Elder Brad Pickett: Where Has August Gone?

There is a metro stop called Jiřího z Poděbrad, so I artistically took this picture.

Pretty cool isn't it?

I really need to start coming up with a title unrelated to how fast time is flying by, because I think you are all already aware of that fact. I am very much out of time today, so I will get straight to the weekly highlights:

This Wednesday and Thursday we had an exchange with our District leader. So I was with our District Leader Elder Geier, in our area, and Elder Trythall and Elder Terry went to their area. We started out our exchange with one of the most incredible contacting blocks of all time. I don't know what it is about exchanges, but it seems like you always get more people who want to talk to you on an exchange than normal. We met a lot of really cool people, and more than one (meaning 2, that phrase just sounds dramatic and fun) gave us their phone numbers so that we could get in contact and plan a specific time to meet up. Elder Geier is a really good teacher and also speaks Czech really well. We had a lot of fun, and found some good potentials.

Computer replacements. The guy in red is our computer specialist from Germany.

We are also currently advertising for our event that we will be having in which members from around the world will be presenting about their home countries and cultures. That will be next Saturday and it should be really good. The only problem is that I would much rather talk to people about the gospel then advertise for an event, but it's okay.
We also had a delicious dinner with our Relief Society President and her daughter on Friday with two other elders. We had delicious hamburgers and french fried from a good place here in Prague, and then a home-made New Zealand dessert that is so extreme it is named after a volcano. Suffice it to say, I did not go home hungry. Quite the opposite actually.

The amazing New Zealand dessert.

Other than that we have been doing some office work, trying to get lessons set-up around the busyness of peoples' lives (Which is really hard!) and talking to a whole bunch of other people. It's a little bit alarming the people you meet and the things they say when you just talk to everyone that you see on the street. People have quite the variety of opinions.
From Elder Terry: “Today has been pretty good. We went into a park near our house and chilled for a little and also studied there before coming back here to the office to have lunch and some other things.”

Where is this forest? Why it's not a forest at all, but a park 10 minutes away from our apartment. It is a pretty incredible park. And it is rather enormous.

Thanks for the Olympics updates. Lots of cool stories of athletes with a few sad ones. Life's tough all around, isn't it.
To Caroline: Hahaha, your emails are pretty much the highlight of my emailing every week. You have a pretty excellent way of throwing humor into everyday life and whatnot (hmmm… I wonder how she learned that?!?!). Also, your super late birthday package is on its way. Hope you are not too upset with how late it is. Read the letter before using the other thing, because there are suggested instructions inside.

For my spiritual thought today I would like to echo something shared that is a quote by C.S. Lewis. I probably am not quoting it perfectly, but it says: "Humility is not thinking less of oneself, it is merely thinking of oneself less." I think that quote is brilliant. When we are humble and charitable we do not think that we are worthless or have no needs, we merely recognize that others around us have needs and can benefit from our service. So my commitment to you all is to look around you and find someone who needs any sort of service, be it large or small, and give that service. I will help you to realize the blessings that you have, and all of our blessings are gifts from our Heavenly Father. Thank you for all of the prayers and support!

-Elder Pickett