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."



Week 66 - Győr

"My week ..."

"Kedd (tuesday): So Tuesday was cool! I got to email you all last week on Tuesday because of Easter but that night we went on splits and the Buda sisters came over and we all stayed in Győr. Since we are in a three-some Sister Westover and I went with Sister Broadhead and then Sister Erlandson went with Sister Fowers. It was so great!!! Broadhead and I talked a ton that night just like old times when we served together. That day we taught two of our cool RCLAs ... both were baptized not to long ago. David who is 18 and Tamás who is in his 50's. I feel that Tamás actually teaches us everytime we meet with him because he is just such a good person and so nice and so solid. David is cute because he has really been opening up and spending more time with the other young adults :) We love them!!"

"Szerda (Wednesday): So we were still on splits and in the morning we went running.  Broadhead and i ran with each other the whole time and talked, which was a miracle because I never talk and run. We talked about how we are going to be healthy, fit people when we get back to America and motivate each other to not be fatties. Haha!  We honestly just did finding all day on splits but it was really fun :) The Buda sisters left around 5 pm and we had yoga that night. .. yea, so get this, the Relief Socity has a yoga night and we went and it was amazing!!!  I felt so good and we are going to make it a regular event. So Wednesday night is yoga :)"

Fresh Nővér and Broadbhead Nővér found a way up
to the roof of an apartment building when they were on splits.

Fresh Nővér is literally "on top" of
things today!

"Csütörtök (Thursday): Honestly Thursday was rather average I don't remember anything too exciting that happened. Sorry :( "

"Péntek (Friday): We had District Meeting in Pápa which is the cutest little town. The District Meeting was really good. ... I had to give the finding tip that had to be only one sentence so I said, "Smile". I think its good advice :)  After District Meeting we stayed up to help the senior sisters look up RCLAs and that was cool. They are really sweet ladies and it was nice because I got to give a nice pep talk to one of them about the language and not giving up. We also had young adult night and that was good :) I love the YSAs here :)"

The missionaries at their District Meeting.

"Szombat (Saturday): SPORT NAP!!!! My favorite thing ... I love soccer! I am not very good but its so fun! After that we headed out to a falu (village) to teach an investigator Ibolya and that was exciting. It was kind of hectic and hard to teach but good. She really wants to get baptized and is working towards that.  We also got to see a baptism on Saturday. The elders in Pápa had a baptism and since there is not a font in Pápa they came to Győr for the baptism. It was really great! I love baptisms!"

"It snowed... jk! It's just weird
cotton stuff that falls off the trees."‏

"Vasárnap (Sunday): Church!!! We also taught our investigator Gergő who has had a hard life but wants to change. We had a lesson with him and we were going to drop him if he didn't keep his commitment, but he did! We had a really good program about repentance and so we will see how it goes. He seems ready to change and do what he needs to do."

"Ma (today): So today I am emailing late because we went to the Zoo this morning. It was really fun. Animals are so interesting!"

A new investigator??? 

"Well, that was my week, nothing too crazy or out out of the ordinary but a good week. It went really fast for us all. Sister Westover dies [goes home] in 3 weeks!!!! And then it's my last transfer. mehhhhh I'm pretty sure I cry at the thought of going home and I know that time is and has and will go by so fast I am just trying to soak it all in. .. not that I don't want to see you all, but it really is harder coming home than leaving because I will never come back to life as a missionary. I always knew I would come back to life as a normal person but this is so different and no one prepared me for this!!!! "

"Okay, there you go I am never coming back! Haha!"

"Szeretlek bénéteket, a holdra és vissza [roughly translated 'I love you to the moon and back.']"

"Fresh Nővér"

Week 65 - Győr

"Boldog Húsvét!!! [Happy Easter!]  Since it was Easter on Sunday I had to email today instead of Monday. Hungary is great ... both Sunday and Monday are holidays, but that meant that nowhere was open to email. Also, almost everything is closed all weekend long due to the holiday and because of that I can almost guarantee that everyone had a better Easter meal than me.  This is the story ... I ran out of food on Saturday and all I had was some frozen peas and popcorn. Haha! My Easter dinner was a bag of microwave popcorn and pea soup! Super good :)  It is okay because today we went shopping and I bought so much food I will never go 'hungary' again!"



"Okay ... so now for my week:"

"We did finding ALOT and it was good! I just like talking, so we just talk all the time while we find which makes it more fun :)

Beautiful Győr ... Where Fresh Nővér spent her
second Easter in the mission field and did a lot of
finding this week!

"Other than finding we had some really great and fun experiences!"

"On Wednesday we went to someplace that was like an old folks rest home, but they weren't really that old just mentally handicapped. While we were there we sang songs for them and then they sang songs for us. We danced and also went on a walk. We basically all just shared our talents and so somehow they got me to show them a cheer. It was fun! The sad thing is I can only remember like two cheers, but it was cool. One of the guys really liked me and hung around me the whole time ... It was cute. He asked if I would come back and if I could email him. Haha! This was a really cool service project :)"

Fresh Nővér's and her friend
from the rest home.

"This week and every week here in Győr we have a young adult night and also a sports day. I love both of these activities because I love the young adults and I love to have fun, so it's like the best! We played Heads-up, Seven-up and Duck, Duck, Goose this week.  Duck, Duck, Goose was so funny because people were diving all over the place and slipping. The sisters were wearing skirts so it was extra exciting for us.  On sports day we always play soccer and I just love soccer :)  It's like my new favorite thing. I am not good at all, and I am actually scared of the ball, but I like to play defense and run after the ball!"

"As I mentioned before it was Easter on Sunday, and I was asked to lead the music in church. It was a disaster! The first song was unfamiliar and no one was singing. Then, I forgot to go up for the second one and they were all waiting for me. The third song was a special musical number so I thought that meant I didn't need to go up, but I guess I was supposed to so that was kind of exciting. The last song went well, so at least I finished off strong. I'm pretty sure they will never ask me to lead again! We had 3 programs set up on Easter but all of them canceled so that is how I ended up eating popcorn and pea soup for dinner!"

"Monday was the real Easter celebration :)  It was p-day minus emailing, but the elders suprised us and came over to where we live and then invited us to come down so the could locsolni us. This means they spray you with perfume and say a poem, and then afterwards you give them chocolate. The catch is that the boys usually spray the girls with a tons of water too. So we came down, already expecting the worst, and there were like 15 guys there. They made us stand in the middle of them and they sang some songs and then sprayed us with water. It was honestly kind of funny, and they didn't get us that wet so it was not as bad as I was expecting. Afterwards, though, they said the poems and sprayed us with perfume... so stinky! It was cute :)"

 "Back in the day, the peasant of Hungary used to douse fair
maidens with buckets of water on Easter Monday." (Google)


"Later that day we all went over to the house of a girl from the ward, had a barbecue, played soccer, and just had fun ... it was so perfect. The boys tried to get us wet again. :) They did get a few of the girls but not me, and we got them back so it was fun! All in all, it was a really great Easter and one of my favorite p-days too!"

Sissy (the girl whose house they
were at) and Fresh Nővér didn't 
plan it, but they match!

"Sorry this email is kind of all over the place but that's life as a missionary. You just take what comes and make the best of it :)"

"sok szeretettel
Fresh nővér"

Week 64 - Győr

Last week Sister Fresh said good-bye to Sister Peterson and Dunaújváros, and hello to her new city Győr. "Our last night in Duna the elders made us a going away cake ... it turned into a cake fight, well mostly me throwing cake at Elder Seegmiller because he threw a tiny piece at me. It was so funny! I really do miss Duna ... Győr is so big!!!"

Eating cake with the Elders ...

Fresh Nővér and Peterson Nővér
before they left Dunaújváros.

"Győr is my new city, and it's really pretty. I was just amazed the first day and every few minutes I said, 'Wow! It's so pretty.' It might be because it really is pretty or because I came from one of the industrial cities, but it is great. We live in the Belváros, which is like the city center and where all the cute cobble stone streets and little shops are. There is also a cute river near our house that we go running by in the mornings. It is kind of dreamy ... I feel like I could live here later in life!"

These photos are of the Belváros Area in Győr.

Győr is in the northwest corner of Hungary and
has been described as being halfway between
Budapest and Vienna, Austria.

"My companions are both from Salt Lake and are really nice. It is kind of a weird situation though because they were already serving together and I just kind of got plopped in!  Sister Westover and I are only 6 weeks apart in the mission and so we are on the same level, but then Sister Erlandson is really new, she just got here like 12 weeks ago ..."

"They found out about my birthday even though I didn't want to tell them. This is what happened ... I was wearing the earrings I got from Deb [my mom] for my birthday to transfers and was playing with one of them. Sister Westover asked me where I got them from and I told her that my mom gave them to me for my birthday. Haha! Then of course she asked when it was and I really wanted to lie, but I didn't and I told them it was tomorrow. They were really excited to celebrate with me. Sister Peterson had left some money for me to do something fun with them on my birthday and so we went and got some süti (dessert) and that was cool. They made me some cards and gave me some earrings too ... and then we just pretty much tracked and found all day long. That night we were streeting and we went to look at a boat that was on the river. They surprised me because the elders were there and we ate dinner to celebrate. The best thing was last year on my birthday I was serving near Elder Carter and he made me brownies for my birthday, and then at the restaurant I reminded him of that and then he randomly pulled out brownies! Haha! It was really nice.... Everyone was really sweet and I have been getting phone calls throughout the week. Sister Broadhead called on the 12th and sang happy birthday to me. She really thought that the 12th was my birthday! It was so funny!"

Erlandson Nővér, Fresh Nővér, and Westover Nővér
eating some delicious süti!

"So enough about me being old ... There is pretty much no work here (I am surprised they closed Duna and not Győr), but I guess there is a reason I should be here. So we have done a ton of finding and it has been cool. I feel like I have done finding most of my mission, but it's okay :)  Church was good. It's a functional ward so that is nice. I don't have to teach anymore which I kind of do miss ... In Duna we did like everything so its nice to have a break. So life is good, just figuring out the new city and stuff. Things will be good, I am sure of that!!!"

"We have a good group of Young Single Adults here."
This was an activity at YSA night and "I failed!"

Fresh Nővér with Sperry Elder and
Jones Elder after Zone Training.

Week 63 - Dunaújváros

Big News:

"I have some big news ... Sister Peterson is going home to get surgery. :( Our week was crazy because we were in Buda for a doctor's appointment and then an interview with the President. We thought we would have the final decision earlier last week but we didn't. He wanted to pray about it more and then decided that she should talk with her parents so they called. They decided that it would be better for her to solve the problem and try to come back rather than just have pain for the next 9 months. So that brings me to the next thing ..."

Peterson Nővér and Fresh Nővér 

Transfers:

"Transfers ... That's why I am emailing on Tuesday instead of Monday. With Sister Peterson leaving I thought for sure I was staying in Duna. I had kind of mixed feelings about that because I like it here, there are some people I really love, and our elders are great, but the work has been really slow. We do finding all the time, and it has been kind of exhausting. So, I was not mad at the thought of a change either ... The call came and I am going to the northwest to a city called Győr. It is one of the bigger cities in Hungary so that will be new since my last 3 cities have been small. It will be fun and I have some elder friends from earlier in my mission who are serving there. I will be in another three-some, one of the sisters goes home soon and the other one is quite new."

"Other than transfers and the craziness with Sister Peterson, my week was a lot of finding and the usual. I am pretty sad because I didn't get to prepare myself for leaving and didn't get to say goodbye to anyone, but it will be okay. Also, I will be really far away from Buda and probably will not get to go back for Panni's baptism which is super sad. Oh well, I am sure Győr will be great."

Good-bye Duna ...
Dunaújváros and Peterson Nővér will be missed!

Hello Győr ... This is the Győr City Hall.

Conference:

"Conference was this weekend! I only got to see a session and a half in English though, which is kind of a bummer. I mean I understand most of what they say in Hungarian and I get the point it's just not the same as it is in English, but it was good. I saw the Saturday afternoon session in English all the way through and then the first half of the Saturday morning session. I am so excited to get the Liahona and read all of them! It's my favorite thing to study as a missionary. I loved Richard G. Scott's talk because I feel like so many people have been that kind of an example for me and have helped me lovingly throughout my life. I want to be better about doing that for others."

My Birthday:

"Thanks for the birthday love and wishes. I got my package the other day and of course I opened it right away. I cried reading the nice things you all said about me. I am not sure what you all see in me but thanks for that! The good news is I don't have to truly celebrate my oldness because my new city and new comps don't know so I am just going to pretend my birthday never happened. Hahaha! I already celebrated with Sister Peterson so it's good :)"

Boldog születésnapot Aimee!
(6 months old)