EASTER! That's easier, because I don't have pretend to know what week we're on anymore.

My posing next to a statue at a museum we went to today.

This week was spectacular! Which is kind of theme of my mission, I'm not sure if you have noticed that yet. Easter is a such a wonderful holiday, and it is a huge thing here in the Czech Republic actually. It is so cool to be living in a country that has literally thousands of years’ worth of history and culture to see. So, without further ado here are some especially great things that happened this week.

• We had a great Easter Party on Thursday. We had a lot of less-actives and investigators come. More than active members! It was really great. We had an Easter egg treasure hunt deal, and a piñata made by the Sisters, played musical chairs, and did the donut on the string game. And then at the end we all gathered together and the missionaries all bore testimony of the Savior, of His Atonement, His death, and His Resurrection. It was great!

Sestra Manners and the Easter piñata 

Our Easter Party!

• We also went tracting this week, using the Easter video. We downloaded it onto a flashdrive, in Czech, and then went ringing doorbells and asking if we could share the video with people. And someone let us in! It was great. And for the strange reason that almost every Czech has a smart TV, we were able to plug the flashdrive into the TV and show it. They thought it was great, and they said they would be interested in having us back. Also, they gave us really delicious bread, with cashews and raisins. A random, freshly baked loaf and nice grandma just decided to give to us on the way out. So that was really cool. https://www.mormon.org/easter 

• We had two visiting families in Sacrament Meeting. One of them was married couple who both served in Slovakia, and the other was a couple who are living in Austria right now. That was really odd to get a phone call at 10 on Saturday from a phone and pick it up and here an American accent start talking to me. But it was really cool to have two big families in Sacrament Meeting! Also, the missionaries sand acapella "I Know the My Redeemer Lives" in Czech. We decided to do it before Sacrament meeting. It was an adventure, but we did good. Luckily that song has pretty easy pronunciation.

The Czech hymn books! 

• Also, this last week we have been meeting awesome families, who are super open and willing to talk. And then at the end of the conversation we ask to meet with them, only to find out that they don't live here. One of them was a Czech family that is living in Austria. That's just absurd. It's sort of close, and yet, so far (600 km to be exact)
• We did indeed hear about the bombing in Brussels. I heard about it from my English student the day it happened, but we didn't find out until the next day that missionaries were involved. Originally we heard they had died, so we were very grateful for the text that was sent out from President McConkie that night that everything was okay with them. He also gave us some counsel and reassured us that we don't have much to worry about with that happening here.

• I was blessed with an AWESOME trainer Elder Galbraith and a mission in which we have a culture of obedience and hard work. It really is a great blessing for me. I have been learning a lot from my new companion Elder Dean that I want to try to work on specifically 1) pray more 2) re-evaluate contacting often to look for ways to improve.

Had to pose next to the armor of God. For obvious reasons.

The rest of the armor of God. Sword of Truth.  

I had to improvise a bit for the shield of Faith.  Couldn't find a real shield anywhere.

•     Gratitude is so important! I actually have a gratitude list and every evening I write 5 things from the day that I am especially grateful for. It is really fun to look over, and it adds up really fast. I started it near the end of last transfer, and I am already up to over 200 things.
•  

My spiritual thought this week is, as seems fitting, about Easter. I am so grateful to be a missionary. To invite people to come unto Christ and to feel the love and peace that comes from a life centered in, and founded on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement is not just to cleanse us from sin. It also gives us the power to overcome sorrow, weaknesses, and to love the life that God has given us. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that He is my Savior and Redeemer. I love the words which the Angels spoke on Easter to the apostles: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" I am so grateful for the testimony I have of those words! He is risen!

-Elder Pickett

PS- Hello Mommy-o! HAPPY A-LITLLE-BIT-EARLY-BIRTHDAY! I am just about finished with your letter, just need to address it and send it. The letter for the whole family should be arriving close by your birthday date, this one will for sure be late, but hopefully not too late. I hope you enjoy it. In honor of you I had ice cream today, and tried to take loooots of pictures. And did a few voice recordings of my Czech to send home. I hope you enjoy everything! I will try to be extra loving and serving this week, and especially on Wednesday!

 Really, really, really good (and very cheap) soft serve ice cream with our District

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Is this what you were looking for with an artsy picture?

Czech only lemonade. I was trying to do "Dad's excited opening presents face." 

It only kind of worked...

Museum PDay visit today with lots of pictures:

 Big map of C-Bud and a skeleton

Crazy Easter Eggs! They drill little holes in them and blow all of the egg out! And then paint them, or cut more holes to decorate them. And then, somehow, keep them intact.

 Sestras posing. Also, a cool lion I found.