Week 13 in Plzen!

28 Apr 2014 Ahoj! This week was pretty average, we are trying to find new investigators since we lost our 4 main ones in the best possible way :) Things are looking up, we have some lessons set up for this next week with some new people, so I'm excited about that. It was cool because we were looking at our branch vision (we all created a vision of what our branches need to be wards at the beginning of the year so that we know who to look for as we find, and so that we can have a stake at the end of the year). One of the people on the list was a family of 4, preferably with young women :) (The girls turn 12 next summer!) SO. COOL. So we were looking at the other people we need, and we decided we were going to focus on YSA men, because we only have 1 right now. We both hate contacting young men....but we decided we were going to do it anyways and pray that we would find the person we need to find. At the end of a contacting block we ended up in Bory park and since we were talking to all the young men, we contacted this guy with long hair. Turns out he is studying English and is Christian and was intrigued when we talked about the book of mormon. He ended up coming to game night and then going out to pizza with all the ysas and having a great time. Jitka said he just fit in perfectly. And we have a first lesson with him today :) It was just so neat. Who knows what will happen, but I think it was all way too guided for him to not become an investigator :) It's just the best to look back on something and realize that you were guided by the spirit even though you had no idea. We were just being obedient and talking to people. Missions are the best. Me and my comp were talking about all the things we've learned on our missions the other day, and I was telling her that I feel like I have such a greater capacity to love. Just loving others, loving God, loving life, loving the gospel--it's all encompassing. Such a gift, in so many ways. I really felt that yesterday at church, because the Chrdlovi from C Bud came up since he's the new district president, so I got to see Johy again (she's already 17...so crazy)! And she got to meet Simona and the triplets. It was so great to see two of my favorite families in the Czech Republic together--I can't even describe it. I was just so happy. And Johy told me that one of the daughters of that inactive family we worked with when I was there is now participating in seminary by skype and went to a dance in prague for youth and loved it. It's so cool to look back and see all the progress--I was there almost a year ago! And my first convert Vaclav, is working on receiving the Melchisedek priesthood. And Simona's going on the branch temple trip on May 10. Aaaaah. So much happiness. I just love my mission. I so wish I could be here when we get a stake. It's sooo close. This week should be good, we have training in prague on wednesday (i should get my package then, mom), and we might go to prague on sat for a baptism of a guy that sister rosenvall taught. So we'll see. I'm just trying to put my all into the time I have left, it's going by waaay too fast. love you!!! Sestra Cooper

Week 12 in Plzen

Ahoj! 21 Apr 2014 This week was really great. We got to teach Simona and her daughters every night, and they are just amazing. The girls all have strong testimonies even though they are only 10 and they are the cutest. They were telling us that their teacher at school is an atheist and often talks about how God doesn't exist, so most of their friends don't believe either. But these girls are so amazing--they testified to their friends that they know that God answers prayers, and that they were getting baptized on Saturday.I wish you could meet them! We had a miracle on Friday, because Simona still wasn't quite sure that she had gotten her answer when they came for their interviews, but by the time we sat down to have a lesson she said something like, everything in my life is going really well so I guess that's my answer. And then we started to read 3 Nephi 17, and two verses in, she gasped and started crying as she felt the Spirit confirm that she was making the right choice. It was so neat because I didn't even feel that inspired that morning when I picked that chapter--I just thought, it's when Christ heals the children, so I think it will be special for the girls. But it turns out that their mom was the one that needed to hear it. Roksana, her best friend and a member, just kept asking how did you pick that chapter?? it was perfect! I just said that we prayed about it. It was just such a testimony to me that God really does guide our steps--so much more than I think I will ever realize. That was what she needed to hear--that this is what her girls need. It was amazing. Saturday was the baptism! It was beautiful, in this little lake by the village of Stenovice. It had been cold all week, but during the baptism it was so sunny and warm that we didn't even need coats. The girls were pretty scared about the cold water, but they made it haha. And President McConkie showed up as a surprise and played his violin on the top of the cliff looking down at us, aah it was so beautiful. And then yesterday was the best Easter ever, because all of them got confirmed, along with one of the elder's investigators who got baptized too. The Spirit was so strong the whole sacrament meeting--it was really special. And they are so happy. Ah being a missionary is the best. It was the perfect time to just really think about what the Savior means to me, and it was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had taking the sacrament--it means so much more to me now than it ever has before. The atonement really is such a gift. That was definitely the highlight of the week--I didn't really think about anything else! My comp is the best, we just laugh all the time. We rearranged our apartment this morning so it's much more homey, that was fun. Some funny moments this week--this old lady tried to force feed us wafers even though we told her we were fasting for Simona, so we ended up having to hide them in our bags hahaha. Czech grandmas....another one interrupted our lesson and was like do you cook?? We said yeah of course,when we have time... But she wasn't convinced and then proceeded to pray that we would learn how to cook so that we can get married when we get home and have kids, and that we wouldn't live off of bread and water like prisoners.hahahaha we just died of laughter the second she left, it was soo funny. No idea how she got that idea into her head, but it is actually true that we never have time to eat dinner. But that's ok cause we are teaching lessons--we just have to eat on the way. Oh it was hilarious. Other than that....we managed to make it through Easter without getting whipped! haha.(Easter is more on Monday than Sunday here) They aren't supposed to do it after noon, but who knows what will happen at fhe tonight haha. I bought one this year so i'll get to bring it home :) Jitka explained more about the tradition--it's a pagan thing, supposed to bring women health. And girls are supposed to give the boys dyed eggs in return. But if they whip you after noonyou get to throw water on them. haha gotta love it. Plus one of the czech grandmas in the branch made us all of us missionaries a little easter dinner to take home, so that was awesome. A potato loaf--kind of like quiche, pickles, a special easter bread and some fruit :) It was pretty good. And we dyed eggs last night. So it was fun. love you all! Happy Easter!

Week 11 in Plzen

14 Apr 2014 Ahoj! This week felt so long but it was so good. We are teaching a lot and my new companion is AWESOME. She's so great. Such a blessing. We get along super well and are having so much fun. Plus we got to watch conference!! soooo good. As usual. Plus we had 5 investigators come! that was awesome. We made conference bingo for the little girls and they loved it :) We have 4 baptisms on plan for Saturday!! Plus one of the elders' investigators. I'm sooo excited. We are teaching them every night this week to get them ready, and have almost taught everything. It was really cool because the rest of them were feeling a little unsure, but the youngest Johanka was like, I want to be baptized 100% on Saturday! We asked her why and she said "chci byt jako vy!" (I want to be like you). It's so cute--but her faith is propelling the rest of her family to join her--they are all on board now. The mom still feels like she hasn't got an answer for sure, but she definitely wants it for her girls. And the other two said that they wanted to follow the steps of the gospel :) aaah they are the best. So we'll see what happens! We are going to fast with them this week so that the mom will get a testimony. Today we went to the easter markets and the zoo, that was fun. So windy though, we are getting a lot of april showers. It's good though cause I guess they are afraid of a drought this summer since it only snowed once this winter. Anyways. And then for fhe we are going to go to gabca's softball game to support her, so i'm excited for that :) Conference was the best. I loved Elder Holland's talk--it felt really good to relate to the persecution he was talking about, i've been sworn at and ignored and yelled at as a missionary. Luckily never spit upon yet. But the missionaries in Prague got egged at a singing display last week, so it felt really relevant to me. I feel proud to have experience with my "most cherished beliefs being reviled". That was what I was most afraid of when I was deciding if I wanted to serve or not, I wasn't sure if I could handle it. But it's not me at all, it's the strength that comes from the atonement--that testimony and love burning so bright that nothing can dim it. Doesn't make it easy, but it's just so worth it. Loved that. And I loved Elder Bednar's talk--going to have to study that one, I felt like I only got a glimpse of what he was trying to teach. It was so interesting to think about our "loads" being what give us the spiritual traction to make it back to God. I also loved the talk about the olympics-- "your 4 minutes" And I noticed all the preach my gospel references--they quoted from it sooo much. Conference is so great. love you! Sestra Cooper

Week 10 in Plzen!

7 Apr 2014 Ahoj!! I'm still in Plzen :) which i'm so happy about. And Sister Rosenvall's my new comp! I'm sooo excited. She's awesome and only one group behind me so we are going to just work so hard :) It's so great, we just heard that there were 6 baptisms in the mission on Saturday, and the last 6 weeks there have been multiple baptisms across the mission every week. (That's way better than usual) The YSA in the Prague District did a 40 day fast for missionary work and the whole mission is on fire because of it. We're all teaching so many more people and there have been so many miracles. President wants to have a stake in the Czech Republic by the end of the year, and we are soooo close. I'm so glad I get to be a part of it! So we are continuing the fast as a mission. It's just been so cool. The Lord is just pouring down so many blessings. Ah I just love being a missionary! And I'm excited about my new district too, it's going to be so great. Plus we get to watch Conference this weekend--it's like Christmas when you're on your mission. I can't wait! This last week wasn't too exciting, just kind of normal, a lot of cancelled lessons. But we did get a really cool new investigator named Jiri this week--he basically taught us the whole Restoration, already believes all of it. The only thing that was new was Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. He's awesome. And he has 4 kids!!! Czech families are usually so much smaller. He says he comes to English because he wants "to be around other believers" and he took so many notes during our intro to mormonism seminar on temples :) it was awesome. Oh yeah.....funny story. So Saturday night I decided to wash my coat cause it was gross and I always forget. So I threw it in there, checked my pockets, took out the pass-along cards and didn't think anymore about it....until I couldn't find the phone. Oops. Guess I missed a pocket...that was embarrassing. Luckily we could use the elders phone to coordinate all the transfer stuff yesterday, our cim card still works, and sister Rosenvall just brought a new one down from Prague today. So that ended up well, but I felt like such an idiot haha. Because missionary work is reallly impossible without a phone--you can't even really contact because sometimes people give fake numbers so you have to call them right then. Oh well, worked out in the end haha, the elders laughed so hard when I told them. I swear, my memory has gotten so bad as a missionary--I think it's because I never get enough sleep haha. Well there's really not much else to say....here's to a fantastic next transfer! love you! Sestra Cooper