OUR FINAL SENIOR CONFERENCE

After returning from Kiev we picked up our car and headed to Szeged.  All of the senior couples were meeting there for senior conference.   This will be the last senior conference for us and the Oldham's. We will both be heading home in August.
We met at the Szeged chapel for some missionary training.  Each of the Senior couples shared some missionary experiences and talked about miracles they have seen.  The Lord is truly watching over us and helping us in our missionary efforts.  Sister Peterson and I were able to give a short report on our Eger members and shared our testimony of the work here in Hungary.  We feel so much love for the people here.
That evening we worked with Elder and Sister Lund to do a humanitarian service project.  We put together 500 hygiene kits to be distributed at the Hungary/Serbia border the next day.  The refugees coming from middle eastern countries have a big need as they come into these camps.
On Saturday we went to Ópusztazer, an open air museum near Szeged.  It is a beautiful place where we learned much about Hungarian history.  The day was caped off by a horse show featuring the ridding and fighting skills of the Magyar.

Senior Conference July 22, 2016  in Szeged

President and Sister Szabadkai

Elder and Sister Lund

Elder and Sister Simkins

Elder and Sister Howell

Elder and Sister Peterson ll

Elder and Sister Oldham

Elder and Sister Peterson

Assembling hygiene kits

Árpad, the leader of the Magyar tribes, 897 AD

Skeleton of a Turkish style tent

Period clothing mannequins

You can still find these bikes in Hungary today,

Horsemanship has been a great tradition in Hungary.

Riding and shooting is an art here in Hungary.

OUR KIEV TEMPLE TRIP

We had a wonderful opportunity to travel with some of our Eger branch members to the Kiev Ukraine Temple.  Krisztián, our branch president and his wife Lili were sealed as an eternal family on July 20th in the Ukraine temple.  One of our YSA, Heni received her endowment, in preparation to begin her mission.  Andi, Tunde, Balint and Piroska made the trip with us as well.
We spent three wonderful days serving in the temple. We met many wonderful church members from all over  the country of Ukraine and Russia.  We stayed in the patron housing, provided by the church.  It was an amazing experience, one that we will never forget.

Meeting up at the Budapest airport

Krisztián and Elder Peterson

Our first look at the "Kiev Ukraine" temple

Tunde, Balint, Krisztián, Lili, Sister Peterson, Elder Peterson, Andi and Heni

Congratulations to Krisztián and Lili, together forever!

Grateful to be a part of this wonderful day!

We love to see the Temple

Stormy outside but calm and peaceful inside!

Lili, Krisztián and Sister Peterson caught in the down pour!

Back on Hungarian soil again.

We have been away from the temple for so long because of our mission here in Hungary.  It was so wonderful to be back in the House of the Lord again. You forget how sweet and comforting the temple feels.  We felt like we had come home.  The Celestial room was a very special place to be with six of our wonderful branch members all dressed in white. This will be one of the highlights of our mission for sure. We feel that our cup runneth over with blessings.

SUNFLOWER OBSESSION

We are in love with the sunflowers here in Hungary.  They just keep growing taller and the heads keep getting bigger.  It is such a beautiful site as we drive through the country side of Hungary.  It is fun to watch their heads follow the sun all day and then in the evening turn back to the east to welcome the sun the next morning.  Hungarians cook a lot with oil, so sunflower seed oil is a big production here in Hungary.  We are not too concerned about that we are just obsessed with the beauty and the personality of this plant.

In the evening the heads turn back towards the east to welcome the sun in the morning!

Our faith is like a seed.  It we plant it in our heart and nourish it, it will begin to grow Alma taught us this great principle in Alma 32: 32-34.  "Therefore, if a seed growth it is good, but if it growth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.  And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.  And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?  Ye, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant: and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand."

BUDA YSA CONFERENCE

This past weekend we traveled to Budapest to help with the Buda YSA Conference.  This was a two day event where our YSA come in from all over the country of Hungary.  This is our last conference in preparation for our 9 country conference which we will take place in August.  Saturday the program started with the institute and seminary graduation.  The YSA enjoyed a wonderful fireside about dating and marriage taught by Oliver Szobonya, our high counselor, assigned to the YSA program.  After a quick lunch they were off to the park to do a service project followed by some fun games.
Sunday morning we had a special YSA sacrament program. It was a wonderful spiritual meeting enjoyed by all.  We feel so blessed to have this opportunity to work so closely with these great young men and women.  They face many difficult challenges but remain faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ.