Oldy and Busy Missionary

HK Elders

A super quick update, because we have an early lunch appointment with an investigator:

• Unfortunately my card reader doesn't work at this library, so that's why the pictures have been lacking these past few weeks. I will borrow one from the other elders next week and send a bunch.
• We had exchanges in Olomouc with Elder Dean and Elder Wutzke. I was with Elder Wutzke. It was great. I showed off my Bohemian Czech (since Brad has served in the Bohemian areas of the Czech Republic his entire mission) to a YSA Slovak girl who speaks literally perfect American English. She was pretty upset, because she hates Bohemian accents. It was funny.  
• We also went to a soccer game to support a less active member who lives far away and his non-member semi-investigator friend. They lost 7-3, but our member scored 2 goals, so that was fun.

• And we have zone training this week in Prague, so we are excited for that.
• The ward here is great with supporting us. The Bishop has given a lot of referrals to missionaries, and the members invite us over to eat and to the feel the great spirit in their home, which helps remind us why we are working hard. The members try to teach when they can, and have gone on splits with missionaries in the past. The ward mission leader is a 19 year old named Vojta. He is awesome. Super spiritual and very well organized. He keeps in great contact with the Bishop and lets him know about how the ward can help us. He is super cool. He will be going on a mission next year, when he has a break with schooling to be able to do so. It's a little harder for members here, because universities don't really have a deferment option for 2 years. Finding is going slowly but surely.
• We have literally no one right now, but we also never seem to get time in our area to do any good finding. We either have exchanges, MLC, or training, and we are just going all over the place. It's rough, but this week should be better. We have some good lessons with new people set up, so we are pumped. Also we are going to start teaching a few former investigators with families, so hopefully we can add some families to the HK ward. That would be great.
• But the mission is killing it right now. We had 6 baptisms in the last 2 weeks. Elder Stacey has now baptized 3 people in Zlin. He's going out with a bang.
• We are getting nice and warm. And eating a ton of ice cream.
• The Czech Republic has tons of colleges. Almost every city has one. We see and talk to students all the time. There are a good number of foreign exchange students as well. We have met with a girl from Belarus, a guy from New York, and a Muslim from England all during my last transfer. We do lots of street contacting. Houses are farther out and a little harder to get to, but we try to go and tract at least 1 or 2 times a week. It also depends on the city. In small cities they have to tract a lot, because there's no one outside to talk to in the evening, but in Prague you have to travel like 30 minutes before you find normal houses. So it varies. But mostly street contacting during the day.
• I don't really have time to respond to all your emails, but I read them all and am glad that you guys had an awesome trip to LA. Sounds like a great family memory. (Picketts/ Ropers went to Universal Studios Hollywood.. Wizarding World of Harry Potter)

Thanks Dad for the spiritual thought from Elder Quentin L. Cook's talk about faith.  “Our personal prayers and supplications to a loving Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ can bring blessings into our lives beyond our ability to comprehend. The foundations of faith should be the great desire of our hearts. However, initial foundations of faith, even with spiritual confirmation, do not mean that we will not face challenges. Conversion to the gospel does not mean all our problems will be solved.” Have a great week!

Love, Elder Pickett