Definition of a mission...
Sister Walker and I were walking down the street away from the branch house not long ago. We had just planned the baptism of an investigator I have been working with on my whole mission. We came into contact with her by stopping her my second day in the country. In reflection of the experience of meeting with her over the course of these months I said something to the effect of..."It's incredible, we just find this people on the street. We literally land into their lives out of the middle of no where and we give them something that changes them for the better. We get to invite them to make choices to improve themselves and their lives for the better, and watch this transformation that happens in the process..."
She said something in reply and the final thought from me was, "But that's our job as missionaries, to change the world-one miracle at a time."
She stopped to take it down as the quote of the day. I am considering putting it on a T shirt.
First things first...
Zone conference was on Tuesday. We woke up at 3 in the morning to make the 5:20 train for the conference that started at 9:30 sharp. It was an AWESOME conference.
When we arrived at the branch house after my voice was heard from the hallway I was immediately accosted by Kubricky, my beloved trainer. I have a diary that I have dubbed The Book of Knowledge, and I ask people I love and respect to make contributions to the Book of Knowledge and include anything they would like to tell me to help in the Work. She was to return it to me that day with her contribution but she informed me she wasn't finished and would be sending me pages to add to it later. Walker insists on hugging after our prayer by the door before we leave the apartment every time we leave, but Kubricky and I only hugged eachother when we met and when we split in our time as companions. I seriously couldn't get her off me at Conference!
It felt good to be so loved...
Conference was amazing. This is my 3 transfer...well, with all the Elders, acutally, but the first two with Kinghorn and Cunningham were in the MTC, and its a little different...but anywho, with the Senior elders this is my 3rd transfer serving together and in that time I have to respect and Love them very much. This happens to be our district leader's last transfer and the departing missionaries are asked to bear their testimonies in their final Zone conference. Elder Hills was the last to go in this group. He didn't tell any stories from his mission. He didn't reminice on the surreal feeling of it being his turn to be the departing missionary. He stepped up to the podium with his jacket already buttoned and tears streaming down his face and simply said, "I testify..." What followed was the purest testimony I have ever heard-of God, of Christ, of the restoration of the Church and the prophet through whom it was restored. Many of us were moved to the point of following him in tears.
This was also the last conference for our Mission President and one of the missionary couples here. They stood together in a corner of the room and asked the missionaries to come through and greet them one by one so they could say goodbye. Sister Richardson, the wife in the departing couple threw her arms around me and hugged me and said things to me that took me completely by surprise and moved me to tears...again.
"Sister Pollock, people like you are the lifeblood of this church. People who received it and took and ran. You are going to do GREAT things in your life, I can see it and I am so honored that I could know you for it. Thank you for all that you do."
I didn't know what to say to something like that... I have heard such things my whole life with a rapidly increasing rate of occurence, and I never know what to say. I just try to make sure my behavior is worthy of such a high compliment when those who say it aren't around.
Fulfilling our purpose...
Szeged hasn't seen a baptism since October 2005.
This Saturday there will be 3.
Lots of people commit to being baptized on a certain date and it doesn't happen...but this is for real. I could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to be here for it!
First there is Zsusi, the one who I was sure wasn't interested in a word my companion was saying when she stopped her with her little son my second day in the country.
Then there is Annett. Elders have been teaching her family for well over a year, and she is taking the courageous step of being the first among them baptized at age 13. We are the Young Women's leaders for the moment to get the program started and she is on Fire!
And Zoli. He is the 9-year-old son of one of our investigators. We have been teaching her for several months but her ex husband lives with them, and the standards of the church are required for baptism, and church standard is that it is not okay for two people of the opposite sex to live together unmarried, whether there is a relationship between them or not. Judit's heart is broken that she can not be baptized yet, but she wants her son to be able to be because he wants to as well so very badly... A nine year old boy is reading scriptures every day.
We brought our ward mission leader to Zoli this week to teach him. He is a convert himself of just under 2 years and will be turning 19 in a couple of weeks. When we arrived at the designated place and time he was waiting for us in a pressed white shirt and tie. When he taught the material we asked him to cover he had memorized James 1:5-6 and the section we always use out of the Joseph Smith history to teach it. We might have well invited the Elders with us-he was awesome.
So, in short...
Life is awesome. The weather is unseasonably cool and has been super rainy lately. My body is sick and a little worn out but my spirits could simply not be higher... I have to be a little stingy with my spending right now because transfers will occur the 28th and we receive our support money on the 1st. This is my fourth transfer in Szeged and I understand it is uncommon to see a 5th, so I figure it is good sense to have enough cash stashed to buy train tickets and a bérlet (bus pass) for another city. I mention it because I have several rolls of film to develop and have every intention of ordering CDs with them. So hopefully in a month or so I can show you all a lot more of Hungary...
I can't wait to show you all the water tower across the street from my apartment and find out why I call it "the Mother Ship".
But I need to sign off for now. Be well Party People!
posted by Ashley @ 5:24 AM
