Family!
How was General Conference? I missed Sunday afternoon session and a little bit of the Sunday morning but it was great! President Monson talked about HUNGARY! Debrecen is the place where my old companion is! I bet the ward over there was in a fit of joy.
Thanks for all the letters. Mom I am so proud of you! I was definitely wishing someone would give their family a Book of Mormon. They need it. Everyone needs it!
Great news! The sun was shining all day yesterday and I saw the stars for the first time while we were tracting! They are so beautiful here, I couldn't keep my eyes off them. The sunshine didn't come to Dunaujvaros though. Haha. I am not kidding you when I say that on the way back to Duna there was a line of clouds separating the two cities. It was so ironic. I love irony and I LOVE DUNA!!! We went up to Buda for the New Missionary training on a 2 hour train ride after the first session of conference. That city is just beautiful. We visited the Buda castle and they have this beautiful little park there. We stopped at a street vendor and got the BEST gyros in the world and then we went to the Pékség or bakery and got some delicious breads. It was so nice to meet up with all of my old MTC roommates and just help each other with whatever they were struggling with.
This week we tracted for 18 hours and we got a lot of promising new investigators but each time we try to contact them we never get a reply. That is a little discouraging. Also our new investigator dropped us yesterday. She is a very sweet mom with 2 kids, and she has a friend in the branch who introduced her to us. Hopefully we can talk to him and get it all figured out.
We also visited this E. She is such a humble little lady who lives alone. Her husband died just last year and she has a small little apartment in the 10 story. He had actually passed away almost a year to the day that we visited. She was so kind. She invited us in, kissed us, and we talked to her about her concerns and needs. We do a lot of work of less actives and she happens to be one, but pinned ever so humbly on her bedroom wall are pictures of the tree of life, Joseph Smith, the temple, and Jesus Christ.
How was General Conference? I missed Sunday afternoon session and a little bit of the Sunday morning but it was great! President Monson talked about HUNGARY! Debrecen is the place where my old companion is! I bet the ward over there was in a fit of joy.
Thanks for all the letters. Mom I am so proud of you! I was definitely wishing someone would give their family a Book of Mormon. They need it. Everyone needs it!
Great news! The sun was shining all day yesterday and I saw the stars for the first time while we were tracting! They are so beautiful here, I couldn't keep my eyes off them. The sunshine didn't come to Dunaujvaros though. Haha. I am not kidding you when I say that on the way back to Duna there was a line of clouds separating the two cities. It was so ironic. I love irony and I LOVE DUNA!!! We went up to Buda for the New Missionary training on a 2 hour train ride after the first session of conference. That city is just beautiful. We visited the Buda castle and they have this beautiful little park there. We stopped at a street vendor and got the BEST gyros in the world and then we went to the Pékség or bakery and got some delicious breads. It was so nice to meet up with all of my old MTC roommates and just help each other with whatever they were struggling with.
This week we tracted for 18 hours and we got a lot of promising new investigators but each time we try to contact them we never get a reply. That is a little discouraging. Also our new investigator dropped us yesterday. She is a very sweet mom with 2 kids, and she has a friend in the branch who introduced her to us. Hopefully we can talk to him and get it all figured out.
We also visited this E. She is such a humble little lady who lives alone. Her husband died just last year and she has a small little apartment in the 10 story. He had actually passed away almost a year to the day that we visited. She was so kind. She invited us in, kissed us, and we talked to her about her concerns and needs. We do a lot of work of less actives and she happens to be one, but pinned ever so humbly on her bedroom wall are pictures of the tree of life, Joseph Smith, the temple, and Jesus Christ.
I told you about the time the sisters and I went out to
visit M. in the nursing home right? How it was one of the most sacred places I
have been, to witness the kind of faith and humility that shakes the powers of
hell. Well here I was again, Little Éva sitting on her bed in a tattered dress,
tears running down her plump little cheek, with her pictures of what matters
most to her on the wall. She feels alone was all I could really understand from
what she said but it was enough. I cried with her. This new, little American
girl, who she has never met, but I knew to some lesser degree what she was
feeling. I told her she is never alone. That Christ understands her perfectly
and that he loved her. And that was it. Broken and simple. And I know that is
true. I wept for joy all the way home. I cried because here is this little lady
the world has forgotten. Who doesn't come to church, and probably doesn't have
many friends. She spends her time in an empty apartment and misses her husband,
but she knows. She knows that Jesus is the Christ. She knows that Joseph Smith
restored the simple truth to the Earth. She has tasted of Christ's matchless
love. And she knows that because of her temple sealing she will be forever with
her sweet little husband. She said she feels someone is there. She is right.
Christ forgets no one. I am amazed by that every day. I love him so much.
My testimony about finding those lost sheep is deepening. We spend most of the time with members who have gone astray and to some people that might not mean as much as getting a baptism or finding a the golden investigator. But to me that is why I am here. It is just as important to bring people to the church as it is to take care of them. They have made covenants with God and they will be held accountable for the covenants they have made. It is so critical they understand those, and are taken care of and feel his love.
My testimony about finding those lost sheep is deepening. We spend most of the time with members who have gone astray and to some people that might not mean as much as getting a baptism or finding a the golden investigator. But to me that is why I am here. It is just as important to bring people to the church as it is to take care of them. They have made covenants with God and they will be held accountable for the covenants they have made. It is so critical they understand those, and are taken care of and feel his love.
I always think of when we try to give vaccines to our little
sheep. Yeah, they are fast, they kick you, and they are impossible to hold onto
for more than 5 seconds but they NEED THIS. Same thing here and everywhere else
in the world. I do not think for a minute that the good shepherd came back
looking as perfect as he did in all the pictures. I see him gasping for breath,
his clothes are torn, he is a little dirty from his adventure but there
plastered on his face is the biggest smile. I feel so much like that good shepherd's
little helper. I do not do things perfectly, I scrape my knees, I get dirty, and
I might not be fast enough to catch them. But how great will be my joy when I
bring that little lamb back and put him in the middle of the fold.
Today we are going to go visit with an older lady named Á. This visit is especially important because if we feel she is not progressing we have to drop her. Yeah, this might be a first. I have spent all day trying to prepare for her. I read Alma 18 and a thought occurred to me. So in this chapter it talks about how Ammon explains who God is to King Lamoni. King Lamoni after he hears about Ammon and all the great things he has done is very afraid. He thinks about all the times when he has slain his servants because they could not keep the sheep from being scattered by the Lamanites. He is so afraid in fact he does not even want to speak to Ammon. Let me explain something here. Who does King Lamoni think God is? He instantly fears him because he thinks he has come to destroy. Christ said I am come not to destroy but to save. So many people know they are not perfect, they know they have done wrong and so facing such a God instantly brings fear. IT IS EXACTLY WHAT SATAN WANTS US TO THINK. That God is a destroyer, unmerciful, and a demander of perfection. How incorrect. He is a creator of lives, a merciful all -sacrificing Father, who demands the best and makes up the rest. He is a perfect God for imperfect people. Anyway, I am definitely preaching, but try and help them see who God really is. I have faith we can convey this to Á.
Mom, you are incredible. I really do feel your support here. There are so many people there who need the gospel. I will pray for B. Don't cry! I am learning things I would never have been able to experience anywhere else. Do you remember how some of the early church members thought it was really silly that the prophet poorly timed the Willy Martin Handcart Company? Then one man from the party stood up and told them that he would pay that price again to become acquainted with his God. Something like that. It is the same here. On one hand, I have never felt so much sorrow. On the other, I have never felt so much joy. I have never felt such unrest, or such peace. I am becoming acquainted with my God and I will not trade it for anything. I am learning what É. knows, what is important. I have gotten into the habit of saying I do not care in every prayer. I do not care if this is difficult. I do not care if not one person accepts his message. I do not care what I want. I do not care if I die here! I really do not! I am going to do WHATEVER the Lord asks me because that is best. He knows best. I trust him. So no worrying. Also, I do not care if this is a blog :) Just make sure it is edited :) I cannot do a whole lot with this keyboard. And no I did not mean to make you cry, it is just that great out here!
Dad,
How is work? I have been praying for you! I tell everyone here about how you are the best, hardest working dad in the world. My Hero. Also, if you could send me a sheep so I can demonstrate to my companions how hard it is to catch one that would be swell.
Shawn,
Gratulák! I cannot wait to see pictures and I hope everything goes according to plan! Save me a piece of cake...or something....oh the invites! I WANT TO SEE THEM.
Carissa,
Sorry you are having a crummy week. Listen, this is going to pass. How are you doing with service? Did you go to the hospital and find those kids that need you!? I want to be like you. Save me a piece of that corn, kay?
Thomas,
Hey man. How is family life? Where do you think you are going??? I want to know your guess okay???
Today we are going to go visit with an older lady named Á. This visit is especially important because if we feel she is not progressing we have to drop her. Yeah, this might be a first. I have spent all day trying to prepare for her. I read Alma 18 and a thought occurred to me. So in this chapter it talks about how Ammon explains who God is to King Lamoni. King Lamoni after he hears about Ammon and all the great things he has done is very afraid. He thinks about all the times when he has slain his servants because they could not keep the sheep from being scattered by the Lamanites. He is so afraid in fact he does not even want to speak to Ammon. Let me explain something here. Who does King Lamoni think God is? He instantly fears him because he thinks he has come to destroy. Christ said I am come not to destroy but to save. So many people know they are not perfect, they know they have done wrong and so facing such a God instantly brings fear. IT IS EXACTLY WHAT SATAN WANTS US TO THINK. That God is a destroyer, unmerciful, and a demander of perfection. How incorrect. He is a creator of lives, a merciful all -sacrificing Father, who demands the best and makes up the rest. He is a perfect God for imperfect people. Anyway, I am definitely preaching, but try and help them see who God really is. I have faith we can convey this to Á.
Mom, you are incredible. I really do feel your support here. There are so many people there who need the gospel. I will pray for B. Don't cry! I am learning things I would never have been able to experience anywhere else. Do you remember how some of the early church members thought it was really silly that the prophet poorly timed the Willy Martin Handcart Company? Then one man from the party stood up and told them that he would pay that price again to become acquainted with his God. Something like that. It is the same here. On one hand, I have never felt so much sorrow. On the other, I have never felt so much joy. I have never felt such unrest, or such peace. I am becoming acquainted with my God and I will not trade it for anything. I am learning what É. knows, what is important. I have gotten into the habit of saying I do not care in every prayer. I do not care if this is difficult. I do not care if not one person accepts his message. I do not care what I want. I do not care if I die here! I really do not! I am going to do WHATEVER the Lord asks me because that is best. He knows best. I trust him. So no worrying. Also, I do not care if this is a blog :) Just make sure it is edited :) I cannot do a whole lot with this keyboard. And no I did not mean to make you cry, it is just that great out here!
Dad,
How is work? I have been praying for you! I tell everyone here about how you are the best, hardest working dad in the world. My Hero. Also, if you could send me a sheep so I can demonstrate to my companions how hard it is to catch one that would be swell.
Shawn,
Gratulák! I cannot wait to see pictures and I hope everything goes according to plan! Save me a piece of cake...or something....oh the invites! I WANT TO SEE THEM.
Carissa,
Sorry you are having a crummy week. Listen, this is going to pass. How are you doing with service? Did you go to the hospital and find those kids that need you!? I want to be like you. Save me a piece of that corn, kay?
Thomas,
Hey man. How is family life? Where do you think you are going??? I want to know your guess okay???
Adgie,
I cannot imagine you as a cashier or as anything other than a nursing home assistant so it is really weird for me to picture you in McDonalds....Did you like the clothes? So glad you liked the books, some weirdo put them in the give away bin! I had a dream last night, that someone was trying to kidnap you and I had a death grip on you. They could not tear us apart..hahahaha. It was awesome.
Jaaron,
I highly recommend you grow pigs with 3 inches of fat around them....start a business in Hungary and you will be set for life.
Peter!
I saw a chicken farm yesterday with hundreds of chickens while I was on the train, made me think of you. Nice job selling the fatted chickens, I expect some of that pay.
Nathan
I miss your bowtie. Are you trying to sell rabbits or anything? Sounds like Peter is making bank.....you could be tooooooooo.
Brookie woookie smookie,
I wuv you very much. Kissy face. I will send you some treats soon okay. Love YOU!
I love you all, I am safe and happy in little Duna. Thanks for the prayers,
Sister Fowers
I cannot imagine you as a cashier or as anything other than a nursing home assistant so it is really weird for me to picture you in McDonalds....Did you like the clothes? So glad you liked the books, some weirdo put them in the give away bin! I had a dream last night, that someone was trying to kidnap you and I had a death grip on you. They could not tear us apart..hahahaha. It was awesome.
Jaaron,
I highly recommend you grow pigs with 3 inches of fat around them....start a business in Hungary and you will be set for life.
Peter!
I saw a chicken farm yesterday with hundreds of chickens while I was on the train, made me think of you. Nice job selling the fatted chickens, I expect some of that pay.
Nathan
I miss your bowtie. Are you trying to sell rabbits or anything? Sounds like Peter is making bank.....you could be tooooooooo.
Brookie woookie smookie,
I wuv you very much. Kissy face. I will send you some treats soon okay. Love YOU!
I love you all, I am safe and happy in little Duna. Thanks for the prayers,
Sister Fowers
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