Week 70 - Győr

This was a big week for the Hungary Budapest Mission as they said good-bye to 16 missionaries who had served faithfully, and welcomed 17 new sisters and elders to the mission on May 20th. The missionaries were interviewed, had meetings, given their companion assignments, and left for their new cities on May 21st. 

The missionaries who have finished their missions
and are returning home.

Sister Fresh with some of the elders she has served
with who were going home.

The new missionaries with President and Sister Smith
at the Budapest Airport.

Sister Fresh told us about her new companion, or "greenie" as brand new missionaries are often called. "Her name is Sister Williamson and she is from Roy Utah. She is 19 and really nice. She is the 2nd oldest in her family of 5 kids, and she plays the viola and went to Utah State for a year. She is cool, really chill, and so that is nice. She is really down for anything. She is a good greenie :) oh and she goes running with me!!!"

Sister Fresh and Sister Williamson after
being assigned as companions.

"We got to go to Veszprém on Saturday for a stake activity and there were people there from 5 of the 6 cities I served in so I got to see a lot of people and they remembered me and it just felt like home away from home :)  It was so fun! We did all these obstacle things and Sister Williamson and I were on a team with the boys from Győr and it was so fun!!! Whenever her or I would do something right that earned us points they freaked out! Haha! I also got to see Pál and Gizi néni too :) I love them!!!!"

Sister Williamson and Sister Fresh eating
"some good lard bread" at the stake activity.

Week 69 - Győr

Here are some of the things that Fresh Nővér mentioned in her email this week:

"Zone Training: Yea, it happened this week, and it was great as usual! I love the big missionary meetings where I get to see all my friends and you can always feel the spirit. I just get re-energized to do the work."

Elder Decker, Sister Fresh, and Sister Westover‏
at Zone Conference

Elder Loveland and Sister Fresh ...
"I wanted to be taller!"

"Elder Carter, Elder Decker, me, Elder Thomas,
and Elder Loveland :)‏"

"Concert: BYU came and did a concert here in Győr and it was good but get this ... guess who was there... Pál!!! I freaked out, I was so so happy! Like it was incredible to see him and talk to him about how life has been since I left Veszprém and how he has been since his baptism and all. It was seriously like a fairytale. I also got to see two other ladies from Veszprém whom I love, Gizi and Térike :)"

Sister Fresh with Pál, who she taught
in Veszprém!

Gizi, Sister Fresh, and Térike‏

"Panni: Panni got baptized on Friday... unfortunately I wasn't there but that was the same night as the concert so I feel like getting to see Pál was a little tender mercy from the Lord :) Anyways, of course  I got her a little present (just a scarf) and wrote her a letter. We talked the day after her baptism and she told me all about everything and she honestly sounded so happy!! She said she had already worn the scarf and that she loved the letter. ... I talked to her again Sunday night after her confirmation and she sounded even happier. She said she read my note again and wore the scarf again. She was also just really cute and funny and happy. I just love her, of course, and am so happy she was baptized and can feel the difference in her life. She told me she wrote 12 or 14 pages in her journal about her baptism :) love her!!!"

This photo of Panni on her baptism day
was posted on the mission blog.

"Death: Sister Westover and Elder Decker are dying and so it has been a week of goodbyes and excitement and sadness, but its good for both of them. They were both really good missionaries, and I love them both and learned a lot from them :)" 

"Elder Decker and I doing our girly poses :)‏"

Sister Erlandsson, Sister Westover, Tamás a recent 
convert‏, and Sister Fresh

The Győr 3-some getting ready to do some "streeting".

"Transfers: I am staying in Győr and I'm training a greenie. ... It's a good way to go out I think, just do work and try to help a little one learn. So yea that's transfers for me. Also my friend Elder Carter who I greenied around is also getting a greenie here so it should be fun :)"

Week 68 - Győr

In her email this week Fresh Nővér mentioned several investigators they are teaching the gospel to. She said that one of  these investigators has the desire to know that the church is true and "so we are praying strong and hard that 1. he will get the answer, but 2. that he will recognize the answer :)"

She also said, "We still do a lot of finding so that's fun ... really though we got kicked out of two building this week. Hahah! I think it's funny and always want to be sassy back to the nénis that kick us out, but I am kind so don't worry. Also, the best experience this week with tracking was when we were on splits. (Since we are in a 3 some we split up sometimes and so Sister Westover and a girl from the ward went to teach this lady, and Sister Erlandsson and I stayed and tracted and then taught Basel.) Anyway, on this split we were tracting before Basel's program and this little family opened the door. The cutest little boy came out and started to stab me with his sword, so I tried to trade him my freedom for some stickers. Well it kind of worked except that he stole all my stickers and then started to stab Sister Erlandsson. It was okay though because I got to talk to the mom while the kids were occupied and it was good. Unfortunately she doesn't want to meet with us ... but it was just like a little tracting blessing and tender mercy because this past week so many people have been slamming the door :( Hmm, but it's okay we work through it!"

"We got caught in a rain storm... I was soaked
through like I jumped in a pool or something."

As her mission is winding down Fresh Nővér has shared some of her feelings:

"I decided that I will miss Hungarian food. It's not always the best but it just makes me happy because it's Hungarian. I don't know, but I'm starting to get really sentimental ... I cry sometimes when I think about leaving Hungary. ... I already know that leaving Hungary will be way harder than coming here. Mehhh"

She ended her email with "Minden jót! Isten megáld benneteket." [All the best! God bless you.]

Week 67 - Győr

In the only email we got this week Sister Fresh said "Hi mom!!!! We talk so soon :) Love you" and several hours later we were able to Skype with her! It was a week early for the "Mother's Day Call" but because we were going to be out of the country on Sunday the mission president gave permission for us to talk with Aimee on her p-day. So at 7 pm Hungarian time and 11 am our time we were Skyped.



We loved hearing the voice of our missionary ...

and seeing her beautiful smile!

 

Not only did she update us on how things were going in Győr where she is serving, discuss a few details about her classes and housing for when she gets home, catch up on how everyone in the family is doing, and meet her new nephews Caleb and Ethan, but she also shared her testimony in Hungarian.

The quality is not perfect, there is a little background noise from Aimee's niece and nephew, and frankly none of us could understand a word of what she said. The spirit was strong, however, and it was fun to not only hear her speak in Hungarian, but also to hear her share the words of testimony she bears as a missionary each day.

 

 

Sister Fresh did email a couple of photos from the week:

"Sister Erlandsson and I soaking up the sun!"

"Us and the Zone Leaders at a ward
activity by the Duna."