Recent pics

Parliament for daysssss!

We went to an island in the middle of Budapest called Margit Sziget. Aren't we soo cute??

Nigh time at the bridge

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

Kispest Week Eight (Week 98)

This week has been a really, really cool week. Like, serious amazingness is going down in Kispest.

We met with an investigator last week on splits and taught her  the Word of Wisdom. She went into the program having already heard about it from members and said that "without my green tea in the morning, I cannot function". And then pretty much said "convince me about it". Then, out of the blue a member walks into the room (this is in the branch house, forgot to mention that LOL) and says he wants to bear testimony of the Word of Wisdom. Then they just had a massive question and answer exchange for like five straight minutes. They kept looking at me, as if waiting for me to stop them, but I let them keep going. Then the member left because his infant daughter...well, messed herself. So he ran out of the room. The investigator just looked at us in silence. Elder B and I bore testimony to her of God keeping His promises contained in the Word of Wisdom, and of keeping promises in general. She looked up and said "I'll stop drinking green tea." MUSIC TO A MISSIONARY'S EARS EVERYBODY.

Another cool thing! Almost a year ago, I was serving in the city of Szeged in the south. I loved Szeged. I still love, and miss very much, Szeged. It seems that some of my investigators from the past are being re-contacted by the elders there and are meeting and progressing again! SO HAPPY.

We had a moment last week tracting where I knocked on a door in a ghetto 10 story building and a lady answered the door with her husband like hovering over her shoulder. I had just gotten out that "Hello! My friend and I are from America, and we are-" when she literally yelled "BYE!" and slammed, literallyslammed the door shut. Then we heard her telling her husband how pathetic I looked, how horrible my accent was, and how weird I was dressed. Talk about slam to my esteem. Elder Zwingli just kind of rubbed my back and said let's go to the next floor. So we go down a floor. I'm still incredibly mad at this lady, I mean who does she think she is? I was just done with that day. We had a program that we needed to leave for in a few minutes, and I wanted to leave. Then I thought that I'll do one more door. Sure enough, it was one of those awesome families that let us in and wanted us to come back.

What do we learn from these moments? I shared this story in a district meeting in northern Pest while on splits with the elders there. I said how we go through times like this when we are just done with everything and want our day over with. And it's right then, right when we are done, that there is someone just waiting for us to talk to. In real life, I mean not "missionary" life, sometimes God has things planned for us right when we are ready to give up and quit. But in all reality, there's something (or someone) right around the corner, or just down a flight or stairs, ready to hear you or what you have to say.

So keep an eye peeled :)

Lots of love and Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

pics week 7

Kispest Week Seven (Week 97)

So last week as I was emailing it was snowing outside and was freezing. Now it's sunny and warm and they're saying it's supposed to be like 60 degrees? What is this? Utah?

We had a killer week last week. Went on splits with our fearless Assistants over in Óbuda, or Old Buda. They have such a fancy apartment we were super jealous. I went with Elder N, he's a super cool kid. We talked a lot about life and, naturally, about my upcoming "death".

Then we gathered the children of our zone together for a zone training, like unto a Mother Hen. I'm serious when I say children because EVERYONE IS SO YOUNG. It was then that I realized that this mission is totally different from the one I came to 21 months ago. I still love it, but all my old friends are gone :( and now I have new ones :) That's just how the mission goes.

We went Ice Skating last week with an investigator, her daughter, and the other elders in Kispest. Such a good time. I have no idea what my legs are doing in the picture, but I never was athletic so whatever. My feet still hurt from that.

Both "L" and "A", our bapdates for March, showed up to church on Sunday. Woo! They loved sacrament meeting. I think sometimes as missionaries we cringe because of the talks sometimes and when we see who is giving them we get a little nervous, but both talks were solid and the members bore great testimony. One of our investigators that was there afterwards asked me if I could baptize "if we (her and her daughter) decide to get baptized". I was like "Um...yeah." Duh! 

This past week I've been studying a lot about change. Missions are all about change. Investigators change their lives, members change their testimonies, and more importantly, missionaries change their faith. I think that is just something that I'm starting to grasp, and it's almost the end. I've figured out why obedience is important and how the Lord always keeps His promises.

It's a real thing.

All is dandy over here. Budapest is just incredible. The guy next to me smells very strongly of alcohol.

Life is great. It's all about perspective. :)

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone

Kispest Week Six (Week 96

It's snowing outside! And we're going ice skating later today! Yay! I love winter!

And it sounds like it's a lot more like winter out here than back in Utah. Really, 70 degrees?? That's messed.

So last week, I was sick. Oh, so very sick. I had a fever that was on and off for like five days. Being sick at home is so much better than being sick on a mission. You just suffer through the day and hope that your drugs will kick in. Bleh. But, I'm feeling much better. I got a blessing from one of the elders here, and bam! Totally fine now. Loving life.

Last week we finished teaching "L", one of our bapdates, the Law of Tithing. We had a member of the Bishophric there to help, and it was sooo good. Like, this ward knows how to do missionary work. They don't steal the entire program, and they aren't just silent. They know exactly when to bear testimony or when to share an experience. I've been to eight cities, but this ward seriously knows what's up. "A", our other bapdate, was only able to meet once and didn't show up to church and isn't answering her phone, which was a little alarming. I hope we get a hold of her soon.

We streeted out to Parliament and took pictures. The weather was FREEZING but sitting there besides the massive castle was worth the trek out (granted there is a Metro stop that plops you off right at the gate, but there's no adventure there! Lol). We also saw the memorial to the Holocaust by the river. It's a bunch of bronze and iron cast shoes set up by the Duna, because that's where they made them take them off before they threw them in the river in winter. Super sad but very moving.

So last week was hard because I was sick, and because it didn't go away at first, That was hard. But there were many beautiful moments last week that were little bursts of sunshine: getting a beautiful health blessing that included some other "extra" bits of advice from Heavenly Father that left me in tears, tracting and getting "let-ins" left and right and moments to bear my testimony to people who would hear it, and getting commitments from people to change their lives. A missionary couldn't ask for more. I have been so blessed, and I just didn't realize it in the moment.

Life is great. Just take it a day at a time, and you'll see the greatness in each day.

Sok Szeretettel,
Elder Giacalone

Kispest Week Five (Week 95)

So the entire city of Budapest is caught up in a freak out mode because of this flu bug that is like taking over the entire world. It's super scary!

Well the weeks are just flying by and honestly it's a little scary! This past week was just packed full of awesome things. The lady with the broken back made her way to church, absolutely loved it, and is on bapdate for March 14th! We are super pumped for her!

On Saturday there was a funeral for a member here in Kispest. He wanted his ashes scattered over the Danube river, so we (the elders) all went on this ferry boat with the rest of the ward and cruised for a few minutes out to a specific area. They put the box containing his ashes in the water, and then everyone threw a flower in the water. It was very sad. I thought about how happy I was knowing that this guy still lives, and that death isn't the end. It's just a very important little step we have to take. The weather was beautiful, it was the only time during the week where the skies were blue and the sun was out. The river was gorgeous and the four of us elders all stood on the bow of the ship and just looked at Budapest from the river. For some reason it was a very calming moment for me. Sometimes nature can just take our breath away.

Cool moment when Elder Zwingli and I were streeting by the Duna and a guy came up to me and asked me if I had any cigarettes. I said "No, but I have a Book of Mormon", and I pulled it out and we chatted for it for a while. He accepted a copy and we set up to meet later this week. Lol.

The new missionary here is Elder Nordberg. He's a convert of like a year and a half, and he's just seriously the coolest guy ever. It's definitely weird talking to him because he's just starting his mission and I'm...well...I'm further down the road. Haha.

We are loving life. So many miracles and great moments daily. I love being a missionary and being able to help people. It's the best! Heavenly Father loves His missionaries and it always surprises me how much He is willing to go to help you with anything.

Have a good week everyone!!

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Giacalone