Week 74

They are making me leave and its like getting punched in the gut. I've never felt so grateful in my life. My mission means everything to me - i wouldnt trade it for anything. I don't really know what to say this week - its confusing and mostly sad right now, but I am incredibly excited to see all of you. This week when we sang the mission hymn for my last time was one of the hardest things ive ever done. I was worse than mom listening to "Little Donkey"on christmas. Saying goodbye to the branch was like saying goodbye to you all for the first time. Its like a big circle. They keep you here til you love it so much and then they tear your heart out. A new mission president got called this week - Bratr Pohořelicky. It will be hard for everyone to lose the McConkies- they mean so much to me. But if I were to pick anyone next it would be him and his wife. The members here are incredible and have changed me the most. They are like modern day pioneers. A lot of goodbyes and a lot of tears - but just as always, its all in the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things. I know that God lives. This is really His work and I'm so grateful to have been a part of it. Now its time to go serve where I came from. I love you all - thanks for the support and love. 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 73

Ahoj ahoj! 

New News - 

We are teaching a czech soldier and he's HUGE. 

We had a rockin film festival this week. 

Our window in our appartment got fixed. 

Afterwards we met with our landlord and chatted over čaj. Get this - he played for the Devils NHL hockey team. He kind of shattered my view of NHL when he told us all the political junk that goes on behind the NHL curtain. So sad. That's why he quit. And now he's living in the cz doing business. One of the coolest people I've met. He moved away from his family to canada (some kind of "hockey farm" where they grow hockey players) until he made it to the nhl. When he found out all that junk I said earlier he quit - and now he doesn't know what the purpose of life is - now that he doesnt have hockey. We were like hey man, you are so ready for our message. you gotta give it a try. He said he's not ready yet but maybe with time. sometimes you just want to take away peoples agency for one seconde.. just so they try it! 

We are working with a less active and he is one of the kindest people I've ever met. This week we committed him to read a talk from President Monson everyday and he's loving it. What's really cool is he helped teach one of the members here before his baptism - And now this member teaches with us every week trying to help him get his testimony back. So cool! 

I had a funeral this week from my cute district. Ill attatch a picture.. :,(

Our cool investigator with the red hair and panda sweatshirt accepted a baptismal date for the end of next march! She's so great.

On Saturday we had quite a bit of contacting on plan and it was so interesting - we got invited to like 3 cafe's. The first guy brought us to a bar - That was a funny lesson. Really nice guy though. Took a Book of Mormon for his momma. Another one we had was really cool. He is from Bulgaria and his name is Nicoli... and he looks exactly like the Nicoli from saratov approach and has a russian like accent. He accepted a baptisimal date first lesson-- Thats when we knew he wasnt czech.

On Sunday we had a feeling we should visit an older lady we had met trakting around christmas time. She stuck her head out the window and I could hardly recognize her. The poor thing was running for a bus last week and fell on her face. She lost half her teeth and her face was every coler on the lower half of the rainbow. So sad. One of the most Christ-like human beings I've ever met though. She feeds us down our throats and this time it was Mak. I cant stand Mak.

Missionary work is a dream. What a blessing it is to testify of Christ as a representative of Him. 

Talk to you next week. Love you all,

Sestra Holland

Week 72

Ahojte!

I don't know where to start this week - Things are starting to get strange. The weeks fly by and then I have these moments when everythings stops and I just take it all in. The czechs, the knedliky, cobblestones. Morning workouts I lay on the field at the end and look up at the stars .. and may shed a tear or two... One funny story this week - I talked to this asian girl on the bus a couple weeks ago and she was SO COOL. She hardly speaks czech but is a student so she's learning it. She told me she works at the nail salon in the shopping center - so this week we went to the nail salon and we asked her to meet. We started talking to her and then all of the other nail ladys started coming and talking to us and the people getting their nails done too. The women getting their nails done were like - umm girl they cant understand you. I kind of felt for these asians trying to learn czech so i said " they are learning ok ladies". It was like something from a soap opera. Nail time with sestrou Holland. We met a czech soldier this week whos meeting with us after email.. and we've got the film festival on Saturday! We are working on it with Sestra Daskova. This morning we were at her house for a while making the little paperletts they tear to judge which film they liked the most. She is so fun. Last church we spent the last 20 minutes in heated conversation talking about an oven. haha. This church sunday we were in trebic. We visited some of the members and had some really spiritual lessons. One of the members has her dead pets stuffed around her appartment.  At the end we were at the Pohorilicky family. They have officially nicknamed me "Stará Drzá Kocka" which means old sassy cat. We had a lesson with one of their recent converts there and then we shared a thought with the family before our train left. It was really a good day. My last visit to Trebic. After relief society all the women were asking me to stay in cz and marry their sons. I was like heck no, im a nun. Ive been visiting trebic for 7 months now so the members and branch have a special place with me. Life is good - We are so blessed! Everyone have a good time in Arizona/ Mexico and I will talk to you next week! 

Láskou vždy,

Sestra Holland

Week 71

Hi everybody! This week is going to be short - The suns out and it feels good to get some vitaman D. It's still pretty cold but no ones complaining.. THERES SUNSHINE! (in my soul) This week most of our investigators seemed to be out of town. Our cool girl with the panda shirt went to Austria. And our yoyo guy went who knows where. But it was good time to go find new people to teach. We met the coolest guy who is deaf in one ear and has been praying his whole like for it to be healed. We met 2 families this week. Sestra B and I are speaking only czech - she is so solid! And we went to the COOLEST HOCKEY GAME EVER. It was Dukla Jihlava vs some village near prague. I got so excited I fell down the stairs. The smell of the ice and hockeyness was just too good! We won and I bought a scarf! 

Love you! Have a good week! 

Sestra Holland

Week 70

Hey family!

Monday Tuesday Wednesday were pretty normal. Update on some of our people here in jihlava : We met with one of our formers roomates - she is so cute. We are not sure how interested she is but we gave her some stuff to think about. Our friend Veronika is progressing so fast! She is so spunky. She has short spiky bright orange hair, floral pants and a panda sweatshirt. (czechs wear usually the same clothes everyday fun fact) Our yoyo man is doing alright - smoking is just the hardest thing though. 

Then on Thursday we were off to Slovakia. 3 trains to get there but such a great exchange. On the train we talked to this old man who had a czech flag bow tie - and then this younger man was listening in our cabin and started asking us a ton of questions. He set up to meet with the missionaries in Brno. I was with Mama Russell on the exchange who is the cats pajamas. She made us SO MUCH HALUSKY - and that girl does not make it healthy. and then we all had the infamous halusky dreams. On the exchange we met some really cool people. One of the czech elders is serving in Bratislava right now and brought his guitar - I think it was the best singing display Ive ever been apart of. Although I am always a contacter in our displays because im not very musically talented. Especially in SLovakia, I dont know what it is but everyone over there can sing. So we had a fun time in Bratislava. I just love talking to people who dont speak english or czech and having a conversation - i think its the coolest thing ever! Then we came back and had an hour between our buses in Brno so  we asked the sisters if they wanted help contacting. They said yes and said where to meet. They surprised me and set up a lesson with Peter! The one who got baptized in december. When I was asking him how he was doing I asked when he is going to get the Aaronic priesthood. He said "I already have it!" and the branch is trying to get him melchizedek before the next area conference this summer. It was so good to see how well he was doing. He just looked so happy!! 

Then on Sunday we had branch conference. President and Sister McConkie came along with the Brno District president. They had great talks. Our lovely Sister D. officially got her temple reccomend after church! It was so happy! ah man missionary work is the best

Today we went up to Ždár nad Sázavou to the kostel of St. Jan of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora for pday. Its beautiful. On the way back down one of the elders slid down the ice on the hill. Sis Baxter said "do it for the gopro!" and starts sliding down but on her rear. She couldnt stop until she slid through dog dung. It was ALL over her. At first we were laughing pretty hard until we had to sit with her for an hour home. Thats the worst. 

Love you all! Have a good week!

Sestra Holland

Week 69

Hi family! This week was great!

One of our investigators had a dream where she was watching the television and nefi came on and said READ THE BOOK! So she hasnt been slacking on any committments. The most wonderful lady here in Jihlava is getting her temple reccommend this sunday. We've been working with her since the beginning of my Jihlava days. It was one of those times on your mission when you feel so GOOD that you are out. Its those moments that make it SO worth it. When we were teaching English this week this lady was telling us she plays the piano. After english we brought her over to the piano to try our hymns. Might have someone to play the piano for us! I play with my one hand at church and just think to myself "THIS SOUNDS SO BAD". so we are praying for our piano player! She came to practice this week and she brought her son who studied theology. We gave him a Book of Mormon and explained the restoration. We are hoping he reads it. Lastly - about a week ago I met this really cool older man who attended the yoga camps with the lds legendaries here in cz. I dragged my whole district over there last night because i had an inkling it was going to be AWESOME. And it WAS. The lesson turned into a joga lesson. We were meditating and then when we all had our legs in preztles he prayed for us. He said the most incredible prayer! He's like yoda. He also sent us home with a poetry book he wrote and some plants. Also still teaching the yoyo guy. I bought a yoyo shirt from him this week.

Love you all! 

S Laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 68

Ahojte!

Our district had a baptism this week from trebic! So we all went to Brno on Saturday and ALMOST missed the bus back. We left 30 minutes before it left and sprinted as fast as we could to get to the stop. The bus was about to pull away and the bus driver shows his watch at us. We all gave him puppy dog eyes and he let us on. So no big story about getting stuck in Brno - thank goodness! We started teaching a man that smokes so much he's yellow! One lady that we don't teach anymore had a roomate who would sometimes come join us at the end for the prayer - and this week we saw her on the street and gave her a building tour. She is the cutest thing ever! She invited us over to her house! She's like 25 and so golden! She was probably the best thing that happened this week. Yoyo man is doing alright. He didn't come to church on my birthday but thats alright. I think im going to buy a yoyo from him. He said we can get the discount. Oh ya I had a birthday! In czech republik when you have a birthdaz the old people give you like 20MINUTE handshakes. They are so cool. And sometimes I feel like they are competing who gives the best handshakes. They just shake your hand and look into your sould and say "that you have lots of health and success and love and happiness and safety ... " Sometimes they get more creative but usually thats how it goes. Sestra baxter woke up in the middle of the night and was mixing eggs in the bathroom to make me french toast in the morning. She is so cute! Today she took me out for svickova :) It was a good birthday. Love you all! Have a good week! 

Week 67

čau'te!

This week was a good one. Our yoyo guy is doing well. We thought he wasn't very interested in what we were teaching him at first. This week he opened up and said he had a lot of questions. Questions like why do bad things happen to good people. We started answering his questions through the Book of Mormon and are praying for him to get his answer.. He's so cool! He's getting ready to be baptized in February.

We also started planning an activity with the branch this week. A "Film Festival" - for investigators, members and nonmembers. After we talked to the Branch President about  doing this activity, we told her we would like her help. She started crying she was so happy. We are going to show 4-5 short films and then let people vote which one was their favorite. Its gonna be fun! 

This week we also went to Trebic. We went out with the Pahorilicky family to meet with an elderly lady. She's been a member so long, but struggles to get to church. She has no car and lives in a very small house with no running water. She is the sweetest lady! So Christlike. We had the sacrament with her and in the end the Pahorilicky family (the COOLEST family in the cz) gave her a gift from "an angel "  - it was a device that set up general conference on her ancient television. She hated it! Haha! She made him take it back. It was too futuristic for her. I got the whole thing recorded. Its priceless. 

Have a great week everybody! Congrats Jake for killing it in volleyball!

S Laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 66

Ahojte!

This week was kind of hard. people are still in the holiday mood and we are trying to get everyone out of it. Its time to get back to work people! So we are on the streets a lot. But we saw a ton of cool stuff happen. Some people we talked to before the Christmases started getting in touch with us. And our former came to church this week! Its down right COLD right now. Im double scarfing and double everythinging. Like 3 drunk men tried to kiss my child this week so she's pretty bumbed. Its just part of the experience though. She's starting to laugh about it so thats good. AND today we met an older man who went to the yoga camps with one of the members from brno! I was super pumped cause i got to know gaud vojkuvka a little bit when i was serving there. The history of the church here is so cool! And you dont hear a lot about people who went to those camps and didnt become members of the church so im interested to talk to this muž. Have a good week everybody! Stay fresh

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 65

hi fam11 It was good to see you all on christmas1 todays another day i cant get the computer to change so this email will be a little strange. But no worries right_ So this week we had a beautiful christmas. 

On monday we went to sister daskovas house and she made us little kolač cake things and then ježišek came11 baby jesus came and brought us gifts11 we heard the bell ring and then we all covered out eyes and then there were four gifts under the tree. we opened them and i had new tights.. much needed. my tights are so worn that my heals and toes are completley exposed haha. so ježišek knew what sister holland needed1 I brought my guitar and afterwards we sang czech christmas carols. 

on tuesday we had training in brno. we got there in the morning and as a mission hit all the christmas markets and then in a hug group sang silent night ..simultaneously in czech and slovak which sounds a little strange.. but it was really cool. and then we all dispersed before the police might come1 We had a fantastic training from the mcconkies. 

On wednesday we went less active finding. mapped it out from our area book and went out to show our little narodil se spasitel movie. Its a good one1 We didnt have any real cool experiences from that .. one guy let us show it to him at his doorstep and he was a really nice guy just not interested in coming back. And then that night we surprised visited Petias mom.. petia is a member 18 yrs old and so great1 she was in egypt for christmas but her mom and older sister where home so we shared the video with them and her mom told us that she wants us to start coming over more. It seemed like the christmas message really affected her .. so cool1 

on thursday sister baxter and i went over to brno where Erik got baptized. He is so darling. It was a beautiful baptism. His dad baptized him and a lot of members came to support even when it was christmas morning. Then that evening we went and visited a member and then had our christmas dinner with a former investigator of ours. Shes great . 4 courses of carp fish served in different ways- i think first was a soupl and then appetizer was carp patties with tomatoes and then there was the deep fried carp. basically the whole meal you are pulling bones out of your mouth. We had pernik and some apple muffiny at the end. We did all the christmas traditions - we opened walnuts and cut apples to see our fate for the next year - FUNNIEST part was when she stood under the misletoe and asked to all come over and give her a kiss on the cheek. Sister Baxter and I went a gave her a kiss on the cheek and then i just kind of sat down and enjoyed watching what the elders were going to do next. One of the rigid elders stands in front of her and just starts sweating and got really nervous. hes still working on his czech so his answer was something along the lines of -I want to but i dont know if I can!- it was so funny.. that made my christmas eve.

on christmas day we went to the alzhiemers home and sang. the elders asked us to sing angels we have heard on high and we told them we would. but we wanted to do something a little more spicy so we made a dance to jingle bell rock and just started singing it without telling them. it was pretty funny. good thing the old people probably wont remember it. 

Today we went to a really cool castle called rokštejn with petia and ondra - two members in the branch. 

It was a great christmas week and so great that I got to see all your faces on skype! Love you and have a good week!

S laskou,

sestra Holland