Letter: 8 August 2016

Dear all,

The scriptures have come to life for me while I have been here as a missionary. I find more meaning in them each day as I study and pray about them and ponder their personal meaning for me. I know they were written by inspired prophets of God and contain the answer to every question we will ever have in our lives.
 

This week, 1 Nephi 1:20 has rung true to me just as always and even more. I know that the Lord has a tender plan for each of us and that he will always bless us with miracles. I have seen answers come and blessings be unfurled as I serve here. The Lord knows exactly what we need and he blesses us with even better. 

Here I am with some of the other sisters and our new Mission President and wife

This week, we have seen so many people make progress in the gospel. One example is a lady named Angelika that lives really close to the Polish border. She asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon and after making the two hour journey to her house, we gave her everything that we could and our testimonies. She cried and kissed our cheeks when we arrived and it was a very humbling experience. I had a very spiritual moment with her that I would like to share. 

We went with the elders and taught Angelika and her husband and sister and brother and their children. It was pure craziness with kids screaming and a cute kitten. But as we explained and taught about the Book of Mormon, I felt prompted to just talk to Angelika about Christ. I leaned over to her, holding the picture of Christ visiting the Nephites in my hands and poured out my feelings about the Saviour with her. It felt like the world around me disappeared and in that moment all I felt was love for Angelika. I felt how much Heavenly Father was grateful that we were there for her. I know that the spirit was the true teacher and I had the privilege of being an instrument in the Lord's hands.
 

I love this work. I love the Gospel and I know that it is true.

S laskou,

Sestra Manners

Letter: 1 August 2016

Dear all,

I love the spiritual experiences that we have on this earth which remind us of our divine potential. 

We had the most amazing lesson on Tuesday when we taught a referral we had found in the phone called Desmund. Desmund is from Ghana and is studying economics here. He comes from a christian background and had heard of us as Mormons before when he lived at home. We had no idea what to expect adn we didn't even know his name before our meeting but it was such a highlight for me. 

We simply taught him about the Book of Mormon and had a very basic how to begin teaching lesson following the points from Preach My Gospel. Honza was there and he would listen and comment and teach with us. Then Honza simply turns to Desmung and asks him how he feels the spirit since it is the spirit that will be the converter in all that we teach. It made us all ponder deeply and think upon our personal conversion story. I felt the spirit testify so strongly as we taught and it felt as if Desmund really understood what we were teaching with him. The lesson became a source of spiritual goodness for us to rely upon during the week and I have had my testimony of the importance of the Spirit strengthened. I know that the promise in Moroni 10 verse 5 is true!
 

As we remember our spiritual experiences and rely upon them as sources of strength, I know that we can do all things.

I also got to go on exchanges with Sestra Heap in Mlada Boleslav, visit Kutna Hora with our district again and have a fantastic week.  The Lord is so tender in His mercies to us!

The gospel is true!

S láskou,

Setra Manners

 

 P.S. This cathedral is amazing and includes things made from human bones.  You may remember I visited it last year.

 

Letter: 25 July 2016

Dear all,

This week has been incredible. it is such an honor to be a Czech/Slovak missionary.  Every day comes with surprises and things to laugh about and learn about and sometimes i can forget how wonderful it really can be. We had the opportunity to celebrate our mission. We went to a castle called Karlstejn and went to a small hill close by called Priest Hill where in 1929 this country was set apart for the preaching of the gospel.

On Friday, we gathered as a group of about 60 missionaries, all the missionaries serving in the country and we had a special conference where we sang, prayed and testified together. I have not felt the spirit in the same way since I last got to visit the temple nearly a year ago. Our mission president reminded us that being on a mountain is as close as you can be to the lord when outside of the temple or not in your home. i can testify that that is true! The spirit spoke to me and touched my heart and reminded me of the magnificence of this work. I know that it is true. It may be the hardest thing I have ever done but it is always worth it. I am so blessed to be here.

Saturday was very similar but had a completely different feel to it. we once again went to Karltsejn, a journey that took most of our day by train, but we went with the Czech saints from around the stake.  They were beautiful. Their faith inspires me and it was an honor to there for the first time with bishops and wards as a stake activity. I love the members of our mission!! They are incredible and I love learning about their conversion stories and seeing that every single one of them is a pioneer of their own. They have sacrificed so much to have the gospel in their land and I get to be here to share it with others.

I know that this church is true and that this is the Lord's work, no matter what, it will go forward for with the Lord on our side, anything is possible. (see 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 7).

I love the gospel with my whole heart and I love my mission just the same!

s laskou,

Sestra Manners

Letter: 18 July 2016

We got a call from president Monday evening asking us to come to Prague so that sister Boza could have an interview for a radio station and I got to be on exchanges with the sisters while we were there! 

This week overall was wonderful. We definitely were not expecting to end up spending part of the week in Prague on exchanges! 

Before coming to Prague, we had the opportunity to teach with sestra Prazakova and she also brought her two daughters, Jitunka and Katka (It was Katka's first time teaching with the sister missionaries... she is only 12 years old but she loved it and is already planning to go on a mission so this was the perfect experience for her to have). We taught our dear sweet friend Andrea that sestra Boza had met just a few weeks ago. We were very careful with her because she had told us that she didn't want to meet with us anymore because it just all caused her to think too much. Having a Czech member there was perfect! Sestra Prazakova answered all of her questions that we didn't quite understand and Andrea got really excited to keep learning and meeting with us. She has a young son and a boyfriend and we have already talked to them about getting married! (She was more excited than her boyfriend but it is a step in the right direction).
 

Beautiful Pradubice

Being in Prague was a dream come true. I absolutely love that city and have had many spiritual experiences there that warm up my heart. I loved being back and seeing how much the area had grown as well as myself. 

The following day, I got to be on exchanges with Sestra Fredrickson, something I have been wanting to be able to do with her ever since I first met her! I loved it! She is an absolute rock star of a missionary. I really felt like I learned how to be more urgent as we never stopped talking to people on the metros and trams that we rode on. She really knows how to be bold and get to know people very quickly (She would ask everyone for their name and introduce them to us).  She is exactly what Sestra Hill needs right now and she intends to focus on her and building up their mission area as well as possible. She also thanked me for being the best trainer for Sestra Hill which was really nice to hear because training her was definitely a handful but the best experience ever. I hope I get to train again! 

Sports activity with the youth and young adults

Overall I feel like I learned so much more than what I taught our dear sweet C'Bud sestricky and I am so grateful that we got to have exchanges with them. It was definitely inspired for us to go when we did! 

I know that this work is true and that the Lord loves us and knows us individually. Never forget your divine potential. You are the child of a King!

S laskou,

sestra Manners 

P.S. Adventure of the week was a suddenly leaking water heater on Sunday morning....

Letter: 11 July 2016

Dear all,

Leaving areas behind can be hard but I have learned to trust in the Lord so so much.  He always has a plan.  Even when it looks like the sheep we spent so many hours taking care of start to go astray, He has a plan to help them return.

I love my mission! Every day is different but I adore it!

We are so so blessed by the Lord! I am still trying to figure out what I have been doing well on my mission to deserve to serve in such incredible cities. Pardubice and Hradec Kralove are gorgeous! And we are so blessed here to have such a strong wonderful ward!  The ward here is awesome!!!  So many youth and I cannot see the entire congregation from every angle of the room! There are a ton of returned missionaries and they are all very sweet. (They are now the second generation of members here!) and there are so many families.  We have two sets of elders and a senior couple and they feed us every Sunday after church!  The ward mission leader is eighteen and awesome! He is just like a missionary!!

Sestra Boza and are are seeing so many miracles happen each day as we serve here and we have even been able to teach people in Spanish!!!

The Lord is blessing us and I know this work is true and the church is even more true!

s laskou,

Sestra Manners 

P.S.  Here are some photos of my new apartment.

 

Letter: 4 July 2016

Today is such an exciting day!!


I got transferred to Pardubice
 

Pardubice Town Hall and market square

Pardubice is one hour east of Prague (highlighted in yellow above)

I will be serving with my dear, sweet, first companion from the MTC, Sestra Boza.  

A year later and we are companions again!

We will be Sister Training Leaders together.  We will travel all over the Czech part of the mission visiting the sister companionships.  I will get to see all the towns and apartments which have sisters.

P-Day at the Zoo!

As I sat in sacrament meeting yesterday, I thought about how much the Lord has blessed me on my mission so far.  I am so blessed to be here and serve in such an incredible country.  I am surrounded my amazing members whose stories are such faith building experiences for me. 

Some of the wonderful members in C'Bud

My heart really is being torn apart with every area I serve in. I know that I am doing my part when it is so hard for me to leave. I never quite understood how much missionaries could love the people they serve but now I am blessed to say that I do. I know that it is just a fraction of how our Heavenly Father felt and loves us when He sent His Son. See John 3:15

Those remaining in C'Bud tried to come with me on the train!

This is my view from the train as I left C'Bud to travel to Prague then Pardubice, don't they all look sad (most of them)!

The gospel is true and I live and love it!!!

Miracles happen as we trust the Lord and love those around us (including ourselves). 

Branch BBQ on Saturday after the baptism

One miracles this week was that Eliska got baptised!!!  She is a dear friend now and it was an honor to see her grow in the gospel. I know that is the greatest blessing we can give those we love, knowledge of their eternal destiny.

Eliska was baptised on Saturday, 2nd July in a river!

I love the people I serve, I love my mission and I love the Gospel.

S laskou,
Sestra Manners

After the baptism and the BBQ, we went to the local zoo!

Here are a few photos of Pardubice, a beautiful city with a ward!