OUR EASTER CELEBRATION

This week we enjoyed the Easter week.  For many of the Hungarians, this week was a very special one.  Churches held meetings and rang bells in memory of the events leading to the crucification and resurrection.  The clear egg hanging on the Easter bush represents the empty tomb.  Another interesting tradition is the spraying of the women with water or cologne.  The men and boys recite a  poem and then ask for permission to spray the girl.  In return the girl gives the boy a chocolate.  One of our friends taught Elder Peterson a poem to recite.  It goes as follows:

Zöld erdöben jártam

Kék ibolyát láttam

El akart hervadni

Szabad -e locsolni? 

I was in a green forest

I saw a blue violet

It wanted to wilt

May I spray you?

Interesting tradition, as Sister Peterson was sprayed several times on Sunday at church.
The Monday following Easter Sunday is a holiday as well.  They call it Easter Monday.  Most all the stores are closed but they have Festivals everywhere in the town squares where celebrations take place with traditional Hungarian music and dancing as well as the selling of food and handmade crafts. We took a P-day on Monday and traveled to Budapest where we met Daniel Nyman and his parents.  Elder Nyman was one of the AP's when we arrived here in Hungary and we served with him for about 6 months.  It was a wonderful experience as we were able to assist him in teaching Klára and Bertold and prepare them for their baptisms.
We meet the Nymans at the mission home and then hiked up to Geliert Hill, which over looks the beautiful city of Budapest and saw the place where Preident Russell M Nelson dedicated the land of Hungary for the preaching of the gospel.  We then walked over the bridge and walked down Vaci Utca to where the Easter Festival was.  We enjoyed a wonderful day with Daniel and loved meeting and spending time with his parents.

"Pussy Willow", a traditional dried flower to hang your Easter decorations from.

Our Eger missionaries enjoying 'Palacsintavar" after our district meeting.

Branch  members at 'Játék Est', coloring brown Easter eggs.

Pres. Békés, Elder Seamons, Elder Larson and Kriszti

Our Sunday Easter dinner guests, Elders Seamons, Bradshaw and Larson with Zsuzsa

You know spring is here when you see the Néni's filling their window boxes with flowers.

Daniel Nyman, a wonderful missionary whom we served with for 6 months returns with his parents, Mark and Sherri Nyman

Easter Monday celebration with the Nymans and other friends from the country at Varsmarty ter

"Our Savior experienced and suffered the fullness of all mortal challenges "according to the flesh" so he could know "according to the flesh", "how to succor" (which means relief and to give aide) his people according to their affirmatives".  He therefore knows our struggles, our heartaches, our temptations, and our sufferings, for he willing suffered it all,  (experienced) it all as it is an essential part of the Atonement. Because of the Atonement- it gives us strength to bear it all.  "The healing and strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is for all of us who will ask." 

  (Dallin Oakes, GC October 2015)
We are so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for each of us. Through the Atonement we have the opportunity to change and become more like our Savior and our Heavenly Father as we exercise our faith in His enabling power. We know he lives and that we all will live again.  For this gift we are so grateful. We are never alone in our trials, he stands by us and gives us the strength to endure. These blessings we are so grateful for as we celebrate this Easter season.

TOURING DOBOGÓKÖ

We headed out on Friday morning to spend some time with our YSA in Budapest.  We took Timi to lunch and then she showed us some of the sights on the Pest side. We attended Institute that evening and enjoyed a fun time playing 'charades' with them as well as Elder and Sister Simkin.  Sister Simkins made a delicious 'shepherds pie', Hungarian style.  They also let us crash on their hide-a-bed again(our old apartment), and we are grateful for that
The next morning in preparation for the International YSA Country Conference we took the organizing committee to tour the facilities at Dobogókö.  The YSA committee met at the Hajnóczy building in Budapest to car pool to the location which is about a 30 minute drive. President Vasvary (Counselor in Stake Presidency)and Oliver Szobonya (High Counselor) organized the event which included team-building activities. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch, a good indication that the food is going to be another plus factor for the location here.  We can tell this place will be even more beautiful in the summer when every thing is green and lush. In addition  to the team-building  activity we held a meeting so each of the committee heads could report on their ideas so far.  The excitement is definitely building and we can hardly wait to see all of this come together.
                                               

Enjoying one of my favorite Hungarian treats , Kürtöskalács.

Our organizing committee for the 2016 YSA Conference (Most of them were there)

Elder and Sister Oldham with Elder and Sister Peterson

Hotel provided a wonderful meal before the tour and organizing meeting.

Beautiful entrance to the Walden Hotel

Team building activities helped us to connect as leaders.

Niki, Antonia, and Peter

Zita, Viktor and Panni

Sister Peterson and Antonia

Our theme for this years conference is "The Standard of Truth has been erected: no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing...the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."  Joseph Smith

                                                    Sunday March 20, 2016

Today we enjoyed a nice Sunday dinner with Leah and President and Sister Szabadkai after Branch Conference here in Eger.

MARCH HAS ARRIVED

We begin another month.......

Our beautiful city of Eger

Eger Branch Relief Society! Andi, Tunde, Henni, Agnus, Krizsti, Agi, Piroska, Kati, and Zsuzsa .( Lili and Kiti are not pictured, they were on a temple trip to Ukraine)

Amazing Mural on the castle wall. depicting the battle of Eger, 1552!

Splits with the Zone Leaders and lunch at one of our favorite places. (Zone Leaders are Elder Evans and Elder Mortensen)

Our Eger District!  Elder Peterson, Elder Bradshaw, Elder Larson, Elder Seamons, Elder Kellogg and Sister Peterson. One final picture before Elder Kellogg's departure for home.

We know spring is close when the outdoor markets are full of produce.

We love March because that means that April General Conference is just around the corner.  We have been studying the October messages in preparation for the upcoming conference. We would like to share a thought from Elder Quentin L Cook.
        "Life is not easy, nor was it meant to be. It is a time of testing and trial.  Like the old ships of Bristol Harbor, there will be times when the tide goes out and it seems as if everything in this world that keeps us afloat disappears.  We may hit the bottom and even be tipped over on our sides.  Amid such trials, I promise you that living and maintaining temple-worthy lives will hold together all that really matters.  The sweet blessings of peace, happiness, and joy along with the blessings of eternal life and celestial glory with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, will be realized."

ANOTHER ADVENTUROUS WEEK

Where has the month of February gone? Transfers were on the 9th and we now have two sets of elders in Eger. And with transfers always comes the goodbyes for the missionaries that have completed their missions and they are going home.  We lost some wonderful missionaries this month.  In particular Elder Watson, one of the AP's in the mission.  Also going home is Elder Mellor, who served with us for a time when we were in Budapest.

Our Eger Elders!  Elder Seamons, Elder Larson, Elder Kellogg and Elder Bradshaw!

Elder Watson and Elder Mellor we will miss you both so very much!

Elder Peterson, Elder Watson and Sister Peterson, saying our final good byes .

Eger, is known as "Wine Country" because of all the rolling hills covered with vineyards. The most famous wine is named 'Bull's blood".  This last month our friends here in Eger took us to a famous restaurant in the vineyard valley surrounded by wine sellers.  Of course we turned down the wine but enjoyed a great Hungarian meal.

Fine dining in Eger!

Barbara and Péter have been showing us the great places to eat in Eger!

Beautifully decorated walls with the famous wines of Eger.

Sunday we had our first organizational committee meeting to start the process of creating a wonderful YSA Country Conference. August 8-12 will be the summer conference that Hungary will host with nine other countries participating. We had 20 YSA's in attendance as well as President Vasváry of the Stake presidency and our High Counselor, Oliver Szobonya. There was much excitement as everyone is ready to put together a very memorable event.

So good to see our some of our YSA friends again.  Berta, Zita, Timi, Sister Peterson, Panni and Enikö

Panni and Sister Peterson

Early morning baking raspberry sweet rolls for district meeting, because we love our missionaries

The gospel of Jesus Christ gives each of us hope.  Elder Bednar teaches us that, "We should not underestimate the power of the Lords tender mercies.  The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in troubled times in which we now and will yet live.  When words cannot provide the solace we need to express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the justices and injustices of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance." (see 1 Nephi 1:20)

And Ether gives us a promise in the 12th chapter, 4th verse.  "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope of a better world, yeah, even a place at the right hand of God, which HOPE cometh of FAITH, maketh an ANCHOR to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abiding in good works, being led to glorify God."

May we all recognize our true source of real Hope.  We are all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and he sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us from this fallen world.  May we never lose that Hope, no matter the circumstances in our life is our prayer.