Dear Family,
So as usual, the mission, like everything else, is like a roller-coaster: full of ups and downs. Seems that we've started to come to a down point, but Elder Ingalls and I are fighting to get it going up again soon! We've realized these past few weeks that as we were struggling to get fifteen to twenty lessons a week, we've sorely neglected finding times, and in return our teaching pool has become very static. Also, something else: I've been feeling a little, I wouldn't say downhearted, but probably just rote about the work. I get up in the mornings, do my studies, and then go out and work. I'm not seeing a whole lot of fun in the work, and I really think that it's because our lack of finding and looking for people to teach. Finding time is where mission stories are born, and I haven't been doing a whole lot of that.
Anyway, that's a little depressing. Don't want to talk about that too much. Yes, the work has gotten a little slow this past week, but things are still doing good. By far, not the worst week I've had on my mission. Our investigators aren't really doing anything new, and for the most part, they aren't really meeting with us. I would bet that half the town has caught the yearly bug these past two weeks. Everyone is sick. The past few weeks we've been getting those less actives to church. The first week (two weeks ago) there were four of them; the second week there were three, because one was at home watching her grandson, waiting for her son to come pick him up; and this last week, yesterday, only one came, but it was the one that was watching her grandson. Turns out that the other three had all gotten sick. That's no fun. According to church records, they're all active now because they've been to church twice this month. That's kind of cool. I'm going to talk to President Pohořelický (branch president) about getting them all callings. I think that will get them all to be even more solid and feel like they're more involved.
This last week at seminary, we had a test on D&C. Elder Ingalls and I got the highest scores on it. Elder Ingalls got a 100%, and I got two questions wrong because 1) I didn't know how many pages were in the Czech D&C, and 2) I didn't remember if we had homework from our last seminary class (it was two weeks ago; the last question on the test was, 'Did you do your homework?') That was quite entertaining. The youth here are a hoot. If you're having a tough week in Třebíč, just wait until Thursday and then go to seminary and everything will be better. I love the kids here. They're amazing; except for yesterday when I asked them all if they're going to serve missions. Every one of them gave me a half-hearted "I don't know," or some other excuse. I'm sure they were just being silly. I hope they serve missions. It will change their lives and they'll be better people because of it, at least.
There's not a whole lot to say from this last week. It's a little bit of a slow time, but things are going to pick up. Winter is pulling through and it's not getting dark by 4:00pm anymore! Hurrah!
I hope and pray that you're all doing well and you're all healthy. I love you all,
Starší Monk