Salutations from a Sister Missionary

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Letter: 10 May 2016

Life is wonderful že, jo? (right?)

I am so excited to be training! It has been a blast this week and I feel like Sister Hill came so prepared! We have been working hard and I even have a Picture when she nearly passed out on the couch today when we were home for a little bit. She may not have fallen asleep during church, but she was pretty close! Training has definitely come with some challenges like helping her to feel more comfortable contacting and just not burning her out too much but they are helping me learn and I feel like training this transfer is exactly what I need to keep working hard and progress even more as a missionary in new aspects.

Back in Prague for a few days preparing as a trainer!

We had a week of miracles! They day we got back to CBud, we went and visited the Mestanovi with the Elders since Jana's Husband had recently had heart surgery and he wanting a blessing. as we were there, they opened their hearts to us and told us how they knew they needed to repent and come to church again. They do say that very often but they actually came to church on Sunday!!! It was so great!! I feel like they are finally starting to progress at a quicker rate and I loved seeing Jana at church on Sunday (I am really learning to find joy in the littlest of things such as seeing someone come to church).

She brought her granddaughter who is also a member and her other granddaughter named Dominka. Dominka and Lucinka are sisters but Dominka lived in England when Lucinka and Jana joined the church. Dominka really wants to learn and be baptised but her parents have not given her approval which is really hard because she really wants to learn and grow (like we taught her to pray with the Elders during game night!) but we are also wanting to respect her parents. (That was the hard part of the week... so we had a pretty good week!).

Ingredients sent from home! Thanks Mom and Dad! xxx

I also had the best birthday ever!!! I got to start the week by being in Prague, seeing the bridge at night and we even ran into some Mormon girls from BYUI (BYU Idaho) on a European tour! Then my birthday itself we had breakfast with all the trainers at president's home, then I picked up my greenie!! She is adorable! and we rode home. We had a lesson with Kata and she got me an avocado :) (They are my favorite and it was a perfect present). It was such a wonderful day!!!

Breakfast at the Mission Home with all the other trainers

Here are some facts about my mission baby/greenie:

Her name is Sister Hill. She is from Texas.
She is the baby in her family and all of her siblings have served missions (all 5 of them).
She wears glasses and can play the nose harmonica (She has already shown me... we bonded quickly).
She is the best at Czech!!! (I had her talk to people by herself our second day together and she found a new investigator).
She is incredible and pretty much came pre-trained.

President McConkie, Sister Manners, Sister Hill and Sister McConkie

We also met with Tomas who just a week earlier felt like he should stop working towards baptism and we took him off baptismal date. But this week he was feeling so much better and we talked more about baptism and helped set expectations with him and now he is working with us towards the 25th of June as a baptismal date. He is such an amazing young man! He really struggles with social anxiety so he is scared to come to church and despite inviting him to come early so we could meet with him and just a member so he could feel more comfortable, he didn't come. It was hard but we know that the Lord knows how to help him, so we will keep on praying for him and with him. Luckily, this being one of the smallest branches in the Czech Republic, he is in the perfect place!! So that is already and answer to our prayers.

A district dinner appointment!

This week during correlation with President Ambroz (the C'Bud Branch President), we also discovered that Sestra K (the sisters have been working with her for months) has been reactivated!!! It brought such a smile to my face and I am so grateful that she is active again! I have seen the light of Christ become more apparent in her eyes over the months that I have served here and she has a big part of my heart.

Life is wonderful, the weather is gorgeous and I know this transfer is full of miracles. This next weekend our mission will be formed into the first stake in the Czech Republic!! and Elder Uchtdorf will be the one here to form it!

The church is true, the book is blue and Moroni is on the ball.
s laskou,

Sestra Manners

I know I have been doing well when I wear my companion out, she fell asleep like this!

I found some crutches in the apartment! I may need them after a stunt like this one!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Letter: 3 May 2016

I AM HAVING A BABY!!!!

A mission baby... no need to worry everyone :)

I will be training this transfer and I am sooo excited!!!! It will be magnificent and she is coming here on my birthday!! So I get to be in Prague for my birthday and get an awesome birthday present!!

We ended our prayer challenge with Kata by fasting about baptism. The spirit was so strong!!! I love being a missionary! We got to start our fast by praying outside together and then each having our own individual prayers. We were in a park and spread out a little (we were still in sight and sound) so we could pray out loud. I haven't really done that much on my mission since I am always with my companion and it was so nice!! I loved being in nature and could feel the spirit so strongly! It helped me prepare for this transfer and helped me to find more ways in which I can improve.

Jesus Loves you!!!

S laskou,

sestra Manners

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Letter: 25 April 2016

Dear all,

I really am like a little princess serving in a fairy tale. this place is gorgeous! And this week we had our culture night (once a transfer president lets us do something culturally enriching as a district) and we decided to tour cBud. We have some great English students here that love to show us their hometown so this week, we got to take a tour of the city and get to know the history which made me appreciate everything so much more!

We simply walked around the city and he told us different facts about buildings, the history and showed us some secret views. We also got to go up the town's black tower and see some amazing views of the city. I really am serving in such a beautiful city!

Every day is filled with incredible people and opportunities to share my testimony everywhere!

My birthday is coming up pretty soon and I wanted to ask you all for a birthday present! I will be turning twenty so I would like to invite you to try and do 20 acts of service between now and May 4th. What do you think? I will join you and let's see how many little acts of service we can do! They can be as small or as big as you want them to be! I would love to hear about them and try to send pictures if you can!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/you-are-my-hands?lang=eng

S laskou,

Sestra Manners

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Letter: 18 April 2016

Dear all,

I love my mission!!!!

Today we went on a hike with our English student and it reminded me that we are all about progression.

We learn to reach new heights and love life. I try to reach new heights each day and invite you to do the same! Make goals and make steps to reach them by always starting with a prayer.

Click here for a great article about How to pray in a way God can answer

We also had a fun service project and cleaned up a forest wearing our fancy vests :)

Thank you for your prayers and love!

S laskou,

Sestra Manners

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Letter: 11 April 2016

Dear loved ones,

Today we decided to go on a bike ride with one of our English students and it helped me to see that we really can learn so many lessons from everything that we do. It was such a spiritual experience for me!

We rode a total of about 40km and it was up and down hills and through the most gorgeous countryside! It was gorgeous but also really hard! it was uphill and downhill and up again and there was a lot of changing gear, rethinking and pedaling our legs til they could peddle no more. (I was grateful that I am not a pioneer and that our mission is not usually a biking mission). But it was so much more than just a P-Day activity.

I learned that we are never alone. My tire went flat but our handy friend (in life he can be our neighbor or even our Saviour) helped me out. He was prepared when I wasn't. He could do what I couldn't and he saved my bike and helped my trip to still be wonderful. Just like the atonement!

I also learned that we sometimes do not know others circumstances very well and therefore we should not judge. We all had very light aluminum bikes, Elder Pickett did not. He was slow at times (we all were) but never complained. Our friend Pavel only told us afterwards. How many times have we done that in life? Judged someone before knowing their story of even just comparing ourselves to them, both positively and negatively. Only the Saviour (or in this case our handy friend Pavel) knew the full story and there he could help.

I learn so many lessons every single day and P-Days are just alike! Missions are incredible! I also finally got to watch conference (in English on our phone using a headphone while the branch watched it on a projector in Czech so we could all be together) and it was incredible. EVERY SINGLE QUESTION I HAD WAS ANSWERED!!! The speakers truly were inspired of God.

I know that I am a daughter of God and that He loves me. We have so much worth and so much potential. Learn from your bike rides. Cherish them. Love the downhill and the uphill. Learn to love when you have to ask to help and never be afraid to do so.

Jesus is the Christ and lives and loves you. Like Pavel helped me today, He will always help you.

S laskou,

Sestra Manners

Monday, April 4, 2016

Letter: 4 April 2016

Dear all,

There are lots of things that I am learning on my mission every single day. One, that I LOVE MY MISSION. Two, I know that Christ lives. He helps me every day. Three, the Czech people here are incredible. Their faith strengthens mine each day.

This week we saw a lot of miracles happen. One was the fact that I got my other wisdom teeth removed and everything else in our area and work ran smoothly without any effects. I know that Heavenly Father helped!

Another was the fact that we were in Prague for zone training and getting my teeth removed. We were on exchanges for the weekend with our dear sister training leaders who are trying to keep two areas running as we are low on sisters. This means they are living a crazy life. The new sister to Prague, Sis Fred had not met a lot of the people that we had taught and found while I served there. We were crossing the street just after training and there was a girl that walked the other way that looked familiar. It was someone that I had taught and loved!!! We were able to chase her down (without scaring her) and teach her and let sis Fred get to know here (her whole name is sister Fredrickson but that is super long so we all call her sis Fred). It was such a miracle! If we had not been there at that time and place, we would not have seen her! The Lord truly puts people on the right path at the right time!

We also taught some incredible lessons together in Prague and loved being back for the weekend. I just feel so at home in the areas I am serving and am so blessed I get to go back to my birthplace so much! We taught a woman from Slovakia on a tram and the spirit was so strong! we even gave her a book of Mormon and said goodbye with a hug! Another time we were tracting a little and walked past a woman walking her dog. I asked her if we could sing for her there and then and she said, Yes! It warmed her heart and we ended up teaching her the restoration there and then on a street in the city at night with a puppy. Miracles happen everywhere!!!

And then we had fast and testimony meeting since we get to watch conference next weekend when it has been translated into Czech. It was incredible! the members have so much faith and are all mostly recent converts (like our new mission president is a convert to the church!! Isn't that just the coolest?. One of the women in our tiny branch is a dear friend of mine already and she talked a lot about missionary work and turned to Sister D and I during her testimony and thanked us for our work and love. I was really needing to hear that and I know Heavenly Father answers my prayers in all sorts of ways!

The church is true!!! I know it, I live it, I love it!

I also had to opportunity to go to an incredible castle today!! It could seriously be a temple!!!