I don't even know where to start with on this CRAZY crazy week. Well, okay, I guess at the beginning.
Tuesday
was insane. Sister Papritz and I had 7 or 8 goodbye programs. And
then she still had to pack. So, it was super super busy, to say the
least. But we survived (barely).
Wednesday, we had to wake up at 5AM to catch the
train up to Budapest. It was a miracle we made it, to be perfectly
honest. We thankfully didn't have to drag her luggage along (the elders
were driving it for us), but we had to grab all her remaining stuff and
get ready. It took a little bit more time than we expected, so we
missed our vilamos and had to wait for the next one. We thought for
sure that we had missed the train because of that and that we would have
to wait an hour for the next one. However, we got to the train station
and saw that the train left three minutes later than we thought, so we
sprinted upstairs, bought tickets, and ran to the train (half expecting
to have to jump onto the moving platform). However, we got there with a
full 60 seconds to spare! Small blessing from upstairs :)
I had my trainer meeting at 11am, so we waited
around the mission home, talking to other missionaries and taking
occasional turns by ourselves. Finally, the hour came, and with
butterflies in my stomach, I went into the meeting. The APs talked to
the seven trainers about how to be good trainers, President Baughman
talked a little bit, and then the greenies came in. We sang a song,
then (as trainers) had to introduce ourselves, talk about our families,
what areas we had served in, and bear our testimonies. I felt so young
next to everyone. Everyone else was older (except for Sister Johnson)
and everyone had had more areas than me. I kind of had the thought-- am
I supposed to be in this meeting? But I knew that I was. I bore my
testimony about the transforming power of the gospel and then sat down
to assess which of the two sisters would be my greenie! They both
seemed very cute. Sister Papritz had been convinced I would get the one
named Sister Fox, as she knew her. But I wasn't so sure. And after
the two of them bore their testimonies, that feeling was even stronger.
But, I didn't know for sure which one I would train until President
announced Sister Fox's companion as... Sister Johnson! And, using my
powerful deductive skills, I realized that meant that I would be paired
with.... Sister Hardy! (see attached picture) We hugged, sat down, and
that was that! I finally had received my long-awaited greenie!
Before Sister Hardy and I left Budapest that day, I
had to say goodbye to Sister Papritz. And I would be doing her an
injustice if I didn't include in this email a little bit how much I love
her! And how much I appreciated our time together! She was an amazing
missionary! And a best friend :) I was really lucky to serve with
her! I know it is her time to go home, and I know that she will do
amazing things there, much like she did here!
Anyways, after lunch and goodbyes, Sister Hardy and I
headed back to Szeged on the train (thankfully, with elders taking our
luggage again). She was so tired, poor little greenie (traveled from
Monday-Tuesday and had a busy Wednesday already). We talked a lot, then
she took a little nap as I made phone calls. Actually, most of the
people in the car were sleeping, which was unfortunate because I really
wanted to talk to some of them with her about the gospel and introduce
her to missionary work from the start. I considered poking someone and
asking them if they had heard about our church, but figured that
wouldn't go over so well. (Just kidding, of course.) Finally, though,
at the end of our train ride we were able to talk to a man sitting next
to me. I asked him (he had finally woken up haha) how close we were to
Szeged and he answered me in English! Apparently he was coming back
after 14 years of living in America. We were able to talk to him about
our church (he knew about us, having visited one our temples in Hawaii
and having played basketball with some missionaries in America) and he
said he would love to come to church in a couple of weeks! We will see
if he comes, but it was still a neat experience :) The elders picked us
up and we took the long way home through Szeged so that Elder Nealy and
I could show our new companions this beautiful city that we love! We
are all very excited to be here :)
Sister Hardy and I have had an amazing week since then.
First
of all, NIK WAS BAPTIZED!!!!! (see picture) It was so special to see
the culmination of her two years of investigating this past weekend.
Her baptism was very special. She had a lot of missionaries there who
had been part of teaching her. (Since Sister Papritz couldn't be there,
I drew a little Sister Papritz on a piece of paper (see picture) so she
could be included in the pictures with Nik... she had a big part in
Nik's growth and decision). There were ward members there supporting
her. Even her mom came! (Her mom is not very supportive of her
involvement in the church, so this was a big step.) The baptism was
beautiful. It was full of music (Nik wanted lots of hymns to be sung!).
The talks were great! Nik couldn't stop smiling :) Which is how it
should be! We receive a lot of joy when we are obedient to God's
commandments! Nik received the gift of the Holy Ghost this past Sunday
and it was again very special. She absolutely beamed afterwards. She
told me she has been feeling happier and calmer :) I am SO HAPPY for
her!
Second of all, God has REALLY been helping me be a
trainer! One example in particular: We had a program with an
investigator named Dr. Ágnes this past week. Sister Papritz and I had
met with her a few times and she was always super difficult to
understand. She is super educated (she is a professor here at the
university and is a voice therapist) and just really enjoys speaking
beautifully and poetically. Anyways, so that was worry number one that I
wouldn't understand. Also, in the past, whenever I spoke, she insisted
on not understanding me. I don't know why-- I wasn't even saying
anything out of the ordinary. But she would always look confused and
say, "I don't understand." Which was always really frustrating and my
worry number two-- that she wouldn't even understand me if I said
anything! I had debated inviting a church member, but in the end
decided this was one of my tests as trainer. We went to her house to
teach her the Plan of Salvation. And-- here's the miracle-- it went
great! We had a really great lesson, addressing some of her concerns
and questions about where we go after we die. And we were both able to
understand and talk to each other! Miracle.
I have seen a lot of miracles like that this past
week! I am so grateful that God is helping me with this
responsibility!! Because it is a big responsibility to train a new
missionary. I think I am more stressed about it than my greenie is :P
But I have also been blessed with an amazing "daughter". To let you
all know a little bit about her: Her name is Sister Hardy. She is from
Portland, Oregon. She was studying English at BYU and wants to go to
grad school to be a marriage and family therapist. She has cool hipster
glasses and great fashion sense. She loves being a missionary! She is
a hard worker, not afraid to talk to anyone, picks up Hungarian very
fast, is super fun to be around, has awesome insights into the gospel,
and has a very developed understanding of the fact we are here to become
better everyday. I think we are going to have an amazing transfer
together!!! I am excited :) And I can definitely see, in just the few
days we have been together (although it seems way longer) that we were
totally meant to be mother-daughter (trainer-greenie). I am so grateful
that God knows best and is willing to send inspiration so that we can
be happy :)
Also, in other big news, the Baughmans (my mission
president and his wife) are going home this Saturday! I can't believe
their time is over. I have really appreciated President Baughman's
leadership and his encouragement to enjoy and to learn from this mission
experience. I think his leadership has allowed me to learn so many
important lessons and to have so many amazing, once-in-a-lifetime
experiences. I am very grateful for the love he and his wife always
showed us :) I don't know how well any of you know him, so I included
his last email to us missionaries so you could get a taste of what kind
of man he is. I don't really know very much about the new President
Smith, but I know his leadership will also be inspired (although almost
guaranteed different from President Baughman). I will let you all know
more about him and his wife when I do!!
I love you all! Sorry this is the longest email EVER! Have a great week! Notice the everyday miracles in your lives!!!
Love,
Kramer Nővér aka McKenna
President Baughman's Email:
Dear Missionaries:
It
is hard to believe that this is my last e-mail to you as your mission
president. Words cannot describe how Sister Baughman and I feel at this
time other than to say that we have an overwhelming sense of gratitude
for the people we have come to know and for the amazing experiences we
have had in this land of Hungary. When we were called to serve, we had
no idea what was in store for us. We just had faith that if we tried to
do our best, the Lord would make sure everything worked out OK. And He
has! Our cup truly runneth over in every way. When we accepted the
call we thought that we were making a sacrifice, but now we realize that
when it comes to serving the Lord there is no such thing as a
sacrifice. He has given us far more than we could ever give Him.
I want to thank you for your obedience and hard work, and for the love
you have shown Sister Baughman and me, each other, and the Hungarian
people. You are becoming true disciples of Christ. We will continue to
pray for you, your families, and for the Hungarians - members and
investigators. We hope that some of what we have taught will remain
with you and help guide you, not only as missionaries, but as future
leaders in the church, in your families, your communities, and in your
chosen professions. You are building the foundation of great and
consequential lives. Never underestimate your potential, and never fail
to recognize the power you possess to change the world for the better,
especially as you continue to be worthy of the guidance of the Spirit.
I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that God lives, that He loves
us and has a plan for us. I am also grateful for prophets throughout the
ages who have kept the flame of eternal truth alive and who have sealed
their testimonies with their lives. I am especially grateful for Joseph
Smith and all that he did to help bring about the miracle of the
Restoration. I have come to cherish the Book of Mormon as a powerful
second witness of Christ and as irrefutable evidence that Joseph Smith
was, indeed, a true prophet of God. It is amazing to me that many good
people accept the reality of ancient prophets but do not see the need
for modern prophets. To me, nothing could be more obvious. And, I am so
thankful for the Church itself and the opportunities it gives us to
live more Christlike lives by loving and serving each other.
Many of you have asked if I have any parting advice about what you
should do after your missions. I do. Strive to obey the two great
commandments - love the Lord and His children with all of your heart,
and remain totally active in the Church and fully engaged in His work.
I am convinced that if you do those things, He will guide you to a
world of opportunity that you can only achieve with the guidance of the
Spirit. Focus on finding the right spouse, and on pursuing educational
and career opportunities that will not only provide a suitable living,
but allow you to become a person of influence. The Lord expects the
saints to become "the salt of the earth".
Sister Baughman and I pray that someday we will all be able to stand
before your Father in heaven and hear Him say, "Well done thou good and
faithful servant - enter into the joy of the Lord."
With much love,
President Baughman
God bless you, dear Elders and Sisters. We love you and will miss you! xox Sister Baughman
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