šťastne deň matiek všetci (Happy Mother's Day Everyone!)

Bonus family picture with starši garnernot pictured starši asay

Hello again! We have had a seriously wonderful week. The weather is fantastic and the sun seems to always be shining on us. Sometimes there are just little random buckets of water that drop down from the heavens, but a darling umbrella keeps us dry (Most of the time.) Then fifteen minutes later the sun comes back out to help our little freckles along. We could not ask for more.

We had the most remarkable privilege (how in the world do you spell that) to have a visitor from an area seventy this week here in Bratislava! Our district presidency was being trained and how lucky we were to be the missionaries here. Elder Adler was from Germany and spoke to us as missionaries for about an hour. He answered questions and gave so much wonderful advice. The spirit was strong and I do not know how I was so lucky to be one of the missionaries here! We had a lesson, and afterwards, he asked our investigator such upfront questions like "You are scared. Why are you scared?" and bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel SO strongly. We were half translating for him, because we do not know how much our investigator understands, but the spirit was strong enough that I think she understood what he was saying.

Blister

Then, that same day, we had a lesson with a different investigator who is so prepared for baptism and
knows that the gospel is true--but has been set that he will not be baptized until he reads the Book of Mormon and receives an answer. We have been a little bit stuck on this concern, and were again addressing it, when all of a sudden, Prezident McConkie comes into our little classroom and asks to join. So obviously we say yes, because who wouldn't, and he sits down. We asked our investigator what he was planning on doing when he found out the Book of Mormon was true, and he basically just answered, I would become a Mormon! Then Prezident just bore the strongest testimony and had the most perfect experience to share with him. By the end of the lesson, he had chosen a day when he can be done with the Book of Mormon and be baptized! Yes.

Calvary in Nature

Also, for family night, I made Americké Palacinky, American pancakes, which seemed to be a terrific success. Everyone was confused about why they were not thin (here their pancakes are just crepes) and they loved them. The best part was that Sister Cottle brought peanut butter and the elders made homemade maple syrup. SO that was just plain delicious.

We had an awesome day on Wednesday, because we talked to two men named Jozef who approached us and asked us what we were doing and why and were so ready to listen to us! One even asked us if we could meet before we even said anything about it. Later that day, we had already been contacting all day, and a lesson fell through, and we only had about 30 minutes until our next appointment, and then it started raining and we did not have our umbrella, so we were just like, well, lets just stay inside and make calls. But we really felt like we needed to do as we planned and try and contact, even if we only had 20 minutes to do it. By the time we got out the door we only had about 15 minutes, but in that time we taught 2 people and got their numbers with 1 already set up appointment. We could not believe it! Sometimes the Lord works in strange ways, but His ways and thoughts are always higher than ours.

nature

Everything is so green here, I love it so much. When we are contacting, I feel like we could just
wander a little and go hiking, because there are these little baby paths all around that randomly lead into woods. I will send some pictures of an adventure we had today when searching for a Calvary here.

We worked at stans again, and I have to tell you, I think my arms are getting way strong. Maybe. Just kidding, he gives us work that is sometimes difficult so the Elders will just slyly come over and do it for us when he is not looking. Yeah.

I think the last thing I really have to write about today is that Mothers Day was on sunday! Hooray! I was too excited to talk to my family. I was probably bothering everyone else because I was so excited but whateves. My family is the bomb.com. And happy Mothers Day to all the mothers and mother-figures (we had to go over that in english class) out there! Love and look up to all of you!

And of course, here is a small poem excerpt which I found and I love from Prez. Monsons talk "Hidden Wedges" (Which is a well known and simply wonderful talk.)

"Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: ´It might have been!´"
                     
     John Greenleaf

Something that I am learning, even through my pride, is that when the Lord tells you to do something, do it! Without hesitation! In Preach My Gospel, when it speaks of promptings, it always says that after you receive a prompting, you should "Valiantly follow" or "courageously follow" that prompting. Do not waste a minute, or you could be too late! It is something that I am learning, little by little. The Lords will is always wiser than our own.

Well, enough rants, but have a happy May! My halfway (Well, nine months, not quite halfway) mark is in two days!

Sestra Abbott