Monday, January 27, 2014

Days turn into weeks. The ground turns into snow. (Jan 27)

Well the first snow came! Finally! It has been an interesting experience to see how the snow can affect people. For example, we normally have about 35 people or so at church. This week was 19. Well, minus the 6 missionaries, so it was really like 13 people. haha, it was a little fewer than expected. Nevertheless, we press forward! We are doing our best to find the people who are ready to hear about the gospel and want to learn more about God's plan for them. That has been one of the coolest things, to see how the gospel and Jesus Christ can change people and help them so much.

This week, we also invited someone to baptism, her name is Krisztina, and she is so neat! She is pretty quiet, but she has definitely the Spirit during the meetings with us, and knows that these things are true, and that this is going to help her. And I am so excited for her. :)  

Other than that, nothing has much happened. I can't help but get this feeling that things are about to change in a big way for me. But, we will see what the Lord has in store for me. Until then, I'll be here, doing that missionary thing! Love you all!
Sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder
My new companion, Elder Magda. He thinks he is a "cool kid" ;) 

 This is Kata, a new convert who I helped give the gift of the Holy Ghost to, and an investigator of ours, János, a super cool kid. :) 

This is Játék Est, or game night, and we go hard! and have lots of fun! :)

more Játék Est!

Well... I lost this game actually. 

More Játék Est! And that is Krisztina sitting next to me! She is an awesome investigator! :)-

Catan. A great game. and my very bored companion haha. 

 It snowed!!!! :D This is the view outside our window! 

More of me and Kata and awkward faces hahaha. 

 Me and Kata, hot chocolate! 

Lovely Magda. :) and bored Krisztina haha. 

Boy Scouts all the way.

Standing in the snow. :) Kata, then me, then Krisztina. 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

New City, New Opportunities‏ (Jan 20)

So last Tuesday, I got the call that I am going to Eger with Magda Elder. Then on Wednesday I actually came here to Eger. And so far, it has been super awesome!!! hahaha. :)
So this week started off with me saying goodbye to a lot people in Szeged since I found out I was leaving! And a lot of packing. By the way, it is a bad idea to wait until 8:50 to finish packing. everything you own. haha. After that, we (myself and Elder Miller, the new AP) went up to Budapest for the greenie breakfast and then went out and talked to people on the square and tried to give out some Book of Mormons (and yes it is Book of Mormons, because the whole title of the book is "Book of Mormon", so. ha.) and one of the greenies, his name is Heilein and he is German, and he is such a stud! He gave out three BoMs, and even got 2 phone numbers!! Super awesome. :) and then on Wednesday, we went to Eger, where we actually realized my new comp lost the keys on the train--whoops! So we called the landlord, got a spare from the neighbors, then got into to our apartment. Then, the next day we took another train to Budapest to ask the people for the keys, cause they said they found some! that.... werent ours. so there went our thursday--for nothing! haha. then on Friday we went out and did some programs and some finding and then Játék Est, which is suuuuuuper fun, especially with my new comp, who is super good at games! (Man this will be a fun transfer :) ) then on Saturday, more of the same, lots of programs. :) Then on Sunday, we actually got to give someone, Kata, the Holy Ghost, since she just got baptized on Monday! (weird day I know haha) Then we had dinner with the other elders and played some cards (which I dominated at by the way ;) though my comp said "no comment" haha) so altogether it was one of the better weeks of my mission. :) I am just way excited cause we have lots of investigators and people who are ready to hear the gospel! And I cant wait to share the good news with them. :) 

Sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder
(Elder Flake said he was too busy this week to even take photos, but expect some awesome ones soon!)

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Transfers are here! (Jan 14)

So the call finally came! I will be leaving the lovely city of Szeged. But I will be going to the lovely town of Eger! Which is about 130 miles away from Szeged. Lots of exciting things coming up. :) 

So, this week was pretty good, and finished on a pretty high note! Yesterday, we met with Matthew, our half English investigator, and he is absolutely awesome! He is a great kid, and I am learning a lot from him. He has been in the hospital the last week for a disease that the doctors don't know what is. He is doing alright for the most part, just wanting to know what is wrong. Anyway, since he has had so much time in the hospital, he has decided to start reading the New Testament. And the Book of Mormon we gave him last time we met. He has already read, without us asking, up till 1 Nephi 10, including the testimonies in the beginning and how the Prophet Joseph got the plates and everything. He is such an awesome investigator! We started to teach him the Restoration, and he was almost helping us with the teaching! He read the Restoration pamphlet we gave him and everything. I am just so amazed to be around someone so prepared by the Lord, and who is so willing to act on our invitation to learn more! He is definitely the golden investigator of the transfer. :) 

Other than that, things are going well in the life of Flake Elder. Doing that missionary thing. Trying his best to always do whats right and help people! :) My prayers are with you! Have a great week!
Sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder
 here is thw concert we went to last week, and some of the pics from new years haha. lots of fun with "the drink" ;)









































 and these are the hulberts, some of the greatest people ever! they remind me a lot of grandma and grandpa flake! they are the senior couple here in szeged, but they just moved to békéscsaba!
 this is ati and cutler, some of the funniest and chillest dudes around
 this is me and kovács, the hungarian sister
this is me and pali, a member here and someone who is so cool! :) love em all!
have a great week!!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Welcome, 2014! (Jan 6)

Well this week has been kind of interesting.. it is so strange to think that a week ago was still 2013. it feels like it has been 2014 foreeeeever! haha but at the same time, it feels like nothing has changed. im tellin you, time as a missionary is one of the weirdest things everrrrr haha.
This week we got a really cool new investigator! His name is Matthew, and his father is British, so he is half British half Hungarian. We actually met him through another amazing investigator! We havent met with him a whole lot yet, so we dont really know him that well, but he is really interested in the church and in us, and we are really excited to be teaching him!
Other than that, New Years was good! we tried to see fireworks, but thatdidnt work out too well.. :) lots of big buildings here in the city! Also went tracting for about 5 and a half hours in one day. that was quite the exhausting adventure haha. But we got to talk to a lot of people, so it was really good. :)
Well, transfers are coming up! Next week! And I am pretty sure I am going to be leaving Szeged.. Though you can never be sure! But anyways.
Everyone, have a great 2014, be and do lots of good. :) and remember, there is an elder in Hungary that loves you very very much. :)
Sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder

End of the Year 2013! 2014, Here We Come! (Dec 30)

Beware! This one is a little longer... :) (if you dont care for all of it, just skip to the last 2 paragraphs, that one matters. :) )

So this week, we had a ton of craziness! It started off with us making a poster with the sisters, so that when we go tabling we have something to catch people's attention. It is actually a super cool poster! We took the 2 most recent conference Liahonas and cut out a bunch of pictures of people's faces, or like a family, or whatever else looked cool, and put them on the poster. Then in the middle, we put a "MORMON VAGYOK!" on it, which means I am a Mormon! So now when we go tabling, people have something much better to look at other than our faces... :) hahaha. Then we had Christmas Eve, played foci (which is Hungarian for football or, in American, soccer) - which we do a looooooooot here in Szeged ahaha. Then we went over to Ati's, an investigator who is suuuuper cool!, and played some Uno, and enjoyed some gift exchange. Then Wednesday, Christmas! :D, we played some more foci! Then, we went over to the other elder's apartment for some palacsinta's (or in American/British English crepes) which were amazing but veryyyy full of unhealthiness hahaha. Then with the other elders, we played some Mormon card game called Stupor, and it was so funny :) hahaha. One of the other elders (they are actually the zone leaders!) is Elder Bebel, and that dude is hilarious! His humor is a lot like Jacob's, and he is a total goofball hahaha. Then, at 4, we went over to a member's house, her name is Evelin, and we SKYPED!! :D Haha, then on Friday, we went to do some finding (looking for people to teach) and we stumbled into the Árkád (the local mall) somehow hahahaha, and I ended up buying some playing cards. For 720 Forint! Super cheap, and they are really nice cards! (listen to me try to justify it hahaha) Then Saurday, we started off with some foci, and then we went to a Hungarian wedding!!! And ohhhh my gosh, it was sooo adorable! The room was really pretty, and the bride and groom (who were investigators but just yesterday got BAPTIZED!! :) ) looked soo cute together. :) Then, Sunday we went to church and hung out with an RCLA, and helped him with some English things, and my comp toooootally fell asleep on his bed (his room is his bed and a desk, dont think that sounds weird haha, Hungarian rooms are really small!) haha then Pali, the RCLA, posted it on Facebook for the whole branch to see hahahahahahah :) classic. And then it's today. Where we played foci, went to an investigator's place, and are planning on making palacsinta's again tonight with another investigator. 

In other news, happy new year! Hope you take the time to think about how you are gonna make this year even better than last! As we close a chapter to our lives, let us think about how we can start a new one with a good start, and how we can allow more of the Savior in and better remember how to follow Him.

This week was kinda hard, what with Christmas and the holidays upon us. It was hard to be away from family, hard to be with people that I have for a maximum of 5 months, and hard to always remember that I am a servant and represent of Jesus Christ and how much that really means. But in the end, it is easy to remember how much He loves me, easy to think about how much happier I have become because of this gospel, and easy to know that He is with me always. So overall, it was a good Christmas week. :) 

I am so grateful for the holidays, and the opportunities to look back and remember how much He has done for me, my Savior Jesus Christ. This year has been an interesting one, from being in college to being in Hungary.. Quite a lot has changed. But I am so grateful for it. And I absolutely love it here. Looking back on the year, I have accomplished a few of my longest-standing and most important goals I set in my life. And how great it is to think that I was able to spend over half the year in service of the Lord.

Love you all!! Thanks for bearing with me and enduring to the end. :P BÚÉK! 
Sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder
 Palacsinta Party!! 
 The weapons
 Load those babies up! :) 
 More and more deliciousness. 
 Like the "banana cutting knife" ;)
 Well that looks like a heart-attack waiting to happen! ;)
 playin some cards. hangin around. 

PS dont worry, it was P-Day. We werent being lazy, promise haha

 this is what we call tabling. well, the Elder Cutler style ;)

PS dont worry, it was posed. he was only mostly asleep ;)

PPS just kidding, he really wasnt

 One of our foci games. The end result. 
 the wedding room! and Tóth Zoli haha
 the lovely bride and groom! ....and that weird elder. haha 
 more of the bride and groom! and Robi on the right, one of the coolest members here in Szeged. :)
so, lesson for the week. Dont pour boiling water into glass cups in the sink. They dont like it. 

Kellemes Karácsonyt! És a boldog új évet kívánok! (Dec 23)

Well, it is here! Christmas is already a mere days away!! I love the Christmas season, and all the surprises it has for us. The best part about Christmas is in the word itself, actually! Christ. I am so grateful for the Christmas season, and all the happiness it brings to us, especially when we have the opportunity to receive the greatest happiness, serving others! When we remember others and put other people before ourselves, we remember the true point of Christmas and it reminds of the reason for this wonderful season. So as Christmas races upon, I dare you to do one more nice thing for someone, even as simple as giving your neighbor a plate of cookies; it is the thought that counts. :) 

As for us, we are just getting ready to skype our families, and preparing for the new year, and how we are gonna tackle missionary work then. :) The work of the Lord never stops moving forward! How grateful I am to be a part of this great work! 

Something fun this week: I finished my first journal! From about May 2013 to December 2013, I chronicled my life as a missionary about daily in that thing! Now I have to find another haha. 

Let us remember always our commitment to Christ, and how we can help others throughout the coming up weeks. And be safe, be warm, and have a great week. :) 
Sok szeretettel,
Flake Elder
 not too exciting, but this is Szeged at Christmastime! really pretty, with lights like these all over the city square!
 Rénszarvas, or reindeer. really pretty :)