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