What Happened this Week?

Elder Pickett & Elder Anderson

Elder Anderson, Elder Brockbank, Elder Pickett

As you might be able to tell from the title of my email, this past week flew by. We say on a mission that days are long and weeks are short. And it is so true. 

• Last week Elder Anderson got sick. We had a "sick day" P-day, and hoped he would be better Tuesday. He was. Mostly. We got to do some finding together with our district about English, where re ran into someone we already met and set up with, but haven't yet been able to meet with. We didn't recognize him right at first, but then recognized him, and set-up a lesson for today. So that was nice. We also visited a member and read with him in the Book of Mormon, and then taught English. After that I went with Elder Brockbank, my District Leader, home to start our exchange, it was good.
• On Wednesday Elder Brockbank and I had some good studies, good contacting, good lunch, and horrible weather. It rained all day long. But It was still a great day. Unfortunately I was feeling a little sick as well, so Elder Anderson and I reschudeled our visit to the Bishop's family for this week, because we don't want their family to get sick as well.
• We did that split last Saturday just because we had too many lessons. And we prayed about it and decided how we wanted to do it. And that split was totally inspired. We also do exchanges regularly, and we decide who goes with who based on inspiration, logic, and the situation people are in.
• I have so much experience here dealing with intellectuals that it's not even funny. I've actually gotten to the point that I can talk with them better than religious people about faith, because a vast majority of the people we meet here are intellectual atheists.
• Thursday we had a great District Meeting and some good finding. We met some cool people and had some great conversations. We also studied, and got stuff ready for training, which is happening tomorrow.

Pilsen is pretty 

• Friday we had a good day of finding, eating, and going to a fireside by a former temple president and his wife from Alaska, who were here for some genealogy research. They have ancestry from this area. And then we had a pretty big game night, with lots of people.

 Plzen ward and missionaries (photo from Sestra Sadler)

• Saturday was pretty crazy. We had service in the morning doing garden work, and then a lesson didn't show up, and then we did have a lesson with a mom and her daughter. It was actually really good, and they seem really interested to learn more. We gave them a Book of Mormon, and hope to meet again soon. Then we had Sports Day, which was fun and tiring. 
• Sunday morning Elder Anderson and I woke up very, very sore. We are not sure if it was from our activities on Saturday, or if we had a sleep fight in the middle of the night, but it was kind of funny. After church, which was excellent, we almost finished preparing training, and then had a lesson with O., a student here who Elder Croney and I met with a few times, but who never met with Elder Tingey and I because she was back in Belarus during last transfer.  But she is back and we are meeting with her again! Which is great. She is really interested in what we have to say, and has had some cool experiences that helped her to come to know that God exists.
• Our other investigators are doing good. J. couldn't meet last week, but we have a lesson on Thursday. And we will probably visit L. this week again.
• It gets nice and toasty here, and is really humid, so you get nice and sweaty. And let me just tell you, trams and buses in the summer do not smell too pleasant...Hahaha.  And allergies are still a problem for me here, which is super lame. And the white blossoms also live here. 
• Czech Stake Conference (this weekend) and skyping (Mother’s Day) will both be great. I am excited for both! Looking forward to the birthday fun and whatnot. (Brad’s 20th birthday is this Sunday, May 7th)

• Sounds like it was a good visit with the (Elder) Andrew Terry and his family. Weird to think that he really is home. He was my companion for 4 months.  Thanks for sharing the story about the 3 mm of hair style.  We referred to it as "The Great Shave" while I was with him. And he actually really liked it. He said that he was going to do it again when he got home, and he did.

My spiritual thought for the week is about goal setting. This is a skill that I knew existed before my mission, but I didn't actually know anything about it. But on my mission I have come to recognize how personal goals can help us immensely in becoming who we need to be, and the best that we can be. I have gained a strong testimony that when we try to set goals with God and follow His teachings and ways to acheive them, that we will become more than we thought possible. So try to set a personal goal, something small, about physical fitness, spiritual development, or any other good and uplifting category you can find. And work on this week, and then check in with yourself and the end of the week to see how you did. It will be great. Thanks for the support and prayers! 

-Elder Pickett

We also toured the Great Synagogue in Pilsen and it was really interesting. 

It is the 2^nd largest in Europe.

 (photo by Jiri Bikel)