The birthday boy! (wearing the Happy Birthday banner I made and sent!)
Hello everyone! This last week was pretty crazy, but
a good one.
- We
had P-day on Tuesday, which was twice in a row, and makes the week
feel really short. We also had an exchange with Elder Brockbank and
Raines. I was with Elder Raines in their area, we started after English
class on Tuesday. It was weird to say a tentative goodbye to everyone
after English, since we didn't know if I was leaving or not. We also had
our final lesson with J., which was awesome and spiritual, as always. He
was bummed that one of us is leaving and was sad to say goodbye to me
(since Brad has been in Plzen for 6 mons, he is most likely to be transferred)
, but I got his contact information so that we can stay in touch. He's
going out of town for a week or two, but he wants to meet again after he
gets back.
- Thursday we
had our last district meeting of the transfer. Those are always a little
bit interesting. But good interesting. It's just sometimes weird to look
back and reflect on an entire 9 weeks together. But it was good, and we
did some good district finding with an awesome chalk display about the
Plan of Salvation.
Plzen District Elder Raines, Elder Brockbank, Elder Anderson, Elder Pickett
front row Jitka, Sestra Sadler, Sestra Anderson and Gabi
- The
rest of the week we did some finding, and tried to set up with people. It
was good, we got to see some people and I got to say goodbye, since we
were pretty sure I was the one leaving. J. is still wanting to meet. And I also
left O. there, but I didn't actually get to say bye to her, which was
unfortunate. And we have some others. Actually we were working with L.,
and investigator the sisters were meeting with who has a baptismal date.
- Finally
on Saturday, while we were eating lunch at a member's we got our transfer
calls. I am now in Hradec Králové (you can refer to it as H.K. for
convenience) a city a little east of Prague. Still in Bohemia, but it is
my first time outside of the Prague zone my whole mission. I don't even
know what to do with myself. I am with Elder Beazer here, and I am really
looking forward to this transfer. The city is beautiful and the ward is
awesome.
- Sunday was
like a giant, never ending train of goodbyes, with skyping home and
packing thrown in for variety and relief. It was fun to chat with my
family again, they are awesome. Packing was a bit of a nightmare, but
miraculously I got everything stuffed into my suitcases that I needed to.
with a Plzen ward member
- Today
was quite a travel day. I took 3 different trains and it took 3 different
tickets to make it. I made the first two legs of the trip (Pilsen-Prague
and Prague-Pardubice) with Elder Brockbank and then the last 30 minutes
from Pardubice into H.K. I made alone. The Pardubice train station doesn't
have an elevator, or escalators, so I got to drag around 3 suitcases, and
was luckily aided by a nice college age student who enabled me to catch
the train a minute or two before it left. Without his help I would have
had no chance. Combine that with running into sister missionaries in
Prague who let us borrow a phone to let some people know about travel
plans changing and it has been quite an eventful and miraculous day.
- 3
train tickets later I am in H.K. And my district has 6 missionaries. Elder
Paxton and Gubler. And then in a different city, called Pardubice, are
Sisters Brown and Cyrier.
The library window in HK
- Got
to love current events from home. They are always full of such cheery news
about how people are trying to follow the Savior's teachings and work to
greater peace and harmony in the world...Not.
- Happy
Mother’s Day again, even though we chatted about it on Skype yesterday. There
was an upbeat, uplifting mother's
day song? That is an exciting breakthrough in the church music industry.
That's a sign that things are going in a good direction.
- Thanks
Dad for the spiritual thought, it is an excellent one. We gave a training
last month about the talk "Stand Up Inside and Be All In" from
conference. That was an awesome talk, which I am working on applying
better this transfer. It is a nice, new start to push myself a little bit
more. I miss the temple quite a bit here. One day missionaries will get to
visit it, but that will be in a little while still.
My spiritual thought is about new beginnings. I like
these kinds of thoughts, and it is something that I think goes well at the
beginning of every transfer. In the cycle of the seasons and life, we often
have new beginnings: the start of a new school year, the start of a new job,
the start of a new transfer (if you're a missionary), the start of a new diet
and exercise program (sometimes these have to be frequently restarted), and
even the start of a new calling. But there are some changes that are almost
like the start of a whole new life: the birth of a child, baptism, marriage,
these kind of big starts. One of the things that I love about the gospel and
the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that it allows us to have a new beginning
whenever we need it. There is always the option to start anew with a firmer
commitment to the gospel, to a goal, to scripture study, to daily prayers. The
church video "Because of Him" says that there is "no such thing
as the end" because of Him. This week I invite you all to look at a way
that you want to begin again, and use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to make the
first step and new beginning. I know from personal experience that it can be
truly life changing. Thanks for all the support and prayers!
-Elder Pickett
We celebrated with the birthday stuff you sent! That's the cake with frosting,
the sisters baked it because our oven was sketchy.
Sestra Andersen had a birthday too!
We also had another birthday celebration (Elder Pickett & Sestra Andersen had birthdays in
the same week) at the Church and some BYU students attended our party!
Czech Stake Conference with Jitka and Gabi, young single adults from Plzen. Lots of different missionaries who have served in Plzen. Sestra Sadler & Sestra Andersen
Gabi, Jitka, Elder Pickett, Elder Anderson, Elder Belshe, Elder Brockbank, Elder Chadwick
Gabi, Elder Pickett, Elder Belshe
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