Week 48 WOTW: Service

 I think I loved almost every moment of this week. This week we got to serve and help the members of the church here and it made me so so happy. One member (her picture is down below) has a little garden and we helped her with it and she showed us pictures of all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and named each one.

Another babička (grandma) let us come and help in her garden, but I didn't get a picture of that. She let us eat any wild strawberries that we found and they were absolutely delicious. 

Another family (their picture is down there, too) is remodeling their home and they let us come and help paint (there's a picture of that, too) (for some reason we took some pictures this week, I need to make that a habit). I've never painted before!!! Well, painted on a house, I guess. They invited us to have dinner with them yesterday and I got to learn more about them. They told us stories about when they found the church and how the husband and wife found each other. They told us about the missions they served and the examples they're trying to be for their families who aren't all believers or really active in the church. I feel like I take my blessings for granted so often. I feel like I take the members of the church for granted who are doing so much to help and support and do the missionary work with us missionaries. I am so grateful for them and for this family. 

And as always, we called our amazing friend Sister Prochazková and had a lesson with her. Another member of the church here is going to give her a ride to church this Sunday so I get to meet her in person and I'm so excited. She asked us yesterday if we had enough money and food at the end of our phone call and we said yes, we do. And she asked, do you need any more? I'm happy to help. 

I think my heart melted completely. 

I love the people who are here in Třebíč. Sometimes, it's really hard to feel like I'm building personal connections with them because each conversation takes a lot of patience on their part and concentration on mine, haha. But, I'm realizing (especially today, thanks to my sister) how worth it the work is. The Czech people are amazing. The members are filled with so much faith and I want to remember them for the rest of my life and the examples they are to me. 

Relationships are so important. They take work, but they're so worth it. 

I'm wishing my dad another happy father's day because he is the perfect dad for me. I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father who knows me perfectly. 

I love you all, happy Monday. I hope you find moments of joy this week.

Love, Sestra Call

There was a rainstorm and then a hailstorm and then some more rain today, so we basically got a bath🌧⛈☔🌩

Week 47 WOTW: Myself

 Dear Many People Whom I Love,

This week, I thought a lot about myself. That, is honestly the truth. And I figured out, once again, that when I do that, being a missionary is a lot more difficult :) sometimes, I really wonder if I'll ever learn certain lessons. (Hey, here's a thought: maybe I'll never fully learn anything completely and that's the plan because then I'll always need Jesus Christ to make up the difference 🙃😊 what do you think about that?) 

Anyways, so.

I went to Sunday school with the women in our branch yesterday and the woman who taught the lesson is named Sestra Kutilová. She is the most unselfish, giving, and loving person I've probably met on my mission so far. She prepared and taught the lesson and translated for herself and everyone who spoke, into Russian, for a few Ukrainian women who attend our church. She hugs me everytime she sees me and tells me she loves me. She is willing to help the missionaries in every way possible. And I was sitting and listening to her and I promise you, she looked like an angel. I felt such an amazement and love for her and such respect for everything she gives to other people all the time. I've been in the Czech Republic a long time now. And it's still difficult for me most of the time to communicate in Czech super well. Sestra Kutilová never makes me or any other missionary feel like they're not completely a part(an important part)of the branch family. She listens to what I say and shows me it's important. 

I love her so much 😊 she inspired me to do better at looking at and lifting others this week. She was a little miracle showing me the light of Christ🌞💛

Also!! I was reading in the Bible, John chapter 15, and it truly and completely filled my heart with the sweetest and most amazing feeling when I read it. I feel like it was written just for me. I loved it, loved it, loved it. In that chapter it talks about Jesus Christ, metaphorically being a vine that branches grow from. And these branches bear fruit. And branches not connected to the vine CANNOT bear fruit, it's impossible. Just like, this missionary work I'm trying to do, is completely impossible without Christ. In fact, I'm honestly hardly doing anything, He's doing all the real work when we compare the effort that I am able to give, to everything He gives everyday. I am so, so grateful to work beside Him. He is WORTH it. The people of the Czech Republic are WORTH it. And I'm so happy to be a part of it. And please go read that chapter. I promise YOU that you will find, in that chapter, a desire to be closer to Christ and to be more tightly connected to Him as one of His beloved branches. 

Love you all to the moon and back and I hope you have a week filled with moments of joy.

Love, Sestra Call

I had exchanges with my sister trainer leader, Sister Shumway I LOVE HER. 

My district :) (I'm eating some banana bread, yummy)

I created this little picture after reading John 15 and I was going to post it on Facebook but then I didn't so here it is.

For p day today we went to this cool planetarium place and I wanted everyone to be little specks in the universe on the floor in front of the cool backdrop of the universe, so they did that 🌌

Week 46 WOTW: Superheroes

 Hello!!!

Ok, everyone. Here are some amazing people I want to tell you about. 

First, Linda. Linda has been meeting with missionaries for over a year now. She has wanted to be baptized for awhile but her parents haven't been supportive at all. She decided to get baptized once she graduated which was last Saturday. I got transferred into this area just in time to get to see the baptism happen and help out with things. Linda, is absolutely amazing. She got the gift of the Holy Ghost last Sunday and her face was shining when she stood up from the special blessing she got. Two days later we got to go with her to have her first priesthood blessing so that she would have strength to finish her texts strong and to tell her parents about her baptism. And THEN that night she texts us once she gets home and tells us that she told her parents!! And they seemed to see how important it was to her and how excited she was. They asked to see pictures and THEN yesterday she bore her testimony about it and got a temple recommend. 

She inspires me till the moon and beyond(I think I just made that up). Linda stands up for what's right and truly commits herself to a cause and especially, to Christ. I love her with all my heart. 

Second, Robert. Sister Lane and I have been calling Robert on the phone. He believes in God and participates in his own church through the phone. We had an amazing conversation with him about the sacrament and what it means to us personally and how much we want that for him, too. And he paused a minute and THEN he said he wanted that, too.so, he's going to come to church with us and partake of the sacrament. And I, honestly, could not be happier about that 😊

Third, Sestra Prochazková. This is an old lady in our branch (group of church members) who lives too far away to come to church. So, we've started to call her each Sunday to tell her a little bit about the lessons and what we learned. I. Love. This. Woman. Her heart is so pure and she has the most beautiful testimony. She told us yesterday that she has a testimony that God is always watching over her. Because, sometimes she falls down (literally) but, God has protected her and kept her safe so that she doesn't get hurt. "Not a single bruise" she said :) she is such an example to me and I love her. We are going to work in her garden this week which I'm really excited about and I'll tell you all how that goes. 

I'm so grateful for people. For angels that God puts in my life and for the opportunities I'm getting to serve and help other people here. It makes me so happy. 

With all my love, Sestra Call

A beautiful view from Třebíč!! I don't think I ever sent this one but I met my MTC teacher in person!! Sestra Nabrotzky!! Linda's baptism!! The district at the zoooo