Springtime is coming!

This week has been so wonderful! Springtime is coming and I am so in love with it! The sun is shining and the rain is raining and the air is just happiness. I love every season but I just love when it is transforming into the next one...

We had training this week! How great it was to have all the missionaries in Brno, and Prezident McConkie, our ever-inspired leader. It was too much fun to have all of us sisters staying here in Bratislava. We cooked up a big ole bucket of halušky and got out the Kofola to celebrate. I really love it when we are all together again. We really do feel like sisters. Training was SO good and was all about the Book of Mormon, which just strengthened my testimony 80x more because I have just finished it! I really feel like the more I testify of the Book of Mormon, the more I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it is true. I wish I could explain the clarity of this testimony. People on the streets do not understand! (Well, granted, they do not understand what I am saying anyway because Slovak, but...) I get so excited when I talk about it, that most of the time they think I am crazy. But, nevadi. It really is the means by which anyone can come closer to Christ and learn how to use His atonement.

tic tacs

Well, let me tell you, some cool things happened this week, like every week, but really this week. We planned one day to find a 28ish year old man who played the violin and teach him prophets. Well, after about fifteen minutes, we found a really cool man who we are sure played the violin! As we were celebrating our finding, we contacted another man who was from Sweden. And not only was he 28ish, but he was a music producer! He talked to us about why we are here for about 40 minutes and said that when he gets back to Sweden he will never again pass up an opportunity to speak with the missionaries he sees on the streets.

cake i made

Wow! This has been a cultural week! I love Bratislava. We also taught a muslim this week. I think I am learning more than ever about other religions on my missio than I have at any other time in my life. Faith is really an inspiring thing. He tried to convert us and gave us exerpts of the Koran, and we gave him a Book of Mormon. Haha

Did you know Islam is actually like the closest religion to Latter Day Saints? Well at least that is what the elders told me

Hahahaha we contacted a boy with a Utah Jazz hat on this week! It was seriously the weirdest thing ever. We taught him Book of Mormon and he was like semi-interested, and took our card, and was about to walk away, when I just blurted out (probably in terrible slovak) "Where did you find that hat??" He proceeded to tell us that it was just his dads, and he did not even know what it was. We told him what it was, obviously. Then, he asks, "What is this book you were telling me about?" We ended up giving him a Kniha Mormonova! hooray for the utah jazz!

We also taught this wonderful mom from Kazachstan. (Wow seriously, we taught so many cool people!!) And actually taught her again today. She is so cute and has the cutest little 8 month baby. She was raised atheist but felt like when she became a mother, that there is some higher power. It is so incredible to teach her about the plan of salvation and about how really, she is a daughter of God. We felt the spirit so strong as we walked in the park with her!

And last night, we taught a really cool guy from Lyons, France, who told us about his constant plea to God to not judge people. He says in France, they have a saying that basically means that you assume that every person you meet is good until they give you a reason to believe otherwise. He says, "Bien Vyons!" Or something I literally have no idea how to spell it but I literally really love it.

another cake i made

We had game night, which was amazing, and also very cultural, with a dad and daughter from Vietnam and a man from Ukraine..I just love the whole world

Sunday we went to one of our members house for lunch. Ahhhh it was the best! They are from Russia, and are so great. They both served missions, and now have three little kids who are 11, 7, and 2. The cutest! It was so nice to be around kids again and to be in a crazy house that reminded me so much of home. The gospel is really for families and there is really no better way to raise a family than in the gospel. We had this awesome chicken dish, which was basically just a whole chicken stewed in water with walnuts and spice on rice, and I ate like 10 kilos of cucumber salad, I am sure. Veggie portion for the week but also SO YUMMY.

Aside from the miracles we see every day, we are seeing some opposition! And this actually makes me excited! I love these people who every day tell me to doubt what I believe. And I have never had more joy in being able to say that I do not have to doubt because I know! I think about Lehis dream, when it says

 33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

 34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.

We cannot heed the voice. There is a critical difference that people sometimes do not see- a gap between questioning and doubting. We cannot heed those voices! And the more we stand strong, hold fast, and remain true, the more our testimonies grow and are firmly planted in Christ. I am so incredibly grateful for that as a missionary and for the knowledge I gain every single day.

Liszt!

PS Everyone should read Prezident Monsons talk from last Priesthood session, because I just read it and love it so much.


Bye love yall

Sestra Abbott

Tic tacs for dayz

super amazing sunrise