A couple of weeks in Buda!

Note:  Here's a couple weeks of updates from Andrew in just one post: 

February 20th 

 Work is going well! This week was actually pretty interesting because my companion has been sick pretty much all week. He ate some sushi from the grocery store (he did not heed my warnings) and it just tore him apart. So we really haven't been able to do much. He either went with another elder (who also happened to be sick) and slept all day while I took care of office work, or he came in, and toughed it out and then we just went home and slept after. So yeah, it's been an interesting week, but he is feeling a lot better now! We do have regular missionary work to do in addition to work in the mission office. We have investigators and teach people. Still trying to get into the new routine and adjust after the transfer and get to know the people we meet with, but we have some solid people and I'm hoping to meet with some people that I used to teach when I was here before!

It was a lot of fun at church on Sunday as I got to see a lot of people that I haven't seen for quite a long time! I'm really glad I came back to Buda! There are currently 8 missionaries in the ward. Us (the secretaries), the APs, the sisters and another companionship of elders. I actually like all the people as well so it's been fun! 

While my companion slept off his sushi, I went on splits and got to visit an awesome new convert! Elder Robinson (my trainer) taught her, so I had already heard a lot about her! She is such a sweet lady and cooked an amazing dinner too! Here's a few pictures from our visit:

February 27th

This week went pretty well! Everyone is back to full health and luckily it seems I was able to avoid the sickness going around (don't want to jynx it though....). I will try and take some pictures in the office this next week to send to you guys, but I might forget again. I will do my best, I know I'm not great at taking pictures... For p-day we are actually planning on going for a hike! We're going with Elder Priest (my former companion from Kispest and yes he's serving in Buda now too!) and his companion and maybe a few members or something. I actually do know a lot of the missionaries in the district. Buda usually tends to be older missionaries, so most of the people I know, or even just am familiar with because I've been out for so long, so it's been fun so far getting to do some fun stuff with friends! There isn't anyone from the group I came out with, but all of them are within a couple groups around me. We also have an office couple in here with us. They're the Simkins and they are super awesome!  They always bring us treats and stuff. So that's fun as well. The work is picking up a little bit. With transfers and illnesses, it's been kind of weird the past couple of weeks, but there is this super cool family that we meet with thats going to come to church this week! (hopefully) The son is 19 or so and they are really interested in the church, so that's cool! I'm also hoping to meet soon with some of the people that I used to teach, so we will see how all that goes!

I am praying for my friend Chris and his mom Sarah and the family.  I do check on his site as much as I can which is nice, and I"m grateful to see he's making a lot of progress quickly! I am praying and thinking about them everyday. All we can do is trust in the Lord that everything will work out. 

The weather has been pretty nice here. Like spring has already come. Some days, I don't need a jacket or anything. But then it usually rains and goes back to a little chillier, but I think the spring will be here quite soon! The weather is nice today, so we are gonna go out and enjoy it!  

Hope you all have another great week Love you lots!

Elder Dalton

Back to Budapest!

Hey there!

 

Sorry that I didn't get to write last week. Kind of got cheated out of a p-day last week. 

 

Yeah, so I will update you a little bit on the past week, starting off with my last week in Pápa. Nothing too exciting really, just a lot of goodbyes. But we were actually in Győr for splits (yes, that was lots of fun, getting to see a lot of people before I left for good) and got to go to a baptism for a girl that I knew when I was there! She's a young girl and super sweet and I was really glad to see her get baptized!  

We were at a game night at the branch house in Győr, when I got a call from President Szabadkai, and he said that I was going to be the new mission secretary and that I'm leaving on Sunday! I was pretty surprised and didn't see that one coming whatsoever, but excited too! I did have to leave out a few goodbyes planned for the next week, but we basically went back, met with a few people, I bore my testimony in church and then packed up and left! 

 

So then the beginning of this week, I was getting trained by the secretary I'm replacing (one of my good friends on the mission), trying to learn all the stuff that I need to before he leaves. So we were pretty busy just figuring stuff out, but I think I got the hang of it! I'm really not super overloaded with work, but have enough to keep me busy. Basically, I am in charge of sending out letters and organizing everything for incoming and departing missionaries, managing apartment rentals, and inputting baptismal records. There are a few other things along with day to day tasks, but those are the big ones. But I  actually like it a lot so far! Kind of nice getting a little change of pace! And I'm super pumped to meet with a lot of the people that I used to meet with when I was a greenie! It's gonna be awesome! And I'm actually in a trio (for the time being) with Elders Craig and Krueger. They are both cool guys and I like them a lot, but Craig is just staying a little bit to train Krueger more (he's also new) and then will probably leave at some point. So we will see what happens with that. 

 

I'm also excited for church tomorrow because then I'll get to see a lot of members and people that I knew! Should be a really great time! I am pretty excited about it and hope it will be a good experience!

 

Oh, and winter is pretty much over. It has been a little colder recently and rained, but I still feel like winter is ending, which I am not mad about, because I am pretty ready for spring!!! And we don't really know what we're going to do with our pday today, since it's still raining, but we will try and find something fun in the big city! Maybe see some old friends as well! Oh and my p-days will now be on Saturdays. So look forward to that!  Anyway, love you all lots and hope you have a great week!!!!

 

Andrew

18 Months

Hey there!!! 

Yes, I hit the 18 month mark! Pretty weird huh? Just 6 more months! I go back and forth though. Sometimes it seems like such a short time, and other times it seems quite long,

Our week was good! Pretty uneventful as well, but I guess we got to do some fun stuff! We played some ping pong with one of our investigators and we went for a hike in a nearby village, so I guess it was a pretty fun week! Other than that, things are pretty standard though! I had to teach in priesthood, but it was simple, but still I always worry about having to teach in Hungarian! It's a lot easier to wing it in English, that's for sure!  

The weather has been super nice over here! Like summer! We didn't need jackets or anything and we went the other day to play basketball with the kids that we visit sometimes, but it was just kind of playing around and having fun. I mean, I really haven't played serious basketball since I was back home! So I will be excited to hit up the Y when I get back!!! Some noon time or something! As for activities, not too much. If we want to do something fun, we usually invite some young people to a cafe or something and have hot chocolates and just hang out and talk. 

Transfers are next week so we'll see where I go next. I wish I could stay longer, but changing is always good I suppose. I am ready and not ready. Weird, I know. This could be my last transfer.  There are definitely places that I would like to go and places that I would not like to go, but I thought about it, and since I have kind of been in the same area my whole mission, I think I would like to stay in a ctiy close by, to make it a little easier for when we come back to travel around! But other than that, I'm not too picky. I would go anywhere!!! 

 Hope you all have a great week and love you lots!!!

Elder Dalton