Week 35: Nuclear Scientist from the Czech Republic

I know some of you have been wondering whether my mission president, Prezident Pohořelický, is a nuclear scientist from the Czech Republic.  The answer is yes, yes he is.  

Update: the gas kicked back in sometime during the last week, so warm showers are again a reality.  We only had to go 11 days without a stove and warm showers (that's not entirely true, we spent two nights in Bratislava for District Conference.)

***

Nephi, one of the early writers in the Book of Mormon, plays a sneaky trick on all of us in the last chapter of his book.  He tells the skeptic, "If ye believe not in these words believe in Christ" (2 Nephi 33:10).  So after we've established that we believe in Christ, Nephi reveals the plot twist: "And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good."  

So we all fell into Nephi's trap!  Well-played, Nephi.  I testify with Nephi that if you believe in Christ, you will also believe the Book of Mormon, because they are His words.  They invite us to believe in Christ, to change through repentance, to be baptized so we can have the Holy Ghost more abundantly, to help one another, and to endure to the end.  That way, we will be prepared to live again with our Heavenly Parents one day.

Stanislav's humble abode

Week 34: Have you volámed your sas today?

From Miles's personal write to me:

There was an interesting experience on the train yesterday.  A guy had some whacked ideas about spiritual matters.  He said church wasn't necessary.  Raymond asked him, "Why do you think we need ordinances, like baptism?  Jesus showed us by example that we need to be baptized."  

The guy responded, "Jesus got baptized to show us that we need to be cleansed."  

Elder Raymond: "Exactly!"

The guy continued: "To show us that we need to take showers.  Also, if we eat bread and drink water for 40 days straight, our bodies will be purified and we will see angels all around us."

I said, "I don't even know what we're talking about anymore."  That made everyone else in the train car laugh. 

My son, making jokes in a foreign language!  This mother couldn't be prouder!  "End transmission" (Galaxy Quest)

At the start of what I thought was just "another day," I got in the shower and began warming up the cold water, testing its temperature every so often on my feet.  The water remained cold, even after 20 seconds.  

"Elder!" I cried, "The water isn't hot!"  Elder Raymond investigated and found out that we didn't have working gas to heat up our water.  I sighed and said, "Môže byť," before taking the worst shower of my life.  A shower under 10 minutes just isn't sufficient to get the job done.  

Next was Elder Raymond's turn, but he was stalling, thinking perhaps the gas would eventually kick in.  It never did, and I was happy that Elder Raymond got to experience what I had to.  

Outside of our panelák, we found construction.  "Cool, just make it fast," I thought.  Not so.  We found a posted note on our front door, informing us that we were out of gas for 18 days, which is conveniently a few days before I'll probably leave Trenčín anyway.  

***

Here are some common "questions" (I put them in quotations because they're only real concerns if the person asking has real intent) to which I have answers:

Q: Each person has his own truth.

A: Truth is only one.  If we could learn God's truth, why would we hold to any false perception of reality?

Q: Church is only for weak people.

A: Aren't we all weak?  When do you become too good for God's inspired organization, which is designed to help keep us on the covenant path?  Even if you are strong, what have you against further progression?  What about helping and serving others through the medium which is God's organized, true church?

Q: I was born a (certain Christian denomination) and I will die a (certain Christian denomination).

A: I know it's hard to change from something into which you were born, but rather than just accepting whatever default chance has given you, try seeking truth.  Maybe you've been born into a fair amount of truth already, but if a greater fullness of truth exists elsewhere, go for it!

I realize most of those "questions" were actually statements and most of the "answers" were actually questions.  But you get the point.

Soblahov

Soblahov

Slav Squat has been confirmed by the natives. When talking about what surprised us most about Slovakia, we told them that everyone in Slavic countries regularly squats. They were surprised that we didn't have such a phenomenon in America.

The search is over.

Elder Clayton, one of the greatest missionaries in this dispensation, teaches Slovak in Bratislava.

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Our one native Czech missionary, Elder Katerňák, goes home in three weeks.

This fešák goes home in three weeks as well. Elder Vasič.

Week 33: Lost in Translation

Elder (Prezident) Raymond was deep in study of the scriptures, when all of the sudden, he said, "Uh oh.  I forgot to assign talks for this Sunday.  Looks like you and I are speaking."  You're kidding.

Turns out Brother Tichy, a former Czech/Slovak missionary, called and told us that he was going to visit with his family and that he would be willing to give a talk.  Nice, that took the pressure off.  Then we just needed to translate his talk to English (for his family) as he was giving it, and that would occupy the whole of the meeting.  We were off the hook.

At the start of the meeting, Prezident Raymond invited one of the kids to give a report on the Wallace Toronto Service Project (more on that later).  He asked if I would translate for him, to which I gladly agreed.  With both of us standing at the podium, the kid began: "So the project was really successful, and we helped a lot of people."  Okay, easy.  I translated it.  Then the kid's confidence in me grew, so he let it go: "We did....... got together some textbooks for the school........... bushes......."  The kid took no breaks.  At the end of his summary, all eyes were on me, but I didn't even remember what he said in English.  

"Uhh... repeat, please?"  I said, which caused some laughter.  So he repeated, but I wasn't catching on.  Elder Raymond took over, and I got to take the walk of shame back to my seat.  

***

Wallace Toronto was mission president over then Czechoslovakia for 30+ years, the longest-serving mission president in the history of our church.  His autobiography is called A Cherry Tree Behind the Iron Curtain.  Read it and tell me how it is, because I can't read it for another year and a half.  Anyway, the Wallace Toronto Foundation organizes service projects in the Czech Republic and Slovakia annually.  We got to participate.  

Bratislava

Bratislava

Sister Stratton (Sestra Stratená na Slovensku) had a birthday.

Candid.

Beckov

Beckov

Beckov

Beckov

Elder Raymond said, "Look!" So I looked.

Beckov

Beckov

Beckov

DTR

Beckov

Beckov

Week 32: Kniha Mormon

Sports night.  We were playing football (or soccer).  I had been making bad plays all game, despite the fact that it was us against mostly little children.  I hoped that I would be able to redeem myself.  In one instance, Elder Raymond had the ball and was running down-field towards the opponent's goal.  Between him and the goal was only one player, the goalie.  

Elder Raymond called out to me and made a perfect pass right to me.  This is it, my chance to redeem myself.  From Elder Raymond's point of view, the ugly, soccer-field turf turned into a beautiful meadow, and it was as if I were running off into the sunset with the ball.  Everything was perfect, I just had to score.  

Can you guess what happened next?  If you guessed that I stepped on the ball and fell flat on my back, the ball slowly rolling forward, I'm afraid you're right.  As I was recovering, one of the little kids ran up to me and laughed in my face.  I stood up and turned around to see everyone, and they all had continued playing except for the other three missionaries, who where all doubled over on the turf, dying of laughter.  That's an experience none of us will ever forget, and the mission's full of them.  

***

Yesterday, we decided to go tracting with the Sisters in a place to which we never go: Kubra.  Nice little corner Trenčín.  We picked a block to tract, so we would work together to get all of it done.  We rang a doorbell, and a nice old man came out.  He asked us how we were, then invited us in.  Elder Raymond was taken aback.  

"Wait a second, we're missionaries," he said.

"It doesn't matter, come it," the man replied.  Whoa.  Good luck, Sisters, tracting the whole block by yourselves.

As we were sitting down with the man, Elder Raymond asked him if he had ever heard of Mormons.  The man then went into his house (we were at a table in his backyard) and comes out with a blue book.  On the cover was written "Kniha Mormon," which is the old, Czech version of the Kniha Mormonova.  Then he showed us old pictures of the missionaries who used to visit him, along with a note from some Elder Matthew Puchard that read something like this: "It was very nice to know you.  Thank you for your kindness and friendship."  Wow, these missionaries made it a point to leave off on a good note, despite the man not accepting the full message.  

That taught me an important lesson about my purpose as a missionary.  I'm trying to find and teach people who will accept me, and for those who don't, it's important to always be kind, especially when saying final goodbyes.  We have a return appointment with that man this week.