Czech It Out!

This week we took a ten hour train ride to Prague, Czech Republic, sleeping along the way. Many trains have sleeper “wagons” so you can get some rest along the journey.

We attended a conference with our Mission President and four other senior couples. Each of us have different responsibilities like we do - Humanitarian projects, another couple support local leaders. One couple collects millions of family history records to preserve them. We enjoyed some traditional Czech food, and spent time learning about other couples, where they live and the work they are doing.

With over two hundred (200) missions in the world there are often just a handful of senior couples in each country. Some missions will have doctors, nurses, engineers, or a variety of technical specialist serving for 18 or 24 months.

President and Sister Pohorelicky moving the work forward. We sure welcome any seniors who wish to come and serve here in Czech/Slovak mission or really anywhere in the world.

We are all smiles as we are lined up in front of the Vltava River on a rainy day. Couples from left to right, Schultz's from Nevada, Hardwick's from Australia, Scott's from Utah, Walker's from Australia, and our President Pohorelicky and wife from Czech Republic. 

Prague is a gorgeous, well-preserved medieval city and this time of year the Christmas markets were just opening up in the town squares.

The downtown booths were full of many handcrafted items,

like 100% goat wool mittens, decorative wool socks, wood carvings, wooden nativities, tree ornaments, and other useful items.

The food booths included "Prague Pork", sausage and sauerkraut, cabbage soups, and Trdelnik. There is even "hot wine" sold here.

We noticed food was cooked over an open fire. The firewood is meticulously stacked in front of the booths.

One of the places we visited was a Christmas Ornament factory. We actually watched glass blown into Christmas bulbs then dipped and hand painted. It was amazing to watch the patient employees create beautiful glass Christmas ornaments.

We toured the Josef Ladá art exhibition. He is the most popular Czech artist depicting traditional Czech landscape scenes. He concentrated on the simple things in life. Most notable are his winter and Christmas drawings.