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