Week 31 Photos - Buda

August 20th or St. Stephen's Day or Szent István ünnepe marks the greatest national holiday for Hungarians. It commemorates the foundation of the Hungarian state and includes day-long festivities that end with fireworks in the evening. This is what Fresh Nővér had to say about it:

"Tuesday was a big holiday here in Hungary, like the 4th of July for us.... It was really great! We played some sports in the park with the elders and then ate some food, played games at the branch house, had a really good district meeting, and then we got to watch fireworks along the Duna!!!! There are 7 bridges on the Duna and they lit off fireworks from each of them. We were on the Buda side by the chain bridge and it was so amazing!!! I know none of my pictures or words will ever give it justice ... That night when we were watching the fireworks and then later walking around the city I was so completely happy that I was here and a missionary and am glad my life is how it is right now! So thanks to all of you who supported me and encouraged me ... "

Playing games at the branch house on St. Stephen's Day.

Fresh Nővér's photo of the fireworks over the Duna from
the Buda side of the river. You can also see fireworks on
the side of the Chain Bridge in the foreground.

Since she said her photos did not do the fireworks justice,
this is one from the internet that was taken from the Pest
side of the river with Buda Castle underneath.

The Buda District walking around the city
after the fireworks show.

Perkins Nővér and Fresh Nővér in front of the Duna
 and the Chain Bridge after the fireworks show. 
She said "I love Hungary ... It is so beautiful!"

"... My life is great because of Hungary and the people and friendships I have made on my mission!!!! Speaking of people, Panni is the best person in the world! She told us yesterday that she wants to move her baptism date up to the end of September or October!!! :))) "

"Panni and her favorite missionaries .... ahahah"

"Love these little ladies :)"

"Betti is back!!!"

A little missionary fun ... Has Fresh Nővér discovered a long lost relative or is she wanting to be the next model on this billboard?

Neither ... regarding this photo she said
 "I'm weird!!!"

"I had an interview with President Smith on Thursday and it was really good. I wrote up a proposal to see if sisters could wear sandals and it went well. He thought it was super funny and was like cracking up the whole time he was reading it and I don’t know if we will get to wear them, but it made a good time for us in my interview."  

Change is is the air ...

Because she has been in Buda for so long and the 9 week transfers start next week, Fresh Nővér suspects that she will be transferred to a different area. She said "It’s crazy because they never prepare you for these kinds of things happening on your mission. Like no one told me how much change and heart break I would experience as a missionary. They always just say the language or missing home will be hard but that’s nothing compared to leaving people, and not only leaving them but trusting them with other missionaries. ... Missions are hard in ways I never knew they would be."

Week 30 Photos - Buda

Missionaries do a variety of things to make contact with people in the place they are serving. One of the most common things they do is "tracting," where they go from door to door and try to get people to listen to the message they have about Jesus Christ and his Restored Gospel. While she has not done much tracting, Fresh Nővér has mentioned "tabling" where they set up a table with a poster and phamplets on a busy sidewalk and engage people in conversation as they walk by. This week she tried a new method for contacting people which is called "chalking." This is what she said about it:

"This week we went “chalking”, which was really fun! It’s like a creative way to find! ... Basically we just draw a big world and asked a question like “Why are we here?”, and then people stop and look at it and we talk to them :)" 

The artists at work ...

"A Föld" means "the earth" in Hungarian.

This is the Hungarian version of 2 Nephi 2:25
"Adam fell that men might be;
and Men are that they might have joy."

Not all missionary work is as fun as drawing pictures on the sidewalk with chalk!!!

Fresh Nővér laying on her bed completing
the "area bookwork!"

"We had Zone Training this week and it was fine, but the cool thing that happened was for our role play they had us just go out with our companions and street for 20 minutes and well we found a little family. It was cool because we walked past them and then both turned to each other and said we should go talk to them.... and so we did and we set up to meet with them the next day and it was really great!!! It is a mom and her 3 kids :)))"

One of Fresh Nővér's favorite people ...
her companion Perkins Nővér! One day they
 both dressed in "animal prints!"

With regards to the fact that she will eventually be transferred to another area, Fresh Nővér said:

"I have really mixed feelings about it ... I LOVE Buda so much!!!!  ... The only real thing that I will completely miss is the people … like Panni and Kriszti and all of our investigators."

"Roxi and I... I love this little girl :)"

Fresh Nővér and Panni, one of her wonderful
investigators and good friends. They both
have "style" and lots of fun together!

"Well, all in all my week was really great! I love being a missionary. I love my life here. I love my companion. I love how I am always laughing. I love my investigators and missionary friends. I love you all but I don’t ever want to come home! Haha! I realized this last week that I only have 5 transfers left (because we are changing to 9 week transfers) and that just sounded like way too short an amount of time... Mehhhhh!  If I run away and never make it home, don’t be too mad!!!! Hahaha!

Well... I love you all so much!!! Thanks for the support and emails and letters and everything!!!!! I miss you all but not too much! I’m too happy for that kind of missing!"

Week 29 Photos - Buda

Fresh Nővér's email this week started out:  "Well … my life is good, my week was great, and I don’t really know what else to say!!!"  Despite this beginning here are photos and quotes of some of this weeks activities ...

This is the Buda District on P-day enjoying the
sites of Budapest. In the background you can see the
Danube River, or Duna, as the Hungarians call it.

A "District Lunch" at the church meeting house.
Look how big that pizza is!!!

A quick stop at a guitar shop ... "I'm so talented!"

One thing that the missionaries in Hungary do as a way to give service and introduce people to the church is teach  English classes. If you look closely at the white board below you can see that the lesson is on food that is on a menu at a restaurant. It says:

"Aunt Sarah's Daily Special  -  Only $10.95

Homemade Style Chicken Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich
House Salad with your Choice of Dressing
Grandma's Rockin' Raspberry Lemonade

Come On In!!!"

The way she is dressed it looks like Fresh Nővér may be playing the part of the waitress!

This is the Saturday English Class that Fresh Nővér
and some of the other sisters teach. 

"We had a sleepover with Sister Sexton the other day and it was fun because she was sooo excited that she got to stay with us. I felt like the coolest person because she was so so excited to hang out with me! We also had a little sleepover with the two trainers who are training the sisters that came in this transfer... Really, my apartment is like a hotel! It is so much fun getting to know more sisters and hosting them when they come to Buda :))"

Fresh Nővér and Perkins Nővér, her
companion ... "Sister Perkins and I are
getting along really well and have so
much fun together!"

"Sister Messinger and I on splits."

"My life is good and happy and hard sometimes, but who really cares about the hard times or even remembers them when there is so much that is good and happy and fun :)"

Week 28 Photos - Buda

Last week on p-day some of the missionaries visited the Cat Café. According to Google: "While the idea of sharing a restaurant with 15 cats might not thrill everyone, for feline lovers the Cat Café, which opened in [Budapest] in February, is a revelation. The cat café trend, which first took root in Japan, has made its way to the European continent and enjoys increasing popularity." 

"We went to the Cat Café... yea this is a real thing
... and yes I do hate cats!!!"

Really strange to see a cat relaxing in a
restaurant! In the background you can see the
equipment for the cats to play on.

Fresh Nővér snuggling with one of the cats ...
even though she is really a dog lover!!!

The cakes and other treats are decorated
to look like cats or cat paws.

Transfer Day ... Meeting old and new friends at the bus station in Budapest::

Butterfield Nővér and Fresh Nővér posing with some of
the Elders on Transfer Day. "I love these people so much!!!"

Fresh Nővér and Butterfield Nővér ... "I will miss her!"

"Rupard Nővér ... Love my co greenie :)"

After Transfers ... "I am still in Buda and am now with Perkins Nővér! Things are going well, we have a lot of fun together. It definitely is different being in a two-some [Aimee has been in a three-some until now] but it is ok!!! ... I feel like my Hungarian is going to improve a lot this transfer because I will have more chances to talk because I only have one other companion!"

Perkins Nővér and Fresh Nővér

Fresh Nővér and Perkins Nővér  with a
street performer in Budapest!

Saying Good-bye to Behunin Nővér ... "Sister Behunin left [to go home] on Thursday morning and I took her across the street to the Branch House and sent her off at like 5:30 am. It was really sad and I was a little bit depressed that morning. I was actually holding back tears all morning and had a little bit of a melt down ..." 

Behunin Nővér and Fresh Nővér in front
of the Branch House in their
first photo together in Budapest!

"I  love being a missionary and serving here in Hungary... I have met some of the best people and just love them all so much!! It’s  so nice because I have so many people here that care about me and are like my family, so you can know that I am in good hands :) "