This week I found out Jesus was Hungarian.

November 12, 2013

This week we had a birthday!!! Elder Nyman finally turned the big 19. Youngest missionary in the mission here! We made them some nice Hungarian food to celebrate. It is really good to have him around. He is always so enthused about everything, and that is a really nice thing.

Transfer calls came! I am staying with Sister Oberhansley. I can hardly believe it. I thought I was for sure going... Luckily, I hadn't packed this time... just gone through papers and things to throw away... I almost did, but I luckily didn't. Today all I bought at the grocery store was a palacsinta, or crepe pan... so... I might have to go back there now that everyone knows i am staying...

Me and Nagy Misi!!  I was in Kecskemét for splits, and we met with him and
taught him a program.  It was super good, just like the old times :)

Last week we went to Kecskemét. Ah. Kecskemét. The land of my birth. I absolutely loved being there. One reason... I got to meet with Nagy Misi! He is doing super well, and it was really good to talk to him. He was baptized 11 months ago, and it was so incredible to just talk to him about his progress in the church and his relationship with God. He is the Young Men's president, and he told me all about how he just went to America a couple of months ago. It was really cool to be able to understand everything he said... He was always so good to me so I would understand. I also so the Bishop and his family, and they are all doing really well, and everything is good in Kecskemét land! I am so grateful for the sisters that are there now and that they can keep up the work in the place that I love so dearly. 

Because transfers are tomorrow, we had to get a last final picture of our district! I will just shoot through the names really quick. Back row, me, Sister Rupard, Elder Steel, Sister Steel (they are the senior couple here and are from St. George), Sister Weberg (she is from Hawaii, and we actually met in the MTC. I have always been a super big fan of hers), Sister Falslev, and Sister Oberhansley. On the couch we have Elder Squire, Elder Cutler, Elder Nyman, and Elder Gaytán. So, yeah! That has been our little distrct for the past little while. With the transfer, we are losing three missionaries and three more will come in. I am already friends with them, and luckily and Elder is coming who is a transfer older than me, so I don't have to be the néni of the group. We have district meetings on Fridays for the most part, and we normally rotate whether we have them in Debrecen of Nyíregyháza, so I am on a train at least every week. Do they have trains in America? I mean, I know they do... I have seen them. But, do people actually use them? Sounds like a good plan to me. 

Me and Sister Falslev.  We have been in the same district this past
transfer and thought we might never see each other again... just kidding.
 we are still in the same district.

Let's have a success moment. Tóth János gave a talk in church on Sunday!! He was baptized in September, and he gave a talk on the priesthood, and it was sooo good. When he first walked up he didn't have any notes, or scriptures, or anything, and I was kind of nervous. And then, he started talking about how he hadn't prepared a talk and then on Saturday two angels visited him. I got even more nervous!! But, then he talked about how they were angels from Debrecen and they gave him some church manuals and he was able to write his talk. It was a very well done talk, and we were really excited for him. He gets along so well with the branch and he is really making a big impact. He wrote me a really nice letter and when I get home I have been instructed to share it with my parents, so I will be doing that. 

Now let's have a crazy moment... We are tracting. We knock on this door. A big guy opens it. I start off, hello, my name is Sister Kennedy and we are missionaries for our church. He asks, which church? I say, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Then he just starts talking. It was crazy!! He started telling us about how it is foolish that we believe in the last days, and then he said that we aren't christian, because Jesus Christ never talked about there being the last days and that it is all an internal thing anyway. Sister Oberhansley started to lead into the fact that we are Christian and started to say that when he just opposed us. He raised his voice and told us that his church was the only true church. It has been around for 5,000 years. Then, this is what he says, Jesus was not a Jew. Jesus was Hungarian. Oh my... He continued to tell us that we needed to throw away our Book of Mormons and then he closed the door. So crazy. So CRAZY! Tracting is the coolest. That is where the best stories come to life. 

There are a lot of really, really sad people here in Hungary. A lot of broken homes, and a lot of problems. That is why I love the hope the gospel brings. Hope is an interesting word. We can say oh, we hope in things, but it can be hollow and empty. When we say, as members of the church, that we hope for things, we are really saying that we notice the brightness around us and that we are going to work to attain it. We are meeting with this guy, really cool, just called us one day and asked us for english help, and now we are teaching him. He is super quiet and it is kind of awkward everytime, but his eyes kind of light up when we talk about our church. It is cool. He doesn't fully recognize it yet, oooh, but he will! He will!!! 

I hope everyone has a happy week and that the reading in the Book of Mormon is going awesome! I will be honest in admitting I have got to play catch up a little... but I am still doing it! 

Sok szeretettel, 
Kennedy novér