March 25, 2015

Ahoj. 

Wowza this week has just been full of ADVENTURES AND MIRACLES!!

So on Tuesday we travelled to Bratislava to do visa work and that was just an adventure in itself, but before that we went to an investigators house to teach him a lesson and the week before he was only wearing a t shirt and some boxer briefs and this time he was only wearing some purple boxer briefs so we were a little shocked (to say the least) when he answered the door. Ps he is also 85 years old so we just let it slide, but my friends prayer is real. he put on a shirt AND pants! Yeah we were living the good life. then he made us eat 2 bananas each and I thought I was going to puke it was great!

Then we are in Bratislava and we go to do visa work and I don't understand why I did any medical things in America when they have to do them here too. Its just silly. 

They took a ton of my blood and I had to get an X ray and the wierdest thing about that is I'm getting my X Ray and the lady tells me to stop breathing. And so Im like for how long? cause I don't have the largest lung capacity. But it went quick and was over with and that was nice. 

Okay so then we came home. and on thursdays we go to this little village and help some of the cutest kids learn english. And so we go to get on the bus and there are all of these Americans on the bus going to the same place and the only slovak they knew was ahoj. LOL but they went and played with the kids and one of the kids we were teaching went up to one of the girls and was talking about me and she didn't understand so I asked him what he said and he told her that I understood Slovak and English and I laughed and translated to the girl and then walked away. He was a very nice little boy. He made the books. HASHTAG Favoritesudent.

Then on Saturday we went to Trencin for the rededication and that was just a ball of fun!

WE had to wake up at 3 in the morning to get ready and then had to go to the bus which took us to the train and then we had to train station and we went to trencin up the hill to the castle and then it was a complete downpour. so we all had to scurry back to the church building and finish there and then we had some yummy goulas and that rocked my world. and then we made it home that night.

and then yesterday was just one giant miracle. 

so we went to church came home and ate a huge bowl of halusky. (this is important to the story)

then we layed in our beds until our lunch our was over. then we decided to call our neighbor to see if we could come over and share a thought and she told us to come at 3 and it was only 2 so we had to kill an hour. 

so we killed the hour and then went to her house and her whole family came over. and then they sent us to the kitchen to eat. ummm I just ate a HUGE bowl of Halusky and hour ago. so we go and there is some soup and that was great and then she took our plates and put a piece of schnitzel the size of my head on the plate and then like six potatoes. I didn't know how that was going to happen so I just starded shoveling it down my throat. Luckily enough I ate it all and didn't vomit. yeah. 

so then we went out and we just met an angel like seriously and angel. 

so we stopped her and she asked us to speak english and it turns out that she teaches english and is one of our members teachers! how amazing!

It was seriously just a GIANT miracle, because our schedule for the day and the way our day really happened was just all a miracle. 

I just know it! 

I love being here!

Its the best thing I have ever done!

I have you all have a wonderful week. I don't have much time so probably no pictures this week but definitely next week. 

PS Happy birthday shout out to my second mommy SHARON!!

LOVE YOU

Sestra Ratcliffe

Being a Missionary is the Best!

Wow this week has just been full of laughs and giggles and MIRACLES. 

We will get to the funny stuff first real quick!

So this week we went to the psychiatric facility to visit a patient. I was scared out of my mind. First of all everyone is like, "yeah you are going to the new hospital" so I'm expecting like primary childrens or something and we walk in and I feel like I am in a scary movie straight out of the 1950s. So then we get into the rooms area and the door is locked, obviously, and the lady comes and lets us in and we find the person we are visiting and we are all relieved. Except for me because they were all standing around the patient and I was in the back and was paranoid that something was going to come up behind me or something, I don't know. Then this lady comes out of the room and sees our missionary tag so she raises her arm to the square and starts yelling "Hallelujah!!!" and so we told her that we don't say that so then she starts doing the sign of the cross and we told her that we don't do that either, so she started doing a combination of both. It was an ADVENTURE!

You know what I have noticed? People are very open with you. We had 3 people tell us they had diarrhea this week. and you have to just sit there and try not to bust up laughing. Missionary life am I right? It is just the greatest.

So into the miracles and wonderful missionary things!

We went to the zoo( did I already tell you that?) IDK but I have so pretty sweet pictures of feeding the animals it was a blast!

Can I just tell you all that the lord is very aware of us and has a time for everything! 

We run into some pretty awesome people on the street everyday who are willing to share their thoughts and they are amazing! I can just see the light of Christ in them! It is so powerful! I know that the Lord loves Slovakia! So much!

Oh also we met this girl from portugal a couple weeks ago and didn't have any contact information and then we took a few minutes out of our lunch to go to the store and guess who we ran into?

We have a member preparing to serve a mission and it is absolutely amazing to see the differences in his life. We made a plan with him and he listens. we tell him to keep a journal read the BOM every day Pray do all these things and he comes back with journal in had notes in the margins of the scriptures and is prepared and willing to learn. It has just been amazing to see how commited these people are to the gospel. I LOVE IT!

Miracles are real my dear friends! 

I am loving being a missionary. It is the best!

also Sister Parsons and I have taken up a new hobby to steam our faces at night. followed by a dance party to cheese church music. It is a total blast.

Well I suppose that is all! If you have any questions let me know I will talk to you all next week!

Sestra Ratcliffe

 Feeding the horse at the zoo. Look at those pearly whites. LOL

 Steaming our faces after planning. MMMM SWEATY.

I have become that girl. I can't get enough of the scriptures. LOL well i actually didn't have a lot 

of time to get ready so I studied and blowdried. It worked out wonderfully. 

​

BRNO hates me

HI.
Okay I feel like I seriously only have stories about Brno. 

So last week we were in Brno again, like I displayed on last weeks email, and let me just tell you so many experiences. So if you remember I had drunk man last time on the tram. 

Then this time, my companion and I were in the train station and this man (Something about men and sister missionaries or something) came up to us and started begging for money. Obviously we are in the czech republic and they use a completely different currency so I literally have nothing. So I said sorry I have nothing. and he went on and on about how he needed money for a solid 5 minutes. Then I got slightly frustrated I said "I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, BUT I WILL PRAY FOR YOU" and he grabbed my companions and my arm squeezed them REAL tight for a solid minute and said thank you and left. Blessings. Thats all I got to say about it.

So the other day we went contacting, and we stopped this man to talk to him and literally talked to him for an hour. He just kept asking questions and we would ask him questions back! and here's the bonus, we taught him like every single lesson. covered all of the restoration, plan of salvation, gospel of Jesus Christ, and some of the commandments, man what an adventure!

There was a crazy storm the other day. Sister Parsons always tells me that Kosice is famous for its wind storms, but we had to hurry home and we made it and it started pouring and the sky was lit up with lightning, and then we got a text on our phone from our Elders saying "guess who's pizza just got nailed with a giant peice of hail?" LOL silly elders. then the psychos decided to go out again and jump around in the puddles because the namestie was flooded. LOL

So last P-day we went to this museum that had like a ton of bones and like clay creations from like the olden dayz... it was interesting.

Well Sorry my email wasn't that interesting this week. I don't have much to say I guess and I left like all of my notes at home. Awkward...

Well what can I say. If you have faith in miracles, miracles happen. If you have faith that you are following where the Holy Ghost leads you, you will be delivered. I know that this is true. I love being in Slovakia and meeting these wonderful people and gaining relationships with them! Ohhhh I just love it! And My testimony has been so strengthened from the testimonies of the people I met! I love it!

Okay, I need to go now. 

All my love,
Sestra Ratcliffe

Baby and Trainer

First Text message

First time in a sketchy elevator!

 First time crossing the border to Slovakia

Sestra Ratcliffe

SLOVAKIA

So just so you all know. Jet lag is a real thing, and I don't think it has worn off yet because we have been traveling all over the country this week, and last week. 

So the week I got here I arrived in Kosice on Saturday night, had a normal day Sunday, P-day monday and then it all went crazy. 

Train to Bratislava tuesday

Train to Brno for training Wednesday 

Train to Trencin wednesday night. 

Train to Kosice Thursday Morning. 

And then I was finally home for a full day friday, Saturday and Sunday, and then today we are doing that same journey all over again

Bratislava->brno->trencin->kosice

Lots and Lots of travelling

But I do have a fun story from all of this. 

So we are sitting on the train going to bratislava, and I am doing language study out of this book, right? 

And there are these two slovaks next to me so I am reading outloud. They helped me with my language study, and I read this word:

fajčim
and my companion says no so I say it again a little louder and she says no nefajčiš. So i say it again and she says that means you smoke. OOOHHHH nefajčim and those slovaks thought I was hilarious. So I gave them each a pass along card and we were on our way.

Fun Fact:

Ice cubes are not a thing. Its rough. My water is never cold. We have resorted to putting water into a muffin tin and freezing it. :) innovation at its finest. But sometimes when we take the ice cube out some of the metal comes off with it, so we have to wash our ice before we put it in our drink.

Next, I have been kissed by so many people it is unimaginable. I don't really mind the old ladies, but sometimes I'm afraid when the men get close, missionary life.

3. greenie magic is a real thing. Greenie magic is when new missionaries just get to the field and all of a sudden these miracles start occuring. People stop and listen to our message its incredible.

Did you know that europeans listen to american music? 

I heard some taylor swift the other day and I was like, WHAT IS THIS?

Also there are so many Jehovahs witnesses and Nuns in this joint! They are all over! It's INSANE!

One JW gave us her monthly magazine and it has a picture of the destruction of the world on the front. very interesting. and the title is "is the end of the world soon?" I just don't even know.

We are also meeting with this man who changed his name to šejk. which means" Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ." in slovak of course! haha Such fun.

Oh PS Happy birthday Dad! I hope you had a wonderful day! 

Miracles:

On monday we went to the cathedral that is in the middle of the namestie and it was gorgeous! 

*pictures to come*

We have met some amazing people this week! I wish I could tell you all about them. 

We met this really old man and we are teaching him and he is so cute. He is 85 years old and he used to be a swim coach in the olympics! What?? he is cool and slightly senial but awesome! 

*also will send pictures.*

OH FUN STORY:

We were in brno a solid 4 hours and on the tram back to the train I sat by this man and I was talking to him and he was completely drunk and I was talking about the church and he told me I was beautiful so I turned around and looked at my companion in despair and she gave me a look of encouragement to continue talking to him. She was proud I was contacting him, and then he tickled my back, and I about crapped my pants. and I looked at my companion again with despair and said, help. She told me to come over to her and when I got up he was like "oh ahoj, cau!" creepy creepy man. and then I wanted to get off the train and then he got off so that was a relief.

Life of a missionary.

ITS AWESOME!

We met this lady on the street the other day and she said she was going into surgery but if she made it out alive she would come to church! SO PRAY FOR HER!!

Well i just love being a missionary. Like really love it! and I love KOSICE!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Have a great week

Sestra Ratcliffe

 The sisters! LOVE

 Since I was just born into KOSICE I figured this picture would be fitting

 Our first sleep over in Bratislava

 Spiral stairs in the cathedral

 Bells in the cathedral. forbidden to ring them. i don't know what would happen if you really did though.

 Just a box in the middle of the cathedral I decided to climb into. 

you know. 

 This is the 85 year old man! He is awesome!