Kispest Week Three (Week 93)

The good news: I do not need to get eye surgery! But I have a stye...ugh. So not needed right now. Gotta love getting random bumps in your eyelid.

I had sushi for the first time last week! Our investigator took us to this really good Japanese restraunt and they had a moving little Sushi conveyer belt. You just sit by a little window thing and snag the sushi on a dish as it moves by. Soo much fun! I had octopus!

We had a baptism last week in the other companionship, it was so sick! It was another one of Heavenly Fathers children making his way back home. So cool, and really pretty.

We had Zone Training with the whole zone! We taught about being "Smarter Missionaries" and using our time wisely. We also divided the city of Budapest amongst the ten companionships here since the old lines were like five years old, and some companioships were closed down. I felt like someone after World War One carving up Europe amongst the winners, but this time it was the city of Budapest to Mormon Missionaries. Lol. 

I was thinking about my mission a lot the other day last week, since just ten weeks are left, and we went to a program literally like three blocks south of the Parliament building (you know, the big one with spires). It was our second time meeting with her. and we had a beautiful program on the Plan of Salvation, and life after death especially. I got to bear testimony of eternal families, something that is so precious to me and something my mission has given me. As we were getting ready to leave she asked me something that hit pretty deep: "did you think your mission was a success?" I looked at my companion, and he just kind of raised his eyebrows and gave me the "this one is all you" kind of look.

At first I started by saying that I am by all means an imperfect missionary, that I am full of flaws and things I can work on, but then I saw in my minds eye faces of people that I love here in Hungary, faces from more than twenty-one months worth of work. Some were special investgators and some were my own companions!

I told that lady that my mission changed my life. I told her that life, and missions, aren't always what we expect, but honestly in the end it's not about what we expect-it's about doing God's work, and trusting that things will be ok if we follow Him.

I still have ten weeks left and who knows what is around the corner or what I am going to experience tomorrow, but I know that my mission is a successfull thing. It can be and will be for anyone, if you choose to make it.

So make it awesome, cause it's totally worth it.

Sok Szeretettel,
Elder Giacalone

Kispest Week Two (Week 92)

I cannot believe I have been a missionary for 92 weeks...oh my.

Still an amazing time in the Pest-lands! I am so mad right now though because I CANNOT FIND THE USB PORT IN THIS COMPUTER BECAUSE THEY PUT IT IN UPSIDE DOWN.

My area is beautiful. I would show you pictures, but sadly I still cannot find the USB thing. So, you all just have to believe me.

Here are some happenings from the past week:

• Whilst (I have found myself saying "whilst" a lot, its so fancy!) tracting, getting four (4) let-ins in like an hour. One of them had a broken back and told us to come back in an hour. So we came back an hour later and she sat us down in her tiny kitchen, shuffled over to her boiling pot and turned off the heat, turned around and with great difficulty sat down (broken backs suck) and said: "Boys, teach me about your church. I am ready now."
• Sitting on a rock by the Duna and gazing up at Gellert Hegy (a big hill overlooking the river) and feeling a huge confirmation that Hungary really was the place where I needed to be and when. Gosh, I love this place and the people so much, and I do NOT want to leave!!!
• Getting a call this morning from a member who said: "I have been thinking a lot about your investigator that came to church two weeks ago, and I have a very strong feeling that she will be baptized. I would like to come to a program with you so I can share my testimony of the Gospel..."
• The throw-up from the New Years party last week is still frozen on the ground. Under a sheet of ice...Yum yum!

Honestly, the work here is on fire. We slayed our weekly goals last week, but this week looks a bit more slow. I guess it means we will just go tract out the beautiful city center in this great weather. I am so happy!
Also, apparently I have an eye infection. Cool....why could it not have waited for just another couple months?! LAME. It doesnt hurt or anything, so I am just going to get it fixed in America...
I literally dont have anything else. I love the work. I love Hungary. I love bringing people closer to Christ. I love my companion, and my past companions as well. Its weird with all my friends starting to go home, its starting to sink in that I have only a couple of months left!
Have a great week everyone. There is so much to be GRATEFUL for. This world is beautiful and life is GREAT.
Sok Szeretettel,
Elder Giacalone

Kispest Week One (Week 91)

Holy cow. Holy cow everyone. 

I am in Budapest! Like, this is where I first landed in the country, and where I have been going for zone conferences, interviews and transfers. Except this time when I went up for transfers from Duna, I stayed in the city. 

That was weird.

Anyway, so KISPEST. Seriously, this place is where it is at. Serving in the city is very different from anything I have ever experienced. People are everywhere. Everyone is bustling somewhere. Its loud. I just went from a small factory town to the biggest city in my mission. Its insane. For New Years, the city did some serious fireworks. It sounded like the bombs you hear on CNN describing the war in Iraq...freaking terrifying haha. 

I am still a Zone Leader, and the Budapest Zone is divided into four areas, each comprimising districts from the city. Like unto the Capitol in the Hunger Games, the city of Budapest is divided into districts, and the missionaries here are giving districts to work in for their areas. The four areas are Buda (the left side of Budapest from the Danube River), Pest (the northern districts of the east side), Kispest (the southern districts of the east side of Budapest and the largest area, "Kispest" itself means "Little Pest") and then Érd, a suburb of Buda. So its been fun getting to know the city.

We travel by city trams, the Metro (or the subway) and buses. I mourn the loss of my car, but honsetly driving in this city is a nightmare and parking is just as bad. So, I am kind of grateful we do not have one. Plus, walking more is going to help me lose more weight before I go home! :)

Our investigators are so cool. So cool. I am getting to meet them more and more. The ward is legit. There was like 100 people at church on Sunday...like what the heck?! Thats huge! 

We got to set a bapdate with "E" last week, and she has only been investigating for about a week! When I met with her, she had only been taught the Restoration, but she had prayed about it and knew that the message was true! I asked her if she had prayed about the Book of Mormon, and she said that she just knew it was true from what we said, and that when she met with us outside of English Class (how she originally came in contact with us) it wasnt random. She is so cool.

I don't know what else to say! I feel like as time goes by, I'm getting worse and worse at writing these things. Shout out to Sister Carle's blog, because I said I would do it. 

Be happy people. For this New Year, be a little bit better. Remember that God loves His children, and don't forget how important you all are to Him. 

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

Dunaújváros Weeks Seventeen/Eighteen (Weeks 89/90)

So, last week we couldn't email because the email place was closed and we had no time anyway...so...yeah it was sad.

HOLY COW SKYPING MY FAMILY FOR THE LAST TIME WAS TRIPPY. We went to an amazing member's house and Skyped/had Christmas dinner with her. Actually, the branch made a list for someone to feed the elders from the 24th until TODAY. They're awesome! All the members here are super great...I'm going to miss them...

Yes...I'm leaving! The call came this morning and everyone was suprised. I'm leaving and Raymond is getting someone else. Richards is staying as well with Elder Fronk. Where am I going, you may ask? The one zone I've never been to, the city where it all started, and where it will all end...

...BUDAPEST. The capital! I'm going to stay Zone Leader but over the Budapest Zone! My new companion is Elder Spedding! I don't really know him that well, but I'm excited! I will be serving in the Kispest area of the city, which I'm equally lost about. But, I'm excited! They don't have a car, instead I'm going to be walking again! Hooray for losing weight! Haha! 

The weather is freezing outside: it's like 20 degrees with a massive windchill. Just so you all know. 

I don't know what else to say! 

The holidays were great! I loved every second! This year it didn't feel as strange as it did last year, it felt a lot more like Christmas. I tried to focus a lot more on the WHY of Christmas: WHY is it important that we celebrate it, WHY was Jesus Christ born, WHY am I here as a missionary in a random country in sketch Eastern Europe in the freezing cold knocking on doors in a ten-story where sometimes we see really disgusting things in elevators? I focused a lot on questions like these, and I got a pretty big answer as I've been studying. You know, missionaries don't know a whole lot, but God knows everything, and He likes helping us out when situations like these arise. 

And I'm really glad that He helps us out. I'm really glad that He answered some of my questions in random ways throughout this holiday season. I know that He is always willing to grant us knowledge if we do our part. 

Here's to my new adventure in the CAPITAL!

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

Dunaújváros Week Sixteen (Week 88)

OMG CHRISTMAS IS COMINGGG!!!

In the city center here they have put up a concert stage and these little kiosk things that sell beer, wine, apple cider, fresh bread, and CHOCOLATE. Minus the first two items being sold, it's a dream place! Granted it is in a giant Communist built main square that reminds me of in the Hunger Games when everyone's lined up for the drawing thing and then Katniss is like "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE". 

Anyway, it's like that, if that helped any of you. Shnowfer. Lol. 

We had Christmas Zone Conference yesterday in Budapest with President and Sister Smith. Elder Raymond and I gave a training on the Christlike Attribute of "Hope". It was super great, we ended up ditching like half our notes and doing things completely different. I don't encourage that tactic, but it worked out great for us and the Spirit was strong. President Smith talked about getting rid of that one thing that is holding you back from being the missionary the Lord wants you to be, stuff like doubt, disobedience and fear. Just get rid of it! I really liked it. As usual they had the missionaries going home soon give their departing testimonies. I know this might sound weird, but I usually write down parts from them in my journal, just because they are usually about enduring to the end and building your testimony. As I was doing it, suddenly I realized that in the next Zone Conference, in three months,  I will be giving my departing testimony. Holy barnacles, Mermaid Man. What happened to the time? 

We've been super busy meeting with new people and tracting this city out. 

Miracles/Tender Mercies: 

• teaching a lady the Restoration and her saying "this is...familiar. Not from this (the pamphlet she was holding) but..here (points to her heart).
• program with an investigator and a member-present, and the investigator kind of begins Bible-bashing with our member. We prepare ourselves for the worst, but in the end she kind of sighs, shrugs her and says: "The boys (us) told me that one of the things in this...religion...is that you can change. I don't quite believe in God yet, but I believe in change, and that's what I want to do." 
• sitting in Zone Conference and getting some serious answers to questions I've been struggling with lately. 
• bringing "Gino", my new elf friend/doll from my grandma, to church with me on Sunday and the members freaking out over him. "THE DOLL IS SO CUTE PLEASE LET ME HOLD HIM!!" Score.

...and lots of others! We've had a great week. I've felt so blessed. Lots of "don't-forget-this-feeling-ever" moments. Lots of reading about Christ's life in the BoM and the Bible. I hope that we all can learn a little bit more about Him and His life, because He already knows everything about you, why don't you learn a little bit more about Him? 

Have a great holiday season! :)

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

Dunaújváros Week Fifteen (Week 87)

....and this time two years ago: I opened up a thick, white envelope in my living room, surrounded by friends and family members, who were all starting wide-eyed and silent. I was as nervous as it gets. When I read "You are assigned to labor in the Hungary Budapest Mission", I felt my body like...tingle. It was a strange sensation. But, I knew in my heart that this is where I was supposed to go. It was a long four months of waiting afterwards until I could go, but then I "crossed 900 E." in Provo, UT, took a deep breath, and...well, the rest is history. Here's to TWO YEARS of Hungary being a part of my life!  

We had a good week! We were in Budapest for Mission Leader Council with President and Sister Smith and the APs. We talked about goals for 2015, especially the Baptism Goal. Our goal this year wasn't reached, and so we debated about a new goal. President had us vote once, and the numbers were all over the place. He then stopped the debate, had my companion say a prayer for help on the matter from Heavenly Father, and then had us think hard of what we thought this mission could do. President then had us vote again. Still no common answer, but the Spirit was strong, and the range between the numbers dropped a ton. He (President) then looked at the board in silence for a good minute. We all just stared at him. He turned and said that 180 (a few off of the average) would be good. When he asked for a sustaining vote, everyone raised their hands. It was so incredible. We went from debating and almost breaking into different voting groups (you all know I'm all over the analyzing of the voting blocks ;) ) to coming together and supporting one number. It was super cool! I know that that number seems small to other missions around the world, but that's above average for our mission. It'll push us, but we can do it!  

Mikolás came! That is, Hungarian Santa! He comes on December 6th and gives the good kids chocolate in their shoes and a bundle of golden sticks to the naughty kids. I have no idea what ever happened to just "coal" in shoes, the Hungarians have to be a little more elaborate, which is super fun. Mikolás gave Elder Raymond a massive Milka Oreo Bar. He must've been a good boy!

Have you all visited christmas.mormon.org? It's SO cool! Our mission is using this thing like crazy, and "He Is The Gift", or in Hungarian "Ő az Ajándék!" it's freaking awesome guys! We have these little pass-along cards that get to hand out, and this amazing video online that talks about Christ's birth. It's such a blessing to be able to use this stuff, it makes teaching a lot easier. :) 

Cool moment: I don't remember if I talked about this or not, but we tracted into a guy a week or two ago and gave him the survey. We asked him if he could ask God any question, what would it be? He thought a moment, and then said he would ask Him nothing. That was surprise. We asked why. He said: "Because I don't want to mess up anything in my life that He has planned for me, but I guess when this is all said in done...I want to know if He's proud of me." We were able to tell him that yes, He is so, so very proud of him and that He wants him to be happy. It was a cool moment. The work is kind of going a little hard right now, lots of people leaving the city for the holidays, but moments like these I'll cherish for a life time. It's hard to explain the things I felt when he said that, but I KNOW that Heavenly Father is proud of His children. We're not perfect, and He knows that, but when we succeed with simple things in life, He's excited for us and just like an earthly parent, He's very, very proud of us. 

More importantly, He's proud of you. :)

Well, I typed a novel again. It's just getting worse and worse! Have a great week everyone! Lots of love from the city by the Duna.

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

Dunaújváros Week Fourteen (Week 86)

Chinese food in Hungary

Driving for Dayyzzzzzzz