But Ostrava-l, I love it here!

Howdy Ho!!!

So we had a very miraculous week. I have really seen how increased faith directly affects the increase in miracles. Funny how it says that in the scriptures. When someone cancelled a lesson (which is fairly often) we would continue contacting and find someone and teach them a lesson and set up to meet again.

the YW in our branch

Love our YW, grateful to have my dream calling as a YW leader!

In one particular case we approached a group of 5 friends hanging out at a park. They were all around 25ish. We walked up and began talking to them, they were all laughing, finding their weak attempts to mock our strange topic of conversation comical. We pressed on, undeterred and asked the leader of the pack a simple question, "How do you overcome problems?". He couldn't lie and say he didn't have any, and began to think about it more, which led them all gradually to really listen to us. We continued talking to them, they payed more and more attention, we taught them how to pray and each one of them was excited to pray, acknowledging that God exists and would answer them. And we set up to meet with them all again. It was awesome! 

 

Sometimes I replay situations like this from a bird's-eye point of view and am happy with myself that what could have pushed me away before my mission, feeling silly for approaching them and running out of musto to continue, fueled me even more to say what we had to say. I think of the words of Paul "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" and I also truly know that I can do "all things through Christ which strengtheneth  me". 

 

It has been raining here really bad yesterday and today. I am not the biggest fan of the rain FYI but the work goes on, and there is something gratifying about running through the rain to catch a tram. I kinda wanna scream at the top of my lungs "MISSIONARY WOOORRKK!!!" Feeling all hard-core like but I refrain...most of the time ^_^ It's awesome. So yesterday we were everywhere in Ostrava visiting people, at the end of the day we had the choice whether to go home for dinner or continue... so we continued on. 

 

As we are walking through the rain (we didnt bring our umbrellas because we didnt see a cloud in the sky that morning) a car pulls over to us. (Bird's eye view moment- usually I would be a little scared by such a situation but I didn't feel any danger) the man asked us if we were from another denomination who also work in two's preaching. We replied no and said who we were then he was stunned that we were not from the CZ so he parks and gets out to talk to us more. He had seen us at the other end of town and was so confused why people our age would be spending our time doing such a thing instead of 1000's of other things we could be doing. We told him why:) Ended up teaching him a lesson. All goes to show what diligence can do. 

 

I know the Lord is behind us, who can be against us? Grateful for all the lessons I am learning here. I love you all and so sorry I don't have a ton of time to email you all back. Scraping for time always on this here computer. You are the bestest family ever!!! <3

 

 s Laskou,

Sestra Schoen

Make the mOstrava-t!

So this week has been awesome, a lot of highs and a couple lows. Great news! We got a ton of potential investigators. Not so great news... our phone got stolen. Great news! We had most all the numbers written down except for one (but I am praying we meet her again so it will happen). We got a new phone the next day at the specialized training with Elder Teixceira...still don't know quite how to spell his name but anywhos it was AWESOME!!! He really hit the nail on the head with what we needed to hear. We have had a miraculous week and I am so excited for more!

We are really thrusting in our sickles(<="you know you're a mormon when" moment much?) I love serving here and learning more and more daily. I am so glad yall have had awesome weeks on vacation traveling to different parts of the world like Court and Cam and even Cassidy (Six Flags counts), and I'd say Dal and I are on praycation at the moment. I really liked Dal's comment about praying at least 5 times a day. I think that is the habit that will absolutely never go away, just how often we need to pray for strength, courage, peace, energy, knowledge you name it, I've prayed for it. The best part is... I see the results!!! How awesome is that??! It is because God not only exists, He for some reason loves us despite our weaknesses.

That is why we teach people to pray first. That is like the life-blood of our testimonies and we want them to build that testimony and faith individually so personal, powerful prayer is vital. I love this gospel!!! I know it is true and I am learning so much being in a new city with an awesome companion like Sister Senkane. At first, not going to lie, I felt like one of those shrieking plants from Harry Potter (I cant believe I have forgotten what they are called!:P please write back what they are so I can sleep), uprooted from what I knew and loved but I think I am sinking in here and really gaining alot of knowledge and strength in the process. I love you all sooooo stinkin much and pray for you always! <3

Ostravan' about this awesome city!

Hey family, This is a special email to you all because I don't have too much time sorry, and I think I forgot my brain on the tram, so sorry in advance for the randomness of this email. Firstly, I'm a huge idiot. Dadio, I cannot believe I spaced last emailing and didn't wish you a happy father's day. You are the best dad in the WORLD. Everyday I am more and more grateful for you and your devotion and support to our family. Spiritually, emotionally, financially (which by the way I had to buy some new shoes, my other ones were beat... it seems my wardrobe is finally getting the wear and tear of a year out so I may do a little more shopping today too but not a lot and I promise that is all!) I am so glad girls camp went well without a hitch and that yall enjoyed yourselves (with some diet coke too!!!! woo! and glad no cars were damaged in the process;) i know that sonic well). I miss the Texas heat, though that is easy to say in cooler climate. Dal, that has gotta be tough sweatin' in the dress pants, you'll get a nice farmers tan though. That's what you get for reapin' and sewin' in the field for so long right? budump-ch!!! Speaking of drums, cool opportunity going to Uncle Walter's concert!

on the left is a recent convert, middle is Sestra Senkane of Latvia, and on the right is a very tired looking me.

So excited for Courts and Cams cruise and this Book of Mormon tour, I will want to see these pics please! How cool is that?? And speaking of unbelievable, wow Auntie Barbara! I will keep them in my prayers. That is tough stuff.

I am soooo excited about this cabin (insert Courtney's note: my parents are thinking about building a cabin at the family's property in Oklahoma)! Woah! And the reunion, neato. Sounds like a ton is happening over there.

I am doing well, hard to be away from MB, I know that city like the back of my hand, then coming here...humbling. But I love Sister Senkane she is so neat and a we get-along wonderfully. This week we have already seen so many miracles, we have gotten 22 numbers from people and a promising new investigator so we are excited. We plan on really working hard and dedicating ourselves 100% to the Lord. It is just taking me a bit to get into my skin here, but already I know it will come in time and effort.

some Ostrava architecture for ya. more to come!

This week some big-shot from the church is coming through the Czech Republic so we have training in Prague on Wednesday. All of us will be on our best behavior. I think his name is Elder Texiera or something, I am sure he is a spiritual giant but I am not so excited since it takes us all day by train to get to Prague and back. Cam, you noticed that- it takes almost 4 hours to get to Prague. So much traveling and there is so much to get done here, but I am sure I will love it. I am loving the work here and getting my feet under me but I have a good feeling about Ostrava (and Mom, don't worry we are safe I think they just call it the Czech Detroit because of the grim atmosphere of the city and they don't actually know what Detroit is like), Cassidia, glad you get along with those girls and won the dance competition, you are amazing!, Young Womens is so awesome.... :) I miss it...but not for long! Guess what? I got my dream calling in the branch here, we are over the Young Women Program!!! Woo! So we have 2 girls and our investigator sometimes comes. I am superdeedooper excited!!!!!  I am praying for yall always!!!!!!!!!!!

this is a panalok. They used to all be just gray but after communism they have gotten very colorful..

OSTRAVA!!!

Yup that's right. I am now in the far eastern city of the Czech Republic:) It is referred to as the "little Detroit of the Czech Republic"haha (shout-out to Cam!) I cried when I was told Friday night that I would be leaving. I absolutely adore Mlada Boleslav and all the wonderful people there, but here's to a new city with new adventures and friends! Saturday was pretty stressful, we had a concert that night in Jicin and were waiting on the infamous "transfer calls". We were on edge all day, but when our bus was late from Boleslav to Jicin we had an opportunity to talk to a fellow we over-heard speaking english. Long-story short, he came to the concert and to church the next day and is really awesome! But when we were teaching him in Jicin when we arrived there, President McConkie called to tell us where we were going, when sister Steglich told him we were in a lesson he told us to call him back...that was at around 3.30 in the afternoon. We tried calling him back but his phone was busy.

We go through the concert (which went swimmingly) still nothing. So we are on the way home and it is late- around 9pm (yes, my definition of "late" has definitely changed mom and dad). He talked to Sister Steglich then to me. Sister Steglich is in a trio (again!) and I am with Sister Senkane who is from Latvia and completely amazing. She is 21, studied bio-chemistry at BYU Provo and is two transfers behind me I believe, she served in Brno before this and served with Sister Huggard this past transfer. I am so stoked to be here and tram-contact again. There are sooo many people here so I am excited to go-hard in contacting. :)

We travelled this morning to Prague where I met with a young elder who was coming to Ostrava too. Man, packing all the stuff I had from this past half a year was not so fun, lugging it around the country, oddly-enough, even less fun. It reminded me of my first transfer though running with my heavy luggage in the heat and loving it:) (Shout out to Sister Woody!!!<3) In the train-station, we couldn't find Sister Huggard (who is now Sister Hicken's comp in Prague) so we were all trying to find her so I took the MB phone and Sisters Hicken and Steglich took the Prague phone (every area has its own designated phone that the missionaries use). We found her, no worries:) Transfer days are cray-cray. Let's send foreigners across the country with all their belongings and most-often without a phone....-_- The Lord truly is protecting us all that there are not more stories of MIA missionaries on transfer-days. So me and Elder Petty get on our train with a few minutes to spare, only to find the MB phone in my bag.

My heart dropped and though I didn't think it possible, I sweat even more. I called the Sister Hicken, she was with the other two sisters headed back to the metro. She answered and said sister Steglich was running back. So I start high-tailing it in that direction telling the poor 2nd-transfer missionary to watch me and I spot a glimpse of her across the station (bigger/similar size as the one in Harry Potter)  we ran into an epic embrace and quick pep-talk then its off-to-the-races again back to the train. I made it and we all lived happily ever after:)

It's been a crazy-awesome couple of days and I am so pumped to work here in Ostrava. It gets a bad rap, but I think its like the diamond in the rough (shout out to Dal-err. Elder Schoen) Me and Sister Senkane will get-along really well and I don't have my card-reader to upload pictures but next time for sure! I have loved all your emails and support!

I heard about Brother Goode coming to Prague how neat is that! Very sweet of him to look for me and too bad we just missed each other. I love hearing how everything is going there and all the successes. I will be praying for yall at Girl's Camp. I was always such a girls camp geek. Whatever, it was cool. I hope you have a wonderful, spiritually uplifting time there. Sometimes it really does take escaping to nature to remember the deeper things plus, there's no excuse not to let the tears flow when you're not wearing make-up. haha I love you all so very much!!!!!!!! And I hope you survive the Texas/New Mexico/Oklahoma heat! So very blessed to be here in the Czech Republic and serving the Lord! I know that this gospel is 100% true. And I am working to be the person I want to become, more like my Savior Jesus Christ.

Almost Mlada Time!

​Hello all! So this is the week before transfers so it is very likely my last in MB. I have been here for 6 months and it is not common for missionaries to stay longer than that in an area. It's been a tough last couple of weeks not going to lie... seems that the "learning moments" just keep piling on. We went on a run this morning though and I already feel a little weight lifted maybe both literally and metaphorically haa. I do miss some hard-core runs to release pent-up stress but that's okay, I am finding new outlets. This week we had a concert in Liberec, I was able to borrow a flute to perform with so that was awesome. 

 

 

 

And this week we have another in Jicin, so basically we are going on tour. Sister Steglich rocks on the guitar and is really musical so she has orchestrated it all very well. I have been very grateful for the time we have served together and I know that we will continue to be friends after the mission. It is kinda impossible not to be, once you have these hard experiences together it bonds you in a way that really cannot be counterfeited. But something I am learning more and more is the relationship I have with the Savior should be the strongest we have. I loved reading "Jesus the Christ", so enlightening. And I love John 15, one verse that struck me was 18 when He says (paraphrased) "Marvel not that the hate you, they hated me before they hated you." I get so frustrated when people turn on us when I know we aren't doing anything wrong but right and they have the nerve to get upset about it... And I see it with others working in the name of Christ. If it only brings about good, why are people so obsessed with tearing it down? A mystery. But I know that what I am doing is good and right in the sight of God and I would rather be in good terms there than in the opinions of imperfect people around me. Which is a more worthy cause, obedience to a higher more rewarding code of ethics or falling to the trends and fashions of today?

But in other great news, we went to a concert for Nadeje, the night-shelter where we teach English and it was at a Kostel or Catholic cathedral. Well we walk in and it is packed with people getting ready and they (the workers at Nadeje) had been asking us  over and over if we were going and as we walk in Ivona, the head-manager sees us and runs over and guides us to the very front and sits us down on the front-row reserved seats.. :O We were sitting on the same row as all the big-wigs of the city. 

 

 

All the cameras for the paper and everything were taking pics the whole time. And I am just dumb-founded and all I kept think was, "I really wish I had done my hair today." kicking myself. Who woulda known it was going to be such a high-class experience?? And during it they had a slide-show and there I am on the huge screen, whhhaaattt??? And during it they thank our church, which is huge because all these other head preachers and pastors are there and they all know our church and are the main source of push-back here because they claim we're a cult. WEM (insert Courtney's note: for those of you unfamiliar with forehead/finger slang...Turn you fingers into a W, then E, then M, then make the "L" sign infront of your forehead, now do it quickly and say "What Ever Major Loser."). Then afterwords they escort us to the VIP section for refreshments and we talked to some people there. It was AWESOME. Though I definitely had "deer-in-the-head-lights" look on the entire time, still kinda in shock. But it was one of the cooler opportunities because we were able to unite with the other Christians in a good cause. And that is what we are about "the unity of the Faith" and accepting all truth. I love the Czech Republic and I am so blessed to be here!!!! <3 And I have like nooo time to email yall back so just expect something in the mail later. I have spent too much on this one sorry! Praying for you all and am so grateful for all your support!!!!

 

These pics were from a lunch appointment with Sister B. I just love her!!! She was one that Sister Hicken and I repeatedly visited and she was never home. Then one day we called her and she said we could come over right then so we ran over there. I think it was the perfect timing of the Lord. He works miracles. Glad I can *taste the rewards!

 

 

 

These are ovocne knedliky with tvaroh. Very very sweet but great!