It just involves loving and listening..

BEST WEEK EVER!  So everything I was stressing out about either 1. fell through or 2. Turned out to be fantastic! Also incredibly I am feeling so at home this week?!?! What is going on? Must be all those prayers! 

I am sitting in the Kispest library. Today was one giant workout. Sis. M. and I played Basketball with the Elders this morning and then we went shopping at Tesco. We had HUGE bags and we had to carry them all over the city, we are exhausted.

That is another thing, we use so much public transportation that I constantly feel like I am on a train, bus, metro whatever they have here. You got my package?!?!? Jó volt? Was it good? Did Jaaron get the Wafer for Big People? ( tehe. Also, Jaaron I love you. Thanks for the letter bro.) OH! And our goal for this transfer is to be Vegans!!! We just threw out all of our téjföl and gave our eggs to the elders. It is going to be very interesting. I am super excited about it though. I love my companions! They are adorable. Sorry, did I mention I have 2? Sister F. is also my companion. You should see her work. Gahhhhh.......she is incredible. BUT they are both terribly afraid of bugs. It is ridiculous. So our apartment is so hot. (I will have to send you a picture it is pretty sketchy too.) I have never sweat this much in my life, nor do I plan to ever again.

There happened to be 2 spiders outside our window and they wanted to try and make some screens for the windows, but they were freaking out about these spiders. It was hilarious! I told them that we could just move the spiders out but they would not let me get near them. They had to stand on the other side of the room while I flicked them out the window with a pen. It probably doesn't sound that comical, but it was to die for. And the other day I was telling them about Grandma Erikson and her herbs ( I was using some essential oils.) I told them how Grandma sometimes eats garlic to keep bugs from biting. I didn't think anything of it afterwards, and right before bed they come into the room and it smelled so garlicky! They had both eaten garlic and then we all had to sleep in the same room. I just about died.

So for like 4 nights now we have been DYING of heat. It is pretty much impossible to sleep. We were trying to figure out why and one day I put my hand on the heater and it was ON!!!!! I then proceeded to check the other heaters....they were all ON!!! We had been sleeping in an enclosed room, with 3 people, with ALL THE HEATERS ON. Needless to say, we are sleeping much better.

Do you want to know something else incredible? I am speaking this language?!?! I am going up to people on the street, on benches, in houses, and then just talking to them! I can actually understand what they are saying and I am opening my mouth and these words just come out!?!? I have been using all of my free time to read from the scriptures, my grammar book, and the dictionary. I can connect with people now. It is incredible. I decided when I left my last area that I was not going to be afraid to open my mouth and I cannot believe what is happening. I am able to be myself?!? It is so cool. I am nowhere near perfect and I probably won't be near perfect when I come home, but people are understanding me and are helping me out when I need it. Everything is different.

Also, I have been trying to improve my approach. I am finding that it just involves loving and listening. We found this lady sitting outside her apartment the other day, and I said a silent prayer to know what to say, and I do not even know what happened but we just had a really good time talking to each other. At first she said she wasn't interested in meeting, and at the end she was inviting us over and telling us to visit anytime! I carried out a whole conversation by myself?!? WHAT?!?!?!
 

It gets better though. We were tracting some houses and we cséngöed this one house and this really mad looking lady came out-we were all thinking, oh great, we are getting yelled at. So since it was my turn to talk, I told her who we were and why we were here and she told us she did not believe in God. And I just kept listening and asking question- I never asked if we could meet or anything- and she just told us how she was about to be kicked out of her apartment and she felt totally alone. She had experienced a lot of death in her family and she was just feeling terrible alone. I was able to tell her about how there is someone that does understand her perfectly and that she is never alone. At the end we were both crying and she told us that we had to meet with her. HAD to. It was incredible. She told us that she felt like God did exist and he knew she just needed someone to talk to that day. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is blessing me so much!

Oh. Also, I was ringing into a 10 story ( the buildings are all locked and so you have to speak with people through a voice box to have them buzz you in) and I felt water hit me, and I looked up and I saw some drying clothes. I thought it was from that. So I continued to ringing in, and then tons of water came down and I looked up and saw a guy dumping water on us?!?! So just so he knew we were not going to run away-I waved at him and then continued to ring in. He continued to dump water, but we got in! Síkerúlt! Victorious!

CAMPBELLS. I got your package this morning, and I do not even know what to say. I cried... You are all too nice. Camille you will be an awesome missionary ( I hope you get called here.) Love you all- thanks so much!

Also, Mom I took out 100 from my account- Sorry. I had to buy some supplies at the MTC before I came and I think I might have used some for food and transportation- honestly I do not know exactly. So I had to use some of my bike fund ( Which I haven't paid yet. I am really sorry. I do not need any more money or anything so that was all- FOR THE REST OF MY MISSION. I can work it off when I get home on the farm.....Haul some logs or something.  Love ya.
 

Alright, I love you all. Thanks for the love and letters. I think you all are beautiful and I am not home sick anymore :) 1/3 way through my mission- be home soon. Love Sis. Fowers

The Lord gives to those that ask!

(Letter from Brooke, above)

Guess who is leaving Duna?

Guess who is going to be with her same companion she had in the MTC?

Guess who is going to have to teach lessons in one of the hardest languages in the world- that she has been learning for 4 months, with another missionary that is the same mission age?

Guess who is going to a HUGE city with tons of investigators ( Kispest)?

GUESS WHO HAS TO PACK, SAY GOODBYE TO THE CTIY, TEACH ENGLISH CLASS ALONE AND CLEAN THE APARTMENT?

And guess who burned her oatmeal this morning? ( Which NEVER happens.)

Sister Fowers! Am I painting an accurate description of how entirely stressed out I am? I am so excited and so nervous. I think this will be a really good thing for me though. ( Even though I would really like to crawl in a hole and eat gummy bears or something :)  This week has been incredible. I have seen so many miracles. I have met so many people here who I never want to leave. ( I am sending a picture of K. and me.) Let me share some of those miracles:

Miracle number 1: So we met with K. and her kids again! We arrived right after lunch and she was cleaning up and the kids were all down for naps. Her husband, Á., was there and she told us that he would like to join us and learn about what we were teaching. We of course told him he was welcome to join us. We had seen him at church last week, but we just thought he was just coming for K. We were all in the kitchen and he started to tell us his story.

Last time we had met with K., he had walked in towards the end of our meeting and we only introduced ourselves but he said that he had felt a warmness that he had only felt before when he was in prison. He was in prison for three years and while he was there an old man taught him about Jesus Christ, and God, and the Bible. He said that while he was in prison he prayed and felt like it was a good thing to believe in this Jesus person and God. When he came to church he said he felt the same thing. He then told us how he had a rough childhood, he lived alone for a long time. He married K. and they began to have some relationship problems, pretty bad issues. The police were involved, there was drinking, and abuse, and it was very ugly.

He said he wanted to change. He had tears in his eyes when he told us that he had felt peace when he saw us in his home. He just wants to live with his kids and his wife. He wants to be a different person. He knew we could help. He was absolutely sincere, he just kept asking how can I change? How can I start over? How? We told him all the things we had to teach would help him, and that we were there invite others to be baptized and commit to follow Christ. He accepted. He wants to be baptized. All we have to do now is teach him all the lessons. We have already taught the Restoration. Anyways, I was thinking that night when I said my prayers about his little son, D.  He looks so much like a little Nathan. I was thinking of all the things these kids had seen, and all the things this man had seen, and all the things that K. is going through, and I just thought: " How great thou art." I am so blessed to have met them.

Miracle Number 2: E. is preparing to get baptized. We taught her that Christ said that all men must be baptized and then she asked "What about my daughter." Well I have never been more happy to share about the temple and that all people will have the opportunity to be baptized and have this gospel taught to them. She is wanting to go to the temple now for her daughter. :)

Miracle Number 3: Well, Friday was a long day. We had just tracted some very warm buildings, and were sweaty, tired, and hungry. We had not found anyone to teach so we started the long walk home. On the way home we passed a young man sitting on a bench we said hi and kept walking. I felt like I should talk to him, but I knew it was going to be weird because we had already passed him. I thought why not? What is the worst that could happen? We started talking to him and he said that he didn't believe in God because he was sick.  He has a really bad limp and the left side of his body is turned in. He said people always judged him for his disability and that he felt no God would do that to his children. We were able to testify to him that God did love him and that we were here to help him, and that we could teach him how he could build a relationship with God.  He was super grateful and set up a time to meet with us.  The next day were studying on a bench near where we had met him, and he limped by grinning from ear to ear and asked " Were you two praying for me?"  We had prayed for him. He said that after we had met he had gotten a new job, and that everything was going so well. We were so excited for him and we talked for a while- BFF's vagunk!  He is coming to the branch house to be taught. I won't be there but Sis. C. will take care of him :)

Anyways, all week we had miracle after miracle. And we are meeting the most humble, ready people. We love it.

Sigh. This is all true. I love it all, and I am so grateful to be here.

I am sorry, I did not get a chance to write everyone personally this week, I am SO BUSY. Next week. I love you all! I pray for you all! The Lord gives to those that ask!

Love Sis. Fowers

Letter from Pete (above.)

Thanks so much for the letters. I laughed, I cried, and I wet my pants.....Alright, just kidding about that last part, but the first part was true. Worst thing ever when you have to go and you can't leave your companion because they are "writing". There is a certain mode missionaries go into when they are writing their families here. Rule of thumb- Do NOT talk to them. Instant death. IF someone were to approach me right now they might lose a limb.  Seriously though the letters were great. 

Jaaron....I realize that 2 letters ago I was guilty of not writing you. For that I sincerely apologize, and in response to your last letter I have no idea what the first line means...but neither do you. You got that from dad. ( I sent some chocolate to you guys, there is one labeled " For big people" you know who it belongs to....) LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I miss you and I want you to know I only am sarcastic  when I truly love someone. Love Ad

Peter way to go hot stuff. I printed out a picture of the leg you drew so I can hang it on the wall. I have one word for you, foxy. 

Nathan. I figured out how to say bowtie this week and then forgot. Please forgive me. Keep up the Spanish learning.

Brooke. You are an ARTIST! I love it, I love it, I love it! Thanks baby! Kissy face. Also I hope you got my letter to you. You are going to love it. 

Adrienne. Happy Mcadulthood. Let me give a small speech about my feelings for you: Mcday, I Mcsay to Mcyou, Be Mctrue, oh be mctrue to the Donald inside of Mcyou. And yes. You working at Mcdonalds is going to be the common theme of everything I send to you. Excited for college?????? Do you realize you are going to get married? You probably won't even serve a mission?!?!?! Crazy. You'll be gone in a second, and can you please send what I have requested? Gah....

Thomas. Holy cow!!! 22 days!?!?! Less now right? Hey, I love you too. I am so glad prom was great, what were your colors? So happy for you! Keep me updated when you get into the MTC. 

Carissa. I will talk to you later.

Mom. Thanks I love you! Also, thanks for my Patriarchal Blessing. I will use it well. I am really glad you are not in jail too.  I know you are super busy, you have Shawn's wedding, and Thomas.....Your life is crazy right now. Love you!

So this week the Duna is flooding. We actually took a walk to it this morning and it was crazy! The farm land right next to it is just submerged. Good thing I live on the 9th floor, and good thing I sleep on an air mattress. The missionaries up in Buda are helping with sandbags, but we are living on higher ground so we should be okay. We have been out in the rain ALL week. I feel so cool! Soaking wet and sharing the message baby!

 This week has been pretty hectic. We have a NEW INVESTIGATORS!!! Awesome right?

So we were trying to decide where we needed to street and I felt like we should pray and immediately afterwards I felt like we should go visit a lady that had dogged us twice. It was about 8:00 at night and we knew that she had 4 kids, but we still felt like we should go. We got there and knocked on the door and she invited us in!  It was crazy! Her four kids were running around and throwing food everywhere, she was cooking, and her boyfriend was making cigarettes in the corner. She fed us and we all prayed together before we ate, and they were just absolutely ADORABLE. She was so nice, and she was interested in meeting with us again! We asked her to come to church and she said she would!  So on Sunday, it was almost time to start, and then our family comes. I cannot express the feeling that comes when you see your new people coming into your small ward. The ward totally embraced them and they were so happy to be there they left a tip for the missionaries. ( Not really for us, but for the missionary fund.) We meet with them again on Tuesday! They are so great. 

We also have rengeteg ( a ton of) appointments planned for this week! The Lord is really blessing us. 

I want to be a great missionary, I want to be a great companion, a great teacher, a great streeter, a great language speaker, but I just feel so inadequate.

So the next day I was still feeling pretty bad. We had a fireside to go to with an investigator and while my companion was getting ready I stood by the window and was thinking about this mission. 

All I could ask Heavenly Father was, " Are you really there? And do you really answer every child's prayer...

Well, we went to the fireside and our investigator didn't show up. I didn't realize what a miracle this was before, but the translation was not coming through for the first 2 speakers. When translations go through, the speaker is completely muted so I would not have been able to understand. The speakers talked about faith. They talked about Peter and the Apostles seeing Christ walking on the water. You know the story. I think that is very much like me. I am sitting on the safe, little, boat and I see Christ and I want to follow him. I want to serve a mission! So I jump out of the boat and make my way towards him. Then, I start seeing the waves- my inadequacies, the language, my teaching, Duna, all coming for me and I lose my focus, I start sinking and I lose sight of Christ. I am so surrounded by these huge waves, and the rain, and the wind, and then I start drowning! And I literally felt like I was drowning. So I do the only thing I can do, and cry out with all the might I have left: Lord save me!

 And immediately he is there. He pulls me out of the water and sets me in the safe boat and asks me, " Now Adley, you know I am here and I have power to do all things, you know I love you, you know that whatever you ask for or need help with I can give it. Where is your faith?"  Well, I am just grateful for a loving Father that does hear, and answer every child's prayer. I am feeling much better. I am taking the Lord up on his promise of making weak things become strong. I am learning what faith really means. It is not fear. It is believing in Jesus Christ and knowing that if we look to him we WILL live. I CAN DO THIS. I feel like I am relearning this gospel, this is a new life and it is hard but I am so grateful for it. I hope I didn't scare you too much, I really am doing better and a lot of missionaries experience similar things. I just want you to know I am being taken care of, and that I am trying to do my best.

I love Jesus Christ, and I love this gospel. I know it is true.

I love you all and I hope you have and AWESOME week. HORRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Sis. Fowers