#2 Kispest: Budapest is BEAUTIFUL!
Well its winter again, but I look forward to return of the spring (catch my Starwars reference) I'm doing good. It's been a busy week and good first full week is Kispest.
On P-day we went to the Basilica, which are really big Catholic Cathedral, it was really ornate on the inside. In a case in an ornate box is the hand of St. Stephen, the first Christian King of Hungary, he was born in the late 900’s AD. It is sacred to Catholics. We went to the very top of the Basilica to see a view of the city. It was beautiful!
We went to the Parliament building but we didn’t go inside because it’s expensive to go inside. The outside was super beautiful. The walking path around it goes by the Danube and into a place called Freedom Square. In freedom square they have a statue of Ronald Reagan, Hungarians love Ronald Reagan and Americans. One reason they often talk about it because sometime at the end of World War II and before the Soviets had complete control of Hungary, the Americans took some Hungarian treasures out of the country and stored them in the U.S. in a bunker for years, among them was the crown of St. Stephen, which is really important to the Hungarians. Then in the 80’s Ronald Reagan gave it back to Hungary and they love him for that… and of course because he was instrumental in bring the iron curtain down. Also, in Freedom square are some war memorials and we also saw the American Embassy.
On P-day we went to the Basilica, which are really big Catholic Cathedral, it was really ornate on the inside. In a case in an ornate box is the hand of St. Stephen, the first Christian King of Hungary, he was born in the late 900’s AD. It is sacred to Catholics. We went to the very top of the Basilica to see a view of the city. It was beautiful!
We went to the Parliament building but we didn’t go inside because it’s expensive to go inside. The outside was super beautiful. The walking path around it goes by the Danube and into a place called Freedom Square. In freedom square they have a statue of Ronald Reagan, Hungarians love Ronald Reagan and Americans. One reason they often talk about it because sometime at the end of World War II and before the Soviets had complete control of Hungary, the Americans took some Hungarian treasures out of the country and stored them in the U.S. in a bunker for years, among them was the crown of St. Stephen, which is really important to the Hungarians. Then in the 80’s Ronald Reagan gave it back to Hungary and they love him for that… and of course because he was instrumental in bring the iron curtain down. Also, in Freedom square are some war memorials and we also saw the American Embassy.
We registered me at the Hivatal which is where foreigners go to officially move your address, so I had to legally move from Kecskemét to Budapest, and it's worse than the DMV. We were there for 3.5 hours! We talked to this cool guy from Canada whose career is teaching English to executives. He was cool. For the first hour I was just contemplating the universe and then for the next half hour I watched a little girl play with her doll. Then when the secretaries got there I got to talk to Elder Allred who served with Elder Martin, my first companion, and he’s from Aurora Colorado. Then the zone leaders came and then the sisters came, so we had 8 missionaries in row of chairs just waiting… waiting… waiting. It was like a little mini zone conference, but boring. Then once they called our numbers it took less than 5 minutes to actually get the job done.
We took the subway back, and we took the new line and the stations were really cool! We met a guy who heard about the church from South Park and then did a whole bunch of research on the church and decided to meet with the missionaries. They’ve only met with him a couple of times but he’s told the missionaries that he wants to be baptized.
We had district meeting with the sisters and we talked about recognizing the Spirit of the Lord. We talked about how to help people who are investigating the church recognize the Spirit, which is hard because most of them have very little experience with listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so it isn’t always easy to describe it to them or help them recognize it. This is something I want to work on this transfer, getting better at helping people I’m teaching learn to recognize the Holy Spirit.
On March 15th we went to a special Zone Conference that combined the southeast and east zones. It was a holiday because it’s the anniversary of the Hungarian revolution against the soviets. All the Hungarian flags were out and people were wearing patriotic ribbons. President Paul Johnson from the European Area Presidency came and he taught us about helping people learn. He taught us that we needed to focus on each individual we teach and listen to them in order to know best how to teach them. I think the problem I have is because I don’t speak Hungarian very well I fall into the trap of wanting to plan out my responses before I say them, which is natural, but it also means I’m not listening with intent to the other people around me. I had the thought that we are promised by the Lord that if we rely upon the spirit trusting in him then he will give us the words to speak in the very moment we will say them. The thing I took away from Zone Conference was that if I focus on listening to those I’m teaching and stop trying to plan out my responses that the Lord will give me what I need to say and that I will better connect with the people I’m teaching as well as get better at Hungarian. I want to spend more time praying for the gift in D&C 24:6 that the Lord will give me the words in the very moment I need them.
I was one of 8 missionaries chosen to have a little interview with him, but it was in English and was more of just a chat. He asked about my family and my mission so far and he asked about what I want to do after my mission and after school. It didn’t feel like an interview though, it just felt like a friendly talk. He is a really cool person.
On Sunday in sacrament the stake president called a new first councilor in the Bishopric and a new Elders quorum president and High Priest Group leader. President Southwick, who is American, gave a really cool talk. He speaks Hungarian in a way I can understand. I understood everything he said. In priesthood President Southwick did all the ordinations and setting aparts in quorum. We talked about Elder Stevenson’s talk from last conference about Spiritual Eclipse. My companion and I talk to Elder Stevenson after church for awhile and had a nice chat.
After church we went to do some service for a man who was at church. We met his mother and had a nice chat, she was so nice. We found out that she was baptized by Elder Martin, my trainer, and she’s been less active lately. So it was nice to meet with her and get to know someone I often heard Elder Martin speak about. Hopefully I can help her come back to church.
We also did some service this week teaching English in a school to 8th graders, we talked about the differences between American and British English. We taught some great lessons, and had quite a few fall through. We tracked some cool old apartment building that are probably 150 years old. Over all it was a good week. I like being a missionary a lot! And I like Kispest so far. I still struggle with the language and get discouraged, and I sometimes complain and feel negative, but I'm trying not too. If I can make the same progress with the language in Kispest that I did in Kecskemét then It will be really good. I need to be more patient with myself and trust in the Lord more.
In My Personal Study:
In my personal study this week I listened to a talk from Gordon B. Hinckley called “Forget Yourself.” He talked about the solution to loneliness and depression is to forget yourself and serve others. “Forget yourself and reach out, put in the back ground your own self-interest, and if you do so you will find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” It’s a BYU devotional. It’s a really good talk. I recommend you listen to it.
I love you all and I hope that things keep going good.
Elder Morgan
We took the subway back, and we took the new line and the stations were really cool! We met a guy who heard about the church from South Park and then did a whole bunch of research on the church and decided to meet with the missionaries. They’ve only met with him a couple of times but he’s told the missionaries that he wants to be baptized.
We had district meeting with the sisters and we talked about recognizing the Spirit of the Lord. We talked about how to help people who are investigating the church recognize the Spirit, which is hard because most of them have very little experience with listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so it isn’t always easy to describe it to them or help them recognize it. This is something I want to work on this transfer, getting better at helping people I’m teaching learn to recognize the Holy Spirit.
On March 15th we went to a special Zone Conference that combined the southeast and east zones. It was a holiday because it’s the anniversary of the Hungarian revolution against the soviets. All the Hungarian flags were out and people were wearing patriotic ribbons. President Paul Johnson from the European Area Presidency came and he taught us about helping people learn. He taught us that we needed to focus on each individual we teach and listen to them in order to know best how to teach them. I think the problem I have is because I don’t speak Hungarian very well I fall into the trap of wanting to plan out my responses before I say them, which is natural, but it also means I’m not listening with intent to the other people around me. I had the thought that we are promised by the Lord that if we rely upon the spirit trusting in him then he will give us the words to speak in the very moment we will say them. The thing I took away from Zone Conference was that if I focus on listening to those I’m teaching and stop trying to plan out my responses that the Lord will give me what I need to say and that I will better connect with the people I’m teaching as well as get better at Hungarian. I want to spend more time praying for the gift in D&C 24:6 that the Lord will give me the words in the very moment I need them.
I was one of 8 missionaries chosen to have a little interview with him, but it was in English and was more of just a chat. He asked about my family and my mission so far and he asked about what I want to do after my mission and after school. It didn’t feel like an interview though, it just felt like a friendly talk. He is a really cool person.
On Sunday in sacrament the stake president called a new first councilor in the Bishopric and a new Elders quorum president and High Priest Group leader. President Southwick, who is American, gave a really cool talk. He speaks Hungarian in a way I can understand. I understood everything he said. In priesthood President Southwick did all the ordinations and setting aparts in quorum. We talked about Elder Stevenson’s talk from last conference about Spiritual Eclipse. My companion and I talk to Elder Stevenson after church for awhile and had a nice chat.
After church we went to do some service for a man who was at church. We met his mother and had a nice chat, she was so nice. We found out that she was baptized by Elder Martin, my trainer, and she’s been less active lately. So it was nice to meet with her and get to know someone I often heard Elder Martin speak about. Hopefully I can help her come back to church.
We also did some service this week teaching English in a school to 8th graders, we talked about the differences between American and British English. We taught some great lessons, and had quite a few fall through. We tracked some cool old apartment building that are probably 150 years old. Over all it was a good week. I like being a missionary a lot! And I like Kispest so far. I still struggle with the language and get discouraged, and I sometimes complain and feel negative, but I'm trying not too. If I can make the same progress with the language in Kispest that I did in Kecskemét then It will be really good. I need to be more patient with myself and trust in the Lord more.
In My Personal Study:
In my personal study this week I listened to a talk from Gordon B. Hinckley called “Forget Yourself.” He talked about the solution to loneliness and depression is to forget yourself and serve others. “Forget yourself and reach out, put in the back ground your own self-interest, and if you do so you will find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” It’s a BYU devotional. It’s a really good talk. I recommend you listen to it.
I love you all and I hope that things keep going good.
Elder Morgan
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