Košice Branch

View from street
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

We've been here in Slovakia for four Sundays now. We live in Prešov and are members of the Košice branch. Each Sunday we drive about 35 kilometers or a half hour to attend church. 

Most our drive we pass green pastures and walls of trees. This time of year, the wild flowers are plentiful. Along the way, we pass by small villages, farms, and churches. 

Interior entrance to
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Košice Branch 

Our first Sunday, approaching our new building and looking around. We had just barely crossed the threshold and put our feet inside the building when meeting our new Branch President, he pulled Greg aside and was asked to be the first counselor in the Branch Presidency.

Sunday worship services are held in rented office space located in downtown Košice. A green door welcomes members and visitors. The largest room is the chapel with tile floors and brightly painted walls. Although we don't have all the people of a ward, we have everything we need to worship our Savior and learn his Gospel. Our small spiral bound hymns books are in Slovak, but we always recognize the wonderful music.

Our first Sunday was Branch Conference. Greg and I were asked to bear our testimonies while someone volunteered to translate what we said; I told them how grateful I was to be in Slovakia and on a mission. I testified of the power of prayer. The meeting was followed by Relief Society and Priesthood. After church, our Branch President had prepared a delicious hot lunch and sweet desserts. 

This photo is our branch conference, held May 28, 2017. Most individuals in photo are missionaries and visitors. There were a few investigators, too.

Included: The Mission President Pohorelický & his wife, the District President & his wife, the Humanitarian Missionaries (us), the District Relief Society President & her husband and four Elder missionaries and two Sister missionaries. The Branch President, of course, is a branch member. There are no youth programs, because currently there are no children in the branch.

Just over the road from church is this lovely park. The church is seen between the trees on left of photo. Cat tails line the pond where schools of goldfish hid under water lilies. A few mallard ducks live at the pond.

The missionaries and Branch President of the Košice Branch. Back row from left: Elder Hammer from St. George, UT, Elder Mueller, from Vancouver, WA, President van Dalen, from Košice, Elder Cragun, from Pleasant View, UT, Elder Harp, from Mesa, AZ, Sister van Langeveld, from Provo, UT, Sister McDonald, from American Fork, UT, and Sister and Elder Schultz, from Las Vegas, NV.

Red Poppies

Early this week, we loaded our vehicle on the night train in Košice, Slovakia and disembarked the following morning in Prague, Czech Republic. We enjoyed our private cabin including wash sink, drinking water, and breakfast pastry. Once we adjusted to the sounds and movement of the train, we slept soundly and comfortably in the berths on the sleeper train. Our Mission President had invited us to Prague for a conference with other senior missionaries.

  

Red poppies along the tracks

 While we were waiting to disembark at the Prague train station, we noticed our Mission President outside our window waving at us. We were delighted to know we did not have to rely on our GPS to get us around Prague.

Two young Elders escorted us on a short two-hour walking tour from the mission home. We walked a short distance before we came to a vista point of Prague. 

As we walked, I snapped photos. There are red roofs, castles, churches, squares, shops, bridges, clocks, cathedrals, and tourists.

I don't know any of the names of the sites we walked past. It was a short tour. In Prague, there are many beautiful buildings and tourists following a person holding a stick with a scarf tied to the end. The people crowded the streets and squares, it reminded me of the Las Vegas "strip." But with real bricks and mortar, not facades. 

Of course, we enjoyed the famous street dessert, trdelník.       

They are sold everywhere. A sweet bread dough is wrapped around a wooden cone then onto a rotisserie over wood charcoal heat. When golden brown it is removed and rolled in sugar and finely chopped walnuts. Ours was filled with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and caramel drizzles for a finishing touch. 

It is impossible to include all the splendor of this great historic city. 

This square above and to the left is the famous "Astronomical Clock." It displays the twelve apostles when the clock strikes. It is said to be over 600 years old. Currently, it is under renovation.

While looking around we were stopped by a few members of the church who recognized our badges. Any English and encouragement is good to hear in a foreign land. 

Our purpose for the Prague trip was our semi-annual senior missionary conference. 

It was a wonderful time to learn from other couples serving here. President Pohorelický shared his testimony and retold his conversation and struggles of Czechoslovakia. This conference certainly helped us understand the culture and history of this country. These members are true "Mormon Pioneers." 

We attended Hansel and Gretel at the opera house and later enjoyed a delicious Czech dinner prepared by Sestra Pohorelická in the mission apartment. 

The couples who serve in the Czech-Slovak mission are some of the finest senior couple missionaries around. President Pohorelický is a Czech native, others are from Australia, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. They are making great sacrifices and performing miracles in their service. 

I have no words for the horrific events that took place at Památník Tereyín. Centuries ago it was a small military fortress with mote, in Nazi era a concentration camp for Jewish prisoners, today, a memorial for the dead. 

How sad it must have been to be reduced to a number. Notice the "28" on the grave.





The following is a tribute statue erected in 2009. I found the following poem at http://www.pamatnik-terezin.cz.

To the Dead
A grave among graves, who can tell it apart, time has long swept away the dead faces. Testimonies, so evil and terrible to the heart, we took with us to these deep rotting places. 

Only the night and howl of the wind will sit on the graves' corners, only a patch of grass, a bitter weed                                      before May bears some flowers                                author Jaroslav Seifert 


To leave this blog with ... the red poppy! 

 The Flanders Field 

by John McCrae

written 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row by row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

Scare heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We live, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

We've Arrived in Slovakia

Our Mission President met us at Budapest airport and drove us to Slovakia stopping for a quick photo.

St Nicholas Church in
Prešov Center

We arrived in Prešov, Slovakia about a week ago and are already loving it here. It is a city celebrating it's 770th anniversary year which means it is a very old city and most the buildings date back to the 16th and 17th century. Over the years, fires have destroyed some buildings and most have been restored and upgraded. Nearly all the structures are built from small red bricks and concrete.

Along the sidewalks

Most buildings are joined together like a long row of townhouses.

Coat of Arms
City of  Prešov

The Prešov's coat of arms is positioned all around the city on plaques, buildings, statues, and sidewalks. Top part of shield, three red "roses" and lower part divided into red and silver bands three times.

Basement Restaurant

Many buildings have deep basements and some were found to contain large restaurants. The wine museum winds through underground cellars and old prison cells. The locals say it is the best museum in town. The underground is a portion of the city where we can find hidden gems.

Hlvaná Street
Southward view

Hlvaná Street is "Main"street for Prešov City. The street splits past the green bell tower (photo above) of the Church of St. Nicholas. It is city center and visible throughout the city. Cafes, flower pots, statues, park benches, outdoor pubs, performing stages, and cobblestone sidewalks add charm to this quaint town. 

North side of St Nicholas church
bell tower.

To the north is the Evangelical church cathedral. Another prominent sight in city center.

The main street is lined with three story buildings painted in pastel colors. Many are residential town homes with commercial businesses on the ground floor. To the south is the Church of John the Baptist. Their church bells can be hear all around city center. From what I can tell the bells start around 7:30 am.

Interior of
St Nicholas Church

Wedding day.
Bride and father

These churches are a focal point for weddings. On Saturday, we noticed two of the churches were busy with weddings. At one of the churches,the bride and groom had a large following of guys and gals dresses up in Slovakian outfits. We believe Slovaks are keeping this tradition by wearing clothing worn decades ago.

The weather has been delightful and comfortable. We have not needed air conditioning yet!

We look forward to many more wonderful weeks in Prešov. Slovakia sure is a beautiful country steeped in history and culture. Not to mention the beautiful sights. I feel honored to have this awesome experience. What a blessing!

Good Will Towards All Men

Our Las Vegas family but still missing a few.
Mother's Days May 14, 2017.
I will miss this bunch of smiles and hugs.

This week we came to understand our purpose as an humanitarian missionary. Our purpose is to relieve suffering and care for the poor and the needy for all nationalities and religions. There is no discrimination to anyone in need. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is doing humanitarian work in about 180 countries around the world. This is pretty impressive if you ask me! I feel honored to be involved in such a great cause of “good will towards men” (Luke 2:14).

Our eyes were open to discover the fine line between helping and enabling. As welfare missionaries we are encouraged to not go into their countries and just give “things” away. With good intentions, we can bring harm to the people and weaken their ability to want to become self-reliant upon receiving hand outs. There are unintended consequences for giving everything away without listening to the community and their concerns. The future of every community lies in capturing the passion, energy, and imagination of its own people. Humanitarian aid should help increase capacity and confidence of the receivers.

One example of the LDS church coming to the aid is in Uganda, Africa. The church has worked with UNICEF over twenty years. They entered one of the world’s largest refugee settlements to provide immediate needs of food, shelter, and clothing. They also offered immunization and education as needed. The refugees themselves have reached out to help and lift the newcomers. The impact these partners have on the refugees is really helping the families.

Coming soon to Slovakia.
Brother Evan Sharp the Slovak instructor
(sorry, he'll stay behind).
He was our Slovak tutor.

But most of all, we’re looking forward to getting to Slovakia to interact and love the people. We’ve heard it over and over … “you’re going to just love it [here].”

MTC Experience

MTC Breezeway

Well we made it through our first week of the Missionary Training Center (MTC). We learned being a missionary is all about bringing people to Christ. Regardless what other responsibilities we have to serve others the greatest service we can do is help others come closer to Christ.

Elder Van  Leeuwen
(Instructor)

Sister Luke & Sister Ritchie

Who taught these classes? Young men and women who returned from LDS missions, serving part-time at the MTC, and students at BYU. Their courage and boldness were exemplary and their teaching styles are excellent. I so much appreciated their talents teaching us older seniors missionaries how to be directed by the spirit.


We are one of thirty-six senior missionary couples who arrived on Monday, May 15, 2017. We were divided into districts of eight people or four couples and Greg was asked to be our District Leader. We are also one of six couples serving humanitarian missions. Locations our group are called to serve in: Argentina, Mongolia, Samoa, Dominican Republic, Australia, Chile, West Indies, Germany, Portugal, New Zealand, Czech-Slovakia, Nepal, Italy, and various United States locations. More senior missionaries will arrive tomorrow on Monday.

Slovakia  missionaries

Czech missionaries

The first time we showed up at the cafeteria we were surprised by the large amount of missionaries. There were hundreds of missionaries and a large percentage were female “sisters” who had volunteered to serve a mission. This was so exciting to see so many young men and women here at the MTC choosing to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The hallways were filled with excitement as young missionaries headed off to lunch or dinner, or maybe a study group. Some missionaries would stop a senior couple and ask them to listen to a discussion they were practicing.


 For Sunday worship we attended a small branch of about twenty international missionaries. They were all from outside the United States. One from Ukraine and another from the Marshall Islands was asked to address the congregation. Others from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, and other far-away places. I am so impressed with these young missionaries and their choice to serve the Lord.

At the entrance of the MTC hangs this large picture... "Become as He is" the invite to all the world.

As One Door Closes Another One Opens

Today we received a video call with our new Branch President in Košice, Slovakia. It seems the more we talk to those in the mission field the more excited we are to go. Today, I felt the spirit confirm to me the “influence of one” is needed in Slovakia. One person can do so much to improve the life of another and to find ways to serve others. I have learned, “As I have loved you love one another” (John 13:34). Greg and I definitely need to be going to serve this Mission at this time.

I never consider myself sentimental, but as the day approaches to leave, I am beginning to feel very emotional about the changes taking place. I am realizing that I will miss many “things” that I have come to accept and take for granted; my children and grandchildren, temple sessions, my friends, my church, and family reunions. I will miss hot summer evenings, road signs in English, dinner groups, and mild winters. I might even miss a clothes dryer and online shopping.

Although, I will miss so much here at home in Las Vegas, I will not be deterred. I have decided to take a new and exciting road, a new journey to travel. After all, there are creative ways to cope with missing loved ones. For example, I have learned about Skype which is almost as good as being in person, except you can’t hug a screen.

I know the rewards will far outweigh what I will leave behind. Serving a mission will open new doors to new opportunities, new adventures, and new challenges. It will increase my faith in Jesus Christ, my testimony of the Atonement, and my love for others.

Throughout my life I have been taught, watched over, and protected for this very purpose. When I was an infant my sister dropped me head first onto the concrete foundation (accident of course). At eight years old, I lived eight months in a Army tent through cold winter in Oregon. At fifteen, I survived a rollover vehicle accident in Arkansas.  In my early adulthood, I lived in rural Nevada without water or electricity for an extended period of time. As a single mother, I worked long hours to provide and care for my minor children. And I survived two divorces. Yes, I have endured many hard things.

Why do we endure hard things in our life? Could it be we are preparing ourselves to endure things to come in the future? of course. I will be able to leave my comforts and serve a mission as the Lord has already helped me overcome many hard things.

The Lord has answered prayers and opened doors for us to make this mission possible.  “As one door closes another one opens.” Greg and I will walk through another door Monday morning. Until we meet again. Hugs to all my loved ones. In my absence may God watch over and care for you. Farewell!

Anything worthwhile is hard and requires work

112 days and counting…

Greg and I are reporting to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah, May 15, 2017. We will be there two weeks training for the Czech - Slovak mission in Central Europe.

As a reminder, we are called to serve eighteen months in Czech - Slovak mission as humanitarian missionaries.

We are excited for the opportunity to serve as the Lord’s hands for the great people of Czech Republic and Slovakia. We have been assigned to live in Slovakia. The whereabouts have not been revealed exactly but most likely Bratislava, the capital. It matters not to us what city we live because we know we are much needed wherever it may be. The need for humanitarian missionaries worldwide is great and we feel honored to be chosen to help relieve the suffering in Czech Republic and Slovakia. We know the church will provide a comfortable house or apartment to live and work. We feel confident we will live in comfort and convenience in our new surroundings.

We have communication with the couple in Czech Republic and they are very helpful in preparing us for what lays ahead as we Skype weekly. They have completed many humanitarian projects helping to relieve the suffering in women's shelters and refugee camps.

The language of Czech Republic is Czech and they speak Slovak in Slovakia. In both countries, many of the youth speak English as it is taught in school. This is a difficult language. We are told Czech and Slovak are similar and there are many differences. We are often asked if we need to speak the language?  And is it hard? YES, it is hard!  Anything worthwhile is hard and requires work! We are NOT required to learn the language. Translators or interpreters will be available and most Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have at least one English speaking person available.

Greg and I elected to make an attempt at Slovak. We feel it beneficial to acquaint ourselves with the alphabet and basic phrases. The Slovak alphabet follows the Latin script with some variations including four diacritics placed above certain characters. Phonetically it is difficult to speak words that do not follow English standards and the new sounds are foreign to us. The words and phrases are strange to us. We struggle together as our language tutor shows us patience and compassion during our weekly Skype session.

May you join us in prayers for blessings to relieve the suffering to the men, women, and children around the world.