Katie's Mission Call!!!

New York New York North mission!!! 

She reports to the Mexico MTC February 5th to learn Spanish. 

Week 27

Monday, September 16, 2013

Ok so this weeks letter will be shorter because I sent lots of pictures. I know everyone is so excited to open their inbox and see a billion pictures of me :) Being in the city is great.

First off, happy mission call Katie! That is beyond exciting! I so knew you were going to go Spanish speaking! Back to the East coast and our roots. Love it. The New York Spanish speaking mission has no idea what a great missionary they will be recieving! For real though.

It has been a really good week. We worked really hard, and I know that numbers are not everything, but it was really nice to see the numbers go up as a result of our hard work, obedience, and relying on the Lord. Lots of knew investigators and our member presents increased. The ward wants to help we just need to ask!

We got let in a number of times tracting and it was so fun! It was great and helped remind the three of us that people are ready and prepared for the gospel, even in this huge city. One time we were tracting, it was around 7:30 and we were just so tired. and we went into a building next to ours, got in magically and we were all just kind of down and so I said we are going to get let in tonight. To be honest I had absolutely no idea. But I wanted to try exercising my faith my companions just kind of looked at me and said okkk. 15 minutes later we got let in by a super cute young girl who had a beautiful view of the city (learned the word for that from her that night) and amazing taste in books (harry potter, lord of the rings.. not a big deal). Then the next night we got let in twice. once by a young couple who was like come on in. and he had the best questions about prophets and such. We are so excited to go back this week. Then the next was we had a bout 10 more minutes left of working until we could head back for dinner and so we we like ok a few more doors and the next door let us in. I was a little confused by what she was saying at first and then realized that she said we could chat if she could work while we chatted. It was so fun. She was doing someone's nails and we chatted about the gospel with both of them and we are going back this week to have a "mormon" party as she calls it. so funny. I got so many compliments on my speaking this week which was a nice confidence boster. apartenly I have a funny accent that Hungarians in Pest enjoy because people keep telling my how pleasing it is to listen to me speak. ha. ok. These other 2 let ins were super cool because we did the same think. Ok we are getting let in tonight and excersized our faith in the Lord and he provided. My theory on finding that has worked thus far is that as long as we are trying our best to talk to everyone we can then the Lord will put in our path the people that our ready. The next step is talking to people on buses and metros. so scary.

We didn't really have time to go tracting other than those 2 nights because we had too many programs set up :))) but we got dogged A LOT because that is what happens when you just set up with people on the street. It happened in Szolnok too but that is ok. One of the people that did show up from off the street was so cool! I loved talking to her, I learned the phrase for a guy was not my type in Hungarian from her. not a big deal. haha. As my Hungarian has improved, I remember how much I enjoy talking to people! Which is one of the reasons I wanted to come on a mission. To talk to people about Christ. We put someone on bap date this week. We weren't planning on it but the spirit told us we need it to. At first, Attila is his name. He is an older man in is sixties I would guess. At first he wasn't into setting a date but then we talked more about it and decided on december 21. I love being on a mission and I can not imagine not being a missionary. Lucky for me I still have a year left!

I love watching people progress. We had a second lesson with someone and it was great to see him progress, even if it was just a tiny little bit! I love the gospel I know that this church is true and I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon.

I hope all is going well!

Sister Grigg

This is the shoes by the Duna. Since I am now a city serving missionary, I take artsy pictures. It is so not a big deal. The shoes a memorial to holacaust victims in Hungray during world war two because they would line them up at the banks of the Duna and then shoot the people into the river

more shoes

Hero's square with the companions

Her is a picture of Parliment. Unfortunately it is like under construction or something so you can't get that close right now. Hopefully before the end of my mission the construction will be finnish. Mom and Dad, remember that brutal puzzle?

Remember St István's nap? well here is a statue of the king at Hero's square. he is a cool guy. And then here is a pretty church inside of a castle with some pretty floors. If I translated the sign right I think it was like some sort of agrictulture musuem inside an old castle. I dunno. We just walked through the outside.

We walked half way across the chain bridge (not all the way because that would be in Buda and not on our side of the river so we can't cross without permission) I believe that it is also the same bridge that katy perry was on when she filmed her firework music video. or that is what everyone keeps telling me. I don't remember. So that is me singing Katy Perry. It is not a big deal.

And then me and Elder Christensen on the chain bridge. He was in my district my second transfer and now is in my district again. Don't you just love the awkward elder sister pictures?

we went walking along the duna last pday and around parliment. Don't worry. I keeped things classy by drinking a coke along the river in memory of Mom, Aunt Lynda, and Jenny.

Pest

Monday, September 9, 2013

Dear Family,

The city is sooo different than little old Szolnok. I don't really know how to describe it, but it is just so different. I will learn to love it just like I loved Szolnok. We take public transportation like no bodies business, which is cool. But really. so much public transportation. There is much more travel time than in Szolnok. We took the bus there, but we also could pretty much just walk everywhere we needed. Except for like 2 places.

We meet in English a good amount, which is so interesting to me because that is like a first on my mission. It is so different. You have to really watch what you say and make sure it is actually from the spirit and that you aren't just talking to talk. I guess the major method of finding people in Pest is through English classes and they want to practice their English. There are just so many people here! There are tons of people, yet no one really wants to stop and talk to you. It is so different.

Our main investigator here is named Laci. He is in his early 20s and has been taught all the missionary lessons but something is holding him back from the gospel. He is really neat because he is like a sponge. He just soaks it all up: the book of mormon, the for the strength of youth, gospel principles manual. Something super funny is that we were talking and we found out that he listens to heavy metal, while he reads the scpriptures. So one of his commitments last week was to read the BoM while not listening to heavy metal.

Another investigator we met with is named Krisztina. She was really neat. She is the youngest grandmother ever! We were on our way there, and it was our first program as a companionship. We headed there and were going to teach the Word of Wisdom and Sister Messinger grabbed Law of Chastity pamphlets instead of the WoW and so she felt like we should talk about pray instead and we get in there, and I was asking questions to get to know her and she said that she doesn't fell like God is hearing her prayers anymore. It was perfect! and we talked about prayer, shared some good scriptures (my personal favorite about prayer is in 3 Nephi 18) there was a verse that talks alittle bit about Satan and we didn't read that one and then she talks about how sometimes she feels like there is a little devil on her shoulder (so funny to hear that in Hungarian!) so we read that one and she loved it!

The Pest ward is also the international ward so there are a good chunck of Americans. Church was so loud yesterday! It was something I hadn't heard in such a long time because there was only 1 child in Szolnok and she was 8 and never cried during church. haha. I was also sitting right behind a family that had 7 children.

Something really neat that happened is that there was this couple and their little son who came down to Szolnok twice this summer and one of the time was when I spoke in church and she is a member, but her husband is not. They are super super nice. And they live in Pest! She told me to go find her sister who is inactive. She got baptized when she was 12 and was only active for about a year. So we went and saw her where she works. I think I may have talked about this in a letter home a little bit ago. And so I saw the couple yesterday in church and went and talked to them. She told me all about how her sister liked that we went and saw her were she works and how she really enjoyed us. It was so cool. And the husband who isn't a member told us to go back so funny! I am excited to have this relationship already with them and hope that maybe we can get the husband interested in being baptized. He said the closing prayer in Sunday school, so I wonder what is holding him back.

There is a good sized YSA program in the city between Buda and Pest. We went to one of their activities on Friday because we have 2 YSA aged investigators and it was neat. The youth and them are where it is at in Hungary right now.

Love you tons and hope you have a wonderful week!

Sister Grigg

Pictures!

these are my companions. Sister Magda and Sister Messinger

we found a door with 2 door handles while tracting. so strange.

Katie turned in her papers this week!!!

She's pretty excited about it:

Transfer week!

Dear Family,

This transfer has gone by so fast. It was a short one, only 5 weeks and this upcoming one is 10 weeks! Double the length of the last one. And I hit my 6th month mark in 3 days! wild. Time is going by so fast.

So the new we have all been waiting for.....I am headed to Pest to go be in a threesome! I will be with Sister Messinger, who is a transfer ahead of me so I know her from the MTC. I will also be with Sister Magda, who is a transfer below me and so I know her too from the MTC. I am excited! PS I will get mail more often so the next 10 weeks is the time to send me letters and packages :) haha

I am also so sad though. I am leaving my greenie area. I have been in Szolnok for 4 months, and to be honest I don't know how I am going to love the Pest ward and people as much as I love the Szolnok branch. Ok well, I know I will but seriously I just love them so much. When I first got to Hungary, I couldn't really communicate with anyone. Everyone told me to just love the people, but I didn't know how I was supposed to do that when I couldn't communicate, and when I didn't feel like I could connect with anyone. I know that it is so possible to love people. Now after 4 months I can communicate with them, but the able to speak to them in their language isn't what fostered my love for them. But rather teaching them about their Savior, helping them to come unto him through the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, especially repentence, like it talks about over and over again in the scriptures. I am so thankful for my time here in Szolnok. I have met so many wonderful people and have been blessed to serve them. I understand what people mean when they say that love is a gift from our Heavenly Father.

The other day in Imre's lesson, I just looked at him and saw him going through the temple and what a wonderful day that will be. He is doing so well with not smoking and brings up his baptism all the time. I am so glad I am going to Pest because now I might be able to come back for it. We talked about the Priesthood and Biro elnők came, the branch president, and it was such a good program. I love the priesthood and am so thankful that Dad always had the priesthood while we were growing up.

On Sunday they started doing something with the young women where they conduct Relief Society the first Sunday of the month and Berni and Alexa were sitting up there and gave a spiritual thought. Berni was barely active when I first got here and Alexa wasn't active and I was in tears (and not just because I could understand what they were saying :)) because of how much they have grown. I don't know if they will ever realize how much they have changed my life. When we first when over to Berni's and her family, after we walked about I turned to Sister O and said I never want to go back. It was miserable and then it became the program I looked forward to the most every week. I didn't know it was possible to feel this much love for people, but I do. It is still our most chaotic program, but I just love them so much. Sister Smith taught Relief Society on Sunday and at the end asked me to bare my testimony and I got up there and was a blubbering mess! haha. but it was so good.

We went on splits again this past week. It was good. Every does missionary work so differently so it is neat to see different style. Zsuzsi started meeting us every morning at 6:30 in the rose garden where we go running and runs with me for the 30 minutes. She is a good runner! it is exhausting. Plus I have to think about Hungarian while we are running hard! It was an answer to prayers though because for awhile I have been asking to have a great desire and drive to work out because it is hard for me to work out that early and the desire didn't necessarily come but Zsuzsi did. Something like that although it is simple is neat to see how Heavenly Father answers our prayers not how we want, but he does answer them.

Sorry no pictures this week. The computers are being silly :(

Ok so funny. So the Smith's, the senior couple in Szolnok, had us over for dinner last night and somehow we all ended up leaving the branch house together and Gábor was there, who was baptized in June, and Sister Smith invited him over. They prepared a back potato bar (complete with homemade chili..so good!) and I ended up sitting next to him and he goes soha nem talákoztam vele which literally means I have never meet with this before and then he asked how he should do it. It was sooo funny.

We had a neat experience this week. We met with a woman we had found while tabling. I had talked to her on a bench for about 25 mintues and we were able to meet with her in a real program this time. I don't think she understood a lot of what we were saying, but she talked about the feeling that she had while we had talked on the bench and then the same feeling she had while we were sitting there together. She called us little angels :) but the neatest part for me is that she seemed to already be intuned to the spirit because it wasn't the words that were important to her but rather the feelings. The Szolnok sisters are meeting with her again next week and she wants to come to seminary to find out more about the Book of Mormon.

I am excited to tell you about how Pest is next week!

Love you all!
Sister Grigg

Week 24

Monday, August 26, 2013

Dear Family and 1 friend, 

Guess what?! I spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday. And no it was not in English, it was in Hungarian for like almost 15 minutes and no I didn't just read out of the scriptures the whole time (I only used 4 verses)! I was terrifed! Let me tell you. And you know how I do that think when I get nervous and speak really fast, yeah that isn't a good combination with a language I am not fluent in haha. All my cute little young women were smiling big at me and making hearts with their hands so everyone could definitely tell I was nervous. But everyone told me I was clever afterwards and that it was understandable so that's good. haha. 

Ok so this week was good. It seems like I just emailed. What happened...

Imre! So we taught the Word of Wisdom this week, and he believes it is from God and all that wondeful stuff just didn't feel ready. So next time I mentioned that if he can quit smoking we can move his bap date up to October and he liked that. And then the next time after I decided we needed to give him a date to quit smoking, he didn't want one but the spirit said he needed one. So I through out this coming Wednesday and he said that he knew I was going to do that to him. He made silly but reasonable excuses and cleaning and wanted to get rid of the smell of smoke out of his apartment to make it easier and so then I said can we come clean? He looked surprised but we are going over this week with the branch president to help him clean his apartment on Wednesday. Mom, I am bringing some of the peanut butter you sent to share with him. And then on Thursday he won't smoke ever again. I have complete faith that he can do this. It is going to be so good. And the elders have an investigator right now who is coming up on 2 weeks of not smoking. Her and Imre will most likely get baptized on the same day. 

Biro elnők, the branch president, reads the blog now too. Not a big deal. Loves it. He is an amazing branch president. Words can't really describe it until you experience it.

Ok so funny. So one of our investigators (this story can't have a name) told us that for the holiday he or she drank (unfortunately, but no worries we talked about repentence and it is all good now) a lot. But the funny part is, while they were drunk they were preaching about the gospel. Telling all their friends about the Book of Mormon and the church. riot. 

We had some pretty good success tracting this week, which is fun. One of the guys we met with again and he was telling us about his son who was a stillborn. I asked him more about it and the umbilical cord choked him. I started crying in the lesson, which shocked me and I think him, but it was really good and we are meeting with him again. It is neat. 

Ok so when I was with Sister O we had a program with a 15 year old girl and it was half English and half the gospel (which happens when you find people through English) and she told us she didn't believe in God any more because she went through a hard time and she felt like God didn't help. It broke our hears and we didn't really know what do say or do to help her. Sister O talked about the BoM and I shared my favorite scripture with her, Ether 12:6 and told her she was going through a trial of her faith right now. Sister Peterson and I met with her again this past week 2 months later because she has been summering and on vacation and she said that she kind of believes in God a little bit again that she read the scripture I had shared with her last time over and over again and said it helped so much and that is what helped her have faith again. I cried a little bit. I am getting to be an emotional missionary. It is a rough life a little bit in that sense. We are meeting again with her this week with one of the branch young women and I am so excited! 

Love you all!

Sister Grigg

This is when Zsusi cooked us food last transfer. Pig Liver!

Pictures of Zsuzsi and I!

Köszönöm széppen

Anita and I at sportnap.

Sister O, Anita requested that I send this to you. haha

A Branch member, named Ercsi and I.

And my Hungarian residency card. Now I am legit

Szent István nap week

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Dear Family,

This week was Szent István nap. He was a Hungarian King and I believe he was the king that made Hungary a Christain nation. It was a huge deal. The town shut down all weekend and had been preparing for the day. Tons and tons of festivities in the square. It kind of reminded me of big hat day a bit. only a little bit. There were huge fireworks and let me tell you Hungarians do not mess around with their fireworks. They take them very seriously. I called president on Monday and asked him if we could stay out a half and hour later so that we could watch them and he gave us permission so that was really neat.  We also went fishing yesterday for the holiday since there are 2 rivers in Szolnok. Elder Loveday loves fishing and so we bought these bamboo fishing pools where we go grocery shopping for like a 1. Elder Smith caught a fish! the Senior couple. it was a riot. I was kind of over the whole fishing thing after about 45 mintues. I am sure no one is surprised by that. I don't have enough patience for those kind of things. It was so hot too. But no worries, I didn't get sunburned, I put on lots of sunscreen.

So I know why I came to Szolnok. It was because of these young women. I know I have said it before, but I just love them so much. I feel like I can connect with them the most because they are only 4-5 years younger than me. They are so wonderful and I love that they are know being coming friends with each other so that they can help strengthen one another. They are all so patient with me and the language and are always trying to help me. And 3 of them want to go on missions. How amazing is that!

On Sunday we had a program with Zsuzsi out on the grass under a tree by the branch house because that is where she wanted to go and she told me that she has already emailed her new bishop in Germany for the ward that she is moving into! How amazing is that? she isn't even a member yet! she is so great.

We went to choir and a Bérni and Valika went and Valika was so into the song that it brought tears to my eyes to she her this happy because when I first got to Szolnok she was so distraught and now she is just so happy and her husband will get baptized in about a month and a half.

Tomorrow we teach Imre the Word of Wisdom and he is a hardcore smoker. I've been able to help 2 people quite so far so hopefully this will go well. I think he is ready. We haven't felt like we should teach it before this week, but now we both feel that he is ready. I know that he can quite if he puts his faith in the Savior and his atonement. The branch is investing a lot of time into him already, which is awesome because he is going to have strong ties to the branch rather than the missionaries. The branch president has come to 5/6 of our last programs with him. Imre loves scriptures study and always asks the best questions. He was so prepared to learn about the law of chastity last week so I think the Word of Wisdom is going to go well too. There is a picture of Imre that I sent. We met his mom yesterday in the square, she was super nice and I want the missionaries to teach her in Gyer!

So Marika, who got baptized a few weeks ago. We went over there to help her paint a last week and we went and saw her yesterday. She hasn't been to church in the last few weeks and something that we have been focusing on as a companionship is church and getting our investigators and RCLAs there. She said she has been really tired but she has come to church before when she has been tired. And so we chatted  more about it because that is something that we talked about doing as a companionship. I brought up  the fact that she has come before when she has been tired and said that spiritually she felt really good afterward. It is really because someone told her she has to wear a skirt and she doesn't have one. I told her to just come in pants. haha. But the best part about that was she asked me who she needs to pay her tithing to. How tender is that!? We didn't even talk about tithing, we haven't retaught it yet she is just trying so hard. I love Marika so much. She was one of the ones who was able to quite smoking. It is amazing. I totally teared up and I told her I was crying and she started crying too. It was great.

We went to Szeged for Zone training last week and we did role plays with real Hungarians and I was with 2 elders (I don't know why because I would never be teaching with just 2 elders in real life). and we were talking and I get nervous to speak Hungarian around other missionaries, more than with Hungarians. And at the end, Pál was his name, asked me how long I have been here and I said May and he goes but you speak so well, so that made me feel really good. That was my moment of pride for the week. It is so funny because some people you talk to on the street say oh my goodness you speak so well and other say they can't understand you. whateves. haha.

Ok well I love you all and have a great week!

Sister Grigg

This is our adventure fishing. We went fishing not in the Tisza which is the bigger river but the Zagyva.

Elder Smith

And the elders are sitting on a bench that says private property. It is a public bench and someone stuck that handwritten sign there randomly.

Here is a view of Szolnok from the Senior couple's apartment.

we played rugby for sportnap the other day. it was super funny.

Alexa and Valentine and I

the branch had a party for Szent Istvan nap and the had a palacsinta eatting contest but hungarian pancakes don't hold up on a string to well and so one of the members learned how to make American pancakes.

This is Imre. I have been talking about him in emails for probably the last month. He is awesome and is going to make such a strong priesthood holder.

so this one is interesting. one of the elders investigators (he used to be ours and we handed him over 2 months ago) drew this from a photo he took at Adri's baptism. He said that it took him 4 weeks. (A/N: I believe the original to this drawing can be found in this post.)