The Audits are Over........What Next?

The week started out with a missionary coming into the office with an ingrown toenail and had to go to the doctor to have some surgery. He spent the next four days lounging around the office keeping his foot elevated and reading the Book of Mormon in Hungarian. Ok, so he also spent a pretty good chunk of time working on his transferology. I don't know how he did. He is no longer being a patient, but is going back to work, and whitewashing out his current area in Obuda, and into a new area with his companion.









We went to Vesprem and Szkerfehervar (something like that) to pick up Brent's scriptures that he left somewhere else, and also doing apartment inspections on one day. That was a pleasant break from the office. We were able to visit for a few minutes with someof our favorite missionaries. I do think we have them buffaloed into thinking that they are all our favorites. Lots of them send stuff to the mission office with the following somewhere on the envelopes: "from your favorite missionaires". However, one of the favorites had made apple pie and saved some for us....that scored points for him.


This a picture of Elder Hecht of "What the Hecht" fame, and in the office. He was just made a zone leader and will be moving from this apartment. The Elder with him is Elder Beers, of apple pie fame, and from Debrecen as a greenie when we were there.


Below here is taken from the back seat of our car, Elder Whiting, of the nuclear power plants right by the side of the road. I don't think they were working, but it is intersting to be so close to them.

We did our regular stuff most of the rest of the week. We seemed to have a lot of missionaraies coming and going out of the office.

Brent had his presidency meeting and following spent a great deal of time doing the minutes.





This weekend we did some much needed grocery shopping and then packed the suitcase and headed east to get the last two audits completed and, of course, apartment checks.


This is the audit group from Miskolc. The President is a delightful man, who when he joined the church sold his business because it was against the Word of Wisdom, and is a wonderful member. Probably, according to Elder Gudgell, the most organized of all the branch presidents he has done audits with.
We got up very early on Sunday and went to church in Miskolc. It was a good experience for us. After speaking, we attended Sunday School. We sat with an investigator who loves to come to church, but can't quite quit smoking...huge problem here in Hungary....and thus just comes and enjoys being there. I hope someday she can be strong enough to take the step over that line she has drawn in the sand. The teacher spoke both English and Hungarian, and I had Sister Dodge sitting by me, so I didn't miss too much and was able to make a few comments.


Relief Society was wonderful. I still had Sr. Dodge sitting by me, but this time the teacher had only been a member for about two months. They were doing the Joseph Smith chapter 28 about Missionary Work. I couldn't believe how many women in the room had been introduced to the church by someone else in that room. They all said that you can't be quiet about being a church member. Members are key to missionary work. This is a great group of women and we love to be with them.


When that was over, we hustled on to Eger, and couldn't drive through the beautiful mountains because it was snowing and we didn't want to get stuck there. We arrived in plenty of time for church and it gave us an opportunity to have a nice visit with some of the Elders and members. This branch doesn't begin until 3 p.m., which seems late to us, but it is only a two hour block. I attended Relief Society and Brent huddled with the branch president. The Relief Society president was home with children who were sick, one of them with Scarlett Fever. I am glad she didn't come. Hey, Tom do you remember?


They also gave the same lesson. This time no one was prepared, so I tried to help out a little, having just had the lesson several hours before. There were seven women, including me, and two Elders in this meeting. This branch had two very strong members there, one who has been a member for a long time and the other who has been a member for about six weeks. The new member told me that she feels like she has come home. She loves being a member of the church. She is also a professional organist for two other churches. She hasn't told either of the churches that she is a member of our church, as she is afraid she will loose her job.


The missionaries are working hard to strengthen this branch. The president lives over in Miskolc and so most of the weekday stuff is up to the missionaries. I wish that they could find some good, strong potential priesthood leaders to teach and baptize.


We left in a slight snow storm and headed home. Part way there we hit snow for a few kilometers and then it was all gone. We were glad to get home.



Today was transfer information day. This morning all the missionaries who are being transferred were given a phone call early, so they can pack and clean today. Tomorrow we get five new missionaries, and on Wednesday about 80% of our mission will be transferring. We will not see them. They should all be traveling with someone else in their area to the train station in Budapest, and meeting up with those who are going to the same area as they are and finishing their journey. That will make our Wednesday rather quiet. Brent and I get to spend 1/2 hour with the new missionaries on Wednesday just before they leave, telling them all the things we can cram into that time about apartment, cleaning, money, etc.


Wow, we do seem to get to do lots of stuff. We are busy all the time.

We also found a new Gyros place and were happy to take the Woods over to it today. Most of those places look so dirty, so we were happy to find a very clean one. We ate so much that we are not in the least ready to eat tonight. That is probably good for some of us, who ate much too much over Christmas.


Have a good week.