ins and a long night. Monday we had a meeting with Kristina, who is from those inspirationlanights. We taught with sister Pohorelicka and taught about Jesus Christ, Repentance and Baptism. She now has a baptismal date for the 29 of APril! We had a lesson with Michal covering the last things before his baptism today!

We had MLC all day on Tuesday and then started an exchange! Lots of great things coming! We are planning a lot of things for Easter! We had a lesson with a guy named Destiny that night fro Nigeria. We went really in depth into the authority and church of God. Elder Trythall and i taught together. He just replaced me in Slovakia. Wednesday we got a new sticker in our car! There's a picture below! Had a good exchange! some more lessons and things. Last lesson with Michal! Thursday we had a long planning meeting with president. Then went and had lunch and played games with the family from Florida. Shared a Message about god. It went really well! That night we had some member visits. Yesterday we were in Brno for Progressive training with all the new missionaries and it was a lot of fun! 

Today is Michal's Baptism! Its gonna be so cool! I was here in Prague 8 months ago on an exchange when we taught him his first lesson. He is also a referral from a member. And now i am here for his baptism. Things are going really well! Its pretty busy but it is great! Hope things are well! Love ya

Vaclavske Namesti

I forgot to mention we went tracting and it was blowing wind and freezing...
Our car
The mission office

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Week 1 - Prague, Czech Republic

Well, this week has been one of the craziest yet! AS I mentioned last week I got here and went straight into a meeting with president. Last Monday we had a meeting with a guy who is preparing for baptism. His name is Michal. I actually know him. When i was serving in Brno i was here in Prague on an exchange and we taught him for the very first time. This time we taught him at a members house and he had his baptismal interview yesterday and is getting baptized next Saturday! Pretty cool!

But after that we had a fireside Monday night with all the trainers, and missionaries going home at president's house, we then had call ins with zone leaders and got home about 1015. We had a good morning Tuesday, a meeting with president, and then went to the airport to pick up the new missionaries. Ten of them came. It was a lot of fun! We ended up getting a little lost on the way back but eventually made it. We took them all on a walk around Prague, keeping them awake and wearing them out. We had dinner with them, told them about the mission, and then took them contacting for the first time. We dropped them off at the place they were staying and got home late. Then early up Wednesday morning. Picked all the new missionaries up at 7. We had breakfast with them and the  trainers and had a meeting where they all got assigned areas. We then had to take them to the notary, and get them legal in the country. There are no office elders so we are in charge of the visa stuff as well. Finally we had a little time to go and talk to people before having the departing missionary dinner and testimony meeting. It was a pretty fun dinner but sad night. Then up at 3 Thursday morning to take the missionary to the airport. Pretty weird to send them off. We got back to the mission home at 6 and we got to take an hour nap. We had district meeting and district finding, before having a meeting with president preparing things for MLC. We had a meeting with an investigator from Ghana and had a lot of work to get done after that. Friday we had a call meeting with all the new district leaders and then had some time to find before going to Stamberk. That is the place where we had the mission conference during Christmas. They had a two day retreat thing for new members of the last year, as well as a family history conference. We were there to support and help. And it was a blast. So much fun to see lots of members and people from all my past areas. It was a blast, We slept there and then this morning came back to Prague. IT has been a crazy week. Lots going on but it has been great. I am already exhausted but we just keep on going. Hope all is well! 
S Laskou,

Monday, March 13, 2017

Week 19 - final week in Bratislava, Slovakia

Well, this week has been a crazy last week to the transfer. I can work backward. My time in Slovakia has come to an end and I am emailing from the Czech republic. It is weird to be back! I will be serving in Prague!! And I'll be serving as AP. It's gonna be a fun transfer! IT has started busy! Left this morning at 6. Got here at 11. Had a meeting right away and now working on things for new missionaries this week! Being in Prague means that my pday is now on SATURDAYS. So that's how it will work. 

But the rest of the week has been great! Tuesday we had a potluck dinner with a member which was great! This week I finished reading PMG in Czech. It was a transfer challenge for the mission. Wednesday we were contacting in a park and saw some people throwing around a football. We ended up playing some catch with them which was pretty fun! For mutual this week we carved soap with the young men and on Saturday went bowling with them! We met a really cool guy from Sweden on the street and wanted to meet! We had a couple first lessons and ended up planning for 27 people in weekly planning. A lot has changed in the area over the last 4 months. 

Thursday we went to the Bratislava Philharmonic which was really good! Then transfer call day rolled around. at about 9 we were in personal study and couldn't focus anymore. It was almost like we knew the call was coming. About 5 minutes later president calls. President says" Starsi Hanis, you know I love you right?" I said "Maybe" It will be great to serve around him. Sunday we were in Nitra doing the last of the missionary firesides! I had packed a suitcase and given it to president so it was a pretty nice transfer today. Sunday night we went to the senior couples for dinner. They had a new apartment and we tried to walk there. We looked on the map and said just go along the river, past the graveyard and then up the hill. It worked great until one of the roads didn't exist. They ended up having to come and pick us up and rescue us! IT was a great transfer and this week is starting fast! Hope things find you well! Love you!



Monday, March 6, 2017

Week 18 - Bratislava, Slovakia

Well this has been a great week and one of the more exhausting! Last Monday we had a cool experience! We went to a castle with our district and a group of three people asked us to take their picture. We ended up talking to them for a while and as a district we ended up teaching about the whole restoration of the gospel! IT was fun having 5 companions all of a sudden. You always knew you could be quiet and someone else wanted to say something!

Tuesday was a good day. We had just finished getting our exchanges finalized. One starting Tuesday night to Wednesday, other missionaries coming Thursday and us going to Nitra to be with those missionaries on Friday when the phone rings and its our lawyer in Slovakia. The new missionaries have to get their visas and it didn't work that morning. She said we need two people to go and wait starting at 8 pm that night.. and stay until 5.. Lets just say the day seemed to go by pretty slow. we had one lesson on plan and before it we went home and suited up, Two pairs of long johns, two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves, two hats, a winter coat, blanket and some hand warmers. We then went to the building and had the missionaries who we should have been starting an exchange with teach us and then we left for the foreign police. We got there at 7:45 pm and were the first two people. a minute later someone else got there. In thirty minutes we were 4. In three hours about 20 and by 4 in the morning about40. They can usually do between 30 and 40 people a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

It was quite the experience. WE came prepared. Elder Mueller and i brought pictures, told stories, we brought a chess board and then started playing chess with people there. Most of them don't speak the greatest Slovak either. Most are from Ukraine, and 4 were from Korea. WE read PMG, and at about 2 when they all started drinking and smoking we kept to ourselves. IT was a long night! The greatest sight was other missionaries showing up at 4:45 and we could switch. WE went home and slept until 9 then started our exchange again. WE had mutual that night and brought our car and did it about cars.

Thursday we had fun exchanges with two missionaries from Zilina. They have been together for almost 4 months and hadn't served outside their area. So we had them come a day early (One of them also had to do some legal things Friday) And worked with them. We actually switched with who we were half way and had a great day. Friday morning we got up and went to NITRA we did a fun finding display. WE took tables and chairs and invited people to learn about us in a minute. We tried lots of fun things and stayed there on an exchange with missions. I was with Elder KAtrnak who is from the Czech republic which was a lot of fun.

Sunday was a great fast Sunday. As a zone we were fasting to find families. We had a great dinner with a family and a good lesson with one deaf member! IT has been a crazy week and now its the last week of the transfer! So well see what happens next week! Hope things are well! Love ya