Bike Flips and Barrel Rolls

April 29, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

I seriously have no idea how to start this letter. I have SO much that I would love to tell you about how my week was, but I don't know where to start! 

This will be my first story for you all. Wednesday afternoon, around 1 o'clock, my companion and I were coming back from one of our programs and were heading back to the branch house to get some stuff for going out and tracting. So, we are on our bikes, my companion in front of me, and on one of the streets that take us back to the branch house. As we are riding, I hear a car behind us honk its horn at me. I look behind me and he's kind of close to me. I begin to head closer to the curb so that the car can have space to get around me. While I was doing this I was paying attention more to the car that was going around me than I was to the curb the was coming oh so much closer to my bike. As I turned my attention back to where I was, I found that there was to be an inevitable crash that I was not really looking forward to. With the time that I had to think of a quick evasive action, I decided to jump off my bike and do a barrel roll in the air instead of flying forward and doing a front flip and perhaps landing on my face. So, I leap off my bike, do some sort of attempt and doing a barrel roll (I'm pretty sure it was some sort of ugly flip that shouldn't be attempted again) and land flat on my back. Luckily I had my back on which cushioned some of the fall. First I checked to see if all was good, which all was, and as I saw that I hadn't had any sort of injury,

Elder Magda being silly!

I started to laugh and laugh. Ha ha, I could not believe that I had just crashed my bike. My first one on my mission. Plus, and old man, who was behind me and on his bike, rode by and just shook his head at me as he rode away. My companion, after hearing me and my little stumble, turned around and found me laughing on my back and asked if all was alright and I got up and said 'Yeah, except I think I may have landed on my laughing bone or something because I just can't stop laughing.' Oh man, is that a memory that I never want to forget. 

Another thing that happened this week: in our tracting efforts one day, actually I think it may have been the same day as my accident; we had basically no success at all for 3 hours straight. We could not find anyone who would allow us to talk with them about the Gospel. After a while of no luck, my companion and I decided to finish up on the floor that we were on in a 10 story building and go do something else. The funniest things happen on the last floors or last stretches that you do as missionary sometimes. Like this, for example. On the last door of the floor that we were finishing up with, a lady opened up and greeted us and we began to talk to her for a little bit. She asked us where we were from and we replied with 'We are from America'. Her eyes widened and she replied with 'You don't say!' and we began talking a little bit of where we were from. She then asked for our names and we both showed her our tags and she looked at mine and said 'You're not Hungarian are you?' 'Just a quarter' I replied and then told her that Granddad came from Hungary and fled to South Africa during the revolution in 1956. Then, get this, she says 'To South Africa? Why, one of my relative’s families fled with an organized group to South Africa. There were too many who chose this way but I'm sure that there may be a connection.' I have been here for almost a year and have yet to find someone who knows anyone who left for South Africa in 1956. She even went to say 'You know, I don't think our meeting was just coincidence.' to which I replied with 'I don't think so either.' We were unable to talk for too long, but she told us to come back in a couple of weeks and we can talk a little more about it. How cool is that?!?! Someone else who had relatives flee to South Africa!! I can't wait to meet with her again and talk more about it! 

Last big thing that happened this week—yesterday there was a Multi Branch Conference that happened in Dunaujváros, which is south of Budapest. Included in this conference were the branches from Békéscsaba, Szeged, Szolnok, Kaposvár aaaaaannnnnddddd Pécs!!!! So I was able to see all the members from Pécs again!! I can't tell you how excited and happy I was to see all of them again. The group that I came with had already arrived an hour earlier and when I saw that they arrived, one of the boys from young men’s stepped out of the bus that they came together in and I yelled his name and he ran at me and gave me the biggest hug. 

Elder Magda, his former companions and the youth of Pécs

I then got to talk with all the members from the branch and see how they were all doing. It almost brought tears to my eyes being reunited with them all for the short time that I was with them. Included with all the branches that came were the missionaries in their areas too! So I got to meet with all the other missionaries and some of my past companions. I have a few pictures that I will send to you with all of us together. We also were educated by the mission presidency about the work in Hungary and how the missionaries and the branches should be continually working together in moving the work forward.

Elders and Sisters at the Multi Branch Conference in Hungary

Oh, I also got to meet with the Magda family that lives in Szeged! That was another cool thing that happened. Their youngest son is the coolest kid! He's 13 years old (I think) and he and I get a long super well. Plus, there were a few people who said that we looked a little similar. Pretty cool, huh? Basically, yesterday was an awesome day. 

 

Elder C, Reni and Elder Magda

Alrighty then, some other things to address: I got an email from Elder Abram about he, Sister Surányi and Sister Roney (all 4 of us were in Pest together my first transfer) being in the MTC and meeting Heather! And it seems that he let you guys know about it. How cool, huh? I was so stoked to hear about that!

Sister Surányi, Elder Abram, Sister Heather Magda and Sister Roney at the MTC

And Michael Nelson is married?!?! What in the world?!?! That is so crazy!! Ha ha, I still remember those pictures of us wrestling when we were super little and now were both grown up and he is now married! Does time just zip by or what? I've been keeping in contact with Matthew and we continually email each other back and forth and we have been chatting a bit about our year marks and that his is now up next. Ha ha, we both can't believe that the MTC was literally a year ago. Way too funny. Oh, and for Mother's Day, I will be able to Skype you guys on the 12th. I'm not sure what time yet, but I will let you know next week about the timing and everything. Let me know what time will be best for all of you and I will work accordingly. :) 

Well this week was sure a blast and I am sure that the Lord will have some new stuff for us this week to enjoy. Hopefully he will have stuff for all of you too. Love you all!

Sok Szeretettel,

Magda Elder