Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Szeged Week Five (Week 54)

Hello everyone! Greetings from beautiful Magyarország!

Wow, I cannot believe how fast the week went! They feel like they are just going faster and faster! 

So, the main event of the week was definitely Easter. Here in Hungary, that is ranked probably at or even above Christmas in terms of holiday importance. During the week, the people have their own kind of "consecration week", where they give up something that they like to do (watch TV, drink beer, go swimming, etc.) for a whole week and replace it with something better or more productive (i.e. going to church, spending time with family, or working out). Also, on the day before Sunday (so like...Saturday...I guess.) ALL the church bells go off to ring in Christs death. It went on for like a half hour! So loud! When I first got to Hungary all the Hungarians said their bells were annoying. I thought they were crazy. Now, I KNOW WHY.

Another fun thing, SO MANY people showed up to church on Sunday! Most of them were inactives that came back because it was Easter! Pretty cool! Here are some of Hungary's Easter Traditions:
1) The Monday after Easter is when they spray the women with perfume or a small thing of water. They do this because of an old Hungarian tradition where they believe that womanhood originated from flowers. If you are scratching your head right now, we are in the same boat.
2) Everyone goes out of town to the small "falus" or villages to visit their grandparents and such for the weekend. Szeged was a ghost town! 
3) Everyone that stayed in the city spent time with family, and they were so happy :)

We went to an Easter lunch over at a member's house. He fed us so much food I thought I was going to die! It filled me up for the entire day, I don't think I had dinner that night! 

Also this week, we got so many let-ins! One was a guy that we talked to at his door for like ten minutes about the church. He said that he didn't have time and that another time might be better. So, we left to the next door. A few minutes later he came back outside and said "Actually, come back. I have time." So we went back. He said that he had recently turned to God in his life, because so much was going on with his family and job, that he just could not handle it anymore. He said that he thought we were a sign that God was wanting to help him. So, we taught him a really awesome lesson on the Book of Mormon and scheduled to come back.

People are truly being prepared. And that is the coolest.

I think that no matter what happens in life, be happy. It is so much better to throw a smile on your face than to just sulk in misery and in sadness. I think that is what a lot of people are missing nowadays. I know that if we at least try to be happy, then great things will happen. That, I am certain. 

Remember who you are, and that the greatest Being in the universe loves you. :)
 
Sok Szeretettel,
Elder Giacalone
 

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