We attended our first Zone Conference on Friday, July 27, 2012.  We had to go by train to Brno, the second largest city in the Czech republic, which was about a 2 1/2 hour train ride.  Here we are waiting for our train.  We got up at 4:00 a.m. to make our 5:45 a.m. train. (Elders, Boysen, Story, Knapp, Carlson, Prymax, and Hanson)

We met several other senior couples at conference.  Here is Elder and Sister Martin.  They are serving in Brno at the YSA Center.  It is a conincidence that they have also served in Laos with Dwight and Barbara Cook.  It was so hot that day that we were all pretty wilted by the time it was over.

Here we are walking the streets of Brno.

Here we are waiting for another tram.  Thank goodness for trams!! 

Streets of Brno.  I don't know what any of the building are as we were just walking quickly by them.

We are on the train leaving Brno going back to Ostrava.  This was taken out of the train window.  Brno is a beautiful city.  Very old and very clean compared to Ostrava.  We hope to be able to spend more time there someday.

The countryside is dotted with beautiful farms and homes with red tiled roofs.  It was very beautiful.

Tried to show the homes with the red tiled  roofs here.  We got home around 7:00 p.m. I was so hot I thought I would die.  No airconditioning on the train we rode on,  but we survived.

We were invited to lunch this week to the home of Sister Renatta Blomberg, a counselor in the Branch Relief Society.  This is from her balcony.  I am standing with Sister Kolkova who is the District Relief Society President.  Also, Sister Ana Galicekova, Branch Relief Society President was there.  They were a fun group of ladies.  Sister Kolkova (above) spoke very good English, Sister Renata spoke a little, and Sister Galicek spoke hardly any.  For the first time on our mission Elder Mills was out numbered by women.  Usually it is me and the Elders.  It felt good!!

Looking off Sister Renata's balcony to the open common area.  It was very beautiful.  As you can see it was surrounded by a forest of trees.

Here is me(Sister Mills), Sister Renata Blomberg, Sister Kolkova, and Sister Ana Galicekova.  The lunch was great.  She served a curried chicken over rice, fruit and ice cream, and then they brought out cake.  I was so stuffed, but I took one for the team and ate it all.

In talking with Sister Kolkova we found out that her daughter was visiting friends in the USA in a place called Bountiful, UT.  I was amazed and told her that is where I grew up and still my son and his family and my mother lived there.  After that she had to get her daughter Zusana, on  skype so we could meet.  Zusana was busy making a costume for her brother for the 24th of July Pioneer Parade.  It made me a little homesick, but the point is just how small this world really is.

Here Elder Mills and I are standing in front of our Church Building.  We share the building with several other offices.  Our name is the third plaque from the top.  It says Cirkve Jezise Krista Svatych poslednich dnu. (Czech without any of the markings.  I don't know how to do that on the computer.)

Here we are in front of the door going into the church.

We just thought this was an interesting picture.  This is a funeral going on in the church, and while the funeral is taking place a band stands outside and plays music.

Welcome to our new home.  We live at Josefa Savla 7, Ostrave 709, Cezch Republic.  If you google that address you can see our street.  Hit the bubble and pan around and you will see our home.  We really like it.  We are on the ground floor.

Our Front Room.  All the furniture looks brand new. 

Our kitchen.  We have a diswasher, oven.  They are small and hold small things, but hey it works for us.

Our foyer.

Our bedroom.  The bed is really quite comfy.

Our kitchen table where we study and eat.

We have a full sized fridge, which we were excited about.

This is our clothes dryer.  Boy do I appreciate towels dried in a real dryer!

This is a typical tram station.  You just run to the middle of the street and wait patiently for your ride. 

Cool looking church in Ostrava.

City Square in Ostrava.  It was really hopping on Saturday with lots of street vendors.  The funny thing was all the stores close at 12:00 noon on Saturday.

More city square, Ostrava.

I had just given money to some musicians playing on buckets and tin cans.  They were pretty good.  What is kinda funny, all the music that was being played around the square was American music.

A place for children to paint and draw.  You really don't see to many children here.  They have relatively small families.  You also don't see any really large people.  I think it is because everybody rides the tram and walks everywhere.

The Elders at our home on Sunday, July 15, 2012,  for dinner.

Elder Knapp, Elder Clyde, Elder Strobl, Elder Mills, Sister Mills, Elder Lisonbee, Elder Carlson, Elder Story (District Leader). 

We are leaving on our mission.  We had so much luggage I didn't think we would get it all on the plane.

 President and Sister Irwin at the Mission Office in Prague.

 City of Prague.

Prague Castle.

 Inside Prague Castle.

The famous St. Charles Bridge in Prague

Vltava River that runs through Prague. 

We were so tired by the end of this day.  We left Monday morning from Utah and arrived in Prague on Tuesday afternoon.  Sister Irwin took us on a tour of Prague, then out to dinner.  All this with no sleep.  We got to bed about 8:00 p.m. and I was awake 1:00 a.m.  Hope we get adjusted quickly.       Anyway Prague is a very beautiful city.  I am a little sad not to stay longer, but will be happy to be in Ostrava.