March 2022 - Welcome Spring

 

Last of the Winter Sunsets

As we begin our last month of being in the Czech Republic I will share a little about the area and the experiences we have been blessed to have.  The sights, sounds, people, foods all contribute to the experiences we are having.  

THE SIGHTS

March has brought warmer weather most days and we have been able to take walks and explore the area.  Farmland for miles and miles.  We walked through the fields and found this pond with 2 beautiful swans.  Look closely at the picture and you will see them.  

Swans on the Pond

This pond is in the little village of Provitice.  There is a cabin in the middle on an island.  It looks like it would be a fun place in the Summer with canoeing, fishing and picnics.  It is only a mile from campus and is a really nice walk.

Naceradec is the largest village in the area - about a 35 min walk.  It has 1 market (smaller than a store), a gas station that is open a few hours, post office, church, school and bus stop.  Oh, I forgot to mention the local Pub.  It actually has a new housing subdivision going in and new families are moving from the city.  I like seeing the growth and the potential for this area.  

We have so many pictures of Cumorah but the sky and landscape is always changing and it is so beautiful to capture the different moments.  It is a landmark in the area - the barn is about 400 years old.

Provitice

Velky Blanik is a mountain in Czechia.  The hill and surrounding area is a protected landscape area.  The Blanik massif consists of two forested rocky hills, with the larger Velky Blanik and smaller Maly Blanik.  It has played an important role in Czech national mythology since the Middle Ages.  In the 5th Century BC, during the Hallstatt period, a circular hillfort with two massive stone walls was built at the top; its remnants are still visible around the summit.  Later, a fortress and a wooden castle were built there.  At the top today stands a 30 m tall wooden watchtower from 1941 in the shape of a Hussite tower.  On Small Blanik are the ruins of the pilgrimage Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene completed in 1753 and abolished in 1783 by Emperor Joseph II.  

THE LEGEND:

Began in the 15th century about Knights when the enemy army was defeated in a miraculous way at the southeastern foothill of Blanik.  The Legend says that there is an army resting inside the mountain and waiting for the Czech nation to be at its worst.  Its commander is the patron saint of the country St. Wenceslaus.  It is said that a day inside the mountain is as long as a year on the surface.  As soon as the Czech country will be in its deepest distress, a rock shall open up in the mountain, the knights inside wake up from a deep sleep, and will set off against the enemies.  They will defeat them, and peace and tranquillity  will come back to Bohemia.  It is a big tourist attraction in the Summer.  We are trying to find time to climb it before we return home.

One of the Cumorah Farm Orchards.

Cumorah

We found this monument on our walk today.  It is a monument that said, "Praise Jesus Christ".  This country has turned from its religious heritage and Churches are empty, but you see monuments all over the countryside.  

We walked to the Village Kamberk today - it was a 4 mile walk on a beautiful 1st Day of Spring.  Lots of hills and valleys to get there but it was a wonderful walk.  

Bus Stop

This is a map of the area we are located in.  Most of the places I just wrote about are on this map.

ACTIVITIES

We spent a day on the farm clearing the land for replanting.  They told us we were going to the orchard and would be clearing out the old wood and tree branches to get ready for the new season.  That sounded like a good project.  When we arrived we were on a mountain and in the pine trees - WHERE IS THE ORCHARD?  We find out in the translation they call all tree projects orchards.  They burn a lot of wood at Cumorah for heating the buildings.  This area is cut and used for that purpose.  It is also part of the protected forest land and after you cut you have to replant.  

Our crew of 50 cleared the land of all cut trees, logs and branches.  The large logs were hauled to the bottom and stacked for loading to bring back to campus.  The rest was all burned.  We had 3 huge fires and had three teams hauling and feeding the fires,  Our team figured out to do a line and pass the wood down to the fire instead of each one of us walking up and down the mountain.  It worked great and finally all of the groups followed the pattern.  We put in over 200 man hours that morning and completely cleared the land.  It was now ready for planting and installing a fence to protect the young trees.  

We had a great time.  The fire was so hot that my down jacket melted and when I washed it all of the down came out.  It ended up in the garbage.  My sweatshirt had ash holes in it and my third layer t-shirt had ash holes on the bottom.  Russ had on a new down vest and it too is covered in ash burns - he is still wearing it - new fashion statement.  We will not be bringing it home.  We could hardly move for two days afterwards.  The bending and picking up wood used muscles we had not used for awhile.  Just getting us in shape to take care of the yard when we return home.

Karaoke Night

    Every Friday night is activity night - usually a dance or Karaoke.  Russ even  got up and sang with "The Boys".

The students are divided into five groups (houses).  Each group organized a Community Outreach Project.  I am an assigned driver so I was able to go on 2 of the projects.  

The first project was in Prague at their Food Bank.  The students packed the orders in boxes and had them ready to go for each recipient.  They didn't really know what they would be doing and were not sure about the activity.  Once they began working and seeing the importance of the work they really enjoyed it.  The local TV Station even came and did a news story about them being there.  It was a great project and service.

The next group contacted a Children's Hospital and wanted to come and visit and spend time with the patients.  They were not allowed to do that but asked if they could put together some activity packages for the children.  The team came together and organized what items they would include and put them together.  One of the items was a Coloring Book that each student contributed 2 pages of a picture representing their country.  It turned out really nice.  They are coloring pages with the front cover a picture of the group.  Only 2 could go into the hospital to deliver and so the other students felt left out.  I worked it out with the Staff that they could all go to the hospital and then just the two selected students would go in and deliver.  They selected McDonald's for lunch as part of their day in Prague.  I know - really - I tried to talk them into somewhere else but they were happy with their choice.

This is a picture of everyone in front of the Hospital.  We walked around town and then completed our day at the Gelato Store.  THE BEST.  The project was a team building assignment and it was fun for them to spend the time together as a team after spending weeks in planning and preparing.  The Hospital administrator was very pleased and invited them back and said that 5 could come next time.  We are making progress in the Community Outreach.

I also went with this group to an activity they planned at the Church in Prague with the Young Adults, Missionaries and Friends of the Church.  The had fun decorating and then teaching Hawaiian and Latin Dancing.  Everyone had a great time.  Refreshments were served and lots of mingling.  I was glad they opted not to play board games after the dancing so we could return back to campus.

We returned just in time to enjoy the Fire with S'mores and dancing on the patio.  It was a beautiful evening and the students were having a great time.  WOW - can they dance!  We ended the night inside with cups of Hot Chocolate and visiting.

Dance Party on the Patio

EVENING FOR WOMEN

The International Day for Woman was March 8 - a day set aside 100 years ago to recognize woman's rights movements, issues regarding woman and violence and abuse against woman.  Many of the woman students here wanted to be celebrated on this day.  They asked Russ why he did not send flowers to me.  As a staff we looked at what was the best way to recognize woman.  

On March 17, 1842, twenty women assembled in the "Red Brick Store".  The Prophet Joseph Smith organized them in a divinely  inspired  and authorized  manner after the pattern of woman in ancient times.

The woman in the ancient Church were dignified and noble, needed and valued.  They served others, increased in personal holiness, and participated in the great work of saving souls.  I looked at both days and we decided to have an Evening for Women on March 14.  The Mentors for the week were going to be Bruce and Jean Bingham (former General President of the Relief Society, released Oct. 2022). It was the perfect timing for her to be here with us.  The Relief Society currently has 7.5 million women in their membership.  I wanted the women of Cumorah to see that it is not a day to recognize them as woman, but to recognize the contributions of Women all over the World who have and are

making a difference to others - including them.  We asked Jean Bingham if she would participate in a panel with Stacey Shepherd and myself where the girls could ask any question they wanted - just woman to woman.  She agreed and the evening was planned.  It will go down as one of the most inspiring, emotional, uplifting events for me while at Cumorah.  We asked Sarah, Sabrina, and Alona to provide a special musical number.  They also asked Cami Stats, a staff Intern to play her flute and Madara to accompany them on the piano.  They sang, "As Sisters in Zion". It was so beautiful and set the tone for the rest of the evening.  We then had the panel discussion.  I felt like I was with Sisters that I had know my whole life.  We had no idea what questions we would be asked.  We talked about having questions submitted and decided to go with the raw emotions and feelings of the evening and let them ask what they wanted as they were prompted.  I was so blessed by the two very special women sitting next to me.  I was strengthened by their experiences and testimonies.  There were questions about being a working mother and dealing with family and work; how to have tenderness in your life when you have always be taught to be strong with no emotion; how did our choices in college determine where we are now in our lives; What would you do if your child came home and said they had been raped or assaulted?  That was a very heartfelt question from this young women and opened up many emotions for others.  Heavenly angels were with us as we discussed this question and I shared personal experience that I had never shared publicly before.  It Was Real - such a tender experience.  Our time was up and the Young Women said, we don't want to stop and especially not on that topic.  Then we had fun - questions like:  how did you know your husband was the right one; what qualities did you look for in a man; what is it like to deliver a baby?  We told it like it was and had a fun time sharing stories of birth and raising our children.  Sister Jean Bingham closed the evening with her thoughts on being a Woman and Divine Daughter of God.  She bore her testimony of Jesus Christ and His plan for us.  What a sweet experience for all that were there.  

Stacey & Kelly Shepherd, Bruce & Jean Bingham, Russ & Linda

ST. VITAS in PRAGUE

Organ

Birth of Christ Fresco's

We have been to the Prague Castle three times now and still enjoy taking Mentors to see it.  Each time we see something different and today was a special treat to have the Sun shining and to see the stained glass windows in all of their glory.  I noticed the Fresco's on the walls for the first time because it was not so dark.  Light makes such a difference - just like the Light of Christ brings a new perspective to our lives as we let it in.  

Prague getting ready for the Easter Markets.  We hope to go and see the markets when they open.  It is getting festive in Prague.  We were going to go on Monday, but it was snowing and very cold.  We hope this Saturday is better.  It is trying to be Spring, but the snow just keeps coming - mostly just cold and windy.

Wenceslas Square

We picked up Paulette Kirkham and her son Quinn at the Train Station.  They wanted to stop at a store and get a few things so we got to see a new street and shopping district.  I stayed in the car for lack of parking and just enjoyed the beauty of Wenceslas Square and the beautiful architecture and people watching.  

Team building Games and learning how to listen and trust another person as they guide you to follow the maze blindfolded.  It is always interesting to watch the students and how they react on the games.  What they will do to win!

Quinn taught the students Country Dancing and they had a great time.  He taught them "The Window".  

Country Dancing with Quinn

UKRAINE NIGHT!!!!!

We have grown to love the 17 girls from Ukraine.

Russ and Tanya

They brought with them a fierce love of their Country and a fighting spirit.  They were misunderstood and very guarded in trusting anyone.  We have watched them blossom and come to know a life beyond their borders.  They presented a delightful evening of history, music, clothing and heartfelt stories of their country.  They taught us a dance and we shared in the Ukrainian Culture.  

Bohdana's drawing 

After my interview this week with Bohdana, one of the girls from Ukraine, she sent me this drawing of the two roses.  This represents what has happened this Semester as I have watched her blossom like this rose.  She sees it as a representation of our friendship and how it has blossomed.  

As we are nearing the end with only 1 week left, we are witnessing so much change and growth.  These girls are leaving Cumorah with HOPE for a brighter future - even with a war going on.  They see that there are good people in the World who care about them.  They are bright, intelligent, strong, and most are leaving with new job offers and possibilities they never dreamed of.  We are so grateful to be a part of this experience with them.

KARLOVY VARY

Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) is a spa town in the west Bohemia region.  It has been a popular resort since the 19th century due to the numerous thermal springs.  There are several colonnades with columned walkways.  One Colonnade houses the Pramen Vridlo geyser, which spouts up to 12 meters high.  

Our last group trip this Semester.  We took 50 students on a chartered bus for the 3 hour drive and a day in the city.  Most chose to also visit the spa for the last two hours - more on that later.

It is a beautiful little city with very distinctive architecture - somewhat more ornate and beautiful more than Prague.  It is the center for the glass and food industries in this country.  In 1370, it was granted city status by Charles IV with privileges of the royal city,  

The city is formed on steep slopes and unstable climatic conditions.  The ground near the thermal springs was not suitable for growing crops, which were crucial for settlement.  It is beautiful to see the layers of buildings on the slopes today.  It is located 110 km west of Prague on the German border at the confluence of the Ohre and Tepla rivers.  

You start in the middle of the city with the first spring.  We were told to bring an empty bottle for filling and drinking.  At the first stop everyone thought it would be refreshing spring water and began to fill their bottles.  It was warm to the touch and upon tasting it - most quickly spit it out.  It was warm, salty and bitter.  We were then told that there were about 16 fountains along the way that we would stop at and taste - each one with a different flavor.  Let the adventure begin!

By the time we reached number 3 most of the students decided they did not need any more tasting.  Each one was progressively hotter.  There were signs on each one telling the temperature.  The hottest fountain was 96 degrees and was hot.  The water started clear and progressively got more red and also more mineral taste.  I filled my bottle and used it to warm my hands as the rain and winds came and the weather turned cold.

Thousands of people come from all over to benefit from the healing powers of the thermal springs.  The students were not buying it.  I have to say I tried about 10 of them.  The verdict is still out on any healing taking place.

hottest fountain

The legend as recorded in 1571, says that a hunting dog while on a hunting expedition in the woods, fell into a pool of gushing hot water.  The moaning of the dog summoned the other members of the expedition, who subsequently tasted the hot water.  Charles IV was also informed about the find, and he too went to the place of the spring.  Together with the doctors present, he stated that this hot water has healing effects,  He tried it himself and experienced improvement.  He then founded a spa on the site of the alleged spring.  

This picture is of hot pots just off the main road in the city.  

This is the geyser that spouts up to 12 m and is housed in an indoor atrium.

fountains by the geyser

After tasting many of the springs, it was time for a treat.  Our guide took us to this little shop that sells a local favorite wafer, KARLSBADER OBLATEN.

They come in cinnamon, apple cinnamon, chocolate, nougat, lemon and vanilla flavors.  They warm them on a hot press and you can buy just one or a box to take home.  We all got one and we bought a few boxes to bring back to the academy and share.  

Shop Front

This is a big business with thousands of tourist each year.  You can purchase these ceramic cups with built-in straw to dip in the fountain and taste.  People had them at every fountain and take it very seriously.  

After the tour it was time for the SPA.  We could bath in the thermal water and/or go to the sauna .  It had rained most of the day and the thermal pools were outside.  We decided to take the plunge and be outside.  It is an amazing facility and very nice pools.  Nothing like the thermal pools in Idaho that I grew up with.  Just after we got in the water a storm blew in and the hail came pelting down and the winds were torrential causing the lounge chairs flying.  We took shelter along one wall of the pool with just our heads out of the water.  The side of the pool protected us from the winds but not the hail.  It was a crazy experience with the cold on top and the warmth of the water below.  It quickly blew over until the next rail squall came through.  We stayed in the water for about an hour and a half and it was time to go.  A few students tried the sauna and quickly came to the pool area.  One girl said she was traumatized as she opened the door to go in and found naked women - no one warned her as everyone was given a sheet as we entered along with our towel.  I was sure glad we had decided to only enjoy the baths where swimming suits were required.  I do believe in the healing powers of the thermal water and it was wonderful to just relax for awhile away from the work that we do.  We were then off to walk back to the bus and our 3 hour ride home.  It made for a great nights sleep!

FOOD

Authentic Czech Kolaches.  They are good, but do not compare to the 

Czech Stop in West, Texas.

Vegetarian Night.  Vegetable patties with potatoes, sauerkraut, beets and corn.  Sunday nights are Vegetarian.  While we have loved having three meals a day prepared and no dishes to do after eating - we are looking forward to having lighter meals and we have missed out Tex-Mex favorites.  I think our first meal will be some really good Tex-Mex.  We are flying home through Dallas and might just get some.  

LAST SUNDAY TOGETHER

Sunday was our last time together for regular Church services.  With General Conference the first week of April, we had our Fast and Testimony Meeting.  It was a wonderful day of sharing together.  So many spiritual experiences.  We had three non member students who came to Church as also wanted to stand and share their love of Cumorah and the relationships they had made.  They expressed thanks for the love and feelings that they have felt and have for others.  Russ and I have loved serving these Young Adults and helping to make the Church services possible.

Emir, our friend and student from Albania had to leave and go home Sunday afternoon.  His mother had a Stroke and was in the hospital.  He has had many trials during his time at the Academy and this was one more that he would have to deal with.  We hope he can come back this last week and be with us.  It was a heartfelt goodbye.  He knows we love him.  He loved us like Grandparents.

It has been a wonderful month of service, work, teaching, mentoring, dancing, parties, trips and meeting new people.  I don't think we could have fit anything else in.  We have 7 days of this experience that will be filled with a lot of emotion, love, excitement, graduation and goodbyes.  

Our trip to Karlovy Vary had a lasting impression on me as we walked to 16 different fountains of healing water.  People come from all over Europe to taste of the healing waters.  They are salty, full of iron, bitter, warm to hot - and yet bring people so much hope.

Jesus Christ said, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well springing up into everlasting life. "  John 4:13-14

Elder Robert L. Simpson taught: "Throughout history men have always been looking for the easy way.  Some have devoted their lives to finding the fountain of youth, a miracle water which would bring everlasting life.  Today many are still seeking . . . some magic fountain that will bring forth success, fulfillment, and happiness.  But most of this searching is in vain. ...It is only this 'living water', the gospel of Jesus Christ, that can and will bring a happy, a successful, and an everlasting life to the children of men."

The living water of Jesus Christ is not salty, bitter, hot or only found in a few certain places.  He is a living spring that will quench eternally our thirst for happiness, peace, and everlasting life.  Those who tap into His well of living water will be refreshed and their soul will be enlivened.  I love the modern day Parables in my life as I have experiences that teach me the ways of Jesus Christ.

Looking forward to what the future will bring.

Linda and Russ