June Flowers can bloom in December through our memories

Ahoj hoj my dear rodinicko Miracles were blooming allllll over the place this week. I really could believe it. The first miracle being that I had exchanges in Prague this week. I love that city with all of my heart. I was with Sister Rosenvall (one of my MTC sisters) and she helped me so much! We talked about how I can improve and what I can be doing better. One of the main concerns I have had on my mission is being about to feel successful. She, so lovingly, told me that all that I am doing shows my success, and even if I don't see it right now, that when I come home from my mission and when I have daughters that are going through the same things I have gone through that I am going to help them thanks to all that I am doing on my mission. Plus I got to be in Prague... and I saw Jardo and Angie!!! (2 investigators that I taught) Jardo is getting baptized on Friday!!!! and Angie... well she dropped the missionaries, but still I got to see them and tell them how much I love them. It just helped so much to see how much they have changed all because of the gospel. I'm so glad that I was able to bring that into their lives in even the smallest way. Then I came back to Plzen and we just exploded. We taught a girl that was contacted in September who texted us telling us that she wanted to meet! It was awesome. She met some believes through cheerleading and she wanted to know more. Unfortunately she went to Austria this week so we don't know when we will get to meet with her :( We also had first lessons with a man named Janu who contacted us our first day here in Plzen and gave him all the committments and he accepted them all. And we had a lesson with a man whose grandfather helped build Pilsner-Urquell (the beer factory here). And the coolest thing ever happened during a chalk display (we just draw things on the ground in chalk and contact people about it). I talked to this AMAZINGLY PREPARED girl from Portugal who doesn't know if she believes in God but wants to find out. At the end of the contact she asked if I really thought I could help her. I almost hugged her and half-shouting half-crying said "YES, I PROMISE THIS WILL HELP" It was an amazing feeling. She had a test so we are going to call this week to set up. On top of that we keep running into people that I have contacted/taught before last transfer and getting numbers... miracles. The cherry on top of an amazing week was that a women from church and our investigator (that only comes to church and wouldn't meet with us) became BEST FRIENDS. Seriously best friends. We had a meeting with the member to talk about her personal mission plan and talked about how she could help us bring this women to baptism. THE MEMBER WAS SOOOOO EXCITED. She set up the meeting herself. The member and investigator became friends while the investigator was coming to church and now they are working together. Roksana (the member) told us that our investigator was going to help her with work and Roksana was going to help the investigator be saved. IT WAS SO CUTE! We just had the lesson today and it was soooooo cool. The member taught the lesson for us. She shared all the commitments and told the investigator that she was going to call and check if she was reading and praying. And we set up again for thursday to teach the lady and her 3 daughters!!!! WE ARE STOKED. Members are KEY. Seriously they make a HUGE difference. I can't believe the amazing week I have had and I'm so blessed to have seen the hands of God in my work this week. My testimony of no effort ever being wasted has been so strengthened. God really knows the right time and condition and brings forth miracles in his way. I am so glad that he knows better than me and he makes these things possible for his children. Isn't he the best??? I love you all and I hope that all is well. GIGI IS HAVING HER BABY?!?!?! I'm freaking out. I'm so excited to see pictures. Everyone looks like models in the pictures they sent. How did I luck out with such a great family? I love you guys s laskou Sestra Bruno

True Colors

I won't lie, fam, this week was a buttkicker. The lovebug must have been in the air because people were just not showing up to the meetings that we set. Other than that it was good. We taught Tomas again. He is the sweetest old man on the planet. And it's hilarious because he tries to act like he isn't, but then when he prays during our lessons he thanks God for sending us to him... we still haven't really talked about baptism because he is hard-core catholic, but we plan to talk to him about whether or not he is catholic by tradition or by choice. Most people here believe what they believe because of their parents. Which is weird to me because so many people pride themselves on being "individuals" but then when we ask why they aren't believes 9 times out of 10 it has to do with how they grew up. SO I just want to take this time to say THANK YOUUUUUU to my wonderful family who taught me about God. And who taught me not to take their word for it, but to find out myself. I just want so badly for all of these people to know what I know. They would LOVE it too. Anyway just wanted to say, I love you all sooooooo much! 

Speaking of individuals, we met a lot of those this week. :) One of them brought my companion chocolate on Valentine's Day. bahahahah. We had to give him to the Elders... but it was definitely a journal moment. We also taught the WAYYYY cool guy named Daniel. Unfortunetely he gave us every excuse in the book for why he couldn't meet even though he was clearly feeling the spirit. Sad day. BUT he said he would call after he read Alma 32, if it interested him... Since I know how powerful the scriptures are, I know he will call... if he actually read and had sincere interest like he said he would. Basically I know how ready Plzen is to explode, but for some reason something is missing... we will find it. 

PLUS Simona came to church again this week!!! She is the one with the 3 daughters... But she won't set up to meet with us :( It's so weird because this usually does NOT happen. Usually it is us begging our investigators to come to church and not the other way around. Plans are being made to rectify the situation. Haha. If you have any ideas let me know. It's a tough one. 

Plzen has definitely been good for me. I think I have learned more things about myself and how the world really works here then anywhere/any time in my whole life. But I think the one thing that sticks out the most is that I have undoubtly, with a surety learned that God loves his children. Me and you and all our investigators and our friends and every one. SO. MUCH. Even if it is hard to recognize. I think that I am in store for another tough transfer, but I'm looking forward to it. 

Happy Valentine's Day. Love you love you love you!!!

S laskou 

Sestra Bruno

A Short Report from the Czech Republic

AHOJ! Hey sorry so my enter button isn't working. It's going to be kind of a weirdly formatted letter home this week. BUT. It was a good week. We taught some really good lessons and got a new investigator! Her name is Pavla. And she's 21. SHE'S AWESOME! We are so excited to meet her again. The lesson was a little bit crazy because we met her on the namesti (town square) and then walked to a cafe and it was so loud and people were smoking and drinking all around us and I ordered hot chocolate (the only thing not against the word of wisdom on the menu) but they brought me out a latte instead... awkward. Then we taught her a basic lesson and she was awesome. She responded well to everything!! The Book of Mormon was really hard for her to read though, but it is for everyone here in the Czech Republic because it uses really old Czech and people aren't used to reading religious books. So that was understandable. She is so great though. Unfortunately she didn't come to church this week,

Eating Your Way Through A Mission

Hello family.

Another transfer has just flown by!!! I can't believe I have been in Plzen for 2 months already. But I guess that I will be staying here and Sister Cooper is going to be my companion. She is great. From what I have heard, she works really hard and is really motivated. I'm pumped. Plzen is going to see some really cool things this transfer!

It has been a really amazing week. We have eaten at SO MANY MEMBERS HOUSES! The members here really loved my last companion so they had us over once before she left. There is this really funny old lady called the "groovy grandma" who makes ovocny knedliky (fruit dumplings). They are the best things ever, but they are basically a heart attack waiting to happen. They are potato dumplings with apple filling then she covers them with powdered sugar and cream and a cup of butter (1 cup for every knedliky). We went over to her house this week and had what is called "The Knedliky Challenge" basically you try to eat the most knedlikys. Your pride is really on the line. I ate 13 of them!!!! And my companion ate 20 (That was the record for Sisters, 45 is the record for Elders) Don't you worry, I have one more transfer to beat the record!!! It was insane. We also had traditional Ukrainian food at another members house. IT WAS SO GOOD. Real Ukrainian borsk. It was delicious. Seriously I am gaining soooo much weight. But it is worth it.

We also had another lesson with the Catholic Man. He prayed correctly after we taught him how to pray so that was really interesting, and great. Also Simona came to church again yesterday, and she took the Gospel Principles book home! We still haven't been able to meet with her though. She is really busy and I'm trying to figure out how to get her to let us teach her!!! It's really good though. 

It's been a crazy week, and a crazy transfer. I'm really looking forward to seeing the amazing things that will happen here in Plzen the next two months. I know that great things are ahead! I hope you are all doing splendidly. 

Love you!

s laskou

Sestra Bruno