Week 31

Hello erybody! 

First week in Brno was awesome. I am tired but so good. This city is supersized and I feel so small. Trams take us everywhere so I'm working on my tram contacting. My companion is so darling. She is from Salt Lake and studied at Utah State. Cuter than a button that one is. This week we had some good czech experiences. First of all, a homeless lady keeps coming into the church building and so sister daugirda and I walked her out and explained that she needs to respect our worship service, and then she gave me a big smile with no teeth, pointed at my cookie and said, if you want to give me your cookie i would be happy. I gave her my cookie, but said she really can't come back. Then she said ok, that the cookie was too sweet, and then spit it in my face and walked away. then when we were walking away sister D saw her turn around and start walking back into the building again, and i ran to go stop her. I scared the pee out of that lady! Just ran up to her and said excuse me, but she jumped and yelled and did her cross on her chest. We almost peed ourselves too from laughing so hard, sister d and I. We had a really cool lesson this week with a mom and her daughter.  The mom is still not sure about everything, but the daughter said the closing prayer, and then she looked at us and smiled. we asked her how she felt and she said, i cant explain it, i feel special. It was so precious. This branch here has new beginnings and wonderful young womens group, everything really is just very functional. I am not going to lie I got a little homesick on sunday. It's the closest thing I've seen to America since I've been here. And really all of Brno sort of feels like California. It's strange. But so far I am really loving it. The people are fantastic. So kind, and loving. People say Moravian's are happier. I don't know, I sure miss my little c bud friends. we were quite the group! All is well, getting ready for a happy transfer! Sister D and I made our transfer goals.. SHARK! SHRCC actually.. Spiritual people, Happy people, Refferrals, Covenants (focus on covenants in lessons), and Christ, always turning our message back to Christ. Whether it be talking to someone on the street, a lesson, anything. It's going to be a good transfer. We have already seen so many miracles. 

Mam vas rada!

sestra holland

Week 30

Hello Family! 

Big news this week, I have left ceske budejovice and am now in Brno. What a beautiful city.. and really big. And im so little! I'm really excited though. This transfer is 10 weeks, so its a long one! But my companion is really great. So last week was pretty eventful, we had CONFERENCE and got our transfer calls. Conference was fantastic. I said goodbye to my favorite district this morning, and yesterday some of my favorite people. BUT, Terezie who spends a lot of time in c budd LIVES in brno! So this morning we took a bus together and I get to see her even more now! So that was exiting! Bratr rybok was hard to say goodbye to (i will forever pray like him), and vasyl oh man that was tough. He is a ukranian teenager who doesn't make anything easy for us. So last week was sad. So hard, but so good too. Also our favorite investigator Jan took us on a tour of cbud and told us some really cool history. We went to the top of the black tower where you can see the whole city. so beatiful! Hope all is well at home!

Love always,

Sestra Holland

Week 29

Hello everybody!

I had another good week. I love české budějovice. The branch is so quirky, if we ever visit here one day im taking you to church here. Unfortunately transfers are coming up and it's very possible I will have to leave. But you never know! This transfer has been going by really fast. My companion and my district are both top notch. This week we had one of those refresher weeks when you feel like you are starting from scratch, trying to find new people. Those weeks are usually pretty hard, but a goal our zone has is teaching while finding. It made finding a lot better, and its really powerful when you share simple gospel truths with someone you've never met before. All of a sudden you stepped into unknown territory and its interesting where people go with it.

As of this week I am the official yoga instructor of my district. We run to the building everymorning and I play some fruity music, and then teach a yoga class! All those saturdays going to yoga with you rach paid off! And today we went on a FAT hike to a tower. When we got to the top it was so high that we walked into a blizzard.

The gypsys have really been on our back this week. They are nice and perfectly harmless, but pretty persistent. we were walking with a member and the three huge gypsy ladies start yelling at her, and she was just giving them money. we asked her after what the heck happened and she said, oh its no big deal.. they read my palm on the namesti the other day. 

This week is Easters! Hope you are all excited. We are throwing a party in which sister behunin and i have made a giant easter egg pinata, and are putting together and egg walk. the starsi are doing jeapordy and an egg hunt. its going to be good. We almost got Elder Zmolek in a bunny suit but they just don't have that here. He was so in! The convincing power of 4 missionaries! haha just kidding. Czech republic's coolest easter tradition is they have these little whips, and on easter the boys have to come at a certain time and whip girls butts so they are fertile for the next year. Pretty awesome. 

Happy Easter everyone! I know that Jesus Christ lives and that through him we can live again. I am thankful for the life He lived, His perfect example, and atoning sacrafice.

Don't eat too much candy! 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 28

Hello Everyone!

It was a great week! Not a lot of time, but we had an awesome culture night.. 750th birthday of ceske budejovice!! It was amazing. They had a light show where they showed the story of ceske budejovice on the buildings on the namesti, then there was fire and acrobats.. they went all out. Sill teaching some amazing people. And this week Im going to play guitar with bratr kresnicka, who used to be in a band called UFO. He is so awesome! Ill send you pictures next week.

And big news of the week.. ALEX IS GOING HOME! Man that happened fast. Enjoy each other family. Ill just be over here. Just kidding Im way happy for all of you. LOVE YOU! I will be there in spirit. Send me pictures of the fiasco.

Sestra Holland

Week 27

Hello family!

What a great place to be on a mission here in little ceske budejovice! I love the people, I love my companion, I love the work - The suns coming out too! It's still colder than cold, but the sun is coming out! I was sitting on a bus this morning and the sun was on my face and that was the first time since ive been in the country ive really felt the sunlight. truly. So i'm pretty happy today. I haven't talked a lot about my companion, sister behunin. She is from St. George Utah. She is like a little bean, I want to put her in my pocket. We are working hard and having fun. This week was great - we have a great teaching pool. All of them are great, but two in particular are absolutely amazing. Im so excited for them. The only thing that made this week a downer was we saw a dead man on the street, he had drunken too much. It was really sad, but the week got progressively better until BAM connor holland had his 15th birthday and it just exploded. I was kind of sad I didnt get to see conconbooboo on his 15th but it was a good day nonetheless. Everyone got tired of me telling them it was conbons bday. We had district meeting that day and we all sang happy birthday to you in czech connor! I videotaped it but I dont know how to send it yet. And then also my subconscious is realizing that Alex is really actually going home now. Super weird, but I am excited for all of you to see each other. Send me pictures! I want to capture the moment in my one hour on email.

Short little sidenote - today we had an awesome pday. we went on a vilet this morning with a member of the branch. He showed us some fishy stuff going on down in trebon. They take about a TON of living carp out of the lake and put then in manmade ponds so they can make little eggies so we have more carp. I could be wrong thats all i really understood because when people start getting into that stuff i get kind of lost. anyways it only happens once every two years and we got to go see it - and then they let us put on the fishing gear and we looked pretty cool. Pictures on the way! Love you all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR!! Letter is on the way. And all of you be nice to alex when he gets home. im thinking he'll be in the fetal position along with Aaron for a couple days. I'm starting to think I don't know how to live in america too, and i havent even been here that long. LOVE YOU ALL!

S laskou,
Sestra Holland

Week 26

Ahoj!

It was a crazy week, but a good one. Not a ton of time this week, but just want to let you know I am doing well. We had training this week and we watched a movie! what? we saw meet the mormons. I thought it was a joke at first and then it wasn't. It was pretty good. The elders had a baptism here this week. It was a cute little shromazdeni. It was at the local indoor pool, and she was really happy. On to another week. Hope this one doesn't involve police. Sorry I don't have a lot to say today! I will try and make it up with pictures. Love you all!

Sestra Holland 

Week 25

I don't know what to say about this week. It happened. Sister Behunin and I worked our butts off. I still love our little branch. And we found an awesome lady this week. She studied old czech which means the book of mormon is easy for her to understand and she is loving it. Yesterday we were tracting a panelok and a man came out yelling and whacking us with his crutches.. so that was the event of the week. I kept telling him to cool it and that we wont knock on his door again. That was quite the event. Onto the next week.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA. Hodně štěstí a zdraví!

s láskou,

Sestra Holland