Week 41

He everyone!

I had a great week - a little weird but great! I learned a lot about faith along the way. It is interesting because at the end of last transfer an elder in my district and I were discussing how we have become to caught up with what to say in a contact, how to guide a conversation, what people need to think about to realize other things, and it has become really complicated! And so we made it a goal for this next transfer to have more faith, and rely more on the spirit. Then the mission altogether came out with a goal to have more faith, and it comes with a quote from elder holland:

"This is not convenient, easy work. We have got to take things to the edge. We have to move into the realm of the miraculous. We have to live in such a way that we cannot do it alone anymore - where we will resort to the Lord - where we will cry, 'Without Thy help, I will fall. Help me flu.' Go to the edge where miracles happen. Move into the realm of the miraculous. Welcome to the apostolic work." -Elder Jeffery R. Holland

So there I had a pretty solid transfer goal. Well then this week it started out pretty rough. Most of out investigators hit a road block, and a really amazing family we were teaching invited over priests to "discuss" with us, for lack of a better word, the gospel of Jesus Christ. They hounded us pretty hard, and in the end he blessed us in "angelic tongue", which is an experience I will never forget, and also hope never happens again. They gave back the Books of Mormon, and what even hurt more was the conversation we had with the mom the next day.  I had trouble contacting for a solid day after that, still did it, but was a little shaken up. And small things happened too.. I got off the tram and sister Shaerrer didn't quite make it so I ran after the tram, praying for some help along the way. Then on Satuday and Sunday it was just miracle after miracle and I realized that in a time when I thought my faith was at its lowest, it was really at its strongest. I was calling down for help, telling the lord I can't do it alone anymore. And it became pretty clear to me that even though faith is a principle power, its not directly associated with my weaknesses. I learned that I can still have perfect faith, even when I'm not perfect, and what I'm doing maybe isn't perfect either. It was a great week.

A lot of missionaries are going home, including the Archiblads.. That day is going to break my heart. It's this week in fact and I haven't quite admitted it to myself. The law of compensation is real and we are seeing lots of miracles - it is a great time to be in the Czech Republic! 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 40

Hello to Japan! 

Thanks for the pictures! Looks like you are having a blast! 

I may not be on vacation in Japan, but I had an incredible week! This week was our last week of the transfer, and at the very end we had conference in Prague. Elder Patrick Kearon came again, and members from all over czech republic gathered in a large auditorium. It was like stake conference but way cooler. I got to see all the people I love and miss from my previous areas. First was CENEK from PARDUBICE and Tereza too! Cenek got the pristhood and tereza is teaching in Young Womens! I saw vasyl, johi, and the mestanovi!! almost everyone from Ceske Budejovice. Then Sister Daugirda got the boot to Ceske Budejovice! Talk about nostalgia! It was an emotional weekend. She left this morning - it was hard to say goodbye to my sharky! Brno is incredible and I love the people we are teaching right now. They are incredible!

I am staying in Brno and serving with Sister Schaerrer from Provo, Utah! She is great. I'm excited for whats ahead-

Love you all and enjoy that R&R ! 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 39

Hi family! I got some pictures off to you this week. Sorry its been forever. The transfer is coming to a close. This week we go to Prague for Prague conference and we also get transfered. Big week! This last week was pretty good. A crazy man grabbed our book of mormon from us and almost chucked it across the park. We love the crazies. And funny story from our friend who left his beer behind last week. This week we taught the law of chastity - and he said "its also important to not stand naked ... I was so confused. but the joke was that nahy is naked.. and NA H means on the H. so he takes a napkin and writes an H on it and then puts it on his chair and stands on his chair. and goes look, im standing "on the h" .. get your mind out of the gutter!  He is a funny man - what a keeper. He picked a date this week to prepare for baptism! That was exciting! We found the cutest family this week too. We are teaching them in their home and having wonderful spiritual experiences. I really learn so much from these people. So much faith! Have a great week everyone. Have fun surfing and vacationing and all the rest - ill be here in czech land working away! Love you! 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 38

Hello everyone! This week was really great. We played "meet the mormons" and also had a concert. A lot of people came and it was a lot of fun. If you haven't seen meet the mormons you have to! I heard it came out over there this last year and it was in theaters, but i don't know how correct that is. I was surprised if it showed in theaters. Anyways, that all happened and then on sunday one of our "friends" (now what we are calling investigators.. its a better name) invited us and the elders over two and we all made pizas and he made us2 cakes. we left so stuffed. and then as a souvenir he gave us giant beer mugs. Back track I need to explain the story. So we had a word of wisdom lesson with him at a little outdoor pub. He got us 2 kofaly (what i sent home for you to try but from the tap its so much better) and he got a nice big cold beer. the czechs love their beer. so we teach him the word of wisdom and commit him to try it for 2 weeks. He agrees, and then asks if he can finish his beer. We both raise our eyebrows and say no. He says awesome so Ill go pay, and he left his pivo and paid! What a guy! And then he went and picked up his cute little daughter from ballet and we gave her a hug. They are the cutest. I took a video of them teaching us the czech macorina this week - ill try to send it! Anyways that was awesome. Seeing lots of miracles here in Brno and working hard. Also the Archibalds are awesome - let me just say that. They are the ones sending home all the videos. like our grammy and gramps away from home. 

Have a fantastic week everyone! 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 37

Hi everyone!

May I start with a funny story? This week a man named Ned got baptized. So here is his story.. He was living in Colorado, and became a member of the church. He moved to czech republic because he found a girl on lds singles (apparently they have that) who lives in Austria. So he moves here, tries to send his records, but he doesn't have any! So he looks into it and turns out he became a member of the RLDS church instead of the LDS church. How does that happen? So his baptism was at 9 at night this week, and I had the flu so I was already delirious and full of medicine, and we were up pretty late. Anyways, the baptism goes and then all of a sudden at the very end he gets up to bear his testimony and he PROPOSES to his girlfriend in our tiny little baptism service. My companion sister D was freaking out and punched me and Dalibor. 

On a more normal note, we had an incredibly inspiring training this week. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the 70 came. Sister Daugirda and I ate lunch with him which was such a treat! All of the missionaries really prepared for his training- it was a spiritual experience. He shared his conversion and the role missionaries played in his life. One of my favorite things we talked about was the story of Zacchaes in the New Testament, when he climbs the tree to see Jesus. If you want to talk about creativity - its there! The principle I took from training, and am trying to apply, is not to let road blocks stop me. People's concerns are deep, and usually go deeper than we can even see. But through the power of discernment, faith and CREATIVITY we can see miracles happen. 

What a sad thing to hear that our sweet apostle died this week. Elder L. Tom Perry will be missed. What a wonderful and inspired man. 

Love you all! 

S laskou,

Sestra Holland

Week 36

Back to wearing my winter clothes as we enter into the summer season. The weather is so bipolar. This week we did some tracting, contacting, running around, the usual, but all in the beautiful rain. I love running home when your boots are full of water and you are just drenched! Its a really fun time. This week we met Albert.. ALBERT. Just like Albert Einstein! He is from Nigeria and is so cool. He lived with a mormon in Nigeria and talked about how there are temples on every corner.. I think he meant church buildings but still that sounds awesome! We met Albert on a bus, and we were sitting next to him and all of a sudden people run in with cameras and microphones.. turns out it was the first model of that bus in czech republic so they gave us all candy and it was fun. Elder Waylend actually ended up getting interveiwed, until the interviewer got bored and moved on to someone else. We were laughing so hard. Also this week we went to Trebic again!!! The branch loves sisters so we feel so wanted haha. We went to a really cool members house afterward. He was the only in his family to learn about the gospel and then he shared it with his whole family - brothers, sisters, cousins.. and now basically the whole branch is a member of the family. The grandma made us lunch after church (and made me miss you a lot grandma!). Lots of potatoes and meat and soups and kolačy yesterday .. yum :) And I met the one of the oldest members in the czech republic yesterday. She is the cutest thing. Her and Gaud (pronounced God) helped start yoga when that was the main means of missionary work in the czech republic during communism. The czech republic has really neat church history. Anyways I got to have a long talk with her. She has been a member 60+ years. What a cool lady. And then on the way home we there was a man laying in the middle of the train tracks which caused a little bit of drama. And then the whole way home sister d and I stuck our heads out the train windows like dogs. Its one of my favorite things to do around here. Such a beautiful country. Sending my love to all of you!

S laskou,

Sister Holland

Week 35

Hi Everyone-

I had a great week, I hope you did too! Terezka was back this week - which always makes it better! She went back to Cbud for a while. And the people we are working with are doing well. The investigator that came to church with his daughter is now at a spa. Whenever the czech people are in minor discomfort they check-in to a spa. Us missionaries don't really like spas, they take our investigators away. But, we got permission to skype, and had some amazing lessons. We really miss his daughter though. She is just the cutest thing that ever walked the czech republic. And one of our elders was on an exchange with a greenie this week so we got all the mtc drama. And mostly just nostalgia. 

Love you,

Sestra Holland