#1 Kispest: The Heart of Budapest
I'm writing this email from a library built in the French Renaissance style in the middle of Budapest. This place is so cool!!
On the Monday before transfers, our last full day of missionary work in Kecskemét we had some interesting experiences while streeting with the sisters.
We were in the town square getting ready to go steeting and then there was a guy walking by playing music on his phone, which was nothing unusual, and all of the sudden I got this strange butter-flies in my stomach feeling and I looked at Sister Jensen and she looked at me and said, “Do you feel that?” – And in an instant of glances between the sisters and my companion we all knew we all felt it and then without hesitation we instantly knew that we needed to walk away and find another spot, and we acted immediately upon the impression. We don’t know what happened or if anything would have happened, but we all knew that the spirit gave each of us the exact same immediate impression to leave that area and without needing to explain it to each other we all knew and we all responded.
Later we saw a woman that Elder Garrett and I had talked to weeks ago while we were streeting, she was a young mother who had had questions about infant baptism and we had really connected with her when we taught her that our church does not believe babies need baptism because we believe they are born innocent and perfect, she was touched by that. So when we saw her this second time we were able to introduce her to sisters because she lives in their area. It was perfect! A daily miracle.
On transfer day, last Tuesday, I was so excited I woke up at 5:30 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. At about 8:15 am I was told that I was going to transferred to Kispest!
Wednesday was transfer meeting, we went to the mission home and met all the other missionaries there. It was fun to see Elder Martin again, he seemed to be doing well. I said good bye to Elder Phillips and Sister Hughes (she went back to the USA on Thursday) and said Hello to my new companion Elder Gabel. Elder Gabel is from Denmark but most recently from Seattle. His mother is American so he has duel citizenship. This is his last transfer here in Hungary. He has served in Kispest for 4 months already, so he is kind of the resident expert on the big city. He speaks English with no accent. He is a DJ, a rapper, and a snowboarder. I'm excited to get to know him this last 9 weeks before he goes home.
Kispest also gained 2 sister missionaries, Sister Christiensen, and Sister Huhtala (she is of Finnish decent). Sister Christiensen, is the granddaughter of Clay Christiensen who plays the organ at General Conference. Mormons, it’s awesome isn’t it!
Our apartment in Kispest is about 45 minuets by public transportation from the mission home. It also happens to be on the 8th floor of a ten story soviet apartment building, and the best part is that the Ward building is literally across the street, you can see it out the window. I really love that the branch house only five minutes from our apartment, it makes life so much easier, it’s awesome! After we dropped our stuff off at our apartment on Wednesday evening – it’s a really cool apartment, bigger than my last one and with a nice couch – we went to an Asian place to eat.
Yesterday we went to church and there was 87 people in attendance, which is twice what they would have in Kecskemét. The people were excited to see me and meet me and it was really cool. The ward was a different feeling then Kecskemét, probably because it was more American in feel.
I officially ran out of Conference Issues of the church magazine to read on Sunday, March 4th, and I was bummed, but then to my surprise on the 7th a package awaited me in Budapest from my grandparents with Conference ensigns. I only had to wait 3 days. So, Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Smith for the conference ensigns! With those and others I found in our apartment, I have a plenty of general conferences to read, and enough to share!
In my personal study:
I read a talk from Elder Cook from 2012, “Can You Feel So Now?” Elder Cook shared this really profound quote from C.S. Lewis that relates to Missionary work, Elder Cook said: C. S. Lewis, the striving, pragmatic Christian writer, poignantly framed the issue. He asserted that Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness; but until people know and feel they need forgiveness, Christianity does not speak to them. He stated, “When you know you are sick, you will listen to the doctor.” – We invite a lot of people to come and listen to us and often they say no, and I think they feel like they don’t need it. I need to help people recognize their need for Christ.
On the Monday before transfers, our last full day of missionary work in Kecskemét we had some interesting experiences while streeting with the sisters.
We were in the town square getting ready to go steeting and then there was a guy walking by playing music on his phone, which was nothing unusual, and all of the sudden I got this strange butter-flies in my stomach feeling and I looked at Sister Jensen and she looked at me and said, “Do you feel that?” – And in an instant of glances between the sisters and my companion we all knew we all felt it and then without hesitation we instantly knew that we needed to walk away and find another spot, and we acted immediately upon the impression. We don’t know what happened or if anything would have happened, but we all knew that the spirit gave each of us the exact same immediate impression to leave that area and without needing to explain it to each other we all knew and we all responded.
Later we saw a woman that Elder Garrett and I had talked to weeks ago while we were streeting, she was a young mother who had had questions about infant baptism and we had really connected with her when we taught her that our church does not believe babies need baptism because we believe they are born innocent and perfect, she was touched by that. So when we saw her this second time we were able to introduce her to sisters because she lives in their area. It was perfect! A daily miracle.
Kispest also gained 2 sister missionaries, Sister Christiensen, and Sister Huhtala (she is of Finnish decent). Sister Christiensen, is the granddaughter of Clay Christiensen who plays the organ at General Conference. Mormons, it’s awesome isn’t it!
Our apartment in Kispest is about 45 minuets by public transportation from the mission home. It also happens to be on the 8th floor of a ten story soviet apartment building, and the best part is that the Ward building is literally across the street, you can see it out the window. I really love that the branch house only five minutes from our apartment, it makes life so much easier, it’s awesome! After we dropped our stuff off at our apartment on Wednesday evening – it’s a really cool apartment, bigger than my last one and with a nice couch – we went to an Asian place to eat.
Because of various circumstances we had to make new boundaries in Kispest between the elders and the sisters. We the elders now have half of Kispest proper, and downtown pest (the Belváros, the coolest place in Hungary). I'm really excited, we have some cool investigators, the coolest MCM leader, and what seems to be a strong ward (for Hungary). I think Budapest is so cool!! I'm really excited to have a companion who can help me with Hungarian, and who is ready to work hard, and make his last transfer a good one.
Yesterday we went to church and there was 87 people in attendance, which is twice what they would have in Kecskemét. The people were excited to see me and meet me and it was really cool. The ward was a different feeling then Kecskemét, probably because it was more American in feel.
I officially ran out of Conference Issues of the church magazine to read on Sunday, March 4th, and I was bummed, but then to my surprise on the 7th a package awaited me in Budapest from my grandparents with Conference ensigns. I only had to wait 3 days. So, Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Smith for the conference ensigns! With those and others I found in our apartment, I have a plenty of general conferences to read, and enough to share!
In my personal study:
I read a talk from Elder Cook from 2012, “Can You Feel So Now?” Elder Cook shared this really profound quote from C.S. Lewis that relates to Missionary work, Elder Cook said: C. S. Lewis, the striving, pragmatic Christian writer, poignantly framed the issue. He asserted that Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness; but until people know and feel they need forgiveness, Christianity does not speak to them. He stated, “When you know you are sick, you will listen to the doctor.” – We invite a lot of people to come and listen to us and often they say no, and I think they feel like they don’t need it. I need to help people recognize their need for Christ.
I love you all, hope you are well!
Love Morgan Elder.
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