WOW,

Sister Scerra (Share-a) is awesome. She is such a hard worker. She is way brave and wants to try everything! We had to wait for our train for 45 minutes before we could leave Prague and there were some elders there waiting too. She looked at them and said, do you want to watch the bags and eat lunch first or would you like to go contact? We ended up eating first and then headed out to do some contacting. She is so willing to just try to speak. I don't know what was wrong with the MTC teachers when I was there, but these new missionaries know SO much more than I did. It is amazing how well she does. She wants to be involved and do things and she has a strong testimony to share. She does very well in the lessons to share her testimony and relate to these people. I think I will learn A LOT from her. Not to mention there is no way I won't be bolder by the time she is through with me. She is extremely bold and at times it frightens me. But it is glorious. She has a really good understanding of how these people feel and think as just 4 years ago she wasn't sure if there was a God. So it is really neat to hear her story as parts slip out every now and again.

So as I spent time in Prague working away at the beginning of the week, waiting for my new companion, everyone kept asking me how I felt and so on. When I would reply, I'm great, it'll be fine and was all calm, they were all freaked out. They were in shock that I wasn't running around like a chicken with their head cut off. They would then talk about how they felt when they were going to be trainers and how freaked out they were and nervous. They continued to marvel at my clam. I figure this must be less stressful than my last two transfers because I didn't get a cold sore to start it off this time, WOOT!

While in Prague, we got to talk with all of the baby missionaries. (As in the ones that just got here this transfer, they are all so young! Except my companion she is a little older than me) But anyway, we met the Slovak elders and I am related to two of them! Elder Jardine, his mother is a Hicken. He is from Brigham (sounds like elder Baily from Perry who talked to me a few months ago is cousins with elder Jardine) then there is an Elder Garlick who is somehow related to the Hickens and he is from American Fork. Who would have thought that the Czech Republic was the place for the Hickens to serve. I mean in the past there have been 2 elder Hickens and in 2006 there was a sister Hicken who I saw a picture of the other day. I think she was from American fork as well now that I think of it. I don't know. Anyway, lots of relations here, kind of crazy.

When president was giving us our trainer training, it was really neat. He knows how to make you feel like you can handle your call, but also feel the weight and responsibility of it. He is really good at helping you see how it is a call from God and this is what God wants. He talked about how Elder Holland in a meeting told mission presidents that picking trainers is the most important decision you will make. He talked about how trainers shape the new missionaries, give them their vision and expectations of the mission. It is so frightening in one hand and amazing on the other. It was really a humbling experience. I have got a long way to go still, there are so many things I do that I want Sister Scerra not to. I want her to be so much better than me. I want her to succeed! I hope that I can change and help her have a better vision than I do. That she can be that much more prepared and further ahead. She is wonderful and this mission is amazing! I learn so much everyday.

I am trying to think what happened this week and not much is coming. It has just been a whirlwind. We contacted this guy who asked me why I don't go running anymore. He talked about how he used to see me and my old companion go running but hadn't seen us in awhile. He then continued to tell us that we need to run. He talked about how he walks his little girl to school and would see us. He was really nice and funny, not to mention it has got us back into running every other day, WOOT! Got to love those great contacts!

Well I don't know what else to say, my companion is a hard worker and keeps me on my toes, it is wonderful! She is really good about wanting to contact everywhere, even on transportation (which has always been a struggle for me, none of my companions have enjoyed it). It is wonderful because I always feel guilty when I don't and now she is pushing me to do it. So it would make me feel way guilty if I didn't. She wants to go do contacting on her own already. Soon she'll be taking the cell phone from me and doing all the calls! She is wonderful and sometimes I forget that she is in her first week as a missionary. I guess I will call it quits. I know the church is true, it brings me so much joy. If you aren't happy with life, PRAY! talk to your Heavenly Father. Let Him know what is going on, He wants to know, you are His precious child. Tell Him of your struggles, your joys, your faults, EVERYTHING and then listen, read the scriptures and feel His love for you. I know He loves you! This gospel is amazing. I love you!

S Laskou,

Sestra Hicken