Week 19: Turning a Corner

During a casual conversation with a lady, I realized suddenly that I was understanding 80% of what she was saying.  Is this how it feels to turn a corner?  My dad would understand, but let me explain for those who don't: as you approach a corner, nothing new comes into view.  But after you turn the corner, suddenly everything pops into view.  Cool, huh?

We had a lesson planned for a boy named Patrik, but as we left for the meeting, I realized I left my notes at the flat.  Oh well.  The lesson went well, and it ended with giving him a baptismal date.  Will he get baptized on that date?  We'll see, but at least we have something to work toward.  I would encourage anyone to set goals and make plans (specific things to do throughout the day and times to get them done.)  Trust me on this one.  

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.

Week 14: Nemôžem sa Sťažovať

Sťažovať sa means to complain, or more literally, to make more difficult for oneself.  That's a lot of truth packed into one word.

Each week, we aim to bring X number of people to church, to invite X number of people to baptism, to have X number of new investigators.  Sometimes, we try our hardest, but don't meet standards.  That's okay, the goals are there to help us reach higher than we would have without them, not to make us feel guilty for not reaching them.  It is better to work towards a goal and to not reach it than to have no goal.  We have some pretty insane goals here on the mission, but I can't complain.

There were only 4 people at church yesterday.  Just the missionaries.  We'll work on that and I'll get back to you.

My (partial) letter to Miles:  I saw Bryce's mom yesterday.  She said a lot of people drink over there (Czech Republica) and hold business meetings typically in a pub where everyone will drink.  I wonder if that's true in Slovakia?  When drinking is such a commonplace thing, even more so than in America, it is a hard thing to overcome.  What could entice people to want more than the comfort of their pubs and social settings?  Those things are hard to ask people to forsake unless there is something very much better behind another door.  To get a person to see in the eternal perspective is difficult.  Most of us think linearly.  When's my next meal?  Vacation?  Class?  Job interview?  What's next on the agenda?  Unless those things are seen as relevant and connected to each other, they are often no more than isolated events.  I mean, someone could certainly have goals that go from point to point to point, but there are shadows when there is no gospel perspective.  A gospel perspective brings LIGHT and clarity to someone's life.  The purpose of it all.

Miles's response to my letter:  That's right, you must think and ponder about something first, but that doesn't mean you'll accept it.  That's why sign seekers make no sense.  No, they won't believe if they see a sign.  Believing in God has less to do with whether or not you believe he exists (but, of course, that's in the foundation of your belief) but the next step is to believe that His ways are better than yours.  Faith is when you change your actions accordingly.

Learning the language here, I'm pretty attentive to detail.  I wonder why that is.  Maybe because when you taught us kids, you showed us to do it like that.  For instance, regarding Scripture Mastery.  We had to get it word-for-word.  Music has helped with that skill as well, it's helped me to have a more discerning ear.  People are telling me I'm really good (of course I'm not yet, but I have a solid foundation) and I owe it to you for that.

Week 13: Mitch, the Castle Destroyer

"Stop!" cries Elder Akina as Mitch hurls a gigantic boulder off the side of the castle.  I'm not sure if Elder Akina is concerned for the castle or if he just wants to catch this on film.  He's taking out his camera, so I'll let you decide.  Mitch, you've never met anyone like him.  In one moment everything is normal, then suddenly he's destroying a castle in Nitra.  Watch out, America!  He's coming to New York in two weeks.

We met a lady in the park who basically did our job for us.  

Set expectations: "You guys talk about Jesus Christ, right?" 

Set up meeting: "Come to my house in Zobor."  

Exchange contacts: Actually, we had to do this one.  

After that, we met a lady who threatened to call the police on us, that much of her shouting I understood.  We seriously meet people from all over the spectrum.  

Mitch: The Castle Destroyer [though I don't see any boulders being hurled.  ~Mare]