Monday, August 18 2014:  One month ago today we arrived home from our mission.  It has been such a busy month, with relatives here and a fun weekend with all our kids in Logan that we have hardly had time to settle into our cabin in McCall.  We finally gave our homecoming talks in sacrament meeting just yesterday.  It was a good meeting and although we are glad to have that behind us our talks went well and we had some nice compliments concerning the missionary experiences we shared.  After sacrament meeting we come back to the cabin and served lunch to our children, grandchildren, friends and relatives who came to hear us speak.  There was not enough time remaining for all the stories I wanted to share so after lunch we sat around and answered questions and told more stories.  Win has already received a calling in the ward as the 1st counselor in the Primary Presidency and was hired today as a new first grade school teacher at the elementary school here in McCall.  She is so excited and has her own classroom to set up and organize.  We feel very blessed.  The parents of some of the missionaries in Bekescsaba have been kind enough to forward the weekly emails from their missionary to us so we can stay up to date on the progress of investigators and what is going on in the branch.  We also heard that the portable baptismal font finally arrived and hopefully will be installed soon.  What a great blessing that will be for the branch.  Each day we get a little more acclimated to being home and continually realize how fortunate we are and how much stuff we have that really isn’t necessary.  Our children were watched over while we away, our home remained secure and safe and our friends say the time went by quickly.  Some days it seems like we were only gone a short time and yet it will always be a  significant part of our lives and we will never be the same for it.  We miss the Elders and Sisters, the members, the investigators, our friends and our YSA group in Szeged.  We love them.  We think about and pray for them all.  Maybe someday we will return, we shall see.   In the MTC it was said, “you will always be somebody’s missionary, even if it’s yourself.” How true that statement is.  I loved my mission and am so grateful for the fulfillment of a life long desire to serve and a promise from my patriarchal blessing.  A special thanks to Win for her willingness to stand along side and serve so faithfully.  We know the Gospel of Jesus Chris is true and that it has been restored in these latter days.  May we all strive to follow the example of our Savior and endure to the end.

Thursday, July 24 2014:  Happy Pioneer Day!  Last night we had the opportunity to give a report of our mission to the Weiser Idaho Stake High Council.  We left McCall about 5:00 PM and drove to Weiser along Highway 95.  It was a beautiful drive and we talked all along the way about the countryside and how dry it is here compared to Hungary.  We got there just before our 7:00 appointment.  A couple of the High Council members joined the meeting by Skype.  The Stake President was still out of town on vacation.  Win and I each shared some of our feelings, experiences and testimony.  There were a few questions after we finished and then we went around the room and shook everyone’s hand.  It was another tender and emotional few minutes for us as they each said, “Welcome home!”.  We got back to McCall about 10:00 PM and watched a couple of episodes of Duck Dynasty before going to bed.  It’s so good to be home but Win feels like she is a traitor for leaving.  Our property is overgrown with weeds and I overdid it yesterday by trying to weed-eat too much at one time.  The air here is so fresh and clean with the scent of pine that you just want to sit out all day and take it all in but too much to do right now to sit around for very long.  We aren’t even unpacked yet.  We got some very nice emails from the Elders and Sisters back in Bekescsaba telling about the first Sunday there without us and the transfers that have taken place.   Just before we left for our mission in January 2013, Reese and Lacey made a video that included pictures of all our family put to the song “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons.  We watched it over and over in the MTC and cried each time.  Below is a picture of a sign our kids made that greeted us as we walked in the door of our cabin in McCall.  It says “We Waited” and includes a cutout of each of our children and grand children’s hands.    We are so thankful for our family and for their support and prayers in our behalf.  The blessings that come from serving a mission were witnessed many times while we were away and we will always be grateful for the hand of the Lord in helping us all in so many ways.

Wildlife sightings:  6 deer

Saturday, July 19 2014:  At 9:00 this morning we got on a Skype call to get released.  Our Stake President is out of town so we got to meet and talk with President Bergquist, second counselor in the Weiser ID Stake.  It was a tender experience.  We each reported parts of our mission and concluded with our testimonies.  He then released us and we removed our missionary tags.  That brought tears to our eyes again as we took them off.  We are to report to the High Council this coming week so we will travel to Weiser from McCall to do that.  Win and I then changed into casual clothes and headed off to do some shopping.  We first went and activated our cell phones.  At noon we meet all our kids for lunch at Mike Fowlers new corn dog stand.  We did some more running around in the afternoon and then all met back at Rhet and Erica’s for dinner about 5:00.  In the evening everyone gathered out back and we distributed a few gifts we had brought for everyone.  The final item shared was Win’s quiet book of Hungary.  She told the grand kids about each page and what they meant to her.  It has been a fun day but our body clocks are sure messed up.

 

Friday, July 18 2014:  We got up at 2:30 AM and were ready to go when E/S B came to get us at the Mission Home at 3:45.  They were kind to help us get checked in and then we had to say goodby to them.  We boarded our flight to Frankfurt about 6:30.  We had a short layover there and them got on the eleven and a half hour flight to LA.  There is just nothing you can do to hurry things along so I watched four movies and tried not to think about the time.  We did have two good meals on the flight.  When we finally got to LA we had to go though immigration and then customs.  Luckily there were no concerns with the items we declared and we didn’t get searched.  After rechecking our five bags (we had to pay for one extra and an over weight one) we had a couple of hours before the 4:30 plane to Boise.  Win called Whitney using a pay phone and started crying again.  As we approached Boise it was exciting to see the valley and then to finally touch down in Idaho.  We got off the plane about 7:30 PM and headed down the concourse.  Below is a picture Wendy took just before we got to the waiting area doors.

As we walked hand in hand towards the main terminal, we could hear them yelling and then they ran towards us as we come though the glass doors exiting the concourse.  It was a truly joyful reunion with hugs and tears and kids everywhere.  We got to see our two new granddaughters, who couldn’t figure out who we were but let us hold them for a little bit.  My two brothers and sister were there to greet us also.  Everyone just hung there blocking the exit area for several minutes and the we got our bags and loaded in Win’s Jeep.  We stayed the night with Erica and the girls, Rhet was in Philadelphia running in a race.  About 10:30 we went to bed.  It was a long day but still amazing that this morning we were in Hungary and tonight we are home.  Below are just a couple of pictures I took in between hugs.

Back with our family

A happy grandma!

Thursday, July 17 2014:  At 9:30 our group of senior couples met at the Mission Office and we went on another underground public transportation outing to the Jewish Synagogue in Pest.  Win and I were not real excited to see another Synagogue, after the one we toured in Szeged, but this was definitely a worthwhile tourist stop.  It is the second largest Synagogue in the world, the largest is in New York City.  Our English speaking tour guide was very informative and gave us some historical facts about the Jews in Hungary.   The building can seat 3,000 and is quite unique because of the 2,000 Jews who are buried in the  garden courtyard.  The museum was particularly interesting and also sad because of all the reminders of the Holocaust.  Following the tour we walked to a wonderful sidewalk cafe and had a great lunch together.  President Smith kept saying to us, “this is your last time to do this”.  After lunch President Smith got a call on his cell phone for me and it was Sister B and S calling to tell us that H had set a baptism date.  How cool was that to get a call confirming another baptism, on last day here, for a very special young lady who we love.  It rained on us as we walked back along the beautiful shopping streets of Pest to the underground trains.  It was as if the clouds were also sad to see us go.  Back at the Mission Office we unloaded our car and turned the keys over to Elder and Sister S.  We almost envy the great experience that awaits them in Bekescsaba.  We rearranged a few thing in our suitcases and them put the four big bags in the back of the mission van.  We took the rest our our stuff up to the top floor of the mission home, which is like a dorm, where we will stay tonight.  At 4:30 we were individually interviewed by President Smith to renew our temple recommends.  Then we jointly had our parting interview with him.  It was a special experience for us both and I am proud to call him my mission president.  The office couple then joined us and President and Sister Smith for dinner at a nice restaurant.  We sat outside and enjoyed a perfect evening in Budapest.  When we got back to the mission office, Elder S and B, who previously served in Bekescsaba, were there to take photos and say goodbye.  We have had a great day but are now counting the hours until we get home.  In the morning the office couple, Elder and Sister B will take us to the airport at 3:45 AM to board the first leg of our flight home at 6:15.  Below are a few photos from our activities today.  I will post a couple more entries to this blog after we get home.  Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support and your kind comments.  We are coming home!

Synagogue in Pest

Interior of Synagogue

Jewish gheto graves

The tree of life

Names of Holocaust victims

Torah scroll

Senior conference lunch

Our last dinner in Hungary

Wednesday, July 16 2014:  We actually slept pretty well last night and after a nice e buffet breakfast we wandered over to the Mission Office about 10:30.  I took care of closing out our office business and passed along some final information to Elder S who will take my place in Bekescsaba.  We all had lunch together at 12:30 and then our Senior Conference started at 2:00.  There was a new senior couple who had served here before who introduced themselves and then Win and I gave our parting comments to the group.  So, we both ended up getting all emotional again saying goodby to our dedicated senior friends.  Then we heard from a former missionary who was here on his honeymoon.  Sister Smith spoke next and then President Smith.  The concluding speaker was Elder L, an Area Seventy from Germany.  We had our usual breakout sessions which included some interesting information on coming changes.  At 6:00 we had dinner there in the building and at 7:00 we headed off to see a folk dancing show.  We didn’t get back to the hotel until 10:30.  Both of us are ready to just get on the plane and fly home but there is still more sights to see tomorrow.  Below are some pictures from the day and our evening out on the streets of beautiful Budapest.

Tuesday, July 15 2014:  From 6:30 to noon we cleaned and finished packing.  I loaded the car as each bag was ready and hung sheets and pillowcases outside to dry.  About 10:30 I took a box of clothes to the branch house that Win was leaving behind and then went to get bread rolls for the conference dinner tomorrow and then to Tesco for a new shower curtain and some paper towels.  At noon the Elders and Sisters came by to bid us farewell.  They hung around for almost an hour and didn’t want to leave.  We took one last picture of them and they gave us each some letters they had written.  We went outside to take the sheets off the line and had another cry with them as we hugged them goodby.  While Win finished a couple of things in the apartment I walked to McDonald’s  and brought back a couple of burgers and some fries.  It was not the best lunch but our fridge and cupboards were bare.  Win said goodby to P, our next door neighbor, and of course P cried.  Why not, everybody else has all weekend long.  We jammed the last couple of bags in the back of the car and made one last stop at the branch house to leave my backpack for R or his brother E.  Our last drive to Budapest was very pleasant.  A warm Summer day with high billowy clouds.  We passed miles and miles of corn and sunflower fields.  The sunflowers seemed to be waving goodby to us as we drove along.  Along the way, Win read out loud the letters the Elders and Sisters had written to us.  They were very kind and heartfelt.  The trip was the usual three and a half hours but the traffic was not too bad.  We parked the car in the lot below the Mission Office and took our carry on bags with us to the Belvedere Hotel.  At 7:00 we went for a short walk to a buffet dinner place we had eaten at before. Win enjoyed ‘pickled peppers’ and her last bowl of what she called ‘her favorite’ version Hungarian Gulyas (goulash).  Afterwards I got an ice cream from one of the many sidewalk vendors which appear all over when the warm weather comes to Hungary.  Below is the last photo of our Bekescsaba team of missionaries.  To the parents of these four, and all the other young missionaries we have served with, thank you for raising such fine young people who could be found worthy to come to this challenging but beautiful country.  You may not know but the goal of this mission is for each missionary to baptize two people per year.  That’s just four baptisms per companionship per year on average but the goal has not been met yet.  That is how tough it is here to convert people.  These missionaries have to be so patient and so dedicated to go forth each day and seek out those who will give them a chance to teach that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is once again on the Earth.  It has been our privilege to serve along side these outstanding young soldiers in this great cause.

Wildlife sightings:  2 rabbits, 8 storks.

Until we meet again

Monday, July 14 2014:  At 7:00 I went to wash and vacuum out the car.  Then I came home to shower and suit up so I could take the Sisters to an Internet cafe at 9:00 so they could email home.  Before going back to the apartment I went to the Posta and the Bank.  After making the Sunday donations deposit for the last time I said goodby to three people at the bank and thanked them.  They were very nice and the security guy who sits by the door followed me outside.  He wanted to talk and I felt so bad that I couldn’t understand what he was saying.  I asked him if he had a family and he said yes, so I gave him a pass along card and pointed to the web site and phone number on the back.   I think he will at least go to the web site.  I made one more stop at the mall to print off some pictures of the baptism on Saturday for E.  About noon I went back and got the Sisters and  dropped them off downtown.  Win worked all  morning making some popcorn balls, a relish tray and salad for tonight and cleaning  the oven, microwave, fridge and scrubbing the bathroom tiles.  I got one more of our big suitcases packed so three are now ready to go.  At 4:30 we took a load of food to the church and got things set up for FHE.  At 5:00 Win got to sit in with the Sisters for one last program with E.  Then at 6:00 we tried to start FHE but people kept coming in the door.  Win and I were overwhelmed.  The Magda family came from Szeged which was a total surprise and Edina and her family were back from vacation.  In all, 31 people were there, and again 12 were non members.  We just couldn’t believe it.  We sang “As I Have Loved You” and then after Elder O gave a spiritual thought, Win and I each said a few words.  I showed them all the two pictures from our wedding that I posted last night and they loved it.  Then we all sat around and ate and visited for a couple of hours.  We were showered with gifts that we can’t begin to take home.  We got the building semi cleaned up and got home about 9:00.  We are emotionally drained again and just completely in awe at the fellow-shipping and interaction that took place tonight.  It was just amazing.

Sunday, July 13 2014:  This is post number 550 to this blog and the last Sunday of our mission.  Most of the talks in sacrament meeting today will be in English so that will be good.  I went to the branch house at 8:30 so I could have a little time alone before everyone else arrived.  I set up one extra row of chairs hoping that we would need them.  R, his mother, and his younger brother and sister came at 9:30.  President and Sister Smith came shortly after that so President Smith could interview R for his patriarchal blessing.  The Sisters and Elders followed and then the people started to come.  The attendance exceeded our expectations and there were still several active members who were out of town.  There were 38 total with 12 non members.  It was amazing.  Elder O said he didn’t know if he was in the right building or not.  There were 7 people who had never been to one of our sacrament meetings before, including E’s mother and J and C and their daughter.  Plus, at the last minute E & N, the little mother and daughter, walked in.  We have not seen them at church for maybe six months.  Win lost it at that point and we pretty much cried the rest of the meeting.  After the opening song and prayer, President Smith released me and sustained Elder S as the new Branch President.  Then, President Smith confirmed E a member of the Church and gave here the gift of The Holy Ghost.  Elder O and brother L administered the sacrament and Elder S and R passed it to the congregation.  Following the sacrament, Sister and Elder S introduced themselves and bore their testimonies.  Then, the Elders and Sisters surprised us by singing “A Child’s Prayer” accompanied by Sister S.  I felt sorry for Win to have to follow the number because we were both in tears again at that point.  Win got up and gave a warm and touching  message about our hearts and what we feel.  I talked for a few minutes about making good choices.  President Smith gave some concluding remarks and then we sang “God Be with You Till We Meet Again”.  My handkerchief was as wet as it could be when we finished.  And then, B, our institute teacher, broke-down in tears saying the closing prayer which was very touching.  There were lots of hugs and more tears, pictures taken and some gifts given to us before we could get classes started.  We were surprised again at the number of people who stayed for the second hour.  After church Elder S and I had just two contribution envelopes to record and then a group of the branch members gave us a Hungarian Cookbook (in English) that was very thoughtful.  The ten of us missionaries then went over to the Sisters apartment and had a nice lunch.  We couldn’t stop talking about the people who had come and what a banner day this was for Bekescsaba.  It really was a special meeting and we were touched by the outpouring of love and kindness.  I wish we could get on a plane right now and fly home but we still have a busy week ahead with family home evening tomorrow and Senior Conference in Budapest on Wednesday and Thursday.  Below is a picture of part of the people at church today.

Yesterday our Mission President brought us a letter from our daughter in law Lacey with some drawings and artwork from Mason and Jaylee.  Also included were the two photos below from our wedding day at the Logan Temple and our reception in Win’s parents backyard.  Since we just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary a few days ago, and have had another very memorable day today, I thought I might as well include these as part of our overall memories on this blog.  Who would have thought back then that 40 years latter we would travel to a far away land together.  That we would leave our children and grandchildren in the hands of the Lord and come on this amazing adventure.  That our hearts would be torn by the thoughts of leaving our new friends and fellow missionaries.  But as with all callings in the Church, the day comes when your are released.  How thankful I am today for my sweetheart and eternal companion and for all she has done to share her love with me and the people of Szeged and Bekescsaba.

 

 

Saturday, July 12 2014:  Well, our final weekend in Hungary is here and what a busy one it is going to be.  It was still raining this morning so we passed on a walk.  Too much to do anyway.  We showered and suited up so we could do our last apartment checks.  The Elders were first at 10:00 and then the Sisters at 10:30.  At 11:00 I drove the Sisters around for an hour to deliver invitations they had made for some inactive members and investigators who they wanted to invite to the baptism and church tomorrow.  I then came home and had some lunch before going to the branch house to set up the chairs and serving table for tonight.  I also went to get a few groceries.  Win was in the kitchen again most of the day making chocolate crackle cookies, jubilee jumbles and  brownies with peanut butter frosting for tonight and the lunch tomorrow.  She will also serve watermelon slices .  President and Sister Smith arrived a little early so the 8 of us missionaries drove out to the restaurant at Postelek at 5:00.  They had set up a table outside for us which was perfect.  There was a wedding party reservation also so it was good we got there early for dinner.  We had time after dinner to walk around a little and it was great that all the rain we have had finally stopped and the skies cleared.  At 7:00 we had the baptismal service.  There were 19 in attendance, 5 non members so we were pleased with that.  I was most grateful for E’s mother being there to support her.  I gave the opening prayer, Win gave the talk on baptism and Sister B gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  About 7:45 we walked to the Spa and Elder S baptized E in a small tub like pool.  A few of the swimmers and bathers were curious about what was going on and watched from just a few feet away.  Win gave a man in a very skimpy swimming suit a pass along card.  We all walked back to the branch house about 8:30 and had Win’s delicious fruit soup and a whole array of treats.  The evening went very well and we are so happy for E.  We have worried and stressed over this day for a couple of weeks or more and it will be one of our fondest memories.  It was the best way we could have spent this last Saturday in Hungary and we got to share it with our great Mission President and his wonderful wife.  A few of the members stayed and helped us clean up afterwards.  We got home about 9:30.