Happy Day

Ahoj!

 

Where to start. Well I am officially the new chorister of the ward! Last week was my first week and it looks like it is going to be a continual thing. The one that used to do it is now in the Provo MTC getting ready to go to South Africa, exciting huh!? I am so stoked for him. He is so amazing, he will do a wonderful job. Last week because I conducted so well, they asked me to do it in RS. Well they didn't have a pianist either so it was all me. The opening song was fine, but lets just say I didn't know the closing song in English, let alone in Czech! So I get up there to start and think I have a good idea of how it will go, I press the first note so we have a pitch and then begin to lead and everyone is in different places and it was a train wreck. So one of the old ladies tries to tell us how it goes and yeah, it really just didn't work, we ended up singing "As Sisters in Zion". ha ha It is quite the challenge to try to know how to sing a song in Czech when you have no clue how the tune goes or anything. :) Yesterday was better...I didn't have to do RS and there was a pianist also. phew! ha ha

 

This week we started teaching Jaroslaw. He is a Roman Catholic priest! He is so awesome! We had a wonderful first lesson and he is really kind and relaxed, he doesn't try to bible bash which is really nice. We taught the restoration and as we talked about what prophets do he said, "oh so you are prophets." We then talked about authority and he said, "but you have authority I can feel it!" So at least we know that we teach with authority, we just have to fix the fact that he calls us women prophets... ha ha He wants to meet every Thursday so we will see in this next lesson if he is really willing to learn and keep commitments, I sure hope he is, as he is awesome! He can't really come to church though, he teaches two different churches during our 3 hour block... :S

 

We went out to have a lesson with Kat'ka at her house, that was wonderful, except for the fact that we got off a stop too early and we had no clue where we were! Who knew there were two stops in that little town! ha ha oops! So we got to walk in the pitch black along this road that was mostly deserted besides the cars that randomly went flying by. It was lined with trees and was like out in the country, it was so awesome! I loved it because there were no street lights so we could see the stars. It was a clear night and had the brisk cold in the air like when you are camping. It was WONDERFUL! Sister Vokalova was a sweetheart to put up with all of our mistakes (when I say our it really was my ha ha). We eventually found Kat'ka walking along the road towards us and she freaked out at us because Sister Scerra and I didn't have coats on. Ha ha oops! It was perfectly warm when we left the apartment that afternoon and we didn't think we would really spend much if anytime outside. Guess I need to be a better boy scout and always be prepared! ha ha

 

We had two investigators at church! That was an exciting event. We felt we should text Lukas who we keep in contact with through texting, but haven't met with him since October 2. He travels a lot for work. Well the text did the trick, he showed up to church! It was so unexpected, but so exciting at the same time! So we scrambled and got people to greet him and make him feel welcomed. He kept telling me that he had never been to church before. That this was his first church meeting. He said that he had gone to the kostel to pray but he had never been to a meeting before. He mentioned he was surprised with how many children there were. He talked about how he can't sing and wasn't sure about singing with us. But he did join in. It was wonderful! After the meeting I talked with him a little more and he said that he really liked it and wanted to come to the first Sunday every month. He caught that the first Sunday was different than others. Hopefully we can get him to come next week too and realize just how awesome a normal Sunday is as well. Because he worked he couldn't stay longer but he did set up for a meeting, unfortunately it isn't until Sunday. :S

 

The other investigator we got to church was Kat'ka. We gave her a baptismal date this last week and with all the things going on in her life right now it is almost impossible for her to come to church, particularly with keeping good family relations. As her daughter Misa can only see her dad (Pavel) on weekends but Kat'ka doesn't feel like she can leave Misa and her dad alone. So she can't come to church. We can't fix that problem and we don't want to try, we want her to get the answer from the Lord about what she is supposed to do. We committed her to pray about coming to church and then part way through the week she said she would come. At church she later explained that she had been praying about how she could come to church and then Pavel called and said that he couldn't come see Misa because he had to work. She recognized that as an answer to her prayers and made the effort to come to church. She also talked to me about how excited Misa was to come to primary and also to take the water and bread. It is wonderful that she loves the sacrament, that is a good start! And that she feels loved and welcome in primary. We are so excited for the progress that is happening here with the Lord. I am so blessed to be a part of it.

 

My companion is amazing! Something we started doing a couple of weeks ago is having one person sit on a bench on the namesti and make some needed phone calls while the other talks to people near by. This has been a wonderful activity as we are able to get so much more accomplished. It has been nice. My companion is very sociable and I learn so much from her. One of these days I will be talking as freely and easily as she does. It is amazing how well she does with phone calls and contacting people on her own. It is amazing how confident and willing she is. There is nothing that will stop her, it is wonderful. She contacted a lady who looked at her and was telling her, well what you are saying sounds interesting but I really just don't understand you. Then she saw the pamphlet in her hand and said can I have that? I will read it and if I still have interest, I will call you and set up even though I don't understand you. ha ha it is amazing what the spirit can do for us, we are so blessed here on the mission! Sister Scerra has taken over the phone, well she kind of has for a while now, while we are walking if there is no one out to contact she makes a phone call and if it gets to the point she really isn't understanding she will hand it over to me. She is such a hard worker, and really does just put herself out there. I was on the phone and she sat on the bench next to me and taught a girl about the gospel and had a lesson all on her own. Sister Scerra is an inspiration, there is no way I could have or would have dared try that in my first transfer. It is amazing to see the strength of the missionaries coming out, I learn so much from them!

 

I had another experience with jello meat! It was turkey this time instead of beef, the turkey is better but jello meat really is disgusting! Meat shouldn't be textured like that! ha ha but I survived. My companion couldn't manage to choke it down she ate almost half of it. So that was her first adventure with strange food! ha ha

 

Well I think that is about all that I have time for. This work truly is the Lords work, He is in the details, if you do all you can, He will bless you! I know that is true, I see it daily! I love being a missionary and I love hearing from you. Thank you for your love and support I really appreciate it!

 

Love you tons!

Sestra Hicken