Hungary Week 75

Hey everyone!

The holidays are over!  I never thought I would be excited to get back to a regular week.  I am a strange one, what can I say, but this week was so great!  It was full of miracles and happiness.

Monday was awesome!  We were able to extend a baptismal challenge to the head of an awesome family.  I, his wife K and their mother M are going to be baptized on the 1st of March.  The baptismal dates are just flowing in our companionship and throughout our zone.  It has really been amazing to see all the miracles extending from our hard work.  The only strange thing is getting closer and closer to setting baptismal dates towards the very end of my mission.  Oh well, I just have to enjoy the time I have!

Tuesday and Wednesday were very interesting.  We had our P-day from Tuesday night through Wednesday and when we started tracting on Tuesday morning I knew why.  The city was SHUT DOWN.  The apartments and homes were either empty or full with people for a big party.  As the night rolled around, more and more people seemed to roll out. 

Elder Jones and I were able to attend a branch party!  There was food, games and fun!  It brought back memories with my family as I played the board game "Ticket to Ride" with some church members. 

After the party, we arrived home for curfew at 10 (For the holiday) and read the Book of Mormon.  We were given a challenge by President Teixeira's wife at the beginning of November to read the entire Book of Mormon before the end of the year and on the night of the 31st, we finished!  At 11:45 I knelt down to pray about the Book of Mormon and the Lord, once again, gave me that answer I desired.  The Book of Mormon really is true!  There is nothing more sweet than a testimony about these things.

Wednesday, we were able to play some board games in the branch house with the sisters and make cupcakes for M's birthday (The woman who was just baptized on December 28th).  Her face lit up as the four of us showed up with the delicious dessert.  It was a memory for sure!

Thursday, I was in Pécs!  I had some AMAZING experiences with Elder Weaver and a church member.  M is 20 and was just baptized.  We met with him around noon and then told him about our plans to go tracting the rest of the day.  He quickly asked if he could come as well.  

While traveling I talked to him about serving a mission and how much help it could be in his life and he seemed to just brush it off and change the subject, but of course I didn't just let it go!  He said he wouldn't want to serve because people don't listen, so I made him a deal that if tracting went well, that he would serve a mission.  Well, he accepted!  

We got into the first building we saw with the first bell.  After that, we met with MANY people, only to have 4 people say they weren't interested in a jungle of 20 or more doors.  After, I simply looked at him with a smile and he said, "FINE!  You were right, there are nice people."  I can't wait to see where he gets called to!

Friday and Saturday were full of adventures.  We were able to meet with a lot of great people and see miracles on miracles.  Doors were opened and we were able to meet with many.  One of our Sisters also got very sick, so we were able to get her to the branch house and get her a blessing.  I love blessings!  Then, with doctor’s orders, we were able to go to the store and get all the things she needed.  

Sunday was so much fun!  We had some awesome people at church as well!  My favorite was 2 girls about our age.  We met with their mom and things just didn't seem to work out because she had suffered a stroke and has a hard time understanding the concepts of the gospel due to the trauma she has suffered.  As we were leaving our last program with the mom, we ran into them!  They were coming back and we simply invited them to church.  They laughed and said "We are totally going to go."

Long story short, they came!  They showed up a little late and seemed very tired due to a party they were at the night before, but the church members just smiled and made friends with them fast.  It was really awesome to see.

After church, we still had a long ways to go to achieve our goals, but 7 hours of work later, we came home dead tired and with smiles of fulfillment.  It was a great day!  Most definitely full of adventures, ups and downs, but it was one to remember!  

Life is great on this end, but I can't wait to see what the Lord has for me next.  Transfers are next week, so I will have P-day on Tuesday, so I will make sure to share the news!  

Have a great week everyone and remember to smile!

Elder Jake Nelson