Miracles

Ahoj,

This week as you may expect, was the best one yet! Constantin, my investigator from CBud was baptized and confirmed! Woot! Not only that but other goals that Sister Cooper and I had in CBud are coming to fruition! YEAH!!! Ctibor is working towards the Priesthood on the 22 and Michal has a baptismal date on the 28 and Olina has started to come to church! Woot! Progress in my last area!!! SO happy about that. Then in this area, we found 4 new investigators this week! Woot! The Lord truly loves us and blesses us as we strive to do His work. It is amazing the blessings He has for us, you just have to be patient.

So this week I realized just how much I do know and love this gospel. How true it is and how much joy it brings me. I also realized how much I love these people that I teach and will soon teach. I guess you just don't realize how much you love until you share something like the family proclamation with an investigator and have that person you love tell you it is garbage. It hurts, but luckily the Lord is loving and is always there to help you out. I am so grateful for my testimony and knowledge of this gospel. For the wonderful parents, family who have helped me to stay close to this gospel and learn the truths and come to love them as I strive to live by the commandments and find the joy and peace that comes as I live these principles. This gospel is true, there is no doubt about that. Like Elder Holland said last conference, if you don't have that testimony, lean on mine. Work to find it out for yourself. Continually apply Moroni's promise (Moroni 10:3-5) in your life. Continually strengthen your testimony and knowledge of the scriptures, they are the word of God, and as it says in 2 Nephi 32:3, they will tell you all things you need to do. I know that is true and that we can do all the things we need to do because we learn in the scriptures in Philippians 4:13 we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Lord doesn't ask us to do things we can't do on our own, He loves us and wants us to be happy, that is why He has given us this gospel. I love it and am grateful for it.

While going through the records, I found something with Sister Hicken written on it. I looked further and found that there was a Sister Hicken that served in this city in 2005-2006! I wonder who she is! ha ha wow This week at district lunch my companion and I had a laughing attack in the middle of the restaurant. We couldn't stop and we both had tears rolling down our faces. I would explain what happened, but you would have had to be there...well maybe you would have had to be us, as the elders had no idea what was going on besides these two sisters were laughing themselves to tears and couldn't stop. It was hilarious, we love the work and the joy it brings to us! :)

If you wanted to know what ever happened with the little old man that came to church and started talking about polygamy during sacrament meeting, here is the end of that story. First off president told us, if you are getting contacts to church, you are doing something right. Anyway sounds like President told him I'll answer your questions about polygamy, but you are going to have to listen to what I have to say. He then went in and talked about how after Jesus died a lot of truth was lost or distorted. But that God restored his gospel through a prophet named Joseph Smith. Something he restored for a short time, like in biblical times, was polygamy. The old man then asked what makes your people so sure they know the truth? (because he was saying he saw no difference between our church and his and that polygamy was the only difference) So in response to his question president said those sisters you talked to, and everyone up in that room have had a personal experience with God and you can too. (Talk about a bold loving invitation! Pray and find out yourself, apply Moroni's promise.) To that the old man responded, I have been evangelist my whole life and I'll probably die Evangelist, but I have a new found respect for your people. So that is that story. :) kind of neat huh? It is amazing how if people will listen they can understand. I love this gospel!

This week there was a festival to celebrate Queen Elizabeth (or someone that was a queen that was Czech) and there was all sorts of fun festival stuff that we were able to participate in. I felt like I was home celebrating Peach Days! They had booths and the queen paraded in on a horse with lots of guards, noble men, knights, band, and many other things. There was also an air show, but I didn't get to see that. We just heard it as we did our studies. I swear they were flying over our house! We couldn't see anything out of any of our windows, but we constantly heard it! I think my favorite part was probably going to the car show with our investigator. He had a car in the show. It was all pre-World War cars, I think is what he was saying. His car is a 1935! It was a neat car!

Well that is all I have time for today! Love you all!

S Laskou,

Sestra Hicken