Week 17 in Plzen

26 May 2014 Ahoj! Well this week was kind of a blur, but a lot of really cool things happened. We went to Prague twice, once for training, and once for a baptism cause we were singing at it. That was fun. We're having a concert on Friday so we've been singing a lot. It was pretty funny on Saturday because we were running late on the way to catch the train and so my comp prayed before we left the apartment for an "autobusove zazrak" (a bus miracle) and a train miracle too. Then she laughed and was like, spis, tramvaj...cause we always take a tram, not a bus. But we got outside to find that they were working on the tram tracks and all of the trams had magically turned into buses haha. We laughed pretty hard at that, I think Heavenly Father was showing us that he has a sense of humor :) But THEN....we get on the train, and it's late and who do we sit by? a 20 year old guy from California studying abroad in Germany on his way to Prague, who is hours later than he planned and shouldn't have even been on that train in the first place because of a whole series of events. It turned out that we were only going one metro stop away from his too, so we helped him get a ticket and everything cause he doesn't speak Czech. Oh the craziest part--mom you might know his parents, his dad went to Torrance for high school, but he's a little older than you. Crazy huh? So if you remember any Sandstroms I met one of them. It was just so interesting--there is just no way that was a coincidence-too many things had to happen for us to meet him, he was only in the Czech Republic for a day. So that will be really cool if something comes of that, he got our contact info. Things like that happen to us all the time--what are the chances?? We really don't meet very many Americans. Yesterday was really neat too, one of our investigators came to church for the first time and really liked it, he was talking to everybody! Plus the elders came with us to visit a couple sick members to bring them the sacrament, and that was a really neat experience. The power that entered the room the second they knelt down to bless it was just so strong. The scripture: "in the ordinances thereof the power of godliness is manifest" came to mind, and it finally clicked for me. It's so true--the spirit is so strong during moments like that. That was really neat. The other neat thing this week was in studies--I was reading an old Ensign, and there was an article about how the good samaritan parable can be read as an allegory for the fall and the plan of salvation, and that it was in early Christianity. The coolest part was that it was inspired by a stained-glass window in Chartres in France--that I've totally seen! And I remember wondering why the fall and the good samaritan stories were in the same window. Super cool. So I studied that this morning and learned a ton, that was really neat. He talks about how the man is Adam, or us, Christ is the Good Samaritan, the priest is the law of Moses, Levite is the Old Testament prophets, oil is ordinances, the bandages are covenants and the wine is the atonement, the inn is the church, innkeeper is us as members or church leaders. Super cool. Well that's about it, we met a cool mom on the way home last night, I hope she meets with us. I made my planner for next transfer, which was very weird--it's the last one I will ever make. I'm really hoping I stay here, but we'll see what happens. I'm trying to make the most of every second I have left to stay in this beautiful country. So many things happened this week to remind me how incredibly grateful I am for my mission, and how much I wish I could stay forever. I have learned so many things that I never would have otherwise and changed so much--I will be grateful forever for the privilege of serving a mission--there is just no way I can express how I feel about it. I used the scripture in Alma 26:11-12 for my planner--that says it the best: "behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God...I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." I feel that joy and I have seen those miracles. Just too much happiness. Love you!

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

Week 15 in Plzen...aaaah

12 May 2014 Ahoj! So that's super weird, I just realized I've been in Plzen longer than the time I have left as a missionary. aaaaaah. trying not to think about it....It was great to talk to you yesterday! Thanks for helping me feel a lot better about after-mission stuff, that was really helpful to realize that I don't have to figure out life on my own. Of course I wouldn't anyways but I think that was kind of in my head you know? Anyways....enough of that. I pretty much already told you about my week, so not sure what to say.....It was funny last night cause the zone leaders called for something (they are in my district) and they were like "are you aware that you gave the best missionary talk ever given in the mission?" haha I don't know that it was THAT good, but it was still nice to hear. I did feel pretty strongly inspired when I wrote it, so that was a neat experience. I think I already told you that I used Pres Uchtdorf's talk Are you sleeping through the restoration, but I basically just invited the whole branch to wake up, be engaged and work their hardest to serve others, work on their personal conversion and believe in miracles. Pretty bold...but what's the use in tiptoeing around it? we are soooo close to a stake! So close. I just want to do everything I can to help them believe it and work for it. I never realized how much I took it all for granted at home, having a patriarch, temples and everything. I'm just so excited for the Czech people to have it too. They've been waiting almost a century--the first missionaries got here in the 1930s. Actually the first one was in the 1800s. So long. This week was really awesome actually, since we found 4 new investigators! It actually would have been 6, which is insane, but two of them cancelled. So that was really exciting. Plus we taught the Restoration like 4 times--and there is just something really special about that. We've really been teaching by the Spirit and trying to teach to their needs, which meant that we had some fantastic lessons this week. Filip's was just amazing. I'm so excited about that. I realized during one of those lessons that I only have a limited amount of time left to be able to teach people about the gospel in such a bold and clear way--it really is such a privilege. I'm trying to just give my all every day and love every second of it--awkward moments and all. Well that's about it....Other news, my trainer is engaged! She sent me pictures today. Crazy.... She's getting married in June. We're going to another castle today, Kozel, with one of our investigators, so that should be fun. Trying to fit everything in.... love you! Sestra Cooper

Week 14 in Plzen!

5 May 2014 Ahoj! Another week just flew by, I can't believe it's already halfway through the transfer! I started a package of winter stuff, so I'll probably send that home this week. Can't believe we get to skype on Sunday!! I feel like Christmas was just yesterday. So weird. I'm giving another talk on Sunday too, so hopefully that turns out well. What happened this week...we went to Prague twice and fasted twice haha, so the days are kind of blurred together in my head. We had training on Wednesday, which was fantastic as usual. And then we fasted on Friday cause our mission is having a 40 day fast--that has been so cool. We are having so much more success mission-wide, Prague has had a baptism every week but one this transfer and Plzen has 5 more scheduled for this end of this month. So cool! Miracles!! We are so going to have a stake by the end of the year. And we are having an area conference this summer i think, and a seventy, sister reeves and sister wixom are coming! that will be so cool. Saturday we had a little miracle, inspired by you Annica! A young man my companion had taught last transfer got baptized and we had no way to get there cause we thought we had to have an investigator or use it as our p-day. So i just said a little prayer that we could go somehow because she really wanted to be there. And then 10:25 at night, President called and approved the trip, we just had to shorten our P-day today. It was just really cool because I just knew that something was going to work out, even though my comp had kind of resigned herself to the fact that we weren't going. So that was really neat. Plus I got to see Vaclav again and congratulate him on being a member for almost a year! So crazy. It was really cool cause he was just thanking me for helping him join the church and I got his address so that I can send him a postcard from home. It's so cool to see that he's still active and doing great. Oh! and Constantin's son got baptized too :) They've officially started a group in his city and he's coming back to C Bud to work again. I guess President has been talking to the Romanian mission president and he was saying that they just love him over there :) Well that's about it, there's really nothing too exciting from this week, lots of cancelled lessons. But we have a cool new investigator and another one came to church for the first time! So we'll see what happens with them. Oh yeah! I almost forgot there was another miracle this week. The investigator who came to church for the first time has really strong ties to another church who hates mormons and she was always talking about "pani fararka" (a pastor) who keeps warning her against us. So on Tuesday we felt like we should go contacting along the river. So we did, but after an hour we didn't have a single number and we were kind of wondering why we felt like we should be there. But just then I contacted this woman with a dog, and guess who it turned out to be?? Yep the pastor. She wasn't super friendly, but I was able to at least introduce the Restoration and tell her that we were Christians (she really didn't know anything about us--kept asking if our church was registered here---we've been here since the 1930s). So that was really cool-I had to be pretty persistant because she kept trying to walk away, but at least she's met us now and we were pleasant. -she knows that we're not crazy at least! The Lord really does guide our steps :) love you!! Sestra Cooper

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