Thorny Ways Lead to a Joyful End

Hello!

First off it is so crazy how crowded it is here and according to everyone it is only going to get worse. When we came in there were 600 of us. In three weeks the numbers will jump to 1200-1400 missionaries! Relief society has more than doubled in the last month and it is just crazy awesome!

   When you get to the MTC you hit the ground running. They take you through all sorts of lines to get everything you need, drop your bag at your room, and enter a class where they only speak Czech to you for an entire hour and then move on to other things, like a welcome. It is so crazy! I have felt so unorganized, but I feel that things are getting better.

   The first day I lost my card that gets me into buildings and lunch. I was slightly freaking out so I prayed and immediately the Lord told me where I put it, such a great experience. I cannot believe how much happens in a single day. I swear we have a few days in one! It was 2:20 one day and my companion and I were ready for bed. We didn't realize that we had just eaten lunch a few hours ago, we were sure it was dinner. Since so much has happened it is hard to know what to write where I have so little time, just 30 minutes and I could use that for a single day. That being the case you should use dearelder.com to send me messages. That just makes it so I receive the letter you write the day you write it then I don't have to take my time to read while in the lab. Unless of course it is sent Sunday then it just goes to my e-mail I think.
   My companion and I are in the first picture that is Sestra Cooper from Oregon. The next picture is some of my district then we have a picture of us as a zone of girls, zone of boys and zone as a total. I hope those are the ones I selected, that's what I meant to select. Everything is going well with them, we seem to get along way well. We have 4 sisters and 4 brothers going to the Czech and 2 sisters and 1 brother going to Slovakia. It is wonderful!

Sestra Hicken and Sestra Cooper

District

Zone Sisters

Zone Elders

Our Zone

   Day 2 we learned words to bear our testimonies in Czech and then the next morning we had an investigator to teach and it had to be done only in Czech. It was HORRIBLE because we didn't know how to say anything at all. The Spirit wasn't there and we just couldn't teach because we were trying to read our notes. But then the next night we taught again and, with some great advice from the Slovak teacher and learning from experience, we were better able to teach. We bore testimony and the Spirit was so there. Tonight we get to teach again and I feel it will be even better, less reading more hands (actions to help explain what we are saying) and lots of the Spirit, I hope! Since our investigators are volunteer members it was hard initially to be in the right mind set. But then one of the teachers, Brother Machado, talked to us and told us so much that was helpful and helped me to get in the right mind set.

   It is so crazy how many times a teacher has been teaching and then they just pause and say, "I just wanted to say...", or "I feel like I should tell you..." or "Just so you know..." anything that has followed any of these phrases has been exactly what I needed to hear! I love this gospel and the peace it brings. The answers I am able to receive through prayer and the Spirit is amazing. I can't believe I haven't even been here a week, I hardly remember life before it seems so long ago! Haha everyone says once you make it to Sunday life is a breeze! Well I hope so because I would love it to get a little easier! This language is crazy, but I am learning so much! Sundays are so spiritual we had Sister Linda K. Burton speak to us for relief society, the general RS president. We got to plan our lesson for Petra that night and we were struggling to know what to say or do when all of the sudden the Spirit brought to my mind a scripture and then it started rolling well. It was so crazy! I love that the Spirit is with me to lead and guide me. There is no way that I would be able to survive this without his comfort and love.

   In my short stay thus far we have had some pretty funny experiences. We decided to play hangman with Czech words and whoever got it right had to use it in a sentence. It was great. The word was Mormon and so my companion said, "I am the Book of Mormon, true!" Rather than, "I know the Book of Mormon is true." It was hilarious.
  Another interesting event that occurred was last night as we were all getting ready for bed the fire alarm went off. So we all had to evacuate into the snow. I felt so bad for the sisters who were in the shower coming out with their wet hair. Some were wrapped in towels and people were throwing coats on them. They started taking us into another building luckily so they didn't freeze. Come to find out one of the sisters burnt popcorn and set off the alarm, it was kind of funny, but it was too bad because it really cut down on our time to get ready for bed and write in our journals. We got back in time to jump into bed.

Fire Alarm Outfits

   I am so grateful that the Lord has made it known to me time and time again that I am supposed to be on this mission and that he doesn't set us up for failure. Without my testimony and this knowledge, leaving everything would be so much harder than it already is. At the temple this morning I was once again reassured that I am loved and where I need to be. Love you all so much, thanks for your love and support. Can't wait to hear from you!

 Sestra Hicken

I feel my Saviors love and know that He will bless me!