Transfer 6, week 2 (Aug 23, 2010)

Hello everyone!
Wow, we had a pretty hectic week......first of all, on Monday, Elder Cheney and i were rushing around trying to find a comp tie.....then transfers was pretty exciting.......there were a lot of missionaries at transfers, it was really fun to see everyone again and get some more pictures. Sister Crosley got a greenie, Sister Johnson, so she was really excited about that. Sister Johnson already speaks fairly well, and she seems really happy to be here. And, I got Elder Bird (After his one-transfer-stint in the office) He said he's a little rusty after being in the office, but i think he's doing great now. We're still getting adjusted and everything, but things are going great and we're really excited to be serving together again.
So, after transfers....we came back to Miskolc, had English Class (for the four students and one member who showed up...) and then we had a meeting with the young single adults from Nyíregyháza, Debrecen, Eger, and Miskolc, along with the two senior couples from Debrecen and Eger. It was pretty good, we talked about upcoming activities and how to get the youth more involved. after that, we had an ok thursday.....all but one of our programs cancelled, but the one that didn't was really good. after that, we had angolóra again, then kind of an unplanned program after that. so, not a total dissappointment. then, Friday was August 20th, pretty much independance day, so all the missionaries (along with a lot of the youth) in the zone went to debrecen for the Flower Festival.....it was really cool! i pretty much gave up on taking pictures and just took movies, because there was a parade with a bunch of floats and some dancing and stuff--it was way fun! there was even a Star Wars float! it was pretty much amazing! haha, i was pretty much geeking out..... :) after the parade, we all met in the park for lunch, then we went to the stadium where all the floats were so we could take pictures and stuff. i got through all but two or three of the floats before my camera died :( so that was fun too. after that, we had a fireside at the debrecen branch house with Számosfalvi Laura, who talked about how we all need to find the good things about ourselves, not just concentrate on what we don't like when we look in the mirror. It was a really good fireside, and then we had pizza with everyone and she answered questions about BYU (she's going to school there). all in all, a pretty rad day. we got back to miskolc at about 8:30 and would have gone to see the fireworks, but there weren't any......the city spent the money that would have gone to the fireworks on flood relief.
So, let's see....Saturday was good too, we had a ton of finding time, so we went tabling for a while...then we had a program, and one of our investigators should be starting the stop-smoking program today, so that was great to get to meet with him and get him ready for that. He asked for a priesthood blessing, so when he came to church on Sunday, a member gave him a blessing---that was super awesome! he's also fasting today as a start to the program. He is so amazing, he really is determined to quit smoking. He really is doing everything he can. Haha, and it was funny earlier, because we helped out in primary, and it was just so funny to hear all the little kids' answers to some of the questions.....they were so funny, and it was awesome because i actually understood them! :)
so, after church, we went and visited some members in Putnok and Kazincbarcika. In Putnok, the member's husband was home for the week from Germany, and he's really cool, so it was fun to get to meet with him. Apparently he reads the Book of Mormon all the time, he just doesn't really feel the need to get baptized......and it's super hard to meet with him since he works in Germany all the time and comes home kind of on short notice...but he's really cool, and it's always fun to meet with them when he's there.
After that, we went to Kazincbarcika, had some programs with some less-actives, and then we looked up a referral from the office. She was way cool, she lived in Miami for about 45 years, so the entire time we were with her we spoke english. She's really interested in learning more, and it was just awesome getting to hear about her experiences. It was cool too, because when we first got there, she said she wasn't interested at all, but then Elder Bird asked if we could just talk a little to get to know each other and so she could practice her english, and then by the end, she said she was very interested and wanted to meet again. It was a super awesome program, and a great end to the week.
So, that was about it for last week......hopefully i remembered everything.....i don't really know how this week is going to go, i guess i'll find out as it goes along.....we have zone leaders council tomorrow, so we'll be going to budapest. that should be fun.
well, i guess that's it.....i'll talk to you all next monday! i hope you all have a great week!
Elder Murray

Transfer 6, week 1 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hello Everyone!
Ok, first of all, i'll tell you all about last week....build the suspense for transfers....hehehe.
So, last week was good......we went on splits on Debrecen, so I stayed there with the greenie, Elder Johnson, and then Elder Kunze came back to Miskolc with Elder Cheney. Oh, and Sister Wunderli stayed as well, with Sister Breithaupt, and Sister Zomboszki came with Sister Crosley. It was really fun, we had quite a bit of success with streeting (even though it was inconceivably hot outside), and then we had a meeting with the senior couple who are in Debrecen, the Williams'. They are so much fun, i really hope i get to serve in a city that has a senior couple sometime. We will be going back to Debrecen on the 20th of August for a young single adult activity (plus, it's a super p-day....it's pretty much the Hungarian independence day). So, that will be fun. Then, on Friday, we had our concert in Miskolc, yay! It was super fun and absolutely amazing! Both of the concerts that we were involved in were absolutely great (if i do say so myself....)! We had so many non-members come, and it was such a great environment for everyone to be in--I absolutely love music, and just how quickly it invites the Spirit, and how it isn't stopped by language or age barriers. I think everyone went away from the concerts having gained something, and everyone said they loved it. The theme of the concert was The Plan of Salvation, and the way it was set up was really cool--there would be some songs about a
certain part, and then one of the missionaries or a member would get up and say something about it. I had such a great time, even though i didn't sing (i think everyone appreciated that... :), and we've gotten so many compliments and requests to do it again.
So, after that.....oh, Saturday was Sister Crosley's birthday, and we were in Nyíregyháza for the concert, so we went to the Mexican restaurant afterwards. It was really fun, we took a lot of pictures (well, Sister Crosley did....i'll steal them from her later :)
Other than that.....oh, we had dinner with the Szamosfalvi family (he is the district president, and two of their kids are married and living in america...his daughter is attending BYU, so i only really know his son--he's super funny). So yeah, we had lunch with them......it was pretty much a little slice of america. Their house is so american, it was totally screwing up my brain, haha. It was so much fun though, just to be among so many members and just talk about stuff---besides that too, just being with a family that has been together for so long and are still so happy--it's kind
of a rare thing in hungary, so it was really nice.
Ok, so, transfer calls.......oh wait, first of all.....so, it's one of Sister Crosley's mission traditions that all the missionaries in her district have breakfast at the branch house on transfer call monday. So, i was going to make a pie for lunch or something (for her birthday), so i started making the crust last night.........let's just say, it is quite difficult to make things when one is lacking measuring cups.......and, when the recipe calls for crisco, and all you can find at the store is lard that
smells like meat......so, needless to say, it was not too successful.....we'll see how it turns out next time :) other than that, breakfast was great (we had pancakes!)--we watched The Testaments (we just got it with Hungarian voice overs, so we were super excited to watch it).
And, we got transfer calls. So, Sister Crosley will be training this transfer (an american, finally. She's had a lot of mini-missionaries lately), and I will be staying here (kind of obvious since my comp is going home...) and my new companion will be.........Elder Bird! ah, I was super excited to hear that i get to serve with him again! we had an awesome transfer together, I can hardly wait for this next one! (plus, he was just in the office, so he has his driver's license already--yay, I don't have to drive all the time!) Yeah, so that's transfers. For Miskolc, at least......
So, in other news.........we have transfers on Wednesday......that should be fun...today, we're going to a park to walk around, take pictures, practice whipping, and get a district item. (usually companions get a tie, but since there's also sisters here, we're each going to get the same....item.....we have yet to decide what. :)
So yeah, that's about it. I hope you all have a great week, and I'll talk to you all next Monday!
Elder Murray

Transfer 5, Week 6

Hi everyone!
holy cow, transfers is next week! wierd....
so, this past week was pretty crazy.....let's see.....last Monday, we just worked, since we moved our p-day to Saturday (more about that later....). So, then on Tuesday, we had a multi-zone conference, which started at 9:15.......yeah, we had to get up pretty early......but it was really good, we talked about a lot of stuff, like how we can improve as individuals and as a mission, and then we talked about following up on committments we give to people. The assistants gave that training, and it was pretty funny. Elder Daybell likes to poke fun at the way missionaries say certain things, so he had everyone laughing for a while. Then, after zone conference, we all went to Skanzen and Szentendre. Oh, and, super wierd......so, it was super hot out, so President let all the elders take off their ties.......it felt super wierd, haha. So, yeah, back to the outing.... Skanzen is an open-air museum, so there was a bunch of different little areas that all were different parts of Hungary during different time periods. It was pretty cool.......the only bummer was, first Sister Crosley's camera died, so I let her use mine (since she would take more pictures than I would, and then they would be on my card.......yeah, I thought of that one all on my own....with some help from Sister Crosley.......haha). So, she took nine or ten pictures on my camera, and then mine died. But, it was close to the end of that part of the trip, so there wasn't too much else that we wanted a picture of. After that, we went to Szentendre, which is pretty much just a little tourist town....I didn't buy too much, just two pins...one is a Hungarian flag with an American one, and the other is the Hungarian crest that's on some of the flags. So, that was zone conference.......after that, we came back to Miskolc, and went to bed....long day. :)
The rest of the week was pretty good....we had a linger-longer after both angolóras, and everyone really enjoyed those. Then, on Saturday, we went to Tatabánya for two baptisms. They were so great! It was just kind of funny, apparently the people being baptized couldn't agree on a place, so one was at 9:00 at a lake, and the other was at 11:00 at an indoor pool. Both were really great though! Haha, and the members are so amazing, it's just like a little family! Everyone wants to feed the missionaries! People kept coming around with food afterwards, asking if I wanted any...I kept saying that each one was the last one, but then they came around again and wouldn't leave until I ate some more! haha. Afterwards, we went to a members house for lunch, and the one member who had been doing most of the food-giving said he'd be waiting for me to get transferred to Tatabánya so they could feed me more. They are all so great though, I really would like to serve there. haha. And then, after getting stuffed full of food, we came back to Miskolc and had a meeting with the mission leader here, who fed us as well....first rice and chicken, then watermelon, then ice cream.....yeah. We were all pretty much stuffed. I was so glad to get back to Miskolc though, it was about a three-hour drive to Tatabánya........I was so happy that I didn't have to drive....I think I'll be letting Elder Cheney do all the driving for the rest of the transfer, haha.
So, Sunday was good as well....we got to meet with a family of a member from America....he and his wife were in Hungary doing family history work, and they met these distant relatives of his (I think they're second cousins....?) but yeah, so, he gave us their names and address, so went over to visit them. It went really well, they were really friendly and seemed pretty interested.
OK, so, Monday.......long day. First, we had apartment inspections at 9:00......that went pretty well, seeing as we just moved in two weeks ago--how dirty could it get, right? haha. Just kidding, we take really good care of it. So, we passed :) and then we picked up the sisters and drove out to Polgár, where a member and her mom live......it took us a while to find their house, but then we had lunch with them (rakott krumpli and palacsintas....delicious!). After that, we went to Hortobágy! That was pretty fun. There's actually not much there, just a bunch of touristy stuff (there was a ton of english speakers there---it was really throwing me off. We met a family from Canada, so Sister Crosley was really happy). we spent most of the time trying out whips, which was really fun. I tried for a while and finally got a decent crack, but then we went somewhere to take pictures, came back, and I couldn't do it. But then, the guy told me to do it with my left hand, and I did it really good on the first try! It was kind of wierd.....so, I bought a whip! Elder Cheney is really good at whipping, so we'll probably be doing that next monday (yay! :). So, that was Hortobágy.....after that, we drove to Nyíregyháza to practice for the concert. After that, we drove the member back home, and we ate dinner with them (once again, really tasty!) and then we drove home to Miskolc. So yeah, long day.
That was about our week......it is so wierd that it is already the last week of the transfer....hopefully we should be able to meet with a lot of people this week. Last week a lot of people cancelled at the last minute, so that was a little frustrating.......but, we got some good finding time in, so that was good.
I hope you all have a great week, and I'll talk to you all next Monday!
Elder Murray

Transfer 5, Week 5

Hi everyone!So, it's week 5...super crazy......This week was really good for us--it was consecration week, with the focus on diligence...the goal was for each companionship to get a total of 30 finding and teaching hours....we didn't get the 30 total hours, but we do have possibly 2 new investigators--one of them saw us tabling for english class, came up and started talking to us, then started talking about religion, so she seemed pretty interested. Then on Saturday, we met with an old investigator who was just too busy to meet with the elders when they first contacted him. He is now done with school, and we had a really interesting conversation with him about living in the world, but not being of the world--he's already got really high standards and a solid foundation to start building on, so we're really excited to start meeting with him more often. And, one of the students from angolóra is becoming friends with one of the members who is also learning english, and she came to fiatal est as well! it was super exciting to see her there, and the member friend from angolóra is already starting to teach her about the gospel! The rest of the week was fairly ordinary--we did a lot of tabling, and had quite good success with that. And then, on Sunday, we had a really good lesson with a less-active member--the lesson really seemed to apply to something that she had been talking about just before we started, and then she agreed to say the closing prayer without any complaints or anything (she usually doesn't really want to pray whenever we visit, so that was really great!) After that, we went with the sisters and a member to a recent convert whose husband is in the hospital. He is able to come home on the weekends, so we gave him a priesthood blessing, and they were all so happy that we came over. It was a really great experience, and so great to see the members excercising the priesthood. Church was really great too, as it was testimony meeting--there were a lot of really great testimonies, and 3 or 4 young women from the branch shared their testimonies, after just having gotten back from EFY--those were so great to hear, everyone was so happy afterwards. It was just a really great day!So, that was about our week...Elder Cheney and I seem to be getting along a lot better than at the beginning of the transfer, so that's really great. We've been finding that we actually have a lot in common, so it's fun to talk about those kind of things with each other. We've also had some really great conversations about our plans for the future, and it's been fun getting to know each other better and what we're planning on studying. Most of our conversations kind of end up making me trunky though, so that's not too good.....haha. so yeah, that was about it for our week...this next week is looking to be really full......tomorrow, we are going to budapest for zone conference, and afterwards, we are going on a trip to a little tourist-type village--it should be really fun! the one bad thing is that we have to be at the mission home by 9:00 in the morning...yeah, not looking forward to that drive.....then, on saturday, we will be going to tatabánya so elder cheney can attend a baptism there....not looking forward to that drive either, but hopefully Cheney will have his license by then....for the last 2 weeks of his mission.....nice. :)so, i'll let you all know how that all turns out......i hope you all have a great week, and i'll talk to you all next week! Elder Murray

hey, so i forgot to mention...last monday, we went to Nyíregyháza to practice for a concert that we're going to be putting on....then, when we got back, we had to rush and pack everything together to move to our new apartment (pres. said we needed a new one closer to the city). It is super nice, and right on the walking street, so we can just wake up, get ready, and go outside. it is really nice! yeah, so that's just a little more news for last week :) Elder Murray

Transfer 5, week 4

Hi everyone!So, not too much going on this week....We did have a really amazing little miracle though....there's a 21-year old young woman who has been coming to angolóra for the past week or two, and she has stayed for the spiritual message and made friends with László Csaba who is going to the kezdő class. We invited her to church, and she actually came! and then, she stayed for all three hours--she really liked sacrament meeting--the Szamosfalvi family spoke, so it was really good; and then in sunday school, we watched Legacy--she said she would like to set up a meeting sometime so we can finish that with her; then Sis. Crosley took her to Relief Society, and all of the women there were so welcoming to her and invited her back. Then the sisters called to report numbers that evening and said that they had walked with her for most of the way to the train station (she lives in a falu) and had a really great talk with her. She said the thing that she liked the most was how nobody was really the "big boss" of the whole thing--everyone had an opportunity to teach and share their opinion. She seems to be really interested, and we are really looking forward to our next meeting with her--we will probably let the sisters continue teaching her after the next meeting, but i am just really glad that we could see this start, it is really encouraging to see the seed of faith starting within her.On Thursday, we went on splits to Nyíregyháza....that was really fun, in the morning we went tabling, and then in the afternoon i split with Elder Hiencze (i have no idea how to spell his name...). That was pretty fun. Haha, so, the elders in Nyíregyháza made up a game....it's called "claim your territory"....in the summer, it's really hot, so all the bácsis (older guys) roll up their shirts and kind of just walk around with their belly hanging out....the elders say that they're 'claiming their territory'...so, there's not much to the game, pretty much just people-watching....For dinner, we all went to this little Mexican restaurant...there are very few mexican restuarants in Hungary, so that was quite a nice little treat for us. So, other than that, not too much......ooh! it rained on Sunday! and today is completely overcast! I was so happy! haha, kind of the opposite of what most people feel on those kind of days, huh? It had just been a really long time (for me at least) since i had seen rain, and i was getting quite fed up with the blistering hot weather.....so that was nice. Not much else to report on.....hope you're all having a great time! Talk to you next week!Elder Murray

Transfer 5, Week 3

Hello Everyone!
So, week three......yeah. So, I actually kind of started this email about 2 hours ago, but the internet went down, so we went to another mall, wandered around for a bit, and then came back. (it's working now :)
So, things are going a little slower here in Miskolc--the weather is definitely not helping, haha. The heat is turning everyone into little walking sweatboxes who don't really like to stop and talk.... This week has also been a little discouraging, we had one of our investigators skip three appointments without calling, and another potential investigator not show up to our first meeting (although, I should be honest, I think we are partly to blame for that one--we set up the appointment last Monday for this Sunday--yesterday--so, it is very likely that he just forgot about it). But, there is always a bright side to everything--one of our investigators came to church finally! He's actually been a lot of times in the past with his wife, who is a member, but this was the first time he's been to church since I have been here. It was great to see him there, and all the members were really friendly to him. Which reminds me, the members here just seem to be getting more and more friendly, both to the missionaries, and to those we invite to church. It has been extremely encouraging to see the change in them, even though it is an extremely slight one. They all just seem to be slowly becoming a big warm family where everyone is welcome!
So, other than that.....not much going on.....last week we went to the Avas Kilátás (lookout), and then the Diosgyöri Vár (castle)...those were pretty fun....took some pictures.....fried in the heat.....yeah. Throughout the week, not too much going on...went to Budapest for zone leader council....that was pretty good...oh, and we found out that for zone council, after the trainings and everything, we're going on a city tour of Budapest! It sounds pretty fun, I actually haven't seen too much of Budapest, just the same road over and over again that we drive on to get from Miskolc to the Mission Home--it'll be nice to see some more of the city :)
Um.....yeah.....not much going on right now......we're just pretty much dying in the heat....or, at least Sister Crosley and I are......Elder Cheney is from Atlanta, so he said he's pretty much used to this weather, whereas Sister Crosley is from Canada, and I'm from Washington.....it doesn't usually get too hot there......or, maybe I just never went around in the summer wearing dark pants and a button-up shirt......yeah, I'm pretty sure that would make any place seem really hot. But, it's bearable.
So, yeah, not too much to report on......oh! pres. Baughman sent us a cool article....I'll try forwarding it....it was really cool, and kind of subtly emphasizes the benefits of serving a mission.
So, I think I'll stop rambling now.........I hope you're all doing great! Talk to you all next week!
Elder Murray

Transfer 5, Week 2

Hello everyone!Not much to say about this week......interesting with transfers and everything, but i think we're all getting settled in.Transfers was kind of stressful, helping elder Lynn pack and then getting up early to get to Budapest on time, and then getting back to Miskolc and getting adjusted to a new companion.....i managed to keep my sanity though, and things are going really great now with Elder Cheney. He's from Atlanta Georgia, and this is actually his last transfer....wierd. He's having a great time here in Miskolc, maybe the only thing he's struggling a little bit with is the whole zone leader thing--but, he seems to be doing okay in that department too, so we're just looking forward to ending his mission with a bang! haha. Not much new with investigators....we didn't have much time to meet with them this week, with transfers and some other activities. we should be meeting with a lot of them this week, as well as possibly getting some new ones! exciting! Other than that....We managed to meet with the branch leader here before church on Sunday, and the advice we got from him to strengthen the missionary work was to reactivate the less- or in-actives here in Miskolc. That's pretty much common council throughout the country, but it really seemed like he was very determined to see more of the members return to full activity. He gave us a new list of members, with certain names hilighted in three different colors, so we can easily see who is less-active, who is inactive, and who doesn't want to be visited (luckily, there's only one of those...). It was really a great meeting, he gave us all a chance to voice our opinions/questions/comments, and the list was absolutely great. We're really looking forward to using it and to bringing more members back to church. We are certain that when the active members see more and more people returning to activity, they will become more involved in the missionary work. We are really looking forward to giving a little more focus to RCLAs this transfer. We actually have one that we have already been working with for a while--she came to church for the second time this Sunday, and she brought her daughter, who isn't a member. It's been really cool to see the change in her as we've been meeting with her and she's started to return to church. The active members are all great too, making her feel at home once again.Friday was absolutely wonderful with the Szvoboda family's fireside (although, it was very wierd to see Elders and Sister Szvoboda as non-missionaries). We had an amazing turnout, and a pretty impressive amount of investigators as well. Everybody absolutely loved it, and it was such a great experience--the Spirit was so powerful during the whole thing, and it was just so great to be there!So, that's about all the news for this week....Elder Cheney and I are doing pretty well, we're getting off to a pretty good start this transfer. He seems really excited to be here--maybe having a little bit of a struggle being a zone leader, but he seems to be handling that just fine as well.So, that's our transfer so far in a nutshell.....we're looking forward to this week and we're excited to see what we can accomplish here.I hope you all are having a great time, and know that i frequently think about you all!Elder Murray

Transfer 5, Week 1 - July 5, 2010

Hello Everyone!Happy Fourth of July! Happy Canada Day! haha, so, we had zone interviews on Canada Day (July 1st), so everyone was saying happy canada day......Sister Crosley is Canadian, so she was talking about it the whole way to Budapest in the car. she even sang us the Canadian national anthem! pretty cool stuff....haha, and then she called us sunday night to sing the American national anthem with us, and we got her to recite the pledge of allegiance with us.....we're slowly turning her into an American..... :)So, this week.....Monday was really fun, we went to Lillafüred on a little train. The train ride was about 15 minutes long, and at Lillafüred there's a really cool waterfall and a lake and a castle-turned-hotel. It was a really fun day, we all had a great time just kind of wandering around. On Thursday, we went to Budapest for zone interviews (and to celebrate Canada day...hehehe). those were really great, we got to see a lot of missionaries, and the APs gave a really good training. They taught about talking with people on the street, so at the end, we all got to go outside for 10 minutes and try to apply what they taught. It was really fun, and a really great training, because we all immediately got to apply it, so hopefully we'll be able to internalize it and apply it for a long time and not just forget it. After interviews, we went on splits--i went to Nyíregyháza with elders Davis, Pinkston, and Nikolov, and Elder Kubricky went back to Miskolc with elder Lynn. wow, train rides get really boring after three hours. but, we finally got there, and i had a really good time there. I was with Elder Davis for Friday, and then on Saturday I was with Elder Nikolov. They were both really great, and i had a great time and learned a lot from both of them. So, little story for the week....we have one really good investigator who we're meeting with right now who is progressing pretty well. She said that she had been having a hard time this week, so we just had a lesson with her about the scriptures and prayer, and the strength we can gain from those. She was really willing to do the things that we asked her, and she seemed like she was excited to try them out and see improvements in her life. And, then we got a referral from Budapest, and when we called her to confirm the lesson that we had already set up with her, she said that that time wouldn't work, but she can meet later this week, and she wanted to know if she could bring a friend as well who is also interested! It was a very exciting phone call, I'm really excited to meet with them. Both experiences were really great, we're excited to see the gospel start changing their lives for the better. haha, so i just about sent this without saying anything about transfers! haha. So, Elder Lynn is going to Szolnok to be the branch leader there, and his new companion is going to be....Elder Miller! kind of wierd, because they were just companions a few transfers ago...but, he's really excited to be going there and to work there. My new companion is Elder Cheney...i've seen him a few times in Budapest,--i don't really know a whole lot about him, but he seems like a great guy....i guess we'll see....haha, and he doesn't have his driver's license yet, so it looks like i'm going to be doing a lot of driving in the near future.....yay....haha, yeah, so, that's the news for this week. not much else. a lot of interesting things going on with transfers.....oh, and my trainer is going home this week! gosh, that is so wierd to think about.....i can't believe that so much time has gone by since i got here.....Hungary is going to be really wierd without Elder Huggard here.....i guess we'll survive somehow....haha. well, i hope you all have a rad-tacular week! I'll talk to you all next week!Elder Murray