Kitartes

This week was crazy. We had transfers on wednesday and got Ribar Elder he is from Indiana and really funny. Im excited for the transfer and already know a lot of good things are going to happen here in Szolnok. Trios are weird. Uncomfortable. And even more uncomfortable tracting. But they are fun. With Baird Elder leaving wednesday our apartment has become filled with things (and a ridiculous amount of rubiks cubes since both my companions have at least 4 of them). My companions told me that I am a "stress cleaner" which I think is very accurate actually. 

Saturday was Hungarys equivelent to the 4th of July and was pretty great. We had a bográcsa at one of the members house which is basically a big party where they cook a huge amount of gulyas or stew in a big pot over coals. Incredibly unhealthy but also the most delicious thing. We played games with the members, told stories, and heard a ton of stories from the nénis. I got told I was a fine potato peeler from Erzsi which made my day. She never smiles or gives compliments and conphiscated three of the other missionaries knives so for her to not take away my knife and tell me Im a fine cutter means a lot. 

We played one game where you say in hungarian fly fly fly.... then a random word and if it flies you put your hands above your head if it doesnt you leave your hands on your lap. If you got it wrong you had a "punishment" given to you where you usually had to sing a song or do something embarrensing. With my lack of hungarian vocabulary I got to sing a lot of songs, and learn how to dance a lot of hungarian folk dances in front of the members. Things I guessed flied since I didnt know the words in hungarian : stink bug, coffee table, tortoise, text message (the person that said that had a crazy weird accent due to her lack of teeth so I dont even know why I got punished I felt like eveyone was guessing).

We had a fantastic sunday with the entire stake presidency since we got a new Branch Presidency. I love these members and am so happy I get to be with them for two more months. I continue to study, plead, and practice being charitable and loving all these hungarians. I am astounded at the difference it makes when you keep the concept of charity in your thoughts. I encourage you to memorize scriptures of charity. Repeat them over and over. Try to love everyone. Its so hard but its possible with Gods power, charity. I love you and leave you with this fantastic verse in Alma 26:27 "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." The Lord is there waiting to hear you, waiting to help you.

Sok szeretettel,

Hughes Elder

Wild boars and ferrets.

This week went by way too quick and brought this transfer to an end as well. I don't have much time but I'll tell some highlights. First off I'm staying in Szolnok and I couldnt be happier. This branch has become a replacement family that I have trouble communicating with and I'm so grateful I can further our relationships and the work here for the next nine weeks. Baird Elder will finish the last week of his mission with me then leave and I will get a new companion tomorrow. I'M EXCITED. There's no better way to get to know a person then by living with them 24/7 as you teach people about Christ's gospel in Hungarian hah. 

Highlights:

I have called every person the missionaries in our area have met with since 2008 the past three weeks which has really helped with my language skills and I have learned a lot of bad words as well. It's always scary to start but for some reason I always finish laughing at some ridiculous excuse I've been told or something along those lines. But I did set up a few lessons from all those calls which was the POINT! And I'm so grateful I did. On Tuesday we met with Andras who met with the missionaries in 2008. He's old and grew up in the time that religion was looked down upon and forbidden. He doesnt feel comfortable with talking to God but after persuasion let us offer a prayer before we left. He's pretty great and used to be a traveling water polo professional. Also, he cooked us Wild Boar that his brother-in-law shot. We ate it with bread and chocolate. Hungarians are so healthy-- also the boar was delicious.

Maria is a less-active weve been trying to meet with the entire time I've been here. And we finally came up with a time, so friday we took our Mission leader and went to her home. We had never seen her and were a little nervous which I think is normal since we meet lots of interesting people every day. She answered the door wearing a shirt with a women in her swimsuit on it and holding a ferret in her hand. It threw me off and I thought we had just gotten ourselves into the longest hour but it turned out to be one of the best lessons I've been in on my mission. When we meet with less actives we usually are dealing with people who were offended by someone but it was refreshing to meet with Maria because she wasn't, in fact she loved hearing about who was still there and promised to come next sunday! She also explained her daughter the exact way Mr Fox explains his son Ash...." Shes just.... different." (hand signals and all). 

Last wednesday I talked to this bácsi on the street and had a good conversation. I gave him a Book of Mormon and he told me  how lonely he feels ever since his wife died. I switched numbers with him and called him a few days later. He remembered us (MIRACLE) and told me he'd like to meet! I asked for his address and after at least 12 times of him mumbling some long Hungarian street name I told him about our branch house and he agreed to come to church. Then sunday during the sacrament HE CAME! (MIRACLE) The members here are incredible and all introduced themselves and invited him to the other meetings. We'll meet with him this week. I'm so grateful to be here and to be able to meet these people and help them. The gospel can change your life if you let it. I think too many of us (me included) dont realize that God will help us in all areas of our lives He sees fit. We must turn to him, ask him, wait patiently, and accept his will.

I love you

Hughes Elder

We played tennis this morning on clay! 

And I took some pictures with some of the members since I was getting quite accustomed to leaving after just one transfer and didnt think of this in Debrecen or Szombathely.

My week through pictures.

We had interviews in Kecskemént and I didnt have much time so I didnt get a picture with the Szabadkais but I did have a fantastic interview with President Szabadkai (all in Hungarian (lots of mistakes but still hungarian)) not to brag but I am very happy and so grateful for all the prayers that have been offered on my account. Thank you. We met a few of the people Baird Elder taught when he served there and I talked to some random Aussies. They were so proud to tell me that the one on the left is the only non-member volunteer at the Family History Center in Brisbane. It was fun to hear them talk about all the missionaries and the tricks they try to play on them and then hear them rant about how all missionaries are from Utah.

The next day we saw a miracle. We were tracting "family homes" (we usually save them for when we really need them cause its so nice to not be in 10 stories. We had been tracting for an hour and a half eating plums (its plum season) and other various fruits from the trees as we avoided the scary German Shepherds everyone seems to own in this wealthier neighborhood. Then of course right when we were about to go home (God tries our faith and patience) we knocked on Kata's door. She let us into her home and gave us some water. Then she listened to the entire restorations and asked great questions throughout our discussion. Her husband was tired and didnt participate but he listened as well. She told us we can come back and teach her some more and accepted a book of mormon! She is about 30 years old and married which is rare! She is a editor for the National new in Budapest and her hobby is figure skating. (I found that out after a TON of follow up questions since figure skating was one of the numerous words out of my vocabulary in Hungarian.) Everyone seems to be out of town these next coming weeks since school starts too and the holiday is coming to an end but after that the work will most defientely pick up.

We also had our first lesson with Ádám a religious 30 year old we met on the street last week! He speaks perfect english almost and we were able to answer some questions like "Where is God in the world today?" and "Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to people who dont follow the teachings of Christ?" He has a tattoo on his arm of an acient american scene and I think I made one of the smoothest transitions from a tattoo to the Book of Mormon ever made. He will be on the border this next week but well meet the next week. (hes a soldier.

Later on we tracted into István who is 70 years old and loves animals. He kindly invited us in and was so excited to get a Book of Mormon when I asked if we could take a picture he asked me If he could hold up the Book of Mormon hah! He has two dogs and a psychopath feline. I think this picture really encapcilates my 6 months here.

We also got to clean the branch house with Sándor who just got baptised 2 months ago. And a break we took from tracting one day to play on a crazy teeter totter cause there were no kids around for the first time. It was all fun and games till Baird Elder fell off and was impaled by woodchips. 

Im grateful for the Lords tender mercies. Our work is picking up and I am begenning to love the Hungarians more than I thought was possible two months ago. I am even begenning to love the random homeless man who asks us for money every week. God loves all his children. I know that is true. Pray and plead for charity and come to know this eternal principle is true yourself.

-- 

Love,

Elder Hughes

the aussies and I

ward building in kecsKemént (WARD)

tracting pictures

István and I (hes wearing more clothes than most Hungarians right now)

Baird Elder before the incident

Sándor on his awesome little moped