From the MTC with love

Szervusz from the dry state of Utah! (Yes, it is very dry here)

So much is happening over here! I don't know where to begin! For starters, I have been called to be a Zone Leader this last Sunday, along with my companion. It's really awesome because it's the the highest leadership position a missionary can have here in the MTC. So how the system works here is that there are like 52 branches (I think) here at the MTC and each Branch has 6-7 Districts in it and each District can hold up to 10 companionship (again, I think). Anyways, in each companionship there is a senior and junior companion. Then there are District Leaders in each District who take care of their district and have senior companion interviews. Then, there are the Zone leaders who are the missionary leaders who are in charge of the Branch.  So we interview the District Leaders of the Branch and report the information to our Branch Leaders who are basically the Bishop and his assistants. We also organize the Sunday Program, introduce new missionaries to the MTC and have branch meetings. It's way awesome!! I've been here for only 3 weeks and they have called my companion and I to be Zone Leaders!!! It's so kewl! So we'll probably be in our positions till a week before we leave. Can you believe it's already week 3? It seems like I was emailing you just yesterday. By next week I'll already be out of the 700's and in to the 600's for days till I come home. It's weird how fast time is flying. I'm only hoping that I'll be ready in time when I leave for Hungary. Crazy I say. I'm really excited for next week when Matthew arrives at the MTC. It'll be so awesome!! He'll love it here. Did Adam get his Visa in time to go to the Brazil MTC? Or is he going to be arriving here in Provo? Let me know!

I did get your package with the shirts and notebooks. Thank you soooo much! We have gym 5 days a week and it gets sweaty and stinky after wearing the same shirts several times before p-day when I can wash them. With the soda thing, I'm not sure. Ha ha, I just saw a bunch of Elder's have sodas in their residences' and I was like "I'll ask my family to see if they can send some." It doesn't matter, really. I was just seeing if it was a possibility. :P Tell Sister Marshall that I got her package also and am already digging into the popcorn and goodies she has sent me. Elder Beaucannon says thank you also. I am so glad dad has been getting overtime! An obvious blessing from being on my mission. I am so proud of Alisha for getting an A on her Geometry test. Hard work really does pay off. :) I hope Ashleigh gets her license. Tell her I wish her good luck! I am so sorry to hear that Addy Lyyn Sr. passed away. I have been including Auntie Neesy and Uncle Dave in my prayers ever since I got your package with the news. I hope they are doing alright. You're having a General Authority come to our Stake?!?! No way!! Do you know who it is?? The MTC had the privilege to have Russell M. Nelson speak to us for our devotinal yesterday. Such a powerful speaker. He spoke about the Doctrine and compared it to a diamond and that each facet of the diamond are what make it unique and gave us some of the facets of The Doctrine. It was wonderful. :)

Don't be afraid to send me letters or Dear Elders, and that goes to anyone who reads this. I love getting letters! They're treated like presents here. Jordan has been writing me and has told me that she has visited you guys a couple of times these past few weeks and I'm like "Why hasn't my family been telling me these things?!?!" Ha ha, so if you ever have free time and want to write a letter, hop on to Dear Elder.com and write a letter to your Hungarian missionary at the MTC. I only have 9 more weeks here and DearElders won't be work for me when I'm in the field. I love you all and am so grateful for your prayers, love and support. I wish I had more than 30 minutes, otherwise I'd write more.

Sokszeretettek,

Magda Elder

Post from Mom:  Go to DearElder.com and set up a FREE account to send FREE letters FREE of postage!   It's Fun and Painless!  Use the MTC address listed in this blog and make sure you include his box #150.

From your Elder going to Hungary

April 18, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Holy cow, it's already been 2 weeks since I have left home! It's weird because on one hand it sort of feels like the days are going by slowly, but on the other hand it feels like the weeks are going by really quickly. Still, I'm here for another 10 weeks and still have a waaays to go. The two elders that are in my room that are going to Jacksonville, Florida leave next Thursday. My companion and I are curious to know if while we are here we are going to get four 3 weekers while we are in our residence. I am learning a lot here at the MTC, both with the language and with missionary teaching skills. I thought I knew a lot going in, but looking back at my education before I came, I definitely could have acquired more before I came.

Some stuff that has happened here… I had some prayers answered while I've been here. Some of them were personal and others were humorous yet testimony building at the same time. One was while I was preparing to go to sleep. Actually two were in the same night. I was having a rough day and I prayed to find a scripture that would cheer me up or would help me in any way.  After I had finished my prayer I was searching through the scriptures and I felt as though I was supposed to go to the book of Joshua in the first chapter. We had recently read about that specific chapter and I felt this prompting that this scripture would cheer me up. It was verses 6-9, saying "Be strong and of good courage. For I the Lord am with thee." I could not believe it. I knew that Heavenly Father heard my prayer and replied with that scripture. I was meant for me. A little while after, right before I was going to bed I was saying my nightly prayer. While I was praying, my companion and residence-mates were chatting about stuff and I was distracted and couldn't think straight with what I wanted to say. So I included in my prayer to make them feel sleepy or quiet them in some way. I waited a little bit and nothing happened. So I decided just to continue with my prayer and finish what I had to say. Right after I finished, Elder Thomas said "You know, we should probably go to bed." My eyes were wide and my jaw dropped. Not a word came out of their mouths after he said that. I couldn't believe it. Even though he said that after my prayer was finished, it still was an answer to my prayer.

To answer some of your questions: 1. Ask Matthew if he could bring a song that would be church appropriate that he could play on the piano and I could sing for here at the MTC. It would be awesome if we could do a musical number together before he leaves.  2. I want to thank you for the goodies you sent me. I'm already enjoying them. :) I hate asking for things, but I actually may need 1-2 regular t-shirts from my stash of t-shirts I left at home. I run out almost every time since I have gym quite often here and my shirts get stinky and re-using them is always nasty. :P And, if at all possible, some soday for my residence would be really kewl! (Notice I did not say "caffeine-free" soda. ;)) Ha ha, and munchies are always welcome. :) 3. For the David Archuleta question, I have run into him on several occasions. Mostly I saw him in the cafeteria. One time I ran into him at gym and greeted him in Hungarian "Szervusz!" and he just stared. I was like "ok then." He also opened the door for my companion and I once. It was kewl, but I really wanted him to feel normal here so I just treated him like he was any ordinary missionary. He just left for Chile this past Monday and before he left he sang at our fireside (which, in fact, had M. Russell Ballard as our speaker!!!). He sang a version of the Spirit of God. It was pretty awesome. M. Russell Ballard spoke right after him and said "I don't know how I can compete with that." Quite funny I must say.

My testimony is so strong, stronger than it ever was before. Prayer is so important in our lives and by living our lives righteously; Heavenly Father will answer our prayers and send His Spirit to our aid.  I love this gospel so much and am proud to be a missionary for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Szeretlek,

Magda Elder

Here is a TV news report from Hungary about the Church donating wheelchairs.  There are several elders pictured in the report.  Of course, Elder Magda is still in the MTC, but if you want to practice your Hungarian while watching the report, here is is: http://www.tveger.hu/hirekreszlet.php?hir=4929

Hey everyone!

So basically there is so much to write with only 25ish minutes to say it in. I'll do my best to tell you how everything is going.

I arrived safely to the SL airport and drove to the MTC safely also. But walking into the MTC was the greatest feeling in the world! I walked through the doors and I could just feel this welcoming feeling in my heart and I knew it was the Spirit whispering to me: "Welcome". It was so strong and it felt soo great. Since I arrived 2 hours early, they had me wait in a room watching The District for a little bit and we talked about where we are from and where we are going. Then they had us go to the cafeteria and we had lunch before orientation. Orientation took a while, but it was so worth it when they gave me my name tag that read "Magda Elder: Az Utolso Napok Szentjeinek Jezus Kristuz Egyhaza". Apparently, Hungarians read names backwards and Idosseb is a direct translation for "old person". So we use elder instead. My companion is actually Brother Burrell's great nephew! His name is Elder Beaucannon. He is quite the interesting character. He is definitely a funny guy and we are progressively becoming friends. It is definitely tough, I will say, being stuck next to someone 24/7. You can't walk away from your companion unless he is within "sight and sound" or you are on exchanges and usually that will only happen when you go to choir or something. Which, by the way, I will be starting next Sunday. I couldn't do it this Sunday since they were performing that day for the Easter Meeting that we had for the morning. I was a little homesick for the first two days, but I'm over it and feeling good. :) The food is good and the orange juice isn't as bad as people say it is.

The language is so hard! Not only is it difficult, but they had us give our first lesson on the 3 day AND have us speak Hungarian to him with out notes! So we had to memorize everything. It was definitely overwhelming. But so far we have had 4 lessons with the investigator (Josef) and all of them have been good. Especially the last two, we could really feel the Spirit as we were talking to him. Even though it was hard for us to say what we wanted to say in Hungarian, we could translate mostly what he was saying and we weren't nervous at all. I definitely knew that it was the Spirit.

Easter Sunday was really kewl, because we had President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the 12 speak to us! It was great because he spoke of the atonement and how everything is connected to it. And I got to prepare the sacrament for 2000 people!! It was so awesome!! I could feel the Spirit from sitting in a room filled with elders and sisters and all the leaders and President Packer. If only you were here to feel it. It is such a wonderful feeling.

So I have 6 minutes to finish up. What to say....Oh, there are 4 of us in one residence (that means dorm here). The other two elders are going to Jacksonville, Florida. They are only here for 3 weeks while Beaucannon Elder and myself are here till June 18 (blech!). But it's kewl, the MTC is great and I can't think of being stuck in a better place for 12 weeks besides Hungary and home. :)

I got all of your letters and your package. Thank you sooo much for the Easter candies and card and pants! IT was so kewl to get a care package from home and the Dear Elder letters. I am so glad that system was invented. I'm about to go to the temple soon and do endowments! So exciting!!!

Wednesdays are my P-Days, so I will write to you next week Wednesday.

I love you guys so much! And take care of Jordan for me :)

Szeretlek (I think that's I love you),

Elder Magda

The Day Has Come!!!!

Elder Magda has safely arrived at the Provo MTC. Further information to follow.