Whac-a-mole

Well, Yeehaw! Life in Missouri sounds like it is bumping and very missionary-oriented. I love my family. Surprising, but true. I am proud of each of you. OH YEAH. Guess what today it is in my little missionary world?

TRANSFER CALL DAY.

( Got my transfer call and......)
Elnyzsést, de kaptam a hivastam és...........

I AM LEAVING VESZPRÉM!!!

Yeah. What. In. The. World. I just got here?

There goes my comfort blanket. This is my second " One and Done." But that is not it. I will be the senior.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Oh. man. oh man. oh man. OH MAN. There's no place like Missouri, there's no place like Missouri ( Imagine me clicking my little heels together at a speedy rate.) Do you understand what that means?!? That means those times where I awkwardly look to my companion and ask " Hey, what just happened?" are over. Now I have a little 2 transfer old missionary that will look at me and say, " Hey, what just happened?" and do you know what I am going to have to tell my little baby? I HAVE NO IDEA, PAY ATTENTION! Hahaha. Alright, really though I am 4 transfers old. I have a feeling my language skills are going to be improving. This is also the " Big Un' " the 10 week transfer. Oh, and my companion's name:  Sis. Hinckley. That was the cherry on my little mission Sunday.

Alright, it actually won't be bad at all, I just didn't think it would happen so soon! I am slightly relieved to leave Veszprém. I just want to say that the Lord answers prayers. Every transfer I have specifically asked for certain companions and certain areas and it ALWAYS happens. Seriously. Exactly as I ask. I always tell Heavenly Father I am okay with anything, but he always has my back. So grateful.

I was sitting in church the other day by one of the Elder's investigators, it was fast and testimony meeting and I wasn't going to go up and bear my testimony and C. starts elbowing me and telling me to get up and do it, I kept telling him if he went up I would. It was almost time to end  the meeting and he kept elbowing me and then he started saying it a little louder, and the Relief society president (sitting right in front of us) turns around and tells me I should go, and then the Elders join in. It was becoming such a commotion! I was like " Alright, alright! Sheesh!" It was super sweet and annoying of them. I love this ward so much. I am going to miss them. I heard the ward in Kecskumét is incredible too.  We will see. I actually just got a call from T., the RS president. I love her.

Last night we had to say goodbye to Gizi néni, in case one of us left. The elders cooked stuffed peppers. SO good. I love Veszprém.

Also, sorry the pictures didn't go through. I can't figure this computer out.

What else. Oh. I figured this out last night before I went to sleep. I knocked 720 doors this week! Isn't that great?!

Unfortunately, leaving also means I have to say goodbye to our whirlpool bath. Hmmm....little bitter about that. Also, I survived the last week off breadcrumbs! Literally. I was low on MSF- entirely my fault- and The elders before left us some breadcrumbs (You know the kind you bread chicken with?) So I was starving on Sunday, and I mixed that with yeast, and some honey. HAHAHA. Then I cooked it. Yum. My companion was a little worried about me. I don't blame her. Her compliment this week to me in Comp inventory was : " You would make a good mom because you can cook anything  out of nothing." I'll take it.

So I was thinking the other night about how this probably the last time I really have alone with the Lord. Not to say that in the future I won't depend on him as much, but it will be different. I will be with family, I will have my own, and someone to share it all with. I don't want you all to think that this time I consider to be " Self time" but it is a unique opportunity to see myself from a different angle. When you put all of your life in someone else's hands it gives you a chance to step back and see who you really are.  I have set aside this time just for him, and it is giving me a lot of time to think about that relationship and also who I am- according to him and according to myself. I am finding out little things I never understood about myself.

This week I was in my little " Cycle". So basically it starts when I notice a certain weakness in one area. I want you to imagine with me one of those Wack-a-Mole machines ( yeah, like the ones at Chucky Cheese's) . So a little mole pops up and I try to demolish it with my little hammer, it's looking pretty defeated and then interestingly enough -after the offending mole has retreated- another one takes it's place.

While keeping an eye on the surrendered mound I start beating on the second mole. But wait! There's one peeping it's head  out of the hole in the upper right corner, now there's one tunneling up the middle, and the first one's back for more! So as I am sure each of us did when we were younger, I frantically beat the machine until it buzzes and spits out a pathetic amount of tickets. Alright, so I get caught up in this vicious cycle of correction. Honestly I feel like a lot of us do.

This whole week I have been trying to figure out the cycle. I decided that it is a very cunning way that Satan uses to distract us and hurt our relationship with Heavenly Father. Think about it. I am sitting there whacking, swatting, and whiffing at a bunch of relentless rodents and in the mean time my attention has been shifted from others to myself. Danger! Then because I have become so intent on fixing myself I have turned to myself, rather than an all-knowing source for strength. Well the weaknesses become more apparent, they start appearing faster and more frequently and by the time the game ends I end up with enough tickets to buy a dum-dum.

I think it is interesting that Christ asks us to " Forget ourselves, " and then once that is accomplished, he promises, "and you will find yourself." What is perfection really? If it really is perfection we are seeking, what do we have to do? I don't remember any accounts of the Savior frantically trying to perfect himself. In fact I am pretty sure that Christ didn't even try. That is weird to say but listen to why I think that: Without charity we are nothing. So basically from that we can conclude that Charity is everything. Every " divine command" is constructed on the foundation of a deep abiding love from God and our personal obedience is acceptable only when equated from love. So when we act in all selflessness we have found perfection. ( Thus we have the perfect being.) Where do we receive Charity? From the perfect source. God. So in essence perfection comes from God. Don't ask me how we attain it in a perfect degree. I am not sure. I can say I am sure it involves prayer and an abiding trust in the Lord that he will take care of our imperfections. For me personally, I just need to take a step back and let the man with the bigger hammer help me out. Simple as that, and harder than I thought. I'm working on it.

Alright, I have to do some packing!

Carissa. Are. You. Serious? I have to know because I have to tell President if that is the case. Boy, oh boy! How much will it cost? I am so excited. You are going to LOVE Europe....more specifically Hungary.

I love you all so much.

Dear Brooke. ( Ask mom to plug her nose when she reads this to you, and use a British accent.) I just wanted to write and tell you how splendid it was to receive word on  your doings in the Good ole' Missouri. I must also say that I am thoroughly impressed with your grammatical presentation. Miss Peterson sounds delightful and I would not be surprised if this school year was as grand as the last. I do believe you look stunning in your new wardrobe, and I do ever wish for pictures of your beloved face. Remember my love for you is never ending. Kisses and crumpets. Addy

Love You all!

Love Sis. Fowers