"Hat, mit is mondjak?" What should i even say?

We got our transfer calls this morning, and I got a nice little call from President Szabadkai informing me that I will be going to the BEAUTIFUL, NAGY city Pest, with my dream companion, Mason nővér. She is one group ahead of me, and I need you all to know that dreams come true. I am SO sad to be leaving Veszprém, but i cannot wait for this adventure that this next 8 weeks is going to bring. 

This week I was able to watch one of our investigators, Rita, be baptized by her 18 year old son Oliver, who has been a member for a little over a year. You guys, I can honestly say it was a moment I will absolutely never, ever forget. Rita has just taught me countless things while we have been meeting her, I am SO humbled, and so grateful for the opportunity I have had to associate with such an amazing human. Some advice that she gave Oliver when he wanted to be baptized has stuck with me. She told him "If you want to be baptized, do it. but you dont go get baptized because the missionaries want you to, because you think I will get baptized, because its something 'different' to do, you get baptized because you believe in this, and you are going to live this the rest of your life"  and that is EXACTLY what she did when she decided to be baptized.

 I have never realized how much faith can change a person. It didn't matter what we were teaching her, or that it was even me and Sister Jensen doing the teaching for that matter, what mattered was that Rita had made a decision, and she had felt the spirit in church, and the prompting to change, and she did not look back. She quit coffee in 3 days, stopped smoking, and set the most touching example for me on how to live.  Also there was the most adoreable family that got baptized on Saturday that the Elders have been teaching, So saturday was basically the best day of all of our lives. Quite the way to leave a city AMIRIGHHHT?

In other news one of our investigators, who I promise is the coolest person i have ever met on this earth, drew a picture of me. Also I have this strong, passionate hate for cats, but she has a cat, Whos name is cat. He has one eye, and I actually think it's really cool and I don't know how this is happening.

Life is too good. now i am going to write some advice, that is mainly for me, but you guys can take what you would like from it. ENJOY where are are in life. live every single second of it. don't think forward, dont think backward, think right now, this day. make this day good. make this day happy. happiness is a choice. 

Next week i will be sending lots of love from my house in budaPEST. holler. 

-Swenson out

 

1:  Do you actually get a Pday on transfer week, or is your pday a moving day?

yes yes we do! its basically a day to pack, and say bye, but we still get one!

2.  Is your suitcase going to be able to make the move?

yes, we hope haha 

3.  How are your bedsheets holding up?

great!

4.  Are your winter shoes going to make it through the winter?

yes yes, but i am definitely going to have to get some new summer shoes, those guys did not make it through the winter haha

5.  Did you make sure to get good pictures of your apartment?

of course haha 

6.  What do you usually eat for breakfast?

literally every day i eat a yogurt, apple, banana, and oat parfait

7.  Has your schedule changed much since the new "flexibility"

honestly yes! its been amazing. 

8.  How many sisters are there in your whole mission?

around 27!

9.  Have you had any bad illness this winter?

surprisingly, no!

10.  Did you know I think about you ALL THE TIME?  I mean really, all the time.  Love you so much cutie.

hahaha TELL ME ABOUT IT. i love you toooooo!

First and most importantly I need to tell you all that I have received the information this week, while tracting a 10 storey in Hungary, from a man named Kereti Roland,  that Hungarian is the actually the language that we will be speaking in Heaven. So if I were you guys, I would start to study. I repeat, this is a very valid source i received my information from. 

Second, CAN YOU GUYS SAY ONE YEARRRRRRR??? I hit my year mark this week and its kinda the weirdest feeling ever. I feel like I might have been on my mission since Vietnam, but then I feel like I just left yesterday, time is a weird world on a mission. To celebrate we traditionally burned my skirt, and Elder Thomas and Elder Norris white shirts. 

This week we had interviews with President Szabadkai in Dunaújváros for the upcoming transfer next week. I need you guys to know that President Szabadkai is just the best guy ever, and he really just loves us missionaries so much.  I am SO grateful for him and the dilligent work he does for us missionaries, and the church here in Hungary.

This week I got an email from my brother in law (SHOUT OUT WHAT UP SPENC) and he said this "if you are ever having a hard time with something, actually make the mental step of deciding on purpose that it isn't hard, you'll be amazed at how much it helps! " and that is just something that has been on my mind so much this week. Our attitude, our mindset, our way of handling hard times, are absolutely our decision. we decide if we are going to be happy when we wake up in the morning, we decide if we are going to give all of our efforts to something. I can only speak from my own experience but out here on a mission, we have every single reason in the world to have a bad day, every single day. We are thousands of miles away from our home, our family, our friends, we are screamed at and our beliefs are questioned every single day. Haha honestly we could have a terrible 18 months out here on our missions, but its ALL about perspective. It's all about deciding to smile, to talk to that person you don't want to talk to, to tract that door you don't want to tract. WE decide what we are going to make of our lives. 

I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE IN MY SOUL FOR YOU ALL. have the best weekzz!!!

- LindZ monAy 

1.  All ready for your baptism this Week?

YES!!! everything is in order and we cannot even wait!!!

2.  What did you do for Pday today?
Hike around veszprém with Lászlo. super rad

3.  Do you Know what your branch president does for a living?

honestly.. haha no i do not!

4.  Do you have any youth in your branch?  Do they ever get together for activities?

yes we do, and yes they do! there is about probably 7 young kids in the branch, like high school aged 
5.  Do they ever talk about your mission getting iPads?

actually, president talked about it in his interview with jensen, that he wants them, but i dont really know whats going to happen with that haha

6.  What is your favorite Hungarian main dish?  Do you know how to make it?

absolutely paprikás csirke or töltött paprika . and yes i do holy get ready for the yummiest thing of your life

7.  What school is your companion going to go to after her mission?

BYU BYU BYU BYU

8.  Do you get the copy of your blog that I send out every week?

yes i do! and you are still the best ever for doing that!

9.  Do you think they have bigfoots in Hungary?
haha i actually have never asked that! they have all these weird hungarian myths and such so i would not be surprised.

10.  Did you know that I think you have THE best sense of humor...ever!!!!

haha 

Thank You

First of all i need to start this letter with a THANK YOU. I got all of the kind words that you all wrote me this week for christmas. (My package got lost in mail, haha what do we expect people this is a typical day in the life of Lindsi Swenson) But honestly, I just cannot get over how blessed I am, and how much I needed those, and how thankful I am for the amazing people my Heavenly Father has placed into my life. I just look up to you all so much its unreal. 

How does one accurately describe this week? I still don't know but I am just going to type and see what happens.  Haha this week started with the most disgusting weather I have ever seen in my life, like I am shocked that this whole country isn't in a deep hole of depression, but I mean I guess they kinda are, you know communism and such (awkward transition) annyyyway, we had another little tracting miracle this week, where our Heavenly Father just stopped me right in my tracks and told me "no lindsi, you're wrong, do it my way" and so we went to the complete opposite side of the city, and tracted this building, and found THE CUTEST little family who had this 14 year old daughter.    It took a total of 3 seconds before we were wearing tiaras, and sunglasses, and dancing to a Frozen song coming out of a toy car stereo (hahahaha the little girl is actually 4 years old but I accidentally typed a 1 and kept it because i like the idea of you guys picturing us dancing around like that with someone who would definitely be way too old for that sort of nonsense).

Right after that little miracle we ice skated over to our investigator Noras house, and I am not joking you, I think I had the most spiritual lesson of my whole entire mission. I have absolutely never felt the guidance of the Holy Ghost more apparently, I think ever in my life. 

At one point in time she told us that she feels like God and Jesus don't love her sometimes, and that sometimes they are not proud of her. I have never testified harder that God is so proud of her. I think honestly that was Gods was also telling me that he is proud of me as well. Hearing Nora say that he doesn't love her, was absolutely absurd to me! of course he loves her! of course he is proud of her! She is his daughter, Christ is her brother, and he payed for her sins BECAUSE he loves her.  But, how many times have I thought that exact same thing in my life? God really taught me so much in that lesson, and it just built onto my testimony so much that this is the true church.

 Nora ended up accepting our invitation, and driving us to church on Sunday!!! when Nora picked us up she told me that I was "shining" but that is probably because i had the biggest dumbest smile on my face because i was so excited she was coming to church. 

Rita is doing amazing and her baptism is still set for February 18. Rita will be getting baptized, and also a family that the elders are meeting with. We are soo excited. I tell you people there are just way too many miracles happening over here in the szep város of Veszprém. 

na, csillagaim, befejeznem kell, de hálás vagyok értitek. legyetek bátrak. ne felejtetek el hogy isten mindig néz le ránk, és mindig hallgat az imáinkra. azt meg mondtam őszintén. 

sok szeretettel mindenkinek, 

Swenson nővér

 

Questions
1.  Pday activity today?

cards with the elders!

2.  Do you just have one pillow to sleep with?  Is that enough?

haha i have somehow managed to find three so in this apartment i have been fine!

3.  So, what does your new schedule look like since your schedule change?

uhm, basically its our decision. we still have exercise, study, and now planning in the morning, and then lunch at somepoint, and dinner, but where we put our other studies like language, and 12 week, are our decision now. so it just completely depends on the day, and on the work!

4.  How is your shoulder feeling?

haha it is hangin in there!

5.  How is the rest of your body?  Knee, ankle????  My cute little orthopedically challenged girl!!

haha life is good, no complaints here!
6.  Do many hungarians in your city speak English?

uhm, yes there are a couple!!
7.  What is your favorite Hungarian goody?

linzerek oh my heavens i am obsessed with those. they are basically like a sugar cookie with some peach jam in the middle, but that description just does not do those bad boys any justice whatsoever

8.  What do you talk about in between knocking on doors when you are knocking on doors?

hahah usually we save all of our exciting life stories for tracting so we just talk about life basically!

9.  When you think of your area, what are you going to remember the most about it 10 years from now?

probably the GORGEOUS view of vesprém looking down from the castle and seeing all the gorgeous red roof tops that remind me so much of this cute countr

Guys, this is 20 year old swenson nővér speaking

Guys, this is 20 year old Swenson Nővér speaking and I need to inform you all that turning 20 instantly changed me and I am now an adult and do adulty things and am super mature, successful, you know, adulty things. 

This week was not far from fantastic!! Tuesday and Wednesday we had splits with the Dunaújváros sisters, which means I got to spend my birthday with MY FAVORITE HUMAN BEING Sister Greenwood. Seriously couldn't have asked for a better day. We had a lesson with Rita (Olivers mom who is getting baptized) and the lesson went amazing, she is just so ready for this gospel and for this change, and then they surprised me with cake and a necklace. :') We then went straight to this amazing family's house the vasváryék to watch the world wide mission broadcast! so nice of the apostles to do a whole broadcast just for my birthday!!!! But we got some crazy news and they switched up the missionaries daily schedule, and our key indicators so life is gettin crazy over hereeee! They also surprised me with cake, and then we had to say goodbye to Máté (their son who is moving to Scotland) really sad, but just a great day all in all.

We met again with Fanny and Adrienn to answer all their questions about the plan of salvation, and talk about christ is the center of Heavenly Fathers perfect plan. It was kinda crazy because fanny had never even heard about the atonement, so we had to really break it up very simply, and it was amazing to just simply testify that God loves us. Christ loves us, and that is simply why he atoned for our sins. In the missionary broadcast they talked a lot about how simple this gospel is. Elder Bednar said "living the gospel is not that easy, but understanding the gospel is not that difficult." 

 Fanny is the coolest person ever and she was showing us her drawings cause she sells them, and there was a lot of star wars, and I just so happened to have a lightsaber in my bag that I recieved from Elder Thomas and Elder Norris, so you could say that me and fanny get along, or that I am a freaking weirdo, whatever you think fits better haha

I just am so beyond thankful for all of the amazing people I have met here on my mission. my companions, my districts, other missionaries, the members, my investigators, my mission president, his wife. I was thinking about how grateful I am for every single one of them this week, and it made me just even more thankful for my mission. I dont believe in coincidences, I believe that God puts each and every single person in your life because he knows you. He knows how to answer your prayers, and he knows what you need. I am thankful for that. I love him, and Ilove this gospel, and I love my mission.

LÉGY ÖNMAGAD.  

1.  Pday plans today?

bowlinggggg!! 

2.  Where do people in Hungary go to the temple?

Freiberg Germany

3.  Are people generally friendly when you go door to door?

generally yes theyre not too rude, but sometimes its just almost hilarious how rude they are haha

4.  So, when is the next time you will be in Budapest to maybe get your package?

I think transfers :((

5.  Is the weather getting any warmer?

hahaha nope nope nope

6.  So, quick.  What did you make yourself for dinner last night?

we were fed by a member and it was this soup with like potatoes and kolbász and ham and beans and noodles, so good haha served with these delicious spicy pickles, bread, tea. suuuuper healthy haha

7.  What are you studying in your personal study right now?

right now i am studying patience, temperence, and long suffering!

8.  What time are you usually asleep by?  Do you fall right to sleep when you go to bed?

usually by 10 i am asleep. and it definitely depends on the night!
9.  Do they have american brands of like toothpaste, deodorant, mascaras????

toothpaste i have found my brand and i will stick to it forever its the colgate whitening stuff. deodorant no.. haha actually could you send me more of that? and mascara, yes!!

10.  Did you know that your emails every week keep your mamma alive.  I love you so so much!!!

do you know that your emails every week keep your lindsi alive?!? haha but really dead serious i love you more!