Sister Hannah Schoendorfer in Hungary: 20 years old!

Hey hey hey! I'm 20 years old today!!! And I am doing just great! My new companion is Jarrett Nővér and she is one of the sweetest and most caring people I have ever met! She is from Utah and has been in the country for 8 months. I can tell that this transfer is going to really push me as we are both still figuring out this language, but I feel so good about it as I really know the gift of tongues is real.

We have already had the coolest week together. It was so fun to see everyone at transfers. I was able to see everyone I was in the MTC with which was great; except for Greenwook Nővér, which was a little sad. We had our 3 and a half hour train ride back to Nyíregyháza and Jarrett got all moved in on Wednesday night. Our first day together was great and they only get better. We went to the branch house for our lesson with Ica, but we called and found out she was sick. So we took a little trip over to where she lives. She lives in some of the humblest circumstances. It was so good to spend some time with her and read with her. She always makes me so happy!

After we left, we went to the bus stop. As soon as we walked up this guy approached me and said something like "I've seen you walking around! You are missionaries right?!" I told him yes and we started talking a little bit. We were able to introduce him to the Book of Mormon and even exchanged phone numbers! It was such a cool experience. We also went tracting in the strangest building. Every floor of the building was set up differently, I don't even know how to describe it. Some floors had just the csengős for the doors all together and then other floors we were able to go up to each individual door.

We had korus which is always a little crazy with Kata, the super enthusiastic choir director. She is always so fun and just always so excited!

I can't remember if I talked about this last week or not but I think it was last week when it happened. We went tracting, this was still with Wilson Nővér and we found one of the ladies that has been coming to English Class every Thursday! She was telling us about how her little son was sick and she had just put him down for a nap but she asked us to come back sometime! So this week when she came to English Class again, she brought her little son who wasn't sick anymore! He is the cutest little guy. He came in and I started talking to him in Hungarian and then he just started saying words in English! Too adorable! We had fun teaching English class and it went well. Afterwards we were about to walk home when one of the member's good friends who always comes to English class told us to come check out his car. We all piled in and found out he had kareoke set up. In his car. Hahahh funniest thing ever!

On Friday we had kind of an interesting day. It started with a district meeting and we walked into the branch house and found our Elders waiting for us with their ties tied around their heads playing ping pong. They are such fun guys, it was hilarious. We had district meeting and lunch which was good.

We then went to our program with Erzsébet which I talked about last week but the saddest thing happened, and it broke my heart a little! We went to her building, rang her csengő and she let us right in. But then when we got to the door, she saw us and said she had called and told us not to come and then slammed the door. Probably one of the saddest experiences I've had here! The thing is she never did call and she seemed almost like a different person than the Erzsébet I met a few weeks ago. We will give her a few weeks and see if she is doing better.

When we were walking back though the funniest thing happened; we were approached by a newspaper reporter who came up and asked us what we think about Valentines Day! I didn't even realize she was a news reporter and I just started talking to her about Valentines Day in the US and she got so excited. She took our picture and then the next day we were in the local newspaper! Hahah so crazy! It definitely helped to cheer us up a little bit.

Saturday was a big day for us. It started with us walking to sport nap and seeing ourselves in the newspaper hanging up in the belváros (town square)! Too funny! Then we played a nice game of basketball in the rain! We went to Valika's (our relief society pres) house and were able to meet with her granddaughter, Néomi again. I love teaching Néomi. She is only eleven years old but so mature and just adorable! I was able to really talk to her about how reading from the Book of Mormon and praying has helped me in my life and how I saw a difference when I started to really do that. I felt the spirit really strongly during the lesson. Afterwards, Valika gave me the biggest hug and went off about how she thinks I should just stay in Nyíregyháza for my whole mission. It was so so cute! She also said something like "Now, I don't usually Skype but if you are a good girl, I will Skype with you after you get home." She is probably also the sassiest néni here, I love it! I think she will be my adopted néni here!

After we left from Valika's we went to Izabella's. Another one of my favorite nénis here in Nyír. We had a powerful lesson with them as we talked about baptism and I really felt like the lesson was guided by the spirit. I was able to ask her to be baptized on March 12th and she said yes! Such a neat experience. She had the biggest smile on her face and I just felt pure joy! I love this gospel and I love being a missionary here.

This week I think I realized just how hard the work is her. Of course I knew it before, but as Jarrett Nővér got here and I realized that I was the only one that knew this city and the people here I felt a lot of responsibility. I have really been striving to more fully put my trust in the Lord and rely on Him and I have already seen blessings. I know that we are doing His work so if we really are sincere and prayerful in our actions, He will provide a way.

This morning was so much fun. The Elders had such a fun day planned! They told me last night that we were just going to go to the mall and help Roberts Elder pick out some new clothes but they showed up to our apartment and told us to come out and we went on a bus I had never been on before. They kept laughing and told me we were going to a different mall, we went to a place out in the middle of nowhere! We had to switch buses at one point and at this bus stop we had the most precious experience. There was a woman standing at the bus stop who helped them figure out where they wanted to go and it was also pouring rain. She said she was headed home and gave us her umbrella. We tried to have her keep it but she insisted! She said she really loves young adults our age and has kids our age. Then we were able to give her a Book of Mormon in return and told her a little bit about it and she started to cry! She was talking about how she is actually having a really hard time in her life right now and it was just so tender. She took a picture with us and I will never forget that little birthday miracle at a rainy bus stop in the middle of no where.

Sending lots of love!!!

Sok

szeretettel, Schoendorfer Nővér