Post-sickness week

Monday, July 15, 2013

Dear Family,

Post sickness week has been good. So we spent last Pday in Budapest because we were already up there for the doctor, which was really fun. We went to St. Istvanne's cathedral and went up to Buda Castle. Pictures are included.

More importantly, we have 2 baptisms this week! So excited. The Szolnok branch's goal was 10 convert baptisms this year which is huge because last year they only had 3. We have 2 baptisms this week and the elders have 1 (it is that boy P who I told the story about a month and a half ago, the branch president said it would be better if they teach him and that was a few weeks ago) so with these 3 baptism the branch will have had 9 this year, which is super exciting! Unfortunately a few of them are already inactive. Baptism is a huge deal but even bigger is retaining them and enduring to the end. Our baptism last time the 17 year old girl she has yet to take the sacrament since her baptism. She comes to church every week and always comes in a skirt or dress now but always comes late. so we are really working on punctuality. She is so sweet. already plays a big role in the branch and her heart is in the right place. Speaking of skirts and dresses V who is getting baptized this week bought a skirt because she didn't have one and everyone else wears one. It was so sweet when she told us that because we hadn't said anything. Another one of our investigators has been dressing more modestly because people in the branch have told her. It is kinda funny. Sister O and I just think come to church we don't care what you are wearing; we will talk about the modesty thing later haha. Speaking of church yesterday a woman we gave a pass along card a while ago showed up a church today. We didn't get our number or set up with her or anything but she came to church because she needed some comfort. I was playing the piano so I didn't really get to talk to her, but she ended up staying for all 3 hours.

We put L on bap date this week. He is the one who's birthday party we went to my first week in the country. We have been meeting with him endlessly lately and we were able to put him on a bap date. I really believe that since he has been keeping his commitments to read and come to church he has been able to progress. Unfortunately, he won't pray on his own. He says very good prayers when we meet, but it afraid of seeing a vision like Lehi and Nephi did in 1 Nephi, which is kind of really funny, but it is ok. He called us yesterday and said that he read because I am szigorú when we extend the commitments. Which means strict haha. He gets really distracted easily.

Remember that funky program I talked about a few weeks ago with Z brother's? They came to get her bike and we asked them if we could talk about prayer for 15 minutes and he prayed at the end. He is really interested so we set up with him this week, which is exciting. We are going on splits this week with the sister training leaders and I am nervous. It will be the first time I'll be away from Sister O and doing missionary work with someone else. But it will be good preparation for when we part ways at transfers in 2 weeks. This week is also a huge church party thing on Saturday. A ward and 2 other branches are coming and so is the mission presidency so it is like a huge deal and President Smith gave us permission to go if we only shop and email today instead of taking a pday. So we are having lunch after this and then just working the rest of the day.

We had zone training this week in Szeged, which is a further train ride for us than Budapest. So we have to wake up early and it takes the whole day, but it was really good. Szeged is a super pretty city and on the train ride there, we saw lots of sunflower fields.

I almost forgot to tell you all that we went to a wedding this week! A member invited us to her niece's wedding and President Smith said we should go because it was only a half an hour so we went. I didn't understand a thing, let's be honest, but it was neat. Very different from the weddings I have been to in the states.

We found the best ice cream place ever this week while we were tracting and trying to get into a building we kept seeing people with ice cream cones so I just asked them where the ice cream place was. Actually it was a dad and a daughter on bikes and I kind of superly weirdly ran after them and stopped them. Sister O was dying, but we ended up getting way good ice cream. Oh while we were tracting yesterday I made a woman cry. It was so said. It was my turn for the door approach and I borrowed a good Sister O question and asked her from where she receives happiness and she cried and wouldn't take the plan of salvation pamphlet. I felt horrible. We did more tracting than normal this week so that was fun.

Ok well I love you all! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Grigg Nővér

Sister O and I at Buda castle. We didn't realize we would be in Budapest last weekend so yes I wore the same skirt for 3 days. Thank heavens it was reversible.

We spent 1 night at the buda sister's apartment and they got feed by the Stake president so Sister O and I made palacsintas, which are Hungarian pancakes. Dad they remind me a bit of Swedish pancakes. 

The Parliment building. This is the view from the Buda side of the river from the castle district. 

Here is the gross concoction of meds I had to take 3 times a day. eww that is the bathroom at the mission home in case you thought ours was that nice. 

We spent a lot of time on trains this week with coming back from buda and then going to szeged. 

Here is St. Istvánne's cathedral and inside the cathedral. Don't worry, they still have his hand, which is what the other picture is. 

Here is lunch at an Italian place in Szeged that wasn't really all that Italiany

The elders were in Budapest as well for new missionary training for Elder Giacaloni so we met up with Elder Miller so there is a pic with the 3 of us 

This is the Szolnok crew in Szeged for zone training 

Kedves családom

Dear family,

How are you all doing? Looks like it will be an exciting week. What with Jenny's Birthday yesterday, Peppers and Katie's this week and Mom and Dad being in Utah. I heard something about a facebook picture war. Sounds like the Griggs are up to their normal tricks.

Well, it has been a good week. A week of lots finding. We unfortunately got dogged a lot. And it is really sad because if only people knew how much the gospel could bless and change their lives. Seriously. oh the mission presidents wife, Sister Smith called us Tuesday morning during our studies and asked if she could come down and work with us and so she came down and spent several hours streeting and tracting with us. it was fun.

Thinking of one example with that of how much the gospel can bless people if they would only accept it, we had a program yesterday with a referral from an investigator (well we aren't exactly teaching him right now but he comes to seminary on wednesday evenings, English class, and to church occasionally) he is the one who in a program about prayer I thought he said he prayers to a little black lamb but he really said he was the black sheep of the family...awkward. haha. ok so his sister. she was at his birthday party that we went to my first week in Szolnok. And it was an amazing program. We taught the restoration, we we really teaching in unity and the spiritual was the strongest I have felt it in a program before and the things she was saying we were like this gospel is perfect for you! and her son was their too and it was just great and then she said that she didn't want to meet again. and it was a little sad but we know that everyone has their agency. sometime agency is the worst in missionary work but we are so blessed to have agency so I remind myself of that.

The Herds, the senior couple in Szolnok, are being transferred to another city in Hungary. We don't know where they are going. They aren't allowed to say. But the branch was devastated yesterday and our cute 17 year old investigator V was in tears as well. It is going to be so different with out them. Plus I am going to have to start playing the piano in church. speaking of V though was watched the restoration film with her and she loved it. she bore the most amazing testimony about Joseph Smith and there restored gospel it was amazing to here it. i alway think of Mom and her saying that when she first heard about the Joseph Smith stuff she was like oh I don't need to believe that. and when you talk about the restoration to people it sounds very strange but I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon, which is the convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that through him God restored his church to the earth. it was awesome. We talked about how blessed we are to have a living prophet guiding the church today and gave her a the conference Liahona, which we just got in Hungarian this week so the branch members are way excited. and it is so true.

Funny story, we went tracting and before we went into the building I looked in the window the the barber shop on the ground flow and guess what was hanging there?! a pass along card. Sister O and I died.

so i got the ghetto computer today so I don't think I will be sending pictures home because it is sooo slow.

love

Grigg Nővér

the cat in the email place. katie please provide to ally the caption for that one.

we got caught in a huge rain store in kecskemét during district meeting and the district leader let me borrow his coat. so kind. we were carrying a box of book of mormons and we were so worried about them getting destroyed but it was all ok.

The pass along card in the window.

I am in my second transfer! wild.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Dear Family,

Melegem volt. those are the words that best describe the week. Other than the weather is has been a good week. Since we stayed together we didn't go up for transfers so we were just able to keep working.

So no worries the email place has some great rap music going on for us right now, since I know you are all concerned.

Elder Giacalone is here with Elder Miller. Fresh from the MTC. People call him the "teljsen zöldi" and I am the "részen zöldi" or he is the complete greeny and I am the part greeny now, according to the branch members. Katie met him through one of her friends before he left on his mission. So that is some fun stuff. He is doing great. there is a picture of our little Szolnok crew...but Elder Miller didn't want to stop so the picture is of him walking away. His family reads the blog Ally so that is more for their benefit.

Oh the weather. Words can not even begin to describe how hot it is. It has been in the 100s this past week. Thankfully not a lot of Humidity but the rough part is that there is no break from the heat because no where is air conditioned. Like I know I have been hotter in my life but I have never been this consistantly hot for this long. It is going to be a long, hot, and extremely sweaty summer. But it will be good. Funny story about the heat. We went out with the Elders on a bus (which Hungarians don't have the best hygiene in the world so it is way smelling haha) like a 30 minute ride to a village because they meet with a members husband who is not a member. Z. so I realize the whole initial thing might not be the best because everyone's names seems to start with Z. and the wife is B. and they fight a lot which causes him to smoke and that is the thing holding him back from baptism so the Branch President decided Sis O and I could go teach B how to be a good wife because we as a 21 and a 20 are completely qualified on this subject. We give really good advice let me tell you. So since we had no idea how to do this the spirit told us to talk about Christlike attributes and we started with patience. And she knows that she isn't patient and was really willing and accepting to talk about it and how to improve. so it was a really good lesson. But we meet in the kitchen, and it was swealtering. The Elders came out of the livingroom with Z to go look at the baby chicks (yes chickens, that is right) and the three of us are fanny ourselves with family proclamation pamphlets looking completely wilted, is the word Sis O uses to describe our condition. I think we looked like death but wilted is probably a better word. ok maybe this was one of those you had to be there stories.

We had 2 of the funniest programs yesterday. One of our investigators called because she had left her bike there after church and said her brothers were going to come get it if the gate was still open. Oh and this investigator, Z, brought me shoes yesterday. heels. apparently my practically shoes aren't cute enough. She made me promise to use them so I wore them during church. So we went back to the branch house and I was like let try and met with them and Sis O was like ok how would you say that in Hungarian. She is so good. They are 17 and 19. we had met the 17 year old one before. he is dating his sister's (who is 21 and dating a 40 year old) good friend A who is 30 (we have met with her and Z before). apparently the whole age difference thing isn't a big deal here. so we were like hey do you have 10 so we can chat about prayer. So we went in to the branch house and talked about prayer for 15 minutes and gave them a book of mormon and one of them said the closing prayer. during the lesson he was like how do you pray. seriously what a perfect question.

Then we went tracting, and we got let in! Which was my first time being let in, but in all fairness we haven't tracted a whole ton. It was a Mom and her 2 daughters and she also has a son who wasn't there. We told her that we knew our message could help her be happy, which is what synch the deal. or more accurately the Spirit touched her heart at that moment. She isn't happy because the kids' Dad took off about a year ago. So we got to know her and she doesn't really believe in God because of all the bad things that happen. We talked about God and Christ and that they have a plan for us and we introduced the Book of Mormon and talked about agency. We are going back over there this week, which is really exciting! I was reading in 3 Nephi 17 this morning which is one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon and in verse 17 is talks about how no one can understand the joy the people felt when the Savior prayed for them to the Father. And I hope when we pray with people that they feel that joy. That they can feel their Father's in Heaven love for them. That it invites the spirit.

We had a great lesson about tithing with one of our bap dates. M. She is the one that is quitting smoking. It has know been 2 and a half weeks since she quit! She is good friends with a member of the branch which is how the missionaries were introduced to her. seriously that is the best way to do missionary work. through the members. If investigators already have that immediate connection it is just so good. V the other bapdate we met with and talked about the word of wisdom and she is now in Jacob! The member there grilled her in her normal fashion but V impressed the member. It was really funny because the member is a néni and then started talking about boys with V and if it was ok to kiss. such a riot.

A who was the one who got baptized almost didn't show up to her confirmation this week! ok seriously now it is like funny but yesterday during sacrament meeting was the most stressful 1 of my life. we were sitting there and Elder Peterson and his new companion had taken a 2.5 train ride so that he could confirm her because she had asked him too and President gave the permission. and then she wasn't there. we called her twice then the elders called and she answer and she had overslept. oh 17 year old girls on summer break. but she got there and was confirmed right after sunday school. we had a great program with her after church and she is doing so well. seriously. it is amazing to see the change in her because of the gospel and even the change since her baptism a week ago! love it. we are going to call her next week before church to help her get there on time. she is cute, in her prayers she asks Heavenly Father to bless her with punctuality. We are hoping to met her mom this week.

Love you all and have a great week!

Grigg Nővér

Sis. O and I

We had a baptism!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Dear Family!

We had a baptism on Sunday, and it was of course the highlight of the week. Our investigator A, a cute 17 year old girl, the Elders' investigator G, and than the only primary child in the branch were baptized. Seriously the ties in this branch are amazing. We all walked over after church, to Hozzam Klub, where they were baptized in the pool there. We had the service in the little attic room at the top and it was so hot. Hungry does not believe in air conditioners, but it was such a spiritual experience. I am so grateful for the Spirit because even though, I couldn't really understand what was being said, I felt the spirit and I knew that the choice these 3 were making were the right one and that Heavenly Father is so proud of them. A was so cute and happy. She was nervous but than afterward she talked about how happy and clean she felt. Our last program with her before her baptism, afterwards we just felt the spirit really testifying to us that she was ready which was a great thing. I just felt such a great amount of love for her and the other members of the branch. Everyone's advice was just love the people and I am sad that it has taken me 6 weeks so feel that great amount of love for them. Funny part about the baptism is that there is a very inappropriate mural above the pools so 2 people stand and hold a sheet over it. riot. After the baptism we all walked back to the branch house and played games and at desert. Ok playing do you love your neighbor in Hungarian is hard. And fun fact. My hair is not considered red hear. Learned that during the game. Probably because it is super in here for middle aged women to dye their hair this purply red color. It is strange. Good news is one of our investigators came to the baptism and she is 17 also and is now beyond excited to for her baptism in a month. She is the sweetest ever. She wants to serve a mission when she turns 19. Touching.

Transfer calls came this morning and Sister O and I are staying together in Szolnok! I am so excited. We are ready for a hot summer of working hard. It is really exciting too because we have 3 baptisms in the July. One of which we have really since her change. She is in her 50s. She is just so happy now! We are coming up on 2 weeks of her not smoking! She says it is getting easier. One day this week we called her just to see how the not smoking was going and she goes I had a cigarette in my hand, and I was trying to decided if I should smoke it or not. Ok wow talk about good timing. I know that the Holy Ghost prompted us to call her at that precise moment. We talked about the 10 commandments, the sabbath day and chastity this week and it she was so cute. She goes oh ok well I won't shop on Sundays any more and is committed to live the law of chastity. It is amazing so see the changes that the gospel brings to people through the power of the atonement and repenting! It is the coolest to see how reading your scriptures everday and praying can make you so happy because that is what she is experiencing!

So our investigator D who was on bap date broke up with us this week. It was so sad. But ok. We teach him in English (so I am wayy sad about that) and he is stellar. He says he just needs a break to write down his own testimony. It was sad, but we felt a feeling of peace about it and really believe that he will be back. He said he will continue to red the Book of Mormon. He is just really logical so he is having a hard time of going with things based off of faith. But he was so legit. Like we taught the word of wisdom and we didn't even have to commit him he on his own said ok I will live this for 1 month and see. And he went to a bachelor party and I wedding and didn't drink because he had promised God for that month! And he went home from the bachelor party early so he would be well rested for church the next day! I mean like how awesome is that. He'll be back.

We went up to Budapest this week for Zone Conference. We were combined with another zone, and it was amazing to see how many missionaries were there! It was really neat. It was great to hear from President and his wife. I loved what Sister Smith had to say about enduring to the end and about how there are many different ends in our lives. Ends of calls or like in missions the end of the transfer. Or even just enduring to the end of the week she talked about.

pictures so here is a few pictures from the baptism. one is of just me and A at the branch house afterward the baptism. one is from all of us crowded and it is a horrible picture of me because I look like an elephant because I am standing right up in front but whateves. the sacrifice we make. Then there is another one of Sister O and I with A.

I love being a missionary!

Love

Grigg Nővér

me and sister O

I was told I talk about food too much so there was no story about food this week even though there was a good one. So none of these have to do with food.

we went to budapest and we had to bring back a pillow to the mission home so i took the bullet and looked like the weirdo walking around with a pillow. so selfless of me. plus it was way comfortable for the train ride.

This is the town square. notice the missionary planner in hand. don't worry there is a book of mormon in my bag. too bad it wasn't in my hands. bummer

we went to a graduation this week. it was interesting.

also with transfers, Elder Peterson is leaving, but Elder Miller is staying and is training one of the missionaries I was in the MTC with for a bit so that will be fun to find out tomorrow.

a week of lots of ups and downs :)

Monday, June 10, 2013

This week was a good week. First let us start with the fact that I ate fried liver! yes that is right fried liver. real life. pig liver was in my belly and it was disgusting. I thought I was going to throw up and I am not exaggerating. So listen to what happened. this one investigator. A always feeds us. He is the one that bore his testimony in sacrament last week and this week he started not smoking. We are coming up on a week of him not smoking. So the wife E brought out food and I started eating (after we had blessed it of course :)) and the meat was super dark so I was like hmm I wonder what this is so I was like disznos? (pig) and they said yes. and sister o was like what kind of meat is it and they said pig liver and I didn't know the word for liver but now I do. and so she translated if for me and I thought I was going to throw up the piece that was in my mouth. Unfortunately I had to eat all of it. and these were not little pieces. so gross. I tried eating it the same time as the pickled cabbage but to be honest that only worked for a few bites then it started making it worse. I tried little bites which was better but then the liver lasted longer. they walked back into the kitchen at one point and sis o was like can I put some on your plate and I was like yeah right remember the time that you served me the largest second helping known to mankind. (maybe that wasn't my most Christlike moment) remember the find for yourself thing during eating programs? yeah. So she wraps it up in a napkin and puts it in her purse! real life. I realize now that I think I talk a lot about food in my emails home. oops.

We have a baptism this weekend and the elders have one as well! She is a cute 17 girl, who the branch adores and fits in so well. We are so excited for her. Speaking of 17 year old girls, we put one on bap date this week. V. she is totes adorbs (haha) ok but really. We meet with her and her mom for the first time almost 2 weeks ago and then we hadn't had a chance to plan another appointment but then she should up at the same time the next week and the Elders called us and were like your investigators here so we raced over and thankfully a different program had cancelled so we could meet. She had read from the book of Mormon several times and prayed about it and knew it was true. We taught the Plan of Salvation and she said she just knew it was right. Knew that it was a good plan and from God. It was amazing she wanted to be baptized and will be in June. She came to church yesterday (we had 7 investigators in church!) and said she really enjoyed it. Thus far the easy part has been putting people on bap date. The hard part is continuing to meet with them after to get them ready. Like M. was supposed to be baptized this week also but we haven't been able to meet with her enough. So we taught the WoW hoping that she would realized that should wouldn't be ready for baptism because she smokes but then said she would quite right then (which is awesome! she hasn't smoked in like 5 days now) and was set on still being baptized and we didn't have the heart to tell her that she couldn't so then super awkward in church when they announced the baptism in Relief Society and another women was like M too and yeah. But it is ok. We talked afterward and she is really looking forward to it in July after we can teach her about chastity and tithing. Fun stuff. She gave us a referral. And we went and met him and he wanted us to go breakdancing with him and his friends and we were by their gym and then all his friends showed up and were like will you train with us sometime. That was awkward. oh yeah, maybe sometime....but we know we are not going to go hangout at a gym with a bunch of guys our age. As sister O and I were walking away were were like were are wearing skirts passed our knees, do we look like we just "hang"? We so don't look like we just hang out. But it is ok and humorous to look back on.

Remember the story I told about the 12 year old boy, P? Our lesson with him this week was about the Gospel of Christ and when we got to the enduring to the end part we asked what that means because we meet at a member's family's apartment and he answered all the questions! It was so tender (a word I have picked up from Sis O. but am trying hard not to use all the time) he like knew how to endure to the end already and we haven't even taught him that much. It just goes to show how important the example and friendship is of members.

I just want to say how much I love my family and how grateful for my parents. We had an investigator tell us that he has a problem in the past and now with adultery. And I truly know and believe that he can receive forgiveness for these transgressions through the Atonement because there is no sin too big or too little that the Atonement of Christ can not cover. It was just heartbreaking to hear, especially because we love his wife. I was reading the family proclamation and it says that every child has the right to be born to parents who are faithful to each other and it is so true. And it is heartbreaking to think about this family and how the father's actions has the potential to ruin their family relationships.

The harder and more stressful weeks also have some of the best times in them. I truly can see how the Lord is preparing the people of Hungary to receive the gospel and how if we work hard we are blessed to find them and be a part of their lives.

It was Elder Miller's birthday this week so we got together with the elders and the Herds and had a nice dinner, and then had correlation meeting, and then sister Herd made chocolate cake. So good. He is old now. Hit the big 20. Elder Peterson played the loveliest musical number in church yesterday and he gave me a jó regelt just now while we were emailing, which he wanted me to mention. We always go over to the Herd's on Pday and cook together and play games. We will have left over chocolate cake today, Sis. O is really excited.

Since I don't want to break tradition with the whole food thing here is a picture of our grocery shopping treat, while we were waiting for the bus last week. Sis O had to take the picture because she was healthy and got bubbly water instead.

Ok well I love you all a lot

Grigg Nővér

Elder Miller's surprised about the cake

here is a pictures of my companion and I tabling in the town square. it might be published on a web page article about missionary work in Hungary by the church. we had to sign releases that the mission president gave us so yeah. not the worlds best pictures but whateves.

so Hungarians like freak out if it is even the slightest bit cold and you aren't wearing a jacket. so I was wearing a sweater underneath this one but the wife of one of our investigators insisted that we wear her sweaters home because we would freeze. it was very sweet of her. mine isn't too bad but check out sister o's. haha

ez az üzenetem sok érték

Monday, June 3, 2013

Church was very tender yesterday. Church is always good but interesting. It is so exciting when a good amount of our investigators show up but then it is sad when the people who need to be there aren't (in this case 2 recent converts). But it was fast Sunday and one of the recent converts is having a very difficult time finding a job so when we went over there this week we talked about fasting and the branch president came with us and we decided we would all fast together on Sunday and start with a prayer in his office before sacrament meeting and then she didn't come to church. It is hard not to be frustrated because there is only so much we can do. We tried stopping by her apartment but she wasn't there so I was able to replace my frustration with concern. But so at the start of relief society the young women were in there to start (all 2 of them :)) and the president had cut out red hearts for everyone and we all stood in a circle and held hands (which sounds strange and it kind of was) but it was in Hungarian so I didn't understand all of what she said but the gist of it was how wonderful is it that we are in the organization that was founded by God and it is the only women's organization on earth that is run by him. and it was so tender and someone shared an experience with family home evening and there was lots of tears and it was just something that would have happened back in the states and it was so tender. the gospel is the same every where no matter what language or were. A 13 year old was ordained to the priesthood yesterday after church and the whole ward gathers into the chapel and is there together. His family is recently come back into activity there are the ones I talked about last week. A is good friends with P the one I told the story about last week and the camaraderie in the branch is amazing. a recent convert was asked to give the closing prayer and it was so awkward. She was baring her testimony instead and everyone had the eyes closed and arms folded and so funny now looking back. She is a Néni so an old woman so it's ok. so then the first counselor got up and said the closing prayer afterwards.

This week we taught the law of chastity a lot. Z is supposed to get baptized in 2 weeks but she is currently living with her fiance. She was very receptive to the law of chastity and knows that is how it should be but she doesn't know what she is going to do because she wants to get married but he doesn't yet and she said it wouldn't work if they moved out so I'm not sure what will happen. He works in Germany and only comes home every other weekend. She is like already a member of the branch except for the baptism part she comes to everything is friends with everyone and is solid. It is said. A tender thing is she is 21 and just had 7 teeth pulled and was in a lot of pain and a member told her she should get a blessing and so she asked us about it. and i was like do you want one now and it wasn't the best timing because we had all changed into workout clothes for sportnap but the branch president was there so him and the elders gave her one and yesterday in church she goes it worked I'm not in any pain and so sis O and I told her how much we love priesthood blessings and all that god jazz.

A different investigator bore his testimony in church yesterday. so tender. He is in the process of quitting smoking. He promised us he will smoke one less cigarette everyday til we start the stop smoking program which I had never seen before. We will start it this week. It is really interesting. and has a 85% success rate. He said something powerful he told us that we need to believe in him and it is so true. If we don't have faith that he can do it then there is no way that he will be able to.

We ate with the elders at E Néni this week and oh my gosh so much food. You are expected to eat everything and Sis O totally threw me under the bus. So she wouldn't have to eat as much she put waaaaay more on my plate then hers. I thought I was going to die. At least it was really good food. Seriously though. Apparently when it comes to sister missionaries you have to fend for yourself in eating programs. rough. So now the elders keep teasing me for eating like a champ. all sister Oberhansely's fault :)

sok szeretettel

Grigg Nővér

ps email me pictures of your fun summers :)

these are the sisters in my district. district meeting in kecskemét.

everyone is still emailing so I guess I can add more. Have I mentioned people by name yet as in missionaries. I'm going to try to starting doing the first initial for the investigators.

so there is me and sister oberhansley and then the elders in szolnok are Elder Miller and Elder Petersen. Then Elder and Sister Herd are the senior couple. every p day we all get together and cook a nice lunch together and play games so that is what is instore for today.

In that district sister missionary pic it was me and sister oberhansley and then sister westover and sister broadhead (who was my üsi in the mtc)

so elder miller and petersen and us table together often, which is generally always a good time. So there is a table that the senior couple made that says free english and free book of mormons and we stand there as a base and then go and talk to people around the square. yesterday actually a couple from America came and talked to us the husband was Hungarian and they live in LA! we chatted for awhile and we talked about the temple on wilshire. we gave them a hungarian book of mormon and wished we had had an english book of mormon for the wife. We gave them a pass along card to give to their family who lives in Szolnok. It was fun.

this is a pic from gyereknap (children day) the branch activity a week ago.

PDay again! an experience frrom the best day on my mission thus far

Monday, May 27, 2013

Dear Family

First off a big happy birthday to Billy!!

It is getting to the point where I am like wow Pday already again! so that is fun news. It was an excellent week. I am have a swing on things and settled into a great routine which is nice.

Today was new missionary training so last night we went up to Budapest and we spent the night at the mission home and had dinner and then breakfast with the mission president and his wife which was just lovely. It was like being in a real home and was so wonderful. After seeing my MTC companion with her companion, I truly know that my mission president was inspired in the assignments. Exciting news we also had interviews today and he told my trainer that we would most likely still be together next transfer in Szolnok which I am beyond excited about because I just love her. It was so neat to hear him talk about her because I'm pretty sure she is probably his favorite sister missionary. In his training slides every example story is about her and how great her missionary work has been and to think that this is only her 5th transfer! so great. and we went to the hivatal to make me legal to live in the country. lots of waiting. great stuff.

So the coolest thing thus far of my mission happened.... wait for it. so we had zone training in Szeged which was like a really long train ride and we had to get up super early to go but it was good. It was all on "paul" (which stands for some fun jazzy things) and working on teaching people not lessons and working in unity as a companionship and way good and the zone leaders invited one of their investigators on bap date whose name was pál so we good role play and then this random guy on the street whose name is also pál came into the church and said he wants to know more and so they were like we are doing a training would you like to help us out and you can learn more? so wild. so we taught a new investigator unplanned during zone training in Szeged. ok but then we got home way late and had to cancel a few programs and then one of our way solid investigators on bap dat cancelled with us, which turned into a blessing because we ended up going to the less actives program that we would have cancelled to meet with D. so we went and we read out of the book of mormon with H and her family. and their friends were over and have been there before while we were there and we were reading out of 3 Nephi 11 about when the savior comes and were going to commit them to read as a family everyday. normally the friends are super distracting and a hinderance but this time I tried to be happier (goal for this week was smile more for me in weird situations (there are many of them)) and my companion talked to the friend mom a little and I tried to get the 12 year old friend boy involved more. we were going to only read half but the kids were loving it so we continued (oh and earlier on the way over we were talking about our comp unity and small things we could continue to work on and how we could implement zone training and we were talking about having each others backs) I didn' know what the scriptures were exactly saying because you know the whole Hungarian thing but I knew it was talking about baptism and the thought came to me that we need to bap challenge their family friends. and i was like know way they said they were reformatikus and I didn't want the less actively family to think we were being pushy. but I felt it again. I didn't know if it was me or if it was the spirit, but I felt it strongly and we were still reading the chapter so I turned to my wonderful and support trainer who completely has my back and whispered we need to bap challenge them and she is like say what (but not really just an inquisitive look) so she we bear testimony does a great job introducing baptism and the holy ghost from the passage we read and relates it to the 8 year old who is going to baptized in 3 weeks . mean while the member mom was like peeling the table the 13 year old girl was braiding me hair the soon to be 8 year old girl what pulling on my companions arm to show her something while we were trying to talk about baptism and then I threw out the bap challenge. I was thinking more for the mom. and she was like ohhh no i'm good and I was like aw come on spirit you prompted me. but then I turned to the 12 year old P and was like "te is?" and he NODDED YES. like say what! and he's mom goes P was just telling me that he wants to be mormon and she we asked how he feels about the BOM and he feels happy and good when we read and he had been taking turn reading verses and we explanined that it was the spirit and set a date for him in a little more than a month and committed him to come to church and the branch activity on Saturday. it was amazing. and so many things happened that day like if D hadn't cancelled we wouldn't have been there and the zone training Seriously it was something straight of out PMG. so many distractions and the spirit was this still small voice but very strong if you listen. so he came to the activity and came to church and it was wonderful. we asked him how he liked church and he said "meg fogok keresztelkedni" i will be baptized. so tender. my heart melted. I know that the Lord is preparing the people of Hungary to hear our message and I truly know that nothing matters unless the spirit is present and it is so important to listen to the promptings of the spirit and sometimes we don't know if it is us or the spirit until we act on it. I also have such an increased testimony of companions if she hadn't been supportive and known that we both can receive revelation for our investigators than that would have not been possible and she totally had my back with the whole amazing intro into baptism that set the spirit.

we had 6 investigators at church and the elders had 3! 9 investigators in that little branch at church. the work is really taking off in szolnok and it is so exciting! when I was in Budapest today everyone kept saying oh Szolnok good things are happening there right now and it is so true. not a very big city but great. And i found out today that the elders have a nicer apartment in Szolnok than we do but who cares the work is going well and that is what is more important. a month ago that would have really bothered me.

Love

Grigg Nővér

i went to budapest and the only pictures i took was in the pekség right before we got on the train to gome back. sad.