Happy Farsang!

​So this week we celebrated Farsang! If you don't know what that is, it's okay, I didn't know either until I saw the stores start to come out with Halloween stuff. It's basically just the 'End of February Party' and people dress up and celebrate the fact that spring is coming! We had a Farsang Buli (party) at the branch house this week which was super fun. They even have special little games just for Farsang!

 The beginning of the week actually started off kind of slow but man oh man did it pick up! We have had the coolest week! Last transfer (6 weeks) I only had one "let in" during tracting and just in the past week, we have had two!!!

In the beginning of the week we visited Sárika which is always enjoyable and then afterwards we started walking to try to find an old church member that lives close to Sárika. It was raining and we were super cold and we almost decided to just leave because usually we couldn't find the old church member because they have moved away, but we finally found the street ​

​and the house! We rang the csengő and out came a néni! She recognized us right away and welcomed us in. She fed us sűti and said we were welcome to come back anytime, but said that she was too old to come to our church in town (about a half hour bus ride away) when there was a really pretty catholic church on the corner of her street. Well, she pulled out her Book of Mormon that was from 1990, and I'm not sure that it's been opened since. She talked about the Elders that found her and we aren't sure that she is actually a member but she was really sweet; but sadly just not really interested. She walked us all the way to the bus stop afterwards and even stopped at a fence along the way to pet the sweetest dog and let him give her kisses. So adorable! Later we went back into town and celebrated Kristőf's birthday singing and eating more sűti. Kristőf really is the best example of charity and selflessness, we can always count on him to put a smile on our faces!

One day this week we were tracting at a huge apartment building and got kicked out by another néni! So crazy! I never thought that a person could be that crabby. All we want to do is help people, that's why we're here! Anyways, we just left and the next building we went to, the first door we knocked on, was a family that was interested!! So cool. They didn't have time then to meet with us, but we were able to get their phone number and we are going back this week!

This week when we went to Izabella's, it was the first time that I actually understood everything that was going on and that she was saying! I don't know why it's been so hard before, but I guess that's a definite sign of progress! YAY! But even more exciting than that is what happened during the lesson! Izabella was so so happy and told us about how she finished reading the Book of Mormon!!! We also brought baptism clothes for her to try on and it was the cutest. As soon as she saw them she got so excited and she started to put them on. I offered to help her but with the biggest smile on her face she said "I want to do this by myself, I can do it!" So so adorable, I love her so much. The clothes fit perfectly except for the legs being a little too long since she's so short but she just happily rolled them up and went on about how perfect it was. We talked about who she wanted to speak and details for the service and what hymns she wanted and at first she didn't have much of a preference but then she giggled and looked right at me and said "I want you to give a talk!" Oh man, I feel like I just got here and I'm already on my second talk! Hahah, I am so so excited though.

We went to Miskolc for the second week in a row for interviews with the Mission President. They went really well and I am so grateful to have such an inspired Mission President who is so kind, caring and understanding. Afterwards, we got pizza and came back to Nyíregyháza to go to Korus and teach Angolóra. Teaching Angolóra was so fun because we hadn't totally planned the entire lesson, so we had to make some of it up ​as we went. I've realized that half of being a missionary is being flexible and not being afraid at times to embarrass yourself!

This week it was my companion, Sister Jarrett's birthday and it was really fun! We had a district meeting in the morning and then went out to lunch at a Hungarian restaurant which was super yummy. Then we went to Sóstóhegy, where we had a lesson set up but they had forgotten and weren't home! So we decided to just go tracting instead, which we weren't super thrilled about. These houses were seriously out in the middle of no where and it didn't look like hardly anyone was home. The 5th house we rang the csengő for was golden though! It was a dad, named Péter and he quickly invited us in and he even had his kids come listen as we taught about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration. It felt like a dream come true! ​

​It was an amazing experience and although the Hungarian was a little bit of a struggle, the spirit really helped and we are going back this week. We are so excited to teach this family and it is such a miracle the way it happened! Our second let in was just yesterday in an apartment building. It was a pretty interesting guy and he has 6 cats, who he told us the names of after he introduced himself haha. I'm not sure that he is quite as promising as Péter but hey, you never know, we shall see!

We had Sport Nap on Saturday as usual and it is seriously one of my favorites days, it's so fun! Our team crushed again in soccer and it was great. I headed the ball for one of the last shots and then it went right to Robi who made one of our last goals. Too fun!

All day yesterday, my companion and I, along with the elders spoke only Hungarian to each other! It was so hard at times but also so fun. We all have our own punishments so if we were caught speaking English we could get minus one point. My punishment was for every point I lost I couldn't eat Müzli for a day which they all know is my favorite cereal haha. I only slipped up once when the elders called us first thing in the morning before I was even out of bed and I was like "Why are you calling so early," and then I just heard Robi laughing on the other end saying "beszélsz angolul?" Oh man. Well I think that's about it for the week. 

Lots of love!!!

Sok ​szeretettel, Schoendorfer Nővér

Extra large Bible we bought for Ica

Interviews with the East Zone - Elders Roberts and Ure, Sisters Jarrett and Schoendorfer 

Full Moon - so beautiful

Tracting in Sostohegy

Old abandoned building that still has wallpaper on the walls in Sosto

Tracting Selfie

Farsang Games at the Branch House

Kristof always makes you smile!

Jarrett Nover, myself and Isabella

On P-day the Elders made breakfast - French Toast, my glass was an old hot salsa jar because the said they knew I liked spicy things, we also played frisbee, it was really fun!

Dinner out - it was so good!