Sunday #1 in Prague--June 30, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello and we love you all so much!  I hope you are all well and that you know how much we love you.  

Here are the highs and lows from each of us on this first Sunday night in the mission field! (thanks shelli for always asking the kids their highs and lows when you tended them--they totally know the drill and have no problem answering me when I say, "quick-tell me what were your highs and lows of the week?")

George said, for his highs:

Going on an 8 hour plane ride

Seeing a soccer stadium

Sharing a room with Hyrum

You writing my "highs"

George's Lows:

Going to class (at church) and not understanding much

Couldn't see the baptismal font because it was locked (the basement of the church/mission home has a font where he will get baptized next year)

Messing up on art

Our church has no drinking fountain

Hyrum's Highs:

Meals on the airplane and the pizza in the chicago airport
Seeing the castle because it is epic!  The guards just stand there and aren't allowed to move

Seeing ISP.  (It's the international school of prague where the kids will start in august.  "Prague-warts" is what Hyrum calls it)

Hyrum's Lows:

Saying goodbye to family

Freaking out because of jet lag (he couldn't stop crying on the first night here because his body was so out of whack)

Not understanding that much of sacrament meeting

Wilson's Highs:

Playing on the playground at ISP

Meeting the assistants and office elders (this was at the airport when we arrived in prague)

Walking around outside, to the park etc.

Seeing Prague from a lookout spot with dad

Wilson's Lows:

Jet lag

Airplane

Goodbyes really stunk

Having to unpack

Evie's Highs:

Facetime with Grandad

McDonalds with mom, George and Wilson

Big window in bedroom

Corresponding with Heidi Moore (her young women's president back in slc)

Evie's Lows:

Hard time understanding at church

Separation anxiety-really missing home (here's a sweet picture of Ev with Uncle Bry on our last night in salt lake, and also a shot of the mcconkies singing a song they wrote just for us--we have it on video and I bawl when I watch it!)

James' Highs:

Successfully delivered first talk

Meeting missionaries

Seeing kids in a city I love

James' Lows:

Exhausted

Saying goodbye to family and friends

My Highs:

Branch members were so kind to us today

I like our missionaries so much!!

Our kids have been so brave and patient and overall pleasant travelers

salt lake international:

chicago airport:

heathrow:

Beautiful window light in our apartment and lovely flowers that President Irwin left on the balconies.

Sister Irwin left the mission home clean and organized, and being in this apartment feels so good.  The cleaning she must have done to make it this perfect makes me think of all the ward sisters and relatives who came and deep cleaned our house in salt lake before we rented it.  I am overwhelmed by that memory of service to me back home, and now I'm pretty overwhelmed by how much Sister Irwin has served our family.  She must have worked for weeks and weeks to have this place so lovely.  I am grateful for her kindness! 

My Lows:

It was tough saying goodbye to loved ones in Salt Lake

Seeing kids get so sad at random times as they adjust

I love you family and friends!  I hope you are blessed and that you feel that The Lord is aware of you every day.  Hugs and kisses from the Czech-Slovak mission,
Laurel/Sestra McConkie:)