I forgot my camera

Sziasztok,

This week was busy! Tamás is doing better than ever... we met with him four times this week and he fasted for the first time in his whole life on sunday with his mom and us! Jozsi (his dad) has already opened up more and more to us and we are hoping and praying he will let tamás set the special date this week. M i r a c l e s!

I forgot my camera and also only took one picture all week but Ill try to do better this week I promise!

My favorite part of the week was tuesday night around 8:30pm. I was on exchanges with an Elder serving in Tatabánya and we were about to start our walk home after he took a picture of the cathedral and christmas lights. I was looking at the lights and thinking about the heater at home when a man walked around the corner into this deserted square. I weirdly felt I shouldnt talk to him (which rarely happens, since I have come to the point that I feel guilty whenever someone passes and I dont have time to try to talk with them) but I didnt talk to him then 10 seconds later an old man with a white poodle walked around the corner. I felt a unusally strong prompting to stop him and talk with him. So I made the awkward cut off walk thats way too normal for me now, and asked him what makes him happy. He thought quietly and responded the gist of which was that nothing made him happy. His wife had left him and moved to austria, his two children whom he loved more than anything died, and he was left in Pápa alone with nobody that cares about him. He got ready to walk away when I asked him a few questions about his belief in God. He genuinely explained to me that hed been taught his whole life that God loved and knew us all but now he believed quite the opposite. By this time my companion had finished taking the picture and was by my side and bore testimony of the plan of salvation a nd did his best to relate to this man (since his mother had died three years ago) The elder promised András he has the opportunity to live with his family forever and that death is not the end. After he finished András asked how we could say that we know this? since we havent experienced death. I told him we believed this because it is taught in the Book of Mormon and we had received a witness of the truthfulness of this book. I bore testimony that he could know too and feel the same peace that we have been so generously given. And teary eyed he took the book and thanked us many times and promised hed read it to the end and pray about it.

Moments like that make the hours tracting when no one is interested and my toes feel like theyre going to fall off worth it. Weve been given so much. Now is the time to share it.

Im grateful for genuine, humble, hardworking people. And when I think of people like this Im reminded instantly of Grandpa and Grandma Hughes (and not just because grandma is basically hungarian). Im grateful for their examples. I didnt get to meet grandpa in this life but Im grateful for all he did for grandma and dad which directly has blessed me, I have felt both of their love and I quote Grandpas testimony because it is mine as well.

From Grandpa's journal: "My testimony is that the Lord will help you if you let him, if you have faith that he can. Do not be false in living the standards of the church. Only you are fooled. Remember this, that only two people know the intent of your heart-- you and the Lord."

I love you és Kellemes Karácsonyt

Hughes Elder