This week we went around singing Christmas songs at different places

December 18, 2017

This week as a district we went around singing Christmas songs at different places. As part of our "tour" we had two different  "gigs" at two different old folks homes. It's a good thing that 1. Hungarians are pretty much tone deaf and 2. Old people are pretty much deaf, so we didn't have to worry too much about how well we sang. Then afterwards we talked to the old people for a little bit. Then for our third and final "gig" as part of our "tour" we sang at the church Saturday night because there was a talent show. We just need one perfect show and one perfect night, then we'll be going places, haha. 

Kaposvár District

In Kaposvár every December a Christmas market opens up downtown with a lot of different shops. And one of our new investigators is an artist, and he owns an art shop in the Christmas market. He is always there at his shop so we have been teaching him in the middle of the street in front of his shop. It has gone well so far. 

Also this week we finished the “I'm a Mormon Missionary” video and posted it on our Facebook page. The people who have seen it told us they like it and think it is funny. Right now we’re sitting at 300 views, but we’re hoping to make it go viral, haha. 

Gifts from Mikulás

We also did service this week at a member's house. Her house is on top of a hill, and she had a bunch of wood logs at the bottom of the street that we had to carry up the hill. The previous night it had snowed/rained so the ground was super slippery. It was hard to walk up the hill without wood logs yet alone with them. The woman who lives there doesn't even leave her house because she's not able to walk down the hill. Anyways we did it and came back alive. 

We got permission to use the park across from the Christmas market for Saturday, so we have a projector and we are going to be showing the “Light the World” video, our “I'm a Mormon Missionary” video, and other ones. We will have free hot chocolate and baked goods and hopefully run the people who are selling hot chocolate at the Christmas market out of business, haha. And we will ask people how they will Light the World, and we will record them and then we will compile all of their responses and make a video and show it at the end.  We are going to make sure we play it very loud so everyone can here and know who we are. 

Udy Elder eating giant snowflakes

I haven't seen any Hungarian Christmas nativities, but I also haven’t been looking for any, so I will look now. And on Christmas we have the whole day as our p-day, but I think I will go to the branch house to Google hangout because I don’t think any of the member’s have good enough internet or computers. I’m not quite sure what time that would be at, probably 4:00 or later my time. I might be able to send you an e-mail in the morning or something so you can know. 

-       Udy Elder

In Hungary Mikulas (Santa Claus) comes on December 6th

December 11, 2017

Sziasztok barátaim és családom,

This week we had interviews with the mission president, so we took an hour bus ride to Pécs (The hometown of Szabadkai Elnök). Afterwards the Pécs missionaries and us sang Christmas songs downtown and a lot of people seemed to enjoy it. We are currently in the process of making a Mormon Misszionárius Vagyok (I'm a Mormon Missionary) Video. We will debut it on our Facebook page sometime this week and hopefully people hit us up with some shares. If I can, I’ll try and send it next week. Also this week Cushing Elder and I had a big time meeting with the Mayor of Kaposvár. We have been planning a big Christmas event downtown on December 23^rd, but we had to get permission to use the park that is located downtown. The Mayor gave us permission and now we just have to make sure we do something big. 

In Hungary Mikulás (Santa Claus) comes on December 6th and little kids leave their boots out at night and the good kids get sweets and presents in their boots and the bad kids get sticks in their boots. Anyways for some reason a lot of people just dress up as Mikulás and just walk around the city on December 6th. There was even an event where a bunch of Mikuláses rode their motorcycles around town. And whenever I'm on the bus, I always ask people what they got from Mikulás and for some reason the old grandmas always think it is funny. 

Me sitting in Mikulas' throne

It has snowed a little bit here, but not enough to cover the ground. I can't believe that my letter already got there, it took less than a week! Thanks for the pictures. 

Sok szerettél,

         Udy Elder

Do you know where the children's home is with no parents?

December 4, 2017

Sziasztok barátaim és családom, (Hello my friends and my family) 

Our district inviting everyone on the street to come to church Sunday morning

    On Tuesday last week I went on splits with Spencer Elder, who has only been in Hungary for 1 transfer, and our job was to find somewhere where we could donate goods as a church. We were given an address of an orphanage, but it was the wrong address and on the wrong street so we had to ask people where it was. Since we did not know the word for orphanage, we asked people, “Do you know where the children's home is with no parents?” We eventually found it and talked to the people in charge at the orphanage. Anyways, later that day while knocking on some doors, this 15 year old kid opens the door, and we say, “we are missionaries” and as soon as we say that he gestures us to come inside which absolutely never happens. We went into a tiny bedroom where there were about 5 people and we just talked a little bit about what we believe. And as we were talking to them people kept coming in and out listening to us. There had to have been about 10 people who lived in that apartment who we talked to. They were just so interested in us, and we just tried to communicate as much as we could with the little Hungarian that we know. 

Since the first orphanage we went to did not want our charitable services, Cushing Elder and I went to a different one, and we tried to talk to the person in charge but we had to wait an hour until she was there. So we asked if we could talk to the children while we waited and he said yes. I was expecting there to be little kids we could talk to but out come four 16 and 17 year old girls, wearing some questionable clothing. It was interesting to say the least. But a few days later we brought by a bunch of food products from the church members. #Légyavilágvilágossága (#LightTheWorld).

Christmas tree in the center of town

This week is has started to get cold here-- I think around 0 degrees Celsius. And every time I go inside somewhere from being outside people ask me if my hands are cold because they are usually purple or red. I just say it's normal for me, but I should probably start wearing some gloves haha. 

We e-mail from the library every week. We buy a 6-month pass and then we can come to the library and use the computers. At the church there is only 1 computer, but we use that for Facebook and e-mails during the week.

If you have any pictures of me or possibly the skydiving video that I could use to make a “I'm a Mormon” video and could send them to me that would be great. We don’t have a Christmas tree, and I don’t know if we will get one, but a member invited us over to her house for Christmas day. Just a few more weeks and we can Skype, but I'm not sure what time it will be, but Ill try and find out. Feel free to address me by my new title--Uncle. 

- Udy Elder