Week 18: Trenčín

Excerpts from journal:

Day 121 - Found a Russian hymnbook in my flat.  If I'm transferred, I might just steal it.

Day 122 - "Let's go!" says Elder Akina.  We're about to get off the bus (after a 1-hour long ride), but wait!  My study material is all over the seat beside me.  Of course I didn't clean it all up in time, so the bus begins leaving.  Elder Akina then realizes that I'm still on the bus, and as I pass him, our eyes meet.  You should have seen his face.

Day 123 - Yup, I'm going to Trenčín next transfer with Elder Raymond.  Way stoked.  Packing is a doozie (I don't know what that word actually means.)

Day 124 (На русском) - I'm pretty sure that's how you spell it.  Anyways, I snagged that Russian hymnbook on my way out.  It's in my bag right now.

Lost my ticket on the train back from Želiezoca, but the ticket guy was a bro and let me ride.  

***

In an interview with Prezident (that's how it's spelled in Slovak, hop off) Pohořelický, I asked how I can have greater love for the people here in Slovakia.  It's pretty hard to love someone on the street whom I don't know personally.  He told me to learn about the history here, what these people endured.  He also told me to diligently study the language, so that I can better communicate with them.  Then he told me to study the scriptures, so that I would learn how to become more like Christ.  I'll try these things and let you know how it goes.

1.  Trenčín RR tracks

2.  Two of them are leaving Trenčín

3.  Elder Raymond (new companion!)

4.  One of them is leaving Trenčín

5.  Just a bug

Week 17: Krst v bazéne

My companion, Elder Akina, is not from China, although that's what was written on his visa.  While filling out his paperwork to apply for his visa, he misunderstood the difference between nationality and ethnicity, so he wrote that he was of Chinese nationality.  When we recently went to the Foreign Police to correct that error, the Slovak police thought it was their mistake, thinking one of their guys mistook my companion for a Chinaman.  So they corrected the error for free, expedited processing.  What an interesting turn of events. 

Michal, what a legend.  We had the privilege of baptizing him (in a swimming pool of all places), and he bore humble testimony that he knows the journey ahead will be challenging, but worth it.  He understands that baptism isn't the end, but the start of a life committed to Christ.  I see great potential in him, and he's already been quite the example for me.

1. I thought these Slovak stairs looked cool

2-3. Michal's baptism

Week 16: Deň matiek

Skype.  I get to Skype with my family twice per year, Mother's Day and Christmas.  While anticipating my Skype call with my family, I wondered what kinds of things they'd want to hear me say in Slovak.  Were they going to ask me to say something complicated?  

While Skyping, Dad told me to say, "Hello, how are you?"  So I said it, and he was completely impressed.  I think that's the one thing I should know how to say by now.

When I tell people here that families can be together forever, they don't act as though that is new information.  That's weird because the main church here teaches that marriage and families end at death.  Dad told me that I need to help them see the silliness of that idea because they seem to instinctively know that, indeed, families can be together forever.


Mother's Day morning, 7 a.m.

Week 15: Blísko New Yorku

Walking in the park along the river, I see a group of teenage kids.  Uh-oh.  Actually, they turned out to be quite cool.

"Where are you from?" one of them asks.

"Connecticut."

*blank stares*

"Hm.  Kon-nekt-ee-koot?"

"Ah!  Konektikut!  Poznáme."

Street-contacting is usually the most dreadful part of the day (for me, at least), but earlier this week we met a way cool guy.  He didn't like church too much because his parents made him go when he was a child.  However, he still had some belief in God.  We taught him that faith is like a seed, which seed you must plant in your heart.  If it's a good seed, it will grow and bring forth good fruit, or in other words, you will see a positive change in your life.  (The Book of Mormon, Alma 32)  From the beginning to the end of the conversation, he changed his mind from not willing to read the Book of Mormon to willing.  That's pretty good.