The Week After Szent Istvan Nap

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a good time going back to school and what not. Ah, good times...

The work is picking up a bit out here in Szolnok! We have hit a dry spell due to us having to drop several non-progressing investigators, combined with losing contact with a few others, and then there was a holiday. Yeah, our numbers were not so great last week! But we really worked hard and we are starting to see more success! As we try to get more investigators, we chose to spend a good chunk of our finding time with tracting some monster 10-stories out in the Szechany district of Szolnok, where about half of the population of the city lives.

Lots of fun! We tracted into a Jehovah witness, and Elder Loveday bible-bashed with him for a good hour! Heck, I don't have that kind of vocabulary left, so I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and told him he can know for himself about it's truthfulness. Fun time! We also ran into an old "bácsi", or just really old man, and I talked to him about the church and what not and then I asked him if he would like to meet with us sometime. His response? He leaned in really close to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and whispered in some really nasty cigarette-breath "My friend, we will meet. But, it will be in heaven." My surprised look on my face must have prompted him to say "No, not in hell, but in HEAVEN."

Okaaay, buddy. So, we left! I can't wait to talk to him in the spirit world!

We also tracted into a really, really old "néni" or a really old woman, and she absolutely loved us being there. We gave her a Book of Mormon and her contact info, and as we were preparing to leave she did the traditional Hungarian "puszi" kiss on both cheeks with us! That was my first time ever! Kind of awkward, but we can't really say no to it without offending them sometimes, so we just go with it! LOVE the people here!

My Hungarian is doing really, really well. I can listen pretty well to people now and figure out what they are talking about, just the replying part needs some more work! I did carry a conversation (by myself, with a little help from Elder Loveday) for 45 minutes with a lady in the park about the Book of Mormon. Hey, I must have done something right cause she gave me her number and we are probably meeting this week sometime!

Our investigators are all having rough times right now. "B"'s mother passed away suddenly last week, and she called me crying about it and saying that she wanted to meet with ME sometime before I leave Szolnok so she can talk to me about it. That was so tough, and I admit when I got off the phone I was really emotionally upset. How grateful I am for the Plan of Salvation, and that's what I plan on talking about with her next time we meet. "E", my golden bapdate for October 12th, has gone two weeks now without smoking or drinking coffee!!! She's in in to win it, my friends! We even call her daily to remind her to be strong! But the fight against her addictions are really, really exhausting her. She has deep lines in her face and her eyes are sunken in...so hard to watch sometimes. But then she tells us that she is going to do it, and when we leave she grabs one of my hands with both of hers and says "Thank you, 'drágam'." Or, Thank you, my "precious" one.

Yeah, this is what it's ALL about here. I LOVE it.

So transfers are next week. Yikes. The chances that Elder Loveday could train a new missionary are very high, which would mean I would leave and go somewhere else. Little bit nervous, but not overly scared. Anyway, aboslutley loving the work out here. Right now we are finding alot, and it seems with the strange random loss of most of our investigators things are getting into perspective for me: I see each investigator as a person now, not just a programme to go to. It's very sad to think about leaving them, but I know that the Lord has other peeps for me to bring closer to Him. So exciting to think about!

Love you all. Have a safe and fun first week of school! Pray for the Hungarians, because PRAYER works!

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

beautiful Szolnok, we had a break in the weather!

One of our awesome members

Eating cow liver

Tracting a 10 story building

Another awesome member

Our family received this email and pics from the couple serving in Joseph's area!!!  

  Your son has been such  a joy to work with here in Szolnok.  He is so excited about the missionary work, and has such a strong testimony.  Yesterday Marvin attended a program with him and he bore such a strong testimony about the need for baptism and confirmation.  We have included three pictures of your son that we thought you might enjoy.  You should be so proud of him!  May God bless!  Love, Sister Ruth Smith and Elder Marvin Smith

P.S.  We will miss him so when he transfers out of our area.