Week 47: Hard is Good (Cambridge --> St. Albans)

Birthday's are weird on a mission that's for sure. I honestly didn't even know it was my birthday until I got a call from my district and they sang to me haha! It also doesn't help that the moring started off with a phone call at 6:30 from president Checketts with moves. Unfortunately the time has come for me to part ways with Cambridge ;( I'll be headed to St. Albans to be the Zone Leader there with Elder Schonemeier from Germany. It'll be an exciting new change but I'm definitely going to miss everything about Cambridge. Having to tell Keeley and Lorraine that I'm leaving stunk. They were both so sad and it was tough to have to say bye to them. I'm going to ask President for permission to come back for one of the baptisms.

St. Albans is also one of the biggest zones in the mission so I'm excited to get to know the missionaries and love the people and the area. Funny enough Sister Mendenhall, who has been in the Cambridge ward with me for these last 6 months, is also headed to the same zone to be an STL so we're still gonna be serving around each other haha.

So this week was another good week. It consisted of lots of eating and continuing to see how prepared Lorraine and Keeley are. They both came to church on Sunday and sat with each other and just kept talking to each other about how excited they are for their baptisms! It made me so happy to see them building that friendship with one another. Both of them have also already quit smoking which is so amazing! The fellowship they have in the ward is also incredible. I really do love this ward. After church we had a munch and mingle and everybody kept coming up and saying their goodbyes which just made me realize how lucky i have been to serve around such amazing people. I love them and the relationships built here will last the rest of my life.

I know God has a plan for us and has prepared people specifically for me to teach. I know the people I've met and taught here are going to be kingdom builders for the rest of their lives. I know there's more people for me to teach in St. Albans and I'm excited to hit the streets with Elder Schonemeier. Thanks for the birthday wishes and i love you all! Talk to you next week from the new blessed land!

Elder Hruby

Week 46: Business is Booming (Cambridge)

Another great week in the England London Mission! It started off with our mission wide celebration on monday to celebrate hitting our goal of 444 baptisms last year! It consisted of some ice skating and minute to win it games and you already know i was all over winning those. I even won a speaker out of it . We have our new goal for the year of 555 disciples of Christ to enter the waters of baptism!

Speaking of converts Keeley, Lorraine, ans our part member family Sonia are all doing so well. They were all at church this Sunday it was incredible! I also had the opportunity of speaking in sacrament about the role of the Book of Mormon in conversion. It was a great sabbath day. Keeley has cut down from her 40 cigarettes a day to 0 already! Lorraine has loved church and her 8 year old son might even get baptized with her! Sonia and her husband Fransisco are starting their wedding papers this week and we will be aiming for the end of February for her to get baptized! So many great things happening in Cambridge.

With that being said we will have transfers next week so I'll know by this time next week if I'll get to stay or if I'm getting moved. Hopefully I'll get the chance to see all these wonderful people enter the waters of baptism.

God is so good and I love my mission and this glorious land of England! I'll talk to you when i turn 20!

CHEERS!
Elder Hruby

Week 45: God is Good (Cambridge)

It's been a while since I've written my weekly so my apologies. Once I skyped family that was good enough to last me a while, but I figured there's so much that has happened that you must be updated. Literally like wow God is so good and has prepared the most amazing people I have ever found on my mission.

Something about the single mums but wow two ladies, Lorraine and Keeley, are both so golden. I'll start with Lorraine. She is a single mum to 4 kids all 8 years and younger. She's the most normal and awesome person ever. She has been nonstop looking online at the church and asks so many questions. We taught her Wednesday and it went so well! We then gave her a chapel tour with a couple in our ward. She came to Church yesterday and brought all 4 of her kids. It was a bit hectic during sacrament meeting but got through it. She loved it. Her 8 year old son loved it as well. They already can't wait to come back. She's been messaging me today saying "Honestly, I thought it was amazing. It was completely different to what I was expecting and everyone is so lovely too" and "I’m so glad I came today and didn’t talk myself out of it. I think this is definitely the right path I want to take for me and my kids" then my all time favorite "It’s so strange because had you messaged me a couple of months ago I wouldn’t have been ready to listen to you. I was in such a bad place in my head then after two and half years of mental and psychological abuse from my ex. It’s just weird when I was ready, you popped up"! Like it doesn't get much better than that! She's preparing to get baptized on February 2nd!

Then there's Keeley. She came to church last week and we've seen her several times this week. She already has a testimony and knows the church is true. She's so golden as well! She didn't come this week because she was up all night sick, but can't stop talking about how happy she is now and how excited she is for this new path with her kids. She even posted about it on Facebook! Some of the things she's sent me are "I’m glad I’ve met you guys I’m so thankful to be able to believe again" as well as "Well that’s good well me and the kids did a prayer of being thankful you came into our lives before they went to bed I really thankful to you guys and the church". Literally these two women are so amazing! I'm so excited for them and their future as well as their kids.

Honestly i don't have much else to say then about those two. They make it all worth it. I just wanted you guys to be able to see how awesome Cambridge is and the people who are prepared by God!

I love this church and this gospel. I love my saviour Jesus Christ and for all the exciting things 2019 will bring. I know the Lord is hastening his work and has people prepared specifically for me to find and teach here in England. I love my life and i love being a missionary.

Cheers!!!
Elder Hruby

Week 44: Tis the Season (Cambridge)

A couple of house keeping items to start off.... next week I won't have my pday on Monday it'll be on boxing day (December 26th). So really the next time I'll talk to you guys will be after Christmas. I said a couple of items but I'm pretty sure that's the only one lol.

Twas another great week here in the blessed land of Cambridge. We've done a bunch of decorating of cookies and delivering those to all the members with some Christmas cards. So lots of driving that's for sure! We went out with the young woman to deliver some of them as well. We had district per usual at the Calls and they always hook us up with some great food! It's actually their anniversary today so we've gotta go out and get something special for them today. We've been teaching a lady named Sonia from Portugal who's family are members but not active. They love us and have us over every week and usually feed us as well. She really wants to be baptized but they aren't married so we are working on that. I kinda feel the struggle of what Grant went though on his mission Haha. They are headed to Portugal for 2 weeks but we are hoping to make it happen in the new year!

Sports night was a jolly time as always. Paul has a glow to him now and he even knows it. He told us that he's just been so happy this week and he knows it's cause he got baptized! We also played basketball on Saturday for the first time in a while. We're going to the big boy league Tuesday night to play in the 5v5 full court game, so that'll be Interesting Haha. Peter, our Filipino member brought me an ankle brace to wear for that since my ankle still is messed up. Its gonna get serious tomorrow night.

This upcoming week we head to the temple and I'm so excited! My love for that place has grown so much on my mission! When you don't have it so easily accessible it definitely Increases your appreciation for it.

Crazy to think I'll get to Skype my awesome family this time next week! Happy chuffing holidays everyone and hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year! Cheers

Elder Hruby