Hey mom Czech it out!

Okay, I know we are all waiting on the miracles of the week so I am going to start with the BIGGEST MIRACLE OF ALL:

THE CZECH REPUBLIC BECAME A STAKE YESTERDAY!

Which means a whole lot for Slovakia and the mission president coming in. 

When we were in MLC President McConkie said that the new mission president would be able to sleep at night. hahaha

So last week, the district wanted to do something fun, so we went bowling as you can see by the pictures and as you cannot see by the pictures, because I am ashamed of it, I did not even break 50 the first time. 

bowlings skills out the window. guess that is never something I was proficient in. ha

Oh we had this really cool experience on the train to blava this week two older ladies came and sat next to us and they were talking to us and reading our name tags and asking us where we are from, and WOW they were just the sweetest. They told me that I didn't even have an american accent and its because of my slovak ancestors and I was thinking in my head, "you ladies must be deaf, because I know that everyone else and their dog tells me that I have an accent" but they were sweet and they took a pamphlet at the end of our conversation and said they would read it and were really interested in the difference between our church and other churches.

then we went to prague and Sister Easton served with one of her sisters from the MTC while we were in meetings. and then on the way home the zone leaders informed us that they had Enya, so we jammed out all the way home. 

We also found out that driving to prague is like taking a trip from salt lake to st. george. Good times. 

When we got back from prague, we went out with the Elders and chalked the ground with the plan of salvation. and It was such a fun time. 

I stopped this man who rejected me, and then I think some one else stopped him and then I(with the memory i have) stopped him again, and he said "this is the third time you have stopped me, what do you want?" persistence my friends. its a good thing. I ended up talking to him for the rest of the display and he ended up being super cool.

FUN FACT

We met an american this week from Indiana. 

He married a slovak and lives here now!

Also funny story and then I will end. 

So we had a meeting this week and

Well this week was just incredible.

I love this quote from a talk Sister Parsons sent me (shoutout hahah)

Brothers and sisters, I would like to suggest to you today that the gospel of Jesus

Christ was restored in 1820 because that’s the only time it could have survived. There

is a more pointed question that needs to be asked. Why were you born when you

were born? Why weren’t you born in 911, or 1215? Is it because some computer in

the cosmos blipped and you came out now? I don’t buy that. I believe you were born

in this dispensation, with the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today, because you

were somebody before you got here. If you had any idea of who you were before you

got here, the hair would stand up on the back of your neck. Joseph Smith said on one

occasion, “If I were to tell you who I am, you’d slay me for blasphemy.” Wisely

never told anybody who he was, but he knew.

On one occasion President McKay, president of the Church, several years before his

death, on a Sunday evening, didn’t have anything to do, so he took his wife, said

“Let’s go to a fireside.” They went down to a stake center. There were lots of cars in

the parking lot so he walks in and their stake president was speaking to a group of

young people your age. Eight hundred of them. President McKay and his wife

walked in. The stake president about swallowed his tie. Walked down to about the

eighth row. He said, “Don’t get excited. I want to hear what you have to say.” The

president continued with his talk. About halfway through his talk, he stopped and

said, “You know, young people, I feel impressed to tell you that before the world was,

before the world was, in that war in heaven, each of you in this room served as

captains and generals in the Lord’s army.” And then he went on with his talk. It had

nothing to do with what he was talking about. As he finished his talk, he looked

down at President McKay and noticed President McKay was drilling him with his

eyes. His heart stopped. He sat down and thought, “Boy, what have I said?” The

closing prayer ended. He jumped up and ran down to President McKay. Looked up

to President McKay – everybody looked up to President McKay, he’s a great big guy

– and he said, “You know, President McKay, I got a little carried away in my talk

tonight. Did I say anything that was inappropriate?” He said, “No, you didn’t say

anything that was inappropriate, you were just inaccurate.” “Well, what did I say?”

He said, “There were no captains here tonight. They were all generals.” And he said,

“Don’t you ever forget it.” And he turned around and walked out.

I have a testimony of that, brothers and sisters. If you were to know who you were

before you got here, it would scare you. You know what that means? It means we

don’t have the right to do all the dumb stuff a lot of the other young people in the

world are doing, we don’t have the right. Why? Because we know too much. Why?

Because we’re here because we were somebody before we came here and the Lord

has sent us here to accomplish some great task. And that task is to take now and

export the reality of the fact that the gospel has been restored. No one between 96 and

1820 could authoritatively say “Thus saith the Lord.” Now we can. Why? Because

there is a man on the planet today that can say “‘Thus saith the Lord’ because I speak

with him.”

Man. We are just full of potential and we don't even know it. 

I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. IT IS SOOOO TRUE.

have a miraculous week.

S Laskou,

Sestra Ratcliffe

well I tried to get the sunset in the picture

poppys

our apartments art work

WE WANT SUN!!! hahah cute kiddos.

FOTKY

bowling on P-day. you already know I didn't even break 50

On our way. ba ba ba ba

to bla bla bla blava! 

more fotky

youre gonna hear me roar. and mother mary.

SELFIE

sunset across the bridge. 

Miracles

Ahojte!

Well this week flew by like a rocketship.

We had some pretty amazing miracles  all week this week. 

We were in the mall on Monday when a man who randomly gave us his number on the street a few weeks ago called us and said that he is willing to meet right now. and just "coincidentally" and by that I mean, God is so good, we ran into our branch president in the mall and said that he would teach with us! MIRACLE

THEN 

We were going to go do service for our branch president wife and we are about 5 minutes walking time away from her house on a beautiful day, when all of a sudden it starts raining so we start running and we are really running and then hail starts to pound our bodies while we are running and we were literally is a ton of pain and absolutely soaking wet.

but we made it and we were able to get some nice warm dry t shirts and some nice warm food for our mouths.

Then we had a super Miracle. 

we are teaching one of our friends and we finished our lesson with him and still had 20 minutes to spare so we asked him if he had any questions for us and he responds "how do you get baptized into your church?" So we explained it, and he said "I would like to do that."

HUH? 

I sat there for a minute in a little bit of shock and then I pulled out the phone to pick a date!

it was quite the spiritual experience.

Sorry I am not going to write a super long email this week, 

but I hope you all have a wonderful week and continue to see the miracles.

S Laskou,

Sestra Ratcliffe

Had a former missionary come and visit so we took them to the dedication spot. 

Its always a photo party in Trencin

"selfie!" the members love pictures. 

He hears our prayers

Well the transfer has come to an end, and I sent my little greenie on a train today to go be with Sister Schaerrer in Blava.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT I AM STILL HERE IN TRENCIN and MY DEAR FRIEND SISTER EASTON CAME ALL THE WAY FROM KOSICE TODAY. 

But even BETTER than that is Sister Easton is from West Valley City. 

LITERALLY DOWN THE STREET FROM HOME.

WEST VALLEY KREW over here in Trench-town!

hahah its great. 

SO I am really confused what I have written about this week because P-day was on Tuesday. 

So, On Tuesday Day we went to Sister K's house and she taught us how to make this awesome bread with literally FIVE ingredients. I don't know how she did it, but it literally was wonder bread magic. 

 Then we went to the trainstation to go to Blava because all the greenies had to do visa work and the train that we were supposed to get on just happened to not exist. (strange) but we had to sit at the train station for another hour and we only got into Blava at 10PM. so it was dark and we got on a tram and we were literally the only people on the tram besides the tram driver.

Then we were very not prepared for the downpour that occured. I was in flats and a sweater. I was not prepared for that! haha and then my poor comps bag just broke right off of her shoulder. So I went and bought her a candy bar to make it all better.

THEN WE FINALLY CAME BACK TO TRENCIN FOR THE REST OF THE TRANSFER. 

a WHOLE 4 DAYZZ.

and we were busy.

Friday we were on the streets all day, and I don't really know what was wrond but everyone was in a hurry to get home so we didnt talk to a ton of people, but I had this really cool experience after. I was going to bed and I was praying and if you know me, you know that I am always nervous when something is coming up (AKA Transfer calls) so I was praying and I asked heavenly father to give me a clue as to what was going to happen (because obviously I can't wait one more day to find out) and immediately in my head I heard "You are staying" and so I gave him all the reasons why I wasn't going to stay(because I was like "well that was quick") and again I heard "You are staying" so I finished my prayer and went to sleep. 

and when President called me the next day he told me I was staying and I knew that God had answered my prayers. I felt a confirmation that Yes. I am staying in Trencin. And I am here because GOD WANTS ME HERE. and there is no better reason. There is no excuse that I could have said that would have changed his mind, because he wants me here.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."

I think I have already shared this scripture but its just SOOO GOOD. We may have all the reasons why WE should be doing something different or why WE think things should be OUR way, but we are not here to council the Lord. He is here to council us, and when we listen to our heavenly father the outcome is so much better than we could have ever expected.

Have a miraculous week.

S láskou,

Sestra Ratcliffe

Ps. This is our cute little branch here in Trencin 

we were literally the only people on the tram in blava

and my favorite tree in all of trencin

MAKIN BREAD WITH MBRS

Our beautiful bread and our even better friend Sister K.

"our beautiful bread and some metal work."

Sister Van is going to Blava with Sister Schaerrer

President informed me that I was the last person he would ever give a transfer call to, so I told him I would take a selfie to remember the moment.

dobrodružstvo

Well this week was just packed with everything in the entire world. 

Okay not really but it feels like it. 

So we had our Culture night this week and we were able to go to the Bojnice Castle and oh isn't it cute. I am not the biggest fan of tours and taking pictues without people in them, but I took them because I know mom would appreciate the art. I just like the outside and the history of it all, but I mean it was in slovak and I didn't really understand anyways so its fine. Only been here for a year, you think I would be fluent. HAHAHAHAHAH NOT! 

We also went and did service for our friends this week and at the end they took us to the place we worked last week (remember the place we almost got killed by thrown logs) and they bought 10 sheep and 2 goats and they are raising them. They weren't very friendly things, but we got to see them and thats all that matters. haha

and then Blur. 

The middle of the week always BLURS

But we had an incredible lesson with this kid that we met on exchanges and we taught him about the restoration and we bought a mug and wrote the gospel of Jesus Christ on it and then we gave him the mug and told him to break it on the ground and he was a little scared at first, but eventually he took a deep breath

and OBLITERATED THE CUP 

literally OBLITERATED. it was awesome. 

so we started to pick up the peices and we told him that if I have pieces and he has pieces and sister Van has pieces that I or him or her could not remake the cup alone, and that is why we needed a restoration, because the doctrine was all missing just a little bit. and then we showed him the restoration video and we asked him what he like and he responded "everything" and then he said "I know what I need to do now" and we asked what that was and he said "I need to ask God for wisdom to know what is my next step" 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? how much more golden could you be? 

Then we have been all over the place because we had district conference in Blava and then we came home and went back and had a sleepover with the sisters and then we had training and it was a completely spiritually packed weekend. 

and to put the icing on the cake for travelling we are going to Blava for visa work today. 

man gotta love trains. 

I know I do! its always a good time. 

Well I just love this gospel so much. and I know that I have so much more to learn and so much more I need to become, but I know that God loves each and every one of his children and I know that he has a perfect plan for each and every one of us. 

Have a miraculous week. 

S láskou, 

Sestra Ratcliffe    

Sleepover Halušky parties

Props to sister Easton for taking this picture

the cooking process. its like a relief society party. everyone comes but there is only so much one can do. hahah! so we take the camera and photograph. 

Bojnice Castle

bojnice some more

my dear owl friend

and the district

Training

Elder Brown pulling a sister Seninger

SLOVAK SESTRY

počas training (mission call opening)

Mission guesses for Orsi

Finland Helsinki. get ready! 

gettin the band back together

MTC group minus Elder Terry

Sister Bailey and I. You already know we be WILD.

its already P-day?

Okay. TIME LITERALLY NEEDS TO STOP. 

THIS IS RIDICULOUS. 

I feel like a second ago I was at this same computer typing for stuff last week and somehow I am here again but and entire week has passed. 

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? 

Well lets see what super cool miracles happened this week? 

We went out to the streets and wrote in colorful chalk. I stole this idea from Sister Bagshaw to write "ask a mormon a question" Most people looked at it, saw the word mormon and quickly scurried away, finding is definitely different in different places of the world, but it definitely turned some heads. One man asked, "mormons they are the ones with a lot of wives right?" We further explained that, that was not us. haha

I don't know how many times last year I mentioned how much I LOVE SLOVAK ICECREAM! 

Well STILL DO AND IT LITERALLY ROCKS MY WORLD.

We were doing service the other day and we were moving these huge logs from the top of a hill to a pile. So the man we were helping and one elder was at the top of the hill chucking logs and we were at the bottom picking them up and stacking them. and the man we were helping out went into a little bit of a ditsy mood and just was chucking the wood while my comp was at the bottom and one log swept( not hitting) right past my comps face. I very loudly spoke to him and told him to wait until we gave him word to throw the next log because we weren't about to die today. 

He listened after that. 

Then my friends from kosice came and hung out with us in Trencin for a day. and it was wonderful! 

We saw SOOO many miracles. One is quite cool, because Sister Easton and I met this man on the bridge and we were talking to him about churches and we asked "if God is one, shouldn't god only have one church?" He thought for a minute and then we invited him to meet with us. and the miracle about it, is that he came to his appointment and took home a book of mormon! 

THE CHURCH IS TRUE. 

Also that day we ran into a lady who we had met on the streets about a month ago and she said that if we met on the streets again she would meet with us. So she set up to meet with us this week. :) 

I LOVE THE SIZE OF TRENCIN. 

people will say. oh well we will leave it up to God and if I see you on the streets again we can meet. and normally I say "well trencin is pretty small. We'll see you next week." haha they usually laugh but then eat their word because it just so happens that we see them on the street a couple weeks later. 

This week was literally just the GREATEST! 

I am exhausted from the sun, but I am happy as ever and just loving life. 

except for at 6:30, I don't usually have a smile on my face then. but other than that yes. hahah 

I have been really moved by the story that president monson shared in priesthood session

"During World War II, a friend of mine was serving in the South Pacific when hisplane was shot down over the ocean. He and the other crew memberssuccessfully parachuted from the burning plane, inflated their life rafts, and clungto those rafts for three days.

On the third day they spotted what they knew to be a rescue vessel. It passedthem by. The next morning it passed them by again. They began to despair as theyrealized that this was the last day the rescue vessel would be in the area.

Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my friend: “You have the priesthood. Command therescuers to pick you up.”

He did as prompted: “In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of thepriesthood, turn about and pick us up.”

Within a few minutes the vessel was beside them, helping them on deck. "

Is there any doubt that miracles are happening today? No, because this is the TRUE CHURCH of Jesus Christ. I just love this gospel so much. Its true, if you compared the gospel Jesus Christ taught with the doctrines that we teach you would find no flaw. I KNOW IT! 

Have a miraculous week. 

S Laskou,

Sestra Ratcliffe

the district

canon (cannon?) something that goes BOOM.
fotky

Spiders on the bridge

just chilling outside. Sister Van and I found a desk and want to study outside when it is a little warmer
COMP PHOTOS

peek a boo

*I look over* "what the FOOOT?"

haha

Random fireworks went off a couple nights ago. So we took pictures

Wait its Pday

Hi yall. 

This week was all kinds of crazy. 

but the funny thing is that I don't even feel like this week actually happened, if that makes sense probably not, but you know.

Well we started out the week wonderfully with a super cool man telling us that we have good data underground. Not knowing what he meant we dug deeper, come to find out he was talking about baptisms for the dead! Why yes good sir, we do have good data.

HAHAH. 

I love it.

Then we found this group through our dear kind friends of the community to serve and we were able to spend a ton of time chopping down a ton of trees by the Castle to make a HUGE Cherry field, so that Trencin can take a bus up to do tours around the castle. and they are ALSO going to buy goats to do a petting zoo! 

THEN THE WEEK REALLY JUST ESCAPES. 

I know we were helping our member out in her garden and she fed us fried cheese and I only remember it, because that fried cheese was literally BOMB. 

and then somehow we made it on a bus to Brno, where I again ditched my greenie for the day and headed to prague for some training.

THEN WE CAME BACK AND WATCHED CONFERENCE. 

oh wow, wasn't conference just wonderful?

I really loved the talk by Bonnie L Oscarson
" Think for just a minute about the profound claims we make as a religion. We believe that the same Church Jesus Christ established while on the earth has been restored once again by a prophet called of God in our time and that our leaders hold the same power and authority to act in God’s name that ancient Apostles held. It is called the priesthood of God. We claim that through this restored authority, we can receive saving ordinances, such as baptism, and enjoy the purifying and refining gift of the Holy Ghost to be with us at all times. We have apostles and prophets leading and directing this Church through priesthood keys, and we believe that God speaks to His children through these prophets.We also believe that this priesthood power makes it possible to make covenants and receive ordinances in holy temples that will someday enable us to return to the presence of God and live with Him forever. We also claim that, through this power, families can be bound together for eternity when couples enter the new and everlasting covenant of marriage in sacred buildings that we believe are literally the houses of God. We believe that we can receive these saving ordinances not only for ourselves but also for our ancestors who lived on the earth without having the chance to participate in these essential saving ordinances. We believe we can perform ordinances for our ancestors by proxy in these same holy temples.
We believe that, through a prophet and the power of God, we have received additional scriptures, adding to the testimony of that in the Bible declaring that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.
We claim that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God and the only true Church on the earth. It is called the Church of Jesus Christ because He stands at the head; it is His Church, and all these things are possible because of His atoning sacrifice.
We believe that these distinguishing features can be found in no other place or organization on this earth. As good and sincere as other religions and churches are, none of them have the authority to provide the ordinances of salvation that are available in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We have a knowledge of these things, but do we believe them?"

What a wonderful thought. We know that we claim all of these things, but are they engraven in our hearts that we know they are true. Do we desire to know by the power of the holy ghost that they are true?

It is so wonderful that we can know of assurity that these truth are true. and we can become truly converted unto the Lord.

S Laskou, 

Sestra Ratcliffe

Ps. Sorry my email is pretty short we are going shopping and have a bus in like 10 minutes

the elevator that just keeps going

CONFERENCE

IN BRNO WITH THE SESTRY

What a week!

HI. 

I cannot believe that the week is already over. 

I feel like just yesterday I was emailing. 

This week was full of running and travelling and FUN FUN FUN! 

We started our week off great, by going over time in our last lesson of the day and have to sprint home with bags of food to make it to the apartment in time. 

Its funny when I say we have to run sister Van looks and me and says "okay" pretty hesitantly, but then just takes off running. The price we missionaries pay to be obedient. haha 

its a good life. 

We have had some pretty awesome miracles this week and some sadnesses but overall GOOD THINGS! 

We were on our way to one of our friends houses when we found out that the buses wouldn't come for another 45 minutes. So we start walking to the park to talk with people to kill some time, and the first guy we stop starts talking and he is asking us where we are from and we tell him america, and then in English he says "oh that makes sense I thought you had a problem because you were talking so slow in slovak" OUCH. slightly offended. BUT in my defence he spoke really fast in both languages! hahaha Slovak. 

But THEN,

We are at church and our branch president tells me I have to speak EVEN slower so that he can correct all of my mistakes. So now I am really confused. 

but the guy ended up being really cool and giving us his number. 

BUT BEFORE THAT, (I almost forgot.)

We went to BLAVA for exchanges. 

I went with Sister Mcpheeters and my comp went with sister Schaerrer and we literally hit blava like a semi truck. We divided and conquered and ended up teaching a TON of lessons! it was such a miracle. It was so warm in Blava that it reminded me of my transfer with sister Russell walking down the path in Petrzalka and hitting the Dunaj where everyone and there dog is getting off of a boat and they all speak english or some foreign language besides slovak. AWWW the memories. It was a good time. :)

I also learned so much from those sisters! it was soooo great. 

but since last week was easter my talk I have been loving is called Sunday Will Come by Joseph B Wirthlin. 

He gave this talk right after his wife died. He said of her passing "As Elisa was my greatest joy, now her passing is my greatest sorrow " 

he goes on to say: "When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the first fruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant.

On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. 

He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had 
whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the 

darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come."

YOUR Sunday will come. I know it.

Have a wonderful week. 

S Laskou, 

Sestra Ratcliffe

eating at the fishtanks restaurant - NEMO

WITH BLAVA

russian restraunt in blava