A Week of Change

The McConkies with Elders Terry & Pickett

This week has been incredible. We had a lot of ups and some downs thrown in as well. The McConkies went home, the Pohořeličtí came (they are Czech, so their name is different when there are two of them), transfer calls will be happening today, and the Scotts are taking over for the Holts here in the office. Madness. Here are some highlights of this last week:

• On Monday we had around 46 people come to FHE. That was quite a number. They came because the McConkies were in charge of the spiritual thought, and were leaving the next day. President McConkie gave an excellent talk about holding fast to the rod and staying on the path we are on back to God. He also translated for himself, going back and forth from English to Czech and Czech to English. That was pretty stellar.
• On Tuesday we were able to meet with our investigators again that we have been unsuccessfully trying to meet with for the past month. They are really awesome, an almost married couple from the Ukraine (they will be married once they can find the proper documentation for the requirements). We met on a bench outside of the palace where the Stake was created, because they work nearby and we met them right after work. We talked a lot about fasting and why it is important, and invited them to have a fast with us. They want to do it, not this week, so that they can find the path that God wants for them. They are really sincere in their desire to do what is right, and are pretty awesome. The biggest downside to the lesson was the rain. In Prague the weather almost every day is hot in the 90s with a loooot of humidity. With a chance of torrential downpour. Virtually every day. So we had 3 umbrellas for the 4 of us, and huddled under them on a bench for a while. Then the rain really started coming down, so we ran for cover under a large tree. In the end we ended up all huddled together under 3 umbrellas in the pouring rain. It almost made us late getting home, but we made it.

Our District on the bus

• Also on Tuesday, Prezident Pohořelický and Sestra Pohořelická came. That was pretty crazy. They only speak Czech with us. So that is really awesome. That was also the day that we said goodbye to the McConkies for the final time. It was a day with a lot of strong emotions. We love the McConkies dearly, and we are also super excited to have the Pohořeličtí here with us.
• On Wednesday we had a training/Meet the President meeting with our zone. Our mission president is awesome.  The training was completely in Czech. The zone leaders translated for the senior couples, and everything except for the reading out of the white handbook and the mission vision was in Czech. That was really cool. It was fun to see that we could understand well enough to get the spiritual instruction from the Lord and from our President that we needed to. After that we had lunch and short interviews with President Pohořelický. Also in Czech. We are going to be speaking a lot of Czech around him, that is for sure. 
• We also had the opportunity to go tracting this week, and to contact. We are still working and looking for people, and it is coming along well here. One of our recent converts is, unfortunately for us, moving to Brno this week, so we are sad to see him go, but excited for the opportunities that await him out there.

Famous Charles Bridge photo credit Elder Terry

• I love teaching about the temple because I like explain that I had the opportunity to be an ordinance worker there before my mission and talk about how amazing that was and how much we can feel the Spirit in the temple. 
• I am sure that you and Elder Terry's mom got along well (Elder Terry is from Vallejo, CA so after months of emailing and sharing pictures, I met his mom for lunch this week ). He says that he and his Mom have a similar sense of humor, so you will have gotten a little taste of Elder Terry's sense of humor. We are having a good time here, that is for sure. We will find out today if we will be or won't be...  I just got a transfer call. I am staying here with Elder Terry.

My spiritual thought for the week is about sacrifice. Sometimes we have to find the time to do spiritual things. And sometimes we have to let the unimportant things fall out of our life to do that. That can be hard, because it is not easy to change. But I know that the Lord wants us to be better than we are, and that He is always with us as we work towards that goal. A quote from General Conference (I cannot remember from who) is "You can have what you want, or you can have something better." I would say that is profoundly applicable. Thanks for all your support and prayers!

-Elder Pickett  

That was a surprise to see Bishop Womeldorf and Camden & Ellie walk in the front door to the mission office. President McConkie actually want over to the church building and Elder Trythall was there, so he sent him over to the office so that he could join in the pictures.  He said "Someone over there is talking about 'Nick.' Do you know a 'Nick?'" (friends from Roseville on their European trip stopped in to see our Roseville missionaries and send pictures home to their families!)

Photo credit to Bishop Womeldorf - Elders Trythall, Beaser, Pickett & Terry 

 Basketball with missionaries, members and the McConkie boys