June 9, 2014 - In which we go everywhere between Prague and Poland

Dear family,

SO MUCH HAPPENED LAST WEEK! I have to type really fast or I will never get through all of it.

Last week we tried to maintain a focus on preparing V for baptism. We weren't able to keep our daily meeting schedule like from the week before, but we were able to help her make good progress. Towards the beginning of the week she started to present an interesting concern about how she was sure she wanted to be baptized, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to be baptized into our church (whereas before she had been speaking as though if she found out baptism was right it would almost certainly be into the Church).

This was really interesting to us. At first we tried to resolve this by trying to focus on getting an answer, but when we reached our last lesson of the week we actually helped her to see how much of an answer she had already received about the Book of Mormon. We helped her to see how much it had brought her nearer to God and also how it really could ONLY be inspired. It had looked like she was under a lot of pressure before then, but I think that realization helped her a lot.

Unfortunately she still wasn't able to make her date for last Friday for a couple of reasons. We had known for a little bit that she was going to be moving back home very soon after schooling ended, probably sometime this upcoming week, but on Wednesday or Thursday of last week she told us that her grandmother was having an operation and so she had to move back to Prague on Friday. She still has a little bit to go before baptism. I think she has a much stronger foundation of belief of the truthfulness of our message, but she still has a couple of issues to work out. Unfortunately we in HK can't help her as much anymore until she moves back for the new semester, but that acutally leads me to my next topic: transfers!

This is a bit of a story, though. The speculation had been running pretty rampant from Elder Jaynes and Elder Pruden that Elder Bushnell would be called away from HK to be an assistant in Prague (Elder Bushnell's MTC group is now the oldest in the mission, even though he has six months left still). Elder Bushnell actually found out on the 29th of last month that that would be the case, and he kept it a complete secret untilThursday when he was allowed to tell me (everyone else in the district found out Saturday). This means, though, that Elder Bushnell will be able to continue teaching V! We're very pleased about this.

Otherwise, I'm still here in HK. My new companion will be Elder Scherf, who is coming today from Liberec. He's still not here, though. We'll have a great time this transfer.

The other exciting thing that happened last week was all of the traveling last week. I was rarely in HK, it felt like.

Wednesday we went to Chlumec nad Cidlinou to visit the T again (who are also doing so well!). This was a humorous adventure though, because the member that was driving with us ran out of gas so we went on a walk through the Czech countryside. We made it to Chlumec n.C., then rushed back to HK, taught V, then went on a vylet with one of our investigators to this cool observation tower in the forest. (Pictures will have to come later from that). That was really fun, and also a great missionary opportunity! After the vylet we rushed home again to get out to a member's home in a tiny village 30 or so minutes outside of HK by bus. That was fun because we temporarily lost our phone :)

Thursday was exciting because we had to go to Pardubice for district finding (and we cleaned a Catholic kostel!)

Friday I had visa work in Prague. This took most of the day, and was exciting because we tried to take one of Elder Bushnell's suitcases with us so transfers would be easier for him, but it was still supposed to be a secret that he'd be an Assistant so we had to be secretive about his giant suitcase and heavy coat. It was ridiculous because we got seen by a group of missionaries AND a group of members. Also V came with us on the train in the morning, because that's when she moved home.

Saturday we practically went to Poland to help one of our senior sisters in the garden, and Sunday I spent with the Pardubice elders because Elder Bushnell had to go to Prague early.

That's about the week! I'm out of time. Sorry if this doesn't make sense :)

Love,
Elder Boyce

PS Can't explain, but I say "In which..." because of vlogbrothers, a YouTube channel. Every video is titled in the same pattern. John Green, one of the vlogbrothers, is one of my favourite YA authors. Google it :)