May 2, 2012

Szia Családom es Barátok (Hello my family and friends)!

Ahhhhh!!! Can you believe it's already been a month since I've been away from home?!?! Time is already flying by. Before you know it, I'll be home speaking Hungarian. Ha ha, that'll be miraculous if I can get that far in Hungarian. Because right now, the language is basically laughing at me (at least that's how I feel right now). But in reality, I'm doing pretty well. Beszélom magyaról nagyon jól, da beszélom angul sok könnyűsag.

I saw Matthew today!!! Ahhhhh!!! It was so kewl seeing him! He was one of the first Elders to come out of the door and I ran up to him in my P-Day clothes (Since today is my p-day) and gave him a huge hug! We couldn't really talk since he had to drop off his stuff and do the whole orientation thing here. Hopefully I see him again so I can talk with him and get a picture or two. He's going to be an excellent missionary, already knowing who he is and how well you said his farewell talk was. I didn't see Adam though (you didn't say if he would be here or not in your email so I wasn't sure). Hopefully he is here because I would like to see him also.  

I just got back from the temple. We did an endowment session today and, as usual, it was absolutely wonderful. So Spirit filled. After the session was over, we went to the cafeteria in the temple and had breakfast there. So delicious! The food in the temple is, needless to say, "heavenly". My district and I and also two elders going to Finland (Vanhin Oberhansley and Vanhin Kääriä) took some fun pictures at the temple afterwards. I am having such a good time here! I have some awesome friends here. Sure, at times, people can start to get on my nerves since I'm basically with them 24/7, but I get over it really fast. You have to if you want to get through it ha ha. We had a devotional last night with Keith Edwards of the Quorum of the Seventy. He spoke about the "worth of souls is great in the eyes of God". He also defined the meaning of success as a missionary and how it doesn't mean how many baptisms you have but how strong the Spirit is with you when you are preaching the gospel. And he said that things don't come easily. He said that long-suffering is a trait that many people look over and believe that if we have the Spirit, that means everything is easy and the Spirit will do everything for you. Sure, there are cases when that can happen, but usually the Lord wants us to use the Spirit in tough situations that require long-suffering in order for us to receive a great blessing. Such an awesome talk! I love it when the General Authority speak to us. They have such insight that I never would have thought of on my own. Oh, and I have been singing in the MTC choir for the past couple of weeks. We sang yesterday "Jesus, Once of Humble Birth". Such a wonderful song. Parley P. Pratt can definitely bring the Spirit in his words and in music. I love exercising my talent to sing. Hopefully Matthew and I will be able to do a song with him playing the piano and me singing. I would really love to do that. I have also really felt the Spirit as I have been in classes and in discussions with investigators. At times, in class, I have gotten the language stuff really easily and I know it is because of the Holy Ghost that I am able to understand the principle in the language. I've also felt it when I'm planning for a lesson and when one of us (either Beaucannon Elder or I) say something that would be a good lesson for the investigator, I'll have this feeling that either it's a good idea or a bad one. And when I'm in a lesson, I'll feel what needs to be addressed and what I should testify about. I recently bore my testimony in one of my lessons with an investigator (it's my teacher role playing) and I felt this overwhelming power in my chest as I bore testimony (or at least tried to since it was in Hungarian) about the Atonement and how I know through prayer that Christ really did atone for us. It was so powerful. I can't wait when I'll be able to actually speak the language somewhat fluently. It'll be awesome!

To answer some of your questions, there are a total of 10 missionaries in the MTC who are serving in Hungary. 7 of them are in my district and the other 3 are in another and are leaving next week Monday. We hang out with them basically 24/7. Oh, and one of the Elders in my district (Elder Judd) is from Fairfield! How awesome is that?! And, this if for Auntie Nesie and Uncle Dave, I met an Elder named Elder Jarome (I think that's how you spell it) who says he knows them and was actually in their ward. And I also met an Elder named Elder White who just got here and is going to serve in Finland. He's from Grand Junction Colorado and knows Lance Duncan!!! He is currently serving in this Elder's ward right now. It was so awesome coming across these two elders. Ever since the Floridians left, my companion and I haven't had any new residence-mates. We didn't even get any today! So frustrating because it would be awesome to get some new elders in our room. There is a bookstore here where we can get all of our hygienic items and stuff so you won't have to worry about that. :) I really don't mind with whatever you send me. I always get excited when I get something in the mail. Even more so when it's a package. If you ever have the feeling of wanting to send me anything, just surprise me. I love whatever I get.

I pray for you guys every night and I only hope that things are going well while I'm gone.

Szeretlek,

Magda Elder

P.S Thank you for the pictures! That was so awesome to get.

Email me soon! Or Dear Elder, or write me :)