What an INCREDIBLE week. June 27, 2016

Hahahahah what an incredible week!! I dont think that I have spent one moment not laughing with my companion. She is incredible haha also this week was packed of newness so get puuuuuuumped for this email. 

Kedd: Ahh we met with Bogi on tuesday who is an investigator who is actually a media referral.   She is probably the most prepared human being I have ever met. Every single thing we teach her she just accepts right away. She came to church for the first time this Sunday.   Usualy,l the first 15 minutes of church is like basically the worst thing ever for me because Greenwood plays the prelude music.    That means that I just have to go around and talk to everyone and I just know sooo much Hungarian and it is terrifying. haha k i might of exaggerated about the worst thing ever, but Hungarian is hard haha but anywas Bogi was there on Sunday so i just got to talk to her the whole time so, best day.

Szerda:  Soooo i have the coolest investigator named Gyöngi who is legit Michael Jackson. haha ahh i love her and her craziness!! but this week she actually brought a friend with her named Trén to our lesson which is SUCH an amazing thing because that means that Gyöngi is for sure getting something out of our meetings! it was such a cool experience to teach Irén vissza and she even cried when i was telling her the first vision. the Spirit can do some incredible things in our lessons if we let it. its such a cool experience to be a conduit for the Spirit out here.

Csütörtök:  Funniest day of my entire liiiiiiife. first of all we went on a vast hummus search throughout all of H ungary and we FINALLY FOUND IT.  My life is so much better now you guys :') tender mercies everwhere haha.   Then we met with member Gyöngy and her husband Zóli who i'm actually not too convinced isn't a vampire. but he made us amaaaaaaaazing süti 

Péntek: ZONE CONFERENCE IN BUDAPEST. I love zone conferences. it is sooo fun to see everyone in our zone! we talked a lot about Christlike attributes and how we can become better. It was really cool because in my morning studies, I was studying Alma 37 and in verse 6 and 7 it talks about how by small and simple things, great things are come to pass (end quote haha) but i think sometimes we look at changing ourselves as this huge, unattainable tasks, and i just love the comfort of knowing it is by small and simple things every single day that we can truly better ourselves. It gives me SO much more motivation to act, and to serve more, and to love more, and to truly strive every single day to become more like our savior. WE ARE SO BLESSED. 

Vasarnap: if you dont read any other part of this email, READ THIS DAY. HAHA so the Elders have this terrifying investigator who basically put herself on a bap date on their last meeting with her, but the problem is she isnt exactly "bap date ready" We were sitting in Sunday school with her, and the teacher is talking about keeping the Sabbath day holy, and why it's so important.  Their investigator then pulls out this mysterious liquid in a brown paper bag and takes this chug.... hahaha.   We all just like looked around like "uhhh did that just happen?" and like what is one to do when their investigator is casually drinking alchohol during sunday school? hahaha.   Greenwood and I were DYING. So funny. sok sikert elderek. hahaha 

I love this gospel. this church is SO TRUE. if you dont already know that for a fact, go and read the Book of Mormon again, and take  Moroni's promise in 10:3-5. I can also add to that promise that Heavenly Father WILL answer your prayers, and you will know that the Book of Mormon is true. and, if the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith is a true prophet, if Joseph Smith was a prophet, God still speaks to his children today on earth and,  if God still speaks to his children today on earth, the plan of salvation is there for all of to live together forever with our families. isnt that kinda amazing??

SOK SZERETETTEL 

SWENSON NŐVÉR

1.  What was your Pday activity today?

shoooopppiiinnngggg for summer clothes because i am going to melt in all of my collared shirts sajnos :(

2.  Do they like the same hymns from the hymn book in Hungary as here in the old USA!!

yes yes yes!!

3.  What do you usually have for lunch?

eggggssss hahah 

4.  Are you still running for exercise?

yes yes my new companion loves to run!!

5.  Do you have enough clothes for running and Pday?

uhmmm not really!! i might need to be getting some!

6.  Do you ever do service work as sisters? I know that's sounds weird, I know that your whole mission is service, I just wondered because so so much of beau's mission was so much service, not so much tracting.

no way about beaus mission?? uhm we dont do too much service in hungary!! buuuuttt actually we have our first service on saturday!

7.  Is your hair feeling healthier?

haha yes! at least humidity is good for one thing haha

8.  Do Hungarians dress pretty stylish?

haha yah if we still lived in 2005 haha

9.  Are Hungarian families pretty small, large?

suuuuper small haha everyone things im crazy that i have 7 people in my family!

10.  Did you know that I cannot look at a picture of you and not think how you are just glowing with happiness and love? Wow, I admire and love you... So proud to be your mommy!!!

i love you soooo much more!!!!!!!!

Coming at you live from Szolnok, Hungary!! Hallostok a családom és barátaim :)

Szerda:

Holy crazy day! we are doing transfers now at the mission home, which is really nice because you get to see everyone, but then super hard because you have to drag your luggage around everywhere! and that prooobably wouldnt have been too bad, but just because my name is Lindsi Swenson, my suitcase decided to totally break and just imagine how much fun that was!!! Seriously don't even worry i LOVE carrying 50 pound suitcases through Budapest yay!!! 

Transfers were so much fun to see and meet everyone in the mission. i have heard soo much about everyone and so it was super fun to actually meet them in real life! Haha,  after that, we went to lunch with Thomas Elder who was in my MTC group whom I just adore.   Then we headed off to Szolnok! Okay so everybody says that Szolnok is not the prettiest city in the whole world, but they are wrooooong and everyone needs to stop hating on Szolnok because it is the cutest little city, and I seriously love it here!!

Csütörtök:

We met with our WML Tibor and he is the nicest guy. he is suuuuper helpful with our missionary work too and that is awesome because our new thing in the mission is getting members present to every single lesson. After meeting tibor he took us to the tiszavirág festival. the festival is in honor of the bugs that "flower" (virág means flower) on the tisza and are only alive for one day of the year. We got to talk to this drunk néni allllll about it, so that was exciting haha.   Then i got to try my first Kürtös Kalács and its probably the reason I am going to stay in Hungary for the rest of my life. SO GOOD.

Péntek:Friday we had our first district meeting, We all brought our pictures and introduced ourselves. Greenwood nővér is adorable!!! She is the most chill human being I have ever met and she is super easy to get along with. We are going to have SO much fun this transfer! She is from New Mexico and is 21 and she went to BYU for a year before the mish :) Elder Hughes and Baird are both from utah and super great guys!

Vasárnap:

So the Szolnok branch already has my heart. Oh my gosh the members here are just amazing. It was so fun to meet everyone that I have heard SO much about from Withers Nővér!! This branch is suuuper rendes and so willing to help us out in our missionary work. seriously i feel way too blessed to be here!! I got to bear my testimony/introduce myself as well and everyone LOVED when I said I have a twin haha Hungarians always think that is the coolest thing. 

After church we got to go teach SANDOR. ahhhhh im obsessed with sandor. he is a 52 year old man and Withers found him and he was just baptized and his daughter Judit is 18 and i just love them all so much already. Sandor made us meggy gyümölcs leves which was delicious, and I wish that you all could meet him and that I could do him ANY justice by describing him ahhh. 

Sunday night we were doing dinner with the elders and we had to make peanut butter cookies really fast because who shows up to district dinner without peanut butter cookies right?? Anywho, we tried to make them... TRIED being the key word haha. Greenwood accidentally put them in the oven with the cutting board... and we kinda.. melted the cutting board... and it was kinda a disaster. haha but do not fret we took at knife to the dried melted plastic all night and cleaned everything. hahaha the life of a missionary. 

Ive been reading Jesus the Christ for personal studies and I cannot get over how amazing that book is. Or how amazing our Savior is. There is a quote by Dieter F. Uchtdorf that says "The greatest, Most capable, most accomplished man who ever walked this earth was also the most humble." I Think that is incredible. I have such a stronger desire to be more like my Savior, and to develop all of the Christlike attributes and truly become a better Lindsi Swenson, but with his help. I am SO thankful for my savior.

I LOVE YOU ALL SORRY THIS EMAIL WAS SO LONG IF YOU HAVE MADE IT TO THE END YOU ARE A HOMIE

sok szeretettel

Swens monayyyyyy

1.  So, what do pdays in your new town look like?

today we went on an adventure walk with the elders and i probably got like 14 ticks haha we were trudging through a legit forest but it was so fun!!

2.  How big is your branch, ward?

there is about 20 people that come to church!

3.  Do you know any of the Elders/sisters in your district?

elder baird served with withers before, but other than that nope!

4.  Is Greenwood Nover related to Dr. Les Greenwood?

sajnos no :(

5.  Do you know a Mckay Bruse?  His family is moving into Marcia Moody's house.

whaaaat???? hahaha youre kidding! i love mckay bruse!! i taught the little bruce girls in swimming lessons at oakridge!! you will love his mom!!

6.  How is your knee feeling?

it actually started hurting super bad again but i will be fine!!!! do not fret!

7.  Have you cooked any hungarian food yet for yourself?

yes! rako krumpli and gyümölcs leves!

8.  Does everybody in Hungary have Iphones?

haha not really? kinda?

9.  Any clothing requests?

ahhh any cute dress like the one you sent me!! or long skirts!! summery stuff is always amazing!!

10.  I love how your eyes are totally sparking and smiling in every picture that you send.  You my dear are a beautiful young woman!!

TRRANNNNNNNNNNNSFFFFFFFEEEEEERRRRRRRSSSSSS. CIAOSTOK mindenki :) June 14, 2016

I have been a missionary for four months. how? where on earth does the time go??? We got our transfer calls and i am leaving Székesfehérvár and I will be going to Szolnok with Greenwood Nővér!! i am sooooo excited!! 

It has been a craaaaaaazy week here in Hungary haha.  President basically told us in our interviews last week that he was going to close székes to sisters, so we made sure to make appointments with every single one of our investigators and see them one last time before we go!

 you know how everyone says its almost harder leaving an area then leaving your home to go on your mission? well they're right :( what the heck i'm going to miss everyone so much!! But I am so absolutely confident that the Lord directs this work.

 I am soooo sad that i won't be with Withers Nővér anymore. She is literally going to be my best friend for the rest of my life I just know it! the Lord knows me perfectly, and he knows exactly where I am supposed to go,  and how I can help his work go forward here in Hungary!  there is noooooo such thing as getting comfortable on a mission haha what an amazing thing I get to be apart of here!! 

We had splits again this week with the Sister Training Leaders and we were able to do our street singing thing one more time before the transfer! it was sooo successful! we got out 8 Book of Mormons! Seriously miracles happen every single day ahh. 

i'm so sorry this email is so short, nem túl sokat csináltunk sajnos :( i love you all SO much and pray for you every single day. I just feel way too blessed every single day to be a missionary and i cant waaaaait for this next transfer and the new intresting situations i will get myself into hahah STAY POSTED. 

sok szeretettel 

Swenson Nővér 

1.  Pday activity today?

getting ready for transfers!!!!

2.  Do you always do your grocery shopping on Pday?yep yep yep :)

3.  Does your branch have any mid-week activities?

sport nap!!! its the best its just on saturday and we literally just play soccer with europeans ahh

4.  Are there a lot of non-Hungarians in your town, i.e. Refugees, other nationalities?

not that i really know of!

5.  Do people mostly lived in apartments or houses in your area?eveeeerrryone lives in the 10 stories!! 

6.  Do most apartments/homes have air conditioning?

no because hungarians are weird and are scared of air conditioning haha they think youre going to get a cold!

7.  Are there little stores like 7-11 in Hungary?yes yes!

8.  What are you studying now in your personal scripture study?

we have a mission wide challenge to read at least 5 pages in the BOM every day and highlight in 4 different colors 1. everytime christ is referenced or god 2. christlike attributes 3. doctrine 4. christs words

9.  Do you like the shampoo you can get in Hungary?

yes!! they have like normal stuff :)

10.  Did you know that your hair is soooop pretty?  It really looks so healthy and pretty, seriously!!!

thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me :')

Sziastok mindenki :) June 7th, 2016

So, I only have the best news in the ENTIRE world to share... ZOLTAN HAS A BAP DATE. ahhhh we are beyond excited. the whole experience was just crazy.   Haha first of all we walked all the way there and realized that we forgot the pamphlets and those things are so helpful and explain thing so well, so we legit had to walk back and get them haha,  But, we got there again and went up and the lesson was going pretty well.   But  then he gets off topic SO easily, so we were kinda getting nervous about the bap dat. Satan is so good at his dang job....BUT, ne felj! we got to the part about baptism, explained everything and Withers aked him!! I  LOVED his response.  He first said that he doesn't feel 100 percent ready right now, but.... he was so excited to learn everything in time and when he does "perse megkeresztelkedni fogom" (of course i will be baptized) I have never ever felt so excited at any moment in my life. I knew I had to just keep my cool and not freak him out haha,  but i probably had just the biggest stupidest smile on my face.   He told us he has noticed a big change in his life since he has been meeting with us! He said he sees the world differently.  "when you guys come the building feels better, my house feels better, i think so much better, even the door feels better!" I have never felt more genuinely happy in my entire life. I know this church is true. I know this Gospel can change lives,I''m watching it happen right now. I am so blessed. 

That was my exciting news from yesterday :) Saturday we got to go to Siófok again and we met with Richie and Sylvie Carvell.   He is  from England, and they both speak fluent english, in fact, he doesn't speak a word of Hungarian. They took us out to the nicest restaraunt, and got us the yummiest fagyi I've had yet in Hungary.... ahhh so dang good. I literally felt like I was with Americans and it was just so fun and chill the entire time! 

Sunday we got to go to Regina's house again and her parents literally fed us a feast of deeeeelicious Hungarian food. it was the first time i've tried pörkölt csirke and it will not be the last. I am a little bit way too blessed you guys. 

I love my mission. I love you all!!!!! 

1.  What did you do for your Pday today?

interviews with president in duna!

2.  Do you and your companion share clothes?

haha yes and its the beeeeeeest
3.  What do you usually fix yourself for dinner?
usually eggs or something like that!!

4.  Is the city you are in a pretty big city?
uhm not huge!!

5.  What has the weather been like recently?

so confusing hahaah like rainy? humid?? hooooot! haa

6.  Do you ever hear any English music playing around town?

haha always people dont listen to anything else!
7.  Do they have grocery stores, like Smiths?  Bowmans?
yes yes!! they have spars and tesco!

8.  Do they have any American fast food places in your town?

yes!!!! they have a KFC here and its like fantastic haha i literally hate KFC at home but these ones are amazing ahh

9.  Doe people ever ask you questions about America?
yah kinda!! theyre usually just impressed that were from america and speak hungarian and then wonder why on earth we would do that haha 

10.  Did you know that you are BEAUTIFUL?  Seriously, you keep getting prettier and prettier!!

only cause youre my mom :)