Hello Happy: A Whole Bunch of Tender Mercies!

With the holidays right around the corner… Brooke would love some extra emails to help her though Christmas away from home!!

She would love a quick email or a Christmas card!!

brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net

Brooke Gertsch

1122 Budapest

Hajónczy József utca 14

Hungary

November 8-14 (Week 46)

Going to start this one off by talking about a challenge given to us by Elder Alder, a member of the seventy who is from Germany. He was at Stake Conference last weekend and asked all of us missionaries to bear our testimonies at least 3 times a day. My comp and I accepted the challenge and immediately started to see a difference in ourselves as well as the work. No matter what it was - teaching a lesson, talking to somebody on the street, or tracting - we were giving our testimonies of why we are here and about Christ and people could not reject it. They may have not been interested or taken a book, but they listened - and I prayed my absolute hardest that they could feel God’s love from our words.

Bowling on P-day

Little tracting story -

We were in a 10-story building and had gotten through half the building. We rang the doorbell and these obnoxious dogs started barking. My comp and I are not the biggest fan of these because they almost always end in the person shutting the door super fast or us having to yell over the barking. Nem Köszönöm! I jokingly told my companion to say a little prayer and that this was going to be “THE ONE”. (but we actually both DID say a little prayer) and this old man opens up the door and looks at us with big, wide eyes. we got to talking with him about God and then the Book of Mormon. I immediately jumped on the challenge and bore my testimony of it’s truth and then he wanted to know more about our church. My companion then bore her testimony and I firsthand saw a change in his demeanor, and his eyes softened. All she said was that this book helped her and has made her happy and I really do believe that the Spirit was testifying to his man in that very moment. He took a book and was so very kind. I am not sure what will come from it all but that was a miracle for me.

Lesson learned - Don’t let the barking scare you away! And always bearing your testimony is such a good thing!

So, yeah, life is good. We started teaching that girl, Léna this week! I have never met a more prepared person on my mission. Not only is she extremely accepting of it all, but she has such a desire to learn more and she is moving so quickly in the right direction! I kid of feel like I knew her before this. It’s weird, but it’s a feeling and I take it as a sign and am going to do all I can with the time that I have left to help her.

Also, the Sister Training Leaders came to Duna and we made little hedgehogs out of grapes and potatoes. I love Schoendorfer Nővér so darn much. Always a party!

AND a member, Józsi Bácsi took all of the missionaries out to a early lunch for “Thanksgiving”. We had a whole lotta GOOSE and it was so good. He is the kindest soul. A holiday on my mission I know I will never forget!

Well, that is all for this week. It’s crazy how fast time is flying. I really can’t decide how to feel about it!

NAGYON, NAGYON HÁLÁS VAGYOK. (I am very, very thankful)

Until next week!

fell asleep during study time

Sok Szeretettek,

Gertsch Nővér

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November 15-21 (Week 47)

District Christmas Picture

Another week down, and I seriously have no idea how I am sitting her writing this email yet again! I experienced so many miracles this week, I know know if I can fit all into one letter. All I can say is that when you keep on going and give the Lord all you’ve got, He is right there next to you helping you and blessing you with a whole bunch of tender mercies.

FINISHED READING THROUGH THE BOOK OF MORMON AGAIN! Can I just say how much I love that book?? No matter what I am going through, I open it up and read exactly what I needed to hear and am comforted and strengthened. Makes going out and sharing my testimony of it that much easier when when it helped me that very morning! And as I was finishing the book of Moroni, I got to the part where it was taking about miracles. And what I found, I had read plenty of times before, but it hit me as I read it again and everything clicked. He said, “for it si by faith that miracles are wright” And then Christ said: “if ye will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.”

OH FAITH… so incredibly basic, I know. But i really do believe that it’s the answer. A while back, I was so confused as to why I was so ready and willing, but not really finding anyone to teach. I thought I had so much faith. I mean, I most definitely did, but it was being tried. Ad I’m so thankful for the trying period because it has only strengthened my faith and I have began to witness so many miracles as a result. Each day as we tract, we are finding people, or at least one person that will listen. Sometimes all I have to do is smile at someone walking by and they stop, thinking we know each other from somewhere, and we get to have a conversation with them. I feel the Lord’s hand working through me everyday.

TEACHING LÉNA!! We met with our new progressing investigator again this week. We talked about baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end and it was probably one of my favorite lessons. She is so accepting of it all but still has a hard time believing in something she can’t see. There were so many times during the lesson, where she would say something and it was exactly what I had experienced before my mission, so I was able to share my feelings and help her see things in a different light. It’s a really cool feeling being able to connect like that. Makes me realize that there are no coincidences in this work! We also asked her about baptism and she said YES. She didn’t choose a date yet, because she wants to learn a little bit more, but she said YES! SO EXCITED FOR HER!!!

My lil BFF Hajni

Well, with all of the success we have been finding, it’s so frustrating how quick Satan jumps into the situation with feelings of of inadequacy and fear. Haha, this whole mission thing is not so easy. Sometimes it is so hard to push thought those feelings and keep going. It’s such a rollercoaster and sometimes hard to keep up. But a friend to here on the mission once told me “we didn’t come here to do to do the easy thing”. Christ didn’t come to the Earth do do the easy thing. What an example He is to me. I’m so thankful for Him and for the opportunity I have to ride this rollercoaster.

Hae a great Thanksgiving, missing you always and you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Sok szerettettel,

Gertsch Nővér