Nazdar,
Wow. This week has truly been one of a kind. I literally don't know the right words I could say to describe everything that's been happening. I'll just go from the beginning and see where it all ends up. First off, HAPPY TWENTY-SECOND ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!! Can you believe it, that means I'm 19! Haha, but seriously, I adored reading the stories that my mom sent this week, and all I have to say about them is, Gosh, I think I'm going to go to my dad more often for advice with girls. I love you both so much, and wish you everything the best.
Monday: We went up to the castle as a district finally, and had an investigator show us everything, and he just had the biggest blast doing it all, it was so cool, I'll try to get the pictures to you at some point.
Tuesday: So today we had a huge miracle for me. For every person who came, they had no idea Why the missionaries were so darn happy at English. When I came to Trencin in February, English was a joke. We had one person show up every week, IF we were lucky. I hated that, and so my companion and I began to go to work, because Trencin was basically a dead zone, and we figured that first we needed people to trust the missionaries and distinguish between us and the J-dubs, before we could get them to actually want to meet with us. We began to do things that had never been done in this mission before, like tabling, and advertising for music lessons and the like. We worked our tails off, and started to get 1 person consistently, and finally, we had 3 people twice. A new companion then came at transfers, and nobody showed up again. So we went to work harder. We several times for tabling, instead of having 1 person sit at the table, and 3 people contact around it with clipboards, we just had everybody sit at the table with a couple of signs that say free english, and just speak english really loudly, and me play my guitar, just so that we could get our name out. Then we had the concert where more non and less active members came than ever before because we worked so hard for it, and now, on Tuesday, we have officially three functional, thriving, and GROWING English classes. We had 17 people at English, coming straight out of nothing. It was amazing for me to be able to see that I HAVE made a difference here, and it WILL continue to be a tool for the Lord.
Wednesday: I don't really remember because the days around it were so huge.
Thursday: Went to Bratislava for a conference. The rule for missionaries was: you are not allowed to come unless you bring a Slovak, so our District just brought our whole branch, haha. We all went to Bratislava so we could hear THREE General authorities speak to us: Sister Wixom, I think general Primary President, Sister Reeves I think she's in the General Relief Society Presidency, and Elder Kearon, who is the coolest General Authority I've ever met. Remember that General Conference talk about the scorpion, and wearing your shoes? That was him. The spirit there was absolutely amazing, especially being surrounded by members from Slovakia, and oh my goodness, there were several amazing things that happened there. First, during Sister Reeves' talk, she asked everyone to listen to several of our primary children hum a primary song, and to stand up when they recognized it. There wasn't a member in the room besides those children who had grown up in the church, and none of them had the opportunity of going to Primary, but when we recognized "I am a Child of God," there wasn't a SINGLE person sitting down. I almost started crying, it was so amazing. Elder Kearon's talk was about crabs, and how when they're caught, they all go into a big bucket, and pay absolutely no attention to each other until the time that one of them wants to get out. Then multiple crabs pull the one trying to leave down back into the bucket. He said that we all have to deal with crabs in our lives, and that we can't let them spiritually pull us down, even if they do physically. After that, I had the wonderful opportunity of introducing Sister Wixom to 3 YSA members in Bratislava, and then to an amazing sister from Banska Bystrica, I can't explain the spirit I felt translating between these two rocks in the gospel, it was amazing. Then I got sidetracked on my way to Elder Kearon with one of the General Authority's husbands. I'm not sure which one (Br. Wixom), but he said that he knows Grandma and Grandpa and I was able to just have a wonderful talk with him where he gave me some amazing advice, and had me write a quick note to my grandparents, I was just amazed with how small the world is. (The Wixoms work with Chris' grandparents in the SLC Temple and delivered his note to them last week.) Then the most meaningful thing for me happened, I was approached by several members from Bratislava, most of which I'm unfamiliar with, who told me that I need to tell President that Bratislava needs me. Apparently the member there, even though I don't know them, know me, and they want to have my influence there. I was so touched that they want me there, and that they're so excited for the sharing of the gospel. I really really really want to serve in Bratislava now.
Friday: Again, can't remember because it's surrounded by miracles.
Saturday: Wow. wowowowow. Saturday, my companion and I went out to contact, both so nervous about transfers and what's going to happen. We went out and actually got to teach a bench lesson and get a potential who is really very cool. Afterwards, while we were weekly planning, we got the call like 6 hours earlier than we thought that we would. When I found out what was happening, I flipped out and just started calling people. I needed lessons to take my mind off of my complete fear. We ended up because of that, doing something I've never done before, and having 4 solid solid amazing lessons within a 3 hour period, and most surprising of which, we ended up cooking halusky for an investigator in his house, where he told me I was his favorite missionary. All of this happened on a day where, had we been outside, we would have had to deal with lots and lots of harrassment from drunks because it was a national drinking holiday, but when we were walking home after the lessons, we ended up getting a really solid potential as well, who was curious as to why everyone was yelling at us, and decided to investigate to see whether we know anything about God. I was so happy.
 |
| Nitra is right under the word "Slovak" |
Sunday: Best day I ever could have asked for, I desperately need to write about it in my journal.
I love you all, and here's the big announcement>>>.......I'm writing all of this in my new area: NITRA! I'm in the Klokocina part of Nitra, and I'm really excited to be serving this transfer with my new companion. I'm gonna give it my absolute all and see if I can't walk away with at least a new friend.
Hope this is your best week ever!
Elder Chris Brousseau
No comments:
Post a Comment