Week 16 in Plzen

19 May 2014 Ahoj! This week just flew by, can't believe it's P-day already. We went to the Great Synagogue today before we emailed, which was cool--it's the second largest in Eastern Europe after the one in Prague I think.That was neat because we went with a member from Prague who came down to visit, and she has a grandpa who was killed in Auschwitz, so she told us about some of her family history--that was really interesting to hear about. Plus it turns out she served a mini-mission here when Aunt Marci was a missionary, so she totally knows her! Weird huh? So you should ask her if she remembers a Marketa Kalenska. haha it was pretty funny because I was like, wait...you served in 98?? I bet you know my aunt! small world, especially cause I've known Marketa since C Bud. So that was fun. The rest of the week....we've been sick for the last couple of days which wasn't too fun, but we're pretty much over it. We got to do more service on Saturday, sorting logs, so that was cool. And the senior couple who came down to inspect our apartment gave me a haircut, which I was really happy about. It was a pretty low-key week, although we did have a miracle happen on Wednesday. We were going to head home to eat dinner and have language study, which was good because we were both feeling pretty miserable. But it crossed my mind that we should stop by this one inactive's house, but I kind of forgot about it until my comp said the same thing a couple of minutes later. So we were like ok well we definitely have to go know, that was inspiration. So we get to her house in the pouring rain, ring the zvonek with full confidence that she will be home--and she was! She had never let us in or given us her number before, but would talk to us at the gate. So this time she's talking to us and all of the sudden is like, I think you'd better come visit me, how about Sunday? She was baptized in 1991 and has been inactive for a good twenty years, so that was neat. And we had a meeting with her yesterday, and she gave us her number and said we could come back! We'll see where it goes. But the miracle doesn't stop there, because as we were walking away, Sister Rosenvall suggested we stop by another one's house even though we've stopped by at least 5 times and she's never been home. But she was! miracles. She didn't have time, but said we could come back at least, so that's major progress. It was just a little thing, but a testimony to me that when we just give a little bit more effort than we want to, that that is when the miracles happen. We also had a neat experience last Monday--there's a YSA here who has been thinking about preparing to go through the temple but was feeling really unsure about it, she just kept bringing up all these reasons that it wouldn't work...So we ended up having an impromptu lesson with her about it, and it was so interesting, because it was exactly the same turmoil that investigators have before they commit to a baptismal date, she was feeling all uneasy and unsure--but the second she committed to work towards July 5, she was so happy. It was night and day difference, and she noticed it. So now we are teaching her the temple prep course once a week and she said that her last reservations are gone, and now she's just looking forward to it. That was a really neat experience because we didn't plan it at all, it was completely spirit-led, and it was cool to realize that missionary work is exactly that--about helping people prepare for their next covenant--be that baptism, the priesthood or the temple, it's all the same work. We've made some major progress with another active member who doesn't have a testimony of living prophets, and now she is excited about going to do baptisms in the temple :) It's just the best feeling in the world to see people change! Well that's about it for this week--we have training in Prague again (already!) on Thursday, which should be fun, and before I know it, this transfer will be over. aaaah. love you! Sestra Cooper