August 31, 2015 - In which I pick up Elder Dean

Dear family,

Last week was pretty crazy! I don't have a lot of time, unfortunately, but it was really crazy.

I mentioned that after Elder Page left on Monday morning I had to find some way to have a companion for Monday and Tuesday until I got to Prague so I had to bounce between Uherské Hradiště and Zlín before I connected with Elder Nelson in Olomouc. We traveled to Prague together Tuesday afternoon, where we had trainers' training, a nice dinner with the McConkies, and stayed in the one of the elders' apartments in Prague (there were nine missionaries in that apartment... crazy). The next morning President McConkie paired us with our companions (mine is Elder Dean from Eagle Mountain, Utah) and then we were on our way. It was an ordeal Wednesday morning because we kept on getting shuffled from place to place to keep us out of sight of the new missionaries. Then there was a big reveal where President paired us together as if it was a game show. We sat in the McConkie's living room with the new missionaries on the front row on the couches with us on some chairs behind them. President called each of the new missionaries up one at a time and started telling them about the city where they're going. The trainers knew instantly who they were going to be with so we were all whispering intently in the back row. Since we got to Zlin we've had a great week, we've been working hard. I met the secret goal from President McConkie and worked hard enough to get Elder Dean to fall asleep in church yesterday from sheer exhaustion :D

Elder Dean is a great missionary, he already knows how to be courageous. He contacts whole bus stops of people and the other day leaped up onto a planter to try and talk to about ten people at once. If we lived in the days of preaching on top of soap boxes, he'd get along just fine! He is doing really well in his Czech and yesterday bore a pretty solid testimony at church. He told about when he first came into our chapel he felt really strongly that this is where he's supposed to be.

We made some pretty specific goals for the transfer for trying to help people prepare to be baptized and reactivated, and we also want to find a younger couple that can be a strength to the branch, and we set goals for trying to work with members. We put a focus on obedience and hard work, and I think it set a good tone for the transfer, especially since it's Elder Dean's first. We were also able to coordinate with President V about a few less-active members, which was a great blessing.

We weren't able to meet with J or Sister D last week, which was too bad, but we still found some great people that we hope to be able to meet with this week.

I'm doing pretty well, and am excited for the new transfer! I'm just about out of time, but have a great week.

Love,
Elder Boyce

After dinner and trainers' training last Tuesday we went up to this lookout point in a park near the church building in Prague. This is where President McConkie took me and my group our first day in the country and told us all about the history of the city and the Velvet Revolution. It was cool to come back again.

Karlův most -- Charles's Bridge

This is my new companion! And it was first time drinking Kofola!!!!!!!!! (I was so proud it's our national treasure)