Springtime in Prague (Week 41 in Prague, Week 101 in Czech )

Well, here we are live blogging in Prague. This is Elder Anderson still. My parents are here safe and sound but I'm afraid that after a brisk 10km tour of Prague, they are pretty tired and are sound asleep.

You know, it's interesting seeing your parents again after two years. I've changed a lot, they've changed a lot, and they've started briefing me on what's been going on at home and in the world at large. I'm pleased to report that much of it I was already aware of, either through hearsay or letters from home over the last few...years. It hit me today that I've been 21 1/2 for a while now. Amazing how time flies. At any rate, it's great to see them both and that they're still the same despite the time and the distance, that some things perhaps do stay the same.

I've been getting a lot of "Elder Anderson, you just finished your mission! What are you going to do now?" questions. I can't say that I've decided yet. Truth be told, I committed myself to not worry about it too much until I get on that plane in just over a week. I will be at BYU in the fall, working in the mean time. And playing. I don't think I've had a proper break in years, and it will be good to make some memories.

We'll be blogging in the meantime as we go. Hopefully we can find some way to get some photos up, however my dad brought an iPad, and I don't think we can stick photos on it from here. Then again, this thing has cameras in all sorts of unusual places, so I'm sure we can work something out. I do have to say, though, that this iPad thing is cool but scary. I'm having trouble finding the mouse, since the only computers I've seen here are in old Internet cafes and libraries...but it's good to be with my parents, and I'm very excited to see the rest of those familiar faces from home. :)

Elder Brent Anderson

Photos

Here are a few photos of Starsi Brent. This will be the last post until we pick him up in Prague on March 18. It has been a wonderful adventure for us all. We will try to post while in Czech, but I'm unsure what the timing will be. Keep smiling and keep the faith.

Enjoy,
Starsi Brent's dad

All Good Things ( Week 40 in Prague, Week 100 in Czech )

We've just returned from a trip with a member here to Karlštejn castle. Located about 30 km south east of Prague, it is the historic seat of the crown jewels of the kings of the Czech Republic, originally built by Charles IV. Charles IV was a holy roman emperor, and wielded great influence in Europe during the golden years of the Czech Republic. The castle itself is very majestic. Compact in design and situated on a set of cliffs high above the small town below, it had a double wall, an interior moat, and then the keep of the castle itself was so robust that, despite a number of sieges, no one could ever compromise the interior keep. These defense mechanisms were devised due to the precious contents of the deepest parts of the castle. Within the keep itself was the treasury of the Czech kings, including crown jewels the size of large eggs, all framed within a crown of solid gold, stored in a room furnished from floor to ceiling with semi-precious stones the size of dinner plates that are inset in walls paved with gold. It sounds gaudy, but it was the heart of Czech wealth in an age that's long since dimmed and passed into dusty history books. Today, the castle is open to the public with tours running on the hour, restaurants set up on the interior, and tourist shops to and from the castle grounds hawking goods for whatever price that sells. While some of the goods are unusual and interesting, most of them are fake, going so far as to imitate well established and even ancient brands of craftsmanship in design, make, and labeling. Most of these tourist items are of far inferior value and quality. Some crystal salesmen would go so far as to market their goods as "Jako krystal" or "Like Crystal", somehow thinking that comparing it to the real thing will increase the value of the goods in the eyes of their buyers. Very few who visit the castle ever take the short hike past the parking lot, beyond the horse-drawn carriage rides and luxury bed and breakfast's that have sprung up over the years. This hike isn't the most scenic - it's long, easy to get lost, and plows through tall grass, bushes, and muddy tracks. But, today, we took that hike.

In a place known as Priest's Hill, located conveniently behind Karlštejn, and backdropped with nothing but sky and forest, is a small grass clearing with a stone monument in the middle. It was here on July 24th, 1929, that Elder John A. Widstoe of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stood and offered the dedicatory prayer for the Czech Republic. While the text of this prayer has been lost to history (Perhaps due to subsequent war and occupation), on February 6, 1990 Elder Russell M. Nelson stood on that same spot and offered a re-dedicatory prayer, the text of which has been kept since. Today, we read that prayer, offered a brief prayer of gratitude of our own, and enjoyed the atmosphere as a district. It was interesting seeing the missionaries and their reactions and faces during the overall experience. I think my favorite faces to see today were the younger missionaries, the ones that are going to be here to see what we will bring to the Czechs as a mission in the next six months, or year, or even two years. Before we left for this trip, I had the privilege of training a new Elder who had been delayed at the MTC and orienting him regarding temporal mission affairs. To think he'll be here to see so much! And so much to give!

It was a small gathering on top of Priest's Hill, but it was away from the low din of people and things. As we read the prayer out loud, we read how Elder Nelson mentions the  birds and the oak trees and the hills, all of which were present today. Such an interesting juxtaposition between the two settings: One of a man made yet ancient structure of great import and meaning to ancient nobles and today's tourists. The other of a simple stone monument, the home of a Plaque upon which is inscribed "On this spot on the 24th of July, 1929 the Czechoslovak mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was established". One full of treasures, the other humbly encrusted in moss from the passing years of exposure. One the keep of an Emperor, the other a memorial for another kind of King.

In my studies this week, I've considered the flood of experiences I've had as a missionary. It's amazing how easy it's been to remember so many tiny details that would otherwise be so easy to forget or misplace. While there are many lessons I've learned and I'll be returning with so much more than I left with, there is one thing that outshines the rest, and it's something I'm afraid I can't put into words very well. In the renowned rhetoric of Elder Maxwell, "We know more than we can tell." I suppose it best to say it plainly: I know He lives. He knows my name, and He knows each of us perfectly. To some that seems like a nice idea, but one that they don't understand or that it may not have much meaning. Indeed, I can see how it wouldn't if one didn't know Him very well. I, for one, left on my mission with an idea of the mission of the Savior and His role in my life. I felt good about it. But, one mission later, I'm starting to see how far this hike is going to take me. Fortunately, there are a few things that I know that can be relied on, even when you get lost on that trail or you're not sure where or how to get to where you want to go. Sometimes the luster of life is more enticing than the more important things. And, sometimes we succumb to what glitters and get distracted, spending our time (the only real currency we have) for "that which cannot satisfy". But, I've learned from experience and by faith that the path is to be navigated by principles which serve as tools to help us chart our course through life. Even on today's journey, the GPS built into my phone didn't work, and I couldn't expect much more than to rely on the guides that were ahead of us who had been to this hill before.

My study this week kept returning to the status of Jesus Christ as the Lord and King of us all, and our relationship to him in that regard. As His servant and representative to those living in this part of the world, it has been my honor and blessing to share what He has with those who will listen. They are few, but they are, and there is need. I've been very blessed to have worked with many on my mission, and to have seen the hard times too. The days and weeks that blend together when all you think you see is drizzle, slammed doors, stiff-arm hands, and yelling; those who would try to confuse you, those who would outright deny what you say, those who lack the commitment to enjoy simple blessings, or those with their own agenda who try to trap you; temptations and sickness, holes in shoes, getting lost. Then there are all the good things, the lives changed, hearts healed, miracles performed, angels who minister, truths received, light shared, homes rebuilt, service rendered, and laughter shared. I think it all weaves together into a fabric of feeling that we wear like our clothes. And despite the imperfections and the stains and spatters that get picked up by that fabric, I've learned that He is the One to whom we can give that tattered garment and, with a few tears and His mercy, he returns it to us refreshed and clean and spotless. Amazing to consider that He is the only King who would do something like clean my dirty laundry.

As we rode back from the castle and the hill site, we drove through rolling hills and Czech countryside, small brick homes with wood stoves and clotheslines, many of the people looking like they would out of an old picture book with a few anachronisms like satellite dishes and Mercedes farm trucks. Despite the differences, we really all are one in the end. In reading my journal from the beginning of my mission, it's clear that my motives were not right, not necessarily out of impurity, but from inexperience and an unclear vision of things as they really are. When the reality set in that a mission is "so hard", the language is "so hard", teaching is "so hard", supporting members is "so hard", finding is "so hard", and even making toast in the morning is "so hard", I think my perspective began to change. What started out as "my mission" turned into "the mission", a mission to try and reach out of myself more and doing the work for the sake of those around me. It's good to see the changes in the lives of those you are trying to serve. And, just like the fabric woven from threads of individual experiences, so too are those changes the simple things that come together to make something great. I worked more diligently and more intensely but with greater care and purpose than ever before, and I was equally yoked with what must have been the best companions in the world. It's nice being around so many missionaries that you've served with or around, or simply served, and how we all remember things that happened. In the end, all of what you could call "drudgery" began to form into what I could now see - I could see it! An image began to form out of all of those experiences. All of the little pieces of experience began to organize themselves and to "fly in formation", as it were. And the image was something I didn't expect - it was an image of all of God's children. I've learned on my mission that our efforts to serve never go wasted, although we may never actually see the difference. But there is merit it doing good for the sake of doing it, for laboring to build our fellow-men and to improve the lives of each we meet. I left wanting to change the world. I've come back being changed myself.

I hope you too can see the threads of this fabric that I see, and that you can see what I can see - that amidst the push and pull of life, our quiet efforts to do what is right and to push the cause of what is good forward, we become more like Him. In the end, "that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is". I'm convinced that every mission is the best mission in the world. And that's because, to each recipient of the blessings of their mission, it is a gift from God because He makes of us what we barely fathom we could become ourselves.

I will never be grateful enough for this grand adventure, and He's bringing me home in two weeks. In the mean time, there's an office to train for a few days more, and then it will all end. But, as we all well know, it doesn't end, but just starts anew. And it seems to me that every beginning, no matter what stage in life, is always better than the first. Let's see where this new adventure called life takes us.

S láskou,

Starší Brent Anderson

"Elder Anderson: Why are you still here?" ( Week 39 in Prague, Week 99 in Czech )

Well, I think for most missionaries it tends to be a very important milestone in life overall and a sort of closure to the mission when you go to the airport. This week was transfers, and everything's really mixed up this time. Lots of new leadership, Slovak and czech zones are mixed up, etc. It's good, and it's also unusual to not see your name on the list.

Then wednesday came. All the new missionaries were so excited to get out into the field, and I was happy to give them their missionary cards and a brief orientation on "temporal matters" before they headed off on the greatest adventures of their lives. Then, Elder Nestman and Elder Fish and Sister Newbold showed up. They spent the afternoon walking around Prague and enjoying the time together (it was still a working day for me). That night came, and we all trundled off to President's apartment for an evening meal and devotional, some testimonies and parting words, and then it was off to bed for a bright and early trip to the airport.

This is the part where things started to get really funny for me. This really quiet voice from some part of me was saying "You know, aren't I supposed to have suitcases on this trip to the airport? Elder Fish does..." We checked in and took pictures and said goodbyes. Then, after a quick border crossing check and the click of a turnstile, Elder Fish walked around the corner and was gone. The other two departing missionaries were eagerly anticipating their parents, who came and whisked them off

And somehow, that afternoon, I found myself sitting at my desk calling Germany and a car dealership downtown about several new mission vehicles. I'm still laughing to myself: "I must be the only missionary to actually 'survive' the airport!"

It's really strange being here right now, but not in a bad way or a sad way. It's quite funny, really. The Czechs lovingly call me "part of the furniture" since I've been in the branch for so long and I've worked with so many of them on such a frequent basis. And here I am, still at that same desk. Today is still preparation day, so we're off to go and prepare and shop and what not. The replacement office couple is right now driving back from the airport with President Irwin, and I'll be starting with them on Monday. But, there's work to be done and people to be taught still, and I think the Lord will get one more baptism just yet before he's through with me. Pray for my investigators, and pray for the baptismal interview to go down well tomorrow.

I look forward to seeing you all, and I'm looking forward to sticking it through the next week or so and staying focused as we approach General Conference. For some reason, it's harder to wait for this conference than usual. I must really like general conference. :-)

Love,
Elder Brent Anderson

Fotky ( Week 38 in Prague, Week 98 in Czech )

Hello all,

I'm afraid this week won't be much in the way of writing. Please find attached, however, some pictures from our trip today to Karlovy Vary, a rather impressive tourist trap west of Prague.

Love you all, hope you have a great week. We're bringing in new misionaries, and I found another investigator, a lady who's very interested in receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We've talked about her baptism in the first meeting, and she's interested in being baptized. No date yet, but she's reading and we're meeting again next week.

Elder Brent Anderson

(From Starsi Brent's Dad) After today, there are only 2 more postings until we pick him up on March 19. We will try to post while there in Czech. Have a great day

'Pozoruhodný týden', Translation 'Notable week' ( Week 37 in Prague, Week 97 in Czech )

Wow, I really don't know how to contain this last week. President Irwin had a surprise baptism, that was remarkable, a man named Tony who'd been waiting to be baptized for a long time but, due to circumstances, couldn't until this last week. Marian Boysyuk, a recent convert from the end of 2009, has his mission call to the England London mission. Ondrej from Ostrava (I remember teaching him, although he wasn't in my area) is going to the Toronto, Canada, Spanish Speaking mission. And another mission call for another member here is on it's way. That will make 5 missionaries in the last 5 months from this mission. Wow! I don't think I've seen that many missionaries out at once from my home ward!

What else...A boy named David from Spain came to Family Home Evening on monday. His uncle in LDS, and he's agreed to take lessons from me and Elder Foster (And Ondrej, he already speaks spanish). I don't remember much from Mr. Felix's 7th grade spanish primer, but I am ready for when he accepts a baptismal commitment: "Que Suerte!" :-)

In other news, the office has been very busy. Elder Olson, an area seventy, is here today for District Conference, and on Thursday Brother Wirthlin, the director of temporal affairs for Europe, was here. It looks like we might be moving offices soon, across the street to the former Hungarian embassy. President is keen to get a center for young adults opened, and we could renovate the office into such a center if we moved offices to the old embassy space across the street.

Actually, another neat event from this week: One of the church's treasurers for Europe, Brother Russell, came for a visit. He was opening some new bank accounts, and I got to participate in discussions to get the accounts opened. Brother Russell was a very pleasant individual, and I was very happy to spend time working with him.

Apart from that, we're getting ready to get some new mission vehicles to replace older ones, the mission home is getting repainted, the floors refinished, and it's district conference today and tomorrow. It'll be nice to just participate, I usually am asked to translate for English speakers at larger church meetings, so I'll sit in another room and listen to the talks and prayers over headphones.

It's good to be here. It's good to see what more can be done in a few weeks, and I'm grateful for that.
Elder Anderson

A quick note ( Week 36 in Prague, Week 96 in Czech )

It's been a good week, we had a baptism today in Prague. Elder Andersen baptized someone he'd taught for a long time before he switched areas in Prague from being Zone Leader to being an Assistant. President has been out of the office most of the week, he's insanely busy lately with conferences and other functions, so it was another week of holding everything together in the office.

I would like you all to know I understand how journal vouchers work now much better than I did when I started, and I can see why it is that plusses are minuses and minuses are plusses sometimes. We went finding yesterday, it was brilliant getting to stand on the namesti and admire the buildings, the people, the world around us, being able to bear direct testimony about the restoration, give out a book of mormon, and swap numbers with people. Such a breath of fresh air!

One thing I'd like to recommend to you all if you ever come to Prague is the Museum of Communism. I'm afraid I don't have the time to talk about what I saw when we went there last week, but I do have a brochure with the web address: www.museumofcommunism.com. The tour was simple, but really powerful, and it helped to give a deeper context to the people here than I'd been able to comprehend from just speaking with them.

Hope your week was great, mine was, and we've got much to do yet.

Elder Anderson