I'm Staying!

Welcome Elder Jacobson!

What is up everyone! It was a pretty crazy week but I'll start with transfer calls because that is probably all you care about! Hahaha! SO we got the call Saturday morning about 8:50 which was nice we didn't have to wait that long! So prez told me the news that I will be staying here in Liberec and my new comp will be Elder Jacobson.  I don't know if you all remember him but he was in my district when I was in Jihlava, he's that cowboy! I love him and I'm way excited to be with him! Its going to be  fun! Elder Wutzke will be heading over to Prague to be the new AP!!! I'm happy for him he sure deserved it! I love Elder Wutzke and I will sure missing serving with him! Later that day after our lesson with Dana and stuff, I got a call from Prez Hanzal in the stake presidency saying that we would be having an interview later that day! I knew that Elder Jones had been called as the new Branch President but little did I know that my interview was because I was going to be called as his 2nd Counselor in the Branch presidency! So that was pretty crazy! It was a good interview but it will be pretty crazy because the other counselor is one of our Mongolian friends so I'm the only one that really speaks Czech haha! I think my language skills will drastically improve this transfer! I was set apart yesterday after Branch Conference, I asked him if they would do it in Czech so that was cool! So I don't really know what exactly all my responsibilities are but I know that I will be helping with interviews and will be leading church meetings and the basic stuff and really try to focus on LA members also to help strengthen the Aaronic Priesthood! I got permission to read handbook 1 so that will be really cool! I'll be learning a lot this transfer for sure! So that was pretty much my weekend haha! 

Sunday was sad though with everyone saying goodbye to Elder Wutzke! It was hard to translate his testimony for the Jones and Mongolians because I was a little sick (still am it sucks) But he made me cry like a lil baby! It didn't help that I already had a stuffy nose. Yeah Sunday was a sad day for sure but a great Sunday! It was nice to have the stake presidency there because of Ward Conference amazing messages were shared!

Now from the beginning! Last Monday we finally got to meet that La Family where the mom wants us to baptize her son! It was awesome they own a farm and Hotel so they are pretty wealthy! They showed us their horses and rabbits so that was cool! We had a good spiritual thought about Josef Smith! Turns out that her husband is baptized but never received the priesthood so our goal this transfer is to have the Dad baptize the son!! (we have a lesson tonight I'm excited hopefully I'll feel a lil better though!) 

Tuesday we did service for Jindra and then had a lesson with Lukas he seems to be coming around more and actually listening! Still doesn't want to try it!

Wednesday a guy in the branch called and asked if we could go to the library and sit at a table for school kids and have them come around and try to speak English! It was fun they had a lot of cool languages it was kinda like a cultural day which was fun and good thing of service! We probably had the best table! Then we had English classes that night!

Thursday we had a lesson with a guy that is in prison that is a member! He had a couple days at home and him and Prez Poho are good friends so he asked if we would go over! We had a good chat and I gave my first blessing in Czech so that was pretty cool! Then we headed over to Jicin after that for our last district meeting! It was good! then went and visited this potential that we met a couple weeks ago she didn't have any interest haha but way nice and she gave us fruit tea!

Friday we helped the people move out of the Jones new apartment so that they can move in tomorrow! It was good then we had cultural night! We went to the divadlo and saw Popelka(cinderella) Turns out it was modern and a Opera and in Italian! So YES it was way fun haha!! They had czech subtitles up top so I was trying to use my  language to understand haha I was lost the whole time! We had to leave early though so we could get home before 9! It was a fun day!

It was a good week for sure but I'm excited for general conference this week! I hear its going to be even crazier than last! Word on the street is that Elder Christofferson was at the mtc and told everyone that they better hold on to their seats for this one! soo it will be pretty crazy!!!

Love you all have a good week!

s laskou 

Elder Heywood

Last week of the Transfer

Wow it was a good week! Hard to believe that today is the start of the last week of this transfer this one really flew by! It will be interesting to what will happen with transfer calls on Saturday!

Anyway! Tuesday was great we did service for Otakar, the old dude that we met the other week! He's way nice and the service wasn't too hard just moving stuff around his big yard and making sure that his chickens get fed! He made it very clear to us that he has 15 chickens! I think he told us that about 15 times it was way funny! We finished with him and he asked us to come back this week so we will try to fit him in there somewhere we have a lot to do this week! After that we got changed had personal study then we met with Lukas the very atheist person! He will get there sometime he just doesn't want to try! Oh also right before lunch we ran into this woman from Australia she was super nice a part of some weird religion but she actually talked with us so that was nice and it was English!

Wednesday we had Zone Conference in Prague it was good to see all my buds and catch up! Also the Senior Missionaries that are in Liberec finally came so we got to meet them! And you'll never guess where they are from...... GILBERT ARIZONA!!!!!!! Not too far from us either!! They lived on Cooper and Elliot! So that was cool to talk with them! They are the sister and elder Jones! ZC was one of the most spiritual ones ever! we talked a lot about our mission culture and what we need to change! Then President gave an amazing Training on Being  truly converted! And making sure our investigators will be truly converted! We talked about the last days and how even the elect will be deceived! And gave examples of some of hi closest friends in the gospel as they fell away from the Church! It was way powerful and counseled us that we must continue to the small and simple thing so that we will never be deceived by false Christs and so forth! Amazing training! When training ended we had to run for our bus so we could get back for English! You always just feel so missionary running through a train and bus station wearing a full suit with your arms packed with things haha!!

We made it to English though I taught beginners it was fun! They hate our tenses haha and its hard to teach especially in Czech but it was fun we have some characters! The lady that we found on the street came again so that was cool! Also they started filming spider man so we watched that for a bit with a member!! Then ran into a potential that set up with us for the next day!

Thursday, the senior couple came up to Liberec and  we showed them around! their apartment isnt ready yet so they are staying in a lil town about 30 mins away! They are awesome and really excited to get to work! We took them to our favorite restaurant they really liked it! They already love Czech food!! After that we did some studies contacted a bit then had dinner then had our lesson with a new lukas! Hes a believer has a lot of questions we taught full restoration he definitely felt the Holy Ghost so we will see what happens with him this week! That was about our day!

Friday we went over to Mlada Boleslav and went on splits with the other elders! I was with Elder Lund and we went to go visit this referral that they got! So we finally found his house in this tiny little town and his friends answered and told us to hang on a sec! So we waited and we heard this guy in the background say I don't want to talk with them! Then his girlfriend came to the door and told us he wasn't home! So we were about confused why we he ordered a book of mormon haha! So we just contacted around a bit and got our bus back then met back up and headed back up to Liberec! And right when we got there it started to pour raining like pour pour!!!  It was a good 10 min jog from the bust station to the apartment! We literals took a shower it was fun though!

Saturday, we headed over too Dana's house for her to teach us how to make more Czech food! we made this thing were you stuff meat into a pepper and then boil it in this sauce!! It was so good! Then we made knedliky to go with it and then made some kolac after it was a great morning! Then we taught about Jesus and ready 3 Nephi 11 with her! Shes awesome and will be baptized but the Branch just insnt ready for some of these elect people we are teaching! Then as we were walking to the Tram we passed this fall festival on the namesti in jablonec  it was way weird haha there were like naked men it was way weird we didn't stay to long! Then we did studies and weekly planned that was about it!

Sunday we were small in numbers we had the Mongolian members then 2 czechs and the Jones so elder wutzke lead and gave a talk and i blessed and translated! It was just a grand time but we are pretty use to doing everything! Then we had a meeting with the Jones after church and we already knew but he had been called to be the next Branch Counselor! (Thank the Heavens) so we went through every member with them and all that then they came to a lesson with us! It was about a hour drive to this guys house! It was a way pleasant visit! he also invited a friend to meet us so we sang a couple song and then taught the restoration it was way cool! this was that Milan guy that we have met with in the passes he just lives very far so we dont get to see him a lot but hes an amazing man!! We invited him and his family to Branch Conference next week  so hopefully they will come!

It was a good week!! 

LOve you all

S laskou 

Starsi Heywood

Hey

Another week has come and gone, the mission is starting to go fast!! We had a good exhausting week!  I feel like we were everywhere this week!

Tuesday we headed up to Prague because I had my last visa appointment and man was it stressful! Prague traffic was awful!! You cannot be late to these things or else you get in big trouble by Sister Poho! so we got permission to break the rules a bit! Elder Wutzke got me close and I got out of the car and had to sprint to the building and stuff and sign in real fast! Barely made it by 2 mins! Its all good though, I got my lil card and I'm good to stay in the Republic another year!!! Then we headed home but had to stop by the mission office and drop of Turros record then we headed to Jicin for district meeting and stuff!  We didn't get home to Liberec till like 7 so there went our day pretty much!

Wednesday we had service in the morning with Jindra! Hes a bro and I love him! Then we got lunch with him! Then the Zone Leaders came over because we had an exchange! We set up about 4 lessons so we were busy! I was with Elder Backman, he's a nice guy! We taught Lukas! Hes a stubborn atheist that's for sure but he'll come around! He likes the meetings but just not willing to try it! Then we met with Helena! One of our members we reactivated! We then had about 45 mins till English so we decided to go contact about our English classes for a bit! We contacted this lady and she had a lot of interest! 45 mins later she walked in for English! It was awesome! A small miracle and also another guy came that I texted the week before, so we had 2 new students it was awesome! Then we did a study and had dinner!

Thursday morning we drove over to Plzen to end our exchange there because there was a book of Mormon campaign finding there! It was cool to see Plzen but honestly me and elder Wutzke just wanted to head back to Liberec the whole time but we had a good time there! Then we had to make the 4 hour journey back home which sucked, a 3 hour train to Prague then a hour bus back to Liberec! that was our day!

Friday our whole morning was taken up we had to move everything out of our old apartment! The Masons came with a big van to take everything to Prague so we had to take apart beds and all the kitchen stuff had to be packed away! It took a while! They treated us to lunch after they showed us where the senior couple in Liberec will live! They come next week and we are really excited for them to be here! Then we got changed! I didn't feel super good after I got ready so during personal study I took a nap! Felt a lil better after but no time to be sick because we had a lesson with Gabriel! He said his life has been better since hes been praying everyday so that was good! Then after that we weekly planned which was good!

Saturday was a grind! We went over to Dana and Standa's and she taught us how to make Gulas and Kolac so that was awesome! I'll make you all some when I get home! Then we taught them about the godhead which they had been a bit confused about! Got that all cleared up! It was a great morning! Then we got back and had personal study! We had found 0 people this week so we were a lil stressed! We gave up the rest of our studies and dinner hour because we had 6 potentials to visit! So we headed out! 1st door nothing 2nd door nothing and so on! But the last door this nice old man answered and we had an awesome conversation and set up for Tuesday to do service for him! It was awesome! and he answered the door wearing speedo like undies,a winter coat and rain boots!! hahaha Only in the Czech Republic! Then after him a old investigator wanted to meet up and we went on a run with him and along the way we talked about miracles from our missions! It was awesome! Its amazing what the Lord can do when you give him a lil sacrifice!

Sunday was good! In the middle of the opening hymn, 8 Americans walked in haha it messed up my leading! (yes I lead the music and no I don't really know how)  But it was cool! They were just here on vacation! I also gave a talk yesterday! They took pics and I gave them moms number so mom you will probably get a text sometime this week! I hope I put in the right number haha!! Then later that night we went over to Jindras to teach his kids English! But we didn't have time to share a spiritual thought because they had a family emergency so we had to cut it short! good day though!

Pretty good week a lot of traveling though! We have ZC this week so I'm excited for that!!!

Love you all! The Gospel is true and we can be happier in our lives when we use it!!

S laskou Starsi Heywood

Only got a couple pics! So they are filming the new Spiderman here on the Namesti so that's pretty cool.  I think filming starts this week sometime so they have a carnival scene somewhere in the movie so I'll try to get some screen time.  We'll see haha! 

První Křest

Well This weekend I was on cloud nine! Turru entered the waters of baptism and it was amazing! Turru went from not having a clue who God is to having a strong testimony in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! It was amazing to watch his faith grow after these past 4 months into something amazing and so strong! It was a stressful day but it turned into be the best day ever! He was so happy afterwards and he invited some friends to come and watch! He already is an amazing  missionary! Then Sunday I had the privilege of confirming him a member of the church and give him the Holy Ghost! It was a great weekend! You could say I was on a spiritual high! So every week our mission does a lil news letter and I want to share with you what we wrote about him..

Turru has been elect from day one. His wife is a return missionary and so are his 2 best friends.He

is from Mongolia and does not speak the best English, but we used a mongolian Preach My Gospel

and a translator. We only had one option...Teach Simply. And it worked. When Liberec got blinded

out the missionaries decided to visit every member on the church records in just one week. Turru's

wife was on the list. So went for our visit with a Lesson prepared about Living Prophets, and The

Family Proclamation to the World. Little did we know that Turru would be there, and the previous

missionaries and our Father in Heaven had been preparing Turru to investigate the church. Over

the past 5 months we have been able to teach him everything. He missed his first baptisimal date

because he didn't feel like he had a strong testimony. We gave him a challenge to read, pray, and

study General Conference with his wife every night. 3 weeks later he told us in his broken english "Iam ready, I have a testimony, I am converted." Turru is in example on charity, love and happiness.

He has already blessed the Branch in Liberec in so many ways. At his baptism he invited a lot of

friends and they all came to support him. He even gave us the contact information for all of his

friends and set up a lesson for us to teach one of the families that was there later this week. Not

only is Turru an amazing missionary, he is also an amazing friend and is eager to get the

Priesthood and take his wife to the temple. After the baptism he told us, "Today is my new

Birthday, I will celebrate every year. Thank you so much." We love our best friend Turru and now

Liberec is mentally obsessed to baptize more elect children of God..

It was a great day and the 1st Baptism Liberec has had in a couple years! Ill send pics

Also a highlight of the week was on Wednesday we had a Book of Mormon Campaign Finding here in Liberec with another district! It was very successful! We were blessed beyond measure! We gave out 20 copies of the Book of Mormon and received 22 numbers from people! It was really awesome to do! One of my favorite contacts of the day was my last one; I actually didn't get his contact but in the end I managed to get this guy Petr who had no belief in God and did not want to talk with me at all to take a Book of Mormon read the 1st passage from the campaign which has the question does God exist and to pray about it! It was way cool! I'm sure I will see him again someday!!!

That was really about it for my week! It was a good one! Today we went on a vylet with a member from Jicin so that was cool! Hit up some castle ruins!!

Love you all!!

Hey everyone...

Well it was another great week in the Czech Republic! So I guess we will jump right into it!

Featuring Sammik, the cutest kid in our branch!

Last Monday night we had fhe or rdv with a family the Hanzalovi! He is a counselor in the Stake presidency and has to travel a lot but he was in town and we got invited over and it was the most přijemny night of my life! WE walk in and it just had that Mormon house glow feel to it which doesn't happen a whole lot here! They made us tacos which I haven't had in quite a while! Then we sang and we had the spiritual thought and we killed it just focused on their kids and talked about missionary work and gave them little badges that we made for them! Then had dessert, ROOT BEER FLOATS!!! I forgot how good those things were!! It was a great night!

Tuesday was just a normal day with lessons, missionary work ,some tracting, we went over to these investigators and they fed us some good food! We took them over from the sisters so we just got to know them and read a chapter in the Bom with them!

Wednesday we had Zone Conference in Prague which is always good! There were some good training given.  I really liked Presidents and the APs messages but I don't have my notes with me so I don't remember everything but it was good! We got home and went straight to English classes! I taught beginners and yeah that was fun!

Thursday was a pretty normal day just basic stuff nothing special!

Friday we headed over to Ceska Lipa to teach Turru! We started off with an English lesson to help them on English! Then talked about commandments with him and talked more about his Baptism! He decided that he didn't really like the font in Prague and wants it to be outside so we need to find a lake to do it at.  There are a couple options that we are looking at! It was a good visit and he says he still wants it! He has been reading and praying every night with his wife so that is awesome! I love that guy so much! He has his interview this weekend so pray for him!!

Saturday we went to Pavlinas in the morning! Its always an experience! Her prayers are crazy and this week she prayed and said I quote (we are very grateful that jaroslava died) my first thought was did I just understand that right? Then second, who the heck is Jaroslava! haha it took every ounce of strength to not let out a giggle!! I've never bit my finger so hard to keep from laughing! Shes a strange crazy woman but so nice!! Then we went to this guys Ubytovani and taught him it was pretty sketch stuff thought i was gonna get stapped (?)  but it was a good lesson we will be going back this week! Then we taught a LA named Kiki then we ran into a returned missionary who I heard was a legend! He was Elder Wutzkes 1st AP! SO that was cool we went contacting with him for a bit it was cool! Then we ended our night!

Sunday was good we had quite a few people there sadly no investigators, Turru missed his train so that stunk! But Prez Hanzal was there and had a high counselor there and almost all the regular members! It was good Also that returned missionary was at church with his parents! Then elder Wutzke taught Sunday school and I taught elders quorum! Then we had a lesson at 1 then went to a members house to plan a vylet for today and then did some other missionary work and had dinner and had a short member visit at 8:30 then headed home!

Oh also crazy news!!! Marcela from Jihlava will be baptized this week! SO amazing she is the best!

Overall a pretty good week! Today was fun we went on a vylet with some members! It was a cool little hike with some cool views and a cave that you could go in! It wasn't super big but the two little kids loved it!! Here are some pics!!

BTW, these are two boys with me.

Love you all! God is Great and He loves us!

Slaskou 

Starší Heywood (ahoj dřevo)

Cau

Man what a week!! A lot happened!!

Tuesday we headed over to Mlada Boleslav to have district meeting with the other elders! We got to watch a devotional from the MTC by Quentin L Cook it was good! About 5 things to be a successful missionary!! It was a great reminder why I'm out here and what our goal is! Then we had to head home because we had a lesson with a dude that is interested in English then headed over to this one guy's house that we set up with last week! It was kinda awkward though he never showed up but his brother and his girlfriend were there so it was like awkward small talk for a while then we just kinda taught them because he never showed up! Way awkward! haha! They were gypsies and kinda crazy so we aren't gonna spend a whole lot of time on them; they have our number they can call if they want to meet!

Wednesday we went to a mall and had a meeting with a member from Bulgaria he needed help obtaining a debit card but turns out he is illegal so we cant help him there! Then we headed over to this lady that checks out our food at the grocery store and is from Cuba! She was an evangelist missionary and wanted to make us food.  It was a pleasant visit, her faith is amazing and we gave her a book of Mormon in Spanish but I don't think she will be changing religions anytime soon but so so so nice!

Then we taught English and had a lesson with Helena! shes good still crazy!!

Thursday I had visa work in Prague so we were there most of the morning then got home and had lunch and then we had a a lesson with Karolina she was a lil more normal so that was good and she moved out with her boyfriend so that is progress!! That was about our day!

Friday we did studies and then went and visited a member who has a  daughter who  just had a child so we brought her some fruits and flowers! It was a pleasant visit then went and visited this weird family! They were weird and the lady just cut us up a thing of salami and gave it to us! it was disgusting!! The dad comes out of the bathroom and he's this huge guy with no shirt on! so like wow! haha we just gave them a pamphlet and had to leave! yeah weird stuff I still don't know what happened there!

Saturday was the best day ever but it had a crazy start! We headed over to Pavlinas house (crazy women in the woods) and thats always an adventure but it was extra on saturday! So we get there and we go up to grab her water jugs to fill them up because she doesn't have running water but it smelled so bad and I look down and just see a jar of meat with maggots all over it! So we ask Pavlina what is that she told us the smell will keep the gypsies away! Yeah shes crazy it was disgusting!!

Pavlina grabbed this item for the picture...

Then we get back on put her jugs by her door then a squirrel falls out of a tree into this huge blue barrel of rain gross water and before we can do anything the squirrel drowns and she just leaves it so she now has a dead squirrel too! After that we decided to leave so we prayed then headed out!

The next picture we all grabbed items to hold up for the picture.

Then later we headed to Ceska Lipa to teachTturru! We had an amazing lesson about temples then related it back to the restoration it was good! Then we asked how he's feeling about baptism and he said.......I'M READY!!! SO he will be baptized the 9th of September!!!!!!!!! We are so excited and so is he!!! He had a very spiritual experience while he was giving the closing prayer too it was an amazing atmosphere!! Also they went to church in Prague and saw the baptismal font and loved it! He's Golden!

Sunday was good! Me and my comp both had talks this time! Oh and idk if I told you all this but I lead when we sing hymns every week haha I don't know what I'm doing! Then we had a lot of area book and calls to do! Then had a lesson at 5 then another at 830.

SO yeah it was a solid week for sure! Love you all!

Tres Udos

Wow what a week! I dont know where to start! A busy week thats for sure! But a good one!

So Tuesday we hit up Jindra and had service with him, we continued build his parking lot by his little BandB so a lot of dirt and a lot of big rocks! It was  fun though then he made lunch for us and told us that we could teach his family again in the beginning of September because they are all just too busy right now and will be out of town for the next two weeks so that was good news! Then after we went home and showered and had a couple lessons one with a kid named Lukas (who was one of the sisters people) so we picked him up but he's not super interested in the Gospel.  Mainly wants to practice his English but told us he would listen to us! Then we had a lesson with a LA who just got back from Iceland, she's way cool and played a song on her Uke for us it was fun!

Wednesday we had  DM here in Leberec and did a lil Group finding only had an hour but it was nice to go out and talk with some people! We went around and asked people Kdo jsou Mormony? (who are the mormons) and got some way funny responses like: they are from Canada right? But I actiually had a way cool convo with some dude he actually new quite a bit about us but did'nt want to meet! Then we taught Radovan and because we told him that if he came to church he could have another date we gave him one for the 1st of September so we are praying he will make it this time! Then we had English and Helena the rest of that day so that was a good one! Sister Jarosova told us that next week was better so we will be going over this week to teach her son!!

Thursday we had Jiri in the Morning HE READ HIS 10 CHAPTERS!!!! hahaha hes funny and liked what he read we finished Plan of salvation with him and he really liked it because his sister is in the hospital right now and not doing to great so he liked the idea of living together forever! Not sure what to do next with him he just needs to get to church! Also we met a nice fellow outside his apartment that set up with us so that was way cool! And we tracted a bit before we headed back for lunch! That evening we went and worked out with Honza again yeah he was only interested in the sisters so we are dropping him hes a cool dude though! But man he killed our legs! Haven't had a leg day like that since football! We struggled the rest of the week to walk and I'm still feeling it!!!!

Friday we had Karolina in the morning and we taught slovo moudrosti and she has a big problem with smoking and she lives with her boyfriend so we took her off date. She needs some more time! Then we have been looking for an apartment for the senior couple that is coming its been pretty funny calling realtors and stuff because we still don't speak this language haha!! Then we headed over to the maskovi boys and had like a lil mutual for them we got pizza played some bang then shared a spiritual thought at the end! I love those boys so much!!

Saturday takes the cake tho haha! so Sister Jarosova is a singer and was singing at this festival Saturday night and she really wanted us to come! So we got it approved and stuff and we had no idea where this place is so we text for the address and she sends it but our gps could not find it we were so lost!! So we decided to go to this little city outside of Liberec where it might be so we enter the city and see this concert thing so we are like that's it!! We park our car and run over and walk onto this soccer field and every eye just turns to us it was so awkward and then some band is up there called the tres udos like going hard in Somebuerros!!! So we look around for sister jarosova and husband no where to be seen! haha so we go off to the side and send a text and stuff saying maybe we are here but the wrong place haha! Then all the sudden the cities soccer team comes up to us ask us who we are they are pretty drunk and once they found out we were from america they loved us haha!! They wanted to buy us drinks haha it was hilarious we took pics with them haha! So yeah turns out we went to the wrong place and left after the soccer team let us go! Tres udos was a good time!!

Sunday not many at church Elder Wutzke had to lead church and I had to give a talk we only had 2 hours of church then we all went home haha pretty sad! But we had time to catch up in the area books and do a lot of calls! Not the most exciting Sunday!

Festival

Us and the Soccer Team

Today was good we went to a castle then I got a haircut so you could say it was successful!!

Love you all!

Elder Heywood!!

Maskovi Chlapy

Another Castle

Fell asleep on the train going home!