Last Week with President Irwin

President and Sister Irwin finish their mission and leave on Saturday.  It will be sad.  We had a training last week.  It was a very good one about how we can use "The Whole Buffalo" to teach more people.  We went to Prague Tuesday night and stayed at the office elders' place.  That next morning was the training.  I really feel that the training will help us all missionaries improve our teaching skills and help the church grow here in the Czech Republic.  The training ended and we all gave President and Sister Irwin hugs.  It was a sweet moment.  They have been great "parents" over here while I am not home with my dear parents.  They will be missed.  The new mission president and his wife and kids too come in also on Saturday.

 

This last week we had a great week considering we lost some teaching time to the conference.  We still taught a lot.  We have a couple people on date right now for baptism.  Both would be this Saturday, but they both need a little more time.  We should have them next month.  Also, we met with a new person that is just awesome.  When we teach him he says that things we teach just make sense.  In the end we invited him to be baptised when he knows it is true.  He said "Yes.  Why wouldn't I?  That would be the right thing to do."  One of the coolest things is that if he gets baptised, he is young, so he would have the opportunity to serve a mission!!!

 

Sunday was a nice, but odd day.  I gave a talk.  That was the nice part.  It was on service.  The odd part is that during the closing song, a member who is around 92 years old, started groaning, lost consciousness and stopped breathing.  We called an ambulance.  She regained consciousness and went to the hospital to get checked.  She is fine now.  She just had super high blood sugar due to her diabetes.  We had all though she died.  But all is fine now.

 

It was beautiful weather this last week.  It is raining today, but it got hot.  It is nice to have a summer.

Well, all is well here.  I am happy to be teaching the people here the restored gospel.  It is one of the best things to do.  It can be difficult at times, but the good times level it out and them some.

 

Don't forget to replace fear with faith.  I love you all.

Elder Bahr

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We've Been Busy. It is Good.

Hello All!  It is good to be here.  I hope that everyone had a fantastic week.  From what I hear about home, it all sounds well.  I am doing well here.  This last week, we taught a lot.  Since I got here in České Budějovice, each week we have gotten more and more opportunities to be missionaries - and being a missionary is great. The great big other flood announced never came to us.  They have been letting the rivers flow out all the last couple weeks.  No damage here, so that is a big blessing for everyone here. 

 

This last Monday we visited a less active family and had Family Home Evening with them.  I hope and pray that soon they will come back to church.  They are a great family and many people always ask about them.  Pretty much the whole branch misses them.  On Tuesday we had a nice English class and had a couple other meetings with people.  Our District Meeting was also that day, which I lead.  Being district leader is difficult for me because I feel like I could do better but I don't know how.  That is where prayer comes in.  I guess I need to pray more.  This experience will bring good so, I will just have to continue it.  On Wednesday we taught a few more lessons.  Thursday we had our Czech class for foreigners.  One person came - the sisters' investigator Constantin.  He is very smart.  He is from Romania and knows so much about nature, plants, math, physics, etc.  We also that day taught another 4 people and a couple on Friday.  Then we tracted on Saturday.  It was nice tracting.  We didn't find anyone new, but I felt very calm and the spirit.  I felt like a missionary so much.  Sometimes the work becomes repetitive, but that day I decided to be super positive and everything and it was great.  We then went to sports day and played soccer with some of our investigators and members.  A member Gita who is mentally handicapped played with us and she made a soccer goal!  She was SO excited.  She said it was the first goal she has made in a long time.  She went home and told all her friends on facebook.  She is a great member.  She makes everyone's day.  She is always positive and smiley.  Reminds me of my awesome brother Adam.  He is the best brother one could have.  Sunday We had church and a good turn out.  16 people came!  After we had 3 lessons that we had to run around to and brought the sacrament to 2 of them.  It reminded me of when I would serve the older people in my ward when I was a in the young men's program in the church.  Those were good days.  I enjoy talking with the older people.

Missionary work is going well.  It is surprising how fast my mission is going by.  I am grateful for my experiences out here.

I must go now.  Don't forget... Replace Fear with Faith. ;)

Elder Bahr

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Summer Weather, Yet?

Just a quick update from this last week's flood.  Not much happened here in České Budějovice.  We are a little higher in elevation, so the rivers just ran high and quick and went down to Prague and on over into Germany.  Most of the damage is down river from us.  We were luckier.  However, last Saturday, they started announcing another flood warning in Level 2.  Last night it rained cats and dogs, but it is not raining almost at all now, so it might actually change to summer this week and the flood not happen.

 

So, we had a nice week this week.  We got a little more work done and are happy with it.  I am proud of my district (missionaries I lead).  The sister missionaries this week have really been working hard to bring back some of our less active members.  They have been working hard and seeing many blessings from it.  Our companionship is also doing well.  Our investigators are learning more and more and working toward baptism.

This next week, we are expecting to be pack full of appointments.  We are doing our best to get as many meetings we can with people.  It is a lot more enjoyable to work super busy than to have slow days.  That is one reason why we are striving to do better.  Also, we want to just help people hear the gospel.  We have lately been teaching the same few people and have had trouble finding new people to teach, but we found a couple new people that we will start teaching this week.  One kid we found is just cool.  His name is Václav.  I am super excited to teach him.  He is similar to the Ivo I taught in Brno.  If he is similar to Ivo, than he has to be cool.  Anyway, we met him on a street called Lanová which is on the way toward the train station.  We didn't need a train, but we planned to find people there.  Elder Hansen, my companion addressed him and said we were missionaries.  We talked about how we can strengthen our faith through the Book of Mormon and he started saying that he didn't have any money right now.  So we replied that it is free and we would love to give him one.  We were set up for today, but he had to reschedule for next Tuesday.  We are so excited because he actually wants to read it.  Many people don't have the desire to read it, they say that the Bible is all and that they don't need the Book of Mormon and even bring up Bible verses that say that it is bad to add to the bible.  The Book of Mormon is just a historical record of different people on a different land anyway, so no worries about going against what is said in the Bible.  Above all that is said, I have my personal testimony of the Book of Mormon and I know it is true.

This work I am doing is real.  I am excited about what is happening.  The church is growing here in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.  This year, there have already been 48 baptisms in this mission.  We are well on our way to our goal of a stake here within the next 4 years.  We just need to keep it up and improve more and more, day by day.  This church is true.  Stay true to it or if you are not in it, get in it.  Replace any fear you have with faith.  What is there to wait for.  I am proud to be a member and missionary, I truly have been blessed.

 

Mějte se dobře, Všichni.

Elder Bahr

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Summer Weather?

This week has been a nice calm and full week, with a nice surprise at the end.  It was the first week of this new transfer and we got to teach more than we have in the past few weeks.  We still have people preparing for baptism and one of our investigators went to a Relief Society meeting in Prague.  She had a nice time.  We had our English class as usual and people were happy that I got to stay.  On Thursday, our investigator Jana made us some ovocné knedliky (fruit dumplings).  They were warm bread dumplings with shaved apple and sliced strawberries put into the middle, butter melted on top, cocoa powder sprinkled on top of that, and a sweeter sour cream dolloped to finish it off.  OH MAN, it was delicious!!!  MMMMMmmmmmmmmm.  Right after we had our district lunch.  So Elder Hansen and I got a small lunch. Then we had our district meeting which went well.  I feel like my district leader skills are improving.  Later that evening, we started to teach a Czech class for foreigners.  One person showed up.  More will show up next week.  On Friday, we visited a member and he fed us.  He feeds us every Friday.  He is an awesome member.  He is super smart and loves to help us and the branch.

Now for the surprise for the end of the week.  It is summer, as you all know.  Well... this week it has been raining a lot.  The whole time, the rivers Malše and Vltava have been raising.  Sunday morning we found out by a couple members that we will be flooding soon.  The Czech Republic is having flooding all over the country.  Prague is already flooded and in a state of emergency and the Metro (Subway system) is under water now.  Last night here in České Budějovice we brought things from the downstairs corridor of the church building upstairs to keep things from getting wet.  We live in on the second floor of a house, so we are fine.  It hasn't flooded yet, but when the reservoir up river gets too full tonight, they will be letting water out.  All is fine for us, so no need to worry.  I am not worried about it, rather I am excited for the service we will get to render for people.  I would say that the funnest and most loving form of service is that, during a time of crisis.  I am excited.  Let's hope the storm gets better.

This next week should be nice.  I am excited for the people we get to teach, and for the missionary work that we have in front of us.  Let's remember to replace fear with faith and do our best with what we got.  I love you all.  Have a fantastic week.

Elder Bahr

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