Jan 4 heppy nový rok!

Oh, oh, I love Trenčín. Day after day it truly proves its love to me in every way. I think I could just stay here forever and camp out under the castle and sing slovak songs and eat halušky and potato pancakes and be forever in love with this little country. The people here are some of the most hardworking people ever and sure do know how to live life, even if they think it is the hardest thing.

We had a very miraculous week this week. In the blustering cold, we certainly found a way to have a very happy new year and find those elect people in Trenčín who needed a little bit of light. We trekked our way up the the southern part of Trenčín called Juh, and visited one of our friends. She is a single mother with three daughters, but we have never met her daughters. This time when we rang the bell, her little daughter answered the door and let us up. We got to share with them a wonderful message about Christ! I love the hope in childrens eyes when they hear us speak (now that they seem to all finally understand me...). They are so close to God and so pure and wonderful. I really really think it is always a huge miracle when we can talk to a family all together.

WOW then we had a crazy week trying to figure out new years and whatever was going on with that!

We were trying to make Christmas visits still and running around all over freezing cold Trenčín and there were just fireworks going off at every corner and my poor weak heart was so excited and jumpy that things were getting a little crazy! We had a meeting with someone on on side of the city, and they are so wonderful, but we went a little overtime and there were no busses, so we sprinted back to the building in order to have waffles with the elders (good reason to sprint? I think not.) SO we had great waffles and then we went home to wait for midnight..and BOY I love slovakia!! I forgot how wonderful the fireworks are here! We so enjoyed the craziness that happened at midnight and I love being in a place where everyone still yells Happy New Year! But in a different language.

On New Years Day we had a great time when IT SNOWED!! Finally! We were so happy to start the year out white and clean. We wanted to go to the mall but turns out none of the busses were running, so we had a half hour to talk to people on the street, and we found three really great spiritual people who talked with us for a good long time! We could not believe that out of the probably five people walking on the street all day, three of them wanted to talk to us. God sure works in mysterious ways but we really appreciate it.

WELL then it was Sunday, and what a beautiful fast sunday we had. We were able to go to church on sunday morning in some more freshly fallen snow, and our wonderful members were there to welcome us. We had a fantastic testimony meeting about Jesus Christ and every member had a strong testimony to share. All of their experiences are different and they all have found such lasting happiness in the gospel. I have learned so much from the members here in Trenčín and am so grateful I am still here to follow their examples.

All in all, I am so grateful for the week that I have had here in Trenčín! I have come closer to Christ than ever in the last month and am so grateful for His Atonement. I am even more grateful for the examples of his Apostles--mostly for Peter, who was a man with a lot of fear that was quickly dispelled by his witness of the Living Christ. I know that each of us has fears we have to overcome in life, whether they involve standing alone or pushing through a trial--but I also know that when we receive that witness of Christ for ourselves, each of us can be healed and can gain a courage that is nothing like we have ever felt before. I am more grateful than ever to be a missionary and hope that I can continue to be a witness of Christ for the rest of my life.

s laskou,
sestra abbott