Keep Working Hard, Not be "Trunky", and Eat Lots of Czech Food

Service and eating in the forest

My Mom asked what I am focusing on as I end my mission… As far as things to do...Keep working hard, not be "trunky," and eat lots of Czech food. Nothing very special. Just be a missionary for as long as they will let me. I will send a good final email with my testimony, don't worry. I might have to send it the week before I go, since I am not really sure that I will have a lot of time that last Monday for emailing. I have to travel to Prague and whatnot. 

• The work is going well. We are still struggling to find, but we are seeing little things, and we are working with a lot of less-actives and our few recent converts. J. had to reschedule for this Wednesday, so we will meet with him then. It's going, slowly but surely. Elder Schmutz is doing good. Still adjusting, but getting there, slowly but surely.  

Our District

• We had a good District Meeting this week, and did some finding, and some emergency service for a social services center for families with a child with autism. It was fun, we got to help unload a truck full of furniture.
• Here are pictures from a Halloween party we had on Thursday. We went to UH and had a singing display with the APs, who were here on exchanges. Then had the party. Lots of kids running around, some fun "minute to win it" style games, and a piñata to finish. It was a good time.

 Elder Chadwick on the guitar, Sestra Dance and Elder Pickett right behind!  (photo from Elder Raines)

• We will be watching broadcasts of stake conference next week. Which will be good, although we wanted to all go together as missionaries, because it is always a fun little reunion. 
• The weather is getting cold now. We went tracting in the cold wind last night, which was an adventure. We didn't find anyone, but it was still a memorable and good evening serving the Lord.  And there has been a lot of wind yesterday and today.

From the forest

• From Jaroslav Kvasnička:  Here are pictures of our other brigade in the forest. Thank you very much for the excellent service and advice. Without you I would not have a chance to make the fence. 

• We went out to dinner to McDonalds to celebrate my 2 year mark on Saturday. (We had coupons)

• Yeah, the cottages are adorable (pictures last week). They are right at the edge of the city. Take a bus and then a 5-10 minute walk to get there. And actually a lot of Czechs have cottages. And they frequent them throughout the entire year. Even in the winter. They have a nice wood burning stove for heat in the winter. The member owns it with her daughter and son in law.

• (Mom attempting to get some feedback about post- mission plans…specifically where to live at BYU) I don't mind walking, even in the snow, I have a lot of mission experience with that, so it won't kill me. I don't know if that offers any real clarification...

Thanks Dad for the spiritual thought as well, we actually watched that talk “Do We Trust Him? Hard is Good” by Elder Stanley G.Ellis in Priesthood meeting yesterday as part of the lesson on trails. It was a good lesson, and a great talk. “...The question “Do we trust Him?” may be better stated, “Do we have the faith to trust Him?”... Do we trust His commandments to be for our good? His leaders, though imperfect, to lead us well? His promises to be sure? Do we trust that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do know us and want to help us? Even in the midst of trials, challenges, and hard times, do we still trust Him?”  My Dad encourages me to do my best to cherish the hard times because that is what will make me more into a disciple of Christ than when times are easy. I am working on having that good perspective, and I think it is going pretty well right now.

Have an awesome week!  

Love,  Elder Pickett

From Elder Raines to illustrate the challenges of the Czech language:  “This week I made a quite funny Czech mistake. I was trying to tell a member about how I cut down a tree during a service project. The correct way to say it is "Pokacel jsem strom". Which means "I cut down a tree" but what I said was "Pokecal jsem si strom", which means kinda like I was trying to eat a tree but as I was eating the tree the tree fell and spilled on me and got all over my clothes. The whole family started to laugh, but also was a little considerate that I actually tried to eat a tree and really hurt myself.”