Hungary Week 30

Hey everyone!

I am just so happy right now, it has been a great week and my companion, Elder Cutler is such an amazing Elder.  He came all the way from the other side of the country, Nyíregyháza.  He is a youngin though, making me his second companion.  He has been here for two months, but he is already speaking like a champ and things are just going so well.  We are even having a hard time keeping up with everything, which is a good thing!

Everything seemed to just fall into place this week, even the crazy snow storm.  Of course the week that I start running more regularly, it starts snowing!  It is okay though because I had so many memorable experiences this week.  We taught in a college dorm, we taught the message of the restoration in a local high school English class, our English class doubled since my arrival, we had someone call US to meet, we had many investigators stay through all 3 hours of church, I spoke for my first time in church and we put another great man on a baptismal date.

 

First, the college dorm.  To start, I have been a little hesitant with talking to college aged girls on the street since my experience of getting kissed on the street for giving a girl a Book of Mormon.  About a week ago Gould elder and I were streeting at 8:30 at night and we ran into these two college aged girls, because I have recovered from my kissing experience we stopped them and talked to them about our wonderful message.  They were flirty and seemed more interested in the fact that we were American boys than the fact that we wanted to give them a Book of Mormon.  Well, we gave them the book and explained the promise to which they replied that they would read a bit out of it.  They ended up texting us before the end of the week asking to meet.  Although a bit skeptical, we accepted.  The first night Cutler elder got here we met this college girl outside of a gas station, to which she proceeded to take us back to her dorm (I know it sounds like not a good situation).  Cutler elder and I were just looking at each other asking each other what to do.  As we arrived at the building I just came out and told her that we couldn't meet alone with girls, to which she laughed of course.  Through a series of compromises, we taught in a room with the door open to a bunch of guys, one even stopped by for a bit.  It was one of the most awkward experiences I have had on my mission, but to see the difference it could make in their lives was one of the coolest opportunities.  It turned into a great teaching experience and we were invited to come back.  Of course we are going to bring a member next time, but it was definitely an experience to remember.

Next, the English class restoration lesson.  We received a text from an old investigator this week asking us to meet.  We met and she just loved what we had to share.  She became so excited when she realized that our message is one of happiness.  In excitement, she invited us to attend and help in one of the local high school English classes.  We expected to just help out these 19 year old students with their English, but due to the curiosity of the teacher, we ended up sitting there for about an hour with the small class of 4 students teaching the restoration in English.  It was so unexpected, but it was wonderful.  Definitely an experience to remember.

Next, church.  It was so wonderful speaking in church.  I had the opportunity to talk about why the gospel of Jesus Christ is important in our lives and I was able to use my favorite example of faith, that of the coconut.  When my nephew Skyler turned 1, I wanted to give him a special gift, but as I scoured the store with the little money I had, my eyes fell upon a coconut.  I wrapped it with love and care and when his birthday arrived, I gave to him with a smile.  When my little nephew opened the simple gift, he looked at the goofy looking ball and pushed it aside to go play with the other toys he had received.  With determination, I went to the garage and drilled a hole in the coconut and gently placed a small straw into the strange ball of fur.  When Skyler tasted the delicious nectar in which laid beneath, a smile came across his face.  Our faith is simple, it sometimes comes in the form of an odd shapes and sizes, and in the case of the missionaries, weird clothes, but if we just take the time to taste what lies beneath the surface, it will bring more happiness than we can even imagine.  Our investigators came, enjoyed and stayed for the rest of the meetings.  Greatest Sunday EVER.
Lastly, Elder Cutler and I helped another young man accept the challenge to prepare for baptism.  He has had a rough road in life, but he is excited to have the guidance and love that can be found in this gospel.

It is as simple as that.  How could I not smile with a week like that?  Now the trick, keep going!

Sok szeretettel,
Elder Jake Nelson