Farewell Szeged (Hungary Wk#14)

Love this girl and I'm really going to miss her!!

Sis Csolity & I saying goodbye

Well, it has definitely been real serving here in Szeged for the last 3 months, but the time has come to finally leave! On Thursday we went up to Pest for my companions interview at the embassy and she ended up getting her visa on Friday! We had convinced ourselves that there was no way she would get her Visa intime to fly this week, so we were both pretty shocked at the news, but we are both really excited for her! She flies to AMERICA tomorrow, and I am headed to Kecskemét tonight where I will be serving in a trio with Sister Jeppson and Sister Guillian! I have been told alot that Sister Jeppson and I need to serve together cause we are alot alike, so I am excited that we will have the opportunity to!

This week was spent saying a lot of last minute goodbyes! I have honestly loved my time here in Szeged, it is definitely a little bittersweet saying goodbye! I will be in the same zone still so I will be back next week for Zone conference, so that makes it a little bit easier!

On our way back from Budapest on Thursday, our train was late an hour and we ended up meeting this girl named Szimonetta, she shared our little box car with us! We offered her a piece of American chocolate (we bought at the American imported store) and we just started talking about life! Eventually we moved onto talking about what I was doing here in Hungary and I ended up introducing the Book of Mormon to her and giving her a copy! She was super excited! We talked alot about our church and what we believe and I had the opportunity to bear my testimony to her at the end of our 3 hour train ride together! It was really neat, I know that the train was an hour late for no reason! When we are obedient and are doing what we are supposed to, God puts people in our path so that we can help them and they can help us! I have no doubt that that is what happened with Szimi! She ended up giving us her phone number and although I wont be here in Szeged to meet with her, we gave the elders her phone number and if nothing else comes of it, at least we had our little conversation on the train and I hope that she was able to just feel something as I bore my testimony to her!

Sorry I don't have much time to write today, but I will send some pictures of our goodbyes and next week we will have some pictures from our adventures in Kecskemét!I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Our last P-Day in Szege together

András Bacsi

And Real American Peanut Butter!

Boldog Új Évet {Happy New Years}‏

Good Ole Szeged: The Tisza & Dom Templom

Greetings to all my fellow Americans,

First things first, Happy New Years! I hope you all had some great celebrations to ring in the new year! Given that I am a missionary, we attended a little party at the Branch house and hung out with the members for a couple hours, played some ping pong, set off some fireworks, and were still in bed by 10:30 to spend the last few hours of last year and the first few of this one doing my favorite thing... That's right, SLEEPING! Hahah it was chill though, I really do love sleeping!

The work here in Szeged is still pretty slow, we spend 8 hours a day finding and most of the time with no success. I think for most people it would probably be quite depressing, but I've learned to just accept that that is how the work is here. I still wake up every day and do everything within my power to share the gospel with the people here in Szeged, but I have accepted that not everybody is ready for the gospel yet, and that is okay, what matters is that we are still trying and giving them the opportunity to accept it if they would like.

I've also come to realize that missions have a lot more purpose than just sharing the gospel with others. If you share the gospel with millions of people, but in the end your own relationship with God isn't stronger, how much of a success is it? I have come to realize in the past two transfers that this is MY mission. Even if the "missionary work" doesnt always seem successful, it doesnt mean that each day can't be its own success. There is alot more that can be achieved on a mission than simply just sharing the gospel, and there are a lot of other lessons that can be learned. In just the 5 short months I have been a missionary, I have already learned so much from my mission. I have learned how to be a better friend; to be more patient; to be more kind; to be more considerate of others and their personal feelings. I've learned how to forget myself and focus on others; I've learned who I want to ultimately be and the things I need to do to become that person... And there are many more things I have learned from being out here in Hungary, but most importantly I have come to a better understanding of my own personal relationship with God.

I know that God knows each of us by name and he loves us more than we could ever comprehend! I am literally so thankful for that knowledge in my life, and also the knowledge that he is always there for us! Sometimes we feel that life is hard and that the gap between who we are and who we want to become is too large to ever close, and alone it is. But that is the thing, we are not alone! Christ lived and died so that we wouldnt have to be.   He is always there for us, with His arms stretched out, willing and wanting to help us, if only we will let him. Christ has never failed, and He never will fail us! If we are willing to yoke ourselves to Him anything is possible. I have a strong testimony of this, and I have seen it many times in my life, both here in Hungary and at home! I am so thankful for the comfort that has come when I have been willing to turn to Him and humbled myself enough ask for help. I have a testimony of this gospel! I love it, I know that it is true, and I know that it brings blessings into our lives when we are willing to live according to it.

I have to go now, but I love all of you, and I hope that you all have a great year! Just remember that if things get hard, you are never alone; He is ALWAYS there!

Sok Szeretettel,

LeBaron Nővér

IT

FINALLY

SNOWED

TODAY!!

"Csolity Nover and I wearing our new Christmas Scarfs"

Good Ole Szeged: The Tisza & Dom Templom

Hungary wk#12 Az Ünneplés Folytatódik {The Celebrating Continues}‏

 Christmas 2015~ Szeged, Hungary

Sister Training Leaders came down from Buda and we went on Splits!

The Árkád

 

0ur beautiful Karácsony Fa!!!

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! It was a little bit different experience for me all around, but it turned out to be a great Christmas!

Tuesday afternoon we discovered the true beauty of Burger King while tabling with the elders in the cold! Only two of our investigators were able to meet this week cause of the holidays, so we spent about 8 hours a day finding in the freezing cold! Which led to the discovery of the Jr. Whopper! It tastes like America and is steaming hot...the perfect combination for a cold winter day! That night the Sister Training Leaders came down from Buda and we went on Splits! It was super fun, we took them out to dinner at Trojas and explored the town for a little bit!  

The Christmas celebrations turned out wonderful! We were required to work for the whole holiday, so we spent most of the time over at the homes of members! Christmas Eve we had a family invite us and the elders over and I tried a piece of reindeer! Maybe I am losing it, but it honestly tasted just like a pot roast to me! 

My lovely mother sent us some paper ornaments that she insisted we use, so we made do with what we had. It definitely wasn't the typical Christmas tree, but it was a tree of some sorts we inherited with the apartment and it served its purpose! We woke up Christmas morning, opened our presents, and made a nice french toast breakfast with eggs, hash-browns, and some Stephens mint hot cocoa!  That evening we went over to Tóth Gábors house and got to Skype with our families! It was super nice to be able to talk with everybody and see their faces again! 

On Saturday there was another baptism here in Szeged! It was super neat to be apart of! 

This morning for P-day we got a group of members and went paint-balling! It was a super fun experience! Little Domi (the one being lifted up in the pictures) came! He is definitely my favorite member here in Szeged! He is a magician and always shows us his little card tricks, such a stud! His father is the branch president and they invited over to their house for dinner on Saturday, and Domi was doing a card trick when one of the elders was all "Domi, you are going to have a HOT wife one day!" Domi quickly responded "I know" as he winked at us and then bust up laughing, slapping his knee cause he thought it was so funny! Afterwards he told us that he just didn't know what else to say! It was super cute, I love that kid!

Overall it was a great week! Definitely not the Christmas I am used to, but we celebrated none the less! And now its time for New Years! I hope you all have a great week and even though we normally dont end up keeping them, make some good New Years resolutions anyways hahaha

Christmas District Meeting

Christmas District Breakfast

Skyping with the fambam

Elder Paul's favorite majestic, shoe-less, brave, flag-waving jester

Lunch at Kati's house out in Kűbek Háza

Hungary Wk#11 Boldog Karácsonyt Kívánok Nektek {Merry Christmas to You All}

 

 

Sis Csolity and I

Where has the time gone? I am officially 1/4 of the way through my mission, the time has flown way too fast! But, what better way to celebrate than with CHRISTMAS?!

This week has been pretty slow as far as the work goes. Szeged is a college town and therefore everybody is going home for the holidays and cant meet with us. So we have been doing a lot of finding this week!

On Thursday we had our Christmas zone conference up in Buda! It was good to have a fun day playing some games and to see everybody! For our Christmas present, President Szabadkai paid for us to go to the movies and watch A Kis Herceg {The Little Prince}. It was a super cute movie, and surprisingly I could understand a lot more of it than I thought I would be able to, so that was neat!

On Saturday there was another baptism here in Szeged! Afterwards we had a Branch Christmas Program and we had a song we sang with the elders! There were some very interesting solos of people singing that couldnt really sing, and most of us missionaries were doing our best not to laugh! Hahah over all it was a great night!

And this week is Christmas! I am so excited to spend it here in Szeged! It is beautiful here this time of year! What better way to spend the holiday season than share the gospel with people and letting them know that not only was Christ born, but that he lived for us, he died for us, and he lives again! I am so thankful for this gospel in my life, and thankful for this season that we have to celebrate our Savior! I hope that you all have a great Christmas filled with love and time with your families! I love you all!

"We Went Ice Skating This Morning"

Hungary wk#10~~Transfer #2

I had to say goodbye to Sister Dohm

 Well this week I had to say goodbye to sister Dohm, that was definitely a bittersweet moment! It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to serve around her! She was a great missionary and someone that I really look up to! After I said goodbye to her at Kelenföld we headed over to Keleti to meet up with our new zone leader and as we turned the corner, there was a Princess Pékség, Dohm's favorite pékség in Hungary, so I got a little slice of pizza in her honor!
While I had to say goodbye to Sister Dohm, I also got a super cool new companion, Sister Csolity, so that was fun! Sister Csolity is super sweet! She is a convert to the church and has a super great testimony! She also teaches me the language, so what isnt there to love about her!

  My super cool new companion, Sister Csolity and I

Dohm loved stray cats, so naturally I had to take a picture with one hahah

Dohm's favorite pékség in Hungary, so I got a little slice of pizza in her honor!

More great news for the week...KLAUDIA GOT BAPTIZED!!!! It was such an amazing experience to be able to take part in! Klaudia is sersiously just one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met! In a lot of ways she reminds me a lot of myself when I was little, she is super smart and LOVES school, especially math, and lets be honest, not a lot of people like math! So like I said, basically me! She was so happy on Saturday though, it was so cute! We met with her one last time on friday before her baptism, and she just kept telling us she couldnt wait and you could just see on her little face how excited she was! It was a great day! At her baptism we had her and two of her siblings sing the song, "When I am Baptized". It was a little rough hahah but still the cutest thing ever!

KLAUDIA GOT BAPTIZED!!

Klaudia's Baptism Day

A Cica Temetése!‏

Ezt az e-mailt egy Avast védelemmel rendelkező, vírusmentes számítógépről küldték.

 One transfer down! It is crazy how fast the time has flown by! This week has been full of a bunch of crazy things, but I dont have much time to tell about most of them!

Highlights of the week though:

1. We attended a cat funeral while tracting for this cat that got run over and there were like 5 other cats that joined us! It must have been a pretty popular cat!

2. The legendary Géza of Szeged fed us this week! Hungarians dont joke around when it comes to feeding the missionaries. He cooked us a 5 course meal that was straight up Hungarian and we all ate so much we thought we were going to die!

3. Róbi made us some homemade birds milk. It was way too sweet for me, but still super good!

4. KRISZTI GOT BAPTIZED!!! She is one of the elders investigators and she is a super awesome person! I love her! We also had one other baptism this weekend here in Szeged!

5. It was Sister Dohm's last week in the country! It's pretty bittersweet to see her leave, but she has some great things ahead of her back in America! Which leads us to...
6. TRANSFER CALLS! I will be staying here in Szeged and my new companion is going to be Sister Csolity! She actually isnt serving in our mission... She is a native Hungarian and she is going to serve in Arizona, but her Visa isnt here yet so she started her mission here in Hungary. She has been here for about 6 weeks already and was also trained this last transfer. So what that means is that I will be basically be finishing training her while she trains me in the language! It is a little bit crazy, and by that I mean scary, but I think it is going to be great! I am super excited to have a native teaching me the language, cause there is no way to learn it better! We are not sure how long she will be here for, but either way, I am excited to serve with her for as long as I they allow! It is going to be quite the adventure, I can't wait!

L to R:  Géza of Szeged, Elder Wilcox (From Saratoga Springs), Elder Tillamindick (From Colorado), Me~Kaylee (UTAH)

Sister Dohm (From Minessota) Elder Oakes (From Arizona), and in front Elder Paul (From Sandy),

                                                                                

"The legendary Géza of Szeged fed us this week"

More Food!

Dohm, Nover and I ~Sad that it's her last week here in Hungary!!

Cat Funeral

LeBaron Nover, Erika, and Nover Dohm

Erika and I