Wrinkled Pages of PMG Chapter 9

So many great things happened this week. The worldwide training was like Christmas but better cause it was basically general conference but completely centered on us!!

All public transportation was free (which doesnt matter to us cause we have passes but the missionaries that came on exchanges were grateful) due to the cold weather and bad air.

President Szabadkai came to weekly plan with us. It was fun to talk with him  in our apartment and learn from him. He is so incredibly patient (getting calls from random missionaries every 10 minutes for the whole day is not easy) and I'm really grateful for his heartfelt prayers; they always inspire me and bring the Spirit in abundance into each of our meetings.

This week we taught Kitti, the best recent convert ever, who is certainly prepared by the Lord. Also Pali (a less active) helped us with that lesson which was awesome to hear about his conversion. 

We didn't find any new investigators but we met some great people who we were able to bear testimony to.

Church was great as usual and I was able to help the branch president when he asked me for ways to help his family learn more about the gospel. I basically just told him how much FHE helped me and how crucial it was to me being here. It's a little hard for the converts to think about the effects of these things since they didn't experience them themselves. But he was very grateful and told me to tell you and dad thank you.

Yesterday we taught Csaba. He seemed upset and told us he saw a video that bothered him. He started it and we realized quickly it was anti mormon material depicting sacred things. The Spirit instantly left the room. Something I havn't felt for a long time. I felt the strongest urge to ask him to turn it off. So I did, then when he didn't listen my companion did as well. At first I felt angry. Angry that this existed, that some one made it, and that Csaba watched it and believed it.

I prayed and prayed and prayed harder as he expressed his concerns about us worshipping Satan etc. Then as clearly as I felt the Spirit leave, I felt it return and felt full of God's love for Csaba. The anger went away and I felt that I should be as loving as possible as we answer his questions. Thanks to the Spirit and Gift of tongues we were able to answer questions and once again refer him to the Book of Mormon through which he can know if the Church is really Christ's church on the earth.

After we talked with Csaba about all of this he asked the question almost crying why would people leave God's church and try to destroy his faith and others as well? I felt again strongly, which is unusual (to me,) to bear testimony of repentance. I explained that sometimes people mess up and sin and make big mistakes and don't completely understand the atonement and what it means for each of us. Sometimes they didn't feel repentance could help them and decided to stop trying. I have a testimony that Christ suffered everything for us so that if we turned to him and gave our burdens to him we could be free of all the pain and sorrow. My testimony is President Packers testimony:

“The Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. … It just heals, and what it heals stays healed.”⁹

He continued:

“The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, [the Savior] has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that. …

“… The Atonement … can wash clean every stain no matter how difficult or how long or how many times repeated.”¹⁰

Repent Repent Repent!!! So you can feel God's love more abundantly in your life. I know this is true and repentance works.

I love you all.

Hughes Elder

Cat Couch

Highlights-

-Oranges were really cheap and delicious this week so I ate a lot of those.

(I'm not actually sure how that one made it in. They were just really good this week)

-We survived zone trainings and actually had a really powerful discussion about helping investigators stop smoking which is a big problem here. President Szabadkai and the two other senior couples in our zone all shared their experiences, conversions, and testimonies of what the missionaries did to help them stop smoking.

-50 people came to church yesterday!! Judit, Peti, and Illés all came (less actives we work with) and I gave a talk about repentance which was apparently understandable! And was followed by Kiss Andi who bore powerful testimony of our trials and how we can use them to grow. Im so inspired by these members i love them so much!

-We tracted a lot this week. 5 hours one day! And found 1 new investigator which makes it all worth it... even though the chance that she is legally insane is quite high... it doesn't matter woohoo!

-The man who owns the couch in the picture was not home.

I would send low points but I have recently noticed I tend to forget them easier and anyways they are very much worth the highlights.

I really love these people and feel so blessed I can communicate with them.

In D andC 123:16 it says "16 You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves."

I believe we are that very small helm and the decisions we're making now of where to go, who to talk to, and what to say will make a big difference.

So seeing our decisions all have importance lets follow the counsel in verse 17 where it says "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power."

I encourage you to analyze your days. See what more you can do, repent, then change and strive with all your heart, might, mind and strength to improve. And help others do the same.

Sok szeretettel,

Hughes Elder

PS apparently cameras don't come with cards so I will pick one of those up today so I can actually use it now. Here is a picture Smith Elder took and sent me.

Miller Elder, Shepherd Elder, ME, and Smith ELder

dear family

Dear Family,

Sorry I dont have time to send a big email today because I have so many emails to answer, but this week was great. My camera broke unfortunately. That's not what made our week great. This week we had Missionary Leadership conferance which was good then we had exchanges with the assistants which were great cause that's Elder Heaps and ELder Miller, some of my favorite companions. We met with a lot of great people. Then we came back from Buda and had exchanges here with the Elders serving in Szolnok. It was exhausting but really good. We tracted a lot since 4 of the lessons we had planned fell through. We also got stuck in a village where almost every person we met had a lazy eye-- it was a little suspicious. Oh, also we had a district meeting with the Szabadkais which was great. I'm doing really well and I love it out here. Oh also I had my eccesiastical endorsement last week too which was really good. It was funny cause he would read the question in English then we would discuss it in Hungarian. Well my mind is crazy. 

I love you alot and am still praying for you. 

Love,

Hughes Elder

miracles, miracles, miracles

I felt like I should do a cliché missionary subject title since I learned how to say/spell cliché in Hungarian which is quite the accomplishment since Im still pretty sure I just spelled it wrong twice in English woohoo.

GREAT NEWS Balázs in Pápa picked a baptisimal date that went through, passed his baptisimal interview on friday, and will be baptized on the 28th of January!

Later this week we were visiting the Branch President's family and Szerdi Elder asked what it would take for the Szeged Branch to become a ward and the branch president went on a rant about all the YSA that aren't even dating. We left with the assignment to find 5 husbands and 4 wives for branch members. This is only part of the YSA we have in our branch. I feel it'd be easier if they all just married each other and then Sam just come and marry the gluten free member. But when I suggested that to one of the YSA they weren't as pleased with my plan as I was.

Miracles:

In English Class as we were playing Word Chain we had a weirdly nice moment when Rose (a diligent attendee of English class) yelled out SNOW FALLING COLD! So we turned off the lights and looked at the beautiful snow in silence for almost a whole minute till it was unfortunately interrupted by Janos probably asking for the definition in English of anti bacterial-fungus. This is Angol Óra.

Yesterday after ward council we had about 40 minutes to tract before we were supposed to break our fasts before our lessson with Csaba. So for some reason we started walking to a place we hadn't gone to yet and after 15 minutes of walking/riding the bus we arrived at a little 5 story apartment complex.

We tracted the first third of the the building and no one was interested. We started on the second third and were let in by the first person we rang. We walked up the flights of stairs excited to share our message, knocked, and were told it was a bad time. We walked down to the fourth floor and knocked on a door. Andi a 21-year old, who had clearly recently been crying, answered the door. As I told her we were missionaries from Christ's church she started to cry and interrupted me saying, "I don't believe it. I can't believe it. How did you get in? How did you know!" at least 4 times through. She told us how she had been pleading with God to help her know which church to go to so she could find peace in her life. She invited us in before we even brought up the fact that we brought a message, moved the Bible off her couch, listened to the restoration, read from the Book of Mormon with us, asked great questions, and ended the lesson with a prayer that we wouldn't go sterile out in the cold because that is every Hungarians biggest nightmare. 

As we left she still couldn't believe it but promised she'd pray and read from the Book of Mormon before friday when we meet with her again.

Seek with all your heart, might, and mind to grow closer, recognize easier, and follow faster the promptings of the Spirit. Through heeding those promptings we will feel the love of God in our everyday lives.

 61 Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.

Sok Szeretettel.

Hughes Elder

jump roping on the fourth story at 6am is socially unacceptable

My subject explains my tuesday morning. The worst part about it is that I didn't even think it would inconvinience someone else which makes me feel dumb, but the best thing about it is that I think my neighbors hate me less now that I don't do it for 45 minutes every morning!

We ate lots of stuffed cabbage and I feel with every serving a few of my once talented taste buds drown and suffocate in the fumes of fermented cabbage. So by the time I get through next year's holiday season I should be completely ready to handle the culinary disaster of shaved ice found in the Phillippines. (Also, that word is very hard to spell. In Hungarian the translation is phillips islands. )

This week we were able to finally meet with our investigator, Gyöngyi, who has been in the hospital. She's kind enough I think I'll risk catching a disease and go back to that death-trap of a building. On a more serious note, she is really struggling healthwise which is hard to watch and hear about, but It really is a blessing because she is coming so much closer to the Lord. Her Book of Mormon is on her side table (next to one of her roommates with a crazy lazy eye) and she says she is praying more now than she ever has in her life.

We gave Zsuzsa, another investigator, to the sisters when we re-drew the areas here in Szeged. She was sad but handled it well. It's hard to watch her not progress since she's ready to get baptised as soon as her partner will agree to marry her; but the answer, like always, is more prayers and love, love, love.

We had a fantastic MCM and our branch president came who is one of the only sarcastic Hungarians alive and is just so great to be around. We went through the ward list and he told us who we should go visit and who we (mostly the sisters) should avoid.

We also had a branch New Year's party which we were able to attend the first thirty minutes of before our bedtime hah! Luckily we were given out of pity all the leftovers from the party.

And yesterday we had great church service where we talked alot about the Europe mission plan. This was followed by a impromptu testimony meeting where members shared their testimonies about missionary moments. And this was followed by not letting this opportunity go to waste and me running around and setting up times we could visit the members or times they could come help us in our lessons since everyones' hearts were changed all of a sudden! One testimony in particuler touched me, but It won't be explained adequately in my translation, but here goes nothing:

Basically this néni has been a member for around ten years and last week for Christmas she got the courage to follow the Europe plan and "invite a friend."  She chose her best friend/husband who is not religious and wasn't very supportive in the past. He agreed to come and she bore testimony of the Spirit softening his heart. She told us that as she walked to the door she was surprised to find him standing next to the door in nice clothes. He asked if he could come with her again today and she asked him to repeat what he just said cause she didn't believe a word of it! She was overjoyed and walked with her husband, who is in a walker, across the city, stopping at a bar halfway through because he wanted a beer, but not judging him because that was not her place. Her job was to love him, invite him, and teach him through her example. That is in fact all our callings too.

 11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.

I know our efforts of sharing the gospel are not wasted when we do not see immediate or results in the seemingly far future. It is our sacred duty to love all God's children and my resolution is to seek more diligently than ever before for charity, which makes this all possible. I know when we have charity we can feel the love of God whenever we serve and pray. Because we have been given much we too must give.

Sok szeretettel,

Hughes Elder

BÚÉK

A JW Christmas

This Christmas I felt myself, well a little bit like a Jehovah's Witness since we didn't do much to celebrate, but I weirdly enjoyed it and stopping people on the street asking them about their families and how Christ has effected their lives.

In Hungary they have a few traditions I love and one is Mikulás napja. It is when Santa comes to all the children. He drops off gifts, toys, and fills their shoes with candy because it doesnt occur to the Europeans that eating candy out of their shoes is very unsanitary. Especially unwrapped chocolates (this is the one problem I have with the holiday.) Thanks to this holiday though, Santa is almost completely separated from Christmas. It leaves families to enjoy each others company while indulging themselves in the incredibly and quite unbelievably stuffed fermented cabbage and fish stew that I am just positive is killing my tastebuds bite by bite (unfortunately this is an incredibly strong and old tradition that even though I asserted all my strength with a few members to stop/change it, I was unsucsessful.)

So we spent our Christmas attending church, caroling to less active member that didn't show up to church, and skyping. {Insert: I really am so sorry for being so awkward on skype. I dont know why its stressful for me probably becuase I love you all so much and I just have one hour to leave an impression But I wanted you  to know I love you and feel pretty bad for not sharing a spiritual message since my testimony was not understandable to you guys!} But I love you and am already preparing for the next skype with better questions and trying to learn how to smile normally again since apparently my smile doesnt cut if for you guys anymore which is funny because the nénis cannot get enough of it.

1 miracle this week was that I got to go on exchanges in Szolnok! I love and miss that city and more than missing the ghetto city I miss the incredibly welcoming and loving people I spent so much time with in it. I was able to meet with Érnő and Éva, Aniko, and we got let in to a man's home and taught aout the Book of Mormon and taught him how we can change when we apply the Atonement into our lives.

Other than these two things our week was filled in unbearably awkward caroling experiences (ask mom or dad), #lightingtheworld/SZEGED, and looking up inactive members with the senior couple. (Seniors PLEASE serve mission, your cookies and cars are just priceless!)

I love you all and hope Hannah was less awkward to skype with. I leave you with these wonderful promises to missionaries found in Doctrine and Covenants. They have helped me while being meticulously railed on with hard questions by smart Hungarians, helping and trying to understand struggling missionaries, and being chased/yelled at/thrown objects at by drunk bácsis. The Lord stands beside us as we bear witness of his Son.

 5 Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants.

 6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

 88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

Szeretlek és Boldog Uj Évet kivanok!

Hughes Elder

Pictures- Christmas weather,

Szerdi Elder making metal trees during lunch

Christmas conference 

always moving efficiency

This will be short because my mind is a big tornado right now. Weve been so busy with meeting investigators, christmas party preperations, and finding. Oh and climbing up the 4 flights of stairs to our apartment (this is where the efficiency part comes in). Ive never been more motivated to plan more effectively so that I can avoid the stairs. Well yes this is awkward cause Im just complaining but yes anyways Im moving on. Maybe just dont share this with anyone cause its really out of order and just terrible.

But my week was great. We had transfers on wednesday, lessons all thursday, mission leadership conference on friday in budapest, meetings and christmas party and a baptism (first one ive seen on my mission) it was an 8 year old though and was accompanied with old nénies talking in the back during the ordinance about how we should be working harder so there were more of these. But luckily the spirit at baptisms is louder and more powerful than nénis gossip. Woah this letter is just really negative... Awkward I really am happy the news just threw me off.

Well Ill talk about my companion. He is Szerdi Elder. He is a blacksmith and is making me a tree out of wire for christmas and a ring out of a spoon... that is the extent of his creation without his tools and kiln of sorts hahah I love him this is the best transfer. The first question he asked me on the train as "If you were a troll what would you make people do to cross your bridge?" He is great and I hope you guys can meet him on christmas. He is also a pro yo yoer and has a world record in a video game that he claims only three people have ever played... I however think hes just being really humble. He comes from Southern california and speaks beautiful hungarian but gives me lots of opportunittes to praxtice and learn. Its so good. Every morning im so happy when I wake up and I think thats a huge sign of my happiness since I dont have sheets in this apartment and its always really cold and jumproping is no fun and when I wake up it means in three and a half hours I have to go down you know... the stairs... Yes its even bad going down them.

Szegeds beautiful. The people are... well stilll hungarian. And Im still loving being a missionary. Well I blame you guys for making this email such a mess but I guess i should take responsability so I do now and apologize for not writing this out before hand. I love you all. and cant wait to talk with you soon.

Love,

Hughes Elder