The Greatest Week Ever!!!!

Man, time flies by so fast! Sorry I didnt email on Monday. It was St. Istvans day and when Hungary has a holiday - they really have a holiday. EVERYTHING is closed!!! And for the whole weekend. We were able to have a lot of fun but it was a bummer not to be able to email.

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!! I hope you have a great day! I LOVED that video of everyone singing. Good to know that everyone is still the same back home - it was really good to see! I love you guys! And next year I will be able to be home for it! Weird to think. Time is going by way too fast. I love technology. It is so fun to see everyone and see pictures and videos.

Well to start back off of last weekn we got to hike up to the TV tower here in Pécs. It was so much fun!!! I live in the most beautiful place in the entire world!!! You could see forever from the tower and I realized how small Pécs is and how beautiful Hungary is. I got some cool pictures but pictures can never do it justice! We had so much fun hiking up there!

Last week I also got to go back to Duna for a zone training. It was really weird going back. Duna is a lot different than Pécs. Luckily I knew how to get around everywhere or we really would have gotten lost. We almost missed all of Zone training because of the transportation and everything and we had to walk for quite a ways. We had some good bonding time with the elders though on the way! It was fun! When we finally got to Zone training, they did an activity with us where we were in an 'alcoholic anonyumos' group. They gave each of us a problem that we had to pretend to have ie: family problems, word of wisdom problems, pornography, etc. We went around the circle and each person told us what their problem was and then we helped give them suggestions (as missionaries and friends) of what they could do to overcome their problems. Then at the very end, the zone leaders went around and asked each of us if we were able to overcome our problems with the advice we were given. All of the people who were not able to overcome their problems were asked to leave the circle. Quite a few people left. Then the zone leaders spoke to the people inside the circle and said 'congratulations, you all made it to the celestial kingdom. Not everyone did but you guys overcame your own problems.' Those inside the circle were happy that we made it to the celestial kingdom but a lot of the 'missionaries' that didnt make it were my friends and people I loved. It just really put into perspective why I am here and why it is so important to help people along the way...not to just give them advice to help them overcome their problems but to really help them and do anything you can so that they can come to the celestial kingdom WITH you. It just made me realize even more the importance of the work that I am doing right now. It was a really awesome expereince for me.

Our investigators are doing aweseome! I get better and better at speaking every day and it is fun to be able to start to joke with them and understand Hungarian more and more each day. It is still really hard to teach but I am loving it. We went over to a less active families house last week and we invited the son to come to a Young single adult activity we have each friday. He asked something to me but I didnt understand it completely. I thought he asked if he could bring a Hungarian drink of some sort but I guess he asked me if he could bring whiskey and I said yes haha! He knew that I had misunderstood but we'll see if he brings something just as a joke for the activity. He is super funny and I hope we can get them back to church. They are a great family!

Also this week has been so much fun! Dad, you would be so proud of me. Monday night we decided to do a dinner hour with the elders and 'somehow' the subject of eggs got brought up. So, learning from you dad, I asked them if they would like 20 dollars or 4000 forint if I could crack 3 eggs over their heads. They totally fell for it and it was THE FUNNIEST thing I have seen. I really wish I could send you the video of it. It is hilarious! The elders were really good sports about it. I will send some pictures of it though.

Also yesterday we got to have a super pday and it was so much fun. The branch had an activity up in this little camp place and we played a lot of fun games in 'families' and talked about the importance of families. It was really fun to be with the ward memebers and just have some fun with them. I LOVE the ward here! I hope I get to stay in Pécs for a while. The branch is really strong here and the members LOVE the missionaries. It was a lot of fun. Then we went with the elders and just walked about and saw the little booths they had around for the holiday and got some delicious hungarian food! Hungarian food is the best! We just walked all around Pécs and then we ran into this concert that had a bunch of people doing all sorts of traditional Hungarian dances. Unfortunately my camera was dead so I didnt get pictures, but it was so cool! The hungarian dances are really fun to see. They use their hands a lot and make a really loud slapping noise with their hands and it is really cool to see.

It was just such a good week this week! Our investigators are doing awesome and they are reading, coming to church and praying, the branch is doing awesome here and they have such strong members here. I just love Pécs and I love the people here. It has been just a great week! I love my life. Being a missionary is the hardest thing ever but it is also the greatest thing! I love being a missionary! Life is great!!!! :)

Thanks for all the letters and the video. I really really love the video. It was good to see you all at home and together :) I miss you guys tons! But I will be home before you know it. I Love you all!

Falslev Nővér

elder spedding, elder haws, elder decker, elder raymond, sister burdick, me :)

me just happy to be in Hungary! I love it here!

me with the cutest girl! I love her!

this is a square right by where I live. They have walking streets everywhere here. I love it!!! The tall tower in the very back is where we went hiking last week. You can see everywhere from the top of it. 

this is our street we live on!!! Hardly anyone lives on it...it is mostly shops. it is cobblestone streets. Such a pretty street!!!

the view from the top of the TV tower. Pécs is so pretty!!! 

these are some of the coolest members!!! I love all the members here! We went out for lángos - kinda like scones. They were delicious! They had téjföl and cheese on them - so fattening but so delicious!!! 

me and J. he just got baptized last transfer. He is a really sweet man and got us roses. He is pretty funny!

this is the branch house in Pécs. Pretty much blends in with all the street. The branch house is super nice here!

Elder Raymond (he is a new greenie) Elder Haws and me after I cracked the eggs over their heads. They are so funny!

cracking the first egg over his head. I kinda cracked it really hard haha!

this is Elder Haws (on the right) telling me that I better hurry up and crack the third egg over his head.

this is when they realized that it was a joke. It was so funny! I couldnt send the video but I I could get pictures from the video. 

us hiking up with the members to the place where we celebrated St. Istváns day. Super fun place! 

here are some graves in Hungary. They dont really bury people in the ground...they just put them in these coffin things. Cemeteries are a little creepy here. 

this is THE CUTEST little girl I have ever seen! She is almost 2 years old and she just loves the sisters. She is just my favorite! It is really fun to hear little kids learn how to talk in hungarian. She says the cutest things!

this is a random fence post thing that people put locks on. We have one for the missionaries on it somewhere...we jsut couldnt find it haha!

this is the same square that I live by, just from the opposite side. The yellow building, the bottom level is a Mcdonalds. You cant tell it is a Mcdonalds from far away though because it blends right in to the buildings. They are very particular about their buildings!!! I love pécs!!