TIFFANY'S LDS MISSON in BUDAPEST HUNGARY: Welcome September

I got a free bouquet of flowers from a street vender! haha

I thought I'd take a picture with them.

September 17, 2012

Kedves Családom,

Hey everyone!! Greetings from the big city of Budapest! It's strange to be back here again, and to be serving at the mission home, but I think it's going to be really fun. :) Oh ya, and just so you know- now that I am here I get mail a lot more often! :) So don't hesitate to write anytime! haha

Wow... So many changes have happened these last few days, I'm still trying to get a grasp on everything- but I will try and update you the best I can. Last Monday night for p-day, we spent the day with the Selmeci family. I love them so much! We had a great lesson with them! It was with Zsuzsa, Attila, and their son Levente. Levente had been assigned a chapter to read last week in sunday school. We read part of the chapter with him, and what was so great about the lesson was- we hardly taught any of it! :) Zsuzsa and Attila were teaching Levente about the scriptures and helping him learn to understand what he was reading. At the end they taught him how to pray and he said the closing prayer. :) It was one of my favorite momnets on my mission, just because I was able to see how far they have come, and that now they are starting to do it on their own. I shared one of my favorite scriptures with them at the end of the lesson and boar my testimony and told them how much I loved them. My eyes filled up with tears, and soon everyone around the table was crying. I will never forget that family. They are going to be a part of my life forever now. I never realized you could love people so much until I came on my mission. I pray with all my heart that they will be baptized and work to be an eternal family. They have to be in Heaven with me or it just won't be as fun of a place. :)

Transfers was a crazy day. My last day in Duna was really crazy too. We ran around meeting with as many people as we could before I left. I was filled with all sorts of mixed emotions. Adri came to english class to say goodbye. I took a picture with some of the English class ladies, and she looks pretty sad in the picture. I love her. She is so sweet. Her son Peti is actually here in Buda for school! So maybe we will get a chance to meet with him.

Luckily I was able to fit most all my things in my bags. I kind of had to sit on my suitcases- but eventually it all zipped up. :) It was sad saying goodbye to Sister Fox. We've had so much fun these last few transfers. There are so many things you experience together as companions that you learn to become really close. I'm going to miss that girl, but I know she is going to be such a solid missionary. I'm so excited to see all the awesome things she does.

My new companion is Sister MacKay. Interesting fact: She is actually related to David O. MacKay. haha She's super fun though. We've had a couple programs this week... Right now we have 3 people on bap. date. Or did when I got here. One of them András is having a hard time quitting smoking, so we had to push his date back. Another one is named István, they haven't heard from him in a few weeks, so.. we'll see what's happening with him. And the other one is a 9 year old boy. I haven't met him yet- but we should have a program with him this week. I think we need to do some finding though and hopefully find some more people we can teach. The ward members here are awesome! Church was so fun yesterday and everyone is so nice! Crazy story- one of the members- Adrian, while looking for a new apartment for him and his wife, went to see an apartment that apparently sister missionaries lived in years ago. He found 2 giant area books on the table and was able to take them and give them to us. We've been going through and making a bunch of calls from them. Most of the teaching records are back from 2007-2008. I did set up with one lady from it for Wednesday!! :) It's pretty exciting stuff. I think the Lord somehow guided those area books into our hands for a reason. Someone in there is ready for the gospel and we are going to find them. :)

Johnson Nővér's New Companion MacKay Nővér

I really am excited to be here in the city. I don't really think I am a big city girl- I feel much more comfortable in the smaller cities like Dunaújváros or Békéscsaba, but I the Lord obviously wanted me here for a specific purpose. So I'm going to do the best I can during the time I have left. My first night in the city we went tabling on one of the bridges that crosses over the Danub. It was so beautiful. There are a lot of people here that aren't too interested in stopping to listen about God, but I did get to talk to quite a few people and gave out a couple Book of Mormons.

Well, I will keep you updated on all that is happening. I hope you are all doing well! Oh ya, I really need a new pair of shoes. The weather is starting to get really cold and rainy and my boots from last year are totally torn apart and leak through in the rain. So I'll probably buy a new pair today- just thought I'd let you know. Anyways, Have a wonderful week! Talk to you soon!

Sok Sok Szeretettel,

Johnson Nővér

September 10, 2012

HELLOOOOOOOOO FAMILY!!

I'm sure you are all waiting with anticipation to hear what happened at transfers. :) This whole weekend waiting for the call was a really nerve-racking experience for me. I was mixed with all sorts of different emotions. Especially since I couldn't even really predict what would happen, since President Smith is so new and probably goes about transfers a little differently than President Baughman did. This has been one of my favorite cities to serve in, and a few of my favorite transfers. The Lord has blessed us with so much success here, and I have grown so much these last few months and really come to love the people here. By the time the call finally came I thought I might have a heart attack. haha Turns out my time here has finally come to a close... I will be serving in the big city of Buda with Sister McKay. :) Sister Gallion my MTC companion will be coming here to take over my place and serve with Sister Fox. She has taken over for me in every city I've served in. haha Kind of funny. I really trust her though, so I know that she will be the perfect missionary to take over this city. :) I'm a little nervous to serve in Buda. I don't know that I like the big cities as much as the small ones- but the Lord must have some sort of plan for me, so I pray that I will be able to do a lot of good there. It will be sad to leave our investigators here, especially the Selmeci Family. Somehow through serving these people, I have found a way to open my heart so much to them. I don't know that I've ever let people in so deep before. I have come to learn that we truly do gain charity for others by serving them. It will be hard to leave. But I feel good leaving here on a high note, and knowing I have done all I could here to leave this city in a better place than it was when I came.

This week has been really successful. We were able to meet a couple mre times with the Selmeci Family- Zsuzsa, Attila, and thier two sons- Attila and Levente. They all came to another program with us after english class, and then we met with them again before the ward party on Friday. They all helped us make dessert to bring with us. :) The ward party was a hit! Zsuzsa wasn't able to make it because she had a trip this weekend for work. But all the rest of the family came- Levente even brought his pet ferrett. :) haha We had 6 investigators there that night! Attila Sr., Attila Jr., Levente, Jorge, and the Balog girls- Szandra and Enikő. :) They all seemed to have a really good time. Levente brought a basket ball so we had a game of speed going, UNO, pingpong, lots of food, chess, Levente's ferret was a big hit with the kids, and I helped teach the girls a few songs on the piano. :)

Good news!!- I don't know if you remember me talking about the Róbert from tabling a few months back who we met with. He seemed so interested and then all of the sudden disappeared. But the good news is- I don't give up on people, so I kept trying him every now and again and finally he answered! He's been traveling a lot for the summer for work and things and hasn't been home. But now that summer is over he wants to meet again! He was so awesome when we taught him before and seemed really accepting of everything. So I was really excited that we got to meet with him again one more time before I left, and I got to introduce him to Sister Fox- since she's never met with him before. I really am homing they see success with him in the future. :)

Well, anyways, I guess really that's about all I have for this week. But I'm excited for the new adventures I will have in Buda. :) I'll keep you updated on everything. It should be good to be serving with the President more closely and get to know him and his wife better. :) I'm sad to be leaving Sister Fox. We have becomes such great friends. It's amazing how close you become to your companions. But she is such an incredible missionary. She really works hard. I know she is going to do so many awesome things during her mission. :)

Well, Take care. I love you all! Talk to you next week from my new area!!

Sok Sok Szeretettel,

Johnson Nővér

Sept. 3, 2012

HEY FAM!!!

Oh goodness... I have so much to catch you up on!! It's sad to think that I could be leaving this place. Transfers are next week, and really anything could happen. It's amazing how you come to love the city and the people so much, and then within 3 days you have to pack up and leave it all. Next Monday we will find out for sure what happens, but it is exciting to see all the success the Lord has given us here.

This Tuesday we met with Attila and Zsuzsa. We usually meet with them after English class, and this time they brought their older son Attila! Yes, Attila and Attila. haha A lot of Hungarians have the same names. lol He seemed to really enjoy English class... but I think he was surprised when his parents invited him to stay for our lesson. He's older- somewhere in his 20s, but seemed really unsure about his belief in God. I think our lesson kind of threw him off guard... haha but he seemed to enjoy it and said he might come next week as well. I love that Attila and Zsuzsa are sharing this with their whole family! :) They even find sneaky ways to invite their kids to lessons!- It's so cool!!

With Jorge this week we taught the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. He accepted everything! In fact, he told us that when we first met him he use to smoke all the time. But he said that since we've been meeting and teaching him about the gospel his life has changed. He told us that on the first morning that he decided to come to church- he looked at his box of cigarettes and had no desire to smoke. He said he hasn't had a cigarette since. :) HE'S AMAZING!! haha He has such a strong testimony, and really sees the difference that the gospel is making in his life. It's such a blessing to watch his conversion process, and see his incredible faith.

Vivien is also doing awesome! She has now finished the first book of Nephi. In our last lesson we asked her if she had tried praying about the Book of Mormon, she said that she had, and told us that after she had asked God if it was true, she felt like she should continue reading- so she did. She said that after that she came to a part of the scriptures where Nephi had said something to the extent that "the things which I write are true" and she told us that when she read that she felt this overwhelming sense of peace and knew that it was true!! :) We've talked a little about baptism with her, but we really need to help get her family involved as well. Because she's still young, I think it would be difficult for her to do all of this on her own. She couldn't make it to church this Sunday, but she is coming to the ward part we are having on Friday! I think that will be perfect for her. It will help her to become introduced to the ward, and make it easier for when she comes on Sunday! :)

As for other things that are happening, we've been doing a lot of tracting and finding, and set up for some programs with a few new families next week! They all seem really great- I'm excited to see what happens with them. Also, I talked about the Balog girls in one of my last emails- Szandi and Enikő. They are such sweet girls- 11 and 15. Enikő, the older sister came to church with us this Sunday! We walked there with her. I think she really enjoyed it too! Hopefully, she can tell her sister about how much fun she had, and get her sister to come next time too! :)

Well, I love you all so much! It's always so great to hear from you! I hope all is well. Dad, I hope you get feeling better soon! :) That's all the update I have for today! I sent mom some pictures, I think she's going to put them up on my blog. :) LOVE YOU TONS!! Talk to you next week!

Sok Szeretettel,

Johnson Tiffany Nővér

This is Rehák István. He's one of the Gentleman we found on our miracle day with Sister Roney when I brought my guitar and cookies! I don't know if you remember me telling you about it. But he is now active again! And comes to church almost every week! The Elders are meeting with him now, but we went over this week to have a program with him. He is one of the coolest funniest people I have met here. The first picture we took doesn't show how awesome he really is.

So we made him laugh and snagged another picture of him at the door. Hungarians have this weird thing about not smiling in pictures. I don't get it?

Gönzi Ani. She is so sweet. She's another inactive we visit. She is really amazing at doing beaded jewelry. She has tons of it all over! Lots of them are really elaborate necklaces and things- I would never have the patience, but she is super talented!

This is Mariann and János. A couple we tracted into. They are so funny and such nice people. Mariann knows how to cook delicious food! :) They aren't too interested in the gospel right now. But we made some new friends from them. :)

These are all really random pictures I thought you might enjoy:

We try all sorts of things for finding here in the city. Elder Walker knows how to juggle! So we thought we'd put his talent to some good use! :)

Sister Fox and I- haha We are pretty cool.

Whipping is big here- mostly among the missionaries. You can buy some really fancy whips here in Hungary- a lot of the elders spend time learning how to do all sorts of cool tricks and things. I'm not too good- but I did learn how to crack it! This picture looked pretty intense though. Duna looks really pretty from this angle. :)

The first is of Attila and Zsuzsa! They are doing so well! I love them so much! They've been coming to church every week and sharing the gospel with their family! :)