Week 8 (I think?)

HELLO!

So listen to the week I've had:

-In TRC (the Teaching Resource Center, where volunteers who speak Hungarian come in, and we teach them small lessons) this week, we had Daybell Testver's wife (she comes in every week) and a sister who just returned from her mission in Hungary one week before! Crazy, right? She had been Daybell Nover's greenie in the mission field, so they came in together. It was SUCH a cool lesson. We taught about Joseph Smitha and I was able to recite the First Vision in Hungarian to them. It was one of the most powerful spiritual moments I've ever had, I think. While I spoke the Hungarian words about this American boy who lived 200 years ago, I felt such a burning feeling in my heart. I know that was the Spirit testifying to me that Joseph Smith DID see God and Jesus Christ in a grove in New York. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, who restored God's church to this earth! The rest of the lesson was just as cool and powerful. Sister Feller (the newly returned sister) wrote afterwards on our comment card that she "Loved it!" and "felt the spirit." She "loved that they made me bear my testimony. That threw me off and it was just what I needed!" And as a result of the experience, she wrote that she wants to "Come more often!" How validating! How cool! I love that we are able to help strengthen testimonies now! Also, at the end of the lesson, she gave us a Milka bar from Hungary! Very delicious chocolate!

-I finished the Book of Mormon last week sometime. That means I have read it once since I have started my mission (start keeping track!). As with every time I read it, I learned SO MUCH. I think the Book of Mormon is the foundation for my belief and knowledge of the truthfulness of what I am teaching. It wasn't always easy to read and study. But, as I've read it time and time again, as I've taken classes about it, as I've followed the principles taught within it, I've come to know that it is scripture. It IS the word of God. And, more than that, I followed the promise given in Moroni 10:4-5. That promise states that if we ask God, he will tell us that the book is true. I've done that and felt God's love and felt the truthfulness of the book. I was able to do it this last week and I just felt peace as I prayed. I know it is true. And THAT is what I think is so cool about going on a mission! It is not like I am trying to force anyone to "join our church." Rather, I am an inviter and a teacher. I invite people to learn more about something that is so cool and important and true. I can teach them about what we believe. But the cool thing is, I can say all I want and it still won't matter. What changes hearts and changes lives and converts people is when they take the questions of whether what I am saying is true to God Himself. Because it is a true promise (read Moroni 10:4-5) that if we pray with true desire to know, we will receive confirmation (not from our own minds but from the Holy Spirit) that all this is true. And that feeling of God's love is the transforming power that causes me to know and act today. So, yeah, sometimes (sometimes often) life is hard. But I know where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going. Through the scriptures and church, I have the "recipe"for happiness. And I know that Christ loved me enough to die for me and you so that we can return to live with Him and Heavenly Father someday. That peace (both through the Spirit and knowledge) makes every hard time here on my mission worth it. It helps me get through those hard times. So, if any of you are still reading after that giant paragraph :P, I would like to challenge you to start reading a chapter of the BOM every day with me! If you don't have a copy, the LDS church will send you a free copy! And as you read, think! I will start posting my thoughts about what I read. Hopefully you will comment what you thought! And that way, we can read through this awesome book together :)

-This week, my district is focusing on charity as one of our goals. We are studying it in the scriptures. We are finding ways to serve. We all have envelopes in front of our desk that we place nice written notes to each other every night. On Sunday, we are going to read all of the notes we received from our classmates. I would encourage all of you to have a charity week! The Beatles said, All you need is love, and they are right! We can never have too much kindness and love. So try this with your families and friends! And I promise you that your week will go so much better as you focus on other people other than yourself!

-I've made a lot of random Hungarian connections this week! I sat next to a girl who is half Hungarian in choir the other day. She told me everything she knew in Hungarian and told me to say hi to her family if I find them. Some other sister who held the door for me said her Grandma was Hungarian. We've taught about half the MTC campus how to say hello in Hungarian, I think, haha. (Servusz). Also!!!!!! THERE IS A HUNGARIAN MISSIONARY HERE! He just arrived yesterday. He is from Hungary, going to England. To realize how cool that is, there are only 4000 members in Hungary. And one of them is now here! I haven't been able to meet him yet, but the other sisters who did said that he told them Hungarians love brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Apparently they don't exist there? So feel free to send me some recipes so I can make those for the Hungarian people!!!

-Some sad news: Daybell Testver is leaving. His wife got a job, so he is leaving this one to focus on school (he is applying to the Accounting program). He is the best teacher I've ever had and a large part of it is that he just really truly cared about us. Also, every single thing he ever said to us about the gospel or the Hungarian people or the language made me consider those things in a new way and taught me how important it is to serve with love. The entire class (and him) might've cried when he told us. His last day is this Saturday. They already have a new teacher hired. But Daybell Testver said he will come to the TRC every week until we leave so he can still be part of the process with us. I"m glad! I love him!

Out of time!

Love you all! Send stories, pictures, whatever!

<3 McKenna