Boldog Új Évett!

Sziasztok mindenki!

First off, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  In Hungary, one says, "Boldog Karácsonyt" for Merry Christmas (though we did have one old man tell us that this is a communist phrase and we must instead say "Áldott Karácsonyt" (Blessed Christmas) which I guess has more religious undertones. He was also kind of paranoid of communism. We were talking about the world's current state of affairs and how God can help people and he said to us, "You want to know the worst thing to have ever happened to this world? Liberalizmus!" The old folks can get pretty political here, it's actually pretty funny.) and one says Boldog Új Évett for Happy New Year (apparently there isn't a right wing translation for this one).  

Christmas in Hungary is fun.  People are more willing to talk to us on the street, and the city centers are lit up very nicely.  In almost every city there are also Christmas markets that sell really delicious, authentic, seasonal Hungarian food. On Christmas day, we went to Church and then we went carolling with the sisters in our district, and then continued our day as if it were just another missionary day. That night, we made food together and had opportunity to skype our families from the Church building!  It wasn't the most eventful Christmas ever but hey that's missionary life.  On New Year's, we had to be in by 9 pm because EVERYONE shoots off a million fireworks and also makes dangerous decisions..  When we walked out of our apartment the day after we couldn't really see anything through the sulfuric fog that had decsended on the city.  We also were able to go to a New Year's dance performance with Hungarian music that our Branch President was in.  I sat next to a very interesting old woman, who kept caressing me and told me that she had switched the water in her water bottle with pálinka (the Hungarian equivalent of vodka) and I didn't know enough Hungarian to tell her that my ginger ale wasn't switched out with some other type of alchohol so we just ended up doing a "cheers" anyway.

On New Year's day I was also really sick but we still eat at a member's house. We had a huge meal of rice and chicken and beets, and I ate a little too much and was really worried about throwing up everywhere. Then she took us into the kitchen and fed me this brown jello thing that I found out was pig fat jello... I couldn't swallow it and I though I was going to gag and then by gagging throw up all over that very nice woman.  Thankfully after I had offered about 10 prayers I was able to get it down.  PRAYER WORKS. I found out later that night that pig fat and me don't necessarily get along and on New Year's day I basically stayed in bed all day.

The language is coming along, slowly.  The Hungarians have a sazing, "Who in the world knows Hungarian? Only God and the Hungarians."  Though it is a hard language, I've found myself helped so in many ways that have manifested the reality and divinity of God. I studied "diligence" in the scriptures this week, and in 1 Peter 1:22, he points out that how hard we work is an extension of how much love we have for the people we are helping.  As a missionary, I have felt the Lord bless me with so much more love for others than I usually have by myself.  I am so grateful for this extension of His Atonement and hope to honor it through my diligence in studying Hungarian and obeying God's commandments.

Szia!

Martin Elder

Ilona! She is the very nice lady we had lunch with and who fed me pig fat jello.

 I also skyped with her back at the MTC!

Stringham Elder and I before New Years.

PS There are crows everywhere. 

This is Bodnár Péter, a super cool church member.

This is Csaba and Eva, they are church members, and Eva is a classic example of how Hungarians don't like smiling in pictures. They pretty much all do her face.

Our branch president Viktor (farthest right) and his dance moves were on the front of a Hungarian national newspaper!

Nagy Templom in the city center. Perhaps Nyíregyháza's most recognizable landmark.

This is on a door really close to our church building. "Beware radioactive elements!"