Cooling off in Kosice




District p-day



Elders Barber and Ferrell

Hey everyone how is it going back in the states? I hope everyone is having a fun time and that all things that need to get done are happening. Today we plan on going to the zoo, So for that, we don't have a lot of time, but it's fine we just have to rush haha. So this week was very cold in Kosice and at the same time I was sick for the most part of it with a bad cold that left me clogged and coughy and then with a headache and with a closed up ear haha. So I could hear even less than than what I could before but it's fine, it's mostly gone now so I'll be a lot happier to be out in the cold.  I didn't have to stay in our apartment though.   The smaller coat that mom sent is really helpful because it's cold but it's not so cold that I need the giant one that we brought from Korea, which was a great idea and my companions are jealous of it haha. This week was interesting, just in our approach to missionary work now. I guess whenever a new companion comes everything gets all changed up and the focuses are different so, that is what's happening. Elder Guymon is very excited about going home and happens to be the 9th out of a family of 11, and he is really excited to be a dad so probably the normal Utahn idea of marrige and everything. It's rather funny though because he's never had a girlfriend before or even held a girl's hand before so I get to tease him about that. He is really good at the language since he's been here for nearly 2 years so when he got the call from president to come out here he told Elder Guymon that he can speak a lot of Slovak with me so what he's been doing is only speaking Slovak with me, all 16 hours of the day.  Of course when I don't know words he'll say them in English but for the most part it's up to me to understand, which isn't too hard and is actually really helpful with my language. So, I think it's going well, I can tell that my Slovak is becoming more natural to speak and that's good.

Elder Guymon thinks that next transfer it's likely that we'll both stay and then we'll get either a brand new Elder or someone to follow up train because he has to go home halfway through the next transfer, so because of that he thinks he'll be in a trio for that last half a  transfer. It's possible that he could get someone that has been here for awhile and then a new missionary but if I don't stay then that means 2 people HAVE to come out. So he thinks that me and him will both stay and that we'll get a new guy or a newish Elder.  But because of the 4 that came in this transfer and then at least 2 are coming in next transfer and the 4 that are leaving this transfer that means that only 1 companionship will neither be training/follow-up training/zone leader, which very well could just be me and Elder Ringger togerther or something like that. But presidents always like to do the unexpected. I would like to stay in Kosice again that would be fun.  And it is probably going to be my favorite city but we'll see later down the road.

This week we did a lot of contacting because we had very few investigators but at the same time we were very slow and deliberate about it focusing on the feelings that we're trying to emit rather than what we are saying or the quality of our Slovak. It's true how he says because in the end the people can always understand us whether or not we get the wrong case ending, the words are still there and they still know what we're trying to tell them. We actually had a lot of success with talking to people and they really felt like what we're talking about is important. The first 2 days we had 7 numbers to call the next day and throughout the week thus we have a packed day today which is really our shortened day ahah. But I think this week we are going to have very little time to do much of anything because we're really focusing on getting 21 lessons taught a week by the end of the transfer. Elder Guymon also proposed and we accepted the goal of 10 active and worthy members which we're going to shoot for at church every week which I think is possible especially with all the exciting people that we've met. Also Michal our old investigator that had a baptism date finally is home from the hospital and he's still excited about his baptism and conformation so we're going to change his date and work really closely with him because we think he smokes nut that's fine. He really loves us and knows what the spirit is. He felt it at church when he came and he wants to have it all the time so were really excited about him.

We also started doing some service for a guy that lives outside of Kosice and he's less active but he's really successful and is slowly remodeling his house. It looks like it will be really beautiful and just needs to get a move on it so we plan on going there once a week and working with him for a couple of hours. Elder Guymon did it before and he has a really good relationship with him. He's really awesome and I hope we can get him to come back to church.

Elder Guymon says he likes it because I don't complain at all to him which I like to hear because that's different than his other companions. He's a very fast walker but he doesn't push me too much where I can't handle it.  Anyways my time is ending and it always seems so short but I guess I have to wait until next week. I love everyone and I hope you're doing amazing back home.  Have fun in Utah with the grand kids I'm jealous. 
Elder Ferrell


Overlooking Kosice

P-day