Week 28 My journal for the week!

Dearest family,

This week was a week of miracles! Zazracny tyzden! [note: Miracle week] Love you all!

Elder Nye [note: senior missionary] shared with me how he’d always wanted to go to Africa since he was a little boy. He gave up on that dream since he felt like he’d never make it over. Then his wife and him put in their papers and were called on their first mission to Africa. While there one day they were on a Safari and Elder Nye was just marveling at the beauty and the thrill that his dreams were fulfilled. But then a little while later he found himself under a tree sharing the Book of Mormon with the tour guide and suddenly he felt how, even though he was so happy to be in Africa, nothing could compare to the thrill he felt when sharing the Book of Mormon with someone. It was worth much more to him. I’m glad he shared that with me. As great as things are in life, as fun as it is to do sports or be with friends and what not, nothing compares with the thrill of sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with someone else. Not everyone will accept it, but when they do it’s so worth all of the rejection.

Jano is our less-active. We had a lesson with him our first week here. He was quiet and didn’t seem like he wanted to be there with us. We found out he wouldn’t read the Book of Mormon or come to church. But we loved him and I guess you can say we loved him back in to the church. It took some time, but as we met with him more he began to trust us and we found out he wouldn’t read in the Book of Mormon because he started having bad dreams and he felt like they were a result of reading in the Book of Mormon. We continued to work with him and one day there was a switch. He received a priesthood blessing from Elder Nye for his nightmares and ever since he’s rapidly progressed. Today, he is laughing and talking and I am amazed at how the spirit can touch people’s hearts. Jano came to English this week and was just amazing. He bore his testimony and prayed at the end. There was an older man who came to English for the first time and Jano apparently invited him to church. He called us on the phone so excited and said “I invited him!” Sister Izatt was like “Who did you invite?” He was like “That man in English, I invited him!” “Oh, to sports day?” “No! I invited that man to church!” We were shocked! Jano hasn’t even been to church himself yet and here he is with the missionary spirit. He feels the spirit more and more. That’s why he is so so happy. I am so so amazed at how he has changed. He loves coming to church things, he loves the Nyes and the members. He’s reading in the Book of Mormon! Wow! Never give up on anyone. If we’d given up on Jano, well I can’t even imagine. I realized how big of a miracle that was! There are miracles everywhere. We just have to open our eyes and our hearts to it.

I like Ivan a lot! He’s almost 70, but looks so healthy and is SO happy. He always says he’d doing “vyborne!” [note: amazing] and his hand-shake is so firm. He has investigated for years, has read the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Nauka a Smlouvy, the gospel principles manual and who knows what else. He knows everything and yet he’s missing something because he isn’t baptized yet. Anyways, he comes in and we had on plan to teach him ordinances for the dead and missionary work in the duchovni svet [note: spirit world]. We didn’t know how inspired we were, until we started teaching Ivan about Christ in the spirit world after he was crucified, using 1 Peter, and then baptisms for the dead using 1 Cor 15:29. We read them together and wow! I’ll never forget Ivan’s countenance. He just sat there in utter astonishment. He reread the verses after we explained their meaning and said “I have read the bible for 50 years and not once have I ever read these passages in this way or understood them. I must have read the bible wrong, all these years...” He was so humble and so teachable. We told him he hadn’t read it wrong, but that God had much more for him to learn. He told us he wished he’d been born later in life and met us earlier so that he could have learned all this stuff earlier in his life. He was a different person. Ivan admitted that the Book of Mormon is true and then, through the spirit, he admitted to us that his wife didn’t know he was meeting with us and that if she did she wouldn’t let him come anymore. We realized the concern in his heart with getting baptized into our church. We now know what to pray for because we need a miracle!

Our new investigator is Jan-Ivan. After I prayed at the beginning of the lesson, Jano said “I don’t know what it is, but when you prayed and when you prayed last time, I was filled with such peace. In fact, all evening after our last lesson I was filled with such peace. I’ve never felt that before. Why? I’ve prayed my whole life and gone to Kostel [note: church]. Why have I never felt such peace?” It’s the spirit that matters, not the language. Later as he talked more about his feelings he mentioned the first day we met on the Namestie [note: town square]. He told us that if someone had approached him like we did about religion; he’d normally have laughed and walked away. But for some reason he chose to stay and listen to us. He felt something different. He told us “There is something different about you. Something comes from within.” It was really neat to hear that. A testimony, that this is Heavenly Father’s work.

Our next lesson Jan-Ivan said he’d been up last night until 5:30a.m., thinking and pondering about our message. Said he couldn’t sleep and the thoughts kept coming and suddenly things began to click for him. He wrote down his thoughts and then turned to the verses in the Book of Mormon that we’d given him to read before our next meeting. Since he’d wondered about how to recognize impressions that come from God, I’d felt like we needed to recommend a few verses in Moroni 7 about how we can discern if something is from God or not. So Jan-Ivan, after pondering and praying all night and writing down his thoughts, turned to the Book of Mormon finally and reads these verses and it touches his heart and confirms everything he’s been feeling and pondering. He LOVES the Book of Mormon! He was so happy to read it and said “How did you know to recommend me this chapter? How did you know my thoughts? Those verses were perfect!” At the end of the lesson when we talked to him about church we said “Do you have a tie?” and his response was “Sisters, I read the brochure! I already know what I need to wear to church tomorrow. Don’t worry!”

We walked out of the church building and Sister Izatt felt impressed to go to the Namestie [note: town square] and so we did and saw Jan-Ivan again. We talked to him for a few minutes and then this random man comes up. He then told us that he was Czech, got baptized into the church in Prague in 2000 and then moved to England where he attends church! We had him bare his testimony of his conversion to Jan-Ivan and he did and talked about baptism. Then Jan-Ivan started asking about baptism and that was a blessing as well. Nothing is coincidence! That’s for sure!

Jan-Ivan came to church in a full-on suit and tie and looked so good! After church I taught him with Sister Dobiasova. You know what he said? He said “I know I’m not going to understand everything the Sisters teach me, but I’ve decided that I’ll just believe everything they tell me and I have faith that the understanding will come later!” Oh my King Lamoni! I felt like Ammon. Anyways Jan-Ivan LOVED church and the members and everyone was so good about welcoming him. I’m so grateful for the members! Members make all the difference. We can’t do missionary work successfully without them.

We drove to Zvolen after, ate lunch and then drove to Buca for church. We had 6 investigators show up, 2 of which were children so I got to teach primary! I’ve always wanted to teach primary since I came and it finally happened today. I love helping and serving and working. I love getting out of my comfort zone. That’s a weird thing to say, but it’s good! I love being a missionary.

This week we had miracle after miracle. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It changes people! I know that Christ’s message is one of love. Love we feel from our Heavenly Father changes us and I am so grateful because as a missionary I feel God’s love for others. It’s the best! It’s beautiful!

S laskou, Sestra Mel Pysnakova

In Levice with family friend Klara Pisnakova and her grandaughter Viktoria.

With beautiful Viktoria.

Our first halusky that we made!:) We are real Slovaks now:)

Ice cream with Pavol and Simona.

Yesterday we were so hungry after church that on the way to Zvolen we took out the crepes we made and started dipping them into the Nutella.

Teaching primary in Buca, a village outside of Zvolen.

Week 27 Ahojte!

Draha rodino a kamaradi, [note: Dear family and friends]

There was a kitten in our shower on Tuesday!

We were walking home from the Namestie [note: Square] and it was dark. When we passed the Nove Kalista bus stop we heard a meow of pain. A few days ago we had seen a little kitten in the same spot when we’d been out exercising. Now we saw the same kitten and its leg was hurt and it was hungry. It was almost 9 so we ran home and grabbed a rohlik [note: roll], meat and milk and a towel. We were able to coax it out from the other side of the fence and we caught it.

We called President and he was funny about it. He told us in his British accent "Well you can't keep it sisters!" We definitely don't want to keep it, but we didn't want it to die. He told us we could keep it overnight and find a home for it tomorrow. So funny.

We took the kitten in the morning to Pavol’s home  in a clothes hamper around 6:45. He and Simona watched over the kitten until English in the afternoon when Sister Dobiasova came for her. She adopted her and really hit it off quite well. They like each other and Sister Izatt and I are thrilled it has a home. So is President:)

On Thursday Sister Izatt and I went to Zvolen to help the elders kontakt in their area. We had just come in to Zvolen and an older man had kontakted us. He said he knew two elders from the email place.  One looked dark and had Mexican ancestors (ha ha Romero) and the other was tall (most definitely Durrant). He kept telling us we were pretty. Anyways we turn around and the elders are all staring at this green building right in front of them. It looked funny and we thought it was maybe a bird they were looking at. We went over and saw that they were staring at the windows that had signs all over saying it was for rent. They've been looking for a building to rent out so that we can start a unit going. It's hard kontakting people with no place to meet for meetings or church and stuff. The place we go to normally, Buca, for the Roma people is far out and is just a room rented in a school. We all felt like we needed to get a building on the Namestie [note: Square] right in Zvolen if we want to start a solid branch. Anyways, the elders have been looking all over and found a few buildings that a real estate agent mentioned to them. But for some reason she didn't tell them about this one and as all five of us started at this beautiful green building we felt something. We immediately called the number and 10 minutes later a lady came and let us in. It's one floor up and its perfect! It's what we need and we all felt good about it. Anyways, we told her we want it and next week it should get approved. I have a testimony that when Heavenly Father wants something done it gets done and it happens in the right time and the right place. We all are so grateful for this miracle. Right on the Namestie, beautiful, good price and perfect. We'll see what happens.

On Sunday we saw some miracles. It was neat. We had 6 investigators come to church in Banska! That’s huge, especially for here. There were, all-in-all, 3 members, 6 investigators and 7 missionaries at church. It was wonderful! Rasto came in a shirt and tie! He’s one of the formers we picked up when we blinded into the area. He’s probably early 30s and a nice guy. Our first lesson went fairly well. We encouraged him to come to church and he said he would. Then Sunday morning he texted us and said he wasn’t coming. We called him and he said he just didn’t feel like it, but he set up with us for the next day. Our second lesson did not go so well. He ended up dropping us after telling us that he had no interest, that it was a waste of time meeting with us, and that he had a feeling telling him to stop. So we stopped meeting with him, but invited him to sports night which he came to and enjoyed. He couldn’t come to last week’s because his knee was hurting, but then we get a text from him yesterday during tydni planovani, asking us when church started! We told him and he said “Great, I’ll be there.” And he came! In a suit and white shirt and tie! He looked great. We aren’t sure what to do with him now, but we will see.

As for the other 5 investigators-Pavol and Simonka, Ivan, Svetlana, and Martin. It was wonderful! All except Svetlana stayed for the entire church block. I was so impressed with the elders. Without being asked or prompted they mingled with, sat next to, and helped take care of our investigators. We couldn’t have done it without them. The members were wonderful as well and we got some calls from them later today telling us how surprised and thrilled they were to see so many investigators at church and to see the work moving forward. I am grateful for that big tender mercy for us and for the members. They are getting more excited about missionary work, they trust us more, and we are working together stronger. I love them all! I lead the music and prayed and lead some more in sacrament. It’s fun going from one assignment to the other and I love it! Being proactive makes people happy. Just move! Serve! And you’ll be happy!

After church in Banska we went to the Nyes and had sack lunch there. We studied for a bit and then headed to Buca for church there. They had 4 investigators show up (all Roma)! Finally! I lead and prayed again. Then we headed to the Nyes for correlace. It was a good meeting. We are seeing some great things happen. This week Pavel Horacek from Brno should come down and approve the building! Wahoo! We are all thrilled.

I feel so blessed to be working here with Sister Izatt and our district. I love all of them so much. I’m blessed to be working with missionaries who have been out for so long so that I can learn from them all. They all go home in the next 4 monthsish. It makes me sad. This transfer will be ending soon.

I love you all so much! I hope you have a beautiful week. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. This past week has been a little tough. Our investigators aren't progressing that much and aren't open to the message. I haven't felt like I've received much inspiration either which can be frustrating. But it was a miracle to see so many investigators at church on Sunday. We will keep working hard. I am grateful to be a missionary. I am grateful for the message of the restored gospel. There isn't anything that brings more happiness, skutecne happiness, into our lives than the knowledge of our Savior and of his restored gospel. I love you all so so much!

S laskou, Sestra Melissa Pysnakova

Week 26 Beautiful week!

Draha rodino a kamaradi, [note: Dear family and friends]

The library came back into town so we can now use their nice computers and send pictures! Hooray! This week has been so so beautiful! We've been so blessed. I can't even describe exactly how I feel, but I know that heavenly Father is in charge of this work. I got a new nametag this week.

I think I already told you, but my second week into the transfer I felt very strongly that we needed to sift through former investigators. We had a lesson last pondelok [note: Monday] with a 21 year old man. He spoke perfect English over the phone and seemed really nice so we were looking forward to the meeting.   Well, we had a beautiful lesson with him! We had a member with us named Lucie, who served on Temple Square like 12 years ago. Her name is Lucie Vankova. She is really great. We just love her. Anyways, she had taught this young man with the missionaries before when he was still an investigator so we talked to her about him for a bit before the lesson. She told us he was very serious, wealthy, but humble, and didn't smile much. Well he came in for the lesson and I just felt so much love for him. We both did! We liked him right away and he began to feel comfortable and smiled a few times. The spirit was there and we talked about expectations and what he wanted to get out of it etc. He didn't talk much but we asked him if he wanted to continue meeting with us and he said "If you wish". We were like, "No! What do you wish?" He thought about it for a moment and then said "I wish to continue!” He accepted a baptismal date for three weeks later! It was incredible!

We met with him the next day and then he wanted to meet with us soon after that. We had a few lessons with him this week and he's progressing so fast. He keeps all of his commitments and is progressing fast in his reading in the Book of Mormon. When we ask him how he feels when he prays to know if the Book of Mormon is true he says he feels normal, but that he feels inspired when he reads. He was talking one day about a quest that he had and we asked him what it was and he said "my quest is to continue with you!" He came to church yesterday, but could only stay for a bit. He promised he'd come, so he came. He came late, because of work or something, came in during a talk, and left probably 10 minutes later. But he came! And he told us last night that he liked what he saw. We are looking forward to our lesson tonight. Keep him in your prayers so that he'll receive an answer that these things are true and that he'll be ready for baptism on the 24th this month. 

I got the most beautiful letter I have ever received in my life this week. It was from Petra Necasova from Bratislava. She thanked me for helping her progress towards baptism. She talked about how happy she is and how she's teaching with the missionaries now and wants to share her happiness with others. It was so beautiful. She just thanked me and told me how much she loves me. I know it wasn't me. I was only allowed to be a nastroj [note: tool] in the Lord’s hands. And I feel so blessed to have been able to progress with her. She is amazing. Her mom is on date for baptism and is progressing rapidly. I knew her mom would from the very beginning :)

Anyways, missionary work is worth it, even if we don't always see the fruit of it right away. You never know who you'll touch.

S laskou, Sestra Melissa Pysnakova



Sestra Pyšňáková and Sestra Izatt eating bryndzové halušky (potato dumplings with bryndza sheep cheese and bacon, one of the national dishes in Slovakia).

Slovak pizza?

Banska Bystrica Branch

Week 25 Dobry den! [note: Good Day]

Mila rodino! [note: Dear family!]

Summer is flying by. I can't believe it's already August! It's been so so hot and muggy lately. Yesterday Sister Izatt and I were in Zvolen helping out with church there. We had dinner and correlation meeting at the Nye's apartment afterword. We had made mashed zemiaky [note: potatoes] for everyone and had brought it in an enormous pot. On our way out in the afternoon we had to walk fast to catch the train to take us back to Banska. The trains here are kind of ghetto, really old and not good air flow through them. We finally got on the train and it was packed with people. We found some empty seats, and just sat there for a moment, dripping because it was so hot, sticky, with our backpacks and a pot of potatoes, in a train cabin full of people and I just thought "I love being a misionárka!" [note: missionary] It is truly a beautiful thing!

This week our investigators went out of town so we spent some time looking up formers and calling them. We've felt like it's something we should do for the last few weeks, but something always got in the way of it. So this week we finally had time to sift through the area book and call up former investigators. We had some success with that and got in a few lessons last week as well as plan some for this week. We met with a 67 year old man. He's really really happy. I like him a lot. He's investigated for a long time and been taught everything, but he never got a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He told us he had precetl [note: read] it, but hadn't found out if it was true or not. We watched a DVD that our mission made with testimonies of members about the Kniha Mormonova [note: Book of Mormon] and then Elder Callister’s amazing talk about the Book of Mormon from conference last year. It brought a sweet spirit to our meeting, and at the end the man committed to start reading the Book of Mormon again and to pray to know if it is true. We promised him he could get his answer and be prepared for baptism by the 26th of August. He said "Oh I can't be baptized then, I have work that day!" So we extended the 19th of August which he accepted! It was really neat. I know he can get an answer! It's time!

Zvolen kind of fell apart and went from about 20 investigators to 3. The thing was that most of their investigators were Roma and so they were trying to start a Roma unit in Zvolen, but, and I’m not sure how to say this, it's very hard to build a foundation on the Roma people, as you know. So in a way this is a blessing as they look for a solid foundation to get a unit going in Zvolen. It was really neat yesterday as we were in correlation meeting, me and Sister Izatt, the three elders and the Nyes. It was an intense meeting, but we discussed how to get a unit started in Zvolen, starting with the need for a church building close to the Namestie [note: Town Square] and stuff. I just thought how incredible it was. Here we are, these 20 and 21 year olds, trying to figure out how to start up a church unit in a foreign country. We are so under qualified for this, and yet the Lord makes us instrument in his hands. It's a great and marvelous work. Earlier this week we contacted an evangelical man on the street. He spoke perfect English and during the contact he said something like "I don't understand why your church sends out such inexperienced people like you. You haven't had any experience in life yet and you're trying to talk to people about these kinds of things. Wait if you're still saying the same things when you are 50 and then maybe I'll listen to you." We just testified to him that we know that our message is true.  And you know, I thought of the scripture in the Book of Mormon about by small and simple means the Lord brings about great things. Yeah we're maybe a bunch of kids to the world, but with the Lord anything is possible, and I've been able to see the Lord working through me in many instances. I know that this is His Church and that we are His representatives.

Back to church, we had a beautiful sacrament meeting in Banska. It was so beautiful! The spirit was there. Pavol and his daughter Simona came again. We had to stop by Billa [note: Supermarket] yesterday odpoledne [note: afternoon] to get a few things and as we walked out there was Pavol waiting to come in. We found out that he only lives a few panalaks [note: apartment houses] away from us. Anyways we ended up talking to him for 35 minutes outside. It was a good discussion. He had been gone all week with Simona on their chalupa [note: cabin]. He wanted to stay over the weekend, but Simona wanted to come to church so they came back early! Ah the youth are amazing! Pavol and Simona were so happy in church. They love it! Pavol again told us that he thinks we are the best people. Simona is a doing great. She loves church and she loves learning about the gospel. She told us yesterday she would like to serve a mission in the future! I think she'll be the key to Pavol's progression.

We did church in Zvolen too after the one in Banska. We still don't have our own place so we did it in some room we rented out. It was dirty inside and so hot. Two members came and that was it. But it was beautiful! I just thought how beautiful the gospel is and that it doesn't matter if there are only 2 members and 7 missionaries, it's still true and the spirit is still there.

We had sports day in Zvolen this week and played futbol [note: football] with a lot of Roma children. It looks like I'm serving in Mexico or something. But I realized that was something that I've been missing on my mission so far is spending time with children and so I loved sports day. The Roma children aren't growing up in a great environment. It's poor class as you know and really hard for them to leave their communities. But Sister Izatt and I, while the elders were playing soccer with some of the older children, taught them about prayer and then we all knelt down on the dirt and said a prayer together. It was a beautiful moment!

The gospel is true, The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and the church of Jesus Christ has been restored on the earth through Joseph Smith. Jesus Christ lives and we can know Him just as well as He knows us. I love you all! Have a beautiful week!

S laskou, Sestra Melissa Pysnakova

Sestra Pyšňáková and Kolek Family. Dusan and Iveta picked up Zuzi and Danda from the Budapest airport and stopped to see Sestra Pyšňáková on their way back home (and to give her a package from home - with a lots of hugs and kisses :).

Service Project.

Week 24 Nech sa paci! [note: Thank you!]

Mila rodino a kamaradi, [note: Dear family and friends]

Happy Birthday to Megan this week!

My favorite story in the Kniha Mormonova [note: Book of Mormon] is Ammon's mission to the Lamanites. He is my hero! I love reading his story over and over again and finding such amazing things of how I can improve as a missionary. And then I was thinking, can you imagine what Ammon's emails would have been like if he'd emailed home every week? "Mom, dad, the king here offered me to marry his daughter. But I locked my heart!" or "I did some service today and took care of some sheep. But then some robbers came and I had to cut off their arms!" It's kind of funny to think about. Completely a different experience that he had than what I'm having, but at the same time I can imagine his emails saying "I listened to the king pray for the first time today. It was incredible!" or "I prayed and Heavenly Father provided a way for me to share the gospel with the people here." In a way his mission experience was so different than mine, and yet we experienced some of the same things--we both got to see people come to Christ. That is the most powerful experience in the world.

Today while eating at Olivo, a restaurant on the Námestie [note: Square], a pigeon was walking around the tables and suddenly flew up next to me and almost landed on my plate! This happened only moments after the restaurant had played a song from Josef and the Technicolor dream coat. And, everyone here says "hej" instead of “jo” or “ano” [note: yes]. I've never liked saying hey, but I’m picking up “hej” quite fast here:)

This week was beautiful! We are starting to get the hang of things here. The work is rolling forward and we've been blessed with miracles. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you and your companion are both completely devoted to the work. With hard work, high goals, a vision and lots of prayer, you can accomplish anything! I'm really enjoying working with Sister Izatt. Church was packed yesterday in Banska! Much different than our first Sunday here. I gave a talk about adversity, mostly po cesky ale par slova bylo po slovensky [note: Czech but a few words in Slovak]. The Elders just said I was speaking Czechoslovakian. Whatever! We had three of our beautiful investigators come to church - Pavol and his daughter Simona, and Vladamir.

We got to know Pavol and his daughter more this week and we just love them both! Simona is 14 years old, but is very mature for her age. She told us during one of our lessons how she'd come to church here once before and loved it. She said she'd always believed in God, but she'd go to kostel [note: church] and have to do the rosary and say all of those memorized prayers and come out feeling like she hadn't gotten anything out of it. Then she came to our church one Sunday and felt different! She actually felt something. She felt like she had come closer to God. It was a powerful testimony to me of the Spirit and how it touches people's hearts. Simona and her dad love it so much that they wanted to come back! Pavol told us that even though there are only a few members here in Banska, they are sincere and truly wanting to follow Christ and that was more important to him than going to a kostel that was full of people. They both love the church and feel the spirit. They read together from the Book of Mormon and Pavol's mom started reading in it as well.

Then therte is this older man. He's so humble and so good. He was a former that has been investigating for 3 years. He reads diligently in the Book of Mormon, but has a hard time accepting it's from God like the bible is. He refused to pray to know if it's from God. But, he came to church yesterday and loved it! He felt so good there that he didn't want to leave. I know he can make it as well.

Something beautiful has happened this week was that Sister Izatt and I were on the bus headed home one evening. We had been waiting at a stop when an elderly man, who looked homeless and not quite with it, started talking to us. He kept reaching out to touch my shoulder which was making me uncomfortable so I was trying to avoid him. We all got on the bus and sister Izatt was quiet and I asked her what she was thinking about. She said "I was just thinking about how that man is our brother..." It suddenly hit me, that this man is truly our brother! I suddenly felt such love and compassion for him. We both talked about how we wished we could help him. We talked about how all of these people that we meet each day are our brothers and sisters. It was just one of those moments where you've heard things a million times, but then you actually feel it suddenly. We wanted so badly to do something for that man, but of course there wasn't a lot we could do. In the end before we left the bus, we gave him a pass along with a picture of Christ and invited him to come to church. It was a really sweet and simple experience that helped to remind me of God's love for all of his children here.

I've been thinking a lot about Megan lately. Her birthday of course is this week so I've been thinking about her a lot, but also I was blessed with several opportunities in the past week to testify of the plan of salvation to people who have lost loved ones. One of them was a woman and her little son while waiting for a train to Zvolen. Her husband died a year or so ago. I testified to her of plan spasy [note: plan of salvation] and that she'd see him again. The spirit was so sweet and beautiful during that contact. Another experience was with Pavol and Simona yesterday at church. His wife died of cancer two years ago and when we asked him about it he started to cry. He's a big guy and has kind of built a wall to protect him and keep him from hurting, but seeing him cry and hearing about his wife allowed me to testify of the plan of salvation yet again. I testified that his wife lives and that thanks to the restored gospel he and his daughter can live together with her again! He believes it and I am just praying that he'll make it.

After those experiences, my focus has been a lot on plan spasy and with Megan's birthday this week I decided to study about life after death and about the resurrection this morning behem osobne studium [note: personal study]. I'd like to share a few of my thoughts. I read Mormon 7:5 and remembered how I was crying one day after Megan's graduation and just hurting inside and missing her so much. I turned to the Book of Mormon for help and opened right up to this very scripture. The last few lines seemed to jump out of the page--Christ has overcome the grave and in Him, the sting of death is swallowed up. I was reminded today that when I had read that, peace had come over me and I knew that Christ had made it possible for us to live together again one day. I knew that I could truly find peace, even with tears rolling down my face. I could move forward, even with a hole in my heart. And then I realized that through Christ, that hole could be healed, and it was! I have a strong testimony of Christ and his atonement. I don't think we fully comprehend it, at least I don't, but I know that he can heal any hurt, soothe any pain, and feel our souls with a peace that surpasses understanding. It's that testimony of Christ that I bear everyday on my mission to the people in Slovakia.

Elder Scott's talk on revelation was so beautiful from last general conference. He quoted Joseph F. Smith and said that our love for our family who have passed on is so strong that it ties us together, even through the veil. He then said that we can strengthen those ties as we recognize that separation by death is temporary and that our temple covenants are eternal. I love that!

I then read a beautiful article from the Liahona July 2012 titled A River of Peace. I cried when I read it and if you haven't already, please do! She quotes Daniel 3:17, 18 and talks about how Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were going to be thrown into the fiery furnace if they didn't worship the golden idol. The three of them said "We know God can deliver us...but if not, we will not worship the golden image." What a testimony! They knew God could deliver them, but the key is they said if He doesn't save us from it and we die from the fire, so be it, but we will keep the faith! We will stay true to our covenants! I thought of Megan. God could of saved her. There's no doubt about it. But He called her home. And will we falter in our faith? Never! We move forward knowing that God could deliver her, but it wasn't His will, so we move forward with complete trust and faith in Him and His plan. I was so grateful for that thought.

I know that Megan lives! I know that it's because of Christ that we will all live again after we die and through the sacred ordinances of the temple we can be together forever one day! One day we will be with Megan again. We don't know when that day is, but as we move forward with our eyes on the Savior, staying true to our covenants, we will make it! I feel so blessed to be serving on a mission with her! She's my companion that I have with me no matter where I get transferred. Her influence through the veil is something very real. She's teaching me how to be a better missionary. Thank you all for your faith and your examples. I love you all so much! How grateful I am for the beautiful Plan of Happiness that God has made for us. Understanding our purpose here on earth brings such peace and joy to our lives. I am grateful that I get to share that with others around me!

S laskou, Sestra Melissa Pysnakova

Week 23 Dobry den od Banske Bystrice! [note: Good morning from Banska Bystrica]

Draha rodino a kamaradi! [note: Dear family and friends]

What a week! If only I had time to tell you about all of the adventures we've been having. The Slovak is coming, slowly, but surely. I'm going to be so mixed up when I return to the Czech Republic as far as language goes. Ale tesim sa! [note: But I am looking forward to it!]

So Wednesday I was all packed and ready to go. After emailing I went out to lunch with my companions and the Bohunice elders. They were talking about going on a výlet [note: trip] later that day and I was all jealous. I love výlets and sleepovers and I was complaining that not only was I missing the výlet with the Brno district, but also I wouldn't get any sleepovers again in Banská Bystrica. Anyways later we went to the train station.

Saying good-bye. Some of the YSA's and Young Women's advisor in Brno at the train station.



The Černá pole elders dropped off Elder Buhler. I was there with him, but Sister Izatt hadn't come from Prague yet. Since she was transferring she didn't have a phone. We waited nervously until the train came to take us to Banská. The train pulled up and through the window we saw about 8 elders on their way from Prague to Bratislava. They immediately started loading our luggage on and I was like "I don't have my companion! Call President!" In all of the rush someone called President and he told them not to let me leave without sister Izatt. So then they unloaded my luggage as fast as they could and I barely made it off the train with all of my luggage before it took off.

Turns out Sister Izatt left Prague late, then their bus was delayed, and she got in late. President didn't want us to take a later train to Banská since it would get us in at night so we...returned to Brno with ALL of our luggage! Sister Dolinar, who took my spot in Brno, came with Sister Izatt. The Elders from Černá pole were so great. They loaded their car with all of our luggage and took it to the Brno apartment.

The amazing zone leaders packed 9 luggages into their car.

Meanwhile, the rest of us sisters went on the výlet! I need to be more careful in the future with what I want...so we didn't go to Slovakia on Wednesday as we had planned. But we had some time to contact in Brno and Sister Izatt and I found this amazing lady who we ended up having a lesson with a few hours later. It was pretty cool and we felt better about missing our train. We spent the night in Brno and the elders came to pick us and our luggage up the next morning and get us to the train station. This time we made it:) But picture this...two sister missionaries with 6 luggages that happen to be the exact same red luggage (amazing I know) and each luggage feels like it's full of beton [note: concrete]...

It didn't make for easy travel. We needed to stop in Bratislava and get on a different train. I wasn't paying much attention to the time. After we had been traveling for what felt like not that long, the train stopped and I was like "Sister Izatt, we have to be careful not to miss Bratislava." I suddenly felt like I needed to check my ticket to see what time we should have arrived in Bratislava. I did and looked at my watch and realized we should have been there 10 minutes ago. I looked out the window and was like "SISTER IZATT, THIS IS BRATISLAVA. GET OFF!" We miraculously made it off with all of our luggage. I am so grateful for angels.

Well our experience in Bratislava was hilarious. We needed to stay together (within sight and sound) and we had to find the information center to see which platform we needed to be on. So we had no other choice than to haul all of our luggage (all 6 that felt like each weighed 80 pounds) down the stairs, up the stairs, across the vlak [note: train] station, then down the stairs and up the stairs. Miraculously again we found our train and made it on with all of our luggage. Then we had to find an open compartment. We did! We filled it with our red luggage and then just slumped on the seats, totally exhausted. It was so so funny. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Our arms hurt like crazy for the next three days, but it's fine.

We made it to Banská and to our apartment. After we arrived we ended up cleaning. Again, we just laughed our way through it. We were so busy the rest of the week that we didn't unpack until today! The apartment still isn't all the way clean, but it looks much better.

Our area is beautiful! We work closely with the three zone leaders in Zvolen, the city next to us. An older missionary couple - the Nyes - live there as well. Friday morning we went and helped the Nyes with a service project in Zvolen. It was so fun! We played games with a large group of Roma children. I really enjoyed it.

On Saturday, we left early in the morning on a bus and traveled back to Brno for the baptism. Petra's baptism!! Oh, she is so beautiful! I am thrilled. I know miracles happen in our day because they just happen all the time here. Petra made it! And her mom came and just felt the spirit there so strong. I leaned over to her before Petra got baptized and asked her how she felt. She said "uzasna!" [note: amazing] It was so so beautiful. She told me at the end that she'd like us to come visit her sometime. She'll get baptized. I just feel it! I got to speak at her baptism which was neat. After the baptism Iveta and Renata [note: friends and church members from Ostrava]  took us back to the bus station. They are wonderful! We couldn’t have done it without them. We made the 5 hour trip back and got in around 11. Elder Nye and Tenney picked us in Zvolen which was great. I am so blessed and so grateful to have been there for that baptism.

Sunday was incredible! Keep in mind that I just left Brno where we have an entire branch presidency and over 100 active members. I attended the "unit" in Banská Sunday morning with 7 missionaries and 4 members there. We missionaries participated a LOT!  After church there in Banská we traveled to Zvolen, ate lunch at the Nyes, and then had church at a hotel in Zvolen. Again, 7 missionaries, one member and one investigator. They aren't even a unit there. I taught Sunday school, led the music etc. It was incredible! I'm starting to realize the weight of our responsibility here. Our goal is to make Banská a branch and get a unit in Zvolen. We will be working together to get both areas up and running so we'll be traveling a lot back and forth on the train between Banská and Zvolen. I am looking forward to working with my new district and the members here. The work will move forward and I am thrilled to be a part of it here!

We've already been blessed with so many miracles. With all of our travels we haven't had a lot of time to just kontakt. But we've talked to people as we travel and been blessed to get čísla [note: phone numbers] that way. And the people that have been placed in our paths are incredible. It makes me wonder what would happen if we didn't open our mouths. I LOVE being a missionary! This transfer is going to be different. It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to the things that I will learn. Oh and before I forget, I talked to Klára Pišňáková [note: a woman who contacted us through skype a few years ago and who was baptized last year, do not know yet if related] on the phone. She is so great. We want to go visit her this week. Everyone has been talking to me about her and are so excited for me to meet her.

Mám vás veľa ráda! Do videnia! [note: I love you so much! Good-bye!]

S laskou, Sestra Melissa Pysnakova

Week 22 SLOVAKIA!!!!!!!!!!

Draha rodino a prateli! [note: Dear family and friends]

Well I guess you heard the news. Transfer calls came in Monday night. We were out contacting on our way home around 8:45 when President called. I knew something was up because President doesn't make the calls unless it's something out of the ordinary. When he found out we were still out he told us to run home and that he'd call back later. He called about 20 minutes later. He talked to my companions and then the phone was passed to me. He said "Sister Pysnakova! Are you sitting down?" and I knew exactly where I was going. He said "How is your Slovak?!" There was this rush of emotion as he said that I would be serving in Banska Bystrica in Slovakia. I will be serving with Sister Izatt, who was my visiting teacher in my BYU freshman ward:)

We will be reopening up Slovakia to sister missionaries, as we haven't had them there in 10 years. Wow! Dobrodruzstvi anyone? Prosim! [note: Adventure anyone? Please!] I leave on a train in a few hours with Sister Izatt and Elder Buhler who I've served with the last 2 transfers. It's funny because I've been around Slovak quite a bit the last few weeks and I've been blessed to understand it! Still there's going to be a lot to learn that's for sure:)

Sestra Izatt and Sestra Pyšňáková

What a miraculous week it's been. These last 10 days so much has happened. So many miracles. I'm afraid I won't have time to tell you all of it.

I've been thinking a lot about Petra this transfer and working with her as much as I can. We gave her a date for the 21 of July before she left to Bratislava. I would text her scriptures and kept in contact with the elders in Bratislava to see how she was doing. Things weren't going so well. Petra wasn't meeting with them, wouldn't go to church, wasn't reading in the Book of Mormon...I felt that I needed to send her a text with a scripture and encouragement to go to church, but I didn’t know exactly what to write. The inspiration came to remind her how last transfer she had said that she wanted to take lessons with her mom in Slovakia. I ended up writing an 8 page text to read 1 Nephi 8:12 [And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.] I reminded her of her excitement to share our message with her family and then testified that she had tasted of the "fruit" of the restored gospel and invited her to pray about inviting her mom and brother to church that Sunday.

That Saturday, we were sitting in weekly planning and I felt that we needed to fast for Petra, right then. I told my companions and they wanted to fast with me. What was neat was we started right there. It was just before lunch, but we all felt the urgency of it and so started it right away.


Sunday was a huge blow. I found out through the zone leaders that the elders in Bratislava were super frustrated with how things had been going with Petra. When I talked to them they said she hadn't been to church and that she wasn't meeting with them. They said "the church is her church in Brno, but here in Bratislava she has her own church with her own friends and stuff". I was so sad. I tried not to think this way, but I confess I wondered why our fast hadn't worked. That night I prayed so hard for her. We got a text from her later in the night that we found in the morning. She addressed it to me and told me how much she loved me and that she would come to Brno that weekend because she had so much to tell me. That text scared me! The last time we got a text like that was from Helena and the things she "needed to tell us" were that she was dropping us.

At the same time, the thought of transfers coming in a week and a half left me pondering a lot on the transfer. I felt a little discouraged, feeling like I hadn't done much good this transfer. There weren't any golden people found, people wanting to be baptized etc. I felt like we hadn't had any big miracles and I was sad thinking that I hadn't done a good job this transfer. When I prayed about it, I received this impression "Remember Abinadi and Ammon? They were both missionaries. Were they both successful?" Inside, I answered yes. "What about the immediate results? Abinadi was killed, Ammon helped convert so many Lamanites. But they were both successful missionaries!" A comforting feeling came over me, but then I said "I'd rather be like Ammon though!" I could just imagine Heavenly Father chuckling.

Well on Wednesday, we had a lesson in the morning with a guy who we've taught all this transfer. I contacted him at a tram stop my first transfer. He's really hardened up his heart quite a bit lately, and in the lesson we had with him that morning he basically told us the Book of Mormon was of the devil. It was tough! I had to bite my tongue. How can you read the Book of Mormon where it talks so much about Christ and say that it's taking you away from Him and that it's a book from the devil? It was really tough. A couple hours later, we received a call from Petra from Bratislava! It was surprising since it's so expensive to call between the countries. Sister White picked it up and then handed it to me. As soon as I heard Petra I knew something was up and then I couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth. "Sister Pysnakova, mark the 21 of July on your calendar. I'm going to get baptized!" Oh, I can't express what I felt. I started to cry. There was this rush of the spirit and I was flooded with joy. She couldn't tell me what happened, because it would take too long, but Bratislava elders called me that night and explained what had happened.
Apparently Petra got our text on 1 Nephi 8:12. She said it was so long and we explained the verse in the text that she didn't even read the scripture. She was away at a Nuskin conference in Hungary during that time. After she got the text she ended up praying that night harder than she ever has, and more specific than she ever has, to know if these things are true. A few days later she was sitting in training for Nuskin employees. Since the founders are Mormon, they used 1 Nephi 8 as their theme. Get that? They used 1 Nephi 8 and then they read 1 Nephi 8:12 to their employees. Petra just sat there in disbelief. The moment they read that scripture, something clicked. She new suddenly that everything was true and that she needs to get baptized.

What a miracle! A huge miracle for all of us! I had no idea if I was inspired when I sent 1 Nephi 8:12. Who knew that it would have such an impact on her later? And you know, it's a testimony that Heavenly Father talks to us all in our own way. That incident of the same scripture being used at the conference was the perfect sign for Petra. Heavenly Father really talks to us in our own personal way. This last week has been incredible. Petra is so excited for her krest [note: baptism]. She asked me to speak at her baptism. President Irwin is amazing. At the end of the transfer call he said "And start figuring out how you're going to get to the baptism on Saturday!" I was like president, I haven't even figured out how to get to Slovakia. Miracles happen! Fasting and prayer works!

After the call from Petra, we had a lesson with another investigator who told us the Book of Mormon was from the devil. I was so on fire from Petra that it didn't bother me too much. Later that week as I thought about it I thought, isn't it interesting that two people in one day told us the Book of Mormon was from the devil, but one person found out it was true and knows it’s from God! The Book of Mormon is true! Christ's church has been restored on the earth today. What a glorious message we all get to share with those around us!

Well, I'm off to Slovakia, blinding into an Area, opening it up to sisters, learning Slovak, and have no idea what to expect. It's been an amazing transfer with an amazing district, but I'm excited for this new one! I am happy! It's the Lord's work and he's in charge!
Love you all, s laskou, Sestra Pysnakova.



New Missionary Nametag