Ahoj,

Where to start! This week has been very unique, as you may remember last week was also unique, a week of everyone dogging our appointments. This week we attempted to set up with people but they weren't interested or weren't answering. Then what to my surprise, one of our potentials called us back! That doesn't really ever happen. Unfortunately he didn't want to meet. Then I had been trying to contact Michal, a former that I realized we hadn't talked to in a few weeks and I wanted to just check in on and see how he was doing. So I called a few times but his phone was off. But then what to my surprise he called us back and said he has been reading the Book of Mormon and wants to meet with us. WOW!!! (...I think that might have been last week which means I already wrote about that, but it was a great one so you can just enjoy it again.) Then we had another potential Iveta, a busy business woman, call us back and set up with us! We are so excited for that. With all the lessons we have planned that haven't happened we are really hoping that this one comes through. We STILL haven't taught a first lesson together! AH!!!

With all of our time we have been striving to do lots of less active work. We got a ward list and have been calling lots of people. We have had a few set up appointments for this week and many say call back in July, so that is what we will do. We then started to figure out the maps really well and decided to go and do some visits. SO after making banana bread we headed out on our way. We planned to just kind of get to know them and then share the first presidency message which is really neat this month about landmarks in your life. I suggest you read it if you haven't. :) We also planned to get them to let us come back and teach them, we would just talk about how neither of us know Czech very well and would like practice teaching lessons. That way, they are getting the basics of the gospel and renewing their fading testimonies and we are getting the practice we need and fulfilling our purpose. Then they are also doing service and who doesn't love service, it just makes you feel better. SO we will see what happens with that. As thus far we haven't gotten into teach anyone. BUT we have gotten in contact with many of them. We had four on our list to visit. One wasn't home, one told us she didn't have time (who doesn't have 5 minutes to get banana bread?), one let us up and we got her phone number (a little reluctantly, but that is ok!) and the last one we talked the son and found out that the member had died. So we are getting things figured out! We are making progress! If anyone has suggestions we are up for ideas!

 Within our phone calling we have gotten a less active to call us back and give us their better number as well. We are excited about the work but we aren't getting many teaching opportunities, not exactly sure what to do about that...

Sports day this week was fun; it has really gotten hot here so we have gotten to play outside. We played soccer and Constantin, our investigator was the goalie of the opposing team. HE wasn't too pleased with me when I scored 3 times against him. He is a hoot; I don't even know how to explain him and his little quirks. He loves to memorize things in different languages like English. This week he has started to tell me that he loves me from the bottom of his heart. Also when we call and talk with him on the phone he says I miss you! And then laughs. HE has the funniest laugh! Oh man, you truly learn to love those you serve! If you are ever struggling to love someone, seriously just serve them, life will be so much better!

Finally last week I had to teach Relief Society this week I spoke in sacrament and next week I get to teach Relief Society again. This ward is keeping me busy! Wow!! It is wonderful here and I love the people. The work is great and brings me so much joy!

Oh we attempted to contact our awesome potential Jarda and what do you know, the only time I have ever seen food be delivered to a house in Europe, happens to be right when we ring the zvolnek for Jarda. WE are standing there and the pizza guy jumps out and stands with us. It was so AWKWARD!!!! Got to love it! So yeah, we didn't get in to teach and hopefully he doesn't think we are too weird and not want to meet with us now.

Finally, a story about the elders. I love our elders, they crack me up. This week they brought us a surprise that they were really excited about. I said that I was sure it couldn't be better than the bumble bee inside the plastic egg. They just smiled and pulled out the egg and opened it up. Inside they had a huge fly. But this time they had a string around it. So the fly would try to fly but could only go so far from them and fly in circles. They enjoyed letting go randomly and watching the fly trail a string around and then catch it again. They had way too much fun with it if i do say so myself. It was pretty funny though. They told us that they spent the morning (on P day) chasing the fly around in their apartment. Eventually they caught it and threw it in the freezer to slow it down and then tied him up to play with. I guess this is a common thing as they said that if you leave the fly in too long he will die as they had done that before. Oh elders and the things they do. They crack me up! Alright I think that is it.

I lied, one last story. We were out contacting and I contacted this lady on a bench and she told us that she was maximalni happy. She couldn't use anything else, she was as happy as she could be. She didn't even want to try to see if she could be happier! What a shocker! She was really pleasant and very smiley but I know for a fact that she wasn't as happy as she could be. I know that through this gospel that I have the great opportunity to share we can find the most happiness, a lasting happiness. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to spread this joy to all those around me as I get to contact, teach lessons, reactivate and simply live the gospel. Life is wonderful, especially when you are serving! Find someone to serve, someone who needs a little boost, simply make someone else smile today!
Love you,
Sestra Hicken