I Am King of Szolnok...Just Kidding

Szolnok had it's first pinewood derby last week! We didn't have a whole lot of time to work on our car....so it didn't do so well. Oh well. :) The kids loved it!

Hungarian currency is so colorful. Come on dollar, it's time to get blue or something! And they always have this sparkly little band going down the side. I don't know, it's pretty cool.

Oh look who I ran into at the training...hmm...a little familiar? I miss serving with this kid! Gotta love Neely Elder!!

The lighting isn't so great...but this is me rolling around in my 150 plus new ties. Fun night. :)

Godderidge Elder (Joe's District leader in the MTC, he says he's a spiritual giant!) and Joe-

HAHA ok so this is Sister Nabatnikova, from Moscow Russia currently serving in Finland. She was in my MTC zone, I don't remember if I have sent this one home or not, but it's her and me doing our "serious russian faces". So funny! 

Sziazstok csaladom es a barataim :)

I apologize for the one day delay on this. I'll explain why later :)

Well, another week down the drain. Literally time doesn't exist here anymore. We've been so busy that we just forget about stuff and then the sun is going down and then we're in our apartment just staring at the clock and thinking "What the heck did we do today?!". So fun stuff has happened this week:

I keep forgetting to talk about Angol Ora. It's one hour on Tuesday afternoons where we teach Hungarians English. Literally it's the best because I can speak English to them and they have to think of how to convey what they want to say back! Hah! How the tables have turned...

Anyway, with the Herds, the older couple, leaving I am teaching the "Profi" class now, which is like five or six really talented Hungarians and we just play games with them and just shoot the breeze with them in English for an hour. Sooooo much fun! 

Something I forgot to mention like four weeks ago: on the plan ride from SLC to Dallas, there was some General Authority on the plane that bought everyone in my district the deluxe popcorn that they serve to only the first class passengers. So I was sitting in my seat and then the flight attendant came over and said "There is a Mr. Baxter in first class that would like to buy you some popcorn." Since when do cool old guys buy me popcorn?!?! Perks of being a missionary (the sequel to Perks of being a wallflower ;) ). 

Still slightly obsessed with Milka chocolate bars...I just had my first Oreo one...oh dear. Incredibly good stuff there. Also, Coke is fairly cheap here, so I frequent that a bit, and also Madartej, or Bird Milk. Yes, the Bird Milk. It's like a vanilla milk drink that is absolutely incredible. So there's my healthy diet for you all! :D

I also saw the Fowers in the Liahona, I was so surprised! Shout out to them: you are awesome. Woo go Fowers family. 

We have this younger investigator who is like 15, but is like six feet tall and plays on the national Hungarian water polo team. He knows a little English, so I was able to talk a bit with him in his programme we had last week. He started talking about music and what kind I liked. I didn't really think of anything right then and there, so I said I'd think about it. Then he said that he really enjoyed Katy Perry's song "E.T" and started playing it on his iPod!! Now, before my mission I absolutely loved that song, but it felt so...awkward hearing it now., Oh how I was torn...one of my favorite songs but whilst on my mission...it was way hard!! But, I said we will listen to it later with him, and I felt so much better after he turned it off. Hey, obedience brings blessings!

Our branch continues to amaze me every week. They just got back from their monthly(ish) temple trip up in Freiburg, Germany. Their enthusiasm and joy for the temple humbled me immensley, and they can only go once a month, if they can afford the train ride up there anyway. They all bore their testimonies on fast Sunday about the temple, and it was the neatest spirit. Some of them it was their first time, and they were absolutely full of light! It was way neat. 

Fun stuff: I went to new missionary training yesterday all day in Budapest (which is why I wasn't emailing at a normal time) and I got to hangout with my Elders from the MTC for a full day! Ah it was so much fun getting to see them and hear about their experiences thus far! We all have different companions and we are scattered across all of Hungary. We all don't know the language, which was good to hear for myself, but everyone is trying! Everyone had had some cool experience out tracting or what not, and it was just nice to see them all! While in Budapest, Elder Miller bought a "tie bag". A tie bag is just a big bag with like 300 ties in it that can be bought (from maybe a sketchy dealer that the elders know in Buda) for only like 10000 forint, which is like roughly 100 dollars. We split it, and now I have 150 new ties! SO MANY TIES. 

I gave my first blessing a couple days ago too! It was in English and it was an awesome experience. Sorry, but I'm going to be a little vague here for privacy reasons and just say that the Spirit was way strong there and that it literally felt like Heavenly Father was standing right behind me while I gave it. Missionary blessings are just special I guess :) 

Well, I think that's about it. We've got some programmes planned tonight, Angol Ora, and some tabling with the sisters. I need to go buy some pekseg (soooo good homemade pastries) and then go head out. This work is so real. It ain't my work by any means, this is the Savior's work. He is here in Hungary. He is in our little branch house. He is with our small branch. He is with YOU right now. One of my favorite pictures is the one of the Savior with outstretched arms and He is floating on like a cloud(?) or something, but we have to reach BACK to Him if we want to get closer to Him. And that's why I'm here! 

"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?"

Giacalone Elder