Little Red and the numbers game.

 

WHOAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!! You guys are so great!!! I cried, laughed, and almost wet my pants....Or skirt. ( I had a liter of herbal tea this morning....) 

Video Adley is referring to.  Fowers' Family Apocalypse Christmas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SANdb-x7VQ
 

I am super glad you liked the song! I didn't think you guys would like it so much?! We had our concert and it was WONDERFUL. Our mission leader recorded the whole thing! I give a little talk in Hungarian and we sing a few songs. I even have a little solo. It will be on Youtube. He is just fixing it up. Hope you like it. 

Well. It is transfer day....and I am. Leaving. I am going to bawl like a little baby tonight. I love these people. 

I am going to open ANOTHER city! No sisters have been there... but everyone wants to because it is the prettiest city in Hungary. It is called the faithful valley because they chose to stay in Hungary when they had a choice to split into Austria. I am getting a younger missionary who I have already met and I think it will be a good transfer. Tons of finding time though. I am pretty stoked. It is right on the border of Austria...and I was informed just recently that it is where all the Hungarians honeymoon. Eternal marriage anyone? Look it up, it's called Sopron.

Well. This week was INCREDIBLE and I learned so much. I wanted to send a ton of pictures of my life so I think I will. I will just be a shorter email. 

This week we really wanted to get Super Standard. It is this level of missionary work where you receive a certain amount of lessons taught, working hours, syl's, rcla's, and finding hours. We just wanted to see if it was possible and since it was the last week for one of us, we wanted to give Kecskemét the best we could. We had everything all planned out. Then we worked and worked and worked. We got Super Standard! It was great! We had 7 investigators at church, 21 lessons taught, and 35 working hours. Not saying that to brag, rather to make a point. So, I sat down on Sunday with my compie, and was talking to her about how well we did and how I thought she was great! One big celebration. I looked over to my comp who was suddenly very quiet, and was surprised to see that she was crying! I was a little confused, and I asked her what was going on and she said, " It's not about the numbers, I am sick and tired of them. I didn't come here for numbers." 

Wow. I suddenly was remembering the goal boxes we were making and filling out every night, the e-mail that gets sent out with all the numbers written on it and the highlighting of certain standards made by certain companionships, the call we were going to get from the mission president's wife telling us that we were fantastic missionaries. What was that worth?

Then my mind was thinking about Á. Whom the night before we told her she was a child of God. I was thinking of our three little gypsy kids that walk with us to church, the littlest riding on my shoulders because his feet are too small to keep up. I was thinking about our little Hungarian grandpa who dances and whistles when we ask him to. I was thinking of S. and T. who came to church for the first time together and were holding hands the whole time. A., who still doesn't understand why we needed the Restoration. There's Z. who bore her testimony the other day of being able to feel loved after coming back. There is this dear sweet, old, E. that goes to programs with us and is scared of the dark so we have to walk her back home. There is M. whose whole family left her when she got sick and told us she felt peace for 2 days after we first taught her.

I could go on.

 Don't get me wrong. We taught with our hearts last week. We worked so hard, and in the end what mattered? Well whatever it was, it wasn't on paper.

We kneeled together after that, really close and told Heavenly Father how we felt. It was a tearful prayer. We prayed for each other and we prayed for those we loved. It was beautiful. I sat on our balcony last night and just thought how infinitely small I am. Just a number. It was just so clear to me that THE only thing in this life worth working for is love. Without it, I am nothing. It is so powerful!   God give me the strength I need to love every soul I meet. 

Alrighty. Here come the pictures. I love you guys!!! Wish me luck. It is going to be a long week.

Love Sis. Fowers

Hungarian Angel

HI....

What is going on? I miss you guys SOOO much!

 Three VERY significant things happened this week ( which I thought needed to be mentioned rögtön) 

1. I hate kolbász. 

2. We have a concert on Saturday.

3. I have almost been out here for a WHOLE year. 

Yeah....important huh? I tried to make kolbász and Nokedli the other day and it was after fasting and it HURT. Way too heavy for my tum tum. So, no more. Also, I am also sending you a recording of me singing a Hungarian lullaby that H. ( My grampie) wrote for us to sing. I forgot to tell you all about this, but we thought we were just going to practice for our fireside concert and he brought in a recorder and had us professionally record the songs. It was crazy. Way too much stress went into that. The reason he wrote the song was because I told him that dad like the song " The Prayer" and he wrote a Hungarian script for it about Christ being our Savior. It is beautiful. BUT probably won't send that one. I just about died when he played it at the Christmas Eve program.....gah. 

I am losing so much vocabulary out here! I have to stop and think for 2 minutes every time I forget a word. BUT I am really kicking it with the language. I am trying to learn with every free second. It is so weird to think that a year ago I didn't understand the word: Ima. It is also really weird that you guys don't understand Hungarian. I feel like everyone should now. Basically language learning is crazy! I love it....when I understand it. 

Adrienne: Happy College! I want to know why you was droved by a boy ta' the Idaho? I am so excited for you. Can you talk to me more? I feel like you're too cool for me now. Thanks. A small friend.

I learned so much this week. First I just wanted to say how much I hate being rebuked. It hurts super bad. And yes, it happened this week. I won't say why it happened but it did and it was from someone I love a lot. It was actually not something that I did terribly wrong, or that I hadn't tried to prevent, and it was actually quite justifiable. I was doing a great thing! There was bad communication and so something happened, and I took the hit for it.

First off: Super hard to hear on your mission that you are doing something wrong. If that happens it is probably something you are already working on. Second. When you are responsible for something so immensely important, and so special it hurts to hear that you could have done it better. But anyways I heard this and I was pretty much a mess the rest of the day. I just felt pretty bad and I decided I needed to pray. I was so upset and hurt and angry, and I didn't understand why it happened because it wasn't my fault.  But the answer was so beautiful. I received this beautiful blessing about how the Lord needed to shape me for later callings and that he still loved me. Man. It was great. I just realized that because the Lord loves us he chastens us. 

Yeah. I know you are dying to know what I did...;)

I love you guys. Be safe. Let the Lord chasten you. Feels good. 

Love Sis. Fowers

 

Christmas in Goat Town!

Well Good Morning Family.......

Let's begin with some great news:      I GET TO STAY IN KECSKEMÉT!!!!!!!!!

Let's hear some really good goat mimicking for Goat Town!

Man, it is gorgeous this time of year. I found all of your Christmas presents. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Little expensive. So worth it.

Speaking of Santa Claus. I SAW HIM. Oh boy did I see him. It was SO hilarious. I was walking to the bus stop and there he was! The Santa here carries a cane with a bell on it and they send one out on the street and he just walks around all day. Unfortunately my camera was at home. It was so funny seeing him disappear between alleys. It's like the footage of Big Foot in the forest. Man. Wish I had had my camera....

Also.... I GOT THE PACKAGE. Good heavens family. I greatly appreciate the 10 pounds of Nutella and Peanut Butter. Let's talk about the stories now:

Jaaron. Alright buddy, first off: Don't you dare tell me I sit in a nice warm apartment while you spend a measly amount of time tucked into a sleeping bag that is Arctic-Wind-Proof. Try streeting for 7 hours in the cold and accidentally handing out frost-bitten appendages instead of Book of Mormon cards.

Second:  Your story was hilarious. You are hilarious and dare I say very studly. I am glad the dating is going good. A gent huh? Hmm....didn't see it coming. ;)

Love you.

Peter. We started out District meeting with a violent picture book of an overly-aggressive, Christmas-hating, emotional rampant boy. ( Who could have written that?) Elder J. was the narrator. After the meeting we all agreed that you need counseling, but that you have a lot of promise as the future illustrator of " How to Bully in 6 Easy Steps". I love you. Thanks for not drawing something about the amount of kolbász I am eating. You're going to do great things in life.  

Are your chickens doing okay? How are the ladies   ( and by ladies I mean hens....)  Mwahahaha... Alright. Love you. Bye. Enjoy eating goat.

Nathan.  In regards to your latest epistle, I have exactly 7 months left on my mission. Incomprehensible, right? My companion and I laughed at the sick humor of your latest drawing. Good heavens man. So sinister. How is school? I know you have had a lot of snow so I hear you had a lot of days off? Cool. Those are the best. Any cool snow stuff going on? Are you ready to freeze to death?!?!?  MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I love you lots baby.

Also Nate I want you to know that I read your rap to my companion and she thought it was hilarious. I tried to rap it to her but I'm not really a professional rapper. ( Just ended up spitting everywhere.)  think I will have to wait and hear you rap it for me. BUT I LOVE YOU. I think you are great and I think about your bowtie on the daily. I have a cool present for you so....I think that makes up for it right?

Brooke. I cried when I read your letter!!! Are my cows okay?!?! Glad to know you are taking care of them though. Are you ready for Christmas? How much snow is over there and did you make a snow sculpture of me???? If you do, you need to send a picture. Kissy face.

Thomas. Boy so I want to kiss your wonderful missionary face right now, you know like in the sisterly kind of way. ( I have kissed more people on my mission than anyone in my family in my whole life. Not in a weird way. It is just how we say hello here. ) I am so proud of you. I LOVE you. I know you can do it. You don't quit, no sir when Thomas Fowers wants something he gets that thing! ( Say that like a Brit.) Love you man. Let me know how it is going.

Adddggieieieieieieie. Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii..........Smoochy poochy, what is going on? Didn't get a letter.....from you. In the package. Hmmmm......Alright, I forgive you. I got you this SWEET PRESENT. Ohhohohho man are you going to love me. How are you feeling about college. I am just pleading that we put off the wedding until I get home. I CANNOT miss it. Okay? Many kisses and good holidays to you.

Carissa. Mud ball.

Shawn. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Sell some cars. Put one in my stocking. Thanks.

Wally. Now Wally. We don't know each other very well, but you would be happy to know that I think of you a lot, let's say even more than my family. Can't wait to meet ya big boy. Give Brooke lots of kisses for me.

What else. OH. Yeah. Satan actually helps Santa Claus here! No elves. No sir, those are overrated. You get the devil to dish out the coals and you got some kids that know how to behave. You also have to sing to Santa Claus or you don't get chocolate. That would explain the Rudolph song. Yeah. Thank you ward mission leader. I can't ever do anything embarrassing without you sending it to the fam. Köszönöm széppen.

Favorite moment this week: We got to meet this gypsy family this week. E. is 19 an she has a 2 year old son. They are so poor but SO happy. We went over and they were all eating little slices of bread with really dirty faces, but when they smile you just love them! They all gathered around and said prayers with us, and just listened to what we said about God. A. was so excited to learn. He's 9. Then A. sat next to me and I helped part his hair and he was laughing the whole time and trying to throw a stuffed animal at my face. You know what I thought to myself? This is where Christ would be. I love them......:))))

I love you all. I hope your apocalypse thing goes great. DON'T forget to write before the power goes off! That is the worst. I love you tons.

( Oh. Also, I spent $150 on Christmas presents. I know it is a lot but I thought, I am only going to be in Hungary once and they are pretty cool! SERIOUSLY, if you will just add up what I owe you so I can pay it back When I get home it would actually make me feel more comfortable about the money situation. )

Well.....YOU all wrote this week! It's a Christmas miracle! I can't wait to see all of your beautiful faces...and Jaaron's.  Hahahahaha. Okay. Sorry, I had to say it.

This week was great. We are going up to Budapest tomorrow for our Christmas Zone training. I would rather not celebrate...for the sole reason of:  I know I will be trunky. Miss you all I think your are great.
 

So with Skype I don't know the skyping name but you will recognize it when it comes up. I just need to know your skyping name. So yeah......:) Should still be at 7:00.

Alright, This is going to be a wimpy letter too. I am writing you all personally right now.  BAK. Big Approriate Kisses.

Love Sis. Fowers

My Beautiful City

I am SO happy right now. You guys are so hilarious. MERRY 2nd day of December!!! I have so much I want to tell you all right now! 

WALLY????? HAhahahahahahahaha! I showed my district all of the pictures and they said he is the fattest dog ever. What do they know. I accept ya Wally. I am making a rather large space in my heart for you right now. 

MY GOODNESS! Let me explain to you what Kecskemét looks like right now!

 So there is a main square with 3 HUGE cathedrals on each corner and then the pink Város (city) house in the middle. Yesterday when we were streeting we saw tons of people heading there and so of course we followed.

There is a main walk lined with trees and they were all filled with lights! Dozens of light strings dangling off of everything! They had laid down a skating rink around the city's biggest sculpture and there is a little wooden fence that people lean on and drink hot chocolate. AND THE SMELLS!!!

They have huge grills with all kinds of meat on them and people dressed like Russian soldiers serving the food. Then the walk is lined with wooden huts filled with Christmas trinkets: Pottery, sheep skins, bull whips, pig fats, wheel breads ( breads they roll onto a stick and then toast over a fire and dip with butter and sugar), and beautiful wine bottles. Then to top it off there is a little square where the gypsy bands come and play.

Everyone is rushing around smoking, laughing, and giving each other kisses. It is BEAUTIFUL. I want you all to see this SO badly. I am going to go to a Catholic mass in the huge temple, and it is going to be INCREDIBLE. I feel like I am in a different world. I am so in love with this city. I am going to cry my eyes out when I have to leave. I decided the other day that I am literally scared to go back to the country. HAHAHAHA???!! Who just said that? Oh, yeah. Adley Ray Fowers!

Alright, I am also so grateful that you are all safe! God is so good.

Thanksgiving. Oh man. 

So thanksgiving day we actually had a 3 hour long missionary meeting and so we weren't planning on doing anything super special. But we got a call from D. ( American member here, confined to bed because her back is degenerating) and she asked if we could go celebrate it with her because she would be alone and this is the time of year her husband died. Well I was super stoked because that means I get to make a mess in the kitchen :)))))))))

When I went to the store there were no turkeys! So I had to buy five small hens....Stupidest thing I have ever done. I had to rip the heart out of each of those little birds and I just about died! My companion was on the phone and I was in the sink being a wimp and pulling out organs. I just about threw up. Really. I should be a vegetarian. Then because they had feathers on them still, I sat there for a good while singeing off feathers one by one. ( Just had a box of matches.)

Now,  please remember this is all after daily planning. I made stuffing, sweet potatoes and gravy. Who's a BEAST? Me. I had to set the alarm five times though during the night to check on those chicks. Then I couldn't even eat them at D's,  BUT I did make the whole district and D. say something they were grateful for before we started to eat. It was the best Thanksgiving I have ever had in Hungary. 

We were streeting yesterday, and I set up with a Satanist. We'll see how that goes tomorrow! 

Actually it was pretty interesting how it happened. I saw this man dressed in all black and half of his head was shaved a he had so many piercings, he was smoking, and wearing inch long spikes on his wrist. I grabbed my companion and was like: " Sister, get him!" So we went over and talked to him and it was VERY interesting. He talked about how he went to a Christian school and that because he was studying to be an artist his final was a depiction of Christ. I don't actually know if he was " In it" when we talked because I don't think he was just smoking a regular cigarette, but you could just tell he was looking for something.

He talked about the crusades, and how many bad things people had done in the name of God. And you could just see an emptiness in him. And that is how it is with Satan. He hollows us out, and throws us away. I don't really know if he will be willing to change but I am so grateful for the light of Christ. I can feel God's love for us so strongly in December! He's just reemphasizing his love for all his kids and it is so tangible now. Love him.

Yep. Sure are a lot of hard things in this world. Sure are a lot of people hurting, and wanting. Sure are a lot of things that are dark and sick. Something I was thinking about this week is our fear of man. Now what does that stem from? Well, there is a need in everyone of us to be loved. Cliché to say, but true.  We can turn to anyone for love, we can do all we can to earn the love of someone, and win a friendship or two. But at what cost to ourselves? What piece of ourselves are we willing to sell to buy that? When we look back at all we have accomplished will it matter what we have built, when we can't stand on our own?

I've been thinking that what we are searching for is an infinite source of love. A pure source of acceptance. And yeah we all know who that comes from. I am perfect for him. Isn't that great? I don't have to persuade, change, or question. I am a daughter of God. And when we understand our relationship to him we receive a perfect love which, in the words of Moroni means all fears are cast out. We don't fear men. We fear God, and by fear I mean the reason for our fears are dissolved. He takes care of it ALL.  Last night, I was sitting on my bed, after my companion had gone to bed, and I just told my Father in Heaven that I loved him. And He told me he loved me too.  And I see it in the work I do, the people I visit, the ones I love, and in every one of his creations. Don't worry. Be happy. Somebody loves us!

I forgot to say......

PETER HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just want you to know on your birthday I sculpted your perfect running legs out of old toothpaste. I hope that makes you feel loved. Ok. Just kidding! But wouldn't that have been great????

Peter I think you are great. You puff up your feathers like you're a rooster, but you're the smallest hen in the box. (Beep box solo insert here, remember that rap you and Jaaron composed?)

You run like a champ, you know the names to all your chickens ( which I have told to every single one of our investigators...they think you are hilarious), you like pickles, and I took you down in like 5 seconds the last time we wrestled.....You'll get better. You draw disturbing pictures of my companions, and you always make sure to say sarcastic things about the way I cook, and you laugh when I yell at you for beating up Nathan, BUT the point here is there is a little part of my heart that beats imperfectly without you. So I just wanted to tell you thanks Bro. Big old nasty fish. 

Alright....I wonder if that was it. Probably. I LOVE MY MISSION. Adrienne I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!! I don't have much longer left. Time to sprint. Love ya guys. Rub Wally's tummy for me. 

Love Sis. Fowers

P.S.I found my replacement missionary out here. Her name is R. She is ADORABLE. She has cancer but she is so excited to learn more about the gospel. Man. I. Love. My. Job.

P.S.S. H. is our composer less active and he wrote a song about a scripture I shared with him ( it's an opera song!) and we practiced it before church and we were just belting and it was great.....Lame description but I gotta go!

LOVE LOVE LOVE you all!

Danielle:  (Sometimes I like to include a letter from the family.  I thought I would include this one from Rob.)

Okay, so I'm not the greatest writer.

Hey, so you probably heard- Mom got a baby!  He's fat, smells, and sleeps a LOT.  Anyway, not sure how it happened but in very Adleyesque fashion, she got this indoor dog bee in her bonnet. At first, she wanted to get a Chihuahua.  Oh, man!  I was not about to endure a tiny yappy dog who tore up everything.  Finally, she hits on this bulldog puppy she sees on the internet.  It's pretty cheap and still available.  (What he doesn't mention here is all the crying, begging, promises....)

What the heck.  We go meet the peeps to buy/look at this dog. When we get to this truck stop, we find this tobacco reeking lady holding a monster of a dog with huge lolling eyes- this is NO puppy!  Okay, it's 2 years old and has a bad hip apparently (explains the discount).  But, it isn't hyper, doesn't jump up on stuff, is house broken, doesn't make a sound and is completely content to lay around and sleep all day and have his ears rubbed.  Perfect!  I have to hand it to Dani Girl, she got a pretty cool dog.  His name is Wally (short for Walrus and he is the spitting image of one!)  He's hilarious and you simply cannot pass by without rubbing his humongous, pathetic look on his face, head.

So, Apocalypse Christmas advances!  We set up the tent in the orchard yesterday and it is so cool.  Large, green, heavy, and spacious.  It's supposed to take 4 soldiers 27 minutes to set up.  I'd say it took one old soldier and 4 cantankerous teens about 4 hours to set up and it looks pretty good actually.  I can hardly wait to set things up inside and start test running this puppy.  Mom's stoked, your bros/sis are, well, okay....  That's an improvement as they were formerly enraged and distraught.  They're warming up to the idea and it should be very interesting.  We're going to take a bunch of footage and interview the kids like a documentary...

"So, what does Apocalypse Christmas mean to you?"

It's going to be good!  This year's theme is, "Base Camp".  Next year is "The Evacuation".  The boys are suggesting Phase III be "Attack of the Zombies".

We'll see!  :)

I'm trying to be a better member missionary.  It's interesting because I hear so many people who are not members of the church, who read your blog.  You're having quite an impact on a huge group of people- both member and non alike.  Very inspiring and frankly, Adley, you have a gift with writing.  Don't let it go to your head but it is quite amusing and inspiring.

Thrive my little Red.  Continue with Honor!

Love,

Dad