A Day of Revelations!

Hey everyone!

Quite a busy week this week. Chock full of experiences that make this week one of those weeks where I will be able to pin point down the road and say, "That's when I changed" But more on that later...

We started the week off with a great District meeting. Everyone was really pumped and really excited. I challenged all of us to be more bold and put ourselves out there more. We figured that if we step up the boldness factor we'll get some harsher rejections, but we'll reap some better rewards than what we've been getting. So far it's paying off. We had a little zone competition where we took 2 days to collect as many numbers as we could. The second day Elder Walker and I (had an exchange with him) collected 6 numbers. A third of the Zone total. Lets just say I'm a champ at getting numbers now. (Where was this skill before the mission?? Kidding mom...) Because we had a conference in Brno that would take us out of our area for 3 days we were determined to make the most out of this week.

Thursday afternoon we shipped out to Olomouc in the Czech Republic for the night. We got there around 6 and got to do some contacting time. I was with Elder Blair for the evening. A way cool missionary that we've stayed with before. I did my best speaking Czech but Elder Blair just turned to me and said, "You can just speak Slovak to them, they'll understand." Moj slovenčinu je velmi zla, a moj čeština je ešte horšie! :) The next morning we went off to Brno for a fantastic conference with Elder Kerr. An Area Seventy from Scotland. Very good. He started the conference out telling us that this could be a day of revelation, if you let it be. And so the first thing I wrote down was to make every day a day for revelations! Elder Kerr was extremely energetic and exciting, it was contagious really. Unlike past zone conferences he really encouraged us, the missionaries, to speak and teach each other. Some things that really stood out to me was: the importance of a journal. A place where we record the spiritual experiences we have. No "large plates of Nephi" we won't care about the weather, or what song our companion would not stop singing, that won't edify us down the road, right? He taught about our purpose as missionaries: we aren't trying to get people to do things, we are trying to get them to become something. And for that to happen we have to already be in the process of becoming what the Lord wants us to be. I realized on the trip home, it was a long enough one, that I truly wanted to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. For the first time I looked at my name tag and I didn't want to take it off. For the first time I got a step closer to understanding what it means to be a disciple of Christ. There are tons of things that are standing in my way. I still have so much to overcome, in terms of desires, "natural man" type of stuff, but I for the first time I really saw myself being the person that I wanted to be. I was chatting with Elder Nichol after the conference and he summed it up this way, "I just want to choose the right from now on." I feel like I have a "spiritual creation" of what I want my life to be. And since all things were created spiritually first, (see Alma 32) my next step is to make it a reality. I thought it was interesting that both President Irwin, and Elder Kerr encouraged us to be bold-since that was a main topic of our district meeting earlier that week. Heavenly Father is definitely telling us as missionaries to step it up and be bold! He also taught about the Book the Mormon. We really don't use it enough in our work. I know that that book can and will, change the world. People just got to read it and find out if its true. If it's true then it means that God has called another Prophet and that that he has provided us a way to come to know Him, in a more intimate way than we thought possible before. Why wouldn't people want to know about that? I get so confused why people would be against it. But I'm looking forward to going through my notes again and thinking about how I can apply more of what I learned into my work and the rest of my life.

We were teaching a man this week, Gelu, I think I talked about him before. He has this incredible faith in Jesus Christ, but rejects the idea of a one true path. We managed to get him to church (quite the ordeal really) and it was great. I thought he really enjoyed it. Sunday School was a great lesson from the New testament and I taught the Elders Quorum lesson from President Uchtdorf's talk, "Waiting on the Road to Damascus". I thought everything was going perfectly. But when church was over he told us that he was on his own "road to Damascus". I've never been more crushed by an investigator. I want Slovaks, everyone really, to see and understand how this book can fit into their lives. One day I hope that I can boldly testify about the Book of Mormon. I don't know how else to say it then "I know the Book of Mormon is true". But really, what else needs to be said?? :)

On Saturday, as we were pulling into the Kosice station we were surprised by Martin and Sara from Bratislava! They were doing some sightseeing on the other side of Slovakia. We had dinner with them and it was a great time to catch up and see how things were doing in good ol' Bratislava. Sara was looking fabulous as she was nearing the end of her 21 day water fast. Something that I got extremely upset over. 21 days with no food, only water and citrus?!? That can't be healthy, right?? But it should be ending today, and in honor of it I will be having my own feast! :) I'm looking forward to the next time I see those two again.

Hope everyone is doing well at home. Even though I had a long train ride I didn't get any letters written, or sent off. So you all gotta wait.

Next week is transfers. AH! So soon, I know. So I will email you all on Wednesday, not Monday. Talk to you then!

Elder Williams