2017. április 24-e

Sziasztok!
Elder Aardema and I had a really crazy time since transfers. You'd think that since we stayed together the transfer would start out nice and calm. This is not the case. We have had a really crazy time, which has been a lot of fun.
First of all, our two baptismal dates, Panni and Eszter are no longer on bap. date. Panni has alzheimers apparently. So there's that. And Eszter remembered that she's actually already been baptized. In our church. So now we are looking for records and whatnot of that. Good stuff.
We've had some crazy stuff with our other investigators too. We met Zsofia's husband. He was really interesting. He doesn't speak english or hungarian fluently, so we had a really fun hunglish conversation with them. That was a lot of fun. He came to church with Zsofia and their 6 year old son. But sadly, Zsófia is going to work abroad for the next 6 months, so we don't know what is going to happen with them.
The weather here has been really cold recently. Winter came back a bit, so we'll see what happens this week. It's supposed to get cold and rainy on thursday. Fun stuff.
We've had a great start to the transfer. We're going to have some great times.
For the Spiritual thought, I'd like to share what I learned from my personal study this morning. I was reading 2 nephi 31, and when I got to verses 19 and 20 I realized that one of the things nephi says helps us to endure to the end and follow Christ is Feasting upon the words of Christ. I realized that one of the keys to enduring to the end is studying the scriptures and really treasuring them. I encourage all of you to improve your scripture study. Take it to the next level, whatever that is, be it reading every day or spending more time studying or whatever.
Anyways, I love you all. We have a great week coming up with zone trainings, an exchange and a lot of hard work.
Love,
Elder Terry

2017. április 18-a

ziasztok!
First of all, we got our transfer calls today. Elder Aardema and I will be staying together in Dunaújváros, so we are going to have some great times next transfer. It's going to be awesome.
I don't have too much time, so I'm just going to share some of the highlights.

One, we met with Eszter this week. It went really well, and we committed her to be baptized. That was a really cool experience, and I know that we are doing the Lord's work. It was a great lesson. And I'm really happy that Eszter made that decision to be baptized. It's going to be great.

Two, we met a nice bácsi yesterday and taught him the restoration. That was a lot of fun and we were able to do a lot of good stuff. He was really great and he tried to give us his copies of Star Wars on VHS. That was funny.

Other than that, we had a good week all around. We went to Pécs and had exchanges there. It's super pretty.  The branch president's wife here gave a great talk about recognizing Jesus. It was really good and based on Mary Magdelene not recognizing the Resurrected Jesus right away. The member asked in her talk "How many times has Jesus been standing right behind me, and I didn't recognize him" It was really provocative.

Sok Szeretettel,
Terry Elder


PS. Lots of pictures. 

We came across some train tracks.

This shopping cart was hiding in the woods.

Random statue by a school

Smiley face reminded me of  Red John in the Mentalist

Elder Aardema took a selfie.

This member is Misi. He cleaned the chapel with us and he is super funny.

More Elder Aardema.

We were in Pécs. It's me, Elder Suggs, Elder Aardema, Elder Heaps.

More Pécs. Me, Elder Suggs, Elder Aardema, Sister Greenwood, Sister Manwaring Sister Basset, Sister Grogan,

everyone plus Elder Heaps.

This bug was on our balcony.

2017. április 10-e

Sziasztok!
It's crazy how quickly time flies by. I feel like I was just emailing. Also, we have transfers next week, so P-day will be on Tuesday next week. That'll be fun.
First of all, we had a great adventure after emailing last week. We went on a bike ride with the sisters, which was a lot of fun. On the way back home, the sisters' phone fell out of one of their pockets and onto the road. Then two giant semis ran over it. So they borrowed one of our phones for most of the week. I've included a picture of what the phone looks like now. It's pretty fun.
For the rest of the week we had some great times. We met with our investigators, and for the most part they are doing good. Although a lot of them said they would come to church and then didn't. But other than that they are great. The Hingyi family has been holding family home evening for the last few weeks, which is really cool. The dad is a recent convert and his wife and daughters are still investigating. It's been really good that they have been able to come closer to each other through the gospel. We are really hopeful for them and it's gonna be really great.
Our other investigators are doing good. One of them has a baptismal date, but she's really old and when we met with her this week she had forgotten about it. That was sad. But then she brought her daughter to church. So that was good. It's an interesting situation.

We had interviews with President Szabadkai on Friday which was a lot of fun. They've been getting better every time, so it was great to talk to him and get some good advice and answers to my questions. After interviews we went to Budapest for an exchange with the assistants. That was pretty good. Buda is crazy nice, and there are a lot of rich houses and what not. We had some good times finding and did good work.

For a spiritual thought this week I want to share something from 4 nephi. As I was reading it this week, a phrase in verse three really stood out to me.
"3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift."

As I read this I thought for a while about what it meant to be a partaker of the heavenly gift. And then I wondered what the heavenly gift was. As I was thinking, I reread the verse, and say that it was talking about them all being free. "They were all made free." They were all freely able to use their agency, to partake in the heavenly gift. This is a really cool concept, that the only way we can truly, freely use our agency is when we are in a righteous society. The People after Christ's coming shared everything, they had everything in common, and no one's agency was restricted by the circumstances of their birth or how others treated them.
I encourage all of you to become partakers of the heavenly gift. Use your agency well, and encourage others to do the same.
Also, Easter is on Sunday. So prepare for that as well.


Sok Szeretettel,
Terry Elder

Elder Aardema as we were walking. We walk through a little valley on the way to
 and from church.  So I took a picture.

Elder Miller and I

pictures of the district (we got some ice cream)  Sister Greenwood, Elder Aardema, Sister Bassett.

The sisters broken phone.

2017. április 03-a "There is a disturbance in the Force"

Sziasztok!
We had a great general conference here, and watched some sessions in English, some in Hungarian. Also, it's always a good general conference when one of the speakers references Star Wars. As I was listening to some of the talks, I was blessed with some inspiration for things I can do better for the next six months. I'm really looking forward to working on those and become a better follower of Christ. I hope you all strive to follow the Counsel we received from the prophet and apostles.
We had a pretty good week, with an exchange with the Székesfehérvár elders. It was really great. unfortunately, my camera was dead, so I don't have a picture of the exchange... Sad day. But otherwise it was great. Elder Neumiller is a great missionary.
We had some great work and fun times. Things have been going great. A bunch of people promised to come to general conference and then didn't. That wasn't fun. Oh, well.
For this week's spiritual thought, I read Mosiah 14 (which is Isaiah 53 in disguise) and it was really great. I could feel the spirit testify to me so strongly that Christ really did do all of the things that Isaiah said He would. I know that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and I'm grateful that we have this Easter time to learn about peace from Him.

We have a great week coming up. We have interviews with President Szabadkai on friday, and after that we are going to Budapest on exchanges with the Assistants. It's going to be a great week and we are going to be pretty busy. I think it'll be a lot of fun though.
We also had some good teaching this week. There is a member here, Zoltán, who is a recent convert, and he is one of my favorite members to bring to teachings. He loves sharing the gospel so much and he loves testifying of Joseph Smith. Before he was baptized he watched the Restoration 12 times (or more). He's pretty great. His family is still investigating, but we have great hopes for them.
Our other investigators have been doing well. The main problem is getting people to church. They all of some kind of excuse, some of which are very valid, and they don't really see the importance of Sacrament meeting. The Sacrament is why we hold church and should be the spiritual highlight of the week.
Anyways, things are going well, and we are going to keep up the good work."

ALSO, TELL EVERYONE TO DO THE PRINCE OF PEACE STUFF. THIS IS SO COOL AND I LOVE THE CHURCH'S AWESOMENESS. DO IT. IT WILL HELP YOU BE AWESOME. AND PEACEFUL. LIKE JESUS. SHARE IT. LIVE IT. LOVE IT.
Okay, on a calmer note, the Prince of Peace thing is really great, and I hope that everyone makes it explode. It's going to be really amazing. Make it explode on Social media.

Sok Szerettel,
Terry Elder

2017. március 27-e

Sziasztok!
We had a pretty great week. We had Zone training on Tuesday which was a lot of fun. We talked a lot about Chapter 1 of preach my gospel, which was fun. It's a really great chapter.
We also met with a bunch of people. None of them came to church, but I blame daylight savings time. We had to spring forward, so a lot of people were an hour behind.
We met with the Hingyi family, and they are doing pretty good. We shared the family proclamation with them, and it went really well. We had a good time with them.
We also met with Eszter. She's a fun one. She's always really stressed, which makes it hard to focus on the gospel, but we've been helping her out. Things are going really well with that.
Other than that, we met with people, things went well. The Elders from Kaposvár came and we had an exchange. It was a lot of fun. We did good work.

As I was reading the Book of Mormon this week, the end of 1 Nephi 1 really stood out to me. It says "19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.

20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

I thought about how Lehi was a great missionary, because he shared what the Lord told him to do, no matter what the cost. But then Nephi ends by saying he will show the tender mercies of the Lord. He wrote this in the first part of the first book of the Book of Mormon. In essence, the Rest of the Book of Mormon shows the Tender Mercies of the Lord. I know that this is true and that the Lord will watch of us and ultimately deliver us.

Sok Szeretettel,
Terry Elder

 I made an omelette. It broke into three pieces, so I made a triforce omelette. It was pretty good

.

T

These are from our exchange. Elder Gonzalez is on the far left, then Elder Philips. Good Elders.