Month: April 2020

Dobrý den!

Do to the slowing of the spread of the disease here, quarantine is finally ending in the Czech Republic! We are still not allowed to contact on the street, and stores are still slowly opening, but the end is hopefully in sight. A lot of things are returning to a new normal. The missionaries that were staying with us went back to their assigned city. It was sad to no longer have the company, but we were also happy to have some more space in our apartment.

Honestly that is our only real update. We are allowed to meet with people in person again if they are willing, but church meetings are still forbidden. We have had a lot of success with getting people to watch the Sacrament meeting broadcast that the Czech Republic stake is running, which has been really cool. We are hoping that many of those who have been watching online will be more willing to come to our actual Sacrament meetings when they start up again in the next couple of months. If you wanted to watch some Czech people give talks, email me back and I can get you the link for the broadcast.

Přeju vám hodně štěstí a zdraví
Starší O’Barr

Pictures this week!

• Pic 1-2: Lidice, a town the Nazis burned to the ground in retaliation to some Czechoslovak rebellions during WWII
• Pic 3-4: Hrad Okoř, a castle near lidice
• Pic 5: Rapeseed fields! A very common sight across the Czech Republic is rolling fields of beautiful yellow Rapeseed. They turn it into cooking oil

Zdravím vás!

This week was transfer week, which is why you’re all receiving this email today, instead of on Monday. Elder Williams and get at least one more whole transfer together in the office! Hopefully we’ll be real good at this stuff by the time we actually get out of here.

Plenty of other missionaries moved around, but our district here in Prague stayed pretty similar, not too much shuffling around. The Coronavirus restrictions make it hard to move around too much. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel for us, as stores started opening back up yesterday. It will still be a long while until everything is back to normal, and we can talk to people outside, but the process is exciting. In the meantime, we’ve learned some important things about how potent and effective Facebook is for talking to people. Elder Williams and I didn’t have a whole lot of time to contact on Facebook, as there was a lot of work happening in the office, but it has proven to be a very effective tool around the mission. People are a lot more willing to talk to us online than in person, and things are going well!

I personally have found a lot of peace this week from Matt. 11:28-30, and the promises contained it. Christ has promised us rest, and shown us the path to it. As I’ve tried to be more like Him, and engaged myself in His work, my life has become infinitely more peaceful. I still face a lot of trials, and I’m still always working, but the work never seems as hard as it did before.

Have a wonderful week!

S laskou,
Starší O’Barr

Hello!

Another quick email this week, but I have some actual updates! We got some guests! The elders serving in Liberec moved here to Prague, which is a real blast. Elder Williams and I will have been companions for 6 months this week! We bought a steak to commemorate it. Elder Williams and I had a couple lessons over Facebook, and we also spent some time talking and meeting people on Facebook. I am so grateful that we are still able to be here and serve and live in the Czech Republic, even in these times.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Elder O’Barr

Hello everyone!

This email will be quick as there really isn’t a whole lot to say about this week. General Conference was amazing! It really contained answers to some of the things I’ve been praying for, and it honestly soothed my soul. Several of our friends here were able to watch it as well, and they really enjoyed it. We have continued working here in the office, and things are much the same. I replanted my indoor garden and ate an unknown vegetable(?) this week. Also, the weather is now warm!

If you didn’t get a chance to watch General Conference yet, watch it! This gospel that we have is evidence that God still lives, and He is still actively concerned in the lives of His children. There is no requirement, no prequalification, for prayer. We only need to desire to communicate with the Creator of all, and He stands ready to respond. Answers exist, peace can be found. I know I have found it in my own life, and I hope you all can do the same.

Have a wonderful week,
Elder O’Barr