Transfers. New City:.....

I am in the city of České Budějovice.  It is south of Prague a few hours.  It is a nice city.  I got here just yesterday so I am just getting used to it and accustomed.  Google it, I don't know much about it now.  All I know is that is it an old city.  Our church building is a building in the city that was built in 1648.  That is almost 200 years before Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ.  I have a new missionary companion too.  He is 2 months younger in the mission than me.  He is named Elder Hansen.  He is from Texas.  He serves here as the branch president because the branch is so small.  He has a lot of work.  I have more responsibility too.  I am a district leader.  I serve 3 other missionaries in this calling.  What a big calling.  I have to teach them during district meetings, by example, etc.  I know that there are blessings too, so it is not bad.  :)

 

Last week was a nice week.  We met with our newer investigators, had english class as usual, had a nice district meeting there in Zlín, found some new people for the incoming missionaries, travelled to a beautiful city called Luhačovice to teach someone, visited some families from the branch, and got the area ready for the next missionaries and packed.  Not much new stuff, but it was a nice, long week.

 

I am grateful to have served in Zlín for the 6 months I was there and am excited to serve in this new city of České Budějovice.  My mission has been so great.  Everyone take care now.

 

Replace fear with faith.

Elder 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.

Last Week of the Transfer, Possibly Last Week in Zlín.

It has been nice seeing what Elder Jones and I have been doing.  We have been doing well.  This transfer, we have been working up to more and more meetings with people.  I have on average about 16 lessons a week.  That is a good number of lessons in this mission though, so don't judge.  :)  The rest of the time we go finding on the streets, in the city center, at the college dorms, etc.  Last Monday, we found this cool kid named Ondra.  We knocked on his door, he answered and said he wasn't interested.  We asked him to ask his room mates... they were not interested either.  Right before he shut the door I said "Wait, would they be interested in magic?  I am a magician."  I could have come up with a smoother way to say it, but anyway it worked.  I showed them all a trick and they invited us in!!!  We are now meeting with Ondra, he is interested in what we teach.  Then the next day, we went back to try and find more young people.  We found another kid named Martin.  He is way cool.  He is interested in what happeneds after death, so we are going to meet with him and teach him the plan of salvation.  We have a lesson tonight!!

Last Wednesday we had a missionary training in Olomouc, which was way good.  We learned how to use our time better and how to help our investigators.  Then we came back to Zlín and had a lesson with a young kid from India.  All Indian people I have met are so nice, generous, and sincere.  He wants to learn more about Christ.  He found the right people to talk to.  :)

On Saturday, we met a girl from America, from New Jersey, here teaching English.  She is a nice girl and has not had the opportunity to speak with Mormon missionaries and be hear about what this church is about.  She gladly took a Book of Mormon and said she would read it.  We will probably meet with her again this week.

Lastly on Sunday, we had a branch conference.  President Irwin came and spoke.  It was a very enlightening meeting for all the members and us two Zlín missionaries.  In Priesthood meeting I got to practice my translating and translate for President Irwin.  I enjoy translating.  It is nice, all the things a missionary can do.

This mission really is the best mission in the world.  I have been blessed to have been called here.  I am thankful for this gospel and that I can be a part in sharing it with those who have never heard it.  I know this gospel is true.  I am thankful for this restored Church of Christ.

Replace Fear with Faith,

Elder Bahr

P.S.  Next week I may be in a new city!  Transfers on Monday.

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.

Pěkné Počasí!

The weather is getting better.  It is pěkné počasí, or beautiful weather.  The sun has been shining and birds chirping.  Little yellow crocus flowers are starting to grow everywhere too.  I sure enjoy this weather.  It is much more pleasant than in the freezing cold to talk with people.  More people to talk with are out too! This last week we have been spending more time in some local parks talking with people and we have much potential to work with.  Also lately I have been thinking about how I can use my talents in this missionary work.  There is a university in this city and some college dorms.  We planned to walk around the college campus last week and try our talents there but I got nervous.  I am going to try my own words tonight and "Replace fear with faith."  Tonight we will be trying to talk to the young people at the dorms to start teaching them.  I plan on bringing my magic tricks.  I will help people realize that we missionaries are normal people but just have an extraordinary calling of God.  I am excited.

This last week a couple interesting things happened. We were on our way back from an appointment going home for the night and I saw a guy from far off.  To my companion I said "He is ready.  We must talk to him."  We approached him and he said "Ahoj!" (Informal/friend greeting)  We talked with him and he said that he has visited Salt Lake City and would love to meet with us.  We got his phone number to be in contact with him and went our ways.  I think as missionaries we get some small amount of psychic abilities.  ;)  (Holy Ghost)

I don't have much else to say this week but I have been thinking about all the people I have helped so far.  It is sometimes difficult to think about all the people I have helped grow in the gospel, but when I get a moment to think I can remember and will remember these people I have helped and remember who they are and everything.  It is a blessing to be here and be here in behalf of Christ Himself to teach people how to follow Him.  I love these people I have taught and am teaching and hope to see them continue to grow in faith, for the way back to God is to learn the gospel, live by it, and endure through this life.

Enjoy the pěkné počasí,

Elder 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.

Being Led.

This week, I think I will keep my email short and simple.  I have one real story to tell.  But first a recap of this last week.

Monday night the branch president had a training about a church program new for the Czech Republic so we were there to help translate for him.  The one giving the training was a French man, he spoke English.  There were a lot of difficult things to translate, so we did out best and President Večeřa was thankful.

Tuesday we had our district meeting and and exchange with the zone leaders.  For one day I worked with an Elder named Elder Plaizier.  Something I learned from him was how to teach simple in a very Christ-like way - with many questions.  Christ asked many questions as a form of teaching and it works very well and helps the one asking the question realize things and get a spiritual witness of a truth being taught.  I will try to incorporate it into my teaching more now.  We had a few lessons that day that were very nice as well.  One investigator met with us after being in the hospital for some time due to an accident involving a tower crane falling over.  We are both thankful that he survived it.  The Lord blessed him.

Thursday we wanted to go find some young people at some college dorms.  A lady at the front desk said we can't if we are not visiting anyone in specific.  Insead we talked to her.  Her name is Seli.  She is from Croatia.  She isn't much of a believer in God, but when we introduced the Book of Mormon, she told us that if people were to live by the teachings in this book - the world would be better.  We invited her to meet with us and now she is.  We got the Book of Mormon to her the next day and she was ecstatic about having that book.  The book is true.

Friday we had a branch activity.  A family in the branch gave a presentation about when they visited Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas (Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Etc.)

 

Anyway, not much else other than missionary work for the other days, but for my story which relates to the heading of this letter.  It is not a miraculous story, but simple.  Let's remember though that the Lord works by small and simple things.  That is why it is important to be thankful for the simple blessings we do have and not take them for granted.  Last week we had some time planned to find some new people to teach.  We were walking around the city center.  A little bit into our "finding", we were on the south end of the city center walking toward the building.  All of a sudden I felt uneasy.  The thought came into my head that we were not in the right place.  I told my companion I felt this way and we decided we need to go south down a street from the city center.  About a third of the way down the street we stopped a guy and began talking to him.  His name is Karel.  We introduced ourselves and invited him to come to our building.  He agreed and we walked to the building.  We got there and taught him a lesson.  He said he would start coming to church.  Now, this story may seen small but it is a testimony to me that the Lord can guide us in our lives.  I didn't see an angel, but I felt the Holy Ghost telling me what I should do.

The Lord loves us and will help us daily if we allow and listen to the promptings.  These promptings are gentle and quiet.  This is why we are to live our lives in a way that our minds are clear, our hearts open, and our hands clean before the Lord.  I know God loves us and is pleased when we do what He askes and is sad when we do things against him.  It is my prayer that we can all receive the daily guidance of the Spirit on our journey back to our Father in Heaven.

 

Replace Fear with Faith,

Elder 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.