Week 36 Photos - Székesféhervár

In her email this week Fresh Nővér had great news ... A sister they have been teaching "came to Church... the first investigator at church since sisters have been in Székes!!!!!" She also said that this week "was really good... pretty eventful with Zone Training and splits and a festival, but I’m still doing the work too. That’s the best part … you can have good times and work hard too :) Finding that balance in life is so important. I can’t say I am perfect at it yet but I am glad I know that having both is possible." 

Here are some of the interesting things Fresh Nővér and Broadhead Nővér did this week:

Last p-day, September 23rd, marked the eighth month that Fresh Nővér, Bennett Elder, and Broadhead Nővér have been missionaries. They entered the Provo, Utah MTC the same day, and Fresh Nővér and Broadhead Nővér were in a threesome along with Falslev Nővér.  

"Happy eight months to us!"

Not only is Fresh Nővér celebrating 8 months as a
missionary, but she is also wearing her BYU Football
t-shirt and hopes it will help them win this week!

"I also had my first sister splits this week.  Since I was always the Sister Training Leader Helper I had never experienced a split until now!!! I got to go with Perkins Nővér, my companion from last transfer, so it was so fun to be with her again :) She said that I was speaking Hungarian a lot better than from when we served together and that was cool!!! ... Next  month we get to go on splits again but in BUDA!!!!!

"[Perkins Nővér] is great!  And she said it
was good to be with me again for a day."

"We had Zone training on Thursday and so I got to go on a little trip to Dunaújváros :) I got to see some of my friends and so I loved that!! ... I love having mission friends!!!"

Here are Fresh Nővér and some of her mission friends "being crazy!"

Broadhead Nővér and Fresh Nővér on the swings ...

on a chilly fall day!

And with Thomas Elder and Peterson Elder ... 

on some type of equipment in the park!

"On Saturday we went to a little falu (village) and picked grapes with a family from the branch. We kind of got stranded because the bus only comes every 3 hours so we picked grapes for 6 hours... I loved it the first few hours but after that Broadhead Nővér and I were so tired... we got to eat a ton of really good grapes though :)))"

Yummy!

"There was a Lecsó festival this weekend and it was cool! We ate some good food.... I’m really excited to make some traditional Hungarian food for you all when I come home :)" 

According to Google "Lecsó is a Hungarian thick vegetable ragout or stew which features green and/or red peppers and tomato, onion, lard, salt, sugar and ground sweet and/or hot paprika as a base recipe." When it is the main dish meat can be added. Hungarians believe "that the best lecsó is made over an open fire in a 'bogrács' (a cauldron), a Hungarian style barbecue. In Hungary the dish is very popular, and even has its own festivals."

Broadhead Nővér and Fresh Nővér with a new
friend they made at the Lecsó festival!

As the winters in Hungary are usually cold, cloudy and damp or windy, Fresh Nővér is enjoying the beautiful fall weather while it lasts!

Fresh Nővér at one of the cemeteries
in Székesféhervár.

Week 35 Photos - Székesféhervár

"Hi! My name is Fresh Nővér and I have been a missionary for 8 months [Aimee entered the Provo MTC on January 23rd] ... Can you even believe it??? I can’t! Time is literally flying by. Thanks everyone for the love and support, prayers and fasting ..."

This is a picture of Székesféhervár where Fresh Nővér
has been serving for the past couple of weeks.

This week held some sad moments ...  like an investigator they loved "dropping" them, and two other investigators who committed to come to church not showing up. Fresh Nővér also "accidentally deleted all the pictures off my memory card ... all of them from my second transfer in Buda until now :((("

It also held many more happy ones ... "Last P day we went whipping [Hungary is famous for it's whipcracking which is the act of producing a cracking sound through the use of a whip] and the elders said I have really good form! I didn't get it to crack yet but I will keep practicing! Also we did the 4 scoop challenge!!! We got 4 scoops of yummy ice cream at the really good ice cream place and oh-my-gosh it was so soooo much ice cream! I felt really sick afterwards and was licking the ice cream cone for probably a solid 20 minutes :)"

Here is a Hungarian horseman with his whip ...

And here he is "cracking" it!

Fresh Nővér, Bennett Elder, Broadhead Nővér,
and McKissick Elder with their HUGE ice cream cones!

"I love being a missionary and I love my companion because we literally have so much fun ALL the time and that makes me happy. She is so cool and totally is fine with me being my crazy weird self. Also I have the best mission buddies who are always looking out for me and just take such good care of me :) It’s incredible what great friends I have been able to make here :) my life is good :))) "

Here they are "carrying our groceries home :)
Biggest trial of my whole week!!!"

The weather has really cooled off and this
week, and Fresh Nővér and Broadhead Nővér
got caught in the rain.

"Now for a little spiritual something … I learned in District meeting that miracles can’t happen until we have the faith for them to happen... so that’s what I am working on, faith and believing that I can see a miracle :) I love the gospel! It is really cool. Thanks to all of you for being great examples of good members of the church that are still fun :)

"I love you all so so much!!!

Szeretettel,
Fresh Nővér"

Week 34 Photos - Székesféhervár

"This week was good, lots of laughs and good times, so let’s just start with what I remember...."

Bory's Castle is one of Székesféhervár's most popular attractions. It is located in an Eastern residential area and is the work of Hungarian sculptor and architect Jenő Bory. The castle was built from 1923 to 1959 by several of Bory's students under his supervision.

 The castle contains a wide range of architectural
styles ranging from Scottish to Romanesque to Gothic.

"This was the week that 9/11 occurred .... and so we decided that we would wear black in honor of those who died on September 11th and since it was a sad day we painted our nails black, wore black shirts with red skirts, and learned words like terrorism and explosion for language study.... just in case anyone asked us why we were wearing so much black!"

"In mourning for September 11th"

That same day they "had to use a porta
potty while tracking! Phewy "

"We played soccer in the rain on Saturday for Sport nap (?)  and it was so, so, so fun! I like soccer, but I love soccer in the rain :)  We also got to go to a traditional Hungarian festival and eat some greasy, fatty food, and smelly, stinky cheese, and pig … and just love life! "

Fresh Nővér and Broadhead Nővér "going out
to play soccer in the rain!"

Shopping at the Festival! It is the only middle of
September and Fresh Nővér already has gloves, a
scarf, and a jacket on!

Trying on traditional hats at the festival ...
Maybe these will help them stay warm
during the cold Hungarian winter!

Yummy food! ... the "Székesféhervár Sisters"
with Thomas Elder.

Last week Fresh Nővér talked about the branch and said, "There are some really cute children and little families in it." These must be some of them!

Being "attacked by babies"! 

Fresh Nővér, Broadhead Nővér, and
a future sister missionary!

Is this the Hungarian way to "Heart Attack"?

The Elders in Székesféhervár are very supportive of the sisters and sometimes help them out. Occasionally a convert will want to meet with the "sisters" for the wrong reasons and not because they are interested in the gospel (Fresh Nővér describes them as being "sketchy".) If they suspect this is happening the Elders are more than willing to take over the teaching!

Broadhead Nővér, Fresh Nővér, Peterson Elder,
and Thomas Elder strike a pose!

"On a better note, we have a super legit investigator ... and she is praying about baptism. She loves the church and thinks that the way our church does everything is how it is supposed to be!   So, we are loving her and just hope that everything will work out!"

"Well, that’s about all for now. Life is good, but Hungarian is hard so please pray for me even though I am sure you all do!  I’m just not getting it yet so it’s hard :(   I am kind of frustrated but am trying to stay positive!"

"Sok szeretettel, 

Fresh Nővér"

Week 33 Photos - Székesféhervár

Transfer Day was this week and here are some of the Hungarian Missionaries having lunch as Subway ... yes, there are Subway Sandwich Shops in Hungary!

Fresh  Nővér with Butterfield Nővér, Judd Elder, Lynch
 Elder, and some of the other Hungarian Missionaries 
on Transfer Day.

Fresh Nővér is now serving in Székesféhervár and in her email this week she said: "Székes (short for Székesféhervár) is really pretty and also small … like so small compared to Buda and Miskolc I have kind of had an identity crisis this past few days because I feel like a big city girl in a little town! ... I have been a little homesick for Buda this week and it has been hard adjusting to a new city, but I think it will be a really great place to serve."

Székesféhervár is "like the typical European city with cobblestone streets, cathedrals, fountains, and just all around prettiness … so basically I love it!" It is "really dreamy, like flower shops, lots of churches, and the best, most inexpensive ice cream ever!!!! That’s bad news for me, but so so good. I’ve eaten it every day since I’ve been here!!!"

Székesféhervár and the date the photo was taken,
2013-09-05, are spelled with flowers in this park.

Fresh Nővér standing on a cobblestone
street in Székesféhervár!

Fresh Nővér and Broadhead Nővér are
reunited again ... they were companions in
the MTC several months ago!

"Everything with her (Broadhead Nővér) is going well and we love each other! Hahaha … she is really great!!! She is so willing to help me with the language, which is good because I need it and she is so good at it! We are having so much fun already!" 

Funny faces ...

And more funny faces!!! 

Besides having fun there is lots of to be done in Székesféhervár. "The branch is small, but cute. There are some really cute children and little families in it. I just want more people to teach. The area just opened to sisters 5 weeks ago so we don’t have a ton of work yet.... I’m hoping we can find some really great people to teach!" 

To find people "We do tracting and street contacting, pet people’s dogs, teach English class, just talk to people and try not to be creepy or overbearing! Hahaha! :) We try to be fun and cute and happy, and talk about how we are American. People always want to know why we are here when we say that!!!"