Sister Shantel Jenna Falslev: 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!