Dear Family and Friends,
This week I hit an achieving mark for my mission.
On Thursday, I finished the final page of my first journal. I am now onto
the second of the three books. It was slightly strange to finish
it. It's weird to think it contains over a year of my life. I began
it last year, and have only missed writing about 2 days (both of which were
before my mission). When I finished, I spent a while thinking back and
being able to remember sitting at home, in the MTC, in Nyiregyhaza, at my desk
in Szekesfehervar, in Buda, and now here in Bekescsaba writing in my journal
each night. This one book contains the first half of the tale of my
mission.
Monday, 4 June
Today was a great day activity-wise. This morning
after taking care of Branch business, we went emailing. Afterwards, we met
with the Sister Missionaries and biked out to Gyula. On the way out, Elder
Vandermark and I learned how to ride with no handlebars. Once we arrived
out there, we left our bikes and just walked around. Gyula's a really
small, but nice tourist town. The balvaros is probably the best I've
seen. After a while of roaming, we found our way to Gyula Castle.
This one was an actual castle, and the second medieval-looking one I've seen
(with Buda Castle being the first). I loved it. If I stay in the
area, we'll go out there again next transfer as it was closed and we couldn't
go inside. After the castle, we resumed
wandering around town. We found a fountain you can walk under, which felt
really good (as there was a mist underneath). We finished our Gyula
experience with a visit to the Hamburger Bar, and biked back. Something
about the bike ride I forgot to write is that the bike-ride only takes about 45
minutes, and half of it is through a path alongside a small river where you are
surrounded by trees and bushes on both sides. The bike ride itself was
one of the most enjoyable parts. My miracle today is that, in the end,
all will work out. With the Plan of Happiness, all will, one day, end
well. Our day today, like the path of life, ended with a blessing.
After everything was done, and we had made it back to our apartment, one of the
biggest thunderstorms I've seen since being here started and continued all
through the night, with flashes of lightning every few minutes, some of them
waking us both during the night. (I'm glad it waited until the evening to
rain.)
Tuesday, 5 June
Four programs today. First was with E about the
temple trip. Second was with E on the sacrament. Our third program
was with G on 1 Nephi 17. Last was with B on Baptism and the Doctrine and
Gospel of Christ. She still very much wants to get baptized and is happy
that we only have 3 or 4 programs left. She'll probably be baptized next
month. We're praying for her. My miracle today is that one day, at
the appointed time, we will be judged by our Heavenly Father and will be
granted those things "according to [our] wills, whether they be unto
salvation or unto destruction." It's up to us. We have been
given our agency and that will determine what kind of eternity we will
ultimately receive.
Wednesday, 6 June
Three programs and one cancellation today. D was
first. We went over 1 Nephi 1 with her, talked about her trip to Italy,
and wished her luck on her big oral exam on Saturday. We went to E’s
again, and were able to get her registered for the temple trip. M was
last on endurance. Today we also managed to get a good amount of flyers
passed out and an advertisement in the newspaper. I'm having trouble
recognizing a miracle today. The main thing coming to my mind is that E
will get to enjoy some of the blessings of the temple, and that members who
don't have a temple in their land can travel and attend ones in nearby or even
distant lands.
Thursday, 7 June
Today was my last Zone Conference and interview with
President Baughman. We caught the train to Szeged early in the morning,
then started with President Baughman's training on Leadership Principles,
followed by Sister Baughman's on the commonality of sins which are committed by
both disobedience and perfectionism. The Assistants gave one on Finding,
and the Zone Leaders finished with Teaching. We made it back just in time
for Angolora. I tried to challenge all of my class to meet with us to learn
the gospel, but none accepted the challenge. My miracle is that the
Spirit can work through all five senses: sight - visions and illusions; hearing
- still, small voice/visions; touch - tingling or burning; taste ~ eh, speak by
power; smell - some things just "smell" wrong or bad.
Friday, 8 June
My first entry in my second Journal! Hopefully this
journal becomes filled with things as meaningful to me as the last. Today
we spent up in Pest. We took an early morning train and were joined by Elder
Swett and Elder Wright in Szolnok. Upon arriving we made a few shopping
detours before being joined by Elder Wiscombe, Elder Carlsen, and R.
After that we just walked and talked with R, mainly about his wedding, our
reason for being up there. R is from France, but served his mission here
in Hungary, and was companions with Elders Vandermark and Wiscombe (R was his
trainer), and served around Edlers Wright and Carlsen. He was engaged,
and is now married to a member here. The
actual wedding happened around 12:30. (The
ceremony lasted only ten minutes.) It was a really interesting
experience. It was the second wedding ceremony I've ever been to, with
the other being one of my aunt's. All the music I recognized from the
Bella Tuscany Symphony, and the song during the actual wedding was Pachelbel’s
Canon in D. It was an interesting thought to suppose that I could still
be a missionary when Elders Vandermark, Molnar, and Moffett all get
married. R finished his mission the day I arrived in the country, about
nine months ago, and all of them will have been home for nine months before I
finish my mission. It's definitely possible. After the wedding, we went and got lunch with
E from Nyiregyhaza, and I took some time there to write a short message and
testimony in my Hungarian copy of "True to the Faith", which I gave
to the ZL's to give to Elder Reese, to then give to S at his baptism
tomorrow. My miracle today is that
although I haven't been able to see any of my investigators being baptized, the
third one is about to. I have now, however, had the opportunity to see a
marriage and the start of what will be an eternal family on my mission.
Lastly, today was Sister Baughman's birthday. I'm thankful for all she
does for us, as well as all the love and support she gives President Baughman.
Saturday, 9 June
Three programs today. First was with E. Second
was with M on the story of Nehemiah. Last was G, talking about King
Lamoni's father. Today was ridiculously hot, and we literally fulfilled
the Lord's words to Adam, "by the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread."
We were sweating all right. In the evening
there was a big thunderstorm. However, the first hour it was just lightning
from cloud-to-cloud with neither thunder nor rain. However, later it did
end up raining hard. S was baptized today. Yay! One of my
investigators has been baptized in each area I've been in. My miracle
today is the Word of Wisdom that not only helps improve health, but causes me
to avoid being drunk or hung-over.
Sunday, 10 June
Thunderstorms continued today (rain has been on and
off). Our only program today was church. The Zone Leaders, Elder Nealy
and Elder Moffet, came and were our two speakers in Sacrament Meeting. My
piano playing is continuing to progress, although not as fast, as I haven't had
much time to practice recently. My miracle today is water. Today it
is as necessary as it ever has been, but it's so much more convenient and
accessible. We no longer have to walk one or two miles to a stream or
well and haul back buckets to get it.
That's all I have for this week. Went to a wedding, S was baptized, and
also had Zone Conferences. Quite a decent week. Email you all again
next week. I look forward to reading all of your emails.
Sok Szeretettel,
Shipp Elder
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