Return and Report
When a missionary returns from the field, he or she reports on her labors. The stake president who released me asked me to type mine up, so I thought I would share on the off-chance that anyone is still tuning in...
*****
Dear Brethren,
It is my pleasure to report to you on my experiences serving in the Hungary Budapest Mission from October 2005 through April 2007.
I feel there are many ways I was an instrument in the Lord’s hands over this 18 month period. As a convert of four years to the church, the Lord used me many times to increase the perspective and understanding of many of Heavenly Father’s other children with whom I had the pleasure of serving. Many times fellow missionaries who had been raised in the church and knew nothing else came to me with questions about my experiences as I investigated and joined the church. They in turn, became more sensitive to the plights of their investigators. Many people became much more powerful, persuasive teachers with this added light.
In the same way, He used me to the benefit of the members and investigators as well. I saw an added measure of Hope and Assurance in the eyes of many people throughout Hungary as I told my simple story. Only now are members beginning to be baptized who have been raised in the church their whole lives. I was able to relate to every single member there in such a way as many missionaries are simply incapable. My unique story and firm testimony showed the Hungarian people living evidence of what happens to a person who embraces the Gospel.
My whole life one of the attributes that most defines who I am, is my ability to Love. I feel that my mission was a prime time when the Lord used this attribute of mine as a tool to show others His great abounding Love for them. These examples are vast, and often very simple. A phone call, a note left behind in an appointment, or simply looking in someone’s eyes and telling them, “God loves you.” I have seen these small things so many times in my own life, knowing they are some of the tender mercies of the Lord. I know that I have been used to extend them.
Every missionary is given countless opportunities to grow. I felt one way the Lord helped me to grow during my mission was by enlightening and increasing my knowledge. As I studied and prepared to teach the principles of the Gospel, my understanding was ever more added onto. Through the scriptures, Preach My Gospel, the gift of the Holy Ghost and my obedience to the commandments and mission rules my Gospel knowledge has increased in an increasingly exponential capacity. I do not have an understanding of a great many things-but I have a great understanding of the principles and commandments I taught the Hungarian people. In an interview during my last transfer, the mission president’s wife asked me, “What was the most important thing you have learned on your mission?” After a moment of serious reflection, the answer came clear. “That I am a daughter of God, and what that means.” It was something I had been taught many times, but I truly came to understand that on my mission. After sharing this answer with Sister Gasser she stated, “If you know that, you can make it through anything.” I very much believe she is right.
I have also grown in my ability to see the big picture, to recognize and act upon the Spirit and see people as their Savior does. My service in the Hungary Budapest Mission helped me to grow into a person and a member I can very much respect. I feel if I honor the blessings of this growth, it will bless generations.
Brethren, I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and each soul on this earth is His beloved spirit child. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of Israel and Savior of the world and all mankind.
I know that the crowning event of all human history is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He suffered for each member of the human race individually-for our sins, sorrows, pains and weaknesses. I know that as we accept this atonement and apply it in our lives, we can be made clean of our sins and partake of the blessings of exaltation.
I know through countless spiritual confirmations that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. In it we can read and learn of our Heavenly Father, His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, and of the great and infinite atonement He performed that makes God’s Plan of Salvation possible.
I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Kingdom of God on the earth today. It and the priesthood authority of God were restored through the prophet, Joseph Smith and President Gordon B. Hinckley is the current successor in an unbroken line of worthy men who have followed that great prophet, seer and revelator in presiding over the church in this last dispensation. I know every missionary who preaches His gospel is a representative of Christ, and we have a solemn responsibility to assist them in that great work of God.
I stand before you today and bear you this testimony, not merely as a witness to these truths, but as evidence of them and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
*****
I was given specific guidlines for my report, and I followed them. After I gave it to the High Council, they asked me a few questions about demographics of the church in Hungary, the members there and what not. It was a wonderful experience.
I reckon I will put up one more post here, just a sum-it-up sort of Goodbye. This is the last remaining active thread from my mission and as has been said many times, all good things must come to an end...
Coming Home
There is a song that is on a CD that happened to be left behind in my first apartment that I absolutely Love. The lyrics follow the story of someone preparing to serve, on and finishing a mission. Since I discovered it, I have dropped my bag on my bed and put on this song at a rather loud volume to sing it at the top of my lungs manys the time. Although I would have thought the experiences to be had in the service of the Lord would be quite impossible to really acurately describe, this song happens to do it quite well.
I have experienced all the things he talks about. I have wanted to reach out and help every soul that I see. I have walked on roads in the country so far. I have seen and talked to a broken man who said he wasn't sure if he knew how to pray and listened as he said what was in his heart. Now the last thing is that I will follow the birds and go back Home.
My flight gets in on Thursday evening.
I have no idea how to handle this-I know that my mission will end and I always have. But to stand here is so very strange to me.
It happened so
fast.
In my prayers at night lately, the first thing my heart is dying to say to my Father in Heaven is an expression of my Gratitude. My life has been so abundantly blessed throughout the entirety of it. I am in awe...
Such an interesting sensation is coursing through me these days as I process the greatest change in my life so far. Soooo many emotions all balled up into one muddle. I am managing to go through pretty Happy, so I can't at all complain.
After all...even though this has been the best thing in my life up to the point, I do have the whole rest of my life to look forward to.
That is going to be SO much Fun!
Serendipity
"Serendipity" is one of my Favorite words in the English language. It means simply, "an unexpected surprise". Seredipities have always dotted my life and are some of the most convincing evidence to me of a truth I teach perfect strangers on a daily basis, and that is that God is our Loving Heavenly Father. They can also be understood as something the scriptures and Elder Bednar describe as a "tender mercy of the Lord".
When I was unexpectedly transfered into Debrecen for my last transfer, my one bit of sorrow or disappointment about the situation is that I would not be able to attend General Conference in Budapest. This is where approximately half, perhaps more of the members and missionaries in the country gather to be instructed by the prophet, apostles and other general authorities twice a year on the first weekend in April and October. I was hoping I would be able to see so many people I know and Love, including
all of my Elders and the people who have been baptized throughout the course of my mission. Quite a grand hurrah for a soon-to-be Return Sister Missionary.
However, Debrecen is blessed enough to be a strong enough branch to have a real Branch House with satellite capabilities to receive the broadcast right here. This is a very great blessing, but it meant I would not be traveling to the grand gathering at the familiar Stake Center.
Being so spiritually uplifted by Conference helped to forget entirely about the situation and the fact that I had been sad at all...
This Sunday, my companion and I were scurrying to church so we wouldn't be late to services. We made it at 9 o'clock on the dot, but with enough time to have Elder Low open the door for us and give us a friendly hassle about needing to buy an alarm clock. I smiled at hurried into the building, where I saw a
very familiar figure sitting in a chair near the back of the chapel.
A few months ago, I mentioned a miracle of my mission whose name is Levente. When we didn't meet at General Conference, he took a train on
Easter Sunday that left at 3 o'clock in the morning just to come say "Goodbye". I was completely blown away-it was definitely one of the greatest Serendipities I have experienced.
What added to the joy of the occassion is what happened during services. It was Fast and Testimony meeting, when an opportunity is given to the members to bear their testimonies of the Truth. After a leader from the branch opened that part of the meeting by sharing his testimony, Levente went to the stand. When we started meeting with Levente, he told us that not only did he not believe in God, he didn't think it was even possible for God to exist. I heard the same voice who told us those words bear a simple, but powerful testimony of the truthfulness of a living God, that Jesus is the Christ, that the church is true and many other plain and precious truths.
My heart was touched by the Spirit just from the testimony, but my eyes welled with tears to hear it from Levente. It was absolutely one of the greatest gifts I have recieved from God on my mission.
I hope that every missionary has such experiences and opportunities...
I think He Loves us that much that every one does.
Conferences
I have just realized this is the first time I have gotten around to updating my Blog this transfer! Things are going really well in Debrecen. I am having an
awesome time in the Conveted City. There is an awesome teaching pool here and we are having a Baptism this Saturday. I am so excited for this young woman...she is going to be an amazing member of the church.
Departing TestimoniesWe had a busy week this week. On Friday we took a trip to Miskolc for Zone Conference. At the end of every Zone Conference, time is given at the end to the missionaries who will be leaving at the end of the transfer to bear their testimony. This was the occassion I have been dreading for 15 months, when my name was called as one of the missionaries to come to the stand and give their departing testimony.
I have seen many such missionaries give many such testimonies. I feel very strongly about what I feel a "testimony" is-and what it is not. Some of them take it as their free forum to say whatever they want, when what I feel it really should be is an opportunity to stand before one's peers and fulfill our sacred calling to stand as a witness of Christ.
For the first time dragging my feet to the podium, I stood before friends, commrades and respected fellow-laborers. With tears streaming down my face and a voice quavering with the emotion stirring within me, I did my best to do what I decided a long time ago I wanted to do: just bear pure testimony. No tangents about how fast the time has gone, no advise for the generation still coming up from behind, no stories, no frills-just pure testimony.
I told them that I know God is our Loving Heavenly Father. I told them many other simple truths that I have spent the past 18 months studying, reviewing and making my own that I might teach them to this people I have come to love so very much. I told them I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I told them that I have been called of God just as surely as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Alma, Nephi, Moroni, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Gordon B. Hinckley. I told them it's true-all of it. Everthing we have learned and in turn taught is all true. But what is most amazing to me is the last thing I wanted to make sure I told them. That as I bore that testimony I stood before them, not merely as a witness of those truths, but as
evidence of them.
I have known no privledge in my life to this point than to be associated with every level of people I have been with on my mission. My companions, the ward and branches where I have served, those I have taught, my fellow missionaries, the amazing mission presidents and their families, the mission as a whole, serving here in Europe, being a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and representing Christ Himself-it is
such an honor.
As I approach the final couple of weeks I look back and take a self-evaluation...I am SO grateful that I came here. I don't think I will ever understand the reprecussions for good that came and are continuing to come because of it.
Spiritual Recharging of BatteriesAs if Zone Conference weren't enough, we also were able to participate in General Conference this weekend. Twice a year the prophet and apostles and other leaders in the church address the entire membership of the church throughout the world via a conference held in Salt Lake City and broadcast to the far corners of the earth. It was the third occassion I have gathered in a small back room with a group of missionaries to feast upon the teaching and counsel in this country.
It is this time of year it really dawns on me that the church really is
true. It is just as true here in Debrecen, Hungary as it is in Salt Lake City, Utah. As I scribbled down notes from the talks of the living prophet in the Relief Society room I was filled with awe to know that so many people I Love were doing exactly what I was doing somewhere else.
Only God Himself could organize something like that.
In short...I am not sure how many posts there will be yet on The Work. Things are definitley coming to a close as a plane landing at 5:55pm Central Standard Time will bring me Home on April 19th.
It is rapidly approaching.
But until then, I am Loving you all and hope this finds all of my Dear Ones Happy, Safe and Well.
Debrecen or Bust!
And the Sisters are leaving Pécs!
Sister Koler, my
amazing companion of two transfers, fellow convert and dearly beloved Friend will be heading to Szeged to be the senior companion to one of the sisters who replaced her in the MTC. She is such a stud! I am ecxited for her and very proud-she has only been her for four transfers (six months). And let's be real, she is going to a
fabulous city in every way, shape and form.
I on the other hand will be heading to the east border of Hungary to a city called Debrecen. I am pretty blessed because I am the third sister to have stepped into it in a year and a half... One transfer is not a lot of time, but I am determined to sprint through the finish.
I don't have a lot of time to chat. We decided to postpone packing because the Elders want to have a pizza party at the branch house and watch The Other Side of Heaven in Hungarian. Who could resist that, even when you are white washing out of an area?
I never expected a mission to be so much FUN. I am seriously have the Time of my Life...up to this point, at least.
All is well on this side of the rainbow, and I hope it is everywhere else too. I am Loving you all, Dear Ones.
Looking Good in White!
Magdi got baptized this week.
It was the eighth time someone I have taught has been baptized, and I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of it!
I just wanted to share. :)
Feel Good Times
What a wonderful week!
Although it ended with me needed to come home from church and not see the light of day for several hours...this has been an awesome week on the other side of the rainbow. And never fear! I am feeling much better and will be right as rain in a day or so.
Mighty Mountain MenSo the Elders came with us out to Magdi, the woman who will be baptized this Saturday (yeay!). She had a very large pile of wood that needed to be chopped. Both Duncan and Purkiss Elder were soooo excited to get to work on it!
Both Elders dressed up for the occassion. Elder Duncan, one of the biggest kids in the mission (6'3" and 250lbs or so) came with a bright red flannel shirt on. Elder Purkiss donned bright red suspenders. It was soooo much fun! They chopped all the wood, but we helped by carrying them wood to chop and then piling the wood they had already split down. It was nice to be out in the falúi air...
ReunionZone Conference was on Friday in my beloved first city of Szeged. I called up somone I taught from the first lesson right up to her baptism-I know she works in the city and we had 40 minutes from the time of the arrival of our bus and the start of Zone Conference. She "happened" to have scheduled a little get-together with a friend of hers in the branch anyway at 9:00 and my bus arrived at 9:20.
When it stopped and we were able to depart it, I just took
off leaving the whole district behind. Although that wasn't the smartest idea because I was the only one who knew where I was going! We all made it at the branch house, though and I flew up the stairs, looking for Zsuzsi.
When I found her, what joy! We hugged eachother over and over again. We didn't have more than a few minutes to talk, but it did my heart
sooo much good to see her again. She is so awesome!
Saying GoodbyeAt the end of every Zone Conference, the missionaries who will be departing at the end of the transfer are given the opportunity to bear their testimonies. It is often a very emotional moment, but a treasured one. Some really great Elders bore their testimonies on Friday. Elders I look up to and admire and in many ways have tried to emulate my whole mission. I didn't know which was more bittersweet...observing them say their Goodbyes or knowing that the next time this happened, I would be the one doing it.
No matter what, it is time to face the reality that I will in fact, be leaving soon. I need to prepare myself that it is going to be over.
But it isn't that terrible of a fate...I go home to lots of people who love me and lots of people and things whom I love very dearly as well. It'll be fun.
And besides, I still have nine whole weeks of enjoying this yet!
I am just trying to forget how short nine weeks is as I remember that...
Stuck at Home...
Through no fault of anyone.
My companion started looking a bit peaked last Sunday evening, so when we missed the bus out to the falú of our last program of the day, I made the executive decision to take us home and I made phone calls and otherwise busied myself around the tiny apartment.
She was sick the whole rest of the week...we only were able to make it out to work for a few hours on two days, the poor thing. I have mentioned before that being home is a missionary's worst nightmare...I truly was not kidding in this matter. Although I was able to jump several days' worth of reading ahead in my goal to finish the Book of Mormon once a transfer on my mission and also finishing it in Hungarian by the end of this transfer (one month from Wednesday)...I am
most grateful that she is feeling better.
As she rose to eat and be upright for periods of time she kept commenting how nice I was being to her. I wasn't going for "nice" I was going for simple human decency by cooking and cleaning for her and making sure she stayed hydrated throughout the week. It always bothers me that the standard of the world make such simple acts of kindness as something worth noting over and over again. What sort of world do we live in?
The whole experience made me curious of what I will be doing two and a half months from now. I fly in on Thursday. I want to go see my Dad on Friday. I am judging a Forensics tournament for my Mom on Saturday. Church on Sunday, and most likely a trip to see my extended family. After that I am...a bit of a wanderer. It will be quite odd.
AND-we have four people on date to be baptized!
One of them, Magdi, is simply one of the neatest people I have ever met. She is so kind and pure. Just to give you an example about Magdi, she mentioned about an experience she had about prayer with us. My hair has grown out quite a bit on my mission (that might have something to do with the fact that I haven't had it cut in well over a year) and she said that there was a day where we had come over and she was jealous of my long hair. "And it's beautiful, it really is, but I know that it is a sin to be jealous about things, so I prayed that I wouldn't be jealous anymore. I still think you have beautiful hair, Sister P0ll0ck, but I'm not jealous of it!"
She hears about a commandment and she wants to do everything she can to follow it-she is
awesome. The only problem has been her husband has not allowed her to be baptized. Through Magdi living the Gospel as she knows it, us pitching in with some service and a whole lot of assistance from the Devine, he heart softened and when we arrived at her house on Sunday evening she announced she had good news. We didn't dare hope for the news we have been praying and fasting for since I arrived in Pécs...
So who cares that we were cooped inside for six days and we had the lowest numbers of our missions last week-Magdi's husband
finally gave her permission to be baptized!
This work is so sweet!
Happy Baptiversary!A term coined by my dear companion to signify the anniversary of a Baptism.
And my fourth one rolls around this Friday.
As if that isn't cool enough, this Friday is also Zone Conference.
As if
that weren't the cherry on the sprinkles on the icing of the cake-Zone Conference is in Szeged, my first area!
A Very Merry Baptiversary to me!
I look forward to reporting more on the next edition of The Work, but in the meantime I hope you all are happy, healthy, safe and well out there where ever you are.
I'm loving you all!
Megjött a tél!
Winter finally blew into Pécs for real last week...
We have been enjoying fine Spring days up until now, but a cold front blew in and even a snow shower or two. We had just begun to get used to it when we came out of our apartment today and found the sun shining and birds singing merrily.
Another transfer has begun this past week, and boy were the calls that came in a surprise!
I am staying in Pécs, as expected. My companion is
Sister Koler for a second transfer together! It was too good to be true! After the fun we had together last transfer, we were positive that we would be seperated. She says that she hasn't given thanks for her companion in her prayers nearly as much for anyone else as she had for me.
I very much appreicated that.
Elder Stevens from my group was shipped out to be a Zone Leader and two others are training new missionaries...we are getting so old in this place! This transfer is my sencond to last. In interviews President asked me when I go home-there are 100 of us around here and I can reckon it is difficult for him to keep track of us. I told him in April and he winced and paid me one of the highest compliments of my mission.
"That soon? Wow, I hate to have to loose
you."
It is a great honor to be seen as an assest to someone I Love and respect as much as President Gasser.
And beyond that, I can't believe how much Fun I am having! It doesn't seem fair that I could be so blessed...
The holidays are over...
Music to a missionary's ears.
The holidays were wonderful down here in Pécs. This city really is beautiful. In Europe Christmas as well as the day after are national holidays, so we were told if we had programs scheduled with people great, but to not go out proselyting the 24th, 25th or 26th.
Three days inside is a
lot for missionaries.
Christmas EveServices on Sunday-
five people we are teaching came! We were so happy! Normally services consist of three meetings in one-hour blocks but because it was a holiday there was only Sacrament meeting. We did many holiday greetings and were close to the last people out the door, and then we headed home. The Elders all gathered in the apartment that is on the same street where we live so, with no programs and no permission to go look up or try to find people we took a walk about the city on the route that Sister Koler and I run every morning. It is so interesting to live somewhere that has been inhabited for more than a couple of hundred years...
There is a cathedral-every larger city in Hungary has one! And it sits almost on the crest of a hill. It has four towers and its grounds are surrounded by a big stone wall, and in some spots ivy creeps over it. I think it looks best when we run past it nowadays, with the sun beginning to make the sky lighten into a deep misty blue, but it was neat to see it in the light.
Originally we were only allowed to call home on the 25th, so I had made my plans accordingly but at the last minute we were told we could do it anytime. When we arrived home, though I decided to try my Dad earlier than I was planning. For Mother's Day I got up at 4 in the morning and called while it was still evening the day before in Kansas City, and it worked well. I don't mind the missionary rule of getting up at 6:30, and my companion and I actually get up early to go running at 6:15...but I do still like my sleep.
Talking to my Dad was so wonderful. I love telling him about my life here-the people, the places, the companions, the work. He has lots of questions about everything. Any parent would, I'm sure. We also discussed the inevitable of when April rolls around and I am no longer a missionary. He gave me some really great council and it helped me not worry about everything so much...
I love my Dad.
Christmas DayWell, we had
so much FUN on this side of the rainbow!
After our study hours, we gathered up some groceries and things and the Elders who live on our street escorted us to the branch house. We met the other Elders there and a fabulous Christmas Breakfast was arranged. There is a rule about always wearing clothes for proselyting (otherwise known as "Pross") even on Preperation Day when we are out and about doing things like shopping and emailing...but we went in pajamas. It is awfully hard to have a Christmas Morning Pajama Jam without pajamas, isn't it?
It was a ball! I am sure it is like this for everyone, but the people with whom I serve on my mission have really become my family. I am so far away from everyone I Love, but have come to Love so many people here that I don't spend much time boohooing about who isn't around because I am so Happy about who
is around. We taught my Elder from the MTC, Stevens how to grate potatoes (for hashbrowns). Elder Coy from Alaska was very proud of the tower (he really did make a tower) of Frech Toast he made. In lui of not have access to syrup we used the next best thing: Nutella. Elder Purkiss, whose picture you will find if you look up "optimism" in the dictionary and whom Elder Stevens is training, was very proud of contributing real bacon and eggs with kolbász to our feast. Elder Flint, the Elder who has been in the country for four transfers and has been in a different area every transfer, helped me make the hash browns. We had to do it in phases because we were making to much and we had to do it in giant soup pots because our pans were at the time being used for the French Toast.
We had to take pictures of the feast all laid out on the table, it was quite a sight to behold. We had so much fun doing it, too that was the best part.
I kinda dig the past two Christmases I've had without presents.
After we cleaned up the branch house well and scurried home. I called Mom first thing and had such a nice talk with her too. Unlike with Dad the
first question she had was what I would be up to when I get Home. It is becoming a recurring theme. With everyone. But outside of that, we just had a really great talk about a little bit of everything...I spent the rest of the day catching up on a fat stack of letters I need to reply to, while my companion talked to her family, who had chosen to call her.
Our phone cuts off after an hour-don't ask me why. But she really thought that she wasn't going to call them back. For less than ten dollars you can buy a phone card here that literally lets you talk for almost 5 hours back to the states. I insisted she used a card I had barely started on with my Mom to call her family back and talk to them longer. "Are you sure? Are you sure?" She finally believed me when I called up the card and cued it for her to dial the number. Her little brother had just been roused from bed when the one hour clicked over but she didn't have the chance to talk to him. We were all so happy!
But finally...it's over!New Year's went with very little to-do for us. We were told to be in our apartments at 6pm. We had things scheduled to keep us busy until then...but I goofed up and we missed our bus. At 4:30pm we made plans to look someone up...but decided that wasn't a good idea when we saw that the celebrations had more than already begun.
When we went running the next morning we were greeted by plenty of people still bringing in the New Year. Did I mention the part where we go running at a quarter after six every morning? It was a surprise but something tells me it shouldn't have been...
Things are going SO well here! We are teaching a woman named Magdi...she is one of the most pure in heart people I have ever met in my life. She has three daughters 6, 5 and 3 and the way that we keep them calm enough to be able to actually speak to Mom while we are there is they gather around me and brush my hair. It has gotten very long through the course of my mission, and its past the middle of my back now. Even the tiny three-year-old-they just gather around me everyone with a brush with such Love and gentleness-I really need to get a picture of it next time!
She called us this week while we were out running with a question she had out of the Book of Mormon about fasting. It is so awesome to see her progression-she really wants to raise those little girls in the Gospel. I am sure there will be more around here later.
When I arrived in Pécs one of the top investigators dropped us the first time I met them. Then things slowed so much for the holdiays...but we plugged through it obediently going through our days and doing everything we could. Funny how when you do your part He always does His... Things are starting to take off here and I am
so excited to be a part of it.
I have been in this country for almost a year and I am only beginning to understand what exactly I have been sent here to do...
Most learning happens like that, I reckon.
But, I hope the Holidays were Happy for everyone tuning into the Work! I Love you all and look forward to telling you more about Magdi and her girls and the great other people we have just begun to teach!
I am Loving you all...
