We started off this week going strong. Our investigators were all doing awesome! One of our investigators decided to stop smoking last week because she wants to be baptized. So we started the stop smoking program with her the beginning of last week and it was awesome! She was so excited to start and it was such a great program! The spirit was so strong in her apartment when we started the stop smoking program. We did a lot with her this week and have been working really hard with her this week. Unfortunately though, on friday, we went over there and she had quit. It was pretty devastating. We just love her so much and want her to succeed! Sometimes free agency is so frustrating. Its made me think a lot about how patient and loving Heavenly Father is with us though as we make mistakes a lot. He is so patient! We will keep working with her and hopefully with time she can see for herself what she needs to do. We had a stake conference yesterday and she came and some of the talks were just perfect for her! It is so important for investigators to come to church!
Also, this past week we had 2 people on bap. date for in Oct. They came to church last week and they loved it and were so excited to become members. Then we recieved a call from them on saturday night saying that the dad had lost his faith. We asked if we could come talk to him about it and we went over their last night. Turns out his wife (our other bap. date) has left him and the family and the family is going through a hard time. It was a really hard program yesterday and we arent sure we can continue teaching this family anymore. It was pretty hard. We will see what happens this week. We are planning on meeting with them one more time but we dont think we will be able to continue to meet with them much longer unfortunately. So much happens in one week as a missionary! It seems that people are always either moving forward or degressing. There never seems to be just a standing point. You are either progressing in the gospel or you are drawing farther away. That is why I have realized how important just the little simple things are - reading your scriptures, saying prayers, going to church. The primary school answers but that is really what keeps your testimony growing!
This week we were able to go to Miskolc twice this week - once for a zone training and once for conference. (random fact: Miskolc has the longest walking street in Europe and it is awesome! and LONG!!!) Anyways, we got to hear a really good talk from President Smith during conference. He talked a lot about it is important that we not only ask God for the truth but we also ask Him who we are supposed to be and how we can become better. And one of the hardest parts of hearing the answer is that we have to be willing to make changes as we recieve our answer and that can take a lot of courage. But he said as we do this, and are willing to change, our desire to share the gospel with everyone will grow. Just like King Lamoni - he gave all his sins away to know God. He changed and then began to share the gospel with everyone he knew. It was an awesome talk and something I really need!
President Smith also had a conference with all the Europe mission Presidents and Elder Ballard and Elder Oaks. This is some of the things he said about the conference and I thought it was interesting so I decided to share it with you.
'As many of you know, Sister Smith and I attended a Mission Presidents’ Conference - which included all of the mission presidents from the Europe Area. There were thirty mission presidents gathered for the occasion. In addition, there were two Apostles (Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard), one of the seven presidents of the Seventy (President Maynes), a member of the Presiding Bishopric (Elder Davies), the Area Presidency (President Teixeira, President Kearon and President Dyches) and others who attended. What a great Conference.
As you can imagine, I took pages of notes (and so did Sister Smith!). We will be reviewing this information with you for a long time to come. One of the areas of emphasis by these wonderful leaders was our "missionary mind set." They told us that we can, will, and should baptize in Europe. They are here to organize two more stakes in Europe - and they have two more in the next couple of months. They have nine more stakes already approved in Europe. The work is going forward in Europe. The Church is growing in Europe. Missionary work will go forth in Hungary.
They reviewed again the many verses dealing with "the field is white already to harvest." They told us that these scriptures are directed to us - in our day. They referred to an address given by President Spencer W. Kimball in which he "parted the curtain" regarding missionary work. In this address, President Kimball foretold of the Gospel spreading throughout the earth. He mentioned that the youth of the Church - from all over the world - will rise up and do this important work of missionary work. President Kimball asked, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" He then encouraged the members to "lengthen our stride" and later asked us to "quicken our pace." Time and time again the Brethren asked, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"
The Brethren pointed out that there are currently 76,500 missionaries serving throughout the world. By the end of the year, there will be 80,000 missionaries serving. This dramatic increase of missionaries has caused significant, physical obstacles. For example, image trying to find that many more apartments to rent - or cars to drive - or language instructors - or MTCs to teach missionaries - or any of the significant other physical obstacles. Yet, the main message on LDS.org is that we need MORE missionaries. There is a great work to be accomplished - and we have been called to accomplish it!'''
I thought that was awesome! The missionary work is definitely hard in Europe but it is growing! President told me yesterday that Hungary is very close to getting another stake here! We just need a few more priesthood leaders! It is awesome to be apart of this work right now! I love being a missionary even when it is difficult!
I just wanted to share just another quote that I found this week 'some of the greatest battles we fight are not on the battlefield but within the souls of men. We fight to overcome our weaknesses and temptations. Dont give up. God is with you.' I think that is sometimes the hardest thing for people. We are each fighting our own battle, but a lot of times no one ever sees what battles we are fighting. It was just a comfort to me to know that although I may not know what battles my investigators or others are going through, God does. And He knows how to best help them. I love being a missionary! Even when it is hard!
Love you all! hope you have a great week!
Falslev Nővér
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| some of the members also taught us how to make palacsintas! They are such good cooks here! I love the members! |
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| this is a library in Nyíegyháza. It is a phone booth pretty much. You leave a book and then you can take a book. So we went and left a BOM in the library haha! |
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