This is important information. We had some difficulty with 1 of Brent's packages and it took a long time to resolve it.
Brent's dad
Subject: Package Information for the Czech, Prague Mission
Hello Parents of Missionaries in the Czech, Prague Mission,
We’ve had some difficulties with a few packages as of recently. In an attempt to ensure that your missionaries receive your packages, we’re going to ask that you do a few things to help us.
Firstly, remember that when you address your packages, make sure you put the church’s name on the top line. Here is an example.
Církev Ježíše Krista Svatých posledních dnů -Church’s name
Starší/Sestra [Missionary’s name] -Missionary’s name
Milady Horákové 85/95 -Street Address
170 00 Praha 7 – Holešovice -Postal Code
Česká Republika – Evropa -Country
If your missionary’s name is on the top of the address and if a problem arises with the package, the mission office is not allowed to receive the package in behalf of your missionary.
Also, another difficulty, which we have recently faced, is incomplete or incorrect customs declarations. Be careful to indicate if you are sending items of value on the declarations form. It will make it more likely to be inspected; however, if an item of value isn’t declared and the package is x-rayed and inspected anyways. The package may be retained until your missionary can go to the customs office in Prague. Missionaries won’t be able to be brought into Prague just to go to the Custom’s Office to retrieve a package. It would be too expensive and take too much time.
We would also ask you to e-mail us information concerning your packages so we can identify if there will be a problem early on. You can e-mail us at misijnikancelar@gmail.com. As we handle a lot of e-mails, we ask you to subject these e-mails as follows so we can identify these e-mails quickly. “Package Information – [Shipped date] – [Recipient’s name].” We ask that you include the tracking number of the package (which is in the form of two letters, nine numbers, and two letters,) when it was shipped, and when you expect it to be delivered here. This will help us to keep track of incoming packages during the Christmas Season.
We want your missionaries to receive your packages and will do everything we can to see that this happens. If you can also forward this e-mail to anyone who may be interested in mailing packages to your missionaries as well, we would appreciate it.
Monday, October 26, 2009
I'm so glad I learned German in school, but now Turkish too? ( Week 2 in Liberec, week 28 in Czech )
Hello Everyone,
So I'm really excited to report that this, our first full working week in the area, we've been practically inundated with success. Tons of great contacts, referrals, lessons, new investigators, and we've already hit standards (56 hours/week) on speaking Czech, even though Elder Bown has been here for a week and a half. Crazy! We've got two families on the plan for this evening, a man from Germany who only speaks German and Turkish that we'll be starting to teach in German (Danke Schoen, Herr Knoblaugh - I'm brushing up on my German gospel terms with Elder Bown, so we'll see how this goes; largely, German is his playing field because when I go to speak German only Czech comes out. It's really hard!), and several other contacts, former investigators, and current investigators that we'll be working with in the coming weeks. Really, the area feels like it's getting warmed up and healthy very quickly, and it's not taking any undue sacrifice or suffering to make it happen. We've been spending a lot of time on the streets and in apartment buildings talking with people, but it's coming together very well and very effectively.
As for a weather report, the snow has melted off (mostly), it's been foggy, but almost always above freezing. We're expecting it to take another plunge in the next week or so, but for now we're doing alright. We also moved into our newly furbished apartment on Thursday, so I've got my own bed again after about 2 weeks of living out of a suitcase (our last week in Třebíč we spent all over the place: I was on a Bus, in Prague, and then on the Floor for the rest of it - welcome to the glamorous world of missionary work :D). Our apartment is still not quite ready yet, as the insulation around the windows is being finished over the next few weeks and months, a few paint jobs are on hold, and we need some rugs or something, but we're happy and it's clean and rather homey.
It's interesting looking at how the Lord directs our lives and how it's our job to live correct principles and do what we know is right. In coming to Liberec, we've been trying very hard to be 100% aligned with what the Lord wants from us, and we're seeing the success from that represented by the surge in progress and activity in our area, the lessons taught, the people that were brought to us, and all these German speakers that are giving Elder Bown plenty of time to practice teaching largely on his own. I'm convinced that our absolute happiness depends on us living righteous principles, principles that unify us with Heaven which then enable the Lord to prepare events and environments around us that will promote life and growth in ways that we can't imagine. We've been asked to set at least one baptismal date by the end of this week. Although that will take considerable faith and prayer, I know it will be possible and I'll let you all know how it goes next week.
I have a quick story about a man we talked with about faith and why it's important. We stopped an older man on the street and we explained about faith and things. He went into a classic reply about how Communism destroyed the faith of people here and that materialism is the thing that people believe in. We proceeded to bear powerful testimony about True Faith, that faith does not mean that one simply leans on an invisible God who tells fairy tells and who, like a wealthy grandfather, dotes on his children at their every whim and wish. Faith is not a crutch for the weak to lean on, although it can be. Faith in the True and Living God extends also the understanding that true discipleship has a price that must be paid in trials and, as Joseph Smith put it, the "[wrenching] of your very heartstrings." God doesn't want us to simply grow fat and happy from things that we want. He wants us to give ourselves to Him so He can make us something better, something godly. This does not mean that we cannot fulfill our personal dreams and wishes, that we can't be mountain climbing enthusiasts or professional wake boarders, that we can't pursue what we want or that we are to sacrifice ourselves as martyrs. Rather, we are to profit from it immeasurably and become great through Him. We told this Man that Faith enables us to become great and that true faith does not mean that you don't have faith in yourself and that you need something to rely on. True faith means that you are so self-aware and so self-confident, that you are able to give your entire self to Him in exchange for His Glory. Really, the only ones who know that faith means seeing the complete picture of what it means to be human, both the bitter and the sweet experiences, and are able to prize that which is good because they know the infinite difference.
We told this man about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, that there is evidence you can touch and read and think about and feel and experience. He was definitely changed after our encounter. Although he declined our invitation to discover how he could change his life, we did commit him to read it and to consider it's message.
It's great being here. I love it, and I'm afraid that the time between P-day's is shrinking. Last transfer felt like less than a week, and this transfer feels like a matter of a few hours so far. It's all getting compressed together, and it's terrifying but exciting. I'm excited to see what the next week brings us, and I'm already excited to share with you all the success that we can see coming over the horizon. Good luck, and may the Lord bless you all this week. Try being better, loving more, seeing just a bit further than the things around you. The message of the Gospel is that the only important things last forever, and I hope that we all, including myself, learn to treat our most valuable possessions, the relationships we have with each other and with our Heavenly Father, as the priceless parts of our lives.
Starší Brent Anderson
So I'm really excited to report that this, our first full working week in the area, we've been practically inundated with success. Tons of great contacts, referrals, lessons, new investigators, and we've already hit standards (56 hours/week) on speaking Czech, even though Elder Bown has been here for a week and a half. Crazy! We've got two families on the plan for this evening, a man from Germany who only speaks German and Turkish that we'll be starting to teach in German (Danke Schoen, Herr Knoblaugh - I'm brushing up on my German gospel terms with Elder Bown, so we'll see how this goes; largely, German is his playing field because when I go to speak German only Czech comes out. It's really hard!), and several other contacts, former investigators, and current investigators that we'll be working with in the coming weeks. Really, the area feels like it's getting warmed up and healthy very quickly, and it's not taking any undue sacrifice or suffering to make it happen. We've been spending a lot of time on the streets and in apartment buildings talking with people, but it's coming together very well and very effectively.
As for a weather report, the snow has melted off (mostly), it's been foggy, but almost always above freezing. We're expecting it to take another plunge in the next week or so, but for now we're doing alright. We also moved into our newly furbished apartment on Thursday, so I've got my own bed again after about 2 weeks of living out of a suitcase (our last week in Třebíč we spent all over the place: I was on a Bus, in Prague, and then on the Floor for the rest of it - welcome to the glamorous world of missionary work :D). Our apartment is still not quite ready yet, as the insulation around the windows is being finished over the next few weeks and months, a few paint jobs are on hold, and we need some rugs or something, but we're happy and it's clean and rather homey.
It's interesting looking at how the Lord directs our lives and how it's our job to live correct principles and do what we know is right. In coming to Liberec, we've been trying very hard to be 100% aligned with what the Lord wants from us, and we're seeing the success from that represented by the surge in progress and activity in our area, the lessons taught, the people that were brought to us, and all these German speakers that are giving Elder Bown plenty of time to practice teaching largely on his own. I'm convinced that our absolute happiness depends on us living righteous principles, principles that unify us with Heaven which then enable the Lord to prepare events and environments around us that will promote life and growth in ways that we can't imagine. We've been asked to set at least one baptismal date by the end of this week. Although that will take considerable faith and prayer, I know it will be possible and I'll let you all know how it goes next week.
I have a quick story about a man we talked with about faith and why it's important. We stopped an older man on the street and we explained about faith and things. He went into a classic reply about how Communism destroyed the faith of people here and that materialism is the thing that people believe in. We proceeded to bear powerful testimony about True Faith, that faith does not mean that one simply leans on an invisible God who tells fairy tells and who, like a wealthy grandfather, dotes on his children at their every whim and wish. Faith is not a crutch for the weak to lean on, although it can be. Faith in the True and Living God extends also the understanding that true discipleship has a price that must be paid in trials and, as Joseph Smith put it, the "[wrenching] of your very heartstrings." God doesn't want us to simply grow fat and happy from things that we want. He wants us to give ourselves to Him so He can make us something better, something godly. This does not mean that we cannot fulfill our personal dreams and wishes, that we can't be mountain climbing enthusiasts or professional wake boarders, that we can't pursue what we want or that we are to sacrifice ourselves as martyrs. Rather, we are to profit from it immeasurably and become great through Him. We told this Man that Faith enables us to become great and that true faith does not mean that you don't have faith in yourself and that you need something to rely on. True faith means that you are so self-aware and so self-confident, that you are able to give your entire self to Him in exchange for His Glory. Really, the only ones who know that faith means seeing the complete picture of what it means to be human, both the bitter and the sweet experiences, and are able to prize that which is good because they know the infinite difference.
We told this man about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, that there is evidence you can touch and read and think about and feel and experience. He was definitely changed after our encounter. Although he declined our invitation to discover how he could change his life, we did commit him to read it and to consider it's message.
It's great being here. I love it, and I'm afraid that the time between P-day's is shrinking. Last transfer felt like less than a week, and this transfer feels like a matter of a few hours so far. It's all getting compressed together, and it's terrifying but exciting. I'm excited to see what the next week brings us, and I'm already excited to share with you all the success that we can see coming over the horizon. Good luck, and may the Lord bless you all this week. Try being better, loving more, seeing just a bit further than the things around you. The message of the Gospel is that the only important things last forever, and I hope that we all, including myself, learn to treat our most valuable possessions, the relationships we have with each other and with our Heavenly Father, as the priceless parts of our lives.
Starší Brent Anderson
Monday, October 19, 2009
New horizons, with winter approaching ( Week 1 in Liberec, week 27 in Czech )
Hello Everyone!
It's been a rather interesting week here in Liberec. I'll start off from Tuesday and let you know what's been going on.
Tuesday: I was mostly packed, and we had a ton of lessons. Taught english, tied up loose ends, and started emotionally preparing myself to pick up a new greenie. We had a small party (Elder Lance from Jihlava was alone since his companion, Elder Hicken, had to go to prague early for office training) and got everything packed. 4:30 arrives, and I started getting myself ready and out the door with the other two elders for my bus at 6:00. It was cold, but not too bad. It had snowed a little on Tuesday, but nothing significant. I watched the sun come up on the Czech plains and then we started winding up towards Prague. Mountain passes turned into snowy mountain passes full of traffic, and the bus started to get delayed. We made it safely to Florenc in Prague where I hopped off, grabbed my stowed luggage, and started heading towards the metro. The subway in Prague is just fun to ride and handle, but you can imagine how much more fun it gets trying to take care of your life in three small suitcases. Pretty exciting, hauling luggage up and down stairs. I remember it was harder earlier, so my hard-core exercise routine (aka. a couple of push-ups and a set of situps followed by some reps lifting weights) has started paying off. Imagine me dressed in my overcoat, suit coat, and my normal missionary garb, strong-arming two full suitcases with a carryon under my arm and a backpack full of books, running up and down staircases to catch metro stops and you'll get the idea. I was exhausted. I showed up for the trainer meeting just in time, but to my dismay half of the group was visa waiting for a day and would be arriving at 3 on Wednesday. So, I got to serve in Prague for a day! We spent the day helping people to stop smoking, teaching the restoration, and singing primary songs with families, all the while running around Prague, popping out of the metro, hopping on buses, using trams, running across namestis. It was really intense, and I had a blast serving with my temporary companion, Elder Johnson (He was actually a clothes model before his mission, so I picked up a few style tips while there :P). I spent the night with him and then we headed back to the building in the morning to pick up our missionaries. I'd reserved bus tickets for 3 and was ready to pick up and move out again. So, we got to the building, and I ran into Elder Osborn - one of the waiting missionaries. Yes, THE Elder Osborn, the one I went to high school with, saw around college, marched with American Fork with, and took math classes with. He's in the Czech Republic, Czech Speaking. Pretty darn sweet. It was good to see him. We had our meeting with the President and his wife and assignments were made. "Let's start with Elder Anderson - Elder Anderson will be serving up in the cold land of Liberec with.....Elder Bown!" I tackled my greenie with a hug, and we got plenty of great pictures.
So, Elder Bown is an American who was raised in Geneva, Switzerland, and that's where he calls "home." He speaks English, German, and French fluently, and has a really good attitude trying to learn and speak Czech because of it. It's really exciting having another German speaker around (turns out that Elder Weser, one of the other elders in Liberec, speaks German fluently because his dad is German, so we're tearing up the German work here as well as Czech). He's really enthusiastic, has high hopes and high expectations, and is ready to work. He's also willing to put up with a lot, as you'll see in a minute.
So, we had lunch, got to know each other a bit (he studied at BYU and wants to be a dentist, likes swimming, and loves reading), and caught our bus from the other end of Prague after another round of "run around Prague with luggage". The bus trip was comfortable, but when we approached Liberec we landed in a blizzard, with everything coated in about a foot and a half of white stuff. Lots of snow and slush. Elder Young, the district leader, and elder Weser were both waiting for us and helped us get to our apartment in Liberec South. After getting lost for a while, we hauled our luggage to the top of an apartment building to our new home. I didn't think to much of it at the time, but I noticed that some of the fixtures were taken apart and a few paint cans were on the floor. But, we had an English class to teach at 5, so we ran out the door and back into the center. After English, we had district meeting, set goals (I'll be earning my next language level this transfer along with the rest of the district), and headed home to unpack. We got lost again, finally found our apartment, and headed up to the top of the building. As we walked in, elder Bown sat down to relax for a second, but I quickly assessed the situation. Paint cans...ladders...missing fixtures...and work clothes. The apartment wasn't ready yet and was under construction still! Furniture was disassembled, paint was drying, and it was overall unlivable. A few phone calls to the office and some quick decisions later, and we were headed back out the door with soaking wet luggage into the snow to make it back to the other elder's apartment. We're still staying there now, actually, living out of our luggage, with Elder Bown sleeping on the couch and me curled up on a warm spot on the floor on a pad made of old blankets (they heat the buildings here with hot water, and I think the pipes bend where I'm set up, so it's nice). It's kind of fun, really, and we're really unified as a district already. Unfortunately, some of my books and most of my letters got soaked in the deluge, but most everything was salvageable and we're high and dry again. The snow is starting to melt off, but it's certainly looking to be an interesting "fall" into winter.
We've already started contacting, met the members (the branch here is great), and Elder Bown is hard at work on mastering the language. He's doing a great job already, and is doing most of the speaking when we start our contacts now. We're setting up to meet our investigators and to get contact with some of our potential investigators, and it's looking to be a very exciting, successful transfer. Of note, we went tracting Friday night as a district (which was a blast), and Elder Bown got his first "The police are waiting for you downstairs" being-yelled at experience. He handled it well (of course, no one was waiting downstairs), and we found a new family, an older woman, and one of our English students there. Overall, we're being taken care of by the lord, and we are looking ahead to some great successes this transfer.
I'm sending off mail today, including some birthday cards and letter replies. They were supposed to go out last week, but unfortunately packing took a slightly higher priority. In the mean time, I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to telling you about our coming successes this week. I did get to see Sunday conference on Saturday, and my favorites were easily Elders Holland, Nelson, and especially Elder Christofferson. Really good talk on moral agency, really sad how people just don't understand themselves or their environment to realize that everything does point back to a God in heaven. But, I guess it's my job to help people open there eyes to that and what that means to them personally.
Love and miss you all,
Elder Brent Anderson
It's been a rather interesting week here in Liberec. I'll start off from Tuesday and let you know what's been going on.
Tuesday: I was mostly packed, and we had a ton of lessons. Taught english, tied up loose ends, and started emotionally preparing myself to pick up a new greenie. We had a small party (Elder Lance from Jihlava was alone since his companion, Elder Hicken, had to go to prague early for office training) and got everything packed. 4:30 arrives, and I started getting myself ready and out the door with the other two elders for my bus at 6:00. It was cold, but not too bad. It had snowed a little on Tuesday, but nothing significant. I watched the sun come up on the Czech plains and then we started winding up towards Prague. Mountain passes turned into snowy mountain passes full of traffic, and the bus started to get delayed. We made it safely to Florenc in Prague where I hopped off, grabbed my stowed luggage, and started heading towards the metro. The subway in Prague is just fun to ride and handle, but you can imagine how much more fun it gets trying to take care of your life in three small suitcases. Pretty exciting, hauling luggage up and down stairs. I remember it was harder earlier, so my hard-core exercise routine (aka. a couple of push-ups and a set of situps followed by some reps lifting weights) has started paying off. Imagine me dressed in my overcoat, suit coat, and my normal missionary garb, strong-arming two full suitcases with a carryon under my arm and a backpack full of books, running up and down staircases to catch metro stops and you'll get the idea. I was exhausted. I showed up for the trainer meeting just in time, but to my dismay half of the group was visa waiting for a day and would be arriving at 3 on Wednesday. So, I got to serve in Prague for a day! We spent the day helping people to stop smoking, teaching the restoration, and singing primary songs with families, all the while running around Prague, popping out of the metro, hopping on buses, using trams, running across namestis. It was really intense, and I had a blast serving with my temporary companion, Elder Johnson (He was actually a clothes model before his mission, so I picked up a few style tips while there :P). I spent the night with him and then we headed back to the building in the morning to pick up our missionaries. I'd reserved bus tickets for 3 and was ready to pick up and move out again. So, we got to the building, and I ran into Elder Osborn - one of the waiting missionaries. Yes, THE Elder Osborn, the one I went to high school with, saw around college, marched with American Fork with, and took math classes with. He's in the Czech Republic, Czech Speaking. Pretty darn sweet. It was good to see him. We had our meeting with the President and his wife and assignments were made. "Let's start with Elder Anderson - Elder Anderson will be serving up in the cold land of Liberec with.....Elder Bown!" I tackled my greenie with a hug, and we got plenty of great pictures.
So, Elder Bown is an American who was raised in Geneva, Switzerland, and that's where he calls "home." He speaks English, German, and French fluently, and has a really good attitude trying to learn and speak Czech because of it. It's really exciting having another German speaker around (turns out that Elder Weser, one of the other elders in Liberec, speaks German fluently because his dad is German, so we're tearing up the German work here as well as Czech). He's really enthusiastic, has high hopes and high expectations, and is ready to work. He's also willing to put up with a lot, as you'll see in a minute.
So, we had lunch, got to know each other a bit (he studied at BYU and wants to be a dentist, likes swimming, and loves reading), and caught our bus from the other end of Prague after another round of "run around Prague with luggage". The bus trip was comfortable, but when we approached Liberec we landed in a blizzard, with everything coated in about a foot and a half of white stuff. Lots of snow and slush. Elder Young, the district leader, and elder Weser were both waiting for us and helped us get to our apartment in Liberec South. After getting lost for a while, we hauled our luggage to the top of an apartment building to our new home. I didn't think to much of it at the time, but I noticed that some of the fixtures were taken apart and a few paint cans were on the floor. But, we had an English class to teach at 5, so we ran out the door and back into the center. After English, we had district meeting, set goals (I'll be earning my next language level this transfer along with the rest of the district), and headed home to unpack. We got lost again, finally found our apartment, and headed up to the top of the building. As we walked in, elder Bown sat down to relax for a second, but I quickly assessed the situation. Paint cans...ladders...missing fixtures...and work clothes. The apartment wasn't ready yet and was under construction still! Furniture was disassembled, paint was drying, and it was overall unlivable. A few phone calls to the office and some quick decisions later, and we were headed back out the door with soaking wet luggage into the snow to make it back to the other elder's apartment. We're still staying there now, actually, living out of our luggage, with Elder Bown sleeping on the couch and me curled up on a warm spot on the floor on a pad made of old blankets (they heat the buildings here with hot water, and I think the pipes bend where I'm set up, so it's nice). It's kind of fun, really, and we're really unified as a district already. Unfortunately, some of my books and most of my letters got soaked in the deluge, but most everything was salvageable and we're high and dry again. The snow is starting to melt off, but it's certainly looking to be an interesting "fall" into winter.
We've already started contacting, met the members (the branch here is great), and Elder Bown is hard at work on mastering the language. He's doing a great job already, and is doing most of the speaking when we start our contacts now. We're setting up to meet our investigators and to get contact with some of our potential investigators, and it's looking to be a very exciting, successful transfer. Of note, we went tracting Friday night as a district (which was a blast), and Elder Bown got his first "The police are waiting for you downstairs" being-yelled at experience. He handled it well (of course, no one was waiting downstairs), and we found a new family, an older woman, and one of our English students there. Overall, we're being taken care of by the lord, and we are looking ahead to some great successes this transfer.
I'm sending off mail today, including some birthday cards and letter replies. They were supposed to go out last week, but unfortunately packing took a slightly higher priority. In the mean time, I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to telling you about our coming successes this week. I did get to see Sunday conference on Saturday, and my favorites were easily Elders Holland, Nelson, and especially Elder Christofferson. Really good talk on moral agency, really sad how people just don't understand themselves or their environment to realize that everything does point back to a God in heaven. But, I guess it's my job to help people open there eyes to that and what that means to them personally.
Love and miss you all,
Elder Brent Anderson
Monday, October 12, 2009
Post updated
Sorry for the additional post. I mistakenly put the wrong timeline on the post title. It is now corrected.
Brent's occasionally muddled dad
Brent's occasionally muddled dad
Excitement, Fear and Trepidation ( Week 8 in Třebíč, Week 26 in Czech )
Hello Everyone!
I have a few items of business. First, I was shocked to hear about the American Fork High School band bus accident. My heart goes out to the Christenson family and to everyone involved in the miracle called the AF Band Program. I had the opportunity to work with Ms. Christenson, and she was a fantastic teacher and mentor for the flute students as well as the band as a whole.
On a happier note, we have transfers coming soon. Actually, this week. Today is technically the first day of the transfer, and we just received our new assignments, as well as some phone calls. That dreaded phone call, that brief ring, the recognition that President Slováček is on the line, and then the request. "How are you doing Elder?" "Well, I'm doing fine president" (Half-truth: You know that something is coming, so your heart is in your throat! You know it will be right, but the unexpected is always exciting and unnerving!) "That's good to hear. I've been praying long and hard about this assignment, and I've decided to send you to Liberec. You'll be opening a new area, and I need you to do your best to get the work moving as soon as possible. It's really cold up there in the winter, more so than elsewhere in the country, so be sure to bring your woollens." Elder anderson sighs "Whew! That doesn't sound too bad. Winter weather is my favorite. "And in addition to that," (Sudden tensing)
"We'd like you to blind in with a new missionary. (Blinding in means opening a new area from scratch) Will you train for us?"
Suddenly, Elder Anderson freaks out. The words of Elder Perry at Mission Conference return to his mind. "The most vital missionary in the formula is the trainer. If they do well, the mission does well. If they don't do well, however..." Elder Anderson abrupts the thought, as he knows the consequences of poor training are terrible indeed.
"Well, if you think I'm up to it president, then I know I can."
The phone call concluded shortly thereafter, and Elder Anderson starts thinking about his bag packing, his trip to prague, and his new work with a new greenie. It's interesting, because I've had some thoughts about both Liberec and new missionaries for the last month, but I thought that it was just pre-transfer fears. Turns out I was right, and that I'll be heading into the beautiful Czech christmas season with a new missionary, a new area, and a new responsibility. As always, I feel your prayers, but if you could turn up the volume so He can hear that much better, I'd appreciate it. I have no idea how I'm going to do this. At risk of sounding silly, 1 Nephi 3:7 comes to mind, but I still have no idea how this is going to go down. Here we go!
In interest of packing time and the oncoming craziness of getting my life stuffed into two suitcases again, I'm going to share some thoughts from a letter home recently. I hope this will help you in your realization of your place in our father's plan as well as what it means for us.
Something neat I realized last week is that there is a deeper motivation to the plan of salvation than what we sometimes consider. For instance, if we understand the plan of salvation to be all about us doing what God wants because God wants it, about going to the celestial kingdom because God says so, then we aren't quite seeing the big picture still. I was having a rather rough day (because I asked for it in prayer - warning: if you ask for God to help you take a step, he'll take off the training wheels and give you a good push so that you can go, fall, and get his help again; it works every time :P) and was feeling incredible sorrow for things. It was in a godly way, not in a self pity sense. So many people without the gospel, so many people who just aren't getting it, my own state of weakness and the need for the atonement. We really are like the handcart pioneers, trapped in coves of snow, and not even of our own effort. We then had a lesson with a woman who is very confused and very catholic. We addressed praying and the Lord's prayer as a model prayer, not The prayer to be recited. When I mentioned that something we should do when praying is forgive others, she freaked out. "NO! No! I will not forgive people who have done..." and then she listed all these things she's bitter for. She went off! I just sat there and watched her in her place as she stunted her spiritual growth. And, of course, nothing I could do would make a difference. We're meeting with her again, but she was so bitter that I could barely stand it. Magnified by my emotional state, I started wondering: Why does it matter? Is it worth it? Seems like going to heaven just means an infinity of problems and suffering, and infinity of taking care of children you may never see again. Is it worth it?
In the midst of all this thinking and feeling, I felt the spirit nudge me. This entire experience was directed by the spirit, and I knew I'd be alright, but it was still hard to consider the hard facts. Is everything I'm doing worth it? And then the spirit suggested this: That's not the right question. The correct question that builds everything from the ground up is "What do I want?" What is it that I, as an agent, want? Do I want the telestial kingdom? Terestrial glory? Do I want to spend my life doing something else? I could? Why not? And then I realized something I already knew, but as an even broader principle. "Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." God gives us exactly what we want. If I child honestly wanted coal for christmas, would a parent bother him with a shiny new bike? Thus, the question is "What do I want, because if it's what I want, then I will get it and I will pay whatever price is asked." Then, the greatest miracle of all happens. We realize that the only way to do that is by giving God the one thing he doesn't have. He doesn't have our agency. We are free agents unto ourselves to choose light or darkness, but the greatest miracle happens when exact opposites are playing out upon us, pulling equally and oppositely on us, and we take our one grain of agency that we possess, place it on the scales, and say "I will be a child of one of these. I choose God!" And the scales of that choice tip, even though your agency is just a grain of sand. I'm doing this because I want it, and no other force in the universe can change that!
That's precisely what the savior did. "I'll do this, because thou hast given me this cup. If there is another one, I'll take it, but I love you, and I choose to take my personal grain of agency, the one thing that is uniquely mine (since God owns all the gold and land and planets and stars anyway), and I'll give it to you." Perhaps our own worship of God takes on a new meaning at this point. Worship was defined by Elder McConkie as emulation. As we are like God, we worship him. But when we emulate him and we give him the gift of ourselves, our agency, our commitment to not be a free agent like a free post high school athlete but to sign a contract, as it were, and to put ourselves on His terms for His rewards, we are doing it because We want to. Otherwise, we can do a mountain of good in the lives around us, but it won't do anything for us. We will not change if we don't give up what is ours, even if we are moving mountains. Perhaps that is why faith moves mountains, hope survives death, but Charity lasts for eternity and, if you don't have it, then the other two don't matter. An army of men can move a mountain, and everyone will get resurrected, but who gets to live for eternity? Only those who give everything, themselves, for it.
Well, I'm terrified, but excited. It's going to be a very very exciting, challenging, and adventure filled transfer. I'm so excited I can barely sit in my chair!
Good luck everyone, I hope you have just as much fun this week choosing what you want as I am. :)
Elder Brent Anderson
I have a few items of business. First, I was shocked to hear about the American Fork High School band bus accident. My heart goes out to the Christenson family and to everyone involved in the miracle called the AF Band Program. I had the opportunity to work with Ms. Christenson, and she was a fantastic teacher and mentor for the flute students as well as the band as a whole.
On a happier note, we have transfers coming soon. Actually, this week. Today is technically the first day of the transfer, and we just received our new assignments, as well as some phone calls. That dreaded phone call, that brief ring, the recognition that President Slováček is on the line, and then the request. "How are you doing Elder?" "Well, I'm doing fine president" (Half-truth: You know that something is coming, so your heart is in your throat! You know it will be right, but the unexpected is always exciting and unnerving!) "That's good to hear. I've been praying long and hard about this assignment, and I've decided to send you to Liberec. You'll be opening a new area, and I need you to do your best to get the work moving as soon as possible. It's really cold up there in the winter, more so than elsewhere in the country, so be sure to bring your woollens." Elder anderson sighs "Whew! That doesn't sound too bad. Winter weather is my favorite. "And in addition to that," (Sudden tensing)
"We'd like you to blind in with a new missionary. (Blinding in means opening a new area from scratch) Will you train for us?"
Suddenly, Elder Anderson freaks out. The words of Elder Perry at Mission Conference return to his mind. "The most vital missionary in the formula is the trainer. If they do well, the mission does well. If they don't do well, however..." Elder Anderson abrupts the thought, as he knows the consequences of poor training are terrible indeed.
"Well, if you think I'm up to it president, then I know I can."
The phone call concluded shortly thereafter, and Elder Anderson starts thinking about his bag packing, his trip to prague, and his new work with a new greenie. It's interesting, because I've had some thoughts about both Liberec and new missionaries for the last month, but I thought that it was just pre-transfer fears. Turns out I was right, and that I'll be heading into the beautiful Czech christmas season with a new missionary, a new area, and a new responsibility. As always, I feel your prayers, but if you could turn up the volume so He can hear that much better, I'd appreciate it. I have no idea how I'm going to do this. At risk of sounding silly, 1 Nephi 3:7 comes to mind, but I still have no idea how this is going to go down. Here we go!
In interest of packing time and the oncoming craziness of getting my life stuffed into two suitcases again, I'm going to share some thoughts from a letter home recently. I hope this will help you in your realization of your place in our father's plan as well as what it means for us.
Something neat I realized last week is that there is a deeper motivation to the plan of salvation than what we sometimes consider. For instance, if we understand the plan of salvation to be all about us doing what God wants because God wants it, about going to the celestial kingdom because God says so, then we aren't quite seeing the big picture still. I was having a rather rough day (because I asked for it in prayer - warning: if you ask for God to help you take a step, he'll take off the training wheels and give you a good push so that you can go, fall, and get his help again; it works every time :P) and was feeling incredible sorrow for things. It was in a godly way, not in a self pity sense. So many people without the gospel, so many people who just aren't getting it, my own state of weakness and the need for the atonement. We really are like the handcart pioneers, trapped in coves of snow, and not even of our own effort. We then had a lesson with a woman who is very confused and very catholic. We addressed praying and the Lord's prayer as a model prayer, not The prayer to be recited. When I mentioned that something we should do when praying is forgive others, she freaked out. "NO! No! I will not forgive people who have done..." and then she listed all these things she's bitter for. She went off! I just sat there and watched her in her place as she stunted her spiritual growth. And, of course, nothing I could do would make a difference. We're meeting with her again, but she was so bitter that I could barely stand it. Magnified by my emotional state, I started wondering: Why does it matter? Is it worth it? Seems like going to heaven just means an infinity of problems and suffering, and infinity of taking care of children you may never see again. Is it worth it?
In the midst of all this thinking and feeling, I felt the spirit nudge me. This entire experience was directed by the spirit, and I knew I'd be alright, but it was still hard to consider the hard facts. Is everything I'm doing worth it? And then the spirit suggested this: That's not the right question. The correct question that builds everything from the ground up is "What do I want?" What is it that I, as an agent, want? Do I want the telestial kingdom? Terestrial glory? Do I want to spend my life doing something else? I could? Why not? And then I realized something I already knew, but as an even broader principle. "Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." God gives us exactly what we want. If I child honestly wanted coal for christmas, would a parent bother him with a shiny new bike? Thus, the question is "What do I want, because if it's what I want, then I will get it and I will pay whatever price is asked." Then, the greatest miracle of all happens. We realize that the only way to do that is by giving God the one thing he doesn't have. He doesn't have our agency. We are free agents unto ourselves to choose light or darkness, but the greatest miracle happens when exact opposites are playing out upon us, pulling equally and oppositely on us, and we take our one grain of agency that we possess, place it on the scales, and say "I will be a child of one of these. I choose God!" And the scales of that choice tip, even though your agency is just a grain of sand. I'm doing this because I want it, and no other force in the universe can change that!
That's precisely what the savior did. "I'll do this, because thou hast given me this cup. If there is another one, I'll take it, but I love you, and I choose to take my personal grain of agency, the one thing that is uniquely mine (since God owns all the gold and land and planets and stars anyway), and I'll give it to you." Perhaps our own worship of God takes on a new meaning at this point. Worship was defined by Elder McConkie as emulation. As we are like God, we worship him. But when we emulate him and we give him the gift of ourselves, our agency, our commitment to not be a free agent like a free post high school athlete but to sign a contract, as it were, and to put ourselves on His terms for His rewards, we are doing it because We want to. Otherwise, we can do a mountain of good in the lives around us, but it won't do anything for us. We will not change if we don't give up what is ours, even if we are moving mountains. Perhaps that is why faith moves mountains, hope survives death, but Charity lasts for eternity and, if you don't have it, then the other two don't matter. An army of men can move a mountain, and everyone will get resurrected, but who gets to live for eternity? Only those who give everything, themselves, for it.
Well, I'm terrified, but excited. It's going to be a very very exciting, challenging, and adventure filled transfer. I'm so excited I can barely sit in my chair!
Good luck everyone, I hope you have just as much fun this week choosing what you want as I am. :)
Elder Brent Anderson
Monday, October 5, 2009
A few photos for your viewing pleasure
Sorry for the delay in posting these photos. I was on a business trip last week and didn't have the means to do it. Enjoy, Starší Brent's dad
Starší Brent
Starší Machado
Beautiful view
Stuffed peppers for lunch
Trebic street
Czech Book of Mormon
Czech Book of Mormon title page
Czech Autumn ( Week 7 in Třebíč, Week 25 in Czech )
Hello Everyone,
We welcome you to the 35th weekly general letter of Elder Anderson of the Czech Prague Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This letter is provided as a public service for all of you who aren't here to try and help you keep catch a glimpse of what's going on here in the Czech Republic. What an exciting place to be right now! I've got some very important news for you all. While President Monson was announcing the next 5 temples (bringing the church to a total of 151 operating or in-progress temples), we were celebrating over here. Last week, actually with the baptisms in Jihlava two Saturdays ago, the baptismal total for the year 2009 crested 100. This represents over 300% growth since 2007 with 29 baptisms, and 69 baptisms in 2008. With the Lord's help, we are presently on track to finish the next 3 months of the year and crest to another doubling of statistics with at least 138 baptisms. How exciting! And how exciting to consider that, of those 100, I've been blessed with 3 people I've personally taught, another 2 that I've known and helped more indirectly, Iva this weekend, and several others who are also scheduled for the coming weekend. How remarkable!
I've been thinking about what I'd like to write home about this week, and I keep coming back to an experience we had on Wednesday. As it is an involved and in-depth experience, I will refer you to an excerpt from my report to President Slováček this week.
"We had an interesting experience on Wednesday, president, wherein both Elder Machado and I were on the same spiritual/mental page all day long. I'd say something; he'd say "I was just thinking about that." He'd suggest something, and I would have already decided we needed to do it too. Rewinding to last Wednesday, we were set up to go out finding for several hours to try and fill in our teaching pool. The rest of our week's schedule was rather full already and we knew our finding time would be crucial to our success for the rest of the week. We went out, looking for a man we had contacted the week before and who we know takes a certain bus at a time of day. After waiting for a few minutes, we both felt impressed to take a path we usually take when contacting where there are many people on their way to and from the naměstí . He wasn't there either, and no one was interested in our contacting. A little bruised from the seemingly pointless path, we both knew we were there for a reason, so we started making a circuit around that area. Nothing. Then, we both felt inspired to go visit the librarian, a former investigator. We headed up to the library (with no successful contacts along the way). As we looked around the corner, we saw that she wasn't working that day and that a stranger was sitting in her desk. As we thought about the experience, we started heading up the street again, looking for anybody to contact. No one was there. We finally got to talk to a lady for about 15 seconds (a record that day), before she said she had to go to work and that "maybe next time" we could talk. Our hour of finding had expired and we had a schedule to keep, so we started on our way home. We passed a man who looked somewhat homeless, wearing a sweater and carrying a hip backpack. I thought he was too far out of the way to contact, but Elder Machado considered it. Because homeless people are generally neither the best kingdom builders nor investigators, he decided to skip the man. But then he felt overpoweringly guilty and, as he told me how he felt, we determined to go back and find him. We turned back and, with some searching, found the man and contacted him. 30 minutes and one new investigator later, the man had heard the message of the restoration and had a spark of hope in his otherwise worn countenance. He told us how he had once been rescued by an indescribable light when drowning as a child, something he said he'd never shared with anyone before. Finally, he decided to come to church on Sunday. Sunday arrived, and he didn't come, but Elder Machado felt we'd find him again. After church, we went out finding. No one was there, literally. The streets were empty, except for one man about 300 feet from us down another street. When Elder Machado saw him, he said "I'll bet you $1000 that's him!" We hurried to catch up and, of course, it was. He had wanted to come to church, but his bus didn't come in on time and he didn't make it into town until 11. His return bus home didn't come for several hours, so he was just taking a walk. We brought him to the building, he expressed his desire to get the Book of Mormon and read it, we discussed the Book of Mormon in detail, and he again got lit up by the message and teachings. We're set up to teach him again today, and I'm excited. He knows he's investigating, and he was found under spiritual guidance and influence- twice! I'm excited to see what potential this man has in the kingdom, even if he looked like he was homeless. I suppose that our judgement of others must always be done in righteousness and by the power of the spirit. Otherwise, we could be shorting ourselves on powerful, faith building experiences."
How remarkable that the Lord would orchestrate everything, even the people that wouldn't talk to us, so we could find "the one." We have an appointment with this man, Františkék, at 3 today, perhaps around the time that you'll all be reading this. It's really been a fantastic week this week, one that's led me to a lot of reflection on my own relationship with the Savior. Out of all of the things that I could be doing with my mission, be it learning a language or baptizing others, memorizing scriptures, and being a leader, the most important thing for me personally is coming to know my Savior. That relationship with him, really the relationships that we have in general, are the only things that last and have any duration. Everything else is temporary, but our relationships and knowledge of Him can have an influence that lasts a lifetime. Elder McConkie once remarked that pure worship is emulation, that when we emulate God we are worshipping him in the truest, purest sense. Since we don't pray to Christ, since he is our mediator but sometimes seems to be a more accessory role to our divine relationships, could it be that the other side of the conversation begins when we try to emulate Him? Perhaps that entire chapter of Preach My Gospel, chapter 6 on Christ-like Attributes, is there for a reason - because without being like Him, without emulating His example, it is quite impossible to deliver His message, be a conduit for His light and influence. Truly, we cannot come to know Him until we can see Him in ourselves. I pray that over the coming weeks and months that I may be more suited and adapted to becoming like Him instead of trying to hang onto myself. When it comes down to it, the Lord isn't interested in our tithing or in the real estate of all those temples. He owns it all anyway. That piece of ourselves that is uniquely ours, our agency, is the only thing we can offer to him. Perhaps in our sacrifice of self to Him for His cause, The Cause, and in our efforts to emulate His example, that is how we perfectly worship Him and become more of what He wants of us. Perhaps that is the way that all things may be ordered in our lives despite the chaos that we see around us.
Maybe my thoughtfulness today is prompted by the date. It's been 8 months since I started my mission now, 8 out of the full 25 we are blessed with here in the Czech Republic (yes, 25 - we're some of the lucky ones :D ). As I approach the next 1/3 of my mission, I have to say that if it were only 8 months, it would be enough. I've seen enough miracles in the lives of others to justify these eight months, and I'm very grateful for the remaining difference. 17 months is not much time, but it's His time and I'm privileged enough to get to use it for Him in His stead.
I hope you all enjoyed Conference and that you're enjoying the change in the weather as much as I am. It's getting colder over here, and it feels great. Enjoy your week, everyone. Next week I'll have details about District Conference with Elder Kerr as well as Iva's baptism. I love and miss you all, and look forward to what this week has for everyone.
Elder Brent Anderson
We welcome you to the 35th weekly general letter of Elder Anderson of the Czech Prague Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This letter is provided as a public service for all of you who aren't here to try and help you keep catch a glimpse of what's going on here in the Czech Republic. What an exciting place to be right now! I've got some very important news for you all. While President Monson was announcing the next 5 temples (bringing the church to a total of 151 operating or in-progress temples), we were celebrating over here. Last week, actually with the baptisms in Jihlava two Saturdays ago, the baptismal total for the year 2009 crested 100. This represents over 300% growth since 2007 with 29 baptisms, and 69 baptisms in 2008. With the Lord's help, we are presently on track to finish the next 3 months of the year and crest to another doubling of statistics with at least 138 baptisms. How exciting! And how exciting to consider that, of those 100, I've been blessed with 3 people I've personally taught, another 2 that I've known and helped more indirectly, Iva this weekend, and several others who are also scheduled for the coming weekend. How remarkable!
I've been thinking about what I'd like to write home about this week, and I keep coming back to an experience we had on Wednesday. As it is an involved and in-depth experience, I will refer you to an excerpt from my report to President Slováček this week.
"We had an interesting experience on Wednesday, president, wherein both Elder Machado and I were on the same spiritual/mental page all day long. I'd say something; he'd say "I was just thinking about that." He'd suggest something, and I would have already decided we needed to do it too. Rewinding to last Wednesday, we were set up to go out finding for several hours to try and fill in our teaching pool. The rest of our week's schedule was rather full already and we knew our finding time would be crucial to our success for the rest of the week. We went out, looking for a man we had contacted the week before and who we know takes a certain bus at a time of day. After waiting for a few minutes, we both felt impressed to take a path we usually take when contacting where there are many people on their way to and from the naměstí . He wasn't there either, and no one was interested in our contacting. A little bruised from the seemingly pointless path, we both knew we were there for a reason, so we started making a circuit around that area. Nothing. Then, we both felt inspired to go visit the librarian, a former investigator. We headed up to the library (with no successful contacts along the way). As we looked around the corner, we saw that she wasn't working that day and that a stranger was sitting in her desk. As we thought about the experience, we started heading up the street again, looking for anybody to contact. No one was there. We finally got to talk to a lady for about 15 seconds (a record that day), before she said she had to go to work and that "maybe next time" we could talk. Our hour of finding had expired and we had a schedule to keep, so we started on our way home. We passed a man who looked somewhat homeless, wearing a sweater and carrying a hip backpack. I thought he was too far out of the way to contact, but Elder Machado considered it. Because homeless people are generally neither the best kingdom builders nor investigators, he decided to skip the man. But then he felt overpoweringly guilty and, as he told me how he felt, we determined to go back and find him. We turned back and, with some searching, found the man and contacted him. 30 minutes and one new investigator later, the man had heard the message of the restoration and had a spark of hope in his otherwise worn countenance. He told us how he had once been rescued by an indescribable light when drowning as a child, something he said he'd never shared with anyone before. Finally, he decided to come to church on Sunday. Sunday arrived, and he didn't come, but Elder Machado felt we'd find him again. After church, we went out finding. No one was there, literally. The streets were empty, except for one man about 300 feet from us down another street. When Elder Machado saw him, he said "I'll bet you $1000 that's him!" We hurried to catch up and, of course, it was. He had wanted to come to church, but his bus didn't come in on time and he didn't make it into town until 11. His return bus home didn't come for several hours, so he was just taking a walk. We brought him to the building, he expressed his desire to get the Book of Mormon and read it, we discussed the Book of Mormon in detail, and he again got lit up by the message and teachings. We're set up to teach him again today, and I'm excited. He knows he's investigating, and he was found under spiritual guidance and influence- twice! I'm excited to see what potential this man has in the kingdom, even if he looked like he was homeless. I suppose that our judgement of others must always be done in righteousness and by the power of the spirit. Otherwise, we could be shorting ourselves on powerful, faith building experiences."
How remarkable that the Lord would orchestrate everything, even the people that wouldn't talk to us, so we could find "the one." We have an appointment with this man, Františkék, at 3 today, perhaps around the time that you'll all be reading this. It's really been a fantastic week this week, one that's led me to a lot of reflection on my own relationship with the Savior. Out of all of the things that I could be doing with my mission, be it learning a language or baptizing others, memorizing scriptures, and being a leader, the most important thing for me personally is coming to know my Savior. That relationship with him, really the relationships that we have in general, are the only things that last and have any duration. Everything else is temporary, but our relationships and knowledge of Him can have an influence that lasts a lifetime. Elder McConkie once remarked that pure worship is emulation, that when we emulate God we are worshipping him in the truest, purest sense. Since we don't pray to Christ, since he is our mediator but sometimes seems to be a more accessory role to our divine relationships, could it be that the other side of the conversation begins when we try to emulate Him? Perhaps that entire chapter of Preach My Gospel, chapter 6 on Christ-like Attributes, is there for a reason - because without being like Him, without emulating His example, it is quite impossible to deliver His message, be a conduit for His light and influence. Truly, we cannot come to know Him until we can see Him in ourselves. I pray that over the coming weeks and months that I may be more suited and adapted to becoming like Him instead of trying to hang onto myself. When it comes down to it, the Lord isn't interested in our tithing or in the real estate of all those temples. He owns it all anyway. That piece of ourselves that is uniquely ours, our agency, is the only thing we can offer to him. Perhaps in our sacrifice of self to Him for His cause, The Cause, and in our efforts to emulate His example, that is how we perfectly worship Him and become more of what He wants of us. Perhaps that is the way that all things may be ordered in our lives despite the chaos that we see around us.
Maybe my thoughtfulness today is prompted by the date. It's been 8 months since I started my mission now, 8 out of the full 25 we are blessed with here in the Czech Republic (yes, 25 - we're some of the lucky ones :D ). As I approach the next 1/3 of my mission, I have to say that if it were only 8 months, it would be enough. I've seen enough miracles in the lives of others to justify these eight months, and I'm very grateful for the remaining difference. 17 months is not much time, but it's His time and I'm privileged enough to get to use it for Him in His stead.
I hope you all enjoyed Conference and that you're enjoying the change in the weather as much as I am. It's getting colder over here, and it feels great. Enjoy your week, everyone. Next week I'll have details about District Conference with Elder Kerr as well as Iva's baptism. I love and miss you all, and look forward to what this week has for everyone.
Elder Brent Anderson
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