Slovensko - Week 5 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

Birthday's & Nameday's

In the Czech Republic and Slovakia everyone has calendars and everyone's calendars have a person's name on each individual day. (all of the Alexander's (for instance) have their name day on February 27th) And every year each person celebrates their name day, it's even more important than birthdays to them! But that means they get to celebrate themselves twice a year... I guess we Americans need to step up our game! 

Anyway today is my companion's birthday! I made her a cake and got her some chocolate for her birthday, and later we're probably going to go bowling with the Elders. But today we're also celebrating one of our friends' name day, it was last week but she wanted to have a mini joint celebration with Sister Sawyer. So we'e going out today around lunch time :)

This past week we found a new investigator, n P-day! And when we had exchanges on Fiday Sister Šedivá and I taught him about the message of the Restoration. It was a really good lesson. He seems more interested in learning about our religion than learning it, but if he wants to keep meeting we will be more than willing!

Sorry I didn't have much to write today but I can tell you this much, this last week has been the coldest on my mission so far, we were literally contacting in -6C or 21F and it's supposed to stay cold this week... lots of layering is looking like the forecast to me!

I love you all so much!

Mám vás ráda!

Slovensko - Week 4 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

More beautiful Slovakian snow this week!

Our little branch

Slovakian Kolache's

Wednesday was Valentine´s day and we had a broadcast come in from Prague. Sister Bingham and Elder DeFeo went there and from what we who weren´t there got, (which was only about half of it unfortunately because something technically was going wrong I think on the Prague side)...it was so good! Sister Bingham talked about visiting teaching and how we need to be ministers to the sisters we are to visit teach. She said that "the Lord´s work is not to just solve problems but to build people, allowing us to grow. His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man and woman." and then Elder DeFeo talked about counsels and how they are a divine pattern we must follow given to us and in use from before the creation of this Earth and he talked about how one of the ways we can help build the kingdom of God is by helping our families grow in the gospel. It was such a good broadcast!

Then, yesterday we had a Valentine´s party. We made heart shaped pizzas, heart shaped sugar cookies to decorate, and we sliced apples to shape into hearts. It was more of a small get-together but I think it still went well and was cute.

Cookie decorating

Slovensko - Week 3 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

There is a hill in the middle of Trenčín with a castle on it called Brezina and it's beautiful. Last week we hiked up it and prayed for Trenčín as a district. On our way to the spot chosen, we saw some graves and at the end we stopped at a place called Tarzania because it's similar to a jungle gym concourse type of a thing. But the place is where almost a year ago, the then President Uchtdorf dedicated Slovakia. It is truly such a beautiful place!

And then, today we went to a gorgeous little tourist town called Bojnice that also has a castle - which is unfortunately closed on Mondays (our prep day & day we can go visit places). I just like it so much here.  We did get to enjoy going around the Bojnice Zoo though. The castle itself from outside is so pretty! And is one of the most intact castles in Slovakia... one day I'll go inside :) 

This last week we had zone training. And, it was the first time that only one zone met together. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. I was going to! And I even reminded myself by telling Elder Petersen that Sestra Pulley had already left and we were the only two left from our MTC group in the zone. But then I forgot! Oh well... Training was so good though, we got to listen to recent convert stories, stories of parents who were converted, and even a convert story on a sister's mission call. It was so good and so spiritual!

Then, the next day we, here in Trenčín, we had interviews with President Pohořelický which were wonderful. The next day he brought us to Žilina where there was a training for all of the leaders in the church here in Slovakia -  and since my companion is the Relief Society President in our branch, we got to go! An there I got to see more missionary friends including Elders Wutzke and Fuqua!

So, this week included a lot of traveling but it was good! Traveling wears you down but it's also just so nice looking at the countryside of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

I love you all an hope you have an amazing week! Happy Valentine's day!💝

Slovensko - Week 2 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

Last Monday we met with Yrral Yalsidal, the pantomime, who is a little too flirtatious for us sisters... so thank goodness he doesn't live here in Trenčín and is only here for a little bit. But, when we met with him we did teach him about the Book of Mormon and we gave him one, plus we talked about how God exists and answers our prayers. We're not entirely sure if he got it... but he came to church on Sunday! So that was cool.

On Wednesday we did anoother chalk display, this time it was about the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End as steps that bring us closer to God. It was really cool and it stayed for one day and night... until it rained. At least with the rain, it creates a new canvas for us to be able to work on each week!

On Thursday, we met with our investigator Peter and had a lesson talking about our purpose in life and the feelings we get when we feel the Holy Ghost. Then we talked about baptism and what it is, why it's so important and how it's done in our church and we asked him if he would be baptized if he came to a knowledge through the Holy Ghost that what we're teaching him is true, and he agreed to it! It was such a great lesson!

Yesterday, Sister Sawyer and I went to go and find two inactive ladies from our branch, so we walked for about an hour while contacting all the way up to these two different ladies' panlaks. The first sister wasn't at home unfortunately and wasn't answering her phone, but the second lady, Marina, was home and let us in for about ten minutes in the which we introduced ourselves and set up to come over again on Friday when she would have time. We're so excited to finally have met her and she seems so cool! We're hoping we can get her to realize the importance of coming to church every Sunday and bringing her family with her!

I love you all so much! I'm sorry I don't have any pictures this week... which is probably how it's going to be every other week while I'm here in Trenčín (you see, we have one good computer and one dinosaur... hahaha) 

Mám vás ráda!!!

Mejte se!

Sestra Sadler