Week 4 in Praha

Ahoj! This week has been kind of ridiculous. Mom I got your package on Thursday, thank you so much!!! I love it. Wore the shirt yesterday, it's super cute! Oh and I bought my backpack and I love it, it's perfect and happens to be cute as well! Sorry I don't have a picture of it, I'll try to get one for next week. I used my credit card though, just so you know Mom, so you can pay that off. Do you want me to use my credit card or my debit card when I buy personal stuff? So on Thursday I had my first Zone Conference, which was really good. It was embarrassing though, because literally right before it I totally biffed it on the stairs around the corner. Don't worry, I'm fine, just scraped up my knees but then we went straight to Zone Conference and everybody was asking what happened haha. So I got to explain that I tripped on nothing haha. It was funny too, cause that night Sister Bowler did the same thing, not on stairs luckily, but she just totally fell too. It was a super clumsy day I guess, don't know what was up with that. Anyways. Zone Conference was super good though, President showed us a documentary of the assassination of Heinrich Reinhardt, who was the only high-up Nazi to be successfully killed during WWII. He was Hitler's 2nd hand man and was over Czechoslovakia during the war. So the two men that assassinated him it were from here, one Czech and one Slovak who were part of the Resistance, and they were around our age. (We are going to go to the crypt where they were hiding/died when the Nazi's found them today, that will be cool) I know that sounds super random, but I promise he connected it to missionary work haha. One of them wrote as he was leaving England "I've been called on a special mission, and I will carry it out, come what may." So we talked about that, and the attributes those brave young men had, they lost their lives for their country, and were absolutely devoted, courageous, loyal etc. Plus it was helpful to learn more about the history of the Czech Republic--it really helps me with perspective to know things like that. There is a reason that the people here are so guarded, and don't like organizations contacting them--they went straight from a reign of terror during the Nazi's to Communism. So that helps me have more compassion when they are super rude to us on the street, or just ignore us completely. It's so sad, because I know that the gospel would help them so much--and they deserve to be that happy after everything they've been through. On a happier note, it's finally Spring. We had a couple days that were super hot too, it sounds like it's going to go basically from Winter straight to Summer. That meant that I got to go running twice this week in the huge park across the street. That felt soooo good. Ok, people we are teaching--Mom you asked about them. So I think I already told you about Charlah a couple of times, but I can't stop raving about her. I heard her whole story this week--she loves David Archuleta, so when she heard he was going on a mission for his church, she wanted to know what church it was. So she found our website and read everything she could, showed up at the church building and found the missionaries (they thought she was a member at first) at home in Indonesia and told them she wanted to be baptized. So they taught her every day for 2 weeks and then she moved here to Prague for University, and emailed the mission and told us she wanted to be baptized. So our sisters taught her every day for 2 weeks, and she got baptized the week before I got here. So cool huh!?? She wants to go on a mission next year, cause she's 19. It's stories like that that keep me going!! We are getting her started on family history hopefully soon, and she wants to go on the Temple trip this week but has to figure out her visa cause the nearest one is in Germany. So we are hoping she gets that all figured out soon! We have two people with baptismal dates right now, one is Vaclav, he's older in his 50s I think, but has accepted everything we've taught him, including Word of Wisdom, which is hard here cause EVERYONE drinks beer. So we think he might actually make it, it's for May 4th. Then the other one's name is Boky, he's from Macedonia, early 30s I think. He's really cool, really open. He's reading and praying and committed to pray about the Book of Mormon this week, so we'll see! Oh yeah I got a number from contacting all by myself this week! That was exciting. It was super short, he said he didn't have time, so I asked if he had time another day (in Czech) and he said "mozna" which means maybe. He was walking away so I literally ran to catch up with him and get his number haha. He took pity on me and spoke English after that, probably because I was butchering his language haha. But he actually answered his phone when I called, so we are calling him on Friday to set up a time! That was exciting. We have other people we are teaching too, of course, but I don't have time to tell you about all of them sorry. They are all new investigators or potentials, though, not with baptismal dates. Oh one last story, yesterday we were contacting at Dejvicka, but before we got there, Sister Bowler felt like we should get off the tram early. So we did, and walked there instead. And right as we got to Dejvicka after talking to a ton of people that weren't interested, I contacted this Mongolian lady. She was super cool, and is interested in meeting with us. Her number was the only one we got the whole hour and a half, but that's about normal. But if we had just taken the tram there we probably would have missed her, cause she wouldn't have been there at that time. So that was neat. Czech was super discouraging this week, well mostly yesterday I guess. At polar bear Elder Guymon was teaching us this grammar principle that the Slovak Elders call "blby stroj" which translates to "stupid machine" haha. But it's ridiculous. Whenever you use a quantifier (like a lot), instead of using 1st case plural for the stuff after, it changes it to 2nd case singular and makes it neuter, for basically no reason. So that was yet another thing I don't know how to do, which wasn't that great, because I just kept getting reminded all week that I don't speak Czech. And then last night I just totally froze and couldn't say the first vision during our lesson with Boky, I honestly don't know what happened. So Sister Bowler had to save me and I was just so disappointed in myself--I did it just fine my first week here. I know that I'm too hard on myself, but it was rough. So I'm trying to be optimistic, and patient and just trust that the Lord knows what he's doing, and that I can help here, even though I don't speak the language. Your email from last week helped a lot Dad, so thank you! It seems like what took you 3 months in Japan is actually like a year when you are speaking Czech. But I try not not think about that! I know that it only feels like my Czech is getting worse, because I'm starting to understand the gist of what people say, I just need to practice actually saying stuff more. Anyways, sorry to end on that note, it's slightly depressing. But I loved Conference, it was super good, and I needed that boost. Me and Sister Bowler realized the transfer is halfway over this week--so weird!!! I don't know how missions with 6 week transfers do it, it goes by so fast!! She goes home in 4 weeks, and since all the other sisters will be training, that means I have 4 weeks to figure out Czech before I'm probably with someone from my MTC group for next transfer. Aaah! There is still so much to do in our area too. Oh Dad, you asked why we have P-day on Saturday in Prague, it's because we have the office elders in our district and they have to work in the office all the other days of the week. Dad you have a broken finger?? haha wow basketball sounds dangerous! Yeah the branch in Prague is definitely big enough to be a ward, but we have to have a stake first. We have a goal of having one in the next four years, but we need more priesthood. Mom thanks for your letter and filling me in on the news, we heard about the bombing from one of our English class people, but he didn't know that much about it, that's awful. We didn't believe him at first. Sorry I don't have time to respond to everything, but I love hearing from you!!! Ok I have to write the President still, gah there is never enough time to say everything I want to tell you!! Oh well. I don't think I can send pictures today cause the computer isn't recognizing it, but I didn't really take any this week anyways cause we just went shopping for stuff. I should have some from the crypt today though, for next week. Love you all so much!!!! Sestra Cooper