Joseph's letter dated 22Dec2010

[Dear all, here is the letter we received from Joseph this morning. Thank you for your love and your support. Wishing everyone a joyous, safe a wonderful Christmas season!

Visit Joseph's blog (later today) in order to see the pictures he sent -- along with the infamous picture of the Christmas rat -- which Joseph mentioned in a recent letter!

Joseph's editor - BWS]

Dear Family, Friends and Curious Passerbies,

Well, it is the Christmas season. I hope that these two pictures I sent worked. [You can see the pictures on Joseph's blog!] It shows Elder Ingalls and I sitting on the sides of the Christmas tree that Aunt Marta sent me in the mail (thanks, Aunt Marta) and he in his Plzn hockey jersey and I am in my Třebíč jersey (I am pretty sure mom told me to buy something fun for Chrismas (it says SCHINDLER on the back)). Oh, I just got the package that you sent this morning. I was about to call you out again for not sending things, but now I have something. Thanks a lot! It was nice to get. In response, I also sent a package home. However, before you get your hopes up, I sent it the cheapest was possilbe, so unless the boat (way cheaper than plane) sinks, you should get it in about six to eight weeks (I think). I will not tell you what is inside it, but I will tell you what everything is for. If you can eat it, it is for everyone. If you can read it (or rather, If I can read it) it is for me and is to be preserved in a safe place. If you can hang it on a wall or a pole, it is for decoration, and is to be used. And if you can dress it up and cry when you open it (specifically Mom), it is for mom.

I do not know if we are having or will have a terrible storm. The weather is not great, but it seems okay. I heard Prague has been getting a lot of snow, but I do not know a lot specifically. It is cold, and so I am wearing thermals, and people are telling Elder Ingalls that he is crazy for not wearing more than his jacket (to which he says, "I am from Minnisota. It is was colder there."). It has definitely been a fun transfer with him.

I get to go to Prague tonight. At about twelve thirty we are taking a train to Jihlava, going to the branch Christmas party there (maybe going to the mall there, since we do not have one here in our town), and then driving to Prague for our mission conference tomorrow. Then we will come back to Jihlava and be there and here on Friday and Saturday with members and the other Elders. Transfers are next Wednesday, so that will also be my next P-day [Preparation Day].

Ary has a baptismal date. We have been talking about baptism quite a lot (every meeting) and she told us yesterday that she would like to give herself to baptism (that is how you directly translate it from Czech) next month. We said that that would be great. We are continuing to meet with her and we are excited for the progress she is making.

Pan Novak (Pan means Mr. or Herr) came to church on Sunday. We had a Christmas program, so it was later in the day, and he came. He liked, and is just such a humble, sweet man. He still loves the Book of Mormon, and we gave him the new (for us) Liahona magazine[this is our Church magazine for non-English speakers] from last October that talks about temples. He is doing really well.

So, a Christmas tradition here is to eat carp for dinner with potato salad. I hear it is way gross and I think I will not have to eat it, but we will see. However, people buy the carp fresh and I was able to witness this morning the slaughter of said fish. All the carp are in a big tank (which does not smell too great) and then people can either buy one and kill it at home, or have the workers there kill it for them. They weigh the carp out, then put it on a table, where a man bashes it on the head with a wooden club, and then slits what I assume is the neck. It is a time like this when I almost understand why people are vegetarians. Anyway, that was interesting to see as I stood with my grocery bag full of Cini-Minis, milk, bananas and oranges; And way expensive/good ice cream.

Well, that is all I have for now. I love you very much and I wish you the best this Holiday season. My phone is a mobile phone, so make sure you get the right card for that, and all the best to you.

Glad to hear Detroit beat the Vikings, by the way.

s laskou,
Elder Schindler