Dreaming in Czech (11/23/11)

November 23, 2011

FAMILY!

wow! so much has happened. firstly i apologize. normally we email on Mondays i promise even though you've only received one email from me on a Monday. our preparation day was changed for thanksgiving. :D secondly: can you send me easy potato recipes. i realized i don't really know how to cook potatoes, but we have a nice nice kitchen (oven, stove w/4! burners :D) and micro and such i just don't know what kinda such to get. slash when i go grocery shopping i can't read any of the labels! hahaha but don't worry. that certainly hasnt' kept me from eating. the food here is pretty dang good. i had my first fried cheese. and needless to say i was not disappointed :) tee hee. but on to the work!

thirdly it's thanksgiving. and since i'm all the way over in the Czech Republic i decided you have to send me all what you say at the table you are thankful for and i'll send what i would say haha (this homework is due by Monday so i can read it) I am thankful for... wow. so many things. family is probably the top. followed closely by the gospel. followed somewhat less closely by the MTC's Czech program (otherwise i'd go nuts out here not being able to speak to anybody! haha) family! i'm thankful that i was surrounded by loving people and such great examples. The gospel for me is so family oriented, so i would say it's been a blessing to be teaching some of the people i'm teaching because i get to recognize moreso the other parts of the gospel. so at the table i would probably say family. slash emailing. cause i love all your emails. they are HILARIOUS. and informative. like.. like.. that awesome baked French toast. the perfect blend of tons of stuff that you just get super happy while eating haha.

nextly there is not enough time to say everything so probably it will leak to next weeks (only in 4 days i think haha) but just know the work is, right now, best compared to a roller coaster. except a really exciting one becuase i haven't had any lows hahahaha ex: i got confused for somebody from the Czech Republic after saying some sentence to a Czech person (that made my week) but then trakting later that day i said hi and a few other things, and the guy at the door said nothing in Czech, rather immediately called his daughter who spoke English.... so it's two sides. yesterday, i set up my first appointment with somebody on the street completely in czech with no help from my companion. it was amazing. kinda crazy actually. i don't know how to describe it. then later last night i started talking to someone else and just blacked completely. it was kinda bad/embarrassing? but we had a great laugh about it later haha. Czech is starting to sound natural to me (i hear English and it's like whoa! then i hear Czech on the tram and it sounds normal i guess? i dunno how much sense that makes)

I HAD MY FIRST DREAM IN CZECh. that was prolly too much hype. but it was kinda a big deal for me cause i hear that's kinda a big step when learning a language? no? it was kinda silly though i was at some sporting event back home and i hear people saying děkují and prosím and i was like hey! that's Czech! why do you speak Czech?! nobody here

…

sorry i sent that last one becuase some flashing thing came up and told me i had a few seconds left but i guess it was a false alarm. but yeah. it was a cool dream haha then i woke up and realized i had much much Czech still to learn haha. in other news the best golf course in the Czech Republic is 30 min away. how do i know this? may have to wait for next week cause i have no time now haha. but i will write much more in a few days, til then, dobrou chut!

elder stimpson

Can You Decipher the Czech Code?

DEAN'S FIRST LETTER FROM CZECH

so im in the czech rep on a wild czech keyboard goodnesss gracious. we don´t have much time becuase i guess zou have to be a student or registered or something. but it was absolutelz fantastic to talk to zall on the phone and wow is it nuts here exclamation point. i will learn how to tzpe on these dang things i promise. but mz companion is awesome. elder gabrielsen. hes been here two transfers and his cyech is awesome and hes helping me contact and such. can i understand much cyech question mark no. but have i said things while were contacting question mark. zes. and it§s ywesome whoooo oh goodness. its reallz awesome here and i will certainlz remember everzthing to saz next time when we have more time to tzpe and such and ill also send zou more pictures. OH im serving in ostrava. it§s beautiful slash industrial. i havent seen all of it but i hear thez speak super fast cyech here so im gonna get reallz good fast i hope hahahahaha oh goodness. anzwhos its super nuts here. were alreadz having success. we spent some time contacting in the naměstí and got some numbers and set up some lessons super big smilez face. i promise ill figure out the stinking whatever thezre called on theses kezboards. goodness me. its reallz nice here and this week we have district conference so ill get to see good ol elder durrant from bzu. thatll be a blast exclamaition point. OH elder gleue is also in ostrava. we have quite a zoung district. im green elder gleue is green. mz trainter is in his 3rd transfer and elder gleues trainer is actuallz prettz old. but in the other companionship one elder has been out just under a zear and the other is in his second transfer. oh man am i excited to start teaching exclamation point.

grannz thanks so much for the ties exclamation point. thez were perfect exclamation point. how did zou know i had no purple ties question mark. and uncle pat thanks for the goodies. we had a nice leaving feast with them and thez were much appreciated.

anzwhos sorrz i dont have to long but i will write more next week for sure and send some pictures also exclamation mark oh zes. it§s gonna be awesome exclamation point.

til then i sure do love zall¨

starší stimpson

Dean Arrived!

Greetings from the Czech/Slovak Mission Office!

Elder Stimpson has arrived safely in Prague with a smile on his face! We are sending a picture of him and President and Sister David Irwin. He will be taken on a tour near the Mission Home and then finally allowed to sleep. He shall be one sleepy young man! This will speedily allow him to acclimatize to our time zone.

Tomorrow Elder Stimpson shall meet his Trainer and begin loving the people of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We are glad he is finally here. We shall take good care of him and the Lord will watch over and protect him.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

Sister Diane Bohne

Czech/Slovak Mission

Executive Secretary

2013061@ldschurch.org

Leaving for Prague (odejde do Praha)

Dean leaves tomorrow for Praha (Prague). I know he must be eager to go to the land he has been called to serve in, after studying Czech for the past 9 weeks. Today, President Clark called to tell me that his son-in-law, who teaches Czech at the MTC, said:

"Elder Stimpson is one of the strongest missionaries we have EVER had. I had the chance to see him and listen to him give a discussion and he is one of the most fluent Elders we've seen in a long, long time! He's doing just great with the language.
"Elder Stimpson is so sharp. Everyone who works with him thinks he is just phenomenal!
He is really outstanding."

If you'd like to write to Dean, his address will be (98 cents postage):

Církev Ježíše Krista Svatých Posledních Dnů

Elder Dean Stimpson

Milady Horákové 85/95

170 00 Praha 7 - Holešovice

Czech Republic – Europe

Dean leaves this Monday, November 7, 2011 for Prague. Here is the scoop on sending mail:

Mail to the Czech Republic (rules of the US Postal Service DO NOT apply to the Czech Postal Service).

It is best if missionaries receive letters and packages at the Mission Home in the name of the Church instead of the Mission. Friends and family should use the following address:

Církev Ježíše Krista Svatých Posledních Dnů
Starsi Stimpson
Banedniho 1 (accent on i)
Praha 6 160 00
Czech Republic - Europe

~ Tell your family and friends to put the name of the Church on the FIRST line and then the Missionary's name on the SECOND line. If not addressed correctly, it most likely will not be delivered to the mission office. The postal service will not forward mail. Mail will be delivered to the missionary two or three times a month outside the Prague Zone. In the Prague Zone you can usually get mail as it arrives. The Mission President will bring your mail to you when he comes for interviews or conferences if you are in other areas.

~ Regulations have also changed regarding the value of packages mailed from the United States. The total value of the package should be approximately $28.00.

It is difficult to claim packages that are sent as follows:
• Fed-Ex, UPS or DHL
• Insured
• Valued with a high dollar amount
• Complicated or high value contents

If we receive a package as listed above, it may be delayed for a month or more! There will probably be a duty charged for at least the amount of the value of the contents, or it may never be delivered.

~ It is best to send packages regular air mail or in a Priority Flat rate International box or envelope that you purchase at the post office. Keep it simple. We receive most packages within a couple of weeks and in good shape if they are labeled and sent properly. Boxes for missionaries arrive several times a week.

If you want to get your packages in a timely manner, make sure your friends and family do not insure or declare a value of more than $28.00!

***Missionaries write to their families each week. They should limit correspondence with others. Missionaries may communicate with their family by email, according to approved guidelines. Use only myldsmail.net, the filtered service established by the Church. Use email only on preparation day. (Missionary Handbook)