Elder Brad Pickett: Transferring to a new city, new companion

HK District with Ward Mission Leader at church before transfers

Sestra Brown, Sestra Cyrier (heading home), Elder Pickett, Elder Gubler (transferred to CBud), WML Jost, Elder Beazer, Elder Paxton

We can't send pictures from here, so it will be a bit sporadic throughout the month with picture sending. Also, I just realized that I had extra time, because I completely forgot to send a main email so I will send an extra good one next week. Sorry! (Blog update from Brad’s email to parents this week about transfers and photos thanks to Sestra Brown, Sestra Cyrier, Elder Belshe, Pres P)

We went to Karlštejn on Friday with all of the Czech missionaries. The Czechs started this tradition and the missionaries have kept it going to remember and celebrate when the Czech Republic was first opened to missionaries. Elder Beazer and I gave a spiritual thought about Jesus Christ. It was Matthew 14 the miracle of feeding the 5,000.

Fun missionary game… called spot your favorite Elder!

For transfer news, I am in Zlín with Elder Robinson. He was born in C.Bud (Brad’s first area too) and trained by Elder Smith from my group. I know him pretty well because I was his Zone Leader for 2 transfers and had an exchange with him. He is on his 4^th transfer. He is a good missionary, and I am pretty excited.
Our area is combined with the city of Uherské Hradiště as a District and a ward. I am DL here. We are the only missionaries in our city here. And we have a car, but my international driving permit is expired, so we have to wait until we can get the one waiting in Prague in the office for me.
Zlín is a little city close to Slovakia. It has kind of a crazy weird history, and it is very unique. It was founded by a guy who made a super successful (and awesome) shoe company here in the Czech Repbulic. His last name is Baťa, which is the name of the shoe company as well. Those were the shoes that I bought in Plzeň. Well he made this city as a factory for his company and a place for people to live, so almost the entire city is brick. It is a little bit nuts actually. I will have to take some pictures and send them.
15 missionaries go home this transfer, and only 6 are coming. So quite the change. We closed down several areas due to numbers. One in Plzeň, one in Prague, one in HK, the sisters in Liberec, and sisters in Slovakia somewhere. Other transfer news. Elder Beazer stayed in HK with Elder Paxton. They are the ZLs there. Elder Trythall is in Plzeň with Elder Anderson. Elder Chadwick is the new AP with Elder Carlson.
I had a great transfer in HK. We finished up with exchanges earlier in the transfer, except for the ones in our own city with our District Leader. So nothing too crazy.