FOR ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE ONE OF PRESTON'S ADDRESS BUSINESS CARDS:

I have been informed that his mailing address has been slightly changed.

Instead of 160 00 Praha 1 you need to reverse it so it says Praha 1 160 00

You also need to write Europe on the bottom line after Czech Republic.

"It's not Seed Planting Time, it's Harvest Time!"

This last week was full of lessons!  We hit so many of out goals and got some really powerful lessons in.  We have an investigator who decided to delete all his video games off his computer so he could come to church.  We got a new investigator.  We have a couple baptisms coming up real quick.  And... the sun is shining, which is a tender mercy of the Lord because I don't like rain.  As our exercise this morning we ran to the top of a nearby hill as the sun was rising over Ostrava.  It is perfect here in Ostrava when it comes to weather and to success we have obtained.

 

The quote as the title of this message was said this morning from one of my companions.  I just had to include it in this message somehow.  But it does apply to our work here too!  I love it.

 

We have a few interesting was to share the gospel coming up too!  Last week we met with a professor at Ostrava University but it ended up turning it to a question/ answer session for one of his students thesis papers.  We are planning to have real lessons with him and his student in the future.  After our lesson which impressed me that they knew SO MUCH about our church, he invited us to do a little presentation about our church in his class.  With our mission president's permission, we will be doing it.  We plan on passing out pass along cards and say if you want to learn more, call us.  (Because we can't preach in a school) we might also tell why we are here, and what we do, and play the Restoration video that the church has.

 

Also, we go every week to a Café for Marlenka (really good cake) and Kofola (really good drink).  The owner asked us if we have any talents.  My companion said he plays guitar and I said I do magic.  He said he is having a talent show type thing in a month and a half that showcases talents from the community throughout the day.  Once again, with our mission president's permission, we will be doing that too.  My companion will probably play a church song on guitar while singing and I will do a little magic.  We plan on talking to people about our church a little bit and passing out passalong cards to people while waiting for out turns to perform.

 

Because of the beautiful weather, we have started up again something called sports day.  We have an hour or so on Saturday evenings to play soccer, football, frisbee, etc. with investigators, then have a spiritual thought at the end.  This is finding method we have to find new people to teach.

 

Something crazy happened this week as well.  As we were walking on over to an investigators place to try to set up a meeting.  We witnessed some guy beating her girlfriend in the park.  We didn't know how to call the police, so we found someone from here to do so.  The police came and they were just breaking up and didn't want to police involved.  The police let them go!!!  I think we decided to try to see one of our investigators for the reason of trying to help out this girl.  Even though it didn't seem to help, I think it could help later down the road.

 

Despite this experience with the police, everything else about this week was fantastic.  I love being a missionary and hope time will slow down a little bit.  :)  I love you all.  Take care this next week and replace fear with faith.

 

Starší Bahr

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

The Work is Great!

Not much has happened since last time I wrote (5 days ago), but some weekly letter worthy things.  I will have to write quick because I don't have a lot of time left to email.

 

We are working hard here in Přivoz Ostrava.  Elder Clyde, Elder Stimpson, and I are very pleased with what we have to work with.  Our companionship is probably the best.  We have AWESOME studies.  Our district is also the best.  We have two missionaries who are on their last transfer and both sound like Czechs. They are both training new missionaries.  The two new missionaries are so ready to serve.  I am glad we have them in Ostrava.  They already have such a good grasp on the language and are fearless.  :)

 

So some exciting news; I got a letter from my brother Adam.  He is 15, but mentally 5 or 6.  He is such an awesome brother.  I loved the letter I got.  It was scribbles that said "Dear Preston, Love Adam."  I love him so much and can't wait to see him again.  :)

 

An American came to our branch a couple weeks ago and asked us if there was anything from America we wanted.  We said no, but he came last week with Rootbeer flavoring to make Rootbeer because they don't have it here!  It was sure nice of him.

 

We have 3 people on date for baptism, for the 7th of April.  Andy, Adam, and Mario.  They are really cool.  Andy is from Nigeria, moved to Italy, and now is moving here for work.  He speaks no Czech, but he says he is confident that with God's help, anything is possible.  He is so ready!  I am excited for him.  Mario, is Czech and speaks German and English as well.  And Adam is about 20 years old and is such a cool guy.

 

Last thing before I get off;  We were doing a district contact the other day which is when you contact as a district with one goal in mind then you meet back up to talk about how it went.  We went out in our tri-panionship and started talking to people.  We met a lady who we told about our message then invited her to church.  We gave her our card and walked away.  Just down the road we saw her walking toward us again.  SHe crossed the street to us and proceeded to say "You gave me such a beautiful message and I never gave you anything in return."  As she said this, she tried to give us a hundred crown bill (a little under $5) but we declined and she kept trying to put it in our hands and  said we are here as volunteers and do it for free because we know our message is true and if for everyone.  It is a message from God to His children.

 

I am glad to be a missionary and to spread this message to God's children, my brothers and sisters.  I know this church is true and the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  Take care and replace fear with faith this week.  I love you all.

 

Starší Bahr

 

 

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Transfers!

Drum roll, please.

..............................................................................!!!!

I am serving in Ostrava, Přivoz again.  I am glad I am.  I am serving in another tri-panionship with Elder Stimpson from Montana who was from the MTC group before me, and with Elder Clyde from Cash Valley, Utah from my MTC group!!!  We are going to tear it up!!!  I am so excited for this transfer!

 

Not much to say this week, but some from things.  First, this email is late because (I forgot to mention) P-Day on transfer weeks are on Wednesdays.  Next P-Day will be next Monday, then Monday again, and so on for 9 weeks, till the next transfer of which P-Day will be on Wednesday again.

 

Last week, we went to Prague twice.  Once for Elder Gibson, my last companion, to get a 15-day visa so he could leave the next week for home.  The Elders leaving applied for visas a year ago and hadn't gotten them yet, so they needed some quick.  The other time was for the conference with Elder D. Todd Christofferson.  Investigators and members from all over the Czech Republic and Slovakia went to one big conference where he spoke.  It was great.  Sister Christofferson bore her testimony in Czech.  She knows no Czech but learned how to say what she wanted to.  Elder Christofferson mainly spoke about how people who are investigating the church and not joining just need to stop worrying about whatever their concerns are and joining because whatever concern you may have before, you will receive a testimony of it after you are baptised.  He also talked about the role of an apostle.  He said they are to testify of Christ, help the members of the church and keeping them strong, and to bring the message of the truth to the world.  He said that the missionaries and also members are a big help in this.  It was a great talk.  After, all the missionaries in the Czech Prague Mission went to the Prague LDS chaple and had a Q&A session with Elder Christofferson.  We also got a big group picture with him.  The next day, we got a special treat back in Ostrava.  Elder Christofferson came to the Ostrava brach and held a fireside.  It was very spiritual.  His wife, his son (who served here), and himself bore strong testimonies.  Everything said was BEAUTIFUL.  Some of our investigators who went, thought the same.  I know that Apostles are called of God.

 

Lastly, we got a new investigator.  His name is Andy.  He is from Nigeria and speaks English, his tribes' native tongue, and Italian.  We taught in English.  He moved here from Italy for work.  He is such a down to earth guy and ready for the gospel.  He is reading the Book of Mormon, said he will pray about it, and he acceptde a baptismal date for the 7th of April!  Everything he was looking for is all we have to teach.  He is so humble and loves visiting with us.  I wish I could talk more about him, but I am running out of time on the computer and must go.

 

I love this work and am happy to be here in the front row of watching peoples' lives change.  Keep replacing fear with faith and work on growing your testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ.  I love you all.  Take care.  Until next week...

 

Starší Bahr

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Transfers!!!... next week.

Next week we have transfers.  This transfer has gone by SO INCREDIBLY quickly.  My sister Kylee gave me the realization this week that I am already 1/6th the way through my mission.  It is VERY odd to think that.  I am going to miss being a missionary.  I can already feel that.  Just last night, I had a dream that I was home, riding in a car with my family.  I looked at my watch at the date and it said 03-28-12.  I freaked out in my dream and was devastated that I didn't finish my two year mission.  I woke up rather quickly to a cold sweat.  I woke up and wasn't tired and half asleepish, but I was wide awake and thinking about the dream I just had.  It felt SO real.  However, I am still out here and glad to be out here.  Hopefully when it comes to the 28th of this month, I will still be here too.  :)

 

So this week was not all that exciting, nothing huge happened, but I defiantly felt the spirit and am pleased with the past week.

 

First, a few funny things that happened.  We were tracting and knocked on someone's door and he opened it and asked "Vy jste Policie?"  He thought we were the police.  :)  Also, all this week, people have been thinking I am something other than American.  One day someone on the tram asked if I was from Ireland.  Just yesterday, I got 3 others.  One person asked if I was from England, another one; a kid said something in Italian and replied "Nemluvím italský".  (I don't speak Italian), the last one, an older guy started speaking a bunch of French to me!  I told him I was American and was like "Oh, ok...", then continued in Czech.  What ethnicity does everyone reading this think I am?

 

Anyway, on to the spiritual part of this week.  Early in the week I was reading in the Book of Mormon and came across something that changed my life.  I read it and immediately acted on the prompting from the spirit.  I can't explain any more what the experience was, because it was personal, but it lets me know for sure that the scriptures are for us!  Individually!  Prophets from the Book of Mormon saw our day and each of us and wrote to us.  It is not a book just for Mormons, bookworms, etc., but for ALL of God's children.  I challenge all who read this  to get a copy and start reading if you don't, and for those of you who do read - Get a copy and in THIS WEEK, give it to a friend of yours THIS WEEK.  I bet, right now even, you have someone in mind who you could give a copy to.  I promise, that person you have in mind can use this book in their life Right Now.  The person you have in mind was a prompting given to you by the power of the Holy Ghost.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it can help everyone.

 

Speaking of the Book of Mormon, I had never finished the Book of Mormon before just recently.  I promised myself I would finish it before I started my mission so I would not be a hypocrite saying "I have read this book and know it is true."  That didn't happen, so I said, before I leave the Missionary Training Center I will finish it.  That didn't happen either.  I then told myself I would finish it before the end of the first transfer and here I am a week before the end of the transfer, and I DID finish it.  As I came across Moroni 10:3-5, it didn't just seem like scripture, it felt like a promise to me.  As I read it, I could feel the Holy Ghost testify of the book and I could feels God's love.  I finished it then prayed about it like it says.  As I prayed, I received my answer.  It wasn't a big, miraculous answer, but yet a quiet, simple felling of it's truth.  The Holy Ghost testifies through quiet and gentle feelings, that is why he is called the still, small voice.  I received an answer which was "You already know the book is true."  However, I just needed to follow the commandment of God, and read the book to get my confirmation that this book IS the word of God, it was written by prophets called of God, and like it says in the introduction of the Book of Mormon "The Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and that man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than any other book."

 

I know that this church is true and that it is led by Jesus Christ Himself.  I am proud to be a member of His church and to have this honor as serving Him as His representative.

 

I hope you all are enduring to the end and living a Christ-like life.  Keep reading the Book of Mormon, as it gives peace and comfort.  Replace fear with faith and turn to God everyday for help.  We cannot survive in this world without His help and the example of His Son Jesus Christ.  Take care.

 

-Starší Bahr

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.