Dear Family,
So this last week has been a little interesting. It seems that ever since the first of September up until now, schools are all starting at different times. It seems that just about everyone that we talk to says that they just started school and that they're trying to get used to their schedule. That seems a little odd, but I know that all the universities and schools are starting at different times. It's also a little fun to walk around that town square and see the five groups of kids just walking around because just about every class gets at least one field trip (or walk around the town) about once a week. What do they do in their school systems here? I guess it's good to let them get out and get some fresh air. Perhaps that's their reasoning.
Anyway, as I said, this week has been interesting. Over the course of the week we only taught two lessons, but we had about seven or eight other potential lessons. We ended up not counting these because we didn't pray with them at the end, and they weren't really interested. The cool thing, however, is that the two lessons we did have were really solid. I think that both of them will make real progress.
Our first lesson of the week was on Friday (we had lessons set up throughout the week, but the people didn't show, so we just went out and worked some more) and it was right after we sat down in the park to talk about what we were doing "wrong." I stopped Elder Pearson because I was getting frustrated that we weren't seeing any success. I was being a little bit silly because I wanted something tangible or some kind of number to make me feel like I was being a good missionary. Elder Pearson started recounting to me all the super-solid potentials we had found and how they wanted us to call them on a specific day next week and set up for the next day. I guess that I was getting a little frustrated with how the work was going, and trusting in my own hand and wanting my own timing instead of the Lord's. We had a little bit of an extensive talk, but sometimes when you are not feeling good, it's probably better that you don't go and try and talk to people about how they can be happy when it's pretty apparent that you are not happy yourself. So we had this talk, we said a prayer and Elder Pearson picked a guy who was on a different bench on a different path directly in front of us. I must say that I was a little reluctant to get up and go talk to him, but I knew that the only way that I was going to get feeling better was to get to work. So I got up and went with him.
As we started talking to this guy, he stopped us a few sentences in and said that we could speak English; he's from Bulgaria and he doesn't speak the best Czech as well. So we sat down on the bench with this guy and we taught him a really cool lesson about prayer. He told us at the beginning that he wasn't a believer, but as the conversation continued, he opened up and said that he had been a believer but about two years back he got terribly sick which caused him to be a little handicapped and he couldn't believe that God would let that happen to him. He said that he'd been living a good life and he wasn't doing anything bad to anyone. Why would the Lord let that happen to him? We both bore really good testimony that these things happen to us to test us and to see if we will be faithful to him through all our opposition. I also told him that if he would give God another chance and read in the Book of Mormon, he would gain his own witness and would find that purpose and faith again in his life. He tried wiggling his way out of it quite a few times, but as we continued to bear solid testimony and give him the reasons, he agreed to each commitment that we would give him. I think it's because, he knew that what we were saying was right and that God really did want him to be doing these things, but he was just a little bitter and unhappy about what kinds of things happened to him. He said that he wanted to see about finding the Book of Mormon online, but we said that he wouldn't be able to find it in Bulgarian on the Internet and that we could give him his own copy for free in Bulgarian - it would just take some time for us to get one from Prague. So he agreed to give us his phone number so we could call him when we get it, and he also agreed to pray at least one time before we meet with him. We told him that if he prayed, he would get some kind of answer. He seemed very hesitant about this because he hasn't prayed in a long time, but we talked about it more and he finally agreed. It was very cool to see how someone will change if they feel the Spirit and know that the things we're talking to them about are for their good and that we're only doing these things because God wants us to have these blessings from Him.
The other lesson that we had was with some guys from Nepal. We found one of them about a week or two back, but he said that he worked at a restaurant and that he doesn't have a lot of time. So we continued to call him a little and to see when he had time. Then one day when we called he said that he'd have time on Sunday because that's their free day. We said great and set up a time and place with him and asked him to bring his friend along. The two of them work at the same restaurant and the first (Man - yes that's his name) had told us that his friend (Buddah - yes that's also his name) speaks better English than him, so he'd probably come along too. So on Sunday we got together on the town square and said hi and gave them a little banana bread (we had some left over from the linger-longer, or "fat Sunday" as they call it here, so we decided to give them some) and then they told us that they had to go because they had a meeting and that it would take about thirty minutes to an hour. I was a little skeptical of this because he said this pretty quick after we said that we were here from a church. So we showed them where our building is and then they headed off. Elder Pearson was still very hopeful about these two, so we went to the building and cleaned a little bit hoping that they'd be back in about thirty minutes, but after that, we figured that we had better go out and work. Let me say... this may have been one of the worst finding blocks of my life, not in terms of reception, but in terms of conditions. It was Sunday, it was about 6:45, it was very dark, it was raining and it had been raining all day so everything was soaked. We figured that if we wanted the blessings of the Lord, we had to show Him first that we're willing to go and do the work that we've been called here to do and then He'd bless us. So we went out despite all these horrible conditions. We tried talking to a few people, but there was just nobody out. However, about twenty minutes into the finding block, we got a call. It was Buddah! He asked if we were still at the building and if we could still meet. We said that we could be there in two minutes, and they both showed up within five minutes of when we got back. So, our actual meeting with them was for 5:00pm but we actually ended up meeting with them at 7:00pm. We took them up to the building and they looked around and were very impressed with how pretty it is. They really liked the meeting room and they loved the paintings. We spoke to them a little about what each room was used for and Buddah (the one that speaks better English, and the one who really ended up doing most of the talking) asked our church meets. He was a little put off to find out that we had already had it that day. We went into the multipurpose room and taught them a lesson about the Book of Mormon and talked about what it was, but quite a few times throughout Buddah kept asking about the church meeting like how long it is, when it starts, who comes etc. Man was engaged, but quietly. Sometimes while I was talking I'd look at Man and just watch him and I could see that the cogs were turning in his mind. Whether it was to comprehend what I was saying or whether something else was going on, I don't know, but I do know that he was listening. We gave them a Book of Mormon in Hindi and asked them to begin reading in it and they agreed. They also agreed to try praying at least one time before we met again, and they also agreed to come to church the next week even though it's a little early for them. At the restaurant which they work at, supposedly Saturday is their busiest day and they don't usually get home and to bed until about 1:30am. I must say that the lesson went very well and I think we spoke simply enough that the things didn't really go over their heads. We began walking home with them after the lesson and they came with us because we were in the same direction and we found out that they live about one minute from the building! Even more perfect for getting them to church.
This week, even though we didn't have the gigantic blessings that we'd like to see. We know that He works here and that all things are in His own timing. We can both see that this next week is bursting with potential and we're very hopeful and excited to see what will come of it. Man and Buddah are definitely going to make some progress and our Bulgarian friend (Nikola or Nick for short) will make progress, but will need that slow loving support that comes from the gospel.
I love you all very much and hope that all is well with each of you. Don't be stubborn like me. Let the Lord change you. Let Him work your life and live so that He can do this. I know that this is the greatest way to live-- and the most rewarding.
Love you all,
Starší Monk