Jičiněves

This week is full of stories, I want to tell three that describe the highlights from the week. 

1. First the funny story, this week we were tracting in a small town called Jiciněves with literally translates to the child of Jicin. We were tracting in the evening, and were waiting for the bus. When we saw the bus assuming it was going to slow down and pick us up we got up and waited at the curb and then watched it drive on by. We were way frustrated thinking the bus driver was just discriminating against us I quickly looked at the bus sign read it again closely and figured out the bus only came to another stop, unbeknowest to us, so we went to the restaurant next to the bus stop got dinner to eat away our sorrows and caught the last bus of the night at 8:40 and barely made it home on time :)

2. Iva- in the midst of our less active finding in a neighboring city of Nova Paka the first woman we visited was Sister Samkova, who no longer lives there. However, we walked up to the house and it was pretty rundown and we werent sure if anyone lived there, but we rang zvonek "Czech doorbell" usually outside of the gate around their garden (Czechs love their gardens) :), and a woman answered asking who was there and we said obviously, missionaries of the church of jesus christ. Nothing. So we sat there for probably about a minute thinking is she calling the cops, is she coming to the door, what, and then we started walking way. Then as we were about halfway down the street she comes yelling "You rang my doorbell you might as well come and sit and chat for a minute"...so we did. Iva lived with the member that formally lived there, and has been struggling a long time with diabetes and a form of skolosis. Missionaries had come in the past weekly to visit, sing songs with her, and do service with her, and after the branch moved to Jicin, she was forgotten. It has been almost 6 years since someone from the church had contact with her. So we are going to return with some members and help her fix her garden and clean her house. Huge miracle!

3. Otakar- one of the young ysa guys, 28, and he had a baptismal date towards the end of July, but we had a lesson about President Monson talking about prophets, and after our lesson he said "Yea, I feel good when he speaks, he must be a prophet" After that he brought up baptism, and we asked him how he felt about it. He says he felt really good. Then, the spirit prompted us to recommit him to an earlier date, and he accepted. Assuming all goes well with the pohovor, he will be baptized on the 10th of June. I have a talk about member missionary work on the 11th of June. It will be a perfect opportunity to gain the wards' trust. 

Awesome week! Wish you all a good week!

Elder Belshe 

Jičín

Best ward ever...:) Lots of the first members that came into the Czech Republic live in this city. It is the smallest area in the mission, but lots of miracles have already been coming. We found 5 new investigators this week, and although a few have already fell through, one of them named Petr has been meeting with us and we are excited to see how he progresses. Vladimir and Otakar are both investigators that have baptismal dates for July, and both were at church which was terrific! We are planning to meet with several of the members this week, and help them grow their faith in missionary work, so that they can understand their role. We also are starting the inspirational nights, that we did in Prague in order to give the ward an opportunity to invite their friends to come in a very informal setting, and get good relationships with the missionaries. It will be a great week, and a great transfer! 

I am out of time already! I will send some more info next week, but I have some pictures! I have a goal to take a picture every day this transfer, mom will appreciate that.  :D

Elder Belshe 
So there are pictures of me with Elder Murley, our district, a Czech breakfast of eggs, toast, and mustard, but the mustard is better than any other mustard I have had before because it is mixed with horse radish...heavenly! 

Krest (Baptism)

Transfers

I have very little time this week so I am making bulletpoint highlights of the week:

1. Stake Conference- investigator named Destine came. He will be baptized next transfer! :)

2. Vylet with members to Cesko-Svycarsko

3. Zone Training in Brno about Christ's Church, awesome training :)

4. Zone Training in Presov, new area being opened in Slovakia that missionaries have never been in before, and we talked about the history of the Czech and Slovak Saints. Awesome :)

5. Dedication of Slovakia for the spreading of the gospel- on Saturday we attended the first part of the Slovakia dedication for the spreading of gospel for it to be an offical recognized church of the nation. Very spiritual! Good to meet lots of new Slovak members.

6. Kristina's Baptism- friend of Jara Vojta who the Sisters and us have taught together! She is wonderful, and happy for a whole new start in her life. I got to give a talk about the Holy Ghost, and we FOUND A CELLO..from a kind member in Liberec, so I got to play "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing" as well. Also awesome

7. Transfer Calls.......my last transfer I will not be in the office as an assistant, but I will be in Jicin as a District Leader with an elder named Elder Murley, he is from Canada! I am very very excited! It will be a good experience for me! 

Awesome week! Thanks for all your emails! Have a great week!

Elder Belshe 

These are pictures on the trip to Cesko Svycarsko with the members, the Ballackovi! :)

Experience in Slovakia

My entire mission I have served on the west side of the country where the Czechs are, or at least say they are, unbelieving. In Slovakia, it is the exact opposite. All of them claim a faith, and a church, but are very set in it, and not willing to change it. It was interesting getting to have an exchange in Banska Bystrica, the heart of Slovakia, and get to know the Slovak people a little bit better. I also got to be with Elder Bednar, the only Slovak elder from my MTC group. He is awesome! It was a fun exchange with lots of hard work and a successful day! We found, or more correctly he found us, but a young man around the age of 20 came up to us during the day and asked who we are and said he was looking for a church. (Miracles always happen on exchanges) They are meeting with him Sunday before church. I am very excited to see how it goes for him in the next little while! 

Then earlier in the week we had an exchange with the District Leader, Elder Swink, and then the missionaries serving in Bratislava came in for the day. That was also a really fun exchange! I enjoyed being with those missionaries! 

Friday, one of the really great YSA(young single adults) in the ward, Andres got married this week and we were able to attend the wedding! It was fantastic! They played Star Wars theme music! ..haha..that was probably the best part. BUT even better than that was when we saw Olda!  He is a recent convert who is now living in Brno, with Eva, a return missionary living in Zlin studying in Brno. I told him that it’s his turn next ;)…it was good to see and catch up with him!

Tonight there will be a baptism of one of the sisters' investigators from Mexico, her name is Quetzalli! She is fantastic! It will be fun to have another baptism here in Prague tonight. She is also making mole...so excited to be eating Mexician food in the Czech Republic👍

Another awesome week! Thanks for the emails of support! Love you all!

Elder Belshe 

p.s. So, flashback to Hradec Kralove! This is Mirek, the one that had a baptismal date for a while when I left to come here to be an Assistant, well he got baptized last weekend! This is his picture! He is such a stud, and I have been very blessed.