Week 3

Thankfully this week has been a lot better in terms of getting appointments locked in, and visited! Rather than having only 3 lessons we were able to have a little above 10 which is a significant improvement and blessing. This week we had quite a bit happen, first we had a new investigator through our English class which I got to teach for the first time this last Tuesday night. Kind of interesting teaching English in Czech when you don't even really know Czech...but English class has brought us quite a few investigators, and Zdenek came as a referral from someone in Prague. We had meet a couple times before, but with no real success, but after watching the Restoration video with him, we talked about baptism. And he accepted! I was incredibly nervous, but I was able to extend the commitment, not perfectly in Czech, but enough that it made sense...:) 

We also have been working with Kata who's only barrier is talking to her parents because she is 17 we have been praying and fasting for her, so we will see how it goes! We also found another investigator this week named Daniella who I took charge of teaching because we were on exchanges, and the zone leader had no idea who she was. She has agreed to work towards baptism, hasn't accepted but says she will work towards it, and to read the Book of Mormon! :)

We had exchanges this week with the Zone leaders who are great, and we had a lot of time to talk about the different aspects of missionary work that I have struggled with, and we set goals to improve them as we went into Plzen, a city that loves Americans. We went there first thing in the morning, and did what is called a singing contact where you have half the elders sing and draw attention while the others go contact.  It worked great and we got the zone elders two prospective investigators! Then Elder Vernard and I came back to Cesky Budejovice, and I became the senior companion for the day, took control the phone, studies, everything..it was definitely interesting..we only managed to get lost once and for any of you that know me well we would call that a success :) The day went really well, and we focused a lot of our time on how to improve our contacting other than the lesson we had with Daniella! 

Overall, really productive and progressive week! We have been working with an active member to give up smoking, and he has had a difficult time completely withdrawing, but this week he says he has, and is now on track to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood! Obeying the word of wisdom he has said has made him feel so much healthier, and happier! I feel that my testimony has been strengthened through his experience! Quite incredible! Haha one funny story from the week, we went tracting Sunday and met a man named Josef, and he let us in. The first house we tried! It was great, we began to talk about the restoration with him, and then he explained he was a Catholic, but then he invited us inside because it was cold. He then proceeded to give us this fruit tea (i promise, completely word of wisdom appropriate) and it was absolutely gross, and both my companion and I were trying to gulp the stuff down as fast as we could. At that point we tried to proceed with the lesson, but he decided to show us this video he made about his dog, and in the background was playing none other than the song straight from Napoleon Dynamite "some say love it is a river...", and my companion and I trying to get back to the lesson, explain that we couldn't be watching the video, and at the same time try to not die laughing we nearly cracked, but thankfully we didn't...:) He was nice, but showed no interest! That was our week here in the Czech Republic! 

Thanks for all the emails and support! My thought from the day comes from Moroni 7:45. I like to consider the difference between bearing and enduring in learning about the Christlike attribute of Charity. I have to come to realize it is about our attitude, as we rather endure valiantly as it tells us in the scriptures rather than simply bear it. As we strive to develop the quality of Christlike charity our lives will be immensely happier, and full of purpose and service to others!

Love,

Elder Belshe

P.S. I got an awesome european bag (manpurse, but it is still awesome!)