Week 5 in Praha

Ahoj! This week was good. Super busy. We are really excited for next week cause we have 21 lessons planned, which is the mission goal for each companionship to have. So hopefully we make that!! It's a little frustrating cause it depends on members not cancelling/being available and the investigators of course. But we can pray! (We are shooting for 10 member lessons which is really hard, so we'll see how that goes! the rest are less-actives or recent converts. The standard for the mission is 4-6 member lessons a week). We met so many really cool potentials this week, so I'm really excited! I got a number during the singing display, even though my Czech is atrocious, but he basicially was like, oh you talk about Jesus Christ? sure we can meet, here's my number haha. YES. That never happens. And then we met this really cool girl in the park the other day who basically did the same thing, she was like oh you meet with people right, and starts pulling out her planner!! So we got I got my first A#! (Not sure if that's the same missionary slang you used Dad, but it means appointment + a number). She's way cool, so I'm excited for that lesson. It's not all like that of course, some guy totally yelled at Sister Bowler yesterday on the tram and made her cry, he was so mean. All she said was I'm a missionary and he threatened to throw her off the tram or something, I didn't understand it, it was in Czech. But luckily most people just ignore us or say they aren't interested, I haven't gotten yelled at yet. It's all part of it I guess! She was like, oh maybe he's just having a bad day...I wasn't quite so charitable, I wanted to go yell at him haha...working on that...(not that I ever would, you know me haha. I did feel pretty indignant though, why would you be so rude to a perfect stranger?? I will never understand that) We've had some really great things happen to make up for all the rude people though. We got to do a contacting exchange with the ZLs the other day, which was cool cause I got some new ideas to try. (Since we're girls they can't do a real exchange, so we just contact on oppostite sides of the street.) English was really fun this week, Jan (he's a member) brought a friend for the first time, and we ended up giving him a church tour, which counts as a member lesson! It was cool cause they were telling me all about how they moved to New Zealand a couple years ago to rock climb, reminded me of Nick Brown! I think Jan was planning on biking to the temple trip today....which is in Germany haha. He was like, oh it's only 170 km or something...ridiculous. Petr had crazy stories like usual (he's the profession liar, of his own admission haha) But I've gotten used to him now. I actually really like English cause I can actually get to know some Czech people, since we teach the advanced class it's all in English, except the spiritual thought. Oh yeah, I've been wanting to meet our neighbors for a while, so we made chocolate chip cookies and took them to all of them this week! Some weren't home, but the ones we did meet were super nice! It was pretty funny cause Sister Bowler explained it by saying, Hi, we are sort of new here (the sisters have been in our apartment for 3 months) and when you move somewhere new in America you bake things, so we brought you cookies hahaha. It was pretty funny. One lady was like, oh you have to meet my husband! And then she gave us some peanut wafers in exchange haha. Most of them are older couples. This one guy walks his dog a lot, and she absolutely loves us haha, she gets so excited every time! Made me miss Buster. But at least he knows we are nice, if your dog loves somebody, they have to be a least a little bit trustworthy, don't you think? What else...sorry I didn't write very much in my journal this week, and the days all blend together. We went running this morning! That was nice. Today seems to be back to Spring, the last couple days have been really hot. Oh yeah! There's a baptism tonight! It's one of Andel's (one of the other areas in Prague) investigators, she's really cool, from Russia and I think she's 18? Totally solid. So that will be really cool. That's awesome that Ethan got the priesthood, so proud of you bud! Dad I would love historical/cultural stuff about the Czech Republic!! The other missionaries don't really know any cultural things, and it's not like I can just go to the library and get a book :) Thanks! That would be great. Tell Madison congrats for me! Go sister missionaries! That's awesome. I realized this week that I've been on my mission for 3 months. WHAT. haha that's crazy!! I've already been in Prague for a month. It's so weird how time works here. The days take FOREVER, but then you blink and it's been a month. I'm hoping our area doesn't get blinded out (when both of us leave) cause we have so many really solid investigators right now, I would love to stay and see it through. We'll see in 4 weeks I guess! It still feels like my Czech isn't improving, but I was thinking about it, and my first week when someone asked me where I was from, I couldn't even hear the individual words. And now I definitely understand that question, and a lot more. So I guess I am improving, it's just hard to see the progress. Church is kind of a good marker though, cause it's 3 hours of listening to Czech and trying to understand it. I never understood how easy it is to fall asleep when you are listening to a foreign language you don't understand haha, that's a struggle. No wonder our exchange students weren't that thrilled about coming to church after the first time! I was sitting next to one of our investigators on Sunday, and it was 2 hours in the chapel cause of Branch Conference, and it was SO HARD to stay awake haha. I felt so bad, and I was thinking, you can't fall asleep in church, what kind of example would that be?? Haha. Luckily the Irwins spoke, and they speak English, so I was at least able to understand their talks. And then Sister Bowler usually translates for Relief Society, so I knew what was going on for that hour haha. It's all good though, I know I will get it eventually, I'm just trying to be patient! Oh yeah mom, you asked about how we teach lessons with our male investigators-we teach in the church building, and there are usually elders teaching at the same time. We just have to leave the door open. There are 9 missionaries in Prague and we are the only sisters. Or Elder Curtis and Sister Curtis are usually there too (one of the senior couples). If we have a lesson later at night sometimes we'll ask the Office Elder to be in the building or something, but it's usually not a problem. Ok I'm running out of time. Love you all!!!! Have a fantastic week. Sestra Cooper