Hello Happy: ÁLDOTT VAGYOK (I am blessed) Week of 3/20

Brooke's email address: brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net

My mission President and his beautiful wife

I feel like I talk about it every single week, but he fact that the month of March is pretty much over is absolutely insane! Our weeks are so busy that it feels like 2 days and then it’s p-day again. As a missionary, you experience different types of exhaustion - mental, when you can’t speak the language and are trying every minute to understand people. Spiritual, when you get lost and kind of forget what you are doing here. Emotional, when homesickness gets the best of you and rejection hurts your heart. I am now currently only experiencing the physical exhaustion from the constant go, go, go. But as my companion and I push through the temptations of just sleeping, we have been rewarded with so many miracles. And going to bed is the best part of the day, because as I lay down, I know I did all I could to serve the Lord. What a great feeling, let me tell you!

Vékony Viktor is the branch president here in Nyíregyháza, and he was baptized by my Sunday School teacher from home, Brother Horrocks when he served his mission in Hungary! Such a small world!

We love bikes!!

ZONE TRAINING was this week. Dorny Nővér and I had to give a training on our power and authority as missionaries. The cool thing about having to do that is preparing and studying the topic and then personally learning so much. We found that as we do our best to be worthy and to humbly submit ourselves to the Lord’s will, that is the authority we gain, as we have been set apart. When we do that, we receive the power and the companionship of the Holy Ghost and can do anything. Best part of the Training was seeing President and Sister Szabadkai. They are my absolute favorites. I had to stay the night in the mission home because I had a doctor’s appointment, so we got to spend some extra time with them and had a good heart to heart and said family prayer with them and their daughter. It felt just like home, with family.

Selfie with the Szabadkai’s!!

I love to see my former companions!

Cool walls underneath the train station

SPLITS IN DEBRECEN. As a Sister Training Leader, we get to travel to other cities and go on splits with the sisters there. This week we went to the beautiful city of Debrecen and I got to go on splits with a new missionary, Tischner Nővér. She is so sweet and is already such a great missionary. So brave and loving. I learned so much from her.

Splits in Debrecen with Tischner Nővér

We also had a little miracle while tracting together. we rang a csengő and noticed that in front of this house, there was a bácsi sitting on the porch. I introduced myself and my companion and asked how he was doing. He then tried talking back, but something had happened to him and his tongue stuck out of his mouth as he talked. It was pretty much impossible to understand him. But I felt like we should keep standing there talking to him, so we did for another 10 minutes. I guess his wife had seen us patiently listening to her husband had she came out and invited us in. We then had an incredible lesson about Jesus Christ and the Atonement. Meeting them made me want to become a better person myself and I know that they needed the comfort and perspective our message gives. Splits miracles are fun!

Debrecen is one of the most beautiful and big cities in Hungary

Church building in Debrecen

THE POWER OF MUSIC - We have an investigator who chose a baptism date the first day I got to Nyiregyháza, and recently he has been experiencing a lot of temptations and trials as the day gets closer. So it has been hard, but we are trying our very best to help him push through and stay strong. We had this one idea to somehow incorporate music because for both of us, that’s how we feel the Spirit so strongly. Dorny Nővér is incredibly talented on the violin and I brought my ukulele and we just sat and sang/played for awhile and it was such a cool experience to see him completely let go of his worries and his soul at rest, even if it was just for a little. Music is so powerful and I firmly believe it is one of the best ways to feel the Spirit.

Well, this week was amazing . I love being a missionary. I love this gospel and would be lost without it. I am so beyond thankful to be here in the Hungary Budapest mission and for all the people this mission has given me the opportunity to make friendships with.

ÁLDOTT VAGYOK (I am blessed)