This has been a great week!! I keep telling my companion I feel really spoiled to have this as my first transfer. Like it doesn't seem fair. I have the best trainer ever, I have the senior missionary couple right by us who help us so much, I'm in a super great town and we keep having super cool experiences. I am just really trying to appreciate them because I am sure there well be some harder times to come on the mission.
First cool story this week. On Tuesday we went out tracting (for those of you who don't know what that is - we go and knock on doors in neighborhoods and ask if they would like to hear our message). We had a lot of doors slammed in our faces. I'm not going to lie...I didn't think having so much rejection from people I don't even know would be that bad...but it totally sucks. Anyways we were having no luck. Then we get to this corner where we can either go left, right or straight. We said a prayer for guidance and when we finished, my companion said "I think we should go straight." (Which I had had the same feeling). So we go straight. We right a few door bells and people either aren't home or aren't interested in hearing what we have to say. As we are waiting by one door I look over to the other side of the street and see a house that I really like the looks of. It kind of reminded me a little bit of our house in Belgium...mostly because it had some circular windows. I said to my companion, "I think we should go over to that house." She said okay so we crossed the street (usually we just stay on one side of the street at a time). We ring the doorbell and wait for a little bit admiring the house. Then all of a sudden we here a "szia??" We turn around and there is this lady standing in her drive way so we walked over to her and told her who we are. At this point it was poooooooring rain so we all quickly ran into her garage. We talked to her for a few minutes in the garage and I thought it was cool but didn't feel like we would be having any luck. But then all of a sudden she invited us in to talk to her! So we went in and chatted for almost 2 hours! We ended up basically telling her about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. We gave her a Book of Mormon too which she gladly accepted. Then she told us how the missionaries a few years ago had gone and met with her dad and given him a Book of Mormon. But then they never went back (there must have been a transfer or something weird). She said that sometimes her dad comes to Békéscsaba on the weekends and maybe one time we could have a program all together. We called her a few days later to set something up and last night we went over and talked to her and her husband. I remember leaving her house that first time and just thinking how amazing it was that we were led to her house. I feel such a spirit about them when we talk. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that we went and knocked on her door. And what is really crazy is even though I don't understand everything she says, I understand her more than any one else here! And she is so good at making sure I'm not just lost and sitting there wondering what they are talking about.
On Wednesday we went with the Elders to a members house for lunch and to share a message. We had paprkias krumpli (potatoes with little pasta things and paprika sauce). That was cool. mostly the food was amazing!!
On Thursday we had English class. I taught it this week so that was pretty fun. Luckily I had Sister Hulbert with me to help since I am not a teacher so I didn't really know what I was doing. It was fun though. Then after that Elder Hulbert came up to us and asked if we had another program that night because he wanted to meet all together and talk about a few things. I was really curious why we had to meet and wondered if we had done something wrong! So about half an hour later we go over to their apartment. I walk in and the Hulberts and the Elders for a surprise birthday party for me!!!!! I walked in and saw balloons taped up and the Elders had bought me some coke and fanta and really delicious chocolate bars. Sister Hulbert had made me this nutella ice cream cake....OH MY GOSH it was so so so good. And then my companion brings out all these party hats and fun party things. It was so nice!!
Then on the morning of my birthday, I walked out of our room to go running and my companion had gotten up in the middle of the night and hung up balloons and a banner! Then went I got out of the shower she had made me french toast. She really spoiled me! And she bought me sunglasses (that i picked out last week). So nice!!! I seriously have the best companion ever!! Then that morning we went to meet the Elders and the Hulberts at a Lutheran church. The Elders have been teaching this family and both of the parents are ministers (I think that is what they are called). Anyways the wife let us go and look around the church and take pictures. That was way cool! In Békéscsaba there are two Lutheran churches right across the street from each other. One is way bigger (which was built afterwards because the smaller one was too small to fit everyone in). I think it's like the biggest Lutheran church in Eastern Europe? Or something cool like that. Then after that we went to Ricsi's school. Ricsi is a 15 year old in our branch who was baptized a few months ago. He's such a cool kid. We went with the Elders to go to their English class to teach some English. The teacher then asked us to stay for her next class and help them practice since some of them have a big English test coming up soon. As we were leaving, Ricsi came up to say goodbye to us and he had bought me a chocolate bar for my bday. Then we went to have lunch at another ward members house with the Hulberts. She made rakot paprika (aboslute no idea how to spell it) and it was AMAZING. Oh my gosh so good!! Then later that night we had institute with a few of the ward members. Two more people gave me some chocolate as bday gifts! So so sweet. I was really spoiled on my bday. Again I feel super lucky to be in this area especially as its my first area!
On Saturday we had another really cool experience. We were tracting again. We didn't know which way to go so we just randomly started walking down the road. We saw the Elders coming the other way so we crossed the street and started walking down the opposite way. We turned down another random street and started knocking on doors. Lots of people not really interested as usual. Then we rang a door bell and this little old lady comes to the door. I say our little intro explaining who we are and then she invites us in. I was totally shocked! As we go into their house she says that she is Edina's mom. So backstory....Edina is a lady in our branch who the Sunday before came up to Sister Broadhead and I and said that she wanted to set up a program with her parents. What we didn't know is that Edina had already called her parents that week and they told her that they wouldn't have time to meet. And we didn't even know where we lived we just happened to tract into them! We told them about Joseph Smith and the first vision and a little about the restoration. As Sister Broadhead was talking, the mom gets up and walks out and I'm thinking like "oh man...she just left at the best part what the heck." but then she comes back...crying!! Our message really touched her. and she fed us lunch. and we are going to go back some time and take them some suti (dessert). that was really cool!
Anyways sorry this was like the longest email I've ever written. Don't worry about reading it all cus its a lot hahaha. But it was just a good week! I am super grateful to be a missionary. I have seen so many tiny miracles. And I have only been here for 2 weeks. I love Békéscsaba. My Hungarian is coming along slowly but surely. I have to catch myself not getting really frustrated that I can't speak it fluently and remind myself I've only been learning for 2 and a half months and I've only been in the country for 2 weeks. But still I really wanted to learn this language fast. I love my companion. Have I mentioned that I have the best companion ever?! We get along so well, both want to work hard but we have fun while we are doing it. It's been great. And the Hulberts are sooooo wonderful. I love being a missionary. I'm really really tired like all of the time. But its worth it. And even though most people on the street don't want to talk to us, it makes it all worth it when we have some of the experiences we had this week.
Hope you all have a great week! Thank you for all of the many emails and birthday wishes!!! Luckily I don't look as old as I am ;)
Szeretlek titeket!!
Simons Nővér xx
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