Week Two in Ostrava!

Wow, it's been a day. It's right now about 3:45 over here, and so far I've travelled what feels like 1000 miles, gone golfing with one of our landlords, hiked all over ostrava getting some things put together for p-day, and had some mixups with the language when getting some lunch on the namesti (I ended up with a tray full of food instead of just a sandwich...no idea how that happened).

In other news, I'm finally here! Sorry I wasn't able to write out to everyone last week; I was very short on time and it just didn't work out very well. But, I believe my parents forwarded my email to them on to the blog to get everyone updated. I'm here, I'm healthy, I'm happy, and I'm working hard in getting everything that I can accomplished out here.

A few highlights from the week. Yesterday was zone conference, and we travelled to Brno (about 2 hours away by train). Conference was amazing. Our zone has some of the highest goals ever set in the mission and we have some very great plans to accomplish them. It's incredible what's happening here. We've found so many people interested in the gospel, are preparing to set baptismal dates with a few more, and day to day see changes in people's lives around us because of the work. Truly incredible. My favorite experience from this week was a veitnamese kid we found who spoke little czech and little english. But, he's very interested in our message. I get to practice with him a lot because he doesn't speak very complexly and I can actually conduct full lessons with him because of it. We got him a book of mormon the second lesson we taught with him, and he remembered everything we taught despite the language barrier, about our heavenly father and who he is, how he has a plan, and everything. Ah, it's great! The best part, though, was that he remembered Jesus Christ and some of the details about who He is and His mission. There are pictures in the front of the book of mormon of Christ and scenes from within the book. When he saw Christ's picture, he identified him immediately. Seeing Joseph Smith, he wanted to know more and so I taught him briefly about it. I say briefly because he was shortly distracted when he saw the picture of Christ standing among the Nephites shortly after his resurrection. He just pointed over and over and looked at it, not saying a word. I really couldn't say anything either, because I knew he was having his first experience with the Holy Ghost bearing record of the truth. It was great. We're meeting with him again tonight, and it will be great to talk with and teach him again.

Largely, I don't know what to write about apart from a few specific events. We teach several lessons a day, go street contacting, my companion is a stud and people think he's a native (until he breaks out his english - he's from Spanish Fork and has a really strong country accent), the food is fantastic (even the boxed milk, which I heard wasn't as good as our milk in the US), the members are loving, and the people are largely cordial and friendly. I've had a few experiences with getting yelled at by people, shut down by atheists, and even running into a professor of the New Testament at the University of Ostrava who sneered at us a bit, wished us good luck in our contacting, and walked away. He seemed to think we didn't believe in the bible or something. His mistake.

That's something I'm really discovering out here is how much the bible and the book of mormon go hand in hand. Really, if you believe in the bible, then you should believe in the book of mormon. The teachings in the bible are not disjoint with the Book of Mormon. In fact, the Bible calls for witnesses to the truth, of which the Book of Mormon serves excellently. It fits perfectly together as one. What a great blessing for us. In addition to that extra witness, it also provides the evidence of a prophet of God. Every prophet has been known by his miracles, his contributions to the children of God to help them return to Him. The Book of Mormon is that miracle. Ah, it's great. I love the gospel.

My past work in business has come up a few times here. Apart from the fact that, because all the companionships have free calling/texting together in order to have constant communication throughout or organization, I think my MTC companions started some rumors about me with their companions that have gotten around a bit. Apart from missionaries, some of our investigators have businesses of their own. It's very gratifying to be able to combine my experience and the gospel (which, really, is how my experience is founded in the first place - gospel principles applied in everyday life) to bless others. For instance, an entrepreneur we know here in Ostrava is having troubles. She's just getting started and is at that halfway point in the tunnel of progress, so to speak. She's in the darkest part of that process, too far in to go back, but it's too dark to see ahead. I explained to her principles of Prayer, our Father in Heaven's identity, and her relationship to him. She received it well, and would really like to meet with us more.

I think that's what makes the difference when we teach - personally applied gospel principles and invitations to come unto Christ. That's why we teach the gospel to individuals, not large groups. That's how Christ did and does it today - he takes the individual and their personal needs, addresses those needs with the gospel, and then extends the invitation to follow him in some way or another. Really, that's all he expects of us - have faith, be blessed, follow closer than before.

It's been a fantastic week. I hope you're all doing well at home - I'm certainly doing fine out here. Good luck this week!

Starší Brent Anderson