October 7, 2013

Hello family and family,

This week was fast, but good. On monday, a member took us over to a mini amusement park, and we rode some crazy bob sled rollercoaster ride. Apparently, it's "the fastest forest bob sled ride in Hungary." Then we spent the rest of our Pday to hang out at a little playground and crack a traditional Hungarian whip.

That was the beginning of a very fast week that ended on Friday. I woke up and knew it would be a very slow "weekend." For example, I got really excited that night, that like 6 baptisms had happened in one of my old areas... "I'm so glad that it's Saturday the 12th today!" I thought. Right before I called my old companion, however, I remembered that it was really Friday the 4th...
 It was pretty slow until General Conference. We basically missed the first and last sessions, but the rest of it we got to see in English! Yeah!! Very uplifting.

Also, early on in the week, I found a cool, real 4 leaf clover in a plastic keychain, and ever since then, I've felt about as lucky as I have the rest of my life. But I still carry it around with me wherever I go.

Well, I really have no other news, except that I'm still alive and safe, so I guess all of your prayers are still being answered! Haha.

The Church is true! 

Love,
mitch

September 30, 2013

My beloved readers,

This week was definitely way exciting! It really flew by!

Well, pretty much none of our investigators were able to meet this week, so we had a great week of looking for more people, and meeting with less active members. But on one day, when we did have two programs back-to-back, they both fed us to the brim. Also, I always tell people that I like to cook, and then they feed us. Then they invite us over for dinner another time to teach me how to make the food, so I guess I've got the system figured out.

The other day, after a ward activity, one member girl asked me and my companion for a blessing because she has been really sick. Right after the blessing, she said that she was feeling better, and the next day she was completely better!

Also, we teach a 10 year old boy and his mom. My first program with them, the mom told us that she didn't want to meet anymore, but the son kept coming to church every week by himself, so she would let us come visit him. Well, things have been getting progressively better. Last night, the mom told us about a question she had been thinking about, and she opened the Book of Mormon that morning to a short chapter that answered her question exactly! What more, by the end of the lesson, we extended a baptismal  challenge to both of them, and they accepted! Woo hoo!

Yeah, that's about the whole week. Yeah! So great! Today, we are going to some kind of adventure park with a member and the other elders to start off a great week! Woo!

Yup,

love,

mitch

1.) On splits. My temporary companion teaching someone German while I mess around with little kids.

September 16, 2013

Well, this week has been pretty good for us. Not too eventful or anything though. Our washing machine doesn't work. Last week, we had to take the laundry to the other elders apartment, but this week, we decided to try handwashing it in the tub. It's a pretty annoying chore! 

As for teaching, it seems like we've been meeting with an amazing amount of super old people. One super old lady offered us some watermelon, but wouldn't take no for an answer. Then, because she wasn't able to pick her watermelon off the floor, I had to take it to the kitchen for her. She asked how much we wanted. I said, "I just ate, so I don't want very much, but Elder McCurdy is very, very hungry, so he wants a looot of watermelon," and thus, Elder McCurdy had to eat lots and lots of watermelon, haha.

Last week, McCurdy set up with a lady who used to be an investigator like a year ago, but I had forgotten, so I also called her a few days later and tried to set up, and she was like, "Well, I already set up with you guys to meet at your building at 3 on Tuesday."

"Hmmm..." I said. "Couldn't have been us, we already have a program at 3 on Tuesday. Maybe the other elders set up with you. I guess we'll just find out on Tuesday..." Once I heard McCurdy's laughs, I realized how dumb I was. And I think the lady thought I was pretty dumb too, because she definitely did not show up at 3, haha.

One other lady we taught was pretty crazy. We were trying to teach her the Plan of Salvation, and she kept trying to change the subject to her conspiracy theories that Jews rule the world. Sometimes, I just want to yell at people like that, especially when it has exactly nothing to do with the lesson, haha. Yikes!

Other than that, we do have some cool investigators. There is Dani, who is a 10 year old kid. He lives with his single, bedridden mother, and comes to church by himself from the other side of town. He loves us and told me that he will come to church every week, and to activities, too. So he's pretty cool. It's hard to be able to teach him, but hopefully we will be able to help him be baptized sometime!

We also teach a super legit lady who accepted a baptismal date for the 2nd of November!

Also, from Pápa, my 2nd area, a total of 5 people are being baptized that I either found or taught the whole time I was there, and they are all being baptized on the same day-- October 12!

Yup, that's all I have.

Love,

mitch

PS. We have a cactus

September 9, 2013

Dear everyone who receives this message,

I am currently in a new city, called Miskolc (Meesh colts). My companion is Elder McCurdy, a good friend of mine from the MTC, which means that I am no longer a little junior companion!!! The language is coming, slowly but surely, and I have seen a lot of progress in just the last couple of weeks, which is pretty comforting. McCurdy is a super cool guy too, so we have a lot of fun together. Nothing really too exciting has happened though.

But I did realize that I have a reputation throughout the mission now. I am the guy "from Nebraska who likes bagels." When I meet new people, they're like, "Oh! You're the bagel guy!!!" Sometimes people know me as the guy "who gets három csibe (3 chicken burgers) every time he goes to McDonald's" too, but it's not as common. I'm so glad that everyone knows who I am now.

2 people I taught, a mother and daughter, are set to be baptized this Saturday! Then another guy I taught is getting baptized the following week!!! Wow! Things are happening!

That's it. Write/email or something.

Love,

Mitch

September 3, 2013

Looking back at the past week, it's hard to believe that it was only one week! Haha. The days are all long, but eventful.

Well, we were able to find a few good people to teach, and continue to keep teaching others.

 It wasn't too exciting of a week or anything though. Not really anything interesting happened, except one crazy tracting experience.

One day, while going door-to-door like usual, we saw a man approaching us from a house we knocked on like 10 minutes before. He was extremely angry, and yelled many things at us, including how he knows that we can't be servants of God because if we were, God wouldn't have allowed us to wake up his child and ruin their family's afternoon. He also knows we we worship Satan, because he's been to our church before, and there are no crosses.

He eventually left, but returned a couple minutes later (while we were having a conversation with someone else) with a Cross in one hand and a bottle of Holy Water in the other. He again loudly explained why we aren't Christians and why we are going to hell. Then he said, "Are you guys like the Jehova's Witnesses, who are afraid of Catholic Holy Water?!"

"No."

"Hmm... lucky for you... this time." Then he just stormed back home.

Follow up to the story: We saw this same man in the library where we are currently emailing! He was a lot more pleasant this time around... haha.

Yup, that was my week. I have no more time though, so I have to go.

But, I am getting transferred!! I'm going to a city called Miskolc in the NE corner of the country, with one of my buddies from the MTC!!! 10 week tranfer!!! It will be good!

K, great.

Love you!!!

Mitch

August 19, 2013

BOLDOG SZÜLI NAPOT, ANYUKA!!! Hope you are having a good birthday!! And hopefully you have a good cruise this week!!! Don't get attacked by pirates!

Well, it's really crazy to hear about everyone growing up. Poor Jason can't go to priests quorum, and is going off to BYU. And Clare is going back to Seminary where the rules are super strict!! And Jon's back and everyone else is on their mission or married. Sounds like a lot of fun!

Well, over here, nothing really crazy has happened. Each day I just kind of roll out of bed, go tracting, and come home to sleep. Sometimes I eat during the day, too, but I think that's it.

 I did go on splits on Wednesday, with a brand new missionary, and it was my first time being the "senior companion" for the day, so that was really fun! It was really weird when I would talk to someone on the street for like 15 minutes, and realize that I was the only missionary talking, haha. Pretty nuts!

 One day, while tracting, I was having a hard day, but we tracted into one guy and talked to him for like 10 minutes at the door. He wasn't interested at all, but his neighbor had the window open while watching Indiana Jones, so I got to hear the Indiana Jones theme music the whole time we spoke to the guy. Tender mercies!

 The other elder companionship in our city had a baptism, and at the baptism, some guy named Vince found out that I'm related to "Brimgah Yőng." He was so excited! He he gave me a biiiig hug, and on Sunday he brought his Book of Mormon, and asked me to "dedicate" it. I didn't know what that meant, so I just wrote, "To Vince: Elder Young. 2013. 08. 18." He was so happy! Haha.

 Also on Sunday, we met with this old lady who claims to have died once. Her dad accidentally threw a knife through her stomach. She also tried to make me drink wine. She is an interesting person, that is for sure.

 And lastly, I found out that Szombathely used to be an old Roman city, and there even used to be a Roman highway that runs right next to my apartment. Also, there is a big holiday (extra p-day for us!) tomorrow, and here, they turn it into a Roman festival! It will be interesting to see what it's like around here.

Yes, that was my week.

Much love,

mitch

PS.

Me climbing through the window when the key broke

View from my apartment

August 12, 2013

Dear Family,

It seems like you guys had a crazy time doing crazy things. Gotta love those crazy trips!

Well, I guess a few interesting things happened this week.

While we were tracting in an apartment building, some lady screamed at us for like 5 minutes, and was still screaming when we left, and we could even hear her screaming complaints to her neighbor on our way out the building. Why must they scream and yell!?! If they tell me to leave, I will leave! Haha. Of course, when we left the building, my companion got mad and rang her number on the machine before we left, just to make the lady mad. I guess neither action was really necessary, haha. It sure was a great start to the week, though!!

On Wednesday, we went on exchanges, and I went with a guy named Elder Vanderpool, and we had a really fun time. We made a game out of talking to people on the street, and we made real American pancakes w/ real maple syrup for dinner! 

Thursday, we had interviews with he mission president. He basically told me that my companion will be someone from my MTC group, but he also told me the same thing like 3 months ago... haha. We'll see, haha.

On Saturday, Moses and I were about to leave the apartment to start the day. We said our leaving prayer, then I turned the key, and... SNAP! Half the key just sorta broke off into the keyhole. We stared at the key, and then I just  laughed until I cried. Elder Moses didn't say anything or show any sort of emotion, which was pretty lame. Then we crawled out the window and started finding people.

Lastly, yesterday, in Sunday school, we had a teacher who had perhaps the biggest mustache I've ever seen. I drew a picture of it in my planner, haha.

Well, we have actually found quite a few people to teach this week!! For this week alone, we already have over 10 lessons set up! Also, at the beginning of the week, it was so hot! I heard that Thursday was the hottest day of the year. Luckily though, we've had a couple little storms, so things have cooled down quite a bit.

The coolest thing is seeing everything from my roof. We have a huge roof/patio thing with a pretty cool view of different big church buildings around. There is also some kind of orchestra house nearby, so at night, we can hear the music really well. Friday night had a really nice thunderstorm with trumpets playing in the background. It was so fantastic.

Yup, that was my week. Hope everyone is doing well!

Love,

Mitch