It has been over a month since I have posted to this blog.  April was such a busy month.  We blinked our eyes and it was gone.  Time is going by so quickly for us here in the Czech Republic.  We have now been here 10 months!!.  We love it here and and we love serving with the young elders....they are so amazing!!  They are working so hard.  They are such an example to us, and we learn from them daily.  What a blessing to be able to serve with such great young men.  (I keep hoping for some sisters, but so far just me an the elders.)

 

 This is our latest district. (Front left  to right:  Elder Spencer, St. George Ut; Elder Simcock, England; (sec row, Elder Ozmun, Providence, UT; Elder Lisonbee, Providence, UT; Elder Bailey, Perry, UT; Elder Gilmore, California; Sister and Elder Mills, Providence UT.  Can you believe how many are from northern Utah!  This was Easter Sunday.  The Elders are holding the traditional Easter Lamb that one of the Branch Members made for us.

 

We had our share of birthdays during the month or April..... 

 Happy Birthday Elder Simcock

Happy Birthday Elder Spencer.

Happy Birthday Tomaš and Elder Bailey.

 

Happy Birthday Adam and Elder Lisonbee. 

 

There is only one thing I found that the Elders like more than a baptism.......that would be eating!! 

See what I mean....

 

Our good friends Dwight and Barbara Cook from Providence, UT just happened to be in the neighborhood and dropped by for a few days.   President Irwin said it would be OK if we showed them around Prague for a couple of days (Like we know where anything is besides the church), but we had a lot of fun exploring the city and just being together.

 Interesting painting on these walls.

Dwight and Barb in front of  Prague Castle.

View of Prague

 

Changing of the guards at Prague Castle.

This is the big cathedral by Prague Castle.  (Sorry I can't remember the name right now.)  But, it is truly beautiful.

Any one want a pedicure??  Let these little fish do the job for you. 

Can't go to Prague without haveing one of their famous dogs. 

One of the entrances to the famous St. Charles Brigde.

Anywhere you go in Prague could be a picture postcard.

This picture is for our daughter Natalie.  Nat, Would this give you nightmares thinking that your chickens could get this big!! (hehehe).

St. Charles Bridge, Prague.

We went to the city of Kutna Hora and there was a church there, and in the basement someone had dug up the surrounding grave yard and made all sorts of things from the bones. 

A little creepy.

 

Wouldn't want to be standing here on resurrection day.  Bones will be flying in every direction.

Barbara was so excited to find a cathedral named after her.  "St. Barbara"

 

 St. Barbara's Cathedral.  This was truly amazing.

 

View f rom the cathedral.

 

 

Keys to the city (or maybe the men's room...can't remember).

 

 

While in Prague we went to a Czech Folklore traditional dinner, with Czech songs, dances and games.  The food was really good, and the entertainment was great.

 

 

Huk Valdy in the background.

 

 

Again more eating!  Sunday Dinner with the missionaries and special guests.

 P-Days with the missionaries at Landek Park.  Ostrava was an old industrial city, and very big in coal mining.  Landek Park is a museum about the mining industry from the past.

  Who needs to go to the zoo, I can see three monkeys every day. (Elder Mills, Elder Bailey, Elder Ozmun) (hehehe)

Elder Ozmun freaking out about something.

Down in the coal mine. Dwight, Barb, Elder and Sister Mills, Elder Bailey, and Elder Ozmun.  I have to admire the men who spent their whole lives working in the coal mines.  I think it would have been a horrible job.

All good things must end, and we think the Cooks were tired and ready to go home.  We about walked their socks off.  Thanks for coming to see us.  We love you both.

Spring came to the CR over night.  Within one week it went from snow and cold to beautiful flowering trees, and green grass.  We traveled from Brno to Prague by train to get our final visas and the trip was absolutely beautiful.  It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful God's creations are.

There is not a happier sight in the whole world than to see a group of elders walking down the street.  These young men and women who put their lives on hold, to go and serve their Father in Heaven.  Of course, as with all service, they grow so much while serving.  It is truly an honor to serve with them.  We love each of them and number them among our family while they are here.  We are so grateful for this opportunity.   
Thanks again to our family for all of your love and support.  Elder and Sister Mills

Here we are again at the end of another transfer.  Nine weeks goes by so quickly!  A blink of an eye and the Elders we have grown to love have to move on.  This is transfer #5 for us, and we are half-way through our mission.  UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

 Our District #5 on their way out. (back row) Elders Gilmore, Bailey, Stradling, (front row) Stockdale, Mills, Robison, Sister Mills, and Elder Simcock.

Missionaries leaving Ostrava are:  Elder Stradling, Arizona.

Elder Stockdale, from the Great State of Montana!

Elder Robison, Utah

Teaching one night with our good friends, Illona and Zdeněk

Zedeněk and Elder Simcock having a good laugh.

Here we are welcoming in a new Elder, Elder Ozmun.  He is from the great city of Providence, UT.  It is funny because this transfer out of 8 missionaries four missionaries are  from Providence, and one missionary from Perry, Ut., then we have one from St. George, and one from England.  Small world, and we are so happy to welcome our neighbors from northern Utah.

(In photo above are: Elders, Ozmun, Bailey, and Stockdale)

Once a year the Ostrava Branch has a talent show.  Here is Honza showing off his football skills.  (Soccer for you Americans).

Jakub on the piano.

Elder Simcock on the guitar.

Prezident Řeha is a Rubik Cube guru.

Michelle on the piano

Sestra Kubala, song and reading.

Elders Gilmore and Bailey doing a harmonica duet.

Everyone traced their hand.  Interesting how different and unique everyone was.

These are so cool!!  I don't know what you call it, but you roll up tiny pieces of paper and place them together to make these different designs.  Looks like it takes so much time.  Sister Mills would love to learn how to do this.

Sister Mills took an orange chiffon cake for her talent.  It lasted about 10 seconds..... guess 

it was a success!

Elder Mills, for his talent,  had his kids send pictures from home of the wood working projects he has done for them.  The Czech people were all impressed, as they should be.  He does a great job.

Baptism in Ostrava!!!

Adam Hud

We were so blessed to have a baptism in Ostrava.  This is only the second baptism we have had since we have been here.  The missionaries work so hard, and we all felt very blessed to be able to welcome Adam into the Ostrava Branch.  He will be a great asset to the branch.

You can see that the baptism was held at a pool at a local hotel.  Here Adam is speaking after he has just been baptized.  He is a great man, and we are so blessed and happy to have found him.  We wish him the very best. 

(We all wanted to jump in and swim around for awhile....but we restrained as President Irwin would not have approved!!)

People from the Branch who attended Adam's baptism.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

We woke up Easter morning to the biggest snow storm we have had all winter.  We were not very happy, but the trams were running and we made it to church.  We felt very blessed to be able to spend Easter Sunday in the Czech Republic with the people and missionaries we have grown to love.  Hopefully spring WILL come soon!!  (please,please,please.....we have not seen the sun for months!!)

Easter lunch with the new missionaries. (Starting on the left side of table) Elders  Spencer, Simcock, Gilmore, Adam Hud (newest member of the Ostrava Branch) Elders Lisonbee, Ozmun and Bailey.  Welcome to all  new missionaries to Ostrava!!

Here is a picture of a very young missionary that our niece posted on Facebook a while ago.  This missionary is a very young Starši Mills, on his mission many years ago in Topeka, Kansas.  He is holding our niece Angela, and our two nephews are in front, Scott and David.   His looks have changed, as he is much older, but he is still young at heart and in spirit. He is still a great missionary now serving, 44 years later, in the Czech Republic with his beautiful wife (hehehe).  Life is certainly great, and we are all so blessed to have the gospel in our lives.  Until later, love to all our family and friends...we love you and miss you.  

Starši and Sestra Mills

Czech/Slovak Mission