Slovensko - Week 8 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

So, new investigator! There's this lady named Alej who started coming to our free English classes and wanted more. So, on Wednesday we had a half and half lesson, half English, half spiritual lesson in which we showed her the amazing short video ''Hope of God's Light''. I love that video!

Then, today I was in Prague for some visa work! Sister Sawyer and I got to see some of the Ester trhy that they had set up already! I loved it! I love how they bring out all the little traditional things around Easter and Christmas :)

They are setting up the towns for the Easter celebrations

This week we did a lot of travelling. We went to Brno for our zone training and then the next day we went to one in Nová Spišska Ves, a new area we just opened up in Slovakia! It was so cool that we were able to see that and participate in a big finding activity. It was super cold. but we had tea going and an Easter video showing about the Savior Jesus Christ. 

On Sunday, we had a Relief Society activity because of the Relief Society's anniversary. And it was fun. We had lots of chlebičky, the little bread things with vegetables, and a few little treats.

Balloon games at the chapel

Some of our branch members

HERE IS A PICTURE OF OUR APARTMENT HERE IN TREčIN

Tomorrow we'll be back in Trenčín for a zone finding activity, the next day we'll be in Uherské Hradiště for the same thing! So exciting! We'll be talking to people about Easter and Jesus Christ and His resurrection.

Life is so good! I love you all! I hope you have an amazing week and time to may we think about all that we have because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mám vás ráda!

We tried "trdelnik" (ice cream in a cinnamon pastry)

Slovensko - Week 7 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

So, lots of funny stuff has happened this past week!

1. We'll start off with the service we did for a member, Sister Atěbžla. And she was so cute! She didn't want our hair to get dirty or dusty so she put little scarves on our heads that made us look so funny, but that's okay. 

2. I got aslked if I'm Polish or the second time this transfer. I don't know if it's my Czech/Slovak mixture that I sometimes use or me trying to speak Czech in a Slovak city. Maybe I look Polish! hahaha I have no idea! They're always so surprised when I say that I'm from America and the look at me like '' I don't trust that you're from America!'' hahahaha so funny!

3. The week before we had gone service tracting, which is where we ask people if they have any service we can do for them and we weren't having much luck but finally this old lady let us in from the cold and gave us some cookies with bananas and basically told us her life story. She kept telling us that we need to live our lives while we're young. Then at the very end she gave me what my companion calls a ''good game pat'', she basically patted me on the backside quite a bit as we were leaving her house... for fertility... hahahahaha, old ladies are some of the funniest!

4. We were tacting and found someone who was interested in what we had to say so we set up with him. We texted him on the day of our meeting and he told us we could meet at his house, he lives there alone, and he would love to make us some tea and dinner... emmmmm..... noooooo... so we told him we had rules against being with a man alone and he told us somewhere we could meet. He ended up bringing us to the Trenčín castle! And while we were there he, (Orim) told us that the sunset was beautiful - oh so sad that we missed it! we had another appointment we had to go to! - truly grateful hahahaha. But while we were there we ended up teaching him the Restoration and the importance of Sabbath day observance. He only moved my hair out of my face once.... awkward! 

5. Yesterday, not so funny, but yesterday I gave a talk in church! It was about hope and it was so good! 

Today we went hiking with Starsi Siikavaara and Starsi Goddard.  Here are some pictures from the hike...

And I'm out of time but I love you so much! Have an amazing week!

Mějte se hezký! Mám vás ráda!

Slovensko - Week 6 in Trenčín (some names changed for privacy)

​Super quick today, sorry I don't have much time but we got two new investigators this week! One is a lady named Atsalv who works at a little bakery shop near the train station here​ and she has been the missionaries' friend for quite a while now but we finally set up with her recently to read the Book of Mormon and talk about it. We're so excited about it! 

And the other night we were going through our former investigators book and found someone who was taught back in 2008 who was supposed to get contacted when a Slovak Book of Mormon came out. The Slovak Book of Mormon translation is still kind of a recent thing here, so we called him up and he set up to meet with us so that we could give him a Book of Mormon! Literally, the power of the Book of Mormon is so real, I love that book. It truly is the cornerstone of our religion!

I love you all! Have an amazing week! 

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