Week 107: Do skorého videnia

Last trivia night ever. I was on a team with Elder Abbott and three other friends. Before the trivia started, I was telling Miles jokes™️. If you don't know what those are, it might be a little hard for me to explain. There is a process behind it, though, which can be summed up in a few steps:

1. Find a word (ex. window). 

2. Modify the word (LOSEdow). 

3. Use the word in a normal sentence without anyone expecting it. 

4. Wait for people to get it.

One friend was laughing hard, the second hardly laughing and the third didn't seem to get any of them. "I'm a big fan of Miles jokes," said the first friend.

Then all of the sudden, the same waitress that once tried to get us to buy drinks came around. She said her classic line: "C'mon, if you want to come, you need to buy something."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds, so I just spoke up: "I already brushed my teeth." Everyone laughed except the waitress. Someone ordered lemonade to satisfy her, and then as she was about to leave, she told me, "If you don't order anything, you can't come and participate next time." Okay, deal.

"That was a good one," said the friend that wasn't amused by my other jokes. But this one wasn't a joke.

Maybe you know that today is my time as a missionary has come to an end. Missions? They're hard. Sometimes you feel completely inadequate, or you feel that you aren't making too much of a difference in much or anyone at all. What's even harder, though, is when you have to leave after having realized none of that is true. Through the deep, personal connections I've developed with others, I've been able to influence them and they me. I love these people more than I could have imagined loving anyone before coming here. While studying the scriptures, I read this passage written by Nephi about his own people, which relates to me so much that I began to cry upon reading it: "I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry" (2 Nephi 33:3).

I know God loves His children more than I do. They will be okay. I pray that I will continue to become the kind of person that can influence them and people like them for good and open their minds to new ideas. I've experienced change through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and I promise you that it is possible to change and that more joy than you think awaits you. Look to the good examples you have around you and it will give you the desire to achieve great change and the faith to take the next step. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Week 106: Best wingman

Our friend that we go to trivia night with every week has been doing our work for us. The other day, he was telling me about a 5-minute phone call he had with his sister, trying to convince her that meeting with people from our church "isn't that bad". He worked his magic and she ended up meeting with missionaries in the city she studies in. They used the meeting as an opportunity to help her practice her English. 

Later, I got a message from this friend, saying he managed to get a very rare roast on Elder Nicholls, one of the missionaries that met with his sister. It truly was "too epic not to share". He sent me a screenshot of their conversation:

Elder Nicholls: "You're sister is better than you at English."

Friend: "And both of us are better than you are. I'd never confuse you're and your."

***

The other day, I was talking with someone on the bus (as you do when you're a missionary). Then we switched to English. The guy across from me, who had been silent up to that point, blurted out, "Where are you from? I can't pinpoint it." At this point, I usually say "New York", but when people speak English, I'm inclined to be more specific.

"I'm from Connecticut," I said.

"No way," he said. "Stamford?"

"THAT'S MY HOME TOWN," I said, jaw dropped to the ground. I'll be honest, meeting someone from my city might have been a shock in Bratislava, or even Prague. But Banská Bystrica? Turns out my man lived in Stamford for 4 years growing up. I still got some time here, so we agreed to meet up for a drink. We have a lot to diskutovať.

Week 105: Nicholls and Dimes

I always time our exchanges to line up with quiz night so that our friends there can get to know more missionaries. Pretty smart, huh? When we arrived, one of our friends was already there. He had just returned from a trip to Jordan, so we hadn't been able to meet with him in a while. While we were catching up, a waitress came and asked if we'll have anything to drink...

"Not for me."

"Nope."

"Nah."

She was a bit annoyed and told us that we had to order something to participate in quiz night. That's a lie, but whatever. Elder Nicholls and I each ordered overpriced lemonade. 

When the final member of our team arrived, the teahouse was getting pretty full. All of the sudden, we were informed that we could not participate as a team because no one signed our team up in advance. The one friend ditched and joined another team while the friend who just arrived, Elder Nicholls and I were kicked out. "We're not staying for the lemonade," I told the waitress. Hey, we saved 6 euros altogether, so it was a win in my book.

Our friend, though disappointed, gladly walked us to our bus stop so we could go home. Our conversation somehow ended up being about Elder Nicholls' love of soda.

"It's really bad," said our friend. "It's like sin."

I chimed in: "You know what protects us against sin? The Book of Mormon."

"Why did you have to go there...?" said our friend.

Elder Nicholls: "I'll make you a deal. For ever cup of soda I don't drink, you have to read a chapter from the Book of Mormon."

Friend: "That's easy for you."

Nicholls: "No, I love soda!" Then our bus finally came. We shook hands and our friend began walking away. "Stop drinking soda," he said. "It destroys you!"

Nicholls: "So does not reading the Book of Mormon!" Boom, roasted. Then the bus doors closed.