Czeching In 9/9/2013

Here's the weekly update from our favorite sister missinoary:

I love reading y'alls letters!!! I just sit here laughing and all teary-eyed. I miss y'all so freaking much!! I talk about you all the time to my companion and she passes her love onto y'all too :) I really love Sister Woody (insert Courtney's note here: Carley is Sister Buzz and Sister Woodworth is Sister Woody) and it is going to be super difficult to part ways with her in a few weeks (what the heck??! already been like over a month out here...craycray.) She is so great and we still can laugh at the hard things. It has been such a huge blessing for me! It is all about having a resilient attitude here. How fast is your recovery time. How fast can you get back up and give it another go. And I have a testimony that if you keep punching away, something WILL happen. The Lord loves us so much He just won't let us lose. That is why we need to trust in Him. I have learned so freaking much about this.

I had such a pessimistic outlook before I came on a mission, and even though I'd say that that tendency may not be completely gone just yet, I have seen miracles when I desperately needed them :) I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior and I KNOW they love me and EVERYONE. Even the crazy people of the Czech Republic.

I am blessed everyday to have the knowledge I do and it is a blessing to share it with others.

I have great news.... We have our first baptismal date!!! :D Vladimir, he's from....drumroll....Russia!

Yes. I love the irony there.  (I think this is the irony she's talking about...)

Remember Vladimir from the movie "Anastasi"? Carley LOVED that film.

He is excited for November 9th to be baptized, please include him in your prayers. He speaks great English so we mix up English and Czech since there are a lot of similar words between Russian and Czech, go figure. And he loooves the Spirit and wants to feel it always.Juuuupppiii!!! (Yay in czech)

Mommy, I miss you!!! We went shopping for groceries this morning and....I bought salad stuff. Even though it is more expensive and takes more time, I just have to have things to remind me of you. Plus I should prolly eat better.  I just cant tell you enough how much I miss you and love you! Tell the Zumba ladies I say hello! And when I get back, Zumba's gonna "make me go crrrrazy" (like the crazy song Eliana does). I miss Zumba a heckalot.

I am so proud of Cassidy!!!! Atta girl!!!!! wow :) (Cassidy is striving for all A's this school year, and to be on time daily for seminary) Don't tell her if she is indeed trying to follow in my footsteps that I was not so punctual for seminary haha...but she is so amazing!! I have now gotten in the habit because of Sister Woody being 10 minutes early always to everything. Dad's jaw would be on the floor for that one. 

I am loving it here, it's beautiful and rich in history and culture. I feel like I can tell the growth in Dallas (our brother, not the city) through  y'alls emails. I miss him a lot. I have adopted these elders as brothers for now but they can't even measure up to him at all (literally too, they're a bit short haha). I know he is going to be an amazing missionary. I am glad he is taking the opportunity to be home, wish I had done that more even!

I miss dad a bunch too, it's hard not having y'alls guidance so easily accessible.I can't spell anymore, I have forgotten sooo much!! gah. But the language is coming, slowly but surely. I am kinda hard on myself but it propels me forward. I just feel like my brain is absolutely fried by the end of the day.If I can get this language, I think I could study pretty much anything and be confident that I could do it. Just a side-note. It's definitely hard though. But the people here know it too, they have a hard time with it too lol. 

Courtney's note: Then she closed with a single-item Christmas wish list: a mini Preach My Gospel book. Wow. What an incredible girl. She's separated from all the things that she used to have at an arm's reach (certain brands and varieties of food, accessories and clothing, hair and body products) and instead of asking for any of it to be mailed to her, she wants a spiritual manual???!!! She is so mature and such a good example of Christlike service.