8/18/2014

Family!

I literally should title every week miracle week.. But seriously.. this one deserves it. -- But first I just wanted to say that I loved all of your guy’s emails and it was super fun to read all about what you did! I’m jealous that you get to watch shark week... although it’s probably good that I don’t see it for two years and maybe that’ll give me a hope of being able to get in the water in Hawaii. ha well see :) 

I’m super proud of all the bros! and all the hard work and effort that they are putting into basketball. and it’s super exciting to see the success that you are having! -- to be honest.. I am starting to really miss high school sports! ha it sucks! especially basketball! I’m going to miss it like crazy when it starts. I’m going to be like.. but hey! that’s my court! ha --- so max! make every second count! 

SO now for me! I don’t even know where to start!!!! so many miracles happened!!!!! and we truly worked our tails off our here! 

I guess I will start with the biggest news! GET THIS! SO on Tuesday of this week we were meeting with his 12 year old girl teaching her English okay.. and her grandma walks in..... and after we got done teaching her we sat down and started talking with her grandma.. she pulled out her book of Mormon and we started to get a really good convo going about the book of Mormon... and she said that she has read the whole thing and that it is the only book that gives her comfort in her life... long story short she has been through a lot in her life.... and she said that she knows that it’s from god. apparently she was an old investigator from like.. 10 years ago. as we were talking about the book of Mormon and telling us that it is the only thing that gives her comfort... and that she knows that it’s true... I had a thought come into my mind that I should ask her to be baptized. just plain and simply ask her if she wants to be baptized. don’t throw in the priesthood.. don’t make it fancy.. just ask her. so I said the simplest line in Hungarian "meg fogsz keresztelkedni?" and she said " meg fogok!" and I was like.. what the?.... I couldn’t believe what she said! so I asked her again! and she replied the same! I asked her 3 times.. not kidding.. just to make sure I wasn’t day dreaming. and it was actually real! GET THIS part.... so I sat will you get baptized on sept. 20th? and then right after I said that I felt that it should be way... sooner. and the next thing that popped in my mind was august 23rd. I was thinking that it was a long shot... right before I said it. but I said it anyway and guess what.. we are having a baptism this Saturday! it’ll be the quickest baptism in Hungary! we had to call pres to get permission. because usually people have to come to church at least twice before baptism. but she came yesterday... we had 7 investigators in church yesterday.. and then we called pres and he said it’s all good to go! I’m so pumped! so we asked her who she wants to baptize her and who does she want to confirm.. and she said I don’t care! she said that 10 times and then we told her she had to choose.. ha-ha and she just okay! how about you (pointing to me) do the confirmation and you do the baptism (pointing to elder Nichols). so I get to do another confirmation! ha-ha I am super excited but honestly.. it is sooo hard doing those. ha but I am pumped! it’s so crazy how it happened!  

then another quick story along the same lines... with the same person. another miracle. a few days later.. I guess she slipped. and she did something to her back that made it so she could hardly walk and sit down. ( we are meeting with her and her granddaughter every day. just so you know)  and we came in and she told us what happened and she honestly looked like she hurt it pretty bad.  we had the impression to ask her if she would like a priesthood blessing. and we described what it is to her and she said that she would love one. and then I had the feeling to describe even more how it works to her. and tell her that it works according to her faith. and that the power is real. just right before I laid my hands on her head... I literally felt something come into my body, my soul. it filled every little space. as I laid my hands on her head.. and gave her that blessing.. when she got up.. the spirit was so strong and she stood up and pointed to me and said (obviously in Hungarian) " when you put your hands on my head... I felt... ( she spent 10 min trying to describe the spirit) this warm.... feeling go from the top on my head all the way down to my spine where the pain started and the pain went away." --- after she said that.. my comp and I looked at each other and were in awe. all we could say that it was the power of god. 

this lady has super strong faith. miracles have happened and literally.. we have done nothing. I feel like the lord has literally just used us. I feel like I did absolutely 0 work. it is amazing to see. and those experiences I will never forget. God lives. Christ lives. This is truly his work. and the power of the priesthood is real. it is a real power. it is divine. it is god power. and god has trusted US, those who hold this holy priesthood, with it. God loves all of his children.. but he only TRUSTS a few of them with his power. therefore... TRUST... is greater than love. if you can love someone.. and then trust them. that’s the greatest form of love. so shortly put.. we are blessed more than we realize. 

let’s see.. okay! so there is this member that has been on a trip for ever but she finally came back and her name is barbs... and this whole week she bought us dinner... haha it was sooo sweet:) we ate out at the best places in győr! it was super good :) saved tons.. of money :) ha I love members! 

it’s been raining TONS.. over here. which is so nice because it has kept everything super cool. it’s been a really weird summer for Hungary.. usually it’s super-hot.. and everything. but it’s rained tons.. :) it’s nice! 

this week.. like I said. we got fed tons. not just by barbs though! I honestly did something that I’ve  never done in my life before.. I actually prayed for strength to eat the food. haha we would go to appointment to appointment.. and they would unexcitingly feed us! it was insane! so I just thought that you guys might laugh at that. 

oh! okay, dad, mom, and Hannah. get ready. you’ll love this. so I had to teach one of the English classes by myself this week because the other elders didn’t show up. they were splits and were running late. so I had to teach the profi class! it was super easy because they all speak pretty good English and we just talk about subjects and practice speaking. BUT. we got into the subject of family.. and I pulled out my picture book ( because I always carry it with me) and we looked at them... and first of all.. they were shocked at how good mom looked. and they were shocked at how young you were. they thought that you were my sister. it was hilarious.. I wrote down what they said right after so that I could tell you! ha they were shocked because people do not get married young here. so that’s why. and then a few seconds later... they said well.. your dad looks really good too! but your mom is amazing! haha I busted up laughing. I was like.. my dad is going to love hearing this one! haha so anyway. super funny! and then I have a pic of Hannah in there too! because they always ask if I have a girlfriend or something and so I just put on in there of Hannah with the rest and ha they said that she looked gorgeous and they couldn’t believe how good we look together.. I was like... yeah. that’s right. ha :) anyway!+ super funny! 

then you got the pic of the service project that we did for 4... freaking hours. holy cow. I thought I was going to die! ha the wood was sometimes wet... we chopped wood for hours.. stacked it.. and man. they had tons of wood. because that’s what they use for their heater in the summer! we were obviously out in a little falu. it was fun :) but my hands and for arms for some reason still kills. I got baby hands or something. I got really good at chopping wood though. got that swing down.) 

that was my week! along with zone training! that was good! I lead everyone in mid zone training stretches.. everyone loved it. I made it fun. ha anyway!

my spiritual thought this week comes form 3rd nephi 13.  verse 26, 27 mainly, 28. and 30. 

which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 

and why take ye thought for raiment? consider the lilies of the field and how they grow. they toil not. neither do they spin. 

wherefore if god so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. 

it really it me this week. something new. honestly.. who can think to himself.. I want to be another inch taller and it’ll just happen because he thought it? that doesn’t happen. who can think that he wants ANYTHING.. and it suddenly happens? nobody with nothing. who can think that he wants success.. and it just happens just by thinking it? it doesn’t work that way. every good thing that we obtain... we obtain from god. therefore.. everything good that we have in our life... every little thing... the clothes that you have right now, that you are wearing... is from god. everything good is a gift from god. --- therefore.. for me. success... ( and for you in anything in your life) success.. is a gift. success is a gift from god. it is not something that we do our selves and is something that we can boast about.. it is a gift from god. therefore if you want success... you be obedient. you are humble. and then you ask for it. and god will give it to you. ( this applies to anything in life, business, work, family, knowledge,etc. ) 

Christ has said... for your heavenly father knows all things that ye stand in need of. but seek ye first the kingdom of god.. and his righteousness.. and all these things shall be added unto you. 

there is a lot of doctrine in these verses.. but that’s something new that I picked out this week. EVERYTHING.. success.. is a gift from god. we as missionaries.. can’t just think and wish that we will have success.. and it’ll just come.as a basketball player we can’t just think that we wish we could be 1 inch taller and it’ll just come. all these things are gifts from god. and god has promised us that if we seek his kingdom. and his righteousness.. he knows what we want. he knows what we need. and he will take care of us and bless us if we simply.... are obedient. it’s a simple formula that I wish to suggest to all of you this week! 

I love you all! 

Watson elder! 

8/26/2014

Family!

What’s up family! Are you all ready for school????? its soooo crazy that school is already back in session! Summer flew! And school flies! And when this school year ends.. I will only have 9 months left. That is insane. time is flying. Especially this last transfer, it was the fastest transfer that I’ve had. But I survived another one! I am staying in győr for another transfer! by the end I will have been here for a long... time! But Nichols and I are rocking it out here in győr so president decided to keep us together! It’s going to be a way fun.. way fast transfer! 

Good luck to everyone in school... it’s always a fun time of the year. New classes. New friends. and new experiences. but then it gets old.. and then we hate it. ha so enjoy it while you can! :) I expect straight A.s from everyone! 

I loved all the pictures that all of you sent me this week! :) it’s so much seeing pictures and VIDEOS! I got your video that you sent me of you guys doing that weird challenge! haha it was so funny! I started laughing way hard! and I told my comp about it and we are going to try to do it. and then we will send a video back to you guys :) it’ll be funny.. we’ve already got a lot of ideas ,)  so be ready for that! here is my question.. how did you get the video to fit in an email? 

I’m glad that Hannah brought over all of your gifts! I hope that you like them! just a little something from Hungary that I thought you guys would think it was cool.   --- the FHE lesson sounded amazing.. and looked amazing... dad,) haha loved it! 

the weather here has been crazy weird! it hasn’t been hot since... like in June! when I first got into the country! after that.. it has been raining... ALL week every week! insane! it has kept it really cool. but it’s even starting to get a little chilly in the mornings. for personal study I have to go put sweats and a sweatshirt on! it’s crazy! and I don’t imagine it getting warmer again so I think I might be in for a really cold winter! -- it’s good to hear that the weather is cooling off back at home too. I love those cool summer nights. 

Hannah, MOM.-..... don’t worry:) I am watching out for cars! I promise! our bikes are broken.. well.. stolen... so we have to walk everywhere now and it’s not as dangerous :) ha so I am being safe! love you guys:) 

so yes! my companion’s bike got stolen this week.. we were  teaching English class...  and then there was a little birthday party for one of the members and we were at that.. and during that... one of the members came running in and told us that our bikes were stolen! and I was like.. no way... we went out there... and my comps was gone! they cut the lock and took it! idk why they didn’t take mine though.. because mine was 10x better. had a way softer seat! but yea! his is gone! and then one of the members called the police.. and the police here do nothing... so we had to wait forever for them.. and talk to them.. and yeah. long story short.. we are out of bikes. and I’ll tell ya what! our bikes were NOT CHEEP! bikes in Hungary are super expensive. for one of our bikes it is 80,000.00 ft. so that’s like 400 bucks for an okay.. kind of bike! crazy. anyway. so no more bikes for a while! kind of sucks. we are so much more effective with bikes. it’s okay though! 

Tons of things happened this week! I don’t even know where to start! 

so the baptism actually happened this week! It was like... the perfect baptism story with only one little bump in the road. and that was coffee! she was a regular coffee drinker and the Wednesday before her baptism we taught her the Word of Wisdom. we were both super scared that that would kill the baptism for that Saturday depending on how she took it. so as soon as we started talking about drugs.. and alcohol... and smoking.. and she said that she didn't do any of those! so that was great but it also really surprised me! but then we got to coffee..... ha and her reaction was pretty funny. ha she kind of freaked out for 2 seconds.. but then she actually accepted it! ha she said.. "oh that’s no problem.. I can drink it cold" hahah it was sooo funny. then we had to re explain everything to her. ha but then a miracle happened. she actually really accepted it this time and said that she wouldn’t drink coffee anymore. and guess what. she stopped immediately. and she hasn’t done it sense. insane huh??? truly a miracle. sometimes she tells us she misses it really bad because she makes coffee for her husband still in the morning. but she doesn’t have any of it. it’s crazy! then everything went perfectly to the baptism! we couldn’t believe it was actually happening! I mean heck! we’ve only met her like a week ago! and we haven’t even made a progress record for her yet! she was so prepared all we had to do.. is just show up. just another testimony that god has been, and is preparing his children. and we are truly just harvesting the field that is white and ready. __ so we made it to Saturday. we had to get everything ready.. programs.. clothes... the font.. everything! and she showed up.. and it was a super spiritual meeting before she got baptized... she leaned over and told us that she really feels it now. and that this is a powerful feeling. she said that then. And then after her baptism she got out and ran over to me and told me how warm she felt. and you could literally see the difference in her eyes. she was ecstatic. luckily tons of members came and gave her tons of support. they all love her. I’m so glad that the members came and supported her. the actual bap. was great.. I was one of the witnesses. then on Sunday. she showed up again. and she was super excited for the confirmation.. and I was super nervous. ha so we got up there.. put a chair up in the front... and then the bishop, and the second councilor came down with me and my companion to be in the circle. and honestly... there is really just... nothing.. no feeling quite like it. it’s amazing how strong the holy ghost comes in at those moments. I felt it working all the way through me to her. and miracles took place. for one.. I spoke perfect Hungarian. I didn’t mess up once and the blessing and all that I said was way longer than the first time I did it. and then after the blessing she got up and she was crying. the spirit was so strong in the room. and I guess I said the right words that heavenly father wanted me to say to her. it was perfect. ______ so all in all.... it was a perfect baptism story in all aspects! the lord works in mysterious ways. And literally... he is the one that does all the work. we did absolutely nothing.. besides be there... to help her get baptized. definitely a story that I will remember forever. 

other than that... we met some Americans on Saturday!!!! it was a sister who served here 4 years ago and she was with her husband. it as great to actually meet American church members. and guess what! they took us to McDonalds to eat dinner! haha I was feeling like an American missionary for 2 seconds. ha it was great not having to make your own food!:) so that was super fun. we got to translate for them in sacrament meeting. it was good practice for me. 

then... here is a funny story that I’m sure all of you will like! so we were walking around this round about in the city by the river.. and I saw some tourists and some people trying to help them. (me being the nice guy that I am... I love to help tourists because 99% of them can’t speak Hungarian) so I point them out to elder Nichols and I have my head turned walking and pointing at them... and the next thing I know... I run right into this street poll!!!!!! and it was no soft thing either.. like... I bent it a little bit. and it was rocking back and forth. and it hurt bad. and it was loud. my comp starts to laugh way loud.. and then they look over and they started to laugh at me.. it was so funny and so embarrassing. haha so that’s one of the funny moments from this week. 

anyway. that is a short version of my week this week. tons of work.. tons of success.. and tons of fun. that’s a perfect week on the mission right there! 

for my spiritual thought.. well.. as I was thinking of what I should give for a spiritual thought this week... the only thing that came to my mind was what I seemed to teach the most about this week. and that is temples.. and marriage. idk why, but this week was full of teaching about temples and about marriages and family.  so I guess that is what it’ll be about! 

so first thing that I want to share is that duty... = joy. when we are doing our duty... we are happy. when we keep gods commandments and when we are doing what god wants us to do.. we are happy. because we are blessed. and blessings make us happy. therefore... duty.. is joy. 

here is 2 things about Hungary... first... families are really rare. because it is so expensive to get married over here so no one gets married. and people.. don’t have morals over here... so there are tons of divorces.. there are tons of kids without parents.. there are tons of bad situations going on here all the time. that’s why this week we talked tons about marriage and about temples. and the second thing... is that when they talk about marriage.. they use the word kotni.. which means.. to tie. which I think is really cool. so when we get married.. we tie ourselves to the person that we are going to marry. and people in Hungary have a really hard time grasping that concept. when things get hard.. when they have a kid.. when money is low.. they ditch. they try to do something else. they give up. when they have a fight between each other.. they never forgive each other. they never help each other. they never love each other. I have literally been to programs.. where two spouses will get into fights right there in front of us. 1 its awkward.. and 2 its sad. it’s like.. really? you guys are married! what are you doing??  you look like 2 2 year olds.  so they are obviously missing something in their life. they are obviously short minded when they fight. or give up. or ditch. because if they had the eternal perspective.. they wouldn’t have given up. they wouldn’t have ditched.. and they wouldn’t be so mean to one another. 

so long story short.... those of you who are married... when things get rough.. when money is low. when your companion does something really annoying (I’ve experienced it haha ) when you hit a bump in the road... do not ever let us loose that eternal perspective. let us always remember that when we are married... we are tied... to each other (in a sense of being one). and when rough times come.. heck. double tie that not and hold on. because things will never get better if we give up. that day of perfection.. that day of peace.. that day of happiness.. will never come if we give up. we have to embrace the faith.... that one day it will be okay. that one day.. will be your day. but that day will never come if you give up. families are the central unit to this gospel and to heavenly fathers plan. and marriage is the thing that connects us down he line for eternity. it is not an earthy thing.. it is an eternal thing. __ do not lose the eternal perspective! don’t give up. double tie that knot. do whatever you have to not give up. because things will work out! it is the saddest thing to see when families are split. when kids are confused. half of my investigators are like that. and it literally breaks your heart. it’s like.. look what it could be like if you could only work through it together? if you could only forgive each other. if you could stay faithful to our spouse. etc. 

  I like to tell a young couple who are being married that in the marriage relationship they ought to look first to one another, as they do across the altar during their marriage not first to their parents, not first to their siblings, not first to their friends, but in solving all of their problems, they should look first to one another, because the unity between them under the presiding, loving authority of a Heavenly Father in that triangle… is what will get them over the inevitable problems of marriage.

I love you all! have a great first week of school!\ be safe!

sok szeretettel

 Watson Elder 

9/1/2014

my dearest.. most loving family and friends.. but really. whoever is getting this email is my family.. so family!! :

what a week! school is back in session here in Hungary. there isn’t as many people out on the streets. it is raining.. and when it rains.. it doesn’t just rain.. it DUMPS. so my jacket.. and my umbrella have been becoming really handy :) 

I love hearing all about your guys weeks.. and all that you have been doing! :) I’m glad that the first week is down and out of the way! and I think dads email got me fired up the most.... haha I can’t believe that you are really going to be buying AR15s. haha that is the best. you have to promise me that you will buy me one!!!!!!! okay??? promise???? that is the sweetest news ever. I bet the bros are freaking out about that! ha  -- anyway... -- anyway. it looks like you guys had a party and I’m glad that all went well! 

a little bit about my week... like I said it has been raining all week.. we were walking back to our apartment to get changed.. and on the way back we walked by a bus stop.. and there was this mom.. and two kids there waiting in the rain. as we walked past.. I guess I had a really great idea that I was excited about and I said "HEY ELDER!!!" like kind of pretty loud.. loud enough to startle the kids... because they kind of flipped out for 2 seconds and I was like.. bocs! (sorry) and that’s when I recognized that they were kind of disabled kids. anyway. we walked on past them.. and as we got to the pic cross walk to cross the street.. I had a feeling to go back and talk to them and see if they played basketball. well I hesitated for 2 seconds and we were already crossing the street and when I got to the other side I was like.. hey elder we got to go back. but he was like we have to hurry because the other elders are going to be meeting us at our apartment right now to then go to another program. but I was like no.. we got to go back! and so we stood there and waited for the light to go green so we could walk back..( they probably thought we were crazy.) but then we went back and started talking to them and they were the coolest kids ever and they were super excited to hear that we are going to play basketball.. and their mom was super excited too. and so we set up a time to play with them next Saturday. it’s going to be awesome! ----- lesson.. DO NOT HESITATE.. OR PUSH OFF.. a prompting of the spirit. 

then.. we were at the hijo.. a restaurant that night.. and there was this black guy standing at the front door. and the other elders were like.. we need to go talk to him! but no one would get up so I decided to get up and go talk to him! and come to find out.. he is actually American.. who I splaying EUR ball over here on a team! and get this. he played at Un. of Virginia.. and then he played aau ball on team Florida! and he knew dream vision! crazy huh??????? so we had a cool convo about that.. and he asked me who I was and what I was doing here.. and then we exchanged phone numbers and he invited me to come play a friendly pickup game a like a week or 2.! ha crazy huh? I hope I’ll be able to go! I still have to check out where it is.. and all that. but it would be a great finding opportunity,) :) ha 

other than that.. during tabling I talked to Cain.. or well. his friend.. or a false prophet.. or all three. it was the craziest thing. he ever spoke English to me. that was a fun, interesting convo. 

then on Tuesday we got a tour of the main city building and that was super cool there are pics on Facebook by Victoria if you want to check them out. 

so that was about my week. 

my spiritual thought this week is about LOVE. first off all I love all of you and especially mom and Hannah. and grandma’s ,):):) ha  

but here are my thoughts on love this week. love is interesting. what is love? how do we get it and what really is the power of love? the two great commandments are first to love god.. and then to love your neighbor. what originates from love.. that is so great? 

I’ve found.. that love... is kind of like any other gift. take faith for example. love is like faith. it is a gift from god. it is also the most enduring and (I think) the most powerful attribute.. or virtue. 

when we love our family.. when we truly love them.. or someone.. or something.. some things come automatically.. like we help one another. we talk to one another. we watch out for one another. we don’t fight. we are forgiving. we strengthen one another. we show our love physically and spiritually. we spend TIME with one other. the thing we love most.. will be what we spend our time... doing.  there is nothing as energizing, as sustaining.. as supporting.. as confidence building.. as the power of love. loves influence.. has a huge powerful effect on the human mind and heart.  with love... we can overcome anything. our fears. our doubts. our discouragements. when two people love each other.. when a family loves each other... with that pure love.. they can overcome any obstacle that is placed in their path. they can overcome any short comings. any lack of money. any lack of education. any lack of support. with love.. we can overcome anything. 

and if we love god.. we will obey his commandments. we will pray to him. we will auto keep all the other commandments that he has for us. because we love him and trust him. so there is really only one commandment god has ever given us.. and that is since he loves us so much.. that he gave his only begotten son so that we can become like him.. all he wants in return is for us to love him. now.. is that really that hard? considering from him all our blessings flow? I don’t think so. 

I love all of you! have a great week this week! be safe! round 2 of school! go get it!+ 

Watson Elder. 

9/8/2014

szia én családom!!!!:)

what’s up?! I hope all of you had a great week this week. from all of your emails it sounds like you all had a fun, busy, eventful week. peach days.. football game. temple. parties. school. I’m glad that all of you are having fun! :) 

this week in Hungary it has been super rainy again!! it just doesn’t stop over here! this whole week we would be soaked in our white shirts. we did bring our umbrellas.. but it started to rain so hard and we were so far away from our apartment, with no programs, that we just got wet anyway! - transfers are almost here again... not next week, but the next one. It’s so crazy how fast this transfer has gone! I guess that’s what happens when you get two people who work together really well. 

dad asked for me to tell all of you more of what I eat on a normal day. so here it is! I wake up and have a huge bowl of granola, muzli. then I have a banana. then I would have a post workout meal of eggs and protein shake. then I would eat sandwiches, pasta, or something carbi for lunch with fruits like apples n stuff. then I would eat chicken, beans, veg. for dinner.  then I would buy a bunch of these jó reggelts that are like granola bars for snacks when we go tracking or something for a long period of time. 

as far as the rest of my week went... and get this. on Wednesday.. we went to a local school where one of our youth in the ward attends. and he told us when they get together and play basketball. so we went over there and we started to play with them and we just.. wrecked em. ha they were.. like seniors in high school. it was tons of fun. (don’t worry, I am being tons more low key with my eye)  and by the end they were all asking me questions and we gave 6 books of Mormons out to all of them! and we planned another time to meet! 6 new investigators just like that! basketball finding is the way to go!

we did a lot of finding this week. as we do every week. But we have found that finding is the most effective, the most fun, when you seriously try to follow the spirit and get in tune with those heavenly waves that are being sent down to us. And I have found that the more you do it, and the more you practice it.. the more clearer they become. seriously, for example, this week. we were walking up to this building that we thought we could tracked. and as we got to the door I didn’t have the best feeling about it. the spirit left me and it was the most distinct feeling. it went from a warm feeling in the heart.. to nothing in a split second. so I told my comp and we turned around and paused for a second. the spirit came back and gave us the thought to go down this one street and to the right. we followed that prompting, and we found this young guy in his 30s watching his kid at a playground. we talked for a good 30 minutes and he loved everything that we shared. and he said  hey listen! you come to this pizza place, I’ll give you a free pizza and you can teach me more about this. since he works all the time that is the only time he could learn. ---- that is a really simple example of a great principle. it was like playing that hot and cold game with the spirit. 

this week, and month, I have found tons... of opportunities to strengthen this ward! and I have learned a lot of lessons from all the youth in this ward. I have had the opportunity to get really close with the young men in this ward and we have become lifelong friends. I set it as a goal to help them all go on missions by the time I leave győr. and these last two weeks they all accepted to go on a mission and we, together, have printed out all their paper work, met with the bishop, and each Thursday and Thursday night I meet with them to help them fil out their papers. it is truly a miracle in itself, which has blessed this whole ward. there are 4 young men now putting in their mission papers at the same time. 2 of these young men went from not wanting to go at all and focusing on school and work.. but now their hearts have changed.. and they are going. working with these guys have made me super happy. because I know how much a mission will bless their lives, their families, their future families, and their ward and the country of Hungary. -- this last Sunday, fast Sunday, since it’ll probably be the last fast Sunday for me in győr I got up and bore my testimony about the doctrine behind missionary work. and why we do it. and what comes of it. and how we are blessed. I also shared d and c 18 with them. after I got down, those 4 boys got up and each bore their own testimonies on missionary work and why they decided to go on a mission. and then the bishop ( who doesn’t usually speak at all, that has also been one of my goals ,to strengthen the priesthood here) got up and bore his testimony on missionary work and about these boys. they truly have caused a miracle to happen within the ward because of their decision and sacrifice to go on a mission. it is the coolest thing to see and be a part of. 

there is one of our investigators named Cindy. and she is 14 and just started school at a new school. she is getting baptized in 3 weeks. and she is super solid in the gospel. as we were meeting with her one day after school. she came in really depressed. and we kept asking her what was wrong. and she wouldn’t tell us. but as the meeting went along.. she opened up and said that she has no friends. because all of her old friends drink, party, and do bad stuff. and she has made a commitment to stay away from all of that. and there is only one other youth age girl in the ward, so she literally has 0 friends. the only one in her family that is a member is her sister. so obviously this is a really hard situation involved with sacrifices to keep commitments. as I was thinking what to say, 2 things came to my mind. charity, and selflessness. which.. well.. are hand in hand really. I told her that if she wanted to make friends. true friends. I gave her this commitment with this promise : that if she read 1 cor. 13. if she forgot about herself and focused on serving others and helping others in her school room. she will be a light in the midst of darkness and she would make lifelong friends. -- I want to share this with  all of you, because I truly believe this is how we be influential, how we make friends, and how we do true missionary work. 

my short spiritual thought comes from the life of our savior. 

as Christ grew up as a young boy, we have like.. 0 records on his boy hood except for these verses, and Jesus increased in wisdom, and stature, and in favor with god and man.... and the incident at the temple at 12 years of age. James e talmage says, his boyhood was actual boyhood, his development was as necessary and as real as Thea t of all children. over his mind had fallen the veil of forgetfulness common to all who are born to earth, by which the remembrance of primeval existence is shut off. the child grew, and with growth there came to him expansion of mind, development of faculties, and progression in power and understanding. his advancement was from one grace to another, not from gracelessness to grace. from good to greater good, not from evil to good. from favor with god to great favor, not from estrangement because of sin to reconciliation through repentance and propitiation. 

Christ gained knowledge upon knowledge by study, and gained wisdom by prayer, thought, and effort. 

Jesus was all that a boy should be, for his development was unretarted by the dragging weight of sin, he loved and obeyed the truth and therefore was free. 

I loved this because it showed that Jesus had to grow.. and gain that knowledge.. just like we did. but he was 100% obedient ( as we see in his example with his mother marry) , he worked hard, stayed away from idleness, and went about doing the fathers business. he wasn’t corrupted with sin, which sets us back in our progression. he was literally unretarted from sin because of his righteousness. and from that.. he was able to gain more knowledge faster and faster. The veil of forgetfulness gradually receded from him because of that knowledge which he did gain. 

I would like to suggest to all of us.. that we all have that same capability. that ability to become better. to become perfect. to become like our heavenly father. if we follow the path that the perfect man set for us. study, pray, think. avoid idleness. do the fathers work. be obedient. stay away from the damning power of sin. it’s as simple as acting like a son or daughter of god. because that’s what we all are. we are his children with his capability. 

Christ has said, come follow me. for I have set an example before you.  

I love all of you! 

be safe this week! 

Watson Elder.