We we so excited.

The very best to you this week!              July 11, 2012

 

All is going well here in the MTC.  I finally feel like I am living the missionary lifestyle, and that is really great!  Want to know what is not really great?  Learning Hungarian.  It is really difficult to remember the words.  The words aren't sticking in my mind, and there are a lot of rules, cases, and conjugations.  If the sentence is indefinte, the verb gets a different conjugation than if it is definite.  You also have to pluralize lots of things and put a "t" on the direct object.  If only I had tried harded in Mr. Yates' class, I might be having an easier time!!  But, it's okay.  I am on my third week, and I know that the Lord will bless me with the strength that I need to carry on.

 

Mom!  I got your letter the day after P-Day, and I had quite forgotten about your surgery.  Hopefully everything went alright.  I am not sure if you are okay... because I haven't gotten an email or anything from you since I have been here. 

 

Last week I was really down in the dumps.  On P-Day I was so frustrated and angry, and so I took a nap.  I felt lost.  Then I rolled over and bam!  I saw written on the wall right next to my bed, "You can do this."  I was like, Yeah!  I totally can!!  And then we had this awesome 4th of July celebration and we sang all of the Primary songs we wanted!  Popcorn popping, Once There was a Snowman, Army of Helaman.  All of the good ones.  So, I continued to feel better.  And then at the fireworks I ran into Elder Danny Olsen.  What a treat it was to see him!  He is doing really well, and talking to him really helped me calm down and I realized that even though the mission is going to be really hard, if I just take it one step at a time, I know I will be okay.

 

I would encourage everyone to read Alma 43:1.  Short scripture.  BUT!  Alma was still dedicated to the work and he did what we all need to remember to do:  Endure to the end.  You never know who is going to be inspired by something you do.  Also.  Everyone should go on a mission.

 

My companion, Perkins nővér, is so weird, and so fun. (When I turn the keyboard into Magyar everything kind of goes weird... so no more !)  We have really been enjoying our time together, and there hasn't been any real conflict.  I am also really enjoying the Elderek in our district.  They have all been very nice to me and they are totally willing to help out in any way that is needed.  They are all learning the language so well.  We have been doing Speak Your Language at dinner time and it is really difficult.  Knowing gospel words makes eating time not as fun.  But it is good to have practice.  This week I did make a good insight today though.  I was able to use Rebecca Black's Friday song to illustrate the emphasis of repeating who you are addressing, aka, we we so excited.  Everyone loved me. 

 

In our branch, they assign the theme for the talk on Thursday, and everyone is to prepare.  Then they announce who is talking and it is a big surprise.  Our first Sunday was fast Sunday, so we were all okay and didn't get called on.  This Sunday, Brother Peneger, a counselor in the presidency, made eye contact with me and I knew it was coming!  (I found the !)  It was scary, but it really feels so good to teach in English.

 

This week we are teaching an investigator, Ircsi.  It is really our teacher, Sister LeFevre.  Oh dear.  We are definitely trying to teach her in Hungarian, but probably we forget the things we memorized.  We try to involve her and try to ask her questions, but we are scared to ask her questions, because then she will reply, and when she replies, we have no idea what she says, and so it is just a lot of head nodding and confused looks.  Luckily, the spirit is able to say the things that we can't.  Who knew?  Missionaries rely on the Spirit?  It has been really incredible, and I am learning how simple this gospel really is.  Teaching is so hard, but I am getting better, and I know with patience it will all come.

 

AH!  We played kickball this week as a zone.  It was our Hungarian district, and the American district, VS the other Hungarian district!  They have 13 people in their district.  What?!  Crazy.  We aren't supposed to keep score, because then it is competetive, but I am pretty sure score was kept.  I wasn't really paying attention as you probably know... but!  I definitely scored a point!  I knew you would all be so proud of me.  Gym time is fun.  We have gym either at 1 in the afternoon, not my favorite, or at 8 at night, my favorite.  D'Angina Elder played volleyball at BYU as a red card, or something like that, and so we all play sand volleyball at night and he has been coaching me to get better!  I can serve overhand now.

 

Hearing my alarm every morning has not been the worst thing in the world... but... hearing the fire alarm go off at 12:48 am?  That is close to the worst.  We had to evacuate and I didn't get back into bed until 1:20.  People were laying in the parking lot just waiting for the time to pass.  Awesome.

 

Oh!  The Hungarian hymn books were barely even made in Hungary!  The MTC got them just a week before we got here, and they got them in Hungary only a couple of months ago.  The older Hungarian district bought all of the hymn books, so hopefully some new ones come in soon!  I love singing.

 

I love you!  I love this gospel, and I am so grateful to be living in the MTC.

Kennedy nővér