Brno-it All :)

Hey y'all!

So this week has been great of course! We contacted several people who we are meeting with this week that I am excited about. Thank you all for your encouragement, I miss y'all so much! Thank you for keeping me filled in with the goings-on there, I just sit here with a smile when reading all your emails.
 

Mom, don't think I would be so stupid as to not write you because of a comment about those glasses lol. I'm sorta used to used to it;) jk.(Insert Courtney's note: Mom basically told Carley in her last letter that she didn't approve of the "hipster" glasses Carley's been adorning in some of her pics) I don't wear them all the time just occasionally to change it up, if it makes you feel better, and I never wear them when we're contacting people and if I do wear them I wear lipstick...but moving on! haha. I love you all so much!!

Meet Leopold! He is taking the lessons with us and bought us ice-cream (zmrzlina) this week. He is the classiest, coolest 87 year-old ever and so sharp!

CASSIDY!!!! Holy moly girl, way to go!!! JV Tennis team :) I am so proud of you, you have the right enthusiasm and spunk for tennis I think. Keep up the awesome work! And wow, weird you will be going to seminary. whhhhatt??! (said like the little yellow men on despicable me) You will love it, it'll help you be a morning person for sure haha. Here's some scriptures I wanted to share with you, John 15:9-17.

Carley's apartment (exterior)

and this is the living room area. I should have gotten a pic of all the windows along the left side wall. skoda (means like darn)

this is our apartment the kitchen side

Dallas, another ticket...ouch (Insert Courtney's note here: Dallas got pulled over by a motorcycle cop for speeding a "titch" over the limit, cough, cough, then the officer proceeded to cite him for not wearing contacts--even though Dallas tried to explain that he got Lasik just last month). But yes, these humbling experiences happen before the mission. Believe me... I know. :P Just learn what you can from it and be sooooo grateful for Mom and Dad being there to help and figure everything out for us basically (y'all rock!!! <3). Just keep listening to Mom and Dad. They are always right. (Ya... I did just say that.) 

 

this is me with my teacher Sister Byla (white in czech)

 

I think back to pre-mission and see everything so differently and am embarrassed with all my stupid moments (sorry!!). I am so excited for you! The temple is the best place ever!! Just one month to go!! It is the final countdown!!
 

Court and Cam, yay for Lady!!! I am so excited for y'all and she is the luckiest pup ever, I'm sure she has an over-abundance of personality which will fit perfectly into the family :) I love y'all and your examples, I know I sound like a broken record saying that but REALLY. Y'all are amazing!

Building in Prague

Mommy, how I miss you!! I think about you all the time, in fact maybe too much? haha My comp is prolly annoyed with how often I refer to how you would react in any situation lol. Just know I think about you all constantly and any time I can I talk about you to ward members, investigators, random people on the street, etc., I jump on it. :) I love my companion, she is a lot like me in how we work. We laugh allllll the time. She likes to make me feel good by laughing at my jokes. I love feeling back in my element of making people laugh. It makes me feel more like myself, it really lightens the mood of the work which I desperately need.

Have you gotten a new calling? I'm sorry you were released from Young Women's, the girls will miss you soooo much (I think I know the feeling).

In Brno namesti (town center) cool stuff right?

Me in Prague last week, I look exhausted.

Dadio, Tata (must be a czech word, I think it means Daddy????)! You are so great, I love the letter you sent with all the funny pics, they crack me up lol. I did speak a little french je pe parle francais un peu (phonetically) just je m'appelle Seur Schoen, elle s'appelle... commo talle vous? simple stuff. But it opened her ears more I think. Sad thing, her husband won't let her take the lessons, he is Muslim. But maybe one day... Thanks for the music too! I finally can now listen to the iPod and the CD that Court sent me in the MTC. We jam out every morning! :) Y'all are seriously the bestest family ever! 

We have been meeting with a less-active for a while and he has just been giving us fits. Just being silly and justifying his silly thinking. I want to shake him and knock some sense into him. We feel like parents with a belligerent (sp?) teenager. So I sympathize maybe slightly more with Mom and Dad now. Kinda hard to explain, you just feel responsible for their spiritual well-being and it is frustrating and daunting. Mehh.

Today we are going to my first castle so next week I will have those pics. 

I love this work, I know the gospel is true and it can bless every single person. Pray hard, Work hard! <3

Brnotes from this week

Wow!

(She was a day late on her e-mail, we didn't know why we didn't get an e-mail on Aug. 19, but we were worried about her all day, then we heard from her on the 20th morning)

SO. This week has already started off crazy. Yesterday we went to Praha for our Pday so that my companion could do her visa stuff...we had to wake up at 2am in order to make our 4:30am train so we could get to Prague...bleh! Some VERY interesting people out at that time of night/day. I swear we sat next to a mercenary or assassin on the train. Never want to do that again. But I do feel safe Mom, so don't worry! We spent the majority of the day there but at least I got some more pics as we were walking around...not exactly how I would have liked to spend the day but whatevs, do what you gotta do.

I love my companion Sister Woody (I'm Sister Buzz haha). We have had a hard week this week, not going to lie. People not showing up to appointments or church, but this week will be better! Fingers and arms crossed! We had an awesome experience contacting though, we had been just getting immediately shrugged off by people, well we saw a lady on a bench and felt we should talk to her, so we approached and she said "Nerozumim" which is semi common for people to say even if they do understand but just want to make you feel stupid, hearing your accent. Anywho, so we almost kinda deflated a little hearing this but then she said, I don't speak Czech. Woohoo! Neither do we really! ha. She was from Algeria and spoke french and some

English. Well let me just dig back into my mental-file of french from high-school and conjure up a sentence...I fumbled through some stuff (a miracle in itself, I guess gift of tongues doesn't always apply to your specific language). Then we talked to her for a good while in English and taught her a lot, closed with a prayer and are scheduled to meet with her and her husband tonight with Pavla from the ward, who converted a year ago and speaks fluent french. So praying that goes well!

I really love the ward here, they are so sweet and some have given up so much to be members and are really true pioneers of the faith here. I just love them. We have made a lot of great contacts and have more lessons scheduled for this week. I did a solo-contact during our singing-display in the namesti (we sing hymns in the town square while half of the district contacts). I felt like I just needed to ask how she was doing and she said "terribly" which is uncommon for people to announce, even in America, if someone asks how you are you just usually respond with something positive, especially to a stranger, and move on. And people in the Czech Republic are not used to and distrust, people asking them random questions (makes our job fun haha). We began talking and I was just helped so much with the spirit, like never before, truly divine help right then. I was able to understand and speak with her about the purpose of our Savior and His atonement. She gave her number and we hope to meet with her soon, she is sooo sweet.

We have been helping the new Senior couple in Brno, the Archibalds from Idaho, get adjusted and navigate around the city. Helping them out as much as we can, but they'll get the hang of things quickly I think. They're an awesome couple and the ward and missionaries already love them. I really respect the senior couples here, they add so much depth to the missionary-work with their life-experiences. The Martins were awesome and very involved in the ward and will be missed for sure. They did indeed have pics of me in glasses. Cat's out of the bag, I got glasses!

Sestra Woodworth and Sestra Schoen (they both got glasses that look like Sister W's). My parents were e-mailed a picture where Carley was wearing a similar pair of glasses, so they, of course, were first worried she had been to an eye doctor and needed prescription glasses, so they asked her about it. She responded with the information below. Haha.

I have always wanted them (they make people look smarter I think...) and my companion had to get some (she had really bad vision) and while we were there I may have caved...my first and last expenditure for a long time I promise, in the Czech Republic. I know it's silly and I know mom, you don't approve. I feel like I am maturing a lot in many ways...but ya, I'm still the same ol' random Carley who has an eclectic, strange taste. Yay?! I really like them, and now everyone in our district has glasses! (we're visionary missionaries).

I miss y'all! Have fun in California and I will pray you will get on the show/have a super amazing time!! :) Oh and funny thing. Last night we were coming back from the church building and got off the tram and it is POURING down rain. So we sprint back to our apartment, completely drenched and sopping but we laughed the entire way and it is one of the highlights to my day actually. lol  Thank you for your support! The prayers help fuel me, so keep 'em coming! These weeks have flown by and I know I need to make the most of every day.

She found her favorite car ever in the Czech Republic.

I'm Brno'in Up!

Yuu! (Czech way to say yay) Another week gone by! Just had to email President McConkie a long letter about this week, so I don't have too much time, but I will try to give a good run-down of the week. We had training here in Brno, so all my District buddies came here and I got to see them again.

We actually had Sister Jackson and her companion Sister Terry spend the night at our apartment. When she got off the bus we seriously ran at each other and embraced. It was epic, and movie-worthy. It was so wonderful to see everyone again, it felt like it had been forever, yet somehow no time at all. We had all grown a lot in the week and had our eyes really opened to the true missionary-life. Everyone had gotten a good heaping of humble-pie, lol. I know I have!

Speaking of food, I had the interesting experience of having my first meal at a member's house... Sister K, she is rather...mature, and when we had spoken to her on the phone she had agreed to dinner on Thursday. To make a long story short, her hearing aid had stopped working, so she thought we were coming another day, and when we arrived, she was not quite expecting us. We tried to leave, she couldn't hear us really and began making food. Kindest lady ever... she got out bread, butter, and salami (I think) and put, I kid you not, butter about an inch thick all the way down the bread stick, then topped it with the meat. She gave each of us three (3) six inch pieces. It's not like it was particularly strange ingredients, the amount of butter that I consumed though was... a lot. But we did it! The sense of pride only slightly overwhelmed the urge to hurl. She was so kind to do that for us.

I imagine this was the meal Carley ate

I looooove the ward here! All the people here, I have met so many kind people! There are some rotten tomatoes too here and again, but I have never had a problem with having a tough-skin so no bigs. Their loss. I love it here. Learning so much! Next week I'll give a better account, promise. I love Sister Woodworth, we are so excited (and exhausted!) but it really is a happilly hectic time that I wouldn't trade for anything. Thank you all for your support! I really appreciate it! Love you all! <3

I don't get dearelders but like once a month, so I much prefer emails! 

I love you family and am thinking about you always!

Before I forget, please make sure the bank knows that I am in Czech just in case. I don't want any problems with randomly withdrawing from here and it cancelling my account. Love you all dearly!

Czeching into Brno

She made it! Here's Carley's first letter from the Czech Republic!

Nazdar!!

So its official now! I'm here in the grand ol' Czech Republic and it is just like home....NOT! haha.

 

When we first got here, President Mckonkie and his lovely, amazing wife Sister McConkie picked us up, but....wait for it...the airline lost my luggage. Not even pulling your leg right now. So I arrived bleary-eyed due to the lack of sleep over the course of the forever long plane-rides and now my luggage--come to find out--is still in UTAH, lol. Luckily I had brought essentials with me in my carry-on just in case. That in itself was a miracle! 

We went on a walk through Prague taking in the wonderful sights, sounds, smells, rain...(it began to rain on us as we walked) then we went to dinner where I got some orange colored Czech food, that I can't pronounce but that was really filling! We got set up in a room really close the mission office at some guy named Alexander's. The room was a quaint little European apartment that had some interesting artwork and decorations. 

The next morning we went to do paperwork for our visas. Everything was like bam, bam, bam!! Then we came back to the Mission office and were told where we were going to be for the next 9 weeks and with whom....and I am in BRNO!!! We all made guesses before coming and I just had a feeling it would be Brno. And it was!

And I am so blessed to be companions with Sister Woodworth, she is the BEST! I honestly think we haven't stopped smiling the entire time I have been here (a whopping 5 days but whatevs). We both are so excited about the work and ready to work hard every day. So after we met we had lunch and waited for them to bring my luggage, they did several hours later which is awesome that it was that quick! We started off in a mad dash to make it to our bus, only...to get there we would have to take some trams. 

Sister WW hasn't been in Prague yet for a transfer and didn't know the trams too well so we got a bit turned around, but we corrected ourselves and hauled it to the bus going to Brno juuuust in time. I was sprinting with my carry-on and one of my suitcases with me, quite the workout. By the time we got there I was drenched in sweat. we got on, sat in the back and began the 3ish hour drive to Brno in Eastern Czech. We had made it about 15 minutes out when after bumping the fellow next to me, he responds in English. "Whoa!" So of course we began to chat, he plays baseball here but is from Brisbon, Australia. (Baseball isn't a popular sport in either country come to find out) and we told him why we were here. Then we had a 3 hour long lesson lol.

He was intrigued, prolly more for conversation's sake, always adding "hypothetically" onto the ends of his statements. ooookay. It was a great discussion though, and Sister Woodworth and I had the opportunity to teach together right off the bat (haaha get it?) We transitioned really well in and out of each others comments. So fun!

I love our apartment! Its so cute, but fun fact, the Czechs don't believe in air conditioning. And it is actually rather hot here. Like reaaallly. Like for me, a Texan. Its very humid and sunny. But I love it!! It is a gorgeous place. We keep our windows open all the time, everyone does here. Thank goodness it is so safe! (No worries though mom, we are still always super careful, but it is). 

We taught 2 Lessons, (insert Courtney's note here: names have been changed) Jill and Armen. Both are actually recent converts, Jill is 18 and is super sweet! Armen...is difficult. He is from Portugal actually and we speak English with him. He is having a rough time right now and we are trying to help him.

Yesterday I went to the ward here. I love all of them!! They are so dear and sweet, their testimonies are so strong! Oh! and Starsi (Elder) Scherf is actually in Brno too! I think we are one of the only ones to have a fellow MTC Districtee in their new district. He got up to bare his testimony which instilled the courage in me so we both bore our testimonies in Czech! I had members telling me they were impressed by my Czech, shows just how nice they are! The ward has about 100 members I think? Numbers aren't really my thing.

a little girl at church gave Sestra Schoen this origami bird that had written inside, "Believe and miracles will happen."

There are alot of young single adults (YSAs) too, they just got back from a huge YSA conference in Slovakia. From what I heard about it from the Martins (The senior couple from Arizona serving here in Brno but are finishing soon--insert Courtney's note: missionaries can be young men/women, or they can be older couples who have finished raising their families and desire to serve a mission together, leaving behind their homes, careers, etc.) it was an awesome spiritual experience being there.

I love everything here! We have had some interesting experiences talking to people, I just usually smile and nod the whole time haha, then they turn and say "Does she even know what I am saying?" One lady kept touching my face, in a grandmotherly, non-patronizing way. They do that here. Like, they are, as a whole, super nice, so if they don't want to talk to you they will stroke the side of your arm and say " Ne zlop'te se" That is phonetically, It means "don't be angry," lol. We take the buses and trams everywhere here and walk a bunch. Have I mentioned how much I love it? Its awesome! I will send as many pics as I can! 

"Beautiful building, not so beautiful shot of my face'

Alley in Brno

What a view

"Petting the dog on a bridge for good luck, it's a tradition here."

View from the plane ride window

You don't see architecture like this in Texas!

Carley was reminded of all the ceilings sh had faux finished with my mom, so she had to include this picture.

Biggest Journey of Her Life

On Tuesday last week, Carley and her new companion Sestra W. traveled to their area called Žabovřesky in the city of Brno.  It is approximately 2 ½ hours away from Prague by bus, in the SE of the Czech Republic.

Altogether there are 6 Elders, 2 Sisters and 1 Couple in that district serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Her two fellow sestri from the MTC and the mission president's wife.

Her district from the MTC, now they all go their separate ways.

Carley's first companion, Sestra W.

Now for a flashback to the events of last Monday. Carley wanted me to share this story, and I have to actually type it because she isn't going to write it out herself. (That is because she already told the story personally to me on the phone and my family in person)

Monday morning: Carley woke up at 3 a.m. so she could board the shuttle bus to get her to the airport for their early morning flight. It's about an hour drive from the MTC to the SLC airport, so Carley said she made an effort to fall asleep on her back row seat of the bus, right next to the noisy air conditioner. She managed to shut her eyes for a while.

Upon arriving at the SLC airport, she and her district were in line about to go through the security check, when she went to pull out her wallet and...no wallet. She frantically searched her purse, where she knew FOR SURE her wallet last was...to no avail. She told Sestra J. the trouble she was in (she was missing her ID, her passport, her credit card, everything). Sestra J. didn't know what to do, so they turned to Elder W., and Carley said his response was priceless. He looked at her while she explained that she thought her wallet was still on the shuttle bus. he stared at her with a deer-in-the-headlights look, then turned back around. Like he knew what to do!

Carley said she and some of the members of her district ran outside to the unloading zone, where they saw another shuttle bus from the MTC. They asked the MTC workers on board if they had heard of a missing wallet turned it in. They said no, but asked if they knew the name of the driver of their bus. They didn't. Carley and her companions made an effort to describe the blonde, female driver with 7 kids, but they couldn't remember much else about her or the shuttle bus number. After all, it was pitch black during the pickup/drive/drop-off. Now there was nothing left to do but pray and have the MTC workers radio the shuttle service. The MTC workers started telling Carley that she might have to immediately begin coordinating efforts for IDs, credit card cancellations and more. Oh man, what a bummer and not a good way to start off her first day out of the MTC.

Well, right about that time, Carley sees a shuttle pulling up. A fellow sestra said, "hey, that looks like our shuttle, maybe!?" then Carley sort of jogged a few steps toward the bus and stared down the driver, hoping, praying it was the blonde lady she vaguely remembered. Well, the bus pulled right up and the doors opened and there was the bus driver, looking right at Carley. And Carley was gazing in at the bus driver, who was holding Carley's wallet and already leaping out of her seat to pass it off.

"I heard something clink when y'all unloaded, so I decided to check and see what it was," she said. Carley knows it was more than just irony, it was a miracle. Carley recalled the AC being so loud in the bus, there is no way that lady could have heard her wallet slip out of her purse, just no way. Heavenly Father was definitely watching out for her.

Phew! That was a close one! Then she arrived in DFW to her fan club waiting for her. Yep, after all the inner turmoil she originally felt, Carley decided it wasn't just "ironic" she had a 4-hour layover in Dallas. She knew she was supposed to see family. She got permission and my parents got approval from their stake president
(since Dad is on the high council, he ran it by the Stake President just to make sure).

So, my amazing cousin who works at the airport helped my family get through the airport so they could take Carley and her district to lunch at TGI Fridays.

If you ask Cassidy or Dallas, they'll tell you it was such a highlight to not only see Carley, but to get that experience with a a whole slew of righteous missionaries. Dallas was especially pumped because he is only 2 months away from being in the same shoes as all the elders in Carley's district. So neat!

Side note: My mom said the funniest thing (aside from Carley leaving her purse in a bathroom stall....yes, only a few hours after her wallet incident) was that Carley could hear music over the speakers in the restaurant at the airport and, while they were in the restroom, Carley just started dancing. "I haven't heard music in so long. I can't help it!" You can take the girl away from the dances, but you can't take the dance out of the girl.