We Watched General Conference

From Jaroslav Kvasnička: “I'm sending you a promised photo of Pitina. Please send this to your companions.” Waiting for an explanation of the service, mushroom hunting, and roasting food! 

Elder Schmutz,  Jaroslav Kvasnička, Elder Jarvis

Hello everyone! This last week was a great one, and this upcoming week should be great too! Funny how that seems to work out. Here are some updates:

• We will be going over to send pictures today, don't worry.
• Elder Schmutz's Czech is coming along well, he understands more and more every day. People we meet want to know if he is German when they first meet him. It's pretty funny, because almost no one has ever heard of Nebraska. They are always confused when he tells them that's where he is from.

First Kebab!

• A couple weeks ago we had Progressive Training  in Brno. It was for all the new missionaries and their trainers. The STLs/ ZLs prepared the training with us doing role plays to practice teaching.  Companionships that travelled in longer distances stayed over at the ZL’s apartment, so about 10+ missionaries. We didn't crash overnight after Progressive Training, we are really close and have lots of nice travel options to and from Brno.

Elder Raines is training Elder Jarvis… Elder Pickett is training Elder Schmutz

• We got to do some good service this past week on Tuesday, helping a member whose apartment caught fire a few months ago. We are helping her get all of the burnt wallpaper off of the walls and ceilings. Which has pretty much convinced me to never have wallpaper in my house.
• We also had a great exchange with the Zone Leaders in Brno. I was with Elder Brockbank and it was awesome. I haven't gotten to serve around him for a while now, and it was fun to catch-up again, and talk about mission experiences, old and new since we have served together. We also  had some good teaching and contacting together. It is always fun to work with someone you already know, because you tend to teach better together.
• The other big news was the baptism of a girl in the ward here. Her whole family is in the church, and it was fun to go to a baptism like that and just get to watch the whole thing when it was all planned out. We also got to watch General Conference on Saturday, and spent the night at the other Elders house in UH in order to be on time Sunday for the rest. It was great.

General Conference party in UH. This is the English listeners room.  
Elders plus Sister Dance & Sister Hayden

• We went to a tiny village to visit a recent convert, and we missed basically the only bus option back to Zlín. So we got to walk a few kilometers back. But here is the view of where we were, in selfie format. 

• Things are progressing slowly but surely. The district is doing really well here.  We are going to have zone training this week.
• The weather is good. It's been getting colder and colder these past few weeks, but nothing crazy yet. Just a light jacket over the long sleeve shirt when we go out proselyting. We went looking for a coat today and need to find one for Elder Schmutz. It is not snowing, we still have a while for that. It snowed for the first time last year in the middle of November, so I won't have to deal with any real snow on the ground here. 
• As far as clothes shopping, don't worry, I have been doing that. I have my new grey light jacket, and today I brought a heavy navy blue winter coat for snow and cold. It was on sale for 60 % off, because it is "Last Year's Collection" so I got for around $70 dollars from an outdoor sports store. It is a nice heavy duty Columbia brand jacket. And last week I bought a suit for about $100. And I have purchased 5 long sleeve white shirts in the last 2 transfers. I also bought a nice, non-mission sweater today for about $17. I am thinking about a 2nd suit, but I haven't decided if I really want one yet. Also I will be getting another pair of nice shoes. But don't worry Mom, I am getting some good European clothing shopping in.

My spiritual thought actually comes from conference. It isn't from a specific talk, but from the experience of conference in general. Going into conference I didn't think of many specific questions that I wanted answered, but I was certainly looking for guidance (Mom note… especially as he is coming to the end of this amazing missionary experience!). As I watched the sessions, it helped to rearrange things in my brain. I am not sure how to describe it very well, but basically I felt like it unscrambled and reorganized my priorities and thoughts into what they needed to be. I have felt much more peaceful since watching it. I just wanted to bear testimony that I know that the speakers at General Conference have been chosen by the Lord to address us, and that their talks can have a valuable impact on our lives. I invite you all to continue studying, or read for the first time, the talks from conference and listen for the Spirit to tell you specific things for you to do or change in your life. As you listen to that Spirit, you will be led to greater happiness and peace. Thanks for all the support and prayers!

-Elder Pickett

One of my all time favorite quotes "Wherever thou art, act well thy part."  -President McKay

Pictures from last transfer- Elders Gauldin, Raines, Robinson and Pickett