DAY 10 - PRAGUE, CZECH

Overlooking Prague

Today we spent the entire day in beautiful Prague!  We had a tour of the city, and our tour guides were so funny and kept us laughing throughout the tour.  We learned all about the Prague Castle, and other things . . . but let’s be honest I have a hard time focusing and wandered away to take pictures. I do know that it was built in stages and was started in 870, and it covers 18 acres!  It is amazing!  The girls walked up to the Prague castle guard and they were trying to get him to smile, and so they started making kissing noises and they finally got him to smile and giggle a little! Good work girls . .  . now he might get fired! 

The Guard at Prague Castle

Merc and Bug outside castle 

Downtown Prague

The church in the castle courtyard

Chloee, Nimmer, Jaiden and Annie

Cat, Erica, Merck, Ambie, Annie, Jennie, Chloee

Stacy and Erica 

Laura, Carolyn, Stacy, Jen

Cat, Carolyn, and Niki

Then we went to “old town” and did our shopping for all of our last minute chocolate and other goodies!  There were so many people in the old city, and we got to see the Astronomical Clock, it was built in 1410 and it is the oldest Astronomical clock still working and the 3^rd oldest in the world.  It has 12 apostles that appear every hour, and some man come out and played his trumpet and people were singing and clapping!  

Clock Tower

Daily picture of the Marshalls

Prague

Anne Bazzerone, Lisa Marshall

Jen and Stacy with their Coca Lights

We had our third game tonight, and we played Sparta Praha in their facility.  It one of the biggest arenas in the world with 8 soccer fields!  We played at Strahov Stadium.  It was once a place where the communists used to parade and march, and then turned into a soccer field where Sparta Praha plays today.   Some of the members from church came and the Missionaries that we had met at the fireside. Oh yeah . . . and we won 6-0.  The Cougs had goals from Niki Fernandes. Jessica Ringwood, Kayla Varner, Marissa Nimmer, and Jaiden Thornock! It was a beautiful night for a game, and we couldn’t ask for better weather or company! 

The bus didn't fit under the bridge, so we had to get out and walk . . . oopsie!

The game

Beautiful field

Teri, Stacy, and Karen

Lots of the parents 

Nancy, Larua and Stacy

The team after the game

Fearless leaders Henrick, Joe and is wife Kathy

Beautiful night 

One more day in Europe and then back to real life . . . check  back to see what the last day has in store for the group of Cougs

DAY # 9 - PRAGUE-CZECH

We made it . . . we are in Prague! We have been waiting the whole trip to see "the most beautiful city in Europe", and we have been saving all of our money, well let's be honest, some of our money to spend in Prague, because it has some of the BEST shopping!  

Today was a great day . . . it is crazy to think we have been gone for a week, it seems like we left a long time ago, and then it feels like time has been flying by!  We have seen some amazing things since we have been here!  Today we had the opportunity to go to church in Vienna, Austria!  It was amazing . . . some of us had earphones that had an interpreter so that we understood the talks, and others of us just sat and listened to them speak in German.  It was cool to think that you can be anywhere in the world, and they can speak any language, and you still feel the same comfort and peace! 

The whole group of us

Jess and Bazz

Bug and Merc

Jen, Stacy, Our fearless coordinator, Joe and his wife Kathy

The Thornocks

All the girls 

We then changed our clothes, and hopped on the bus and headed towards Prague! It was about a 4 hour bus ride, and we stopped to have lunch at the border.  We all had sack lunches on the curb and the chocolate wafers were to die for! Really though,  I think every bit of chocolate in Europe is delicious!  Then back on the bus and continued our journey through some beautiful country.  

Cloee, Hilary, and Niki

All of us eating our sack lunches

Parents and their sack lunches

More lunches . . . and Snitzel and her dad

Carolyn, Laura and Bug . . . on the blessed bus

We arrived in Prague, changed back into our church clothes and then headed to the fireside.  We had the pleasure of hearing from Niki Fernandes, who talked about faith; Catherine Snyder talked about returning to our Father in Heaven; Angelica Dickson talked about the church being constant and eternal families; Jessica Ringwood talked about living life to the fullest; and finally Annie Amos talked about choosing the right, and how difficult that can be in the world today!  It was such a great experience to be able to be in two different places, with two different languages in the same day, and be able to share the gospel. The girls did a great job speaking, and sharing their testimonies.  There was an investigator at the fireside, and he is in the front of this picture holding the BYU t-shirt, and he talked about how grateful he is to be able to have found the church and that it was a part of his life, and he was planning on getting baptized soon.  

The investigator, missionaries and the team

Rob and the investigator . . . Rob gave him his very own BYU tie

The members were so welcoming and nice, and it was great to see the girls interacting with the members even though we didn’t speak the same language.  Here are some of the members:

The members

Jennie and her dad, Tony

After the fireside

Fireside

The cool poster they made to promote the fireside

Mamma Glo, Nancy, Gayle, Terri and Jen

The Czech church sign

Then we ate of course . . . and I am pretty sure dinner was soup, weird I know, and then some meat and potatoes, more weird, and then some delicious dessert.  This seems to be our eating routine for the last 9 days . . . but all in all I think it was a pretty great day! Tomorrow we are headed to see the castle and tour the city, and then shop of course!  Some people might head over to see an old work camp . . . so check back to see what happens on our second to last day on our European Adventures!!!

Jaiden, Dana, Cloee and Nimmer . .. getting ready to eat

ALL OF US EATING . . .