Happy New Year!

January 7, 2013

Happy New Year!

I am so glad that the package I sent to you made it! I was afraid that it would have gotten lost somehow, but it looks like it made it to you all safely. I'm glad that you all enjoyed the gifts. I have no idea, though, what the 'pals' format is, but I hope dad figures out a way to convert it. It's so cool hearing a movie in another language. I always watch the short film version of 'The Restoration' in Hungarian and it so awesome to hear it translated. You'll enjoy it, even though you won't understand it. I also got the package from Monty the other day. We had a District Meeting and one of the other companionships was in Budapest and they picked up some of our stuff while they were there and brought it with them to District Meeting. I loved it!! Please tell him how grateful I am for the package and I hope that they receive blessings for their kindness. Funny thing, I was actually thinking about Darian this week and how close he was to getting his mission call. Independence, Missouri!! That is so awesome!! You'll have to inform him of where Grandma and Grandpa live so that he can visit them or something if he is ever in their ward or area. 

I'm glad that you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and that you were able to spend time with the Dunham's for the holiday. We, on the other hand, just stayed inside and played board games all day because outside was a nightmare. We all agreed, the 4 of us missionaries, that New Year’s eve here is taken WAY more seriously than in America. There were explosions EVERYWHERE, even in the main part of the city. And the funny part was that it wasn't only at midnight that they did this, but it all started at 5 pm. People were already getting drunk and the New Year was still hours away. We would just say 'Come on, if you're going to drink, at least don't get completely wasted hours before midnight.' Included was small riots and stuff here and there, so our safety was our apartment and our fun was playing board games. I'm pretty sure that your New Year’s Eve was much more fun than ours. 

This week was a little bit harder than some. None of our regular investigators wanted to, or could, meet with us this week, which meant that we had a lot of time to go out and work. We trackted a lot and we got several let-ins and some really good first lessons in with the families and people that we found. But, unfortunately, every person that we met with, after asking them if we could get their number and if we could meet with them again, replied with 'Well, if this feels right or if we become more and more interested from the Book of Mormon, we will give you guys a call.' It's such a bummer because we get a let-in, which is hard to get in general, but they just don't reschedule with us. Sometimes it crosses my mind 'Am I just not a good enough teacher? Am I doing something wrong?' I feel like I'm letting the Lord down when I can't even get a single phone number. But I have continually been reminded through my personal study to 'not allow discouragement get to me'. Lack of success in the work is going to happen, but as long as we have the commitment, that full commitment to work for the Lord with all of our hearts, then we can find what the Lord is trying to teach us and then we can grow from it. I've been really reflecting on this past week and I have seen those things that I needed to learn and understand. 

In our District Meeting that we had this past week we really dissected D&C 4. Every morning we recite this in Hungarian and our district leader really wanted us to understand why we recite this every morning. It was such an educating experience for me! One thing that I learned in a greater understanding was verses 3 and 5. In verse 3 it recites that if we have desires to serve God we are called to the work and in verse 5 recites that when we have an eye single to the Glory of God, qualify him for the work. We related these scriptures to 'Many are called, but few are chosen.' Many of us in the church, and even outside of the church, have desires to serve God. Each of them are called to serve Him and He will be there in there service. But, it is those who have 'An eye single to the Glory of God' that are chosen. We really went in depth with this and defined that the eye single to God is a simple desire lined up exactly with the will of God; lining up with the attributes of our Savior and King and seeing the work as he does, putting aside our opinions and our ways and making them more like His. That is when we are 'qualified' for the work. We need to see the work the way the Lord does and it is when we do that that we can see the greater happiness and have that greater light and power to proclaim the gospel and testify of the divinity of the Savior and of His restored church.  This has become such a greater scripture in my eyes. Sure I have memorized it in English and Hungarian, but understanding it makes it all the more powerful and more meaningful. Such an awesome scripture!

Here is a good trackting story for the week. While trackting, of course, Elder Becker and I came across a guy who let us in because we were Americans. We were asking if we could give a quick survey and he said ‘You sound like you’re not from here.' 'Well, we're not. We are actually from America.' And before we could even say which part his eyes got big and said 'No way!! Come on in!!' An awesome beginning, I would say so myself. We then gave him the survey and afterwards talked to him a little bit about our church and we were there. He then asked if he could talk in English with us for a little, which we said sure. Perfect English speaker, by the way. He asks us 'So, how long have you been here?' 'For 5-6 months'. Again, his eyes got big and said 'Bull crap!!' But in the swear form, ha ha. 'There is no way that you guys know this language as well as you do in under half a year.' '........Well it seems like we do.' We had a great conversation about languages and then tried to see if he would like to meet with us again but turned us down by saying he would call us if he had any interests. Kind of a bummer, but it was such a cool memory to add to my list of 'Trackting Memories'. I hope you enjoyed my little story :)

Alrighty then, I hope you all of have great week! Tell everyone that you come in contact with that I say 'Szia!' (“HI”) :D

Sincerely,

Magda Elder