czech her out!: Week 22 Random things always happen

Some notes from Melanie's handwritten letter we received this week:

Things on my mind:

1. I eat fruit everyday. It's delicious here.

2. If I were to say I miss something about the USA, I'd say I miss wearing shorts, Lexi (our dog), and Target.

3. We walk so much here it's insane. My feet are not pretty anymore.

4. I have a sweet watch/CTR ring tan.That's when you know you're a missionary, when you have a watch tan. I remember seeing the picture of Brady's wrist on his mission. I'm continuing the tradition.

5. Why do they not have a/c here?

6. I'm almost 21. That's cool. I like only having one birthday on the mission.

7. The language - I think I am at the point that I can communicate well and explain what words I don't know. Every once in a while I hear a Czech form a sentence a certain way then BAM I understand, so it's definitely coming. Maybe by the end of my mission I can say with confidence "I speak Czech".

This week's e-mail:

1. We teach a lady from Lithuania. She is sooooo great. She just laughs and laughs and laughs. She is amazing. Her husband ADORES her and they have 2 really nice and funny kids. We taught her and her husband came home and sat in with us. And all we pretty much did was laugh at her because she was laughing so hard at...really nothing...

2. In our English class this 200 year old man told us a memorized poem (maybe an Edgar Allen Poe poem?) ALL BY HEART. It took him 15 minutes because he couldn't remember the rest! It was hilarious because he got into it at one time and we were just in awe. He said he memorized it to keep his mind alive in his ripe age.

3. We randomly walked into a new restaurant after district meeting one day. The second we walk in, a lady with her family says 'Hello Elders and Sisters! ' apparently a branch president and his family were in C Bud for the day and they paid for our food! We literally were shocked because that NEVER HAPPENS HERE. I have never been to a members house for dinner even. Crazay!

4. My birthday. Its hard to describe. We had an exchange with the sisters from Prague so they came down and we split. My companionship went out to Pisek to see this 16 yr old who is one of our investigators. We got a surprise tour of the town then only had 15 minutes to teach the plan of salvation and invite her to be baptized. It was great! Then we ate at my favorite Indian food restaurant with everyone. Then we all contacted on prophets. We contact on our own when we go at a group. I have never had a better contacting block. I contacted on so many different things because the spirit took over my heart and mind! I met a woman from Ukraine and she even opened up to me about her life within seconds and was crying. She loved what I said and we are calling her after emailing. I also gave a Book of Mormon away to a girl who I could tell was so sincere and would read it and pray about it. We will see. It was so good! Then we basically just contacted the rest of the day until the sisters had a train back to Prague and we went tracting in the cutest neighborhood in Stare Hudejovice.

5. An Elder who is touring the Czech Rebublic with his family right now randomly showed up to game night and taught us a game called 'The Screaming Viking ' I have never made weirder noises as I burst out in laughter. I am ecstatic to teach others that game in the future. Thank you McComber family!

6. We went tracting in Vcelna (cute little village outside C Bud) on Saturday. We met a man from England. We are just glad we could teach him the restoration and that we don't drink alkohol. He was a fan of alkohol. Did you know that Ceske Budejovice is the main center to Budweiser beer?

Thats all!

Mam vas rada!

-Sestra Hale