First I need to thank you all for the wonderful emails that you sent last week. In every email and letter there was something that I needed to hear. Thank you all so much!
So it's been a special week! Something clicked at the beginning of the week for me and it's been wonderful. I'm not sure how to popsat it [note: describe it], but I am so blessed to be a missionary. I love this work! We did a lot of tracting and contacting this week. During the week I would wake up SO tired, but I love it! It makes me feel like I'm a real missionary :) Also, this week Heavenly Father has taught me to seek out the little tender mercies that happen everyday and be grateful for them instead of waiting for something big to happen (my golden ticket to come around).
Pavel is doing so great. Last Sunday he received the Gift of the Holy Ghost. He showed up in a suit and tie and looked so good. Just like a missionary! Yesterday he had an interview with President Vit in the morning and then received the Aaronic priesthood. I wish you could have seen him. He was beaming! He's glowing! He's full of light! And he's so so happy! I was sitting in sacrament meeting yesterday feeling kind of bummed that none of our investigators had come to church. It's always a struggle to get them there. We had 8 planning to come. And no one was there. Then, right before the sacrament a 16 year old boy who we had contacted on a bus showed up with his Aunt! It was a miracle! It was like Heavenly Father telling me: "Sister Pysnakova! Come on! I haven't forgotten you!" They came and it was a really neat experience. The talks were so great and the last talk was from Alena Kautova who served a mini mission in Ostrava vloni [note: last year]. She taught the restoration which was perfect for our investigators :) After sacrament meeting I introduced the young man and his aunt to Pavel and told them that he had been baptized recently. They asked him a lot of questions about his decision to be baptized and why and stuff. Pavel answered their questions and was SUCH a missionary! It was so neat! Afterwards Pavel came up and said "Did I answer okay? Did I say anything wrong?" I just gave him the biggest smile and told him he was a missionary already and that everything he said was perfect. He beamed! He has the missionary spirit in him!
Now something that clicked for me this week is that I CAN do this! I was praying really hard and wondering if I am being guided by the Spirit in knowing what to say, what to teach, where to tract etc. Heavenly Father showed me this week, in His tender mercy that I really am! For example, on Saturday we had weekly planning where we plan out lessons for the next week and what we will teach our investigators and all sorts of stuff. I was struggling with what to teach Petra. Petra has been in Bratislava for the last week and a half, but came yesterday and is staying till Wednesday. I'm learning to be creative and thinking how I can help my investigators progress the most. There's a family in the branch that Petra admires and loves so much-the Saundersovi-so I arranged for us to go to their home for dinner and a lesson yesterday. Anyways, on Saturday I was struggling with knowing what to teach her there. I prayed so hard and pondered hard along with my companions. Finally I felt that we needed to reteach the restoration and that we should involve the Saunders children in it. It felt right and so we planned that. Yesterday morning at church I started having doubts about whether that was the right lesson to teach there, but I had felt that it was right and knew I had to trust my feelings. We had to take a bus to the Saunder's village and it takes 30 minutes. On the way there I talked with Petra. It's been a week and a half since we last saw each other so I asked her how she was doing. She stopped reading the Book of Mormon because she feels like she needs to read the Bible first. Then she said that to her our church is the same as hers and that she can't believe that any other church's baptism wouldn't count except for ours. I realized that the spirit spoke to me and that it was pure inspiration to reteach the restoration. All of Petra's concerns were concerning the first lesson principles! It was a huge testimony to me that I am being guided by the Spirit! I can do this! I just can't sit and be passive, I have to pray and then be actively engaged in furthering the work of the Lord. Take initiative and act!
I was so grateful for the 30 minutes there and back from the Saunders when I could talk with Petra about her concerns. It took all of my mental effort and pleading in my heart for the Lord's help for me to be able to address Petra's concerns. I came home last night exhausted, but so peaceful, knowing that I had given it my all to help Petra. That's what missionary work is all about! I really feel close to that girl. She is so special and means a lot to me. The lesson at the Saunders was amazing! Brother Saunders is from England and his wife is Czech. They have 4 beautiful children. The children put on a skit of the first vision for us and the Saunders testified to Petra that sometimes she needs to act first and decide to do something before the confirmation comes that it's right (concerning baptism). At the end of the lesson Petra started crying as she told the Saunders how much she admires their family and that their family is what she wants and imagines her future family to be like. It was a beautiful evening!
Last thought. This morning in personal study I read in 1 Nefi 11:28. I started thinking about how during Christ's ministry, He was rejected so much and He was our Savior! I thought, I can't expect it to be different for me. I realized that everytime I get rejected, is a time for me to draw closer to the Savior. Then the more I pondered on this I realized that mostly people reject me when they hear me say Jezise Krista as I'm introducing myself. It's not me they are rejecting. It's not even my badge they are rejecting. They are rejecting Christ. This realization made me feel so humbled. How merciful and loving the Savior is. I love Him so much! I am so grateful for this opportunity to bear His name next to mine everyday. But most important is that we all carry Him in our hearts.
Now for the final thought for real. One morning I was kneeling by my chair, praying to open up osobni studium. [note: personal studies] I was intensely focused on how I was feeling. I felt very normal. Peaceful. Then I found myself praying for gratitude for being able to serve here in the Czech Republic on a mission. Suddenly I remembered how my whole life I had wanted to serve a mission and I had always wanted to serve here in the Czech Republic. As I thought back on my life, I was filled with such peace. I realized that I am here on a mission! I am a missionary in the Czech Republic. A desire that I had had my entire life is fulfilling. I am truly so so blessed to be a part of this incredible work!
I love you all! Have a marvelous week!
With love, Sestra Melissa Pysnakova
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