Ahoj.

Well, not much has happened this week.  I am writing today because we were in Prague yesterday.  My companion just before the transfer started got punched randomly in the face by some guy and yesterday he went to a dentist in Prague to get it fixed.  No need to be afraid for me.  The worst thing that has happened to me actually happened a couple days ago.  We were walking to a tram stop and homeless people through some slices of bread at us.  It was nice of them to worry first about our hunger..... ;)  Another funny thing happened early last week.  A guy got on the tram and started talking to us.  He thought we were the police, so he just acted nice and friendly like people normally talk to police.  It was funny.  We eventually told him we weren't and he was like "Oh..."  but just continued to talk to us.  He was a nice guy.  Another lady thought we were ticket checkers and got startled.  It is quite funny.  :)  I love being a missionary.

 

Other than those things, life has just been like a missionaries' life is.  Wake up, study, teach and find people, testify to people everywhere, get home, and plan then go to bed.  I think to make this letter more worth it, I will just simply bear my testimony:

 

I know that what I have signed up to do is some of the best service to do while in this life.  I am able to teach people about the path that leads to Christ and eternal life.  I am thankful for all the little miracles I see daily.  They are small but precious and are counted as tender mercies from the Lord.  I know this church is the same organisation that Christ's church had.  This is His church.  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and supports the Bible.  I am happy I can testify of what I know is true to people everyday.  I am happy that I can serve God in this way.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Everyone take care this week and share what you know with at least one person this week and the Lord will bless you.  Replace fear with faith.

 

Štarší Bahr.

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Daily Miracles and Tender Mercies!

How is every one doing this week.  I hope the sun is shining on you as it is on me.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a beautiful thing.  As we live by it, we are blessed and life is easier.  I am glad that I am a missionary for Christ's church.

 

This week was great.  It was full of hard work finding which cause me to come home at the end of the day and go right to bed.  Here on a mission, the best work and most satisfying work is HARD WORK!  This is what we did this past week.

 

Our numbers were not very good, but I am a happy missionary for how hard we did work.  We had far below average, but we found some people and were guided by the Spirit strongly and we will be having some very good lessons this next week!!!  Pray for my success!

 

Here are a few stories and some other cool things that happened this week.

 

First of all, I am happy to serve in Brno.  It is a BIG city and these people are very cool.  We met a black man from Minnesota here on business and had a GREAT conversation about why we are here.  The missionaries in Minnesota will have a really cool investigator and soon to be member very soon!  I got this mans contact information and sent it to the missionaries where he lives.

 

We were able to testify to many people in a big park here and we over stepped out comfort zone and planted some good seeds in peoples' hearts.  We are truly taking every opportunity we have to help people come unto Christ.

 

While walking around a main naměsti (square) we set up some lessons with some prepared people.  We found some Vietnamese people who spoke VERY LITTLE Czech.  However, one man did speak German.  He live in Germany for a while.  I was able to explain to him who we are and get his phone number to call him to teach him and give him a Vietnamese Book of Mormon.  It will still be a BIG struggle to teach with the language barrier.

 

While on a bus, I saw some deaf people.  I went up to them to speak to them in sign language and our sign languages were similar enough that we could communicate.  I told him what I was doing here, how long, and stuff like that.  He told me about how he went to America a couple years ago.

 

These two language experiences are tender mercies to me because I have been praying to not loose these skills I have worked so hard on.

 

Now to a couple interesting things.  :)  While contacting a lady, she asked where I was from and she guessed Holland and Belguim first, then guessed England.  I am starting to sound at least like a European country's accent.  I am getting closer to Czech!!!  :)  Soon, people will think I am Czech.  THe other interesting thing is that trams here are baptised and then named after people here.  Interesting.....

 

Anyway.  I pray for everyone to have a fun safe week.  Don't forget to replace fear with faith and grow closer to Christ!  He will never guide you in a wrong direction!

 

S Laskou, Starší Bahr.

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Transfers! Guess where........

I got a call a few days ago about where I am serving next.... well, not next but now.  :)  Right now, I am in Brno!!!!!  I am serving with a missionary named Elder Jones.  He is from Kansas.  He is way chill and sounds pretty cool.  I am excited to serve this transfer with him.  Here in Brno are 4 proselyting areas.  Like in Ostrava, I was in Přivos... Here in Brno, I am in Židenice.  It is a little farther away that the other areas, but I am glad to be here.  Elder Stimpson, who I served with last transfer is here too, but in a different area.  He is the district leader again too.  Elder Clyde from my last transfer as well is in Dubina (his first area) again follow-up training.

Last week was good too.  :)  I got to call home to my mom!  I love Mother's Day.  Happy Mother's Day again, mom.  My whole family was there.  Even my sister and brother inlaw on a speakerphone from another phone .  My sisters are all doing well and my brother Adam sounds so much different.  His speaking has inproved a bunch.

It was sad leaving my last area.  I got to take some pictures with people I taught and members, and well a good thing was - I got the Svíčkova recipe.

Well, I don't have a lot to write about except for how greatful I am to be a missionary.  I have seen blessings and miracles in my life, my family's life, and my friends' lives.  I am greatful for the gospel and for the happiness it TRUELY brings to people.  I have a burning testimony that this church is ordained of God.  This is not only the  Church of Jesus Christ by name, it is by order.  This is Christ's church.  The Book of Mormon is the word of God.  It will bring anyone to a closer knowledge of their Savior and the plan that God has for us.  I am greatful for the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  By this, we can be free of sorrow and guilt that would otherwise hold us back from our true potential.  Families are forever.  I know all these things are true and I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Eveyone - Serve those around you this week and replace fear with faith continually.

Zatim,

Starší Bahr.

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Next Week...

......... is transfers again.  Time went by so fast.

 

I have a few things to talk about this week, but not very much time.  Sometime I will figure out how to manage email time better so I can have better emails.

 

This week a new member here that was baptised a few weeks ago, he received the preisthood!!!  I am happy to see people I teach continue to progess in the church!  It is true that baptism is only the beginning.  That is the reason why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, AND endure to the end.

 

This week our companionship is trying to get our mission's vision of 21 lessons per week.  It will be difficult because we havn't gotten close to that.  I think the closest was 13 lessons.  We are really trying our best though.  Pray for us!

 

Last Monday was a beauiful day so we went to a castle!  It was really cool.  We got there and it was just about to close for the day.  We made it is took some pictures.... my camera died just before we got there though.  However, my companion got some for me.  We realized when we were at the top that we had a few minutes till our bus, so we literally RAN down a mountain.  No trail, just a 40 degreed angle!  It was crazy.  I am surprised we all made it down in one piece.  :)

 

A couple nights ago we had a crazy thunder storm.  There was lighting every 5 seconds.  The sky was purple and the rain was, well..... it was not rain, maybe just a waterfall....  It was amazing though.

 

Oh funny story; at Albert (a grocery store) for the last couple weeks they had a thing going on that if you spend more than 200 Czech Crowns, they give you a pack of two zoo cards.  These cards have a picture of an animal and some information about it.  One I got was a monkey.  Here is the thing... it was scratch-and-sniff!  It smelled like a money - really bad.  So we didn't want it any more, so my companion sent it to our mission president.  It is probably only funny if you know Ostrava and our president.  But anyway...

 

Earlier in the week, we had a lesson with a recent convert of ours.  We were planning a lesson and I felt like we should share Ether 12:27, even though it didn't relate to the lesson.  My companions and I were all wondering how it could relate, but never could until we got there.  When we were in the lesson that day, he brought up a concern that was solved with that scripture.  I am thankful that we as missionaries can be used as the Lord's mouthpiece to benefit His children.

 

The story I just told was an experience that, as small as it sounded, grew my testimony in this gospel.  I know the church is the church that Christ established while he was on the earth.  I know the Book of Mormon is a true book.  I love my family and embrace in the fact that we can live together forever thanks to the atonement of Jesus Christ.

 

Every on take care this week.  I won't be emailing till next Wednesday due to transfers.  So don't worry.  :)  However, I do get to call home because it is Mother's Day!  Don't forget to replace fear with faith!  I love you all.

 

~Starší Bahr

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Ostrava is Great.

The weather like I have sid in past emails is PERFECT.  The other day I got a little bit of a burn too!  (Nothing happy about that.)  :)

 

Since our baptism a few weeks ago, things have slowed down quite a bit.  We are trying to teach a bunch of lessons, but it is difficult.  People keep cancelling.  YOu know what this means.... Soon, something amazing will happen.

 

Last Monday we as a district (all the missionaries in Ostrava) had a presentation at a university.  It went better that we thought.  We taught about the Restoration of the church of Jesus Christ, then we passed out a little booklet about it with our contact information.  No calls yet, but I hope we influenced people for future missionaries.  Someday a missionary companionship will get a call and have a really cool investigator.

 

Something I would like to share that I have learned so far since starting my mission.  It is something I am really proud to say now.  I have learned from my companion this transfer to turn outward.  I enjoy serving people now.  I will gladly share.  I still have many other improvements I need to make in many areas, but that is one thing that I have learned since being out here.

 

Often our district or even just our companionship will go to this really good restarant here.  It is vegetarian.  Here is the thing though.  It is REALLY good food!  It costs 80 Kč (around $4) and you get FREE water (Free water is VERY rare) and you can just keep asking for more until you are full!  Not just these dishes, but almost all Czech dishes are very good.  The other day I had fried cauliflower.  It was delicious.  Something very intersting though (by interesting I mean I won't get it again) is Carp soup with dill.  I had that with a fried block of cheese a couple weeks ago and, one I felt the cheese going through my veins and two, the soup... hmmm.  I didn't want to finish it.  It wasn't horrible soup, it was just past the point of maybe trying again in the futrue.

 

Speaking of food, every Sunday I make bread for my compaions.  I have been teaching one of them too, now he makes better bread than me.  But yesterday, We decided to make cinnomon rolls.  For all the bread and other food made, we have not had recipes, but it somehow turns out fantastic.  Yesterday's cinnomon rolls were NO exception.

 

The other day we went to find some less active member.  No one was home, some people were the wrong address, and some move a LONG time ago.  Something cool though, we saw the Google Maps car taking the pictures as it drove around.  My companions and I stopped and faced it as it drove by.  The driver knew exactly what we were trying to do and started chukkling.  We tried our best to make it look inconspicuous.  I even took out my planner and "pretended to find an address."  When ever they update it, we should be at the intersection of Kranichova and Hladnovská in Muglinov, Ostrava, Czech Republic.  :)

 

Yesterday at church was great.  This week we decided to do Czech learning week.  Our goal was to speak 100 hours of Czech during the week.  Sunday, I realized how much it helped.  I understood all of church!!!!!  I was so excited.  I see miracles every day here.

 

Anyway, I've got to go.  Take care this next week and find things that make you happy and share it with people.  Oh, can't forget - Replace fear with faith.

 

Starší Bahr

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Great Week!

This week was a good one.  We didn't get a lot of lessons but we worked hard.

 

First, I forgot to mention something I did last week!  We took part in "Mormon Helping Hands".  It was in Czech though, so it was "Mormonské Pomahajicí Ruce!"  We cleaned a park.  It was funny, 5 of the 7 missionaries wore shorts (including me).  We finished the first park and we were on our way to the other park we were planning on cleaning and we were told to go home because we weren't dressed warm enough.  :)  It is not a big deal at all, it is just funny.  We were fine, but a Czech culture thing is to pretty much wear a jacket, no matter what the weather is until about the middle of May.  The service was fun though and we got a lot done.

 

Speaking of weather, it is beautiful out.  The trees are turning green and the flowers are blooming.  Also, the bees are coming out.  The bumble bees here are HUGE!!!!! They are like the size of a nickle around!  If you open your windows to your apartment, aparently they will start flying in.

 

We did some tracting this last week and found a lady that was so happy we came by.  She was in tears.  She told us we are sent from God.  We are coming back in a couple weeks when she gets back from Poland.  I had almost no trouble with the language while we were speaking.  I believe it was because the Holy Ghost was so strong and helping me speak.  She insisted on paying for a Book of Mormon, but we declined and said it is free.

 

Today we have a presentation at a university, so with us luck.  I will talk more about it next week!  :)

 

We had lunch with a member this week who was a member during communism.  He showed us his Book of Mormoms from that time that were disguised as Karl Marks books.  It had a KM on the front.  During communist times, tesimonies would be written in English in the front, saying to read this book and the spirit of the Lord would come into your life.  I asked him where I could find one of these and he went over to his shelf and took of the top another copy and gave it to me.  He also gave me a Doctrine and Covenants.  I will attach a picture.

 

Nothing else really happened other than the usual.  I am seeing miracles every day here.  I know the church is true and I am out here for a good cause.  Have a good week this week and replace fear with faith, like I always say, and everything will turn out fine.

 

I love you all and thank you for all your support,

-Starší Bahr.

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