8/4/2014

Family!

It’s insane to think about that summer is already almost over! That school is almost back! It’s crazy how fast time can fly! All I have to say is that you only have a couple weeks of summer left and you better enjoy them! ha -- I’m glad that you had the chance this week to rest and to just enjoy life this week! I was super excited to hear that Max has finally started to hit the gym and that Jarom and Luke started working out with basketball.  

My companion and I are doing great!   We’ve been really making the work boom here in Győr. But it’s really taken everything out of us every day. luckily it hasn’t been too hot with all the rain that we have been getting. we come home at the end of the day literally exhausted.. physically, mentally, and spiritually. it’s amazing how the Lord truly strengthens his servants. although I have literally felt tired and exhausted allll week, you can see the lord lifting you up and carrying you. and we’ve come to found that it’s in those moments.. where you are completely exhausted.. it’s 925 at night.. you’ve done all you can.. but then you finish that 5 minutes and that’s when the miracle happens. -- quick example from this week. we were tabling and tracking in the bell varos... and it was getting late.. and we were tired from standing and talking all day.. it was a hot day.. and but we decided to go in a corner real quick and say a prayer for success in the last few minutes. then we went back out and the next person we saw, or saw us.. came running up to us and saying "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I have been looking for! how did you guys know that I would be here tonight?" it was definitely a testimony builder. but, here’s the thing, those kinds of experiences happened several times this week, and we can learn a lot of lessons from them. 

This week we found a ton new investigators and our current investigators are getting really close to baptism.! just a few tweeks and a couple spiritual miracles for these people and we have the potential to have 9 baptisms before this transfer ends. yeah..  so we are really excited! the work is going great! when you get two people who aren’t satisfied with the status quo... that’s when miracles happen and that’s when the work starts to boom, and that’s exactly how this companionship is. 

Interviews with president went really well this week! get this! the train station that we went into this time in Budapest was THE EXACT train station that was in mission impossible 4! so cool huh? I thought that was a cool fact! :) interviews when good. I met with President for about 45 min. then with his wife for 45 min. while my comp met with pres. But it was really good. we mostly talked about leadership and talked about what I wanted to talk about. which was nice :) ha so we talked about Győr. we talked about the struggles.. the questions that I had.. everything! it was a great meeting! I love president. he’s a great guy! immediately after the meetings we headed back to Győr on, for some reason, the crappiest train in Hungary. haha it was.. pretty bad.. but we made it! 

This week we were invited by one of our investigators to go play squash.. and I’ve never even heard of it! but it turned out to be tons of fun! I sent you a pic of it! so that was new and fun. 

This week I encountered a little frustration... haha so now.. I can pretty well understand everything that anyone says.. which is a miracle in this language,  and well.. since I know that they are saying exactly now.. sometimes I get a little... anxious I guess you could say. ESPECIALLY.. when you are teaching something and testifying of something so clearly that a 2 year old can understand and they feel the spirit and they even say they feel the spirit and know that it is true... and you feel the spirit strong.. and well.. they just don’t do anything about it. it happened 3 times this week. ha could have 3 baptisms, so close. but idk. I don’t let my frustration show... but after I feel like punching Satan into the curb that’s how bad it gets. ---- it’s tough. when you become so into this work.. and your thoughts and feelings and everything start to become Christ’s..... you get real passionate about everything you do. if you’re doing it right... you get all the joys and success of being the Lords servant. but then you also get the pain. and the worry. and the sorrow. 

Anyway, so that was my week this week! tons of full days.. tons of work! tons of emotions. tons of ups and downs. tons of success, and tons of sorrow, and your body never really gets a chance to catch up. you never get enough sleep. you just go go go and work the hardest you can.. because this is the most important work on earth. this is the most important thing each of us can do while we are on earth. I got to bare my testimony about that this fast Sunday in front of everyone! (oh ps. I also got to bless the sacrament too! and if you think it might be hard doing it now at home.. try it in Hungarian! ha crazy! ) 

but I just want to end this email with one of the other several experiences that we had this week. it was on Thursday. and we just got a program canceled on us. and we had an hour to go to some finding. I had a thought pop into my mind of a specific area that we should go check out. I told my companion and I suggested that we say a prayer just to make sure that it is the right area. ( I like to liken the spirit as a modern day gps. you got a map of Győr... and you have the Lords elect and people who are ready to receive the lords gospel all over. like dots on a map. and if you know how to use that spirit correctly. and you are worthy. the gps will lead you right to them. ) so I said a prayer.. and I felt the spirit so I knew that it was the right place to go. so we rode our bikes down and around this area.. and out of the corner of my eye.. behind two buildings there was this court. all fenced off.. and there was this kid about 17 years old playing basketball by himself. I hurried and turned my bike around and said elder! it’s him! so we went over to the fence and asked him if we could play with him. and he was super cool and said yes! and since then.. we have become really good friends and we have met with him 3 times already. --- its little miracles like that that make you come home at the end of the day.. exhausted.... but for some reason you are happy. and the spirit is with you. and when you get down on your knees at the end of the day and tell the Lord that you gave him all that you had to offer today... that’s when the spirit overpowers you and amazing things occur. 

the work is real! it’s the Lords work. I wonder If all of us sometimes forget.. or dont fully compreheand.. what exaclty our relationship with God is. I testify to you that it is a lot more special and closer than you think. great miracles will happen if we could grasp that relationship and understand how it works. 

I love you all!

Watson Elder. 

8/10/2014

family!!!!!

The Ogden temple looks like it was beautiful!  I was so jealous when I saw all those pics of all of you! Especially those who were sitting by Hannah!  GOSH! ha I’m sure it was so beautiful inside.. and I am sure that you had a blast together! I can’t wait to come back and see it. That’s one huge thing that I really miss here.  I miss the temple!   When people want to go to the temple here.. they have to get on a bus for 24 hours and its  huge sacrifice!  We are really blessed to have one 4 blocks away! 

MAX!!!!!! happy birthday!!!!!!!! I hope that you have a great birthday!!!! and it so crazy that you are going to be driving! Everyone WATCH OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! ha jk. but happy birthday! Big old 15! I remember when I had my 15th birthday.. our parents sold the mustang. worst day ever. ha ---but keep working hard with basketball! Keep working on your hops! when you work out.. burn your muscles to complete exhaustion. Because that’s when change comes. That’s when all that pain.... will turn into success! keep working hard! You’ve got to ball it up this year!

Anyway! so now a little about my week! :) 

Last Monday a miracle happened! I told mom and Hannah but I’ll tell everyone again! So Monday we got another baptismal date! For September! we were super excited! It was hard to make him commit but once we said a prayer together asking him to ask if it was the right thing to do.. the spirit filled the room so strong that it made you tear up. and then he said yes! and I was about to pick up a chair and throw it out the window or something!!! haha so excited! 

Then on Wednesday! We got haircuts! but we also went over to teach this 7 year old girl who is on baptismal date for when she turns 8 in October, she is so cool. We got the children’s book in Hungarian.. the one with the pictures.. The Book of Mormon stories.. and we read out of that and we acted out the stories with her.... it was tons of fun! I have a picture! , then we got haircuts! and they look alright.. the last one was better I think but this one is doable. ha 

This week I also ate a new thing! ready for this?? Idk where Hungarians get this.. but I was fed it! I tried crocodile meat! it was actually pretty good! we had it with pasta! it was crazy! we met with some inactive members who are pretty sick.. At least one of them is, and after we had the meal we went and sat down to give  short spiritual thought and I had an impression come to me that I should ask this man and woman if they would like to have priesthood blessings, and they said they really need that..  it was a cool experience. I’ll tell ya what though.. giving blessings in Hungarian is not an easy thing.. ha but those moments are also when I have spoken my most perfect Hungarian. 

we went on splits with the zone leaders this week! I got to stay in my own apartment.. which is nice.. becaue ours is the best.. and I know the area the best. It was fun to get to know someone new. 

so the youth had their youth EFY in Germany this last week and they came back and get this...... two young men.. who didn’t really want to serve missions... came back and I was talking to them and they want me to help them start their papers.  we are going to do that! then... one of the investigators came back and said that their testimony meeting changed her life and she wants to be baptized!  it was a miracle! 

so to end this email... I just want to give you guys a quick spiritual thought... 

my first one is what I've learned from reading the Hungarian Book of Mormon.   The translation from Hungarian to English is not perfect. which when you read it it gives you new insights that you’ve never seen before. it is so cool. for example.. the work to cry... " to cry unto the lord" and to cry... is the same word in English.. well in Hungarian.. it is two different works. it’s very interesting.. it means different things when you cry.. and when you cry unto the lord. it’s interesting. 

my second one is what I’ve really learned this week. CHARITY. 1 cor. 13. the Lord has said that without charity.. we are nothing. we can have the gift of revelation.. we can have the gift of tongues.. we can be talented.. we can be wealthy.. we can do so many good things.. and have so many gifts.. but if we dont have charity.. we are nothing.  No man can inherit, interesting word choice right there INHERIT, the kingdom of God.. without having the attribute of charity.

Now what is charity? I encourage all of you... with your families.. to read 1 cor 13, it’s short. and really dig out the meaning of charity. because I’ll tell you what I found. charity isn’t just giving money to the poor.. it’s not just helping an old nanny with groceries. it’s not just spending time with someone. it’s not just giving a gift to someone. ---- if any man gives a gift and doeth it grudgingly.... it is counted unto him for nothing..--- charity.. are not acts of kindness alone. charity.... is a feeling. charity.. is an eternal love inside of you for all man which then drives you to do acts of kindness. it starts inside of you. it is a thing of feeling.. not acts alone. 

I love all of you! I miss all of you! time is certainly flying out here. it’s almost mid transfer. it’s crazy! and Christmas Skype is right around the corner! seems like we just talked for Mother’s Day! I love you! be safe !

Watson Elder