Kispest Week Nine (Week 99)

My dears,

You guys, why are blessings so real? Nowadays, I get a lot of "dying advice" from old returned missionaries who talk about what they did their last month in their mission. Sadly enough, I have arrived at that point where 30 days from today, I report to the airport. Anyway, they all talk about how these last few weeks are where you see the most miracles and also the most trials. This is true.

Last week, one of our bapdates like vanished. Off the radar. No idea where she went. We knocked on her door and called her like crazy. Finally I got a hold of her and she had hurt her leg and was in the hospital. Those days when I didn't know what was going on with her were the worst in my entire mission. I realized then just how much I worry about others out here. Back at home, I don't think it would've bothered me a whole lot if a stranger hurt her leg, but out here it can ruin your entire week. We fasted and prayed that she'd be ok, and she's doing ok now. Whew. I'm pretty sure I lost like five pounds just stressing about her. But that's good, cause I need to lose weight. #dyingprobs

"D" and her daughter "M" are getting baptized! Woo! On Sunday, she wanted to bear her testimony. I was a little nervous because hello, investigator going to bear testimony, but I let her go. She went up and was just so awesome. She was like (paraphrased) "Hi, my name is 'D'. I'm an investigator, but I want to get baptized. I know that there is no such thing as chance, and that all things happen for a reason. I know Heavenly Father loves me as His daughter, and (looking at us) I'm grateful for His 'boys' finding me in English class and asking if I wanted to learn more about their church..." So by this point I'm bawling. Naturally. The members are all, like ALL OF THEM SWIVELED AROUND IN THEIR CHAIRS AND JUST STARED AT ME. ALL 90+ OF THEM. And they all just smiled and nodded as if to say "Atta kid. You got her."

And I think that's just the tip of the iceberg with what happened last week. Lately, I've been going through some serious home makeover of my testimony. Heavenly Father has been so good, so good to me. He's helped me learn this crazy language and help some His children come home. I love Pest. I love it so much. Sometimes we are tracting, or streeting in the rain, or riding the Metro home, and it just hits me: this is all ending. That just stokes my flame to keep going hard.

I can't wait to see what these last thirty days have in store. Bring it on.

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone