The Lords timing...it is PERFECT!‏

Ahoj, 

Hope you have had a spectacular week because we sure have! 

So we had a great goal to be out of the apartment by 10 everyday this week so we could see the miracles and then encourage all of our sisters to do the same so they can get out among these wonderful czech people and find those elect people. Monday we got out and it was so great! We were getting shut down hard core left and right, no one would listen, they hear any word that has to do with church, missionaries or Jesus and they were gone. So we decided to leave the park and we started contacting people on this street we had never been. People were listening a little but still no real interest. Then we ended up on some campus university. There were some sweet students that listened but didn't want to meet. Then it was time to go to our next thing on plan. We didn't want to back track and we thought that climbing the stiars could get us to be where we needed so we hoped and moved forward. Halfway up the stairs a couple phone calls happen so we wait and that sets us up to run into Karel, a ysa who is interested in meeting. He had no clue how to help us get where we were headed though. So after exchanging numbers we ran across the parking lot and finally stopped this lady to get directions and she walked us all the way to the tram stop. In the process we discussed the gospel and she would like to meet with us. Wow. Talk about timing and waiting until the last second! 

 Of course because we had this great goal to be out of the house by 10 everyday this week, there had to be great opposition. As you may or may not know, our entry room got flooded and they had to rip out the floor and were waiting for it to dry out enough to replace it. Well monday morning we got a call from our landlord calls telling us that the flooring people will be coming in and redoing our floor so we would need to be there. He asked how late we could be there, initially we said 10 but he was pushing for later so we said 11. So the entire week, tuesday though today we have had the workers in our apartment around 7 or 8 am and always asking us if we could stay longer. They would have liked us to spend the day there so they could finish but we had things to do. So we made some adjustments and stayed the extra hour and did our weekly planning and some calls so that they were able to stay. Even though we weren't getting out of the house by 10 we were doing work rather than studies (usually we do language study here - but President is pushing for us to get out earlier and do studies later/talk with people and practice and not study out of books every single day) and getting things done that really needed to get done, but we just weren't ever home to do it. It was such a blessing in disguise. 

 We had on plan to do an exchange in plzen on thursday night through friday. Lots of craziness happened and we eventually got to our bus and what do you know it was student agency and the seats had all been prepaid for and everyone showed up so we weren't able to go on this exchange we thought we were supposed to go on. So we then had the opportunity to keep a special eye out for the miracles the Lord was about to preform in our lives. So we jumped on the metro to head back into town. As we were discussing why this had happened and how the Lord must have something great on plan for tomorrow we though or there is someone on this metro that needs us so we went back to work to focus on the present and not on the past that cannot be changed. We had great metro contacts with some women who aren't interested in the gospel yet but would love to run into us again on the metro and chat. 

 With our exchange falling through we had some banana bread that needed to be eatten by someone. So we thought our floor guys have been really nice and we are going to have to leave them in there all alone friday as it will take the entire day to lay the floor. We could leave a little note, bread and keys for them. So we did and they loved it! I think they were a little sketched out initially that we were giving them stuff. Anyway 'unfortunately' things were taking a long time to dry so they weren't able to lay the wood on friday. They were very apologetic and said they'd be back on saturday. Today they complimented us a lot on that bread. So we decided to write them instructions on how to make it as well as a thank you not for thier amazing work and honesty (as they were in our apartment all day yesterday alone and everything is still there and fine as far as we see). Right as they were leaving we gave them our contact information. They noticed for the first time today that we were from a church as they looked at our card. As the main man headed out the door he asked us to pray for him because he doesn't know how. We told him we would. Later today we plan to text him and ask him what he would like us to pray for specifically and let him know that we can teach him how to pray and try to set up with him. It is so neat to see how the Lord does his work. 

 Another blessing of the exchange falling through; we were able to be at game night (initial plans would have been exchanging back so we wouldn't have been at game night) and our investigator Jakub came. This was the first time he has ever come to anything besides our meetings and church so that was good becasue he was able to see people outside of that environment, that we do play games and have clean fun. It was a great experience. We were also able to talk to him some about the fast we did with him yesterday, he wants to know that the Book of Mormon is true. It is great. As we were getting ready to leave game night, someone who no longer meets with the missionaries came in with a couple of his friends and introduced us to them (as we were the only young missionaries left there) and we were able to get to know them, play a game and give them a building tour. Even better they have interest in meeting again so that was a miracle because with how exchanges were planned we weren't going to be able to be at game night. Wow the Lord has perfect timing, it is amazing how he can help us be where we need to be. 

These are just a few of the amazing miracles that we have seen this week. We are loving the work here in pargue and we are being so blessed! 

 This week was the European area YSA week. So lots of our YSA's left to go to the temple on monday. There were many that were not able to take the entire week off of work so they had plans for others to leave on Thursday evening. Well they were planning to rent a bus but that didn't work out. So they were searching to find one of the YSA's that had a drivers licence so they could rent a car and go. They found one, Honza! Unfortunately, they realized the day of he is only 20. There was a different YSA that was old enough to rent some cars but he didnt have a drivers licence and they all felt it wouldn't be honest to rent it under the ones name and have another drive it. So they didnt do that. So they were stuck in a rut. How were all these YSA's going to make it to the temple. In the midst of all this we had a lesson with Ivan who really wanted to go. He talked about how he could find bus times and go, but he just didnt want to go alone and it was more than double the original price. We talked about the temple and the importance and how he should make sure he goes no matter what, even if it is alone. We testified about how Satan was working really hard on them to stop them from going to the temple. Ivan was shocked about that and asked why? It was a great time to share my personal experience of when I got really sick right before I went to the temple and wasn't sure if I would be able to go. We testified about how the temple is the place we are able to be the closest to God and that it is His home and Satan doesn't want us there. It was just really neat to talk to him and teach him. So after our lesson all the YSA's that were planning to go got together and had a pow-wow of what they were going to do. So they decided to get some adult perspecticve and asked Elder Mendenhall for some help. They discussed options - like going next week as it is the ward temple week and they have a bus rented for it and they could just go then. Ivan then talked about how he had taken 4 days off of work already to go to the temple (2 days for a temporary visa- so he could leave the czech republic and 2 days to be gone at the temple) he talked about how he couldn't just take another 2 days off next week. It is so amazing to see what all they are sacrificing to go to the temple, these young kids (Ivan is 18) who were just baptised and the adults who have been members for a while (they go next week). I love seeing how they love and support one another, it is so amazing! So needless to say they caught a bus at 7.30am yesterday morning to go to the temple and they will come back tonight. WOW! Talk about some dedication. It is about a 3 hour bus ride I think is what they told me. 

 These are just a couple of the thousands of miracles and blessings that are being poured out on us, I feel so blessed and lucky to be a missionary at this time serving the Lord in the Czech Republic. I know that the message of the gospel is ture. I know there is great power in prayer and scripture study and even more power is available through fasting and priesthood blessings. It is so neat to see the Lord putting out his hand to lift us up. It doesnt matter what we do His hand is stretched out still. (2 Nephi 19:12 and others) I love you so much! Have a great week! 

 S Laskou, 

Sestra Hicken

We had dinner at the Munro's on sunday for dinner with Jakub and Ivan. Love the Munro's!

Jello meat given to us by Jana someone we are meeting with. Doesn't it just look so yummy?!

flowers thrown at my feet at a singing display. A cute little 12 year old boy was skatebording by with flowers and stopped after riding by jumpped off and threw us some flowers he had.