Dear Family,
How is everyone? Well, as I said last week, I'm serving in a threesome now. It's been... interesting. Just kidding. It's been really good these past few days. Basically, I got the "transfer fax" on Monday as an email from the president's assistants, and everyone in the mission found out where and with whom they're going to be serving. Let me say right now, my threesome experience in the MTC was interesting and I was wishing that I'd never have to do it again. 'Nough said. :D
Well, I was less than excited when we read the transfer fax. We had the sisters from Uherské Hradiště with us and they were reading it with us. All of them were very surprised to see that I was going to be in a threesome again, but Sister Reese said that the two that I was going to serve with were probably two of her favorite missionaries in the mission right now! However, I was still very hesitant to go into a threesome again. It's not that anything particularly bad happened while I was in the MTC, it's just that I don't think that we clicked as much as we could have if we were in companionships of two instead of a threesome and I didn't like the feeling of being disconnected with someone that I have spend all day around.
Anyway, the next few days after transfer fax were spent trying to figure out how we were going to get Elder Price to Prague so that he could get on the plane and the three of us back to Zlín, atd (a tak dalé - and so further / etc)... Basically we came up with a few different plans such as having Elder Price take a train which would leave at five in the morning to Prague and then I would be stuck all alone all day in Zlín, waiting for my companions to get in, or have Elder Price and me drive into Prague, leave Elder Price there and I would drive from Prague to Brno and pick up Elder Thompson and then drive from there to Třebič to pick up Elder Mills and then back to Zlín. There some other possibilities, but those were the best for the moment. Then Sister Lier wanted to go in the car with us to Prague so that she could catch a train from there and go to Jičin so we needed to find some way to fit her into the car and then we decided to also take Elder Hadzyk (a German elder who's "dying" in a few transfers and plays viola (he played the musical number with me at Denisa's baptism) with us to Prague so that he could pick up his greenie. Then he could drive the car back to Brno, because I'm not legal here yet, until I get an international license, which he doesn't need because he's from Germany and that's part of the EU.
So the way that this all eventually wrapped up was that Elder Price and I hopped in the car at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning so that we could drive Uherské Hradiště and pick up Sister Lier and her stuff (it's about a 20 minute drive) and then on to Brno (which is about an hour from UH). We ended up getting into Brno around 6:00 o'clock to pick up Elder Hadzyk and our poor little Fabia couldn't fit any more people because there were three people and two people's worth of luggage in the car. So I ended up staying in Brno, while Price, Lier and Hadzyk drove to Prague. I stayed in Brno with Elder Bown and Elder Thompson, who had been in a threesome with Elder Hadzyk. The day was pretty lame because I got there at 6:00, kinda fell asleep in a chair for an hour until the other elders woke up; then I got to watch Elder Bown freak out a little because he kept finding things that he hadn't packed already and thinking that he might miss the train to his next area. That was cute.
The Brno zone leaders came to pick up Bown at about 8:20-ish and took him to the station and then brought Elder Mills back. Basically, our new threesome was all together and didn't really know what to do all day until Hadzyk returned with the car. So we went into Brno, walked around, did a few things for Thompson, ate lunch, kind of talked, but it was a little awkward because I was a bit of a third wheel. Elder Thompson and Mills are both the same age (mission speaking). They've both been out three transfers and this is their fourth. I'm the youngling. All of the trainers in the mission were getting their new greenies about noon, so we expected that Hadzyk would be back around 2:00, because it's a good two hour drive from Prague to Brno (Why am I writing all the names of the cities in Česky, and then Prague in English? Makes no sense. I should write Praha. Anyway...), but he called and said that he'd be in around 3:00 or 3:30. So we had some more time to sit and stare at each other. Yipee!
Anyway, things started going more smoothly and Hadzyk got back, introduced us to his greenie named Elder Park, who seems really cool (no Mom, he's not Korean). It turns out that we're the youngest district now (the district includes all of Moravia and Slovakia). Almost everyone has a greenie, and whoever doesn't is either leadership or very young. Our companionship is considered young because none of us have hit our one-year mark yet. It's nuts. I'm a little scared that I'm going to be training next transfer because there are many, many people in their third transfer who are training now. I heard that next group is going to be another big one so chances are very good that I might. Scary. Anyway, before I freak out some more, let me tell you about leadership conference.
So, I got my new companions on Wednesday; we had Thursday together, and then we had to go back to Brno on Friday for leadership conference, because we have a leader in our companionship: Elder Thompson is the district leader (the missionary district is only our companionship and Uherské Hradiště). President told Elder Mills that he needs to plan and coordinate the activity that's going to go on during the conference because he's one of the older missionaries who's going to be there. That's a scary thought. He's only three transfers old! Anyway, we got our greenies, about five of them, and then Elder Mills, Jones (the one from my MTC group), Elder Bown, and me. Bown had just served in Brno and he showed us around so that we wouldn't get completely lost. (By the way, Bown had to come back to Brno also because he's in a companionship with a leader as well.) We took a little walk around Brno and went to see what was there for the greenies and then we met up with two companionships that are serving in Brno. One of them was a sister companionship and one was elders, both of which had greenies, so we had quite a few greenies, and then just the few older missionaries! So, we went to a spot and started a street display - we started singing hymns and it went pretty well. Then the Spirit told me that I needed to go contacting with a greenie. That freaked me out, but I knew that I needed to follow it. =\
So after the hymn ended, I went down the line quickly and grabbed one elder and said, "ok, you and I are going contacting," and he seemed very nervous but ready to go with me. I think that he thought I was older than I was. His name is Elder Tomlinson and he's from England. He's way awesome. So basically I was just encouraging him for a second to get him really pumped up and ready to do some contacting. I asked him what goal he wanted to achieve, and he said that he wanted to get a number and an appointment, and I said "alrighty!" Then off to it we went. As we were walking down the street, I'd say, "that guy's yours, go!" and he'd go. The first one, he stopped them and asked for help. Said that we were learning Czech (if only he knew how true that was at the time) and were trying to understand people here in the Czech Republic better. Then he asked if he could ask him a question and the person replied that he could. Then he asked his question - but I can't remember now what it was. Anyway, after that, he kind of looked at me as if to say, "now what do I do?" Uh oh... I had to take over. So I jumped in and started talking with the person and just saying anything that I could from what I was understanding. Now this part is nuts. I was understanding almost everything! Where the heck did that come from? I had no idea, that's for sure. Anyway, the guy didn't really have any interest and walked away after giving us a friendly farewell. I took Elder Tomlinson to the side of the road and I was freaking out because I was so happy. I told him what an awesome job he did and how great he was. He just kept saying, "I didn't understand anything, I didn't understand anything." So I told him what the guy was saying and what I said, and then Elder Tomlinson told me about the three words that he recognized from the conversation. Then I told him that I had only been out one transfer and he seemed to be quite shocked, and to be serious, so was I. I have to say, that was probably one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had. I don't think I've ever been so giddy in my entire life. Anyway, Elder Tomlinson started all of the contacts after that except for like two when he wanted me to start it and see how I did it. I don't think he realized how much better his conversation starters were than mine. :P
Anyway, that experience really gave me a self-esteem boost that I needed, just so I could know that I can speak and understand this language, however right now it's only when I'm in panic mode and I'm forced to do so, but I'm understanding more and more each day, so that's cool! :D
Also, another thing that's turning to be really awesome about this threesome is that when we go finding on the naměstí, we split up, one group of two and then the third person is alone. Yesterday, I had the chance to contact some people alone, and I was quite surprised again at how much I understood. Even though the two people that I contacted didn't really have any interest, I was still happy that I could carry conversation and reply the way that I wanted.
Well, I think that this letter is sufficiently long. I'm sorry that I don't know my companions' full names but I'm sure that I'll learn them sometime. I want you all to know that the Lord really does answer our prayers and He loves us, so He will always give us blessings liberally. Just take a look at this last week for me: I never would have imagined that I would be understanding as much as I am right now. I know that it has only been possible through the blessings of the Lord. Look to him and He will always give you more than you ask for, and when you work for Him to pay it back, He will bless you with even greater blessings.
I love you all and I pray for you all,
Starší Monk
PS - I sent both of my picture cards that have pictures on them home today, so be expecting lots of pictures on the blog once Daddy gets a hold of them :P