I don't even know how to start.....

How does one start the last email after the most precious adventure their heart could ever fathom? 

My heart has been so full this week, as I try to take in every little last beautiful moment I have been granted in this country that will be apart of me forever. I made a list of everything that could come to my head: The people who have changed my life, the challenges I have gone through, the triumphs I was able to witness with God's help, the lessons I have learned, the lessons I am still trying to learn, the changes I have made, the things that have changed me, and I simply am in awe of the miracles God is able to do.

 I am going to give just a tiny list of 18 things that I have learned in these 18 months, in no particular order, in no particular importance:

1. Trust in God's timing, and in his plan for you. 

2. Get over yourself

3. God's hand places people into our lives

4. Laugh at your mistakes

5. Everyone is different. Different perspectives aren't wrong. 

6. You bring your own weather to the picnic

7. Humility is a sign of strength

8. Never be anyone, but yourself. 

9. Don't be unrealistically positive- have a good attitude, but sometimes days are hard, and that's okay. 

10. Dont give up on anyone, people can change. I have watched it. 

11. Stick with your decisions

12. Ask people questions, and listen

13. Prayer works. 

14. Nothing in life should be expected. Always show gratitude for our blessings

15. I don't have to be perfect. 

16. Things that are worth it don't come easily.

17. Doing your best means not becoming complacent. 

18. I am beyond blessed. 

én tudom hogy ez az evangélium igaz. én hiszem az egész szívemmel hogy van egy tökéletes terv Istennek, mindenki szamara. Mondhatom hogy nem tudtam szolgálni a missziómat egyedül. Amikor végre engedtem az ő segítsége az életembe, tudtam tenni csodákat vele. Csak úgy. nincs más mód. végtelen hálás vagyok a szilárd bizonyságomért, amit szereztem a misszióm alatt. Tudom hogy jó megváltom él. Tudom hogy Jézus Krisztus ismer engem tökéletesen. Azt tudom, mert tapasztaltam. Szükségem volt a missziómra. tejesen változtatott az életemet. 

I loved my mission. I needed my mission. I needed my Savior. 

SEE YOU ALL ON THURSDAYYYYYYY

sok szeretettel,

AZ UTOLSÓ SZER 

Swenson nővér 

 OK...What does one do on the last Pday in Hungary? i am visiting a member, and finding a guitar case, and goign to the nagy erdő for the last time!

How sad is your companion going to be when you leave? ahhhhhhh we are going to miss each other so much

Do  you know what you do the last night you are in Budapest with the Mission President? yes! we have interviews, a really nice dinner that sister szabadkai cooks, and then we go to buda castle!

So, do you want to come home and have lunch after your flight, or do you want to go out to lunch with the family? I think i would rather go home, and have lunch at home with the fam! 

Have you talked with your future roomates?  Are they a little excited to see you? I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THEM AND OF COUSE I HAVE TALKED TO THEM

Who is the first person you are going to text or  call when you get home and get a phone? brooke and kate in a group message

What are 5 things you are going to miss about the Hungarian people? 1. their bad teeth 2. their hard exterior shell, but their soft, soft soft hearts when you get to them 3. nénis ruling the world 4. getting nénid for hours on end 5. their beautiful language i have fallen in love with 

Did you have a chance to bear your testimony at this Zone conference? yes i did. it was the most tender thing. 

Do you remember how to swim? we hope so haha 

Do you know how truly loved you are?  And, wow, just how truly beautiful you are...inside and out? do you know how much i truly love you? thank you mom. i cant say thank you enough. 

If life keeps being this good, I am not going to leave this country.

Lets get right to it. This week was one of those "if life keeps being this good, I am not going to leave this country, I simply won't"

It started out with last pday. We ended up tracting, at a super random time in the day, when it was still pday, I don't even really know why, kinda just because we felt like we should? We ended up tracting into this 24 year old Russian girl, who had such a cool perspective on life. One thing she kept bringing up is how people should practice what they preach. That is a huge problem with the world today,  people say one thing, and do another. It was an amazing discussion, and such a miracle find. Gosh it's so cool to be literally lead, in the middle of a pday, to these people that are just so ready to meet with us. 

We were walking on the street and we saw the cutest little néni. Sister Solomon told the Néni that she loved her dress, and the Néni just broke down into tears, and told us how it was her and her dead husband's anniversary today, and how she was going to visit his grave. She bought the dress 30 years ago and wore it today for that special reason. She had the cutest bright light pink lips too, she got so ready ah. We accompanied her to buy her husband some flowers. Then she asked us to come and go with her to her husbands grave. It was the coolest experience because there is this beautiful Catholic temple in Debrecen, and she took us into the basement, a place you can only go with a key, where her husbands ashes were. We were standing by his grave, and I asked her if she believed she would see him again.

She told me that she didn't know. It was a blessing for me to look into those sweet little eyes and testify that I know that she will meet him again. I know that God has a plan for her. She asked me why God would leave her alone, and we got to teach her all about God's perfect plan for us in the bottom of a cold, stone, catholic temple. I know that God put that cute little néni in our path, I couldnt help but just feel like she needed someone in that time, and that God knew that, and he directed us over there. he truly truly watches over all of his children. 

So we found a new investigator this week, and we made a little deal with him. We promised him that we would go to his church on Saturday (seventh day adventist) , if he would come to ours (I am a missionary from the mormon church. ever heard of it?) so saturday morning we met good old Péter by the nagy templom, and walked on over to his church. It was so interesting. Honestly, our churches are not a lot different. There was a lot of truth.  Seriously those were some amazing people there. Their faith in Christ, and the motivation they recieve from it to help other people was inspiring, but the whole time i could not help but just feel like something was missing. I couldn't help but think about the temple. I couldn't help but think about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, Thomas S. Monson, General conference... It made me so grateful for my knowledge of the FULLNESS of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those words have never rang so true to me. 

Lastly yesterday we had a let in from the kindest couple I have ever met. We talked about the restoration, and they loved it. They had the most firm testimonies in Jesus Christ, and what he had done for us. My new favorite question to ask people while we tract is what advice they would give to the younger generation. Anikő looked straight into my soul and basically told me that what I am doing right now, being a missionary in Hungary, telling the world of the truth, would change my life. That hit me extremely hard. As I start my last full week as a full time missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I can't help but hear the resounding truth from that statement. My mission has changed my life. I have one more week to give EVERYTHING i have to my Savior. To my Heavenly Father, and I can testify that Aniko was right. I will give everything I have to the last second, to the moment I get to be safe in my parents loving arms, because that is the least I can do. 

Alma 26:36-37

36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

1.  Pday plans?

find a hard guitar case, shop around, lunch with the elders. the usual shenanegons (why did i even attempt that word?)

2.  Did you do your singing finding?  I saw the wonderful video your mission president posted where you guys and the branch president and his wife were signing...and you were playing your guitar.  not going to lie...make me cry big happy tears!!

we didnt, but we got to do a nice little number during church that turned out really great. 

3.  What is your favorite color?

pine tree green, or yellow. not together though haha 

4.  Are you going to be up to running a 10K with us on September 16?... Say yes!!!

YES. absolutely

5.  Any Americans in your branch?

nope not an american in sight of that thing 

6.  What do you guys usually do for District meeting?

hah really nothign too exciting. just have the meeting then eat lunch

7.  What are you studying currently during your personal study time?

i am currently studying doctrine and covenants and i love it

8.  Did you listen to any podcasts before you left?  I am currently obsessed with them....

serial yes, BUT you have to show me all of the ones you are obsessed with cause i love them too

9.  If you had to pick one lake to go to for the rest of your life...and you could never go to the other to stay/play....which one would it be????  Lake Powell or Bear Lake?

lake powell hands down

10.  Did you know I have a timer set for 12:30 on August 10th?  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

NEXT WEEK MOM. next week.