Kaposvár Week 5

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having fantastic weeks in this fantastic month in this fantastic year. That was one of my cheeziest opening lines I think I have ever done. Super lame. Anyway, I'm super happy, because we have had a fun and great week!

It's been interesting settling back into a "normal" companionship. We both have had to change our tracting and teaching methods from tripanionship way, to normal. I absolutely loved having Elder Quinton around! He was a great influence and he was able to help me lots with the language. He's a zone leader now in Budapest, and he will do great!

This week has been a good one in terms of teaching. Both of our baptismal dates are doing great, both solid. One of them is still struggling with smoking, and we are concerned about how well she will be by the time her date comes around. She says she will quit with the "help of God", and she is the most determined Hungarian I have ever met. With just two of us now teaching, my participation levels have skyrocketed! I even led a few programs last week, pretty fun! My Hungarian is doing great!

This Friday we will all be heading up to Buda for our Christmas Zone Conference with President and Sister Smith. We were all instructed to buy a white elephant gift. I bought air freshener? I don't know...

We also met with this really cool guy named Jozsef (my name :D ), and his story is interesting. Pretty much he has no faith, doesn't belief in God, and hates life. He is "done". However, over the past few weeks as we have been meeting with him and just talking with him (he gets lost if we talk about the "big three" lessons...kind of have to take it slow), there is something growing in his eyes. It's hard to explain. As we pray and talk about who God is to us, that He is our Heavenly Father, that He loves us so, so much, and that He wants us to be happy, he normally just stares at the ground. Just kind of zones out. Now, I've never really gotten emotional in a program before because, you know, being a missionary is a professional thing. You gotta act the part. But, as we bore testimony of Christ, he (Jozsef) looked down and just smiled. I got tears in my eyes as he just sat there and smiled. I started smiling! We all just sat there in silence and, well, smiled. :) The Spirit was so strong!

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC Christmas! I know that because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will all be smiling in the end. These past 8 months, I've discovered how ugly life can be for others, but within those ugly parts are the truly happy, and shining parts. And that's all that matters. It's all because of the Gospel. I love Christ. It's my honor to serve Him right now, and I know the best is yet to come :)

Boldog Karácsonyt Kívánok!

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone