CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING IN HUNGARY

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with our missionary family and our YSA this past week.  Sister Peterson and Sister Simkins prepared as many Thanksgiving traditional dishes as possible. (Many items that we are accustomed to cannot be found here in Hungary). We will always cherish the memories we have of our Thanksgiving in Hungary.  In many ways we felt even more grateful than ever.  The blessings we have received this past year are immeasureable.

Thanksgiving dinner with the missionaries in our district as well as President and Sister Szabadkai

Sister Simkins and Sister Peterson serving up the festive feast.

Elder Craig, Elder Priest, Sister Nybo, Elder Watson and Sister Szabadkai.

Pies, pies and more pies!

Thanks for all of our kitchen help.


Friday Night Thanksgiving!

 Friday evening before our Institute program we enjoyed another wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with our YSA's.  For many it was their first American Thanksgiving meal.  They enjoyed all of the choices we had, even the pumpkin pie and candied yams, which was new to them.

Laci and Timi, our YSA, serving up our American tradition, and loving it!

YSA's, missionaries, investigator and visiting leaders from France made up our second Thanksgiving dinner this week.

Adri, Zita, Lavi, Elder Peterson, Panni and Luca enjoying each other.

Zsolt and Timi,

A celery stalk, our Thanksgiving miracle!  For two weeks we looked high and low for celery at all of the vegetable stands.  Finally we were told that you cannot get celery stalks here in Hungary.  They only sell the root.  Wondering how we would make stuffing without celery, we googled substitutes. On Thanksgiving morning Elder Peterson went to the fruits stands to find swiss chard or fennel instead.  Lo and behold look what he found.  Finally we would have real stuffing for Thanksgiving.

Black Friday advertisement found on the subway. This is the second year of Hungary adopting this American tradition.  If you study this billboard carefully you will learn 2 Hungarian words, BLACK and FRIDAY.

AUTUMN IN BUDAPEST

We have enjoyed a beautiful autumn here in Budapest.  Not quite like the Fall we know in Utah but pretty nonetheless.  The changing of the seasons reminds us how quickly time passes.  We love the work we are doing with the YSA and the missionaries here in Budapest.  We will miss all of them when we move to Eger on December the 18th.

Elder and Sister Peterson, working in our YSA office.

Our favorite steps to the Castle Hill

More steps to the Castle

Daily walk in our favorite park

Christmas packages all done and headed for the Posta

VISITORS FROM VIENNA

Elder and Sister Parker just completed their mission in Vienna Austria, part of the Alpine German Mission.  They had wanted to visit Budapest Hungary before they went home, so they contacted us and we made arrangements to show them around.  Elder and Sister Parker are from our stake back home.  Elder Parker and Elder Peterson served together in a YSA bishopric many years ago.  It was so much fun to renew acquaintances once again and to show them the beauties of Budapest.

View from the top of St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest

Elder and Sister Parker, and Sister Peterson on the dome balcony of St. Stephen's Basilica.

"The Studel House", famous strudel where you can even watch it being made, and even the presentation was unique.

Elder and Sister Parker with Elder and Sister Peterson at  'The Strudel House'

A quick pizza lunch with the Parkers before catching their train ride back to Austria.

It was a short but fun visit.  They arrived on a Saturday evening after a long train ride from Prague.  The following day they attended church in the Buda Ward here while we traveled to Erd to attend our meetings.  We got together at our place for dinner later.  It was a raining day but we still ventured off the show them the nighttime view from Castle Hill.  We were a little disappointed because parliament was not lit up. Later we realized it was because the country was mourning for the Paris bombing victims. Monday we spent the day sightseeing, putting in almost nine miles of walking.  It was fun to treat them to the sights and tastes of this beautiful city.
Tuesday morning we took them to see the "Hospital in the Rock", knowing that it would be of special interest to them because Elder Parker is a retired OB-GYN.  They enjoyed that unique experience and then off we went to the train station to help them on their way back to Vienna.  The following day they will be flying home from Vienna to Utah to their family after 18 months of service.

SERVING ERD

Elder and Sister Peterson in front of the office building where the Erd Church is located.

 Erd is a suburb of Budapest without the hustle and bustle of the city.  It is about 30 minutes by car if the traffic is good or a 16 minute train ride. The branch house is located down town on the 2nd floor of an office building. We see about 30 people out to church each week.  On Thursday we usually go over to the branch house to help with english classes in the evening.

With the Erd missionaries waiting for the train after teaching a program.

Klara and sister Peterson about to board the train for Erd

I was asked by the Erd Relief Society to write some articles for their magazine.   We are writing on such things as our favorite scripture, and why it is,  how did we feel when we got our call to Hungary,  or what is our favorite place to visit so far.  This last week I reported on what new eating place we have found lately.  We went over to Pest, on the east side of the Danube river and found the Belgian Waffle House.   It was a real treat that I highly recommend. It is located at 51 Vaci utca,  one of the most famous walking streets in Budapest.

 We have been going with the  missionaries to visit Loci and his mother Margit to teach the discussions.  We love visiting with them in their home.  It is a Hungarian tradition to offer food when company comes over.  One night Lacy brought out a 90 cm Pizza for us and the missionaries.  I have never seen a pizza this big in my life.  Hungarians really enjoy their pizza.

Elder Tuttle, Elder and Sister Peterson, Laci, Elder Santander and Margit

I think the four of us can handle this!

We heard that Erd had a unique park that we needed to visit.  It is called Memento Park.  This is the resting place of a lot of the old Russian and Communist era statues.  We drove out there this week with Elder and Sister Simkins to see what it was like.  Very interesting but kind of a somber place when you think of the things that went on in that time period.  We are so thankful that the people of Hungary have the freedom now to choose their religion and govern themselves.  Because of that freedom we feel it a privilege to be called here on a mission. Our message from our Savior is to teach faith, hope and happiness to everyone we can.  We have seen the gospel help so many people as we have worked with the missionaries here.

Boy do we feel small.

As we get ready for the holiday season we have been asked by President Szabadkai to study a different attribute of Christ every week leading up to Christmas.  This week we have been studying about hope.  Our scripture for the week is Moroni 7:41 "And what is it that ye shall hope for?  Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise." 

YSA HALLOWEEN WEEKEND EVENT

Our stake YSA committee organized and put on a wonderful Halloween party. We had a group of about 45 who came from many parts of the country. Friday evening we enjoyed games, food, and  dance instruction before the evening dance.  Saturday we had an early morning breakfast followed by a devotional.  We then did a service project where we put together 200 food kits for the immigrants. A great time was had by all who attended.  It is always fun to see these YSA kick up their heals and have a good time.  This night they truly did.  We enjoyed the evening right along with them.  Who could ask for a better calling than to help these YSA with their activities.  Since the  YSA floor is right below the mission home, we warned the mission president that it might be a little noisy for him.  I think we scared him away because he decided to go out of town for the weekend.

A good portion of our group poising for a group picture.

Elder Peterson and Adri painting our photo booth.

Enjoying a good meal.

Renewing old aquaintances.

One serious boy and four happy girls

 

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Elder's can never get enough food.

A captivated audience

A human obstacle course is a little tricky to maneuver around.

Sanyi, Adri and Timi

Panni  and Elder and Sister Peterson

Elder and Sisters Simkins, our wonderful chaperones enjoyed the party as much as our YSA

An early morning smile from Zoli

Spiders, I mean deviled eggs for anyone?  Good job, Zolt!

Early morning breakfast after a short night of sleep.

Saturday morning service project.  We assembled 200 food kits for the immigrants.