Family Letter

Dear Family,

It was a great weekend.  We spent a couple hours at the Red Cross Temporary Family Shelter on Friday night.  This time we brought supplies for roasting hot dogs and making S'mores.  Since there are no graham crackers in Hungary, we used sugar cones.  By the way, it tastes great, and so much less messy to eat.  Hungarian marshmallows are a little different.  They don't puff up when they are toasted and they sweat instead of turn a golden brown.  They taste about the same though.  The children, and the adults loved them.                 

Most Hungarians have never roasted hot dogs.  They usually just boil them.  Their reaction - we like them, they taste much better this way.  We had the biggest group since we have been meeting with them.  

            

When the activity was over, we offered to help clean up.  We were quickly told, "No.  That is the mother's job."  The mothers then came out with their brooms and started working so fast and furiously and had the job done in no time at all.  It was fun to watch as they were having a great time sweeping and dancing and laughing. 

Well, we have winter!  It started to snow on our way back from Budapest Saturday afternoon and snowed all night.  The snow has stayed.  The forecast for Tuesday is snow again!  So, our mild winter, like what they are having in Salt Lake City is no longer!

We are now about 90/95% over the flu and chest colds that we had.  I actually set my alarm for 5:30 am this morning and got up!  We still took naps yesterday after church. But hey, we are old, what do you expect!

Two weeks ago, with a new district leader, he asked a very simple question, “What does the Miskolc Branch need?”  Now the answer to him was even simpler, “Priesthood holders.”

So for the past two weeks, the four young missionaries have been focusing on young adult males and families.  (It is much easier talking to middle age and older women.  They are more receptive to talk to the missionaries, so the missionaries have been focusing on them in the past.)  The past two weeks, the missionaries have found families to teach and young adult men to teach.

Yesterday was the Primary’s sacrament meeting program.  Just four months ago, we had 1 child coming to Primary.  Yesterday, 7 children from the ages of 8 to 11 gave the complete Sacrament meeting program.  They talked, some about 4 minutes and they sang.  At church was a family that just started to investigate the church.  They were very impressed.  Their 10 year old son told your mom that he wanted to come to Primary.  Their 15 year old was interested because the two priests blessing the Sacrament were his approximate age.

Your mom and I have been preaching to the missionaries to use the Book of Mormon more.  In the past two weeks, they have been and have had success.  We have used large shipping labels and put the following message on the inside cover of the Book of Mormon.  The following is in English, but we have the message in Hungarian:

“What is happiness?

Have you ever pondered these three questions: 1) Where did I come from?   2) Why am I here?  3) Where am I going? 

The answers to those questions are the basis for a life of happiness.  This doesn’t mean that we won’t have challenges.  This doesn’t mean that we won’t have disappointments.  This doesn’t mean that we will not have times of sadness.  But if we know where we came from before birth, if we know why we are here on earth and if we know where we go after death, the joy of that knowledge helps us through life’s challenges.

This book is a story of two families who sought to find a better life by praying to God and asking him for direction.  This book is about Jesus Christ.  This book is a witness that Jesus Christ is our Savior, our redeemer and our Lord.  It is through Jesus Christ that we can obtain eternal happiness and the strength to overcome the trials of everyday life.

Please read this book.  Pray to God about what you have read.  Ask God if the messages in this book are from Him.  God will tell you if this book is about His son Jesus Christ and if the messages will bring you happiness.  A simple challenge, “Ask God for answers!” You will find happiness.

Please read Moroni 10:3/5 on page 627 of this book.

If you would like to discuss this message, please call 36-1-488-0660 (Budapest), 60-70-702-1645 (Miskolc), or email 2012782@ldschurch.org and someone will contact you to discuss your questions.”

Last night, the district leader call and was excited to say that they met with a family.  When they gave them a Book of Mormon, the mother opened the book and read the message that we had on the front page.  She was excited.  Those were the questions that she was wanting to find answers that were in a religion for her family.  Another family investigating the church!

If you don’t hear from us for a couple of weeks, you will know that we are snowed in!  We hope this week will be fruitful for you.

Love,

Mom and Dad