Thursday, July 30, 2015

Zone training in Szeged

July 27, 2015

Hello All!!!!
First things first, one of our investigators came to church this week, so that was exciting!!!!! We found him from English class, and we've been having discussions with him for awhile, too. Also, another of our investigators has been coming to choir practice after church! She hasn't been able to come to come to Sacrament meeting yet, but we hope she will be able to set aside the time to do it when we perform. She will also be coming to the baptism of an investigator here, this Sunday, to sing with the choir there, so that should be exciting!!!
This week was great! We went to the birthday of the daughter of one of the Sisters' investigators. We also went to a members house and had Paprikás csirke, and then we roasted (or rather melted) marshmallows over the stove and had s'mores!
This week we also had zone training in Szeged! That is suuuuuch a pretty city!!! 

Image from super and extremely random google search

There are a lot of missionaries that want to serve there, and now I can see why. But it was also sooooo hot. We took a train from Szolnok to Cegléd, and from there to Szeged. Trains here don't have air conditioning or anything, usually. So that was fun! The training was about relationships with members and investigators.
There will be another transfer next week! I hope I don't switch cities again!!! There's been so many transfer lately because an incoming group of missionaries and and outgoing groups' arrival and leaving dates weren't able to quite match up.
I hope you all have a great week!!!!
Bunker Elder

Sziasztok!

July 20, 2015

Sziasztok!

Szolnok has been great!!!

The biggest news that happened this week was church yesterday! This less active family that we have been visiting for a while came! Also, two investigators of ours came! The best part was that the members went up and talked to these people and made them feel included after sacrament meeting was over. Always remember to go up and talk to people at church that you might not recognize!!! 

Actually, church turned out to be a pretty big deal! My companion, Elder Haroldsen gave a talk about prayer, and it was really good!! He talked about prayer, and about why it is important and why we do it, and he shared some really good experiences he has had with prayer. Also the stake president was here, and he gave a talk, too that was really good. And finally, we got a new ward mission leader. He is really cool, and we know that he is really going to help us here in Szolnok!! 

We are going to have zone training next week in Szeged, which I have heard is a really pretty city, so I am excited to go there. 

Also, it is sooooo hot out all the time.... but it feels so nice to have a shower at the end of the day <3. So that's nice!!! But Hungarians aren't a fan of air conditioning. Sometimes they turn it off in the middle of church when we need it the most... apparently if you are sweating, and the cold air from an ac unit hits you, you catch a really bad cold!!! Actually, this is one of many superstitions that most Hungarians have. No one ever sits down outside in the winter, because sitting on a cold bench will apparently make you sterile!!!! 

Have a great week everybody!
Bunker Elder

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Szolnok!

July 13, 2015

Sziasztok!

So, I am in Szolnok! 


Image result for szolnok
Another random google Search picture--since I have no pictures from Paul!!!!


Image result for Szolnok
Image from Random Google Search

Image result for Szolnok
Image from Random Google Search

This is a pretty interesting city. There is a really cool branch here. The first people baptized into this branch were around 2008, so it's pretty young! All the members that I have met so far are really cool! We are also teaching some really cool investigators. Right now I am serving with my MTC companion Elder Haroldsen, who is awesome, as well as with Sister Widtfeldt and Sister Rankin.

The Tisza, a river, runs right through the middle of town. It's only a couple of blocks from our house, so we can see it pretty often. 


Image result for tisza river
Image from random google search

The ice cream in all the stands is cheaper here, which is always a bonus!!!

Today for p-day we are going to have a sajt night, which is where we we bread up pieces of cheese and fry them... it's a tradition in the mission, though is a bit unhealthy!! I already did it a couple of times in Veszprém, but we never got around to it in Debrecen or Győr, so I'm glad that we are doing it now!


Image result for sajt
Image from random Google search



Have a great week everyone!!!
Sok szeretettel!
Bunker Elder

Monday, July 27, 2015

Transferred........again??!!

July 7, 2015

Hello all!!

So biggest news right now is that I'm getting transferred... again!!! Actually, with a lot of crazy and unexpected things are happening to a lot of people across the mission this transfer. For those of you who are wondering, I am going to Szolnok, a city in the Southeast Zone. 



Actually, it is pretty crazy that I am going to my fourth zone with my fourth area. So many missionaries spend a large part of their missions in one general area. My old companion, Elder Flake, spent most of his time in the two outlining districts, while I've also heard of people spending lots of time in the stake. Some people have spent most of their mission around Budapest, and some vice versa. And there have been so many missionaries that spend so much of their missions in the West Zone, which is a relatively bigger zone, that it has garnered itself the name "Curse of the West." The Curse of the West is reaaalll!!!! I have been fortunate enough to see alllll overrr the country. I've been 'fairly' close to Budapest, like in Veszprém, way far, like in Debrecen, and now I am going to Szolnok.

Also, my new companion will be.... Elder Haroldsen, my MTC companion!!! I am super excited to be able to serve with him!!! We should get some great things done this transfer! 

I have a new favorite flavor of ice cream ... Bodza. It's like elderberry flower flavored I think... soooo good. But the only place that sells it only has it like a third of the time we walk past it. Soooo, that's that. 

Image result for bodza
Image from Random Google Search

It's going to be sad to leave here, after being here for just a little bit, but hopefully I accomplished what I came here to do!!! I can't wait to serve in Szolnok!

Sok <33el!
Bunker Elder

Sunday, July 26, 2015

A New Mission President

June 29, 2015

So this week was great! As usual!

One highlight was that we have been able to start meeting with a man from English class to talk about family history. We are hoping that it will turn into something bigger.

Also, we met with one of the guys whose phone numbers we got last week. He brought his wife, and we brought Barbs, a member here, and I think they just wanted to just discuss how our beliefs were different from theirs. So I'm glad we had some support. We shared a lot of testimonies and scriptures and experiences.

This week, we are getting a new mission president! I am really going to miss President Smith, but I know that President Szabadkai is also going to be a great leader and really help the work move forward. He is also going to be the first native Hungarian mission president!!!

We are also helping to plan a fourth of July party that the ward is going to have. It should be really great! We going to invite everyone from all our English classes, as well as our investigators.
Sok szeretettel!!
Bunker Elder

Storm Trooper sighting.....

June 22, 2015

Hello all!
So last week when I finished emailing, I stood up and there was a guy dressed up in a stormtrooper suit just standing there in the middle of the library. Just thought I'd share that with you all.
So right now our biggest news is that we have built up a pretty big pool of potential investigators. A couple of guys from English class are interested in meeting with us separately to talk about the gospel. We've also exchanged numbers with a couple of people we've met on the street. One person stopped us when we were shopping in Spar, the local grocery place, and asked us if we spoke English, and told us he wanted to learn more English from us. There was also a JW that stopped us and wanted to meet with us, but we think he wants to Bible bash.... we'll have to wait and see!!! He seemed really nice though.
Kellogg and I have been doing great! Today as a district we had palacsintas, which are like Hungarian pancakes. We all brought different toppings, and they tasted reallly good!

Image result for palacsintas
Image from a random google search

I hope everyone is having a great week!
Bunker Elder

Sorry about the long break!

Sorry about the long break!  We've been gone on vacation, so it was hard to post.  We are back now, and will be putting up in the next several days all of Paul's emails to us that you have missed.

Thanks and it's good to be back!!!!