UPDATE ON CRAZY BÁCSI WE TRACTED INTO

UPDATE ON CRAZY BÁCSI WE TRACTED INTO: so we walk into the branch house the other day, and on the table is a nice little letter written in English "dear double missionary thank you very much book, Alexander" sooooooooo basically that bácsi is my favorite person that I have ever come in contact with and I could not even believe my eyes cause that is probably the funniest thing ever. Is it even funny? Am i just definitely a missionary now? haha 

UPDATE ON COMPANION: soooooo I basically am the luckiest person because Gordon Nővér is the best human. She is adorable. She is from St. George Utah, went to school at Dixie State, and has been on her mission for a year. We are liiiiterally going to be best friends and I cannot wait for this transfer!!!! (I guess its already here, but you get the idea haha)

This was kiiinda a crazy week with transfers and everything. saying goodbye to Greenwood was soooo sad :( but its okay because change is good you know?! 

Highlights of the week:

1. We decided to pray about where to tract, and have the spirit lead us there. so we kinda were just walking around, and felt like we needed to talk to this old investigator in the area book. we went to their 10 storey and csengőd them, and they were home! they let us in and we had a really cool spiritual thought/ lesson with them. also its a family!!!! yay yay yay! When we were leaving the Mom told us that it was really cool that we came today, because she was having such a terrible day and needed something that would uplift her. You guys, Heavenly Father is truly mindful of all of his children. I am so thankful that we were able to follow the Spirit and have the opportunity to teach that family. also they set up with us again so I am very excited to see what could happen :)

2. AUGUST 20. my first holiday in Hungary!!!!!! This holiday is about some king, that did some thing with christianity? As you can tell I am well versed in Hungarian history. BUT the day was so fun. We went to a members house and had a traditional hungarian "bogrács" which is where they cook this giant thing of soup in a big pot over a fire. We played all these games with the members.  Our investigator Polett came, and I adore her so much. Such a good time!! That night we watched fireworks over the Tisza river and I ONCE AGAIN had one of those moments where i felt wayyyy too blessed to be a missionary here in this beautiful country of Hungary. 

3.  My companion and I were invaded by 2 of the BIGGEST BEES I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. We literally locked ourselves in our little room for the evening and did not dare to come out because I am sure we would have lost an arm. 

nagyon szeretlek titeket. remélem minden rendben veletek :) 

sok szeretettel, 

Swenson Nővér

1.  What did you do for your Pday today?

Just grocery shopped, gordan nővér unpacked a little, i played guitar, and we played some cards with the elders. 

2.  Do you see the Elder's in your district every day?  How do you split up the town?

the town is basically in half, and we usually do end up seeing them everyday!

3.  Do you and your companion do your companion study in Hungarian?

hahaha no

4.  How is the running going?

my new comp doesnt love running as much sajnos.. but im hoping to go still a couple times a week!

5.  Did you get your package?

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i adore you thank you thank you thank you!!!

6.  Are you missing any American foods like crazy yet?

yesssssssss cafe rió and cottage cheese and milkshakes 

7.  Do you like to wear scarves?
sometimes!! i really like the plaid red one we got for my mission!

8.  You said you would like a selfie stick....do they work with regular cameras?

yes!

9.  What was the last dinner that you cooked for yourself?

thai foooooood :)

10.  Did you know that your outfits always look so cute in your pictures?  You just pull off that beautiful American missionary thing!!!

you are adorable thank you hahaha 

What a Crazy Week. August 16, 2016

What a crazy week!! haha i feel like i could say that every single week serving here in the Hungary budapest Mission. 

I am so sorry i dont have much time this week so i will just hit some of the highlights from the week. haha

First of all GREAT NEWS: I AM STAYING IN SZOLNOK :') I was so scared I was going to have to one and done my second city, but ne féljetek!!! I will be getting Gordon Nővér and I know her a little bit cause she was in my last zone, and she is ADORABLE so i'm super excited to serve with her :)

Second, I HAVE BEEN ON A MISSION FOR 6 MONTHS. where does time even go?

Third I have to tell you my FAVORITE LET IN SINCE I HAVE GOTTEN TO THIS ORSZÁG. Greenwood and I were tracting and the smallest bácsi  I've ever seen just opens up the door and lets us right in without stopping for two seconds. What this bácsi lacked in size, he made up for in volume. haha when he talked to us, he talked like 2 inches away from your face, and basically just yelled at you, staring at you with his giant bácsi glasses. He kept saying "I didn't know girls were coming over" and he ran into the room to lace up his pajama pants with a church belt. haha classic. He just kept telling us that he knows about Roosevelt and kept walking us around his tiny 10 storey apartment showing us all of his books and then told me I have beautiful eyes, and grabs greenwood and moves her into the light, because little do we know he is blind in one eye.  Then he told her she has beautiful eyes too. haha He then  decided to show us his typewriter and explains to us that all he spends his time doing is writting letters to this newspaper on his typewriter. Anyway it was kinda just the weirdest, funniest experience of my life, and as I read that back i realize that I did a terrible job explaining this, and I am so sorry to everyone.  Just know it was HILARIOUS. and I am just so happy that people like this man exist in this world that is all. haha

Last night we had the most TENDER dinner at one of the member's house. It is Elder Bairds birthday on the 20th,  so they made him this huge birthday surprise and it was so fun and so tender because they are just the sweetest, most caring people in the whole entire world. They made us SO MUCH delicious food, and Ircsi made Baird his favorite fun fetti cake. SUCH a good end to the transfer.

I have been reading the 4 gospels and Jesus the Christ by  Talmage for my personal studies lately, and I real quickly just want to bear my testimony of our Savior. I have such a deep appreciation for everything that my Savior has done for me, and every human on this earth. As I read miracle after miracle that he performed during his life here on earth, I kinda just sit here astonished about them all. These things really happened you guys. Jesus Christ raised people from the dead, he gave blind people vision, he fed FIVE THOUSAND people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. I know sometimes we just read these things and think, "oh yes that's very cool that those things happened" but no, these things are MIRACLES you guys. miracles that the son of God was sent down to earth, and performed these for his brothers and sisters on earth. the atonement is real. and can help every single one of us, every single day. I have seen it on my mission. I have seen people change. once again i am just so grateful for this gospel, and i am SO grateful that I can be a missionary in this crazy country i get to call my home for the next year :)

SOK SZERETETTEL, 

SWENSON NŐVÉR

1.  Pday activity today?

packing ahhhh and getting ready for transfers!!

2.  How are your sheets holding up?

pretty good actually!

3.  Are you thinking in Hungarian?  Do you still have to think in English and translate, or are you able to just talk????

haha i mean when im speaking hungarian i think in hungarian, and no i can basically just talk now! 

4.  Do you prefer to wear dresses or skirts and blouses?

dresses for suuuuure

5.  Is it still crazy humid and hot?

not as bad as in june and july!! but definitely yes. haha ahh it gets sooo hot! 

6.  Do you still get time to play your guitar?

yes, it is literally my favorite thing in the world. 

7.   Is all of your stuff going to fit in your old and new suitcase?

I HOPE SO AH. 

8.  Have you formed an opinion as to what is your favorite Hungarian meal yet?

definitely rakott krumpli! or anything with nöl kedli in it. holy yummmmmm.

9.  Do you have a zone conference every transfer?

yes we have about 3 a transfer!

10.  Did you know that your eyes SPARKLE?  You are crazy beautiful my amazing Lindsi!!

you are adorable and i miss you SO MUCH!

6 months!!!

Szerda:KECSKEMÉT!!! Wednesday we had our interviews with President Szabakai before the transfer!! It was such a good experience. I really love him so much, and he cares so much about our mission. For those of you that dont know, my mission president is Hungarian, and he speaks English, but prefers to speak in Hungarian. Last interview I had with him was in English because I was a greeny and didn't know anything haha.   But, this interview was in 100 percent Hungarian!! I am by no means fluent yet, but seriously that was such an exciting thing for me! Hungarian is just noooooot an easy language you guys haha.   After kecskemét we barley made our train, and made it barely on time to our investigator Tibor. The ward mission leader, Gabor, and his wife Anita came with us to our teaching, and this time Tibors wife was there, and we had a really cool conversation about faith, and about God, and his presence in our lives.

Csütörtök: hollllllllllyyyyyyyyy cow. greenwood and I successfully pulled off a 4 lesson day. (this never happens here in Szolnok Hungary people). First we met with Viktor, our miracle find last week when we were tracting, and it went really good. We planned to talk about the atonement, but our lesson went a completely different way and we talked about receiving answers to our prayers. I think it was super good for him! Then we met with our bap date Gyöngyi, and we brought a member present, and it actually was kinda a rough lesson haha our memeber present was your typical Néni and they kinda just argued the whole time. ahhhh typical. lovely.   Then we taught one of the ward members Béa.  We then ended off the night with cute little Polett talking about humilily. I LOVE the days filled with work, cause thats kiiiiiinda the reason i'm here on a mission hahah.

Péntek: Buuuuuuuudapest!!! We had to go to Budapest again and it's always so fun. We got to see Adams nővér one of the STLs and I just love her so much. We are campaigning to serve together so wish us luck hahaha

Szombat: Saturday we met with cute Adri again and we talked about the restoration. Guys the restoration is SO powerful. every single time we teach the restoration, I am blown away by the spirit that I feel testifying of its truthfulness. We have SUCH a powerful message to share with this world. and I am so thankful for that! Little Adri is so cute and I see some serious potential in her!!

Vasárnap: What a great day. it was fast and testimony meeting in our little branch and I got up and got to share my testimony about this transfer. I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to serve in szolnok, and meet all of the AMAZING people that live here. Seriously this branch here is like a little család (family) and I am so thanful that I was able to be adopted into it this past transfer!! we will see what happens next tuesday!! ahh!!

Well if youre still reading this, GRATULÁLOK. haha im so thankful for the support of my friends and fam out here on my mission. Literally couldn't do it without you guys. love you all so much. :)

Nagyon hálás vagyok a lehetőségért lenni itt, Magyarországon. 

sok szeretettel, 

Swenson Nővér

1.  Pday plays today?  I LOVE to year what you are doing on your Pdays.
today baird had a member from Békéscsaba come and his name is richie so weve been hanging out all day! we went to lunch and then he was teaching us how to do the hungarian whip!! super super fun!! i cant wait to teach you guys how to whip!

2.  How was your relief society lesson Sunday?  Did you teach?

haha it was great! and no no thats in a little bit!

3.  Do you do much contacting on the bus?

uhmm, sometimes!! the buses are usually super short so we dont have much time. and hungarians LOVE small talk hahahahahah 

4.  What do you usually say when you go to the door while tracting?

hát.... my friend and i are missionaries from the church of jesus christ of latter day saints, we would like to share a short, uplifting message with you about the book of mormon and jesus christ... 

vagy magyarul mi misszionáriusok vagyunk, a Jézus Krisztus egyházától, és ma, mi csak meg szeretnénk osztani egy rövid felemelő üzenetet veled, erről a könyvéről, a mormon könyvéról, az érdekelne hallgatni?

5.  What is your favorite thing about Sloznok?

haha Szolnok, and it is the belváros!!! and the people here are just really really nice!!!

6.  When you do your sports nap, do you get to play soccer with the guys?

yes always! and its on saturday nights!

7. Have you gotten to play any volleyball since you have been in Hungary?
sajnos nem :(

8.  What did you have for breakfast this morning?

a jó reggelt and an apple!

9.  What is your bedtime routine?

haha get ready for bed, braid my hair, pray, get a waterbottle and sleep? haha idk!

10.  Did you know that if I am ever feeling sad, all I have to do is think about you, and my life is a TON happier!!!  Love, Love, Love you.

same goes RIGHT BACK TO YOU!!!

Halllllllllllllllloosztoooooooooook mindennnnkiiiii!!!

Szerda: 

Szerda was kinda the best day ever, kinda the worst day ever.   We have been super sick this whole week and we started on wednesday ahhh. We are definitely the epitome of "sharing the gospel with the sound of a trump" hahaha anyway, Wednesday we had a lesson with Gyöngyi (our investigator on bap date) and we kinda had to do like a DTR with her  and figure out where she is, and what she needs help with.  We knew she had a problem with coffee, so we decided to talk about the Word of Wisdom. It was seriously such a cool experience. She has such a desire to change, she just really doesnt know how it is possible to quit when she has so much stress in her life. The Elders were able to come right away and give her a blessing and it was a really cool experience to watch Gyöngyi have so much faith and to see her want to change. 

Péntek:

So last week we had this 14 year old girl named Adri call us, and ask us to start meeting again (csodas upon csodas) and she is the most adorable thing. She showed up to our program with chocolate bars. That night we had sport nap with our WML Gabor and all of his friends and they are soooo good at soccer oh my heavens. Haha its always so much fun. 

Szombat: 

Saturday was my favorite person in the world Judits name day! she was going to come to a program with us but then the person cancelled, so instead we streeted around and gave out 3 book of Mormons. it was so cool. we met the COOLEST guy who was a soldier.  He was in a really bad accident and had to get a ton of skin grafts, and he was in a coma.   It is a miracle from God that he is still living today. Such a cool testimony and such a cool experience to meet him. 

That night they had this little party in the plaza in Szolnok and this band from Tennessee called "redneck roadkill" came and was singing all of these country sounds. and it was... lovely. just lovely. haha classiest people i've ever seen. 

Hétfő:

I have SUCH a strong testimony that the Lord puts us in the right places, at the right times. Holy cow! Monday we were tracting in the kert város and we tracted into this guy, who was saying how he had been to our church one time with his older brother.   As we were talking to him, his brother pulled up in a car, and we started talking to him, and he was an old investigator, that had to stop meeting cause his work schedule was super crazy.   But, now he has a huge break on his job, and can start meeting again. I felt soooo blessed that the Lord was able to put his trust in us and lead us to this certain door, at this certain time. seriously so cool. 

While I was in sacrament this week I had kinda a cool experience. I was just watching every individual person take the sacrament, and every individual cup, and every individual piece of bread, and I had the coolest realization about the Saviors love for us. The sacrament is such a personal experience. Our savior sufferered for each and every single one of us. As we drink the water, and partake of the bread, we can kinda think of it as the Saviors personal sacrifices for us, in that little cup, or bread.  As we partake, we are reminded that through the Savior, we can be healed. Then we renew our commitment to accept, and follow Heavenly Father's will for our life. I am SO grateful for the sacrament, and for the atonement, and that every single Sunday we can restart our week, and continue to strive to become like our Savior. I LOVE this gospel. I love the happiness it brings me, the direction it brings me, and the purpose it brings me. 

we. are. so. blessed. 

SOK SZERETETTEL, 

swenson Nővér

1.  Was your Pday fun?

haha yes it was very fun!

2.  What role do you play during church?  Do you have to teach, give talks, etc?

haha usually we just go!!! its very nnice! but next week were teaching relief society so yayy

3.  Where are the Elder's in your district from?

utahhhhh haha hughes is from orem and baird is from pleasant grove 

4.  What did you make for dinner last night?

we were fed lesco by sandoooor!!! literally the spiceyest thing ive ever eaten ah

5.  Is your phone an IPhone?

hahahahahah no. its like one of those indestructable nokias haha 

6.  How often do you need to wash your hair?

uhm hahahah just like the usual!!

7.  What is something that has really touched you from your personal study this week that you can share with me.

refer above to my email :)
8.  How often do you talk to your mission President?

hmmmmmm it depends!! usually at zone conference, and whenever we go to budapest, and we have interviews this week!
9. What is your Branch President like?

he lives in Kecskemét so we dont see him a ton, but he is a really cool guy!
10.  How do you keep getting more beautiful every day?ű

cause youre my mom ;)