I love the holidays!

It was so good talking to you all on skype on Christmas! It was definitely a different Christmas than the normal but it was probably one of my favorite. It was really good to talk to you all!

This week has been so great! I feel like I just talked to you guys so I dont have much to say.

We went and visited a less active family. We had an awesome lesson and the spirit was so strong! They were one of the very first people baptized here in Nyíregyháza. They got offended though and unfortunately fell away. We had a really good program with there and the spirit was so strong! They were planning on coming back to church and they started reading their scriptures. But unfortunately, they feel like they need more time. It is so sad what anger and bitterness can do to someones testimony. They are an awesome family and hopefully we can get them coming again!

Our investigators are doing awesome! They are progressing so well! We met a new couple two weeks ago. They are the coolest! They are both severelly physically disabled. But they are the mos humble people I have ever met! They make us laugh everytime we go over to their house. Today, I was asking them about the new year and they told us that they are sure it is going to be better because they have finally had sisters sent to their house instead of the elders haha! I  laughed so hard! They have had the elders over a few times over the years, but apparently they didnt like them as much as the sisters. It was so funny when he said it!

We also got to go over to R's  house and meet her family. We were the first missionaries that her family has met. She has an awesome family! She has 2 nephews that are 4 years old and they reminded me of my nephews! It was so much fun to have kids around again! It feels like it has been a long time since I have actually talked to a little kid haha! We had a lot of fun!

That is pretty much all that has been happening here. One of the sisters here lost her mom right before Christmas. That made me think a lot of how blessed I am too! I think she is going to stay. She is really strong! She could use some prayers though!

Also today, I finished the Book of Mormon in 60 days....the time it took for Joseph Smith to translate the BOM. What an awesome experience! I would strongly recommend it family :) I honestly felt a little sad finishing it....reading it so fast just made me realize how powerful the BOM really is. We can learn so much from the BOM. The BOM is just so plain and simple and powerful. If you keep God's commandments and follow Christ, you will ALWAYS overcome your hardships and trials. God's commandments are so powerful and are really given to protect us.

Anyways, I hope you all have a great new years! We will be! We get 2 days for p day this week! Which we will probably spend inside because apparently it gets a llittle crazy outside on New Years. haha! People are already starting to get ready for it everywhere. Hungary is just the best! Love you all lots! THanks for the letters! Happy New Years!

FAlslev Nővér

This is what it is all about!

Oh man....I dont even know where to start on this week! It has been the greatest week! I love Nyíregyháza! First off, I am super excited to skype with you all next week! I hope you can all be there! Everything has worked out so I am really excited!

First off, my highlight from the week. A and R's baptism. Everything went perfect. Better than we even expected. They were both so excited and so nervous! The missionaries sang 'Savior, Redeemer of My Soul' and the spirit was so strong! I know A and R felt it. Then after we had a talk we went and walked outside to the swimming pool (that is where people get baptized here). We had to put this funny looking blue sock things on. And then we walked in to get baptized. A was so excited. He was so funny! He was baptized and afterward he was just beaming. Then R was next and right before she got in, she started bawling. She was so excited! And after she was baptized, she was telling everyone 'I just became Mormon.' She was so happy. As they were being baptized, I just had one of those picture perfect moments. Missionary work really is the happiest work to do. There are no words to describe the joy from doing missionary work. I kinda got pretty emotional too....I just love both A and R so much! R wasn't our investigator but we have still met with her a few times and we do a lot with her. Everything couldnt have just gone better. As I was walking back to the branch house with A, he was just so happy. He was at peace and so happy. You could just see the change in both of them. Unfortunately, A wasnt able to come to church on Sunday. A doctor got sick so he got emergency called in. But he said he will be here this week! What a great week! Missionary work is the best!

Also this week, we got a call early in the morning from a guy and he just told us we were meeting at 1 so we said okay. We met him and come to find out, he has met with the missionaries before but lives in a small village far away and so can only come into Nyíregyháza sometimes. We started his program and he was very knowledgeable about the Bible and just pulling things out of his bags and just bombarding us with questions. I was trying so hard to focus on what he was saying, but I could understand hardly anything. I was getting a little frustrated to say the least. Then in the middle of our program, we hear a knock at the door, and a drunk man walked in asking to see the elders. Both of them were talking over each other, talking to me, and I had no idea what either or them were saying. I got pretty overwhelmed for a minute, then just looked at my companion, started laughing (I had no idea what to do or what to say!) and I just looked at both of them and said 'I have no idea what you are saying'. You guys both have to slow down. Anyways, the elders came and rescued us from the drunk guy and we were able to meet with S. It actually turned out to be a really good lesson. He doesnt know how much longer he is going to live (he has some disease that I couldnt understand) and he wants to know what happens after this life. It is just hard because he lives so far away. We might try and get permission to teach him over skype or something. Anyways, it was a crazy program. Heavenly Father likes to keep me on my toes!

Also this week, we went to the downtown and did some Christmas CAroling. My companion is an amazing singer so we had quite a few people stop and listen. I and H were handing out pass along cards, and we met some awesome people! One lady listened to us for a while, and when I went over to give her a card and talk to her, she just started bawling and thanking us for our kindness and reminding her of why we celebrate Christmas. It was awesome! Also, there was a wedding. Ater weddings here, they have a long walking procession and someone records where the new couple walks with the family coming behind. Anyways, the video man came up and asked them to sing something while the wedding procession came by. So, they decided to sing 'families can be together forever'. It was hilarious! So now we are all famous and on someone's wedding video.

Also this week, it has been a week of celebrating my birthday! haha! Everyone knows just how much I LOVE my birthday...not haha! But it has really been so great! On Saturday, my companion and H tricked me, and H made me this awesome, delicious cake and we had a little party! It was so thoughtful of them. I am definitely spoiled here! And also today has just been great....My companion made me a made from scratch red velvet cake with buttercream frosting! It was so delicious! And she even decorated it! It was awesome! We had a little party at the branch house and it was just awesome! I love the people here! I am so spoiled! It has been a great birthday.

Things have just been going great! We went to Buda yesterday for zone conference. It was awesome! We got so much. We are so blessed! It is just an amazing experience to be a missionary! I know this gospel is true. This week I have also seen the power of testimony. We were in two specific programs this week and I had no idea what to say. So I just bore my testimony. I am so glad, that the spirit really does the converting and me. When a spirit is in a lesson, it is more powerful that anything that I can do on my own. It is amazing how people can change when they feel the spirit! I just love being a missionary! And hope you each get to have an opportunity also to have some missionary experiences! I love you all. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Love you lots! TALK to you next week! :)

Falslev Nővér

Waiting for the baptism to start

My surprise cake from H!

My companion made me an awesome breakfast! She is so great! It was delicious....even got mickey mouse pancakes!

my awsome cake that sister messinger made me...red velvet made from scratch! She is awesome! So nice! and so delicious!

my cake from H! She put my favorite fruit on it!

opening my birthday package! Thanks!

Prayers really are answered!!!!!!

Prayer really does work!!! I AM STAYING IN NYÍREGYHÁZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so relieved! I have also felt so much love this week....when there is a possibility of you leaving, you really realize what a difference you have made in peoples lives. So many of the investigators said prayers that I would not leave. I am so glad that I was able to stay. It has been a great week and I am looking forward to many more great weeks in Nyíregyháza! I love this place!!!

All of our investigators are doing just awesome! A passed his interview and everything is just falling perfectly into place! So he will be getting baptized this coming Thursday. Also R is getting baptized. We are so excited! And so is the ward! I am so glad I get to stay for A's baptism. He is just a super humble guy and its been amazing to be able to teach him and see the whole process. That isnt something that happens very often, especially here in Hungary.

P is also doing awesome! He is such the nicest guy. We actually found out that he already knows one of the members in the ward and that has been really helpful! And he came to church on Sunday!! It was awesome! We have had just awesome programs with him.

We also had Z and A come to church on Sunday. I was pretty shocked when I saw them. I was so glad they came! And come to find out, they also knew quite a few people in the ward here. The branch is just awesome here and so friendly to all of our investigators! It was an awesome Sunday! And an awesome week of programs! Our investigators are doing so well.

So a few weeks ago, we tracted into this young girl and had an awesome program with her. We have been trying to go back for a while but she was never home. This week we caught her for just a few minutes before she had to leave and we had another awesome program with her. She told us that after we left the last time, she kinda put the Book of Mormon aside, thinking she would read it later when she had some time. Then she kind of just forgot about it. But a few days later, she had a dream and in her dream she was told that the Book of Mormon was true and that she needed to read it. What a miracle! So she read what we told her to read. She just looked at us and told us that she knew it was true but was terrified to leave her own religion. We were able to talk for just a few minutes and we just encouraged her to just keep reading from the Book of Mormon. It was such a great program! God really is aware of what His children need and how to communicate with each of us personally! It was a really neet program!

This past weekend was a little crazy, but it turned out so well. The branch decided to have a Santa claus party this week so we were busy planning some things for that. Then we found out that President and Sister Smith were going to come for the party also. Just a little bit stressful haha! But everything went perfect! We played the funnest games and everyone loved it! We actually had more investigators there than branch members. It was a really big success. And I think President and Sister Smith enjoyed it as well. It was fun to play games with everyone and to let everyone get to know each other better.

After the party, President and Sister Smith took us and the elders out to dinner. We went to the famous burger pub here. It was so good. It was a really nice to just get to know President and Sister Smith better. We really have an amazing mission president! It was a great night! They also did a great job speaking in sacrament! It was a great sacrament meeting! (poor president didnt get any sleep while he was here. One of the Senior Sisters here fell and broke her arm and had to go to the hospital. They were running into all sorts of problems during the night and had to keep calling president. Unfortunately, the sister is going home on Thursday. President was pretty exhausted on Sunday!)

Just a random fact, while President was here, he was able to do several patrairchal interviews with the ward members. It is over a 2 YEAR! waiting list here to get your patriarchal blessing. We are so blessed!

Funny story this week. One of the branch members asked us to make him a pumpkin pie from some of the pumpkin squash they have here. So we went over to get them and he was proceeding to tell us about his first experience trying a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. He served a mission and served with American missionaries who showed him what a PB&J is. (PB&J's are like heaven to the missionaries here because we dont have peanut butter). Anyways, it was just so funny to here him explain about the PB&J. He said that it started off right with bread. He loves bread. Then they put the Peanut butter and jelly on. Then they ended it off right by putting on another piece of bread. He thought it was going to be so delicious because he loves bread (like every other hungarian) and then he took a bite and he said 'All of the sudden, all of the saliva that was in my mouth disappeared and I could no longer even chew it'. It was hilarious! Hungarians cant believe how much sugar we put in things. They dont have anything that sweet here. So our joke for this week when Sister Messinger are cooking has just been to add more sugar. Anything with sugar will taste great! haha! I love Hungarians!

Also this week, we got to meet with H's mom, M and her boyfriend, A. They are the funniest family I have taught. I love them so much! They found there was a possibility that I was going to be leaving so they asked if we could come over last night before the transfer. We had an amazing lesson with them! They are just a great family! We had some great laughs and also talked a lot about the things that really matter in life. I love that family!

It has been the greatest week ever. We have just really had the window of heaven opened and blessings pouring out on us! I love being a missionary! There is nothing better that being a missionary! I am so glad that I do not have to leave. These people are just like my family here and it will be so hard when I have to leave. Being a missionary is just the greatest blessing and experience I have ever had! We see so many miracles! I love you all! Hope you are all ready for Christmas! Love you all!

Falslev Nővér

oh and I forgot to tell you guys about translating for Sister Smith in church on sunday. I had to be the one to translate for her during relief society. It was so hard! I understand pretty good for the most part, but I translate literally and it really makes no sense in English, so I have to translate from Hungarian to Hungarian-english, and then into comprehendable english. In a matter of a few seconds! It was so hard! First time translating. But it was actually pretty fun haha! A little stressful but sister Smith was really nice about it!

this is right after we got off the place into hungary. I just found this picture and I dont think I ever sent it home (actually okay...it is sister Messingers and I just found it. I didnt get one cause I was so sick haha! Such a long time ago!

me talking on the phone. I just really like this picture that Messinger took.

all of us missionaries with Mikolás (santa). He is member from another city. It was so funny having santa there!

playing games!

the awesome cookie h made for me! love her!

at burger pub with president

I love my companion!!!!! :) 

Me with President and Sister Smith at Burger pub. They are the greatest!

me with H's family. I love them all so much! So funny! 

Me and sweet H! I love this girl so much! We are exactly like sisters! I hope you guys get to meet her all one day! :) 

We are so blessed!!!!

Man, what another great week as a missionary! It has gotten pretty cold here. One day it snowed for 5 minutes and stuck and then stopped. We definitely have to bundle up before we leave. It is reminding me of Christmas though! I am so excited!

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANNALEA!  I hope you have a great birthday. Cant believe you are 15. That makes me feel old. Im sure it makes mom and dad feel ancient :)

This week we got to have our district meeting in Debrecen and the Senior couple there had a thanksgiving dinner for us. We got up early and made homemade rolls and an apple pie to bring. It was so fun! Before we started the dinner, we all went around as missionaries and said something we were thankful that had to do with the world and then we went around again and said what we were most grateful for spiritually. It was an awesome meeting with all the missionaries! The Lord has definitely blessed us with so much! We also had 2 hungarians there and they loved it! It was just a good time!

This week has been super good with our investigators. They are progressing. We still have quite a few that are praying about baptism so hopefully that will go good! A is doing awesome! He is really excited to be baptized. He is going to be a great contribution to the branch here! Its kinda been a rough week with the language and all but we are really doing our best! I love being a missionary. It really is the best time of my life.

We also got to go with a couple of the members and they took us to the 'piac'. It is like an outside market type thing that has things for super cheap! It was the coolest place! We got a bunch of winter clothing for really cheap and some christmas things. I wanted to buy everything because it was just so cheap! That was really cool to see. We defintely had to watch our bags and stuff so nothing would get stolen but it was interesting to see all the little shops and candies for Christmas.

The highlight of my week though was definitely church. It was probably the best Sunday I have ever had since coming to Hungary. It was fast and testimony meeting and at the beginning of the meeting, H (one of the members we do everything with here...she is like my best friend!) poked me and handed me a note that I needed to go up and bear my testimony because this may be one of my last weeks in Nyíregyháza :(  (it is a very high possibility that I will get transfered next transfer or that our companionship here in Nyíregyháza may be getting closed due to too many missionaries going home and not enough coming in - we really really hope neither of those happen and I can stay) anyways, I told her no way....I suck at speaking Hungarian and didnt want to get up there. Anyways, the whole meeting the spirit just kept working on me and telling me to get up. And then before I knew it, I just got up not knowing at all what I was going to say or do. I was so scared. I got up and there and as I looked out over this little tiny branch, I just realized that they are really like my family. I love these people so much. I have been reading in Alma about Alma and Ammon and how much they loved the people that they taught. I feel like I understand their love so much more actually being a missionary. I got up there, said a few sentences, and then just started bawling because I realized so many things:
1 - I really truly love these people. It is wonderful serving in a small ward because you really get to know every person and you get to serve them. I never want to leave! haha! 2 - I love being a missionary. It is just the greatest blessing to be able to focus on sharing the gospel with people every single day. It is really hard sometimes, especially when you are rejected. But it is so worth it.
3 - I realized how blessed I have been. The Lord has given me so much and as I try to repay Him in whatever little way I can, He just proceeds to bless me with more. I truly stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.
 And finally 4- I learned that or noticed that I have truly found what true happiness is. True happiness really is found when you serve God and others with all your heart, might, mind and strength. I have realized that this really is the happiest that I have ever been in my life. Sometimes (ok a lot of the time) it is really stressful trying to know what investigators need, trying to speak the language, getting people to keep their commitments, etc. But I feel like the last little bit I really been able to just lose myself in the service of these people and I found true happiness. These people just amaze me how strong they are and I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve and meet them!

Anyways, it was a great sacrament meeting. I also realized from others peoples testimony's yesterday, how big affect you can have on someone by just doing small and simple things. When we think of service, we think it has to be some big thing. The small things can add up to something bigger.

I really have felt like what Alma experienced in Alma 26:16. 'I cannot say even the smallest part of what I feel'. I love being a missionary and I love these people in Hungary! Best time of my life.

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! Good luck getting everything ready for Christmas! Love you all!

Falslev Nővér

ya I forgot to mention in my testimony thing yesterday.....NO ONE understood one word that I said. (hungarians are very blunt) they came up and said 'we couldnt understand anything you said but we could feel it' I was so mad. haha! But really, I know no one could understand what I was saying, but people really could FEEL what I was trying to say. People were just bawling and they said they didnt know why. I am SOOOOO grateful for the spirit or else I really could not do this work. Just proves again...God qualifies the called! Do what He needs you to do and He will make it work somehow!

our christmas cookies we made for some of our investigators this week! Yum! (we will see how the hungarians like them....we made brownies the other week and gave 2 of them to a member and she said she had pain in her teeth for hours because it was so sweet! Hungarians dont eat any sweets. The frosting on these are really sweet so hopefully they will like them!

these are the little christmas shops that are all along the street. They are so fun to see just the little trinkets they have in them. And they sell DELICIOUS food which is a bad thing and a good thing. Tastes good but we eat a LOT!

we went whipping again today. It was fun! And good weather!