Transfer 12, Week 1

Hi Everyone!

Wow, I'm really sorry that i haven't written in a while.....on the 17th, we had to pick someone up from the airport and drive him to the stake center, and then we went with the APs to Siofok and Tihány, with a little stop at a bobsled on the way...it was a super full day, and we all had a super fun time.......then, on the 24th, we went shopping with the senior sisters, went to a baptism, went to a wedding (which turned out to be in the middle of nowhere, but still worth it because it was a legit hungarian wedding), then went straight to Kispest. Busy busy busy. today is a super pday because of easter, we're going to a member's house for lunch, that'll be fun, then we might go on a hike somewhere....we'll see how the weather is. OK, so, let's see....news...

This week, we met with one our investigators and set a baptismal date with him! we are so excited for him, he is really searching hard for the truth, and he is trying so hard. It's so much fun to meet with him, he is so ready. Our other investigator is really trying hard to feel like he does have a connection with God; it's really cool meeting with him becuase he's willing to do the things we ask, and he's basically starting from square one. Then, on Thursday, we did a finding activity during zone conference, and Elder Miller and I had to go back and pick up a car from the mall, so we streeted on the way over there....ok, this is a cool story.....so, we crossed the street, then realized that the villamos we wanted was back on the other side we had been on........by the time we got over there, the villamos had left....so, we just got on the next one, not realizing that it was the wrong one.....well, not really a wrong one, it just went around the back side of the mall instead of the front. so, we asked a few people which stop we should get off, almost got off at one, but then a guy told us that we should get off at the next one....so, we waited, got off the villamos at the next one, then started toward the mall.....we got over there, and Elder Miller spotted a guy sitting by himself on a little wall....he went over and just started talking about the gospel with him....I was kind of doubting he would be interested, he just kind of looked like a tough guy, but once we got started talking to him, he really opened up, and he is a really legit guy...we swapped phone numbers with him and gave him a book of Mormon...he seems so cool, i can hardly wait to meet with him.....the whole experience was just so cool, so many things happened that led us to that spot at that time.....it was just really cool to realize that even though we were worried about if we were going the right way or not, it was cool to look back and see that somebody was guiding us there.

So, this week, a member of the presidency of the Seventy came to speak at zone conference, along with one of the newly ordained members of the Seventy and their wives. It was so amazing having him here, I got to have an interview with both of the members of the seventy.......it was really an amazing experience. I am so grateful that I got to speak with them like that, it was a really special opportunity. Oh, their names are President Teixiera and Elder Fingerle....they were so amazing, I got to go to both zone conferences because i was helping with the computers......it was so amazing! i can't believe all the things i learned there! it was soooooo amazing! oh my gosh.....it was just so so so so so so so so amazing, i can't even describe it...wow, just, amazing.

alright, well, that's about it....oh, we had an Easter Concert Friday, Saturday, Sunday, (yes, i sang in it....but, just in the choir...). It was so amazing and special.....there's a lot of talent here, and the Spirit was so strong! oh my gosh, I'm so glad I was able to participate in it!

Ok, so, with transfers this week, I guess everyone would want to know what's going on....Elder Miller and I are staying together! I'm really excited, there's a lot of potential for stuff to happen here.....and there's a lot of changes that I feel really good about throughout the whole mission........ah, I am soooo excited for this transfer! I can't wait to see what happens, I really feel like there is just a ton of potential waiting to burst out, and with all the changes that were made, I feel like we are just ready to burst! Oh my gosh, I'm just on a really good spiritual high or something right now, it feels so good! oh wow.....ok, well, I've got to go now....I hope you all had a super amazing Easter, and I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Murray

Transfer 11, Week 4

Hi everyone

Sorry it's so late...we had kind of a busy day today....but let's go over our week pretty quick...so, Monday, good, Tuesday, good, Wednesday, we went streeting and got phone number from 3 people, as well as ran into a member from Virginia who was here for about a week for a conference. That was kind of cool. And, one of the people who gave us their number, asked if we could meet on Friday and talk.....we were super excited about that....then, on Thursday, we had English class, confirmed a program with one of our students, as well as set up another program with another student....super cool. So, Friday was the nice busy day....we had the program with the guy from Wednesday at 10.00 - which went amazing, seriously, he is so ready for all of this......he met with the missionaries 4 years ago, but that was right after he had joined another church, so he didn't just want to be all over the place. But, he super accepted everything we shared with him, and he is really determined to find out if it is true. so, that was really exciting. Then, we had more office stuff until the evening, where we set up as much as we could for the activity night, then left to have the program with the english class student.....he seems a bit more shut off to what we have to say, but hopefully once he gets to know us better, he'll be more willing to at least try it out....we'll see. So, Friday was kind of exciting. We even set up programs for next week with both of the people we met with on Friday, so that's even better. I'm super excited for them all.

so, today, we did a workout this morning (the effects of which are still apparent...ouch...), went shopping, got ready....etc. then, we met up with Laci and went to Memento Park, a really small little park out in the outskirts of Buda, and they've got all of the old communist statues there. It was really interesting....not much to see, but we still had a good time. gosh, and they had a whole bunch of anti-communist stuff..........they really don't like them here....... after that, we went to the bobsled ride just up the road from the park. That was pretty fun. we each went twice, i filmed my first ride down, then, on the second run, i flipped over because my bobsled kept pulling to the right.......still super fun though.

so, that was our week, in a nutshell....sorry i took so long to get this done, this is just the only time i really had to sit down and write today. I hope you all have a great week, and i'll talk to you next week!

Elder Murray

Transfer 11, Week 3

Hi everyone

I thought I'd get this one sent off first of all so I would have time to do it..... :)

So, pretty strange week.........Elder Miller and I had a lot of field trips........we took the greenies and the Gudgells to the hivatal on Monday, which was interesting, because the greenies were there for their second time, so it took them about 10 minutes all together; so, we decided to bring them back to the mission home, then go back to help the Gudgells. Well, we got back here, switched cars, went back, and still had about a 15 minute wait before their number got called. It was kind of ridiculous. But, it went well, and then they bought us Subway afterwards. so, that was cool. Then, on Tuesday, we didn't have too much. the southwest zone came in for training, which made things kind of crazy for us, just answering questions and getting stuff for people. Then, on Wednesday, we went to the Földhivatal (Land Registry Bureau) and the Biróság (Courthouse) to get official paperwork for the hivatal that we go to to register the greenies. So, that's always an adventure. Not too much, just going from one corner of Budapest to the other (not really, but we do cross the river....). then, on Thursday, we took the senior sisters and the Hartwells to the Hivatal, which didn't take too long, but this time it was just them and I who went, and they all got called on four separate desks, so i was scurrying back and forth trying to keep everything in order, which got kind of hectic. It was an adventure. And, that was about the last thing....we had zone trainings for Budapest yesterday, which were good. Then, we went to a wedding reception in Kispest, because both of the Millers served there, so they knew a bunch of the people. It was pretty fun. This morning, we did a killer workout, I'm going to be feeling that one for a while. Then, we went shopping, and now we're here. So, that's this week. We're all super excited for General Conference tonite and tomorrow...I can't remember which one is tonite, but tomorrow morning is the general priesthood/relief society session...that's about all i know. I'm super excited though, we've all been looking forward to it for a few weeks now. and, it's super wierd to think back exactly a year ago when i went to general conference, because I was still with my trainer, Elder Huggard.......wow, that seems sooo long ago.......

so, that's about it.....I hope you all have a great time at conference and a great week! talk to you next week!

Elder Murray