Dear Family,
There were a few interesting little things that I'd like to tell you about this week. First off, I think that a few weeks ago I wrote you and told you about a man named Standa. We met him in the park when it was raining. He said that he didn't have anyone to talk to about religion and we met with him the next day. Then on that Sunday, he came to church. Well, on Tuesday during our companionship study, we got a call from Brother Zatloukal. I picked up and he sounded extremely happy, which isn't terribly strange, so I didn't make much of it. I asked him how he was doing and then he asked me what we were doing on Thursday. I opened up my planner and saw we had nothing on schedule. I told him nothing. He said, "Great, then I'll see you at the building at 4:00pm." I was a little confused and asked why we were going to the building at 4:00pm and he told me that he had called Standa and set up a lesson with him, based on their schedules and seeing when they had time! That was amazing. That's how missionary work is supposed to go, at least if I had it my way. You find the person (or even better - get a referral) and you get the meeting set up, you invite the member, and then after that, they set everything up and just invite you to it so you can teach! It was really awesome. It's too bad that I was on an exchange with Elder Tall that day, but the two Elder Pearsons said that it was really good. Elder Pearson (the older one from Olomouc North) said that whenever they'd get stumped on what to say, Brother Zatloukal would take over and keep it really solid with testimony and experiences. I wish I had been there. It sounds like the meeting went perfectly because they got Standa to commit to praying and they found out that he had read thirteen chapters of 1 Nephi. They didn't say he had any issues. Things are looking good on that front, except for the fact that he's a little bit sketchy on coming to church. He had promised that he'd come to church this week, and when we turned up at his home this Sunday to bring him, a lady (perhaps his wife?) came to the window and said that he wasn't home. Let's hope that something changes and he starts coming to church more.
Other than that, we've been doing a lot of finding. We have one other investigator that we're really meeting with regularly, and he's a really interesting case. Perhaps I'll tell you more about him when I have more time. His name is Vit.
We found this one guy this last week. We were coming up around a corner in the park and we saw him and I greeted him with a warm hello and started talking to him. He responded much the same and before I could really say anything, he was telling me that we could go and sit down on a bench. I was very confused. He's a very big man. Probably around 230 lbs of muscle and fairly tall. As we were walking to the bench, he said that we probably wanted to talk about religion and faith, and we responded, yes. We began talking and he was very open to everything that we were saying. We also found out that he speaks very good English, so we began talking to him in English for our sakes. Basically the entire time that we were sitting there, we were just answering questions, and listening to him talk about his ideas on religion. He's personally Catholic, but is extremely open to other religions and thinks that they're all right, as long as they help you live a good life. I don't think he was quite as interested in hearing our message as he was in hearing our opinions. By the end of the conversation, we got his number and told him that we'd love to meet with him again and that he could bring friends if he'd like! He was a little reluctant to give us his number, but he thought it over and gave it to us. We both came out of the contact quite exhausted and thinking, "What are we going to do next time?" We kept our heads up and our hopes high, thinking that something could come of this contact (you get them every now and then - I've probably had about three or four of the sort). We called him two days later and before I could really say why I was calling, he said, "Yeah, I suppose you want to meet and talk some more. Do you have time tonight?" We looked at our plan, and we didn't really have time. I told him that and he was a little put off, but said okay and I said that I'd call him back again later. I called him in another two days, on Friday, and he wanted to meet in the afternoon again, but we again didn't have time, so he asked if we'd have time on Saturday around 3:00pm and I told him that that would be perfect. He then told me that he'd probably bring his girlfriend and his buddy. Oh boy. On Saturday we showed up at the place that we had decided and he came up to us with his girlfriend. We began talking, and we suggested that we go to our building, which was probably about thirty seconds walking distance from where we were, but they were quite insistant that we go to this little tea house that they know. After some more of their insisting, we went and might I say, it was pretty legit. The music there was a little distracting, but it was nice none the less. Where we sat we had to take our shoes off and then walk up to this little indoor patio. Anyway, we had a very interesting Q and A session with them, but the entire time we were trying to get little principles and hooks out so we could teach them. The girlfriend was picking up on them and I think that she wanted to hear more, but Petr (the guy we originally met) kept steering away (I think intentionally). The friend was very athiest and couldn't have cared less what we were talking about (he showed up at the tea house after we arrived). At the end, we gave Iveta (the girlfriend) and Pavel (the friend) each a Book of Mormon and a chapter to read together. We then invited them to church, and before I even finished the invitation, Petr started giving this excuse for why they probably wouldn't be able to make it - that she would be going back to her home town and that they wouldn't have time to make it, but the best part was that as soon as he started saying this, she looked at him like, "What are you saying!" I told them that it would start at 9:00am and then they said that maybe they'd be able to make it. She seemed really awesome. Sadly we didn't get her number, but I'm sure that we'll meet again somehow. At one point in the meeting, I bore testimony about the Book of Mormon and how it can change the world if everyone would believe in it, and she said something to the effect that it was a really nice testiomony of how the world can be. I think that she's prepared and the Lord won't let her slip through our fingers too long.
I'm just about out of time, but I'll share this one last story with you - it's a funny one. It happened last night. We were out tracting panelaky (big apartment like buildings) and we were ringing through the buzzer trying to get someone to let us into the building. I had just rung about three names and then I rang the fourth. An old lady picked up the buzzer and I said that we were here as volunteer missionaries from America and that we wanted to speak with her about the Book of Mormon. She then said, "Jaci Američani?" ("What kind of Americans?") That caught me off guard, and so I said missionaries again and she said that she didn't really have interest and I said thank you and she hung up. So I went to ring the next one, and a few seconds later the same old lady came on the buzzer again! I thought I pressed the next one. I told her that I think the buzzer was broken but I don't think she heard/understood me and she was a little confused herself. We had a little strange conversation trying to iron out the problem accross the buzzer and then she hung up again after saying good bye. Then I made sure that I pressed the next one and not the same one, but alas! the same old lady picked up. She got on and said, "What do you want?" sounding a little scared and intimidated "Just tell me what you want and I'll let you in!" I told her that I was sorry and that the buzzer was broken. She then told me again that she'd let me in if I told her what I wanted. I told her I wanted to speak with her and quickly she retorted, "Where?" Now I was confused, and said, "Where? At your place," and then she got even more scared and said, "No no no no, you can't come up to my place," and she said her little feeble good bye and hung up the phone. We left that panelak because I was afraid that I'd ring that poor old lady's apartment again. I know that I pressed the three consecutive buzzers and not the same one THREE times.
I love you all very much. I hope you have fun reading these blogs. I have fun writing them and reminising about the past week. This one wasn't as successful as I would have hoped, but all things are in the Lord and His ways will not be frustrated. I am glad to be a part of this work. I pray for you all and hope that all is well.
Love, your missionary,
Starší Monk