The Work

The Dawn of a New Age

*Before I forget to mention, Mom my address is not changing. I am still in Szeged and I will be here for sure until the last week of June when a new transfer starts. If you aren't sure just send your stuff to the Mission Home in Budapest. Things will always get to me eventually if they are sent there.*

Sorry, but she asked me in the email she sent and I forgot to answer her in my reply.

So, after 3 full transfers with my trainer, the time arrived all too soon on Wednesday morning to pack her up. In this mission, all the transfering missionaries gather at the mission home in Budapest for transfers, so if your companion is being transfered, you go with him or her. Because new Elders would be coming into both remaning companionships, it was decided that the Greenies would go up together and I would bring everyone coming into Szeged back down by myself (with my new companion, of course).

For the first time since our arrive in Hungary my whole district gathered together for a very sweet reunion. Man I missed them!

In the hubbub of waiting for people to arrive and making plans from there Kubricky and I needed to go get something upstairs, I forget what, but the end result is that it took us from the meeting room where everyone was gathered for Transfers. When we were on our way back down Kubricky stopped dead in her tracks and turned around and accosted me with a hug. Neither of us wanted to say it, but being seperated was a little emotionally traumatizing to both of us. I love Sister Kubricky.

But, the time came and I scooped up half of my new district and we made our way to the trainstation. By the time we actually arrived at the station we had less than 9 minutes to buy tickets and board the train with luggage for 3 people in tow. None of them were familiar with this train station and when I realized how tight we were for time, I literally was sprinting through Nyugati Station pulling a 90 pound suitcase behind me. I spotted the shortest line and sprinted for it too. The train we were on required assigned seating and the car we would be riding on was the very last one, so it was one last sprint for the car. We got all the luggage situated and literally collapsed in our seats drenched in sweat as the train started to move.

Hú-ha!

It has been an adjustment, but a good one. Walker uses her time the way the Indians use the animals they hunt-every possible bit of it. I love it! We are going to have an awesome time together, I can already tell.

And did I mention I am currently serving in the most awesome District in the country? Seriously, this transfer is going to rock. The Zone goal is for every companionship to have one additional baptismal date this transfer. The District had already decided to see 2 baptisms per companionship.

Szeged is soooo ready for it, too. The field down here truly is white already to harvest.

But, expect more update on these adventures and more! Until then, I'm loving you all...

posted by Ashley @ 5:53 AM

Switch it, Change it, A'rearrange it!

(We made a District goal about a month ago to bring members we have never invited out with us before to our lessons, in order to switch things up on both ends. Allow the investigators to become familiar with more people and to strengthen more members by inviting ones who don't normally come with us. When the District Leader asked what we should call that goal and I offered the above little chant. Everyone in the room thought it was terribly clever until I announced that I picked it up from Cheerleading camp.)

Transfer calls have come...

Kubricky is out, and I am staying in Szeged with a sister in the group above Kubricky in the MTC. I have met her and am very excited to work with her because just like Kubricky she is goregous, inside and out. Walker is her name.

Both of the Greenies that were in the group below me are out as well, which is a bummer because the Greenies rock. However in their place are coming not one, but two of the Elders from my group! Cunningham and Kinghorn will be heading south and I could not be more thrilled!

It is going to be an awesome district. But...it already is, so it will just be another awesome district down here in Szeged.


Speaking of Phone Calls...
In an ultimate expression of the Love my companion and I have for each other we did something slightly less traditional. I called her mother and she called mine to let them know how much we love their daughters and wish them a Happy Mother's Day before passing off the phone for the real person they wanted to talk to. Hearts were touched all around and Mother's pride could be felt from all corners.

I am sure Kubricky would have loved to do that for my Dad as well, but I woke up at 4am to call him at 9pm on Saturday night in Kansas and she was out like a light!


And as if that weren't enough...
The Church has grown to the point in Hungary that on June 3-4 a Stake will be established in Budapest. A STAKE!! In a country that didn't know religous freedom when I was born!

For those of you unfamliar with a Stake, this is HUGE news for Hungary. It means that the membership and strength of the church here has exploded in the 15 short years missionaries have been here. It is amazing, and I got to be here when it happened...

All we need to do now is strengthen them enough to be ready for a Temple.

But in order for that to happen, I should go find and teach the future Temple President so that he will be ready for the call when it happens in a decade or two...

I am loving you all, Party People!

posted by Ashley @ 3:17 AM