Caute!

Hope everyone had a good week this week. It's been a long one here, but that's because we spent the entire week in Kosice! YAY for being able to work in our area!

To be honest, this was one of those weeks where really nothing happened. Whenever I talk to my district at the end of the week I ask them (among other things): "In what way has your area improved since last week?" Constant and consistent improvement is something we are trying to achieve here. Something that can be difficult for me as I am neither constant, nor consistent. Anyways, I always ask myself the same questions and I really couldn't see any improvements made. Numbers wise we are the same, if not worse off, as when this transfer first started. I'm getting a little anxious because we have three week left of the transfer and I want my missionaries to see some tangible success so bad. They deserve it. God knows they've been working hard enough. But I realized something last night as I was looking at the needs of my district and the problems we're facing: I'm actually enjoying this. The challenges before me don't seem impossible anymore. When I first arrived I was a little miserable. The MTC had presented challenges that I knew I could handle, but when I got to my first area actually learning this language felt IMPOSSIBLE. Being a missionary was something I didn't think I could be. But now, I know that I can. The language is possible to learn, the work is moving forward and us missionaries are growing emotionally and spiritually.

I'm grateful to be in a district of older missionaries that encourage me to stretch myself and see past my imperfections. During priesthood they made me interpret for Elder Stiles. Something I thought that I could not do. I was amazed at how much I really was understanding. (However, whenever a Brat Herczog speaks I can't understand anything...) But now I'll be translating a lot more for the Stiles. I'm no longer embarrassed at the lack of Slovak I know, I just got pick up where I am and improve.

Some more shout outs: Congrats to Elder Melling! We got your wedding announcement last week. You don't waste anytime do you... 6 months? The Zeny at church were so happy to see your picture, Sestra Budigova even clapped. A shout out also to all the cousins getting married! Matthew, Michelle, ... Nicole??? and then Sheena in January? Man, everyone is wedding crazy, aren't they? I don't want to give anymore wedding shout outs.

So I made some more deaf friends! A couple that lives right across the street from us. We met them on a bus on our way home one night. They don't really know ASL, so we tried our best to communicate. We went back when their daughter was home. She is also deaf but had just gotten back from the USA and so her ASL is really good. She's trying to teach me universal sign. It's weird and I feel silly doing it... But we are meeting them again in a couple hours as part of our p-day. I really don't want to teach them-even though I think they would really like the gospel. I just don't want another member here like Sano, who is only active when a missionary here knows sign language. But we will see. Maybe we can baptize an interpreter... They are really fun and really nice. Elder Stansfield loves sitting and watching us go. I'm amazed I still got it.

I hope everyone is doing well and I'm glad to hear things are good at home. Logan, get a job. Aaron, run fast. Emily, don't date.
Love you all!

Elder Williams