Hitting the One Year Mark This Week!

Elder Shirley with President McConkie, who finishes his service as mission president this week

Elder Shirley with Sister McConkie

The church building in Uherske Hradiste

Cleaning up after "a flood in the apartment". Elder Shirley didn't provide any further explanation as to the cause of this "flood".

The last district meeting for the current Uherske Hradiste district

Elder Shirley with some of the missionaries from his MTC group after being in the mission field for a year.

June 21, 2016

Ahoj!

It was a great week! I say that every week, but it really was! We had zone training yesterday in Brno, so that is why I am a day late in my email this week.

This week is a special week for me and for this mission. We will be getting a new mission president, a Czech mission President this week. Also, I hit my year mark! Exciting things are happening. 

Yesterday was the last training with President and Sister McConkie. They are people that I have come to love and as exciting as the new change is, it will be sad to see them go. They have really changed my mission and my life.

At training yesterday, we talked about testimony. President shared a few things that really hit me. We opened up to section 80 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is only 5 verses long but it gives us great insight to what a testimony can be. In verse 4 it says, to talk about things which you have HEARD, things that you BELIEVE, and things that you KNOW. A testimony doesn't need to be a profound thing that you are absolutely sure about, but as you bear that testimony, of things you have HEARD, BELIEVE, and KNOW, your testimony will be strengthened. 

We also talked a lot about Elder Oaks' talk in April 2008 conference I think is what is was. We talked about how there are 3 kinds of truth that exist. Scientific, Personal Subjective, and Spiritual. Obviously 2+2=4 - that is scientific. Something that is also truth is if I say, I love my family. That is truth and that is accepted as truth by everyone. How do I know I love my family? I just know. That isn't a scientific fact, but it is a fact and it is true. And just as I can say I love my family, I can say that I know the Book of Mormon is true. That is a spiritual truth. Spiritual truths are just as real and as valid as these other 2 truths. 

It was a really great training and I will miss President and Sister McConkie. A lot more happened this week, but I don't have any more time to write!

Love you all! 

-Starší Shirley