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These are the streets that Starsi Matson has been walking on for the last five weeks in Jihlava. Unfortunately, the streets and sidewalks have taken a toll on his body and he is having problems. The Mission President is sending Starsi Matson home next week so that he will be able to have surgery and get feeling better. He is optimistic that Starsi Matson will be able to return quickly to the Prague Mission. Keep him in your prayers!

The Czech Republic

After the long plane ride to Europe, the missionaries arrived at the mission home in Prague. They stayed over night at the mission home and made contacts on Charles Bridge. Here are a few of the first batch of pictures he sent from the Czech Republic.

This is the church sign on the outside of their church building in Jihlava.

The church building.

Inside the entryway.

They meet for Sacrament Meeting for about 40 minutes then they have meet and mingle time. Members even bring sandwiches and stuff for this break.

This is the chapel.

Where the Elders Quorum meets.

The Primary Room. They have about four or five kids in the Primary.

MILK! It comes in large boxes.

Starsi Matson actually likes it!

On P-Day they went to the Jewish Community. This is inside the synagogue. Starsi Matson and Starsi Roberts (his companion). Jeremy did not say who the other missionary is.

This was the first drink that Starsi Matson ordered all by himself. He was excited that he could speak the language and order himself a soda.

This is the apartment complex across from Starsi Matson's apartment. He said that their apartment building looks like this.

Their bathroom....the toilet does not work and the shower curtain is clear. No door on the bathroom....who said anything about being modest!

Their bedroom!

They do not have clothes dryers there. They have tables that they place their items on and a fan dries them.

Their kitchen. The washing machine is the white thing under the microwave.

After the missionaries arrived in Prague, they were able to sleep in this room. There is no windows here so they were able to sleep for about 12 hours straight. He said it was the best night's sleep he had in a long time.

Elder Matson in Prague.

Elder Matson in front of a big clock tower.

Starsi Matson in front of the Prague Castle.

They have big ice cream cones all down town. They are called Zmrzlina...it means ice cream shops. It is REALLY good. It's light and fluffy. Everyone eats it all the time!

A castle hid up in the trees. It is really green there.

The new missionaries arrive and are standing on Charles Bridge.

Starsi Mickelsen, Carrier, Petersen, Emmerson, Grande, Matson,

Sisters Wheller and Lier and Starsi Browning.

If you have seen Mission Impossible....you recognize this picture.

Starsi Matson on Charles Bridge.

A view of Charles Bridge.

One end of Charles Bridge.

The streets of Prague.

The buildings in Prague.

Stained-glass window in a Prague Cathedral.

The Prague Castle...it is huge!

One of the first castles that Starsi Matson saw in Prague.

Starsi Matson and a guard at the Prague Castle.

Our Starsi Matson! All Smiles!

The city of Prague.
You can see Charles Bridge in the foreground.

More of the MTC

Jeremy sent these last few photos of him at the MTC.

This is Brother Brown, one of Starsi Matson's teachers. Brother Brown got really sick one week and lost about 20 pounds. He had been complaining the week before that his pants were too tight, but after being sick, these two characters decided to take this picture to remember how much weight they both have lost. (Sorry this picture is out of order, having troubles moving it!)

June 8, 2009, we are packed and ready to go. It is early in the morning. We have to catch the 8:30 am flight in Salt Lake to New York City and then on to Europe.

The big day
Starsi Petersen, Starsi Doxey (he is not leaving because he did not get his visa, he just dropped them off), Starsi Matson and Starsi Grande.

Tradition at the MTC.

Everyone on the floor gets together and sings

"God Be With You."

All the missionaries leaving put their ties on their heads. It's not very reverent, I don't know why they do it, but it was kinda cool.

Starsi Matson found a rope! He still has the knack!

Doing a roping thing....They made a small calf (don't know what out of)..

Starsi Matson and Elder Beckstead from Utah...he is a big roper.

We talked a lot rodeo.

It was a lot of fun. Elder Beckstead is going to Bulgaria.
We are going to rope a lot when we get home.

Starsi Matson with his favorite teacher, Brother Johnson.

"He is probably of my favorite teachers, even though I don't have favorites."

We were making Lightsaver pictures with our colored pencils....it was pretty cool.!

Starsi Matson and those farmer jammies!

The MTC!

Elder Jeremy Tyler Matson

at the MTC in Provo, Utah

April 8, 2009 - June 8, 2009

Elder Matson is all smiles!

Our MTC District

(back row left to right)

Starsi (means Elder) Browning, Sister Lier, Sister Wheller, Starsi Mckelson

(front row left to right)

Starsis Grande, Doxey, Carrier, Emmerson, Matson and Peterson (Jeremy's companion)

Jeremy insisted that he wanted the "old farmer jammies in red." The only size that fit him were in white. Yes, there is even a "back flap." What a character!!

There are many languages taught at the MTC. Elder Matson is pointing to the Czech Language....of course!

Starsis Matson, Mickelson, Peterson, Carrier, Emmerson and Browning
~ all going to the Czech Republic.

Starsi Matson doing his laundry ~ even that makes him smile!

Starsi Matson (Jeremy) came across another missionary with the same last name....

Starjesina Matson.

The other Elder Matson....he is way cool!

This was Starsi Matson's desk. He said it is sooooo uncomfortable!!!!

"I think one of the best things that is happening is that I am flying out and I don't have to sit in that chair all day long...every day."

One of the language charts for Czech, this is for plural words.

"It's messed up, the language is, I'm not goin to lie."

It was snowing today....

Starsis Peterson, Mickelson, Matson, Carrier and Emmerson

Jeremy did not want to buy an umbrella, I bet he was happy he had one!

Starsi Matson having a few Mary Poppin's moments!

Elder Matson protecting the place where we make sacred covenants!

Elder Matson and a BMW...a nice car! You don't see too many trucks around the MTC, so I guess he settled for a BMW.

Starsi Matson and a cousin he found in the MTC (Elder Murdoch)...our dads are first cousins.

"My first hair cut....they don't cut it near as short as they need to here. It kinda ticks me off, but it is all right."

"Don't freak out when you see this picture (mom). Those pants don't stretch. That is how much weight I've lost. See it is a good thing we got a smaller belt or else I would be in trouble, but I feel like I am Jared in the Subway commercial. Those are my black pants. I thought it was a cool picture."

Starsi Matson and Starsi Peterson with the first missionary, Samuel Smith.

P-Town Friends

High School Buddies

Jeremy Matson, Colin Riley, Bryndon Belnap and Jordan Allen

Elder Allen, Elder Matson, Elder Belnap and Elder Riley

Our magazine shoot photo without our jackets on. Yea!

"Don't show this picture to too many girls there, I won't have time to write them all after they see it, so just be careful, it is kinda a cool picture."

Starsi Matson at the Big World Map pointing to the Czech Republic.

Elder Matson, Elder Allen and Elder Belnap

Elder Allen is going to the Tennesse Mission and Elder Belnap is going to the Ukraine (next to

the Czech Republic).

Waiving to each other across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Pocatello Elders

Elder Riley, Allen, Belnap and Taylor Tingey (he went to Highland) and Elder Matson in front.

On the day we did Jeremy's uncle's temple work, Grandma Denkers bought "U" cookies for everyone to say "Thank U." Brian was a huge Utah fan and so Jeremy could not resist putting in the BYU plug too.

"I thought I wouldn't do the picture justice without a BYU somethin in it....so, there it is. I was goin to put it after"Y," but I thought it would be sacreligious to do the BY"U," just didn't work out.

The Czech Republic Missionaries.

The mission is divided into two countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

This is our district....

Starsis Matson, Peterson, Sisters Wheeler and Leir, Starsis Grande and Doxey

Starsis Mickelson, Browning, Carrier and Emmerson

Starsi Carrier and Starsi Matson

This is our "second grade face picture......like we just put glue on someone's chair. We busted up laughing cause I told them that analogy....act like we just put glue on some girl's chair in second grade and when she sat down we would laugh like second graders. We just busted up laughing...it was pretty funny."

Elder Matson and Elder Dustin Swallow

~ another buddy from Pocatello and the Chubbuck Stake.

This is a picture of the map of the Czech Republic. All of the things on the map are castles. They are everywhere.

After Starsi Matson landed in Prague, he was assigned to Jihlava (eeh lava). So, that is where he is right now.

Starsi Matson in front of the Standard of Truth picture. "It's a cool painting."

Starsi Matson with older brother Josh who works at the MTC. Since Josh transports the missionaries, he had to have a flu shot and take medicine for ten days. The elders and sisters were provided masks to help protect them from the SWINE FLU!

Starsi Matson with his instructor Brother Cardon. "He is a cool guy."