Whips and wizards

The week went by way too fast I feel like I said that week but oh well. Elder Haroldsen is the best and we are getting along great. We celebrated our first P-day bt y getting on a train and going to Hortobagy last week where I was convinced into buying a hungarian whip. Its basically the only soveneir unique to Hungary not to mention a really fantastic full body workout since I dont know how to do it and end up moving my entire body dodging from the end of it when it comes swinging full speed back at my face. Only bruises so far. I look like the biggest goober while I whip. 

We worked really hard this week trying to meet with all the active members in our area and our investigators. We didnt have too much success tracting this week but we did get "báchied" (let in by an old old man and got talked at for 45 minutes. Only got in 17 words the entire time. Its exhausting.) My favorite two door memories though were both old men who after I said wed like to share a message with them about ____. they just closed their eyes and nodded their heads while they stuck out their hand and just waved this fingers around for a solid minute each time. ITs so awkward and weird hahait looks like theyre trying to cast a spell on you! I never know what to do because their eyes are closed but Its just their way of saying no thanks I guess. Maybe they dont have dentures in or something and thats why they dont just use words hah. Always guarunteed to be uncomfortable though.

We had some great lessons with our investigators and comminted Imola to read a chapter out of the book of mormon every day and then we talk about our favorite parts when we meet. She knows that it is true but is nervous that shell get kicked out of her Protestant school if she gets baptised. We met with another investigator Andi. Shes a gynacologist and her husband is a cardiologist they have one baby and she is staying home raising him right now. She really wants to raise her family well. She understands how important families are and is so entrigued by the Plan of Salvation. When I showed her my family pictures she could not stop praising mom. She could not believe how strong she is and resilient and that she was even alive hah. After she looked at them she said she wants at least 3 more hah.

One miracle we saw was when we were tableing in front of the Branch house and stopped a 25 year old girl who told us she didnt speak Hungarian so we started speaking in English. We talked for a long time and she had so many questions. She told us she wants to meet after we bore our testimonies and gave her a book of mormon. Sadly she is going home to Sweden for summer break and wont be back for 2 months but hopefully Ill still be here. Shes from Iran and her name is Hannah. I think these are the hardest moments for me when I meet someone who is very prepared and they end up leaving but I know that I will not see the majority of the success here on earth and I cant wait to talk to these people Ive met here in the next life.

This gospel is the answer to all lifes challenges and questions. If you will kneel down to Heavenly Father and offer a sincere heart felt prayer and then WAIT and listen you will feel The Love of God. God lives and he loves all of us more than you can comprehend. 

I love the verse in Enos where it says something along the lines of "I now go to the place of my rest which is with my redeemer for I know that in him I shall find rest. And I rejoice in the day that my mortal shall put on immortality and I will stand before him and then shall I see his face with pleasure. and he will say unto me come unto me ye blessed there is a place prepared in the mansions of my Father for you." Live a life worthy of looking forward to seeing Christs face with pleasure.

Sok szeretettel 

be good

Hughes Elder

us at a handicapped members birthday party haha it was pretty fun just us three although we did have to talk with him after cause he totally bought beers for him and us. now he knows haha

donuts we made last night

the university this morning ITS SO COLD now

Third train is the charm.

Wednesday morning we woke up at five and wheeled my luggage to the trainstation (40 minute walk) which helped us start our day off nice and sweaty. ITS SO HOT HERE. Transfers were good I got to see a lot of my MTC family and then got to pull all my luggage and two sisters luggage up 2 flights of stairs at the trainstation. Right when we got everything down the stairs  then missed our train so we went and got our tickets changed and pulled everthing up the stairs agian and to a different platform at top speeds BUT we just barely missed that train too. Third train is the charm right. It is. We got on that train and within 3 hours arrived in Debrecen!

Elder Haroldson is my new companion. Hes from Mudlake ID and his graduating class was around 41 I believe. Hes super great and we get along well. There arnt Sister missionaries in Debrecen anymore so we got their flat which is huge and really nice (not to mention excessively decorated with pictures of Jesus everywhere and little inspiring quotes in every covered you open even in little plastic cases in the shower!). Debrecen is the second largest city in Hungary and has a huge University. TONS of people speak english. There are Africans!!! ( I havent seen a black person in 2 months)theyre so kind and they are all really open to talk its great!

Our branch is fantastic we have 3 familys and about 40 active members every week. Our investigators are great and I loved getting to know them this week. Illona the Elders met emailing last week, she lived in London for ten years and speaks english perfectly. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation and she liked it a lot even though she doesnt think her familys important at all. Our other investigators is Imola. She is 18 and met with the sisters a year and a half ago. I asked her a lot of questions and she admitted that she knows this is true. But shes really scared to be baptised because her family is Protestant and she attends a Protestant school and still has one year left. We are meeting with her twice this week though and are hoping to help give her that push and commit to a baptisimal date.

Sorry this email is super informational. Its been a pretty crazy week saying goodbyes and meeting a bunch of people all named Csaba and Gabor and just trying to remember which ones which. But know that I am happy, I love this gospel and am so grateful to share it with the people here in Debrecen. There are missionary opportunities everywhere, everyday. Be brave and share your beliefs with those you can. I love you all so much and encorage you to read Elder Monsons talk "Obedience Brings Blessings" because its a fantastic talk and mentions a person that lived in Debrecen! (thanks fenton)

Have a fantastic week.

Pray for charity

I love you all.

Sok Szeretettel,

Hughes Elder

Spring cleaning?

We  had cleaning checks this week by the Oldhams (senior couple) who brought us a loaf of zuchinni bread that we ate in a period of 7 minutes after they walked out our door. We PASSED since we both love cleaning! Interesting day of the week was thursday when we woke up and looked out the window and it looked like all of Hungary had been pillaged! Later we found out it was just spring cleaning which apparently consists of everyone throwing everthing into the grass they dont want and the garbage men having a really long work day the next day. Intersting. The homeless people were in heaven though. 

This whole week has been great. We have been planning on my companion leaving and going Zone Leader and me staying but this morning we got a call from President Szabadkai and he told my companion he was moving the Zone Leader city from Győr to Szombathely and then he asked to talk to me. I tried to understand his Hungarian and if I understood correctly (90% positive I did) I leave tomorrow for Debrecen. Debrecen is... acutally I dont know. Just look on a map it will be a more accurate then my nonexistent knowledge of Hungarys geography. All I know is that its on the other side of the country and has more of a communist feel which makes me EXCITED... obviously. Ill be there tomorrow!

Ill miss Szombathely so much. This branch is incredible and the members are amazing. They all have really strong testimonies and are great member missionaries. The highlight of this week was meeting with Lajos (talking Lajos) and Margit his wife. OUR INVESTIGATORS. Thats a miracle we havent had any investigators this whole transfer and now we have two! We taught them the Restoration and ate Lángos which is delicious and super unhealthy. They think its really healthy though but thats just hungarians. The spirit was so strong as we prayed and bore our testimonies. Margit made me say both prayers because she was so surprised at how much my Hungarian was improving. Hah after she told me to say the closing prayer I went into shock trying to translate things in my head fast I could say differently  in the second prayer hah. All my prayers are really similar. I think she was less impressed after the second very very similar prayer.

We also had a great opportunity to visit a member family whose wife has been struggling a lot. We shared with her the "Mountains to Climb" mormon message which is one of my favorites and she was crying a lot at the end of it while we bore our testimonies and pointed out how much faith she really does have. I love the members here so much. I dont even know how cause I cant even understand what they say to me but somehow I love them so strongly. Its weird but amazing.

I hope you all have a fantastic week. Ill share one scripture I memorized this week I think its Mosiah 14:5 it says "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed." Jesus Christ suffered everything for us so that we WOULDNT have to suffer nearly as much. The way we can avoid that excessive suffering is by accessing his atonement. Its infinite. It never runs out. Use it everyday. 24/7. It helps me. I know that it will help you. It covers everything.

I love you. Have a fantastic week. Ill try and send some pictures of "Spiring cleaning" or spring pollution of szombathely whatever you think fits it best.

Sok szeretettel,

Hughes Elder

-- 

Love,

Elder Hughes

 

My most favorite member

heres some pictures of szombathely

this is agi néni. She is incredible and makes delicious food for missionaries with reasonable portions. Shes been a member for over 20 years and is one of the oldest here in Szombathely. Shes a classic fiesty neni Im gonna miss her a ton.

the second picture is our giant milka bars that we buy whenever we run into someone and try to give them a book of mormon but they just run into their apartment and give us a book of mormon and tell us they dont want it and dont need it. We count that on our record as negative 1 book of mormons given out today. It happens more than youd think haha!

Bacon wrapped deceit

I love hungarians. I am so grateful I have been able to get to know so many of them already. Theres nothing quite like seeing a 89 year old néni start speed walking along her bike and jump on midstride. This week for cultural experiences we got fed by a néni who was so kind to make dinner for all four missionaries. Last time we went over to her flat she made really good rakott krumpli so we had WAY too high of expectations. We began to eat her 4 course meal with delicious soup then mashed potatoes with bacon wrapped chicken legs we assumed. We assumed wrong. As we each bit into the bacon with way to much confidence and excitement we were all crushed when the inside meat? crumbled and filled our mouths with dry chicken liver. I dont know why huns like liver so much. It doesnt make any sense. But the best part about it was she made enough feed the entire branch and when I had eaten 3 she said "oh are they not good?" But with a smile on my face (completely fake smile) I continued to torture my mouth till I had probably eaten 6 full chicken's livers. Im sure theres bound to be someone who like chicken liver reading this. And I dont actually have anything to say about it but what a waste of bacon.

 

That was one of the low points of the week though so dont worry it wasnt all that rough. We were able to meet wit Mária at the branch house with a member.(She is the lady who called US last week!) We gave her a tour where we got to talk about the sacrament and introduce baptism. She was pretty distant at first but then she warmed up to us and kept telling us there was something so different about us and there was a light in our eyes. How cliché does that sound... pretty amazing hah. I love her alot. We taught her the entire restoration and gave her some chapters from the Book of Mormon to read before we meet next week. She was excited and gave us a REFERRAL! (Her ex-husband who is an alcoholic-- should be an adventure!) 

 

The rest of the week was spent tracting and talking to people on the street as well as visiting members. I love the members here in Szombathely they are amazing and I can feel Gods love for them whenever Im with them. Highlight tracting from this week was when Elder Heaps hit a doorbell (Thats a firealarm volume bell at every door) they usually just go until you take your finger off of it but he hit this and it kept going and going and going. 15 seconds later I was in tears laughing and Elder Heaps paniking. We decided to get out before their neighbors all come out and yell at us. 8 floors later (4 stairs at a time) we ran out of the building We could still hear the eternal csengő ringing. We wont be returning to that building for a few days.

 

I hope everyone enjoyed General Conference as much as I did. My entire life every session has been long with maybe one talk that really stood out to me. This time I was tuned it to everytalk. Its weird and amazing at the same time. I loved hearing from President Monson and President Nelsons talk on Priesthood power really stood out to me. I loved listening because I was able to find so many things I can work on and improve! I hope you can all find something to improve on from conference. Dont be satisfied with where you are. Shoot for exaltation and nothing less. 

 

I love you all so much

 

sok szeretettel,

Hughes Elder