Inconceivable!

I can't believe I'm saying this..but my days as an MTC resident are quite numbered. We are leaving on Monday morning to Prague!! I really have no words to describe my excitement--it is still so surreal. Who knows where I will be at this time next week? I certainly don't. 

We Slovaks and Czechs are lucky to be leaving the MTC at 7 AM and not 3:30 AM like most of the rest of our European missionaries. Ah! Too exciting. Who knows what adventures await us? (Cheesy) (Haha)

Really nothing out of the ordinary has happened this week--We translated the Bruno Mars "Treasure" song into slovak, and for some reason, "Ty si moj poklad" is a whole lot catchier than the original. We have everyone in the halls singing in slovak. 

A cool story about the Book of Mormon in the Czech Republic--in 1930, with the communism and wars and all that non-fun things, every religious book was ordered to be burned. However, the book of Mormon was published as a little red-bound book with a big "KM" on the cover (Kniha Mormonova). The best part about this was that the book of mormon was the only book that survived the burnings because it seemed like it was Karl Marx. So cool!

We had an incredible devotional on tuesday with a member of the seventies, and he told us that right now there are 88,034 missionaries--What?! And the best part about it is that this number, that so many people thought would expand then shrink after the missionary age--this number is growing still! The gospel really is spreading throughout the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

I can't describe how incredible conference in the MTC was. Every single question I had was answered--even some questions I hadn't even thought about for a couple days. I absolutely loved Jorg Klebingat's talk--it was exactly what Sister Parsons and I needed. I can't believe how up front he was and still so perfect. I want to re watch it 90,000 times. 

I really don't want to continue talking about conference, because I know most people I'm sending this to watched it, but I'm going to keep talking about conference. It was too wonderful. How lucky we are to have prophets and apostles on the earth today to give us inspired counsel and advice! President Bednar's talk was an amazing example of our purpose as missionaries. President Monson's talk filled me with appreciations for blessings I have received from obedience and gave me new motivation to be exactly obedient. The women's conference talks (and that temple video, wow,) made me bawl like a baby. I can honestly say I don't think I could have counted more tears coming out of my eyes over the period of two days in my life. And our Elders in priesthood!? Weren't they just spectacular!

The devotional on Sunday night that we had after conference was wonderful. The man who spoke, Vaj Sikahema, (football player/news guy in philidelphia) told us to put our notes away and just sat and told us a bunch of wonderful missionary experiences. It made me so excited. I am so ready to go. I'm ready to go out and to bring the spirit and God's love to His children! I'm excited to fail--I'm excited to have challenges and successes, I'm excited to feel like I'm not making any progress, I'm excited to make a fool out of myself by saying something silly in Slovak or sounding like a four year old. We are so blessed to have been prepared for this! I'm already sad for the day in 16 months when I will have to come home, because I love this work more than anything.

Sister Parsons and I went to the temple for the last time in 16 months today. How strange that the place that has been my comfort zone every week for the last 6 years of my life will not be present for this next year or so! Afterwards, we were talking to the recorder about some symbolism, and he just said "Just wait for the day when your converts can go to the temple--or for the day when there is a temple in Slovakia!" The spirit washed over me. I know that this day will come! I don't know when, but I know that the church will be so strong there and I know already how good the people are. I can't tell you how grateful I am for the temple and for the long-lasting blessings it has brought me. 

Well, I'm not sure what else to write about--but I will write again from Prague/Slovakia! In a week or so! 

Love you all,

Sestra Abbott 

P.S. Scripture of the Week: Alma 24:11-16. The Anti-Nephi-Lehis are too incredible, and I have loved studying this story. The atonement is real and Christ is our Savior--I know it with all my heart! We can have our blades clean through Him and I am so grateful for that. 

P.P.S. this week, a czech sister prayed for us to "feel the spirit in the bathroom tomorrow" Just sayin.