First Week in the Czech Republic

Dear Family,

Well, I'm finally here in the Czech Republic. I got to call my family before I got on the plane that headed for Austria. That was fun but I couldn't really find much to say. However, we talked for a good little while. So, we got to the Mission home in Prague at about noon on Tuesday (Uterý) and had lunch with the mission president. Then we had pictures taken and then Sister Slovaček sent the photos to my dad, so maybe he put them on the blog. I'm not sure. Anyway, the president's assistants took us out for a "Prague Walk" and we went to see the city. Sad thing was, I had already seen most of the things they took me to see from my Europe tour two summers ago. But it was still way awesome to see everything when there weren't any tourists! Yay! Anyway, we did that walk and that took quite a while. At about five o'clock, we went out and did contacting for our first time. That was super intense. They basically gave us a phrase or two that we could use to try and talk to people. They gave us "Prosím Vás" (literally: I ask to you/meaning: excuse me) and "Proč máme vanoce?" (Why do we have Christmas?). Anyway, we were out with Elder Williams and Elder Mittanck. Mittanck was with me and Elder Jones and Elder Horváth went with Elder Williams. The entire time I don't think that Elder Mittanck could stop a single person long enough to talk to them. Seemed like only Elder Jones and I could stop them. One guy that I stopped gave us his number so that we could contact him! AWESOME! He said that his family was Catholic so the idea of God wasn't new to him, but he didn't really seem to believe in Catholicism. He seemed pretty interested in what we had to say. Anyway, then we went to this little cafe thing and had dinner. I had Svičkova which was really interesting. Most missionaries are like, "Oh, I love Svičkova" and I didn't really see what was so special about it. Yes, it was good, but why the big deal? Anyway, it was good. Don't get me wrong. Then we went "home." President let us go to bed at seven, when the missionary bedtime is ten thirty!

Then the next morning President woke us up at seven thirty, so we basically slept twelve hours. That morning we had orientational things with the AP's and the president and then we had lunch. We were told that we were going to get our new companions after lunch, so I was anxiously awaiting lunch. At lunch, they had the three greenies line up with the three trainers opposite us. Then President called up Elder Nowland and said where he was and gave a small overview about the area, and then said that Elder Horváth was going to be with him in České Budějovícé. Then he pulled the other two trainers up and talked about each of their areas. Elder Jones was called with Elder McLaughlin and I was called with Elder Price. Elder Jones is going to Ostrava and I'm in Zlín!

It's awesome here. I asked Elder Price how we were going to get back to Zlín, and he told I'll be spoiled because we get a car. Yeah, we have a car. It's a funny little thing called a Škoda Fabia and it's red. Fun little thing. Anyway, he then told me because we're losing ten missionaries and only getting three this transfer, we lost a companionship in Zlín so I get a phone too. Crazy. Also, since we lost a companionship, there are two apartments in Zlín, so we took the larger of the two and it's way nice, except that it looks like it hasn't been cleaned since the church was founded. So we spent most of today cleaning the thing.

The people here are awesome. They have a little bit of a wall around them because they lived through communism and stuff, but once you break through that wall, they're probably the nicest people I've ever met. Yesterday we went to a town called Kroměřiž to give an inactive lady a blessing. She's going in for cancer treatment tomorrow, but we went in and we spoke for a long time, and she was so increadibly nice. At the end of our visit, she gave us each a big box of chocolates. She's so sweet. Also, it looked like she painted her own eggs. Ya know the kinds of eggs that are really stereotypical for Russians where the egg is brown and then it has the brown and white patterns all over it of ropes and flowers and stuff? Yeah. She did those and they were amazing. I only saw a few when we were talking with her, but when we got up to go out the door, I saw that there were boxes and baskets full of these eggs. She's awesome. That's just one example of the people here. They're all so increadibly nice. I love them all to death.

I think that I'm going to get myself into trouble as far as the language goes, because I think my accent is better than my speaking abilities, and far better than my comprehension, because I always say "Dobrý Den" to the members or any other people and they think that I speak better than I do. Then they go off talking a million kilometers a minute and I can't understand anything. It's frightening. So, either I need to dumb down my accent, or really work on the language. I can pick out about one or two words out of every sentence, but sometimes I hear a word and I analyze it and then they're already two sentences down the road. Gah! This language is going to take some getting used to. My speaking is already much better than when I left the MTC just a short week ago. I cannot believe it. It's truly amazing.

As for my companion, we're getting along very very well. He's awesome and I can see why President wanted to get to know us, the greenies, before he assigned us to a trainer. He wanted to find someone who would really match us. Elder Price is in his last transfer and will be going home in a few months. So, in missionary terms, he's my dad (because he's "raising" me), Zlín is where I will be growing up, and I will be killing Elder Price (because I'm his last companion). :)

Anyway, I can now use something other than myldsmail.net for email, and I have more than thirty minutes. Right now I'm at forty-two minutes, and it's going to cost me 28 Kč which is about 2 USD. I have a new email, so if you don't want to pay one dollar to send one piece of (physical) mail to me in the Czech Republic, which would probably take about a week to a week and a half to get here, then you can write me at either monka90@myldsmail.net or at czech.monk90@gmail.com. Either one is good.

Woah, first couple days gone - Crazy!
Love you all,
Starší Monk

Andy's First Area

Elder Price and Elder Monk (in Zlín)

We're hoping this picture wasn't taken in the
missionary apartment. If so, there seems
to be a Word of Wisdom issue...

Prague Arrival pictures

Sister Slovacek, Elder Monk
and President Slovacek

Elder Price and Elder Monk

Elder Horvath, Elder Monk and Elder Jones

Addresses for contacting Elder Monk

Elder Monk is leaving the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on Monday, December 14. He will not receive mail at the MTC after Friday, December 11. Please do not send mail through http://www.dearelder.com/ after 12:00 (noon) on Friday. He will not receive it.

From now on, the best way to contact Elder Monk is by email. His email address is andrew.monk@myldsmail.net.

Physical mail should be sent to the mission office. The office staff will deliver it to him wherever he may be assigned. We've been advised that packages must be addressed exactly as follows in order to ensure delivery. Andy's name must be on the second line, with the church name on the first line, or mission office staff will not be allowed to sign for the package. Furthermore, the customs declaration form must be filled out completely and accurately.  Nothing may have a value of $0.  The total value of the package must not be more than $28 (US).  Letters are not so strict.

Církev Ježíše Krista Svatých posledních dnů
Starší Andrew Monk
Milady Horákové 85/95
170 00 Praha 7 – Holešovice
Česká Republika – Evropa

If you have questions, you may contact Andy's parents at monkr63@hotmail.com.

Last P-Day in the MTC

Dear Family,

Well, it's finally here. Well, as close to "it" as you'll hear from me. I'm going to be leaving for the Czech Republic this coming Monday! It's so crazy! My dad sent me a Dear Elder yesterday making assumptions that I'm very excited to be leaving, but also kind of dreading getting there because I won't know how to say anything. That is true. Both statements are true. The longer that I stay here, the more bored I get because it seems that I'm just studying the same things over and over and it's just a constant stream of busy work: memorize vocabulary and mark scriptures. It's not bad, in fact I like it alot, but I'd much rather be doing something else; perhaps, what missionaries do! Another thing I'd like to point out that's happened to me - I can't sit still and not do something. It drives me nuts. Of course I still zone out every now and then, but just sitting, consciously not doing anything... I get antsy. That's a good thing, but it's a good and bad thing from the Lord.

Anyway, I'd like to just share a few thoughts that I've had from being here at the MTC. My dad said to me one time, "Just because you're going on a mission doesn't mean you'll be a different person." Dad, I'd like to tell you that you're wrong. I have been changed in Christ, and I can feel it. Before coming on the mission, you and mother would talk about me not having enough ambition to do things but I've found out that the reason for being so was because I didn't define a clear-cut purpose that I really wanted to work toward. Christ truly does change people. He has changed me, and I know that He will change the people of the Czech Republic that will listen to His words. Jesus Christ is constant in our lives and because of that, none of us will ever have to be alone. Cast your burdens upon Him and He will help you change. That is the purpose; the reason we are on Earth. We are here to prepare to meet God. Part of that preparation is becoming clean through Christ. We, as imperfect as we are, can always become clean because of the infinite atonement that Christ performed on our behalf. There is no trouble, pain or sin that is too great for the power of the atonement to overcome. I know it. It has worked in my life and it is too strong to deny. I implore every one of you who feels the burden of despair, either from stress, sin or just from every day wear and tear to cast your burdens upon Christ. He has already paid the price and He wants us to take advantage of His sacrifice. If we did not, it would be as a prideful child turning from the help of his Older Brother who has already experienced it and wants to help each of us become perfect, even as our Father.

My testimony has grown far more than I could have ever believed; however, I know that I am still among the weakest of God's children. God truly does call us in our weaknesses to help us become strong. God, as our all-knowing Father, knows the exact things that will profit us the most. Many times they are the things that we do not want because we know that they are hard. I want to tell you that these things that come upon us are for our own good. God knows that if we endure them well we will be strengthened by them and will have taken the next difficult step on the way to Eternal Life.

One such difficult step for me was realizing that once I had this purpose that I was so set on fulfilling, I would become very narrow minded. I wouldn't be understanding to my companions sometimes. Many times, I would have to take a step back and tell myself that these little things that I was getting upset about weren't so bad. One time, we were supposed to have interviews on Sunday morning right at seven o'clock. So I was very intent on being on time to that. It turned out that we were four minutes late and I knew we'd be late because we left the residence hall at seven. This ticked me off because I wouldn't achieve my goal that I had made. But then I took a step back and thought, "Is four minutes really that big of a deal?" Turns out that nothing was lost because of those four minutes, but I also did learn that we need to try to do our best. As long as we do that, the power of the atonement will cover the rest of our sins and shortcomings because our pefect Redeemer knows each of our abilities and knows how far we can go, and that is all that He will ask of us. Jesus Christ knows that I have my weaknesses and He also knows my strenghts. I love the atonement because through it, Jesus Christ knows me perfectly, and thus, He is the perfect Judge.

I'm not sure what else to say at this point. I am very thankful for all of you who are supporting me on my mission because I know that the Lord, Jesus Christ, blesses the lives of individuals through the actions of others. I know that Christ is acting through you to bless my life. I don't know if I'd have the strength to go from day to day without the constant love and encouraging words that you send me.

The other day, I had a very random and strange thought pop into my head. It was about the number of people that I'd baptize on my mission. I got a very distinct and clear number and frankly, it scared me. So that night I prayed to know if this number was correct and the answer scared me even more. I know now that I'm going to have to work very, very hard on my mission to accomplish this goal that the Lord has set for me.

I love you all very much and know that we will all be blessed through our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Starsi Monk