Ode to Nathan...

It's the BEST DAY EVER! ( Sing it! Bessst dayyyyy evvverrrrrrr!)

Hello. Family. Let's take a few seconds to think of what tomorrow is.....

I'M HALFWAY THERE!

WHoooooooooooooooooo.

Crazy huh? You know what that means, right? ( besides an increased effort when I work out....) It means it is my "Hump" day! Everyone needs to send pictures with some large item stuffed up their back eating chocolate or something. Okay, that last part isn't relevant. Just more motivation to do it.

Brooke! You are baptized! I am so proud of you! I wish I could have heard you sing! I am sure it was beautiful! Grandma wrote me a song too! I still remember it! And you look beautiful in my dress. Love you baby girl.

Mom! You look so good! Your Hair!?!?! It's long? Pretty much everyone is beautiful. Can I be signed up for BYU? I am thinking that is probably what will be happening. Still not sure what to do. It is driving me crazy. I will figure it out though.

 CARISSA. What can I say? I take full credit for your success. Isn't it great having a sister missionary? ;) Alright, but seriously!?!?! WHOAH! I am so proud of you. You are already an amazing caretaker, you didn't need a diploma for that. Your legal now though! Get in the PJ's take a hike up the ole' Y and give a little victory shout for me. Watch out for the "white cougars" though. They're ferocious this time of year.

Let's take a quick peep at the week:

Our mission was on Prime Time here. Celebrities? I think so.

Sewed a shirt. Wore the shirt. Rocked the Shirt. What can I say? Z. and I put some sweat and blood into that shirt! I just about sewed my fingers, and she had to shout " tűl" every time I sewed close to a pin. It was fantastic and stressful. In the end I modeled off the new and used my strength to rip my old blouse.

Made palacsintasz.

Showed people my bald dad.

Realized I WILL be fluent!!!!

It is has been interesting though this week coming up on my half-way point. It is interested to be at the point where you are looking forward but, have so much to look back on.

I was thinking about what kind of missionary I have been thus far, what I have learned. I know it sounds original, and kind of tastes funny in my mouth when I say it but I feel like my whole life has changed. A complete reversal of thought processes, feelings, relationships, and etc.

M., is a very depressed mom. Her house is filthy, her little girl is sick, her other daughter is just struggling to understand why her mom is like this. J. is sick, her foot has a big sore on it, the other family we are teaching are trying to put a roof on their 100 year old house before the snow comes. 

Sometimes it is hard to think the gospel can fix all of their problems. L. was talking to me and he looked me right in the eye and said: " How can you expect me to sit in church and know my kids are going to be cold this winter?" J. wants to know why they need to be married, because it will mean they lose the money they need for food. M. doesn't feel peace about anything. 

That is really hard. It is really hard to sit there and promise these people that the Lord's blessings are greater than those things. It takes a strong testimony, sometimes a stronger one than I think I have. My companion has back problems. We had to come home early the other day. She is so sweet, and so patient but yesterday she was wanting to know why? She was sitting on her bed and crying when she was asking why her back had to be like this, and if this was something she had to try to enjoy and endure? I told her this was not something she had to do with a smile on her face. She just needed to appreciate it. We talked about how we have these things so we can come closer to our Savior. His atonement is an actual power we can draw from. And one day when we see him we are going to recognize that face, and those hands, and that hug. Because he has been with us the whole time. We don't walk alone.

I felt that this week. I realized I haven't been the missionary I have wanted to be. There came a point this week where I could just feel so much weight on me. I just wanted to start all over but I didn't want to admit it. I just knelt down and without using any words just gave it to the Lord. I woke up and it was gone. I have never experienced so much love. I felt new. It was incredible. I know he lives, and loves me. He loves the people I teach and my mission is changing my life. I love it. It is so applicable to everything and to everyone.

LOVE THE GOSPEL.

Alright, happy to hear you are all still alive. Did you all get a letter from Thomas? I didn't get one. Stinker.

Love you all!

Sister Fowers

Hello, hello, hello.....

This is your beloved Sister Fowers. ( Name it. You know the movie, dad.)

Well I never! Brooke, the pictures are beautiful! I can't really see the red chair though.... ;) Is this your new dress? Or is it Carissa's?  Super cute.

Well how is my family? Speaking of which: WHERE ARE GRANDMA AND GRANDPA GOING ON A MISSION??

I didn't hear where they were going?! Hungary, Budapest? That's what I thought. szeretettel várlak benneteket.

Also, I am a little disappointed that there are no camel pictures...But don't worry we celebrated here. We split a snicker bar.

Dad! I hear you are looking foxier than ever. You know what you should do is just go for the polka dot look. Very common this time of year and suave,  it says, " Yeah, I am aging but there is no shame in the game." 

Adrienne. Mi csodá??? ( what the miracle?)  7 hours? driving? spending? night? Sounds like a keeper. Either that or we could adopt him too. College in 2? jó ég! ( Good heavens.) You are going to be fantastic. Idaho, right? RIGHT? ( Remember how I sent 50 e-mails asking you this and you still haven't answered?)

Jaaron. Well, hello there sass-la-frass. I am missing your poorly drawn, comical, and hurtful letters. I hear you are beasting in soccer?? Who is on your team? How is dating going? Can I have a run-down of your last date and the list of potential investigators? I mean....dates.

Peter. What's going on Crazy Legs? Sounds like you've got the whole world under your scrawny, scarred, bronzed legs. That is exciting and slightly disturbing...and your birthday is coming up........?? Can you believe it? 6 years old! You're growing up too fast boy. From pampers to denim. Big step up in the world.

Nathan. So you've turned to the dark-side. Playing the good ole' B-ball? Well, that is actually really cool. What is your number going to be? How was your Birthday.....OH MY GOODNESSS! I FORGOT TO WRITE YOU A PERSONALIZED MESSAGE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Forgive me Nathan. I am so sorry.

Here we go:

Nathan, little brother, big clown

tells jokes that smother the frown,

likes peanut-butter, and mayo on bread.

Lover of the clean, bald head.

Wearer of the bow-tie, and the suspender,

friend of the friendless, tireless defender.

lays down a beat with his beat box,

sheerer of the sheep locks.

But if there is one thing we love him well for,

that's when he holds open the door,

lots of sweet words from him too,

mainly lots of "I love you"'

Now he's getting old like we feared,

 a car, a date, and then a beard.

But on one thing we can rely,

His shiny, bald head at age 25.

Alright. Mushy, and a little stupid, but aren't I thoughtful?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE! I hope it was great. Sorry I was late. Alright, I am done rhyming.

Brooke. Like I said I love your pictures! How do you like your teacher? Is she nice to you? Are you getting all A's? Wuv you.

Fowers Elder. I haven't gotten ANY of your letters home?? What is going on? I seriously am so excited that you are on your 4 month! Whoah. Hope you are loving it out there.

Gee. I seem to have forgotten an older sibling. Who may or not have written this week.

So let's see. I love you all. We had a member of the 70 come, he was AWESOME. Elder Herbertson. Basically our Mission President is  giving up 4 wards to the stake president here! The church is growing here! I love it. SO COOL.

Okay and let me tell you about the craziest day ever.

So Saturday we get up and we decided we wanted to go table with the Elders. So while we were tabling I was talking to the man and he started explaining that every church was like a spiral, and his drunk buddy comes up and that was so weird.

Then we accidentally streeted two high people and they were so out of it. ( Of course I didn't realize it until after the fact.) The one guy was like " Whoah. Your watch is like really green." and I was like " Yessss. That is why I got it." They wanted to invite us to some Mosque to party that night and talk about Moses. Didn't meet with them, needless to say. 

Then everyone we had a program with canceled except this next lady....

 We decided that she might not have understood anything we said but she is so sweet. We gave her a Book of Mormon and we were flipping through the picture pages and she stops at the one of Christ and says " Was he really this good looking?" Well, we tried to explain that it was just a painter's rendition of him and she proceeded to kiss the page. ( At this point my companion and I are both hitting ourselves.)

Then she asks for a pen, and writes my companion and my names on the outside of the book, and the date. Her life partner comes out and I was trying to tell her about why we need Christ and she just busts up laughing and starts pinching my cheeks and rubbing my chin.  I hope everyone realizes how very space conscious the Fowers are. I just about died. She wipes my makeup off, putting her little fingers into my eyeball, and then ( because there is a frozen smile on my face) she starts tapping my teeth and saying something about beautiful American smiles. GAHHHHHHH!!!!  Then she proceeds to bop her boyfriends head with her book. So we will probably not be meeting again, but she is a very crazy, funny lady.

Then to top that really weird day off, my companions back was hurting. We had to get to the top of a high rise. So, I piggy backed her half way. Farm years paying off.

Pretty much it was the most hilarious day of my life. Hungary isn't a crazy place but Saturday was. Right now we are back to finding. We are switching things up and we are going to find these people :)

Anyways, I love missionary work. It is hard, and sometimes crazy but it is worth it. We have faith there are people out here! 

I love you all. Can't wait to talk to you in December! Love Sis. Fowers

He is perfectly accustomed to working with human frailty.

Okay! Adorable family! What in the world? Why are you all so good looking? And why is Jaaron wearing a helmet? Good heavens, that boy is a weird one ;)

HAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPY BIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRTHDAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY TO BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKE!!!!!!!!

Dearest Brooklynitta Jositta,

Hello. I wanted to tell you that I love you WAY too much. I try to not love you so much but it is way too hard. You have my plumpy, lumpy heart in your little hands. Be careful with it! Also, I saw the pictures of you with soccer cleats on! Brooke. You. Are. A. Super. Star. Did you score? What is your nickname? Red hot? Chicken legs, the Lamb Runner? Whatever. it is I bet it is incredible! Sorry I couldn't make your cake this year. Next year we can make a 9 foot tall cake complete with waterslide! Brooktopia, oh yeah! Well I love you Brooke. You are so beautiful and you deserve everything good in life.

Love me

This week was so fun and so hard. I missed you guys a TON. Sister Hinckley and I set aside 3 minutes each companion study to cry for our families. Hahaha. Ok, not really but we did do that like 5 times this week. It is HARD people. This week I remembered something from way back in the day. ( I hardly remember stuff like this...that is why I am super excited about this!) I am not exactly sure where it was but we were in canoes ( Michigan?) and I remember it was us (the girls) in the back and dad was canoeing. Somehow dad managed to catch 2 turtles and he put them in the boat and Carissa was saying something about them biting ( Of course), and then they would waddle closer to us and we would scream and dad would save us by scooting them toward him. Nothing super special, but my comp and I cried after I told her that. Let's just say we were pretty emotional that day and we love our families A LOT. :)

Oh. And I ate more pig fat. We went over to J. and S. house. They are probably the most "Hungarian" Hungarians I know. I am sending a picture of her cutting bread. (It pretty much describes my whole mission.) J. is like 82 years old and sometimes doesn't understand what is going on, but is SWEET as anything I was helping her set the table and she handed me the dishes and they were SO sticky. I tried to wash them with some old soap. Then when she was cutting the bread you could see mold spots. We were pretty worried. The soup she made was bab leaves and it just had little pork fat chunks in it and it tasted like pig musk ( brought back a lot of old memories.....) Then they give you hot dogs to put in the soup. I told J. what hot dog meant and she thought it was really funny. S. is her ADORABLE little boyfriend and he has the cutest little mustache. We got him to sing some old Hungarian hymns. It was so fun. We love them so much! Every Sunday, S. gets on his motor wheelchair and books it to church. He walks in, I tell him he has very nice hat and he takes my hand and tells me something about WW II and off he goes to the front row.

Oh and we tried a different streeting method. We all line up and then we do "the Lean". It just this super funny, and awkward dance where you lean to one side 3 times and then switch. When everyone does it in sync it is so funny. So we were all set up and no one was talking about us, and we all got in a line and started to do that. This old néni walks by and is SO confused. She just stops and stares at the 4 leaning Americans. She has not clue what to think, but then we went over and talked to her and she actually accepted a card!!!! WHOAH. Next baptism! 

This is also the 10 weeks transfer so.....it continues.

Today we are going over to Z. to sew. We are making polos! Whoah. Probably have fried meat, and then have a Family Home Evening. The last time I went over there Z. asked me:

" Van krumpli neked?"

It means, do you have a potato?  Well I was totally confused and I looked down where she was pointing and my big toe was coming out of my tights. HAHAHAHA.  They call that a potato! It was pretty funny. She is an RCLA that reminds me exactly of Carissa, she is about 38 years old. She just started to come back to church. We are BEST friends. She got up this Sunday and talked about how hard it was to come back but how welcome she felt. Her Pár, or boyfriend is starting to come to church too! We sat in Relief society together and we try and see who can answer the most questions. I love her.

The mission continues. This week I am learning to finish things that I start. I know you all know this about me but I tend to start things that I don't end up finishing. Oh, for example putting things in the wash and not the dryer ( Sorry mom.) Or bringing home helpless strays and making dad deal with them. ( Not really sorry about that because I think it has built your character dad.) By the way I was "this" close to bringing a kitten home the other day but the comp said no.) Anyways, super frustrating but true, I hate saying that. This week was pretty stressful. I actually am so grateful it is over. Basically we missed a bunch of busses to some new programs and we couldn't set up with them again. Don't judge me, I have no idea what happened. It was just a bad week. We had some bap dates fall through, and I don't know. Anyways there is a reoccurring thought I have every time something like this happens.

I wonder if you all remember Bunny? Yeah, that adorable little goat that I bottle fed? I remember going out there every morning and every night and petting him, giving him some warm milk. He would follow me around, I would talk to him. I loved him! Well I don't know exactly what happened, I guess I just got careless. I started assuming that he was doing fine, he was getting enough food, healthy, and loving life with his little goat friends. He got moved to the big pasture and I started seeing him less frequently. I just kept telling myself he was fine. Well I remember suiting up one day to go look for him, maybe give him a little bottle see how he was doing.

It was snowing and I couldn't find him anywhere. I finally found him huddled under a tree. I started to call for him, but he didn't move. When I got closer he stayed still. Well, now I was worried. I ran to him and rubbed his back. He was cold, and breathing really slowly. Well, I picked up my little friend and brought him inside. 

You all know what happened. I tried to get him to eat, and he wouldn't. And so I just held him. He died in my hands. I am STILL so frustrated with myself about that. Besides that fact that I had made one of Heavenly Father's creations suffer, I had lost my friend he depended on me! ME!  What was I thinking!?! I think about that and then I think about all the people God puts in our care. Man. So FRUSTRATING. There are people here that are depending on us. Not even just people. Family. We promised to help them and if we let them down where do we stand before God? Not a good place. Anyways, I have to change. It is so hard sometimes. I am working on it.

Don't get me wrong. I do not think that there is anything we can do to frustrate the will of God. He is perfectly accustomed to working with human frailty,  and he knows how to best save his children, but if we can't be depended on then what will we merit? Nothing. The Lord needs to be able to trust us. Learning that the hard way. I love him though, for being patient.

Alright, and seriously. Jaaron, Peter, and Nathan are so muscular!?!?! What in the world. Stop growing. I really do not recognize you all anymore!

Peter! Run forest, run!

Jaaron. Nice hat. I was laughing so hard I was crying when I saw the pictures of you getting kneed and pushed. Head butt someone boy!

Adrienne. I like the owl earrings....Thanks for talking to me last week :)

Nathan! I didn't get a picture of you smiling! Can I have one? Thanks I love you and am sending you and Brooke presents! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Wow. No one else is at home??? Mi csóda?

Alright. Mom I love you. Dad. I really am glad you are taking a week off! WHOAH! I like the bald spot. Looking foxy as usual.

Love Sis. Fowers