Best Week of My Mission So Far - Week 21 Update

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

Okay Yes, partly because I got to Skype my favorite people yesterday for Mother’s Day.  But I also was blessed with such an amazing week full of countless amazing experiences.  There wasn’t a day that went by where we didn’t feel God’s hand leading us to knock on certain doors or visiting specific less-active members.  I have such a testimony that if you push through and endure the hard times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  Great things come to those who wait!  And I know that the good times will not last forever and you will have to go through another tunnel, but that’s when you live in the now and enjoy today!  And yes, I am just full of cliche’s but they are definitely cliche’s that just so happen to be true!  

Anyway, so this week was solid. Every lesson we had went really good, we had a lot of people let us in from tracting, and just enjoyed ourselves and were happy while out working.  I think, actually I KNOW,  that’s the secret to it all; TO BE HAPPY.  And to be WILLING.  If you are both of those things, the Spirit will be with you and you will be able to accomplish great things!

Okay so a spiritual experience I had this week was when we had a program with this very Catholic man.  I don’t know if I have talked about him before, but every time when we would meet, he does the reading we ask him to read in the Book of Mormon, but then when it comes to discussing it, he goes into debate mode.  So when this week came around, I was very hesitant and confused as to why we were continuing to meet with him if he was not going to progress.  So I prayed about it and hoped we would figure out what to do once we met… Boy was my prayer answered!  So we went in planning to talk about Family History work because he is very interested in history and stuff.  

First, we had to go over Heavenly Father’s plan and about the family (it’s my absolute favorite thing to talk about because I have the strongest testimony about it!) The Senior Couple, The Howell’s, had also accompanied us and found a great Mormon Message video to go along with the lesson.  I had not watched it beforehand, which probably would have been a good idea!  It was a simple video, with a little girl singing “Families Can Be Together Forever” and the Spirit just hit me like a huge wave and I started bawling like a baby!  Because my family is the most important thing to me on this planet.  And I always feel so incredibly blessed when I think about each and every person I get to call family.  My companion nudged me and told me to go from there and I tried my absolute best to pull myself together, but it was no use.  Once the video was over, I shared a simple testimony about families and how lucky we are to have the chance to live with them forever and be able to do work for those who have already left this life.  The greatest part, was that I was not the only one crying like a baby!  The man we were teaching also had tears in his eyes, and in that moment I honestly believed we connected over our love for our families.  The Spirit was so strong during the lesson and I did not want it to end!  But I guess he really felt something too, because he came to church yesterday!!!  It’s the littlest things that can affect you in the long run.  I know that for a fact!  

With the talk of families, I got to Skype my family and I was so shocked at how strong I was when I had to end the calls.  Being away from them has been the hardest thing for me, but sacrificing only 13 more months to go serve the Lord and help the people in Hungary is well worth the wait!  

Love you all, and hug your family and never take them for granted!  They are the best gift God has given us.

Love you Lots!

Gertsch Nover 

Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be Alright!

Brooke’s contact info:

brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net 

1122 Budapest

Hajnoczy Jozsef utca 14

Hungary 

WEEK 20 (I was wrong on the week last week... Chris)

SZIASZTOK !

The month of May has finally arrived.  It’s crazy that I only have 1 more month until my 6th month mark!  Time needs to slow down a little bit.  Our days are starting to pickup, full of appointments and tracting, and by the end of the day, I feel like I am just laying down to go to sleep the night before!  And then my night of sleep feels only like 30 minutes. So I have come to the conclusion that TIME is so hard to wrap your head around!  I am in the groove of the mission schedule and the mission life and the aspect of time is really throwing me off!  Like today is already P-Day again, and I don’t feel like I have too much to write about!  This week was quick and fun and here’s what went down!

-ZONE TRAINING!

I got to see my best friend, Mason Nover once again!  We have been so blessed to be in the same Zone so that we can see each other throughout the transfer.  Stringham Elder was also transferred into our Zone so we were able to see him too. ( He was in the MTC fam-bam as well!!) 

The training went so well and I love getting a recharge and a refocus on the work.

-GIULIAN’S BIRTHDAY!! 

My amazing companion turned 20 this week, so we got pekseg (pastries) and put our make-shift candle in it and sang!  This picture is like our life summed up in a snapshot! We also went to pizza and accidentally ordered one of the biggest pizza’s I have ever seen (50cm) Don’t worry Mom… I’m not going hungry! haha

-MORMON HELPING HANDS

that was quite the experience, very different than at home!  Instead of planting flowers at the temple or the Middle school or fixing up the Folsom Zoo, we went in the forest along the Tisza River picking up trash.  Never have I ever seen so much alcohol!  Yes, I lived in a bubble!  But we just filled bag after bag with 1.5 liter bottles that stunk of alcohol - my least favorite smell I have come upon after being here.  Anyway, it was such a surreal moment, being in this beautiful green forest, in Hungary, with fun people, doing service.  Those moments are coming around so often and I am trying my best to engrave these in my memory!  Sister Howell also taught us how to whistle with a blade of grass, so I can now add that to my list of skills!  It’s cool to think of all my loved ones, at home, and on missions all over the world, doing Mormon Helping Hands and other service!  This church is so great!

-ERTEKES VAGY 

So this week we had a lesson with an investigator.  It was probably the best lesson on my mission so far.  She is basically already a member, just waiting for paperwork, so we decided to go back to the basics and talk about how we are all God’s children and how important each one of us are to HIm.  My companion brought this book called “ertekes vagy”, and in English, it’s called, “You Are Special”.  I totally remember growing up reading the book and having my mom read it to me, so it was definitely a walk down memory lane… in another country!!  haha.  The woman we were teaching offered to read it to us so we sat in front of her, like it was story time back in Kindergarten.  Her voice was so mother-like and soft and almost made me fall asleep.  I was so at home!  Highlight of my week.  Made me miss home, but if I was at home, how could I be meeting such amazing people and having these once-in-a-lifetime experiences?  

Márk and Klaudia, my little friends! we go and read with them every week. their parents are not members, but their grandma asks us to come help them each week! i love them so much. 

Well, those were the big events in my week.  The work is slowly picking up.  I am still working on my patience with the pace of it, but I know I am where I’m supposed to be and am waiting willingly for someone to be put in my path that I can help!  My wise momma once told me, “Trust in God’ plan.  He knows what He is doing.  Every single thing that is going on in every person’s life - especially if they are trying to choose the right - is a part of His plan and it will all make sense at some point.”  That is something that I LIVE BY because as hard as it is to hand over the steering wheel to someone else and just go with the flow, we aren’t just handing it over to anybody.  Heavenly Father knows us better than we even know ourselves and if we are living by His standards and do our part, just as the Bob Marley song says “every little thing is gonna be alright!”  

Have a great week, sending all my love from Hungary to you!  Thanks for being you and keeping me strong!  Wouldn’t know where I would be without your love and support!

Sok Szeretettel, 

Gertsch Nover

"I'm in the most beautiful country Momma!" Week 20 Update

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

Week 20 (I think I put the wrong week last week… - Chris)

"I'm in the most beautiful country Momma!" 

Okay, I am starting to understand what other missionaries have been warning me about how fast the time starts to go!!  Seriously felt like P-Day was like 2 days ago.  The idea of time never ceases to amaze me haha!

-This week, I had a lot of “oh my gosh, I’m in Hungary” moments and did my best to really soak in those moments and make them count!  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we went on splits again with the Sister Training Leaders, so we got to travel up to BUDAPEST!  I LOVE BUDAPEST!  It is so beautiful and was a much needed breath of fresh air and a change in the scenery!  We met with some great members and of course were fed extremely well!  By the end, I was excited to head home to my family and home back in Szeged!

The Parliament Building in Budapest

  The Szechenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest                        

- We met with a YSA (Young Single Adult), Gabor and his family this week and his dad is an expert fisherman and wanted to cook us a traditional Hungarian FISH SOUP.  He cooked it along the Tisza River so that was a glorious afternoon in the sunshine!!  I love sushi… and like Tilapia, and of course tuna fish (cooked) but other than that, I don’t really do fish!  And I had heard stories about how there were full-on fish heads and eyeballs in the soup, so it was a pleasant surprise to see none of that!  I have become so brave when it comes to eating and give the fish soup a thumbs up!  I can cross that off the list of things to try!

- On the topic of food, FAGYI, or ice cream, is my true love!  It can seriously lighten any day!  I do not have an ounce of regret as to how much Fagyi I consume, and will yet consume!

- A little tender mercy for the week was while we were tracting - We climbed up the 6 flights of stairs and I will admit, I did not have a huge amount of energy.  But we knocked on doors and took turns talking to people.  Halfway down the building, we met this girl and we got talking about how we were American and what we were doing here in Hungary.  Without hesitation, she asked us to come in and we had a totally solid conversation about the Book of Mormon and she took one and we are going to meet again next week.  We pray with all our hearts, each and every day, to find those that are ready to receive the gospel and have been prepared.  A lot of days, I am so impatient because they don’t run up to us and get in line!  And sometimes I get too excited too early and the people that I think may progress, end up not wanting anything to do with us.  BUT I will always stay hopeful and I will always stay positive!  I am in such an incredible country with the strongest and very influential church members and will patiently wait and work to find those that need the gospel.  

Teaching English Class - Teaching "Directions"

Thank you, always, for the love and support.  I am strengthened and able to do my best thanks to your prayers!  Sending my love to you all.

Have an amazing week!

Sok Szeretettel,

B 

Here's to growth! Brooke Gertsch - Week 15 Update

Brooke’s contact info - I know she would love to get updates on all of you as well!!! 

brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net 

Gertsch Nover

1122 Budapest

Hajnoczy Jozsef utca 14

Hungary

Another week here in the beautiful city of Szeged!  Honestly, I have never experienced such a beautiful spring in my life!  Here’s a quick rundown of this past week:

• I said “szia” (see-ya) to one of my pairs of shoes this week.  We went to go find a less-active that lived way out in the middle of nowhere and walked so far, the sidewalks disappeared.  So we walked a long way on the side of the road.  Turns out the address was wrong so we headed back towards the city for another program we had scheduled.  As I was walking along the road, I took a step in this big, huge mud puddle, and my entire foot was covered in mud.  We didn’t have time to go home and change shoes (or buy a new pair for that matter) so we ran down to the shore of the river which was right next to us.  It was quite the sight to see.  Definitely not one of my most functional and proud moments, but made for a great story.

• I finally got to meet the sweetest soul who’s name is JANKA!  She and I had met on social media before I left home and then she wrote us in the MTC and we got to teach her on Skype in the MTC too.  There was a Young Adult Conference in Szeged this weekend, so she came down and we got to hang out!  She is pretty much the coolest!

• I think I died and went to heaven.  After going to a dinner program with the Senior couple - Elder and Sister Howell - we were driving back and came upon this HUGE flower field.  A field of Cannola flowers.  They were nice enough to pull over so we could frolic in them and take some pics!  It was definitely an “I must be in Hungary” kind of moment!

• This week I also felt the transition of being a “greenie” or new missionary to NOT being a new missionary because I am on my second transfer!  AH!  One moment in particular, was extremely painful and I wish I could take it back, but of course, you can’t.  My companion was talking to an investigator about the Book of Mormon and I could tell that she was wrapping the lesson up, so I started to plan what I was going to say for the prayer, because 9 times out of 10, they call on me because I’m more quiet out of the 2 of us.  As I am thinking of things to say in Hungarian, all of a sudden all eyes turn to me, and I frantically look at my companion and she whispers to me, “testify”, and not one word comes to my mind.  Bearing my testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Christ is one of the only things I know how to do!  But for some reason, I was given a stupor of thought and immediately regretted letting my mind unfocused, even if it was for a minute or two.  I wish I could say i recovered, but I didn’t and couldn’t believe that I let the person we were teaching, my companion, myself and Heavenly Father down by not testifying of truth at that moment.  It made me realize and recognize how many opportunities I am given to bear witness and that I need to step up my game and step out of my comfort zone and be brave.  At first, after that experience, I let myself get upset and question if I can do this.  But instantaneously, I get this thought rush through me of “you live and you learn.  LEARN FROM THIS BROOKE!”  And honestly, from that point on, it has rejuvenated me and motivated me to push my boundaries.  I’ve learned that I never want to regret not speaking to people, so I have started talking to people when we go tracting (something I was too scared to do before) and always share my testimony, even if it is short and simple.

“We had an American Breakfast for dinner last night with Elder & Sister Howell and the Elders.  I WAS SO HAPPY!!!”

I love being a missionary for countless reasons.  But one in particular, is that life is so crazy!  Some days you step in mud.  Some days, you miss home a whole lot.  Some days you get frustrated because the language doesn’t come as fast as you want it to.  But being here on a mission, I have never felt alone or weak, to the point of giving up. 

With all your love and support back home AND help from above, I can do hard things!!! I am learning A LOT about PATIENCE and PERSPECTIVE.  You can say that it is the right way to live, but until you actually put it to the test, that is when you learn a whole lot.  I can’t wait to learn even more in the next year

Here's to Growth!!

- Gertsch Nover  

4 MONTHS ALREADY? Week 18 Update

4 MONTHS ALREADY?

Don’t get me wrong, I try my absolute best to “make the days count” instead of count the days.  But honestly, I cannot believe I have been gone for 126 days!  CRAZY!  And now we are at the end of the first transfer - in Hungary - and I have gained so much experience I would not have the opportunity to experience anywhere else!  

As I’ve said in my past emails, SPRING is definitely here in Szeged and I’m in love!! Flowers everywhere and so much green!  I don’t know why, but when the weather gets better, I get happier and so do others around me.  Apologies for all my flower pics - my camera doesn’t even do it justice!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:

We met with two amazing members - Kitti and Timi.  They are both Single Young Adults in our branch.  We met with them and had Rootbeer Floats.  Talk about missing home!  It’s nice having some foods that taste the same and the best people to drink it with.

STORIES FOR THE WEEK:

• Meeting the sweetest family - At the beginning of last week, we went out to a falu, or village, and got to meet with a family that lives far from Szeged.  I could say so much, but in short, they all have such a strong unity and it was amazing to see how strong there testimonies were.  Seriously, my testimony grows so much just from people like these that go through a lot and at the end of the day, still have a smile another face and a great relationship with God.

• So yesterday, we were trying to look up less-active members and were having no luck.  We randomly decided to tract this one building, and no one answered, except this old lady, and she let us in!  That doesn’t happen too often!  haha, so we came in (and she was so cute scooting around with her little walker).  As we got to the living room, there was another little old lady and it turns out they are mother and daughter.  We were guessing that the mom was definitely in her 90’s and the daughter late 70’s or 80’s.  They were so adorable !  It took about 2 minutes before they began to tell their life stories and both their husbands died and they only have each other.  It gets more precious.  We asked if we could share a scripture and they absolutely loved it and love God.  We gave the mother a Book of Mormon and when we told her it was free and our gift to her, she began to cry and said that she has never received such a special gift and began stroking it!  If only everyone had that reaction to the Book of Mormon!  It really IS such an incredible gift, to have God’s words here on the earth through his Prophets.  but yeah, so we finished the little lesson with the neni’s (Grandmas) with a prayer and in the middle of my companion’s prayer, one of them jumped in and started adding on to her prayer!  We were smiling so hard.  It’s little things like that and people like them that make me so thankful to be where I am!

TRANSFERS - 

And the news as to what I will be doing in the next two months is….. WE ARE BOTH STAYING IN SZEGED!  My trainer and I are staying together and we are so happy that we don’t have to say any goodbyes to our friends and our home here! 

 9 more weeks in the Sunshine City!  I couldn’t be more happy!

I love you all so much and hope you  have a great week!  Stay strong & healthy & safe.

Lots of Love from Hungary!!!

Brooke 

Ether 12:4

“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

Hello Spring! Week 17 Update

Hello from Szeged!

In all honesty, I was worried that this week, I would not have anything positive to write about.  I went a solid 4 days where all we got was rejection after rejection.  I am coming to the end of my first transfer, so this week I tried talking to more people and practiced with the language, too.  And it just so happened that as soon as I took a step out of my comfort zone, we began to get doors slammed in our faces (for the first time).  the first time -  I really tried my best to shake it off (my comp and I actually sang the Taylor Swift song haha).  But the second time, the man slammed it so hard that my heart dropped immediately down into my stomach.  I look back at those first few weeks when I thought getting no smiles back was hard!  I will be the first to admit that after that experience, I let myself get a little weaker.  I lost the drive and the energy, I usually have, and just kind of shut down.  i didn’t know what I was doing here, I felt like I wasn’t making a difference - just bothering people that were uninterested.  I started to focus on negative stuff and it is scary how fast the perspective can change when you let it.  The weather has been gorgeous this week and I hadn’t really even noticed because I was too busy being gloomy inside.  But here’s where the good stuff comes in-

Last week we had called a woman who was inactive in the church and she agreed to meet with us.  And after the long week I’d had, I was praying praying praying for a good moment to come around the corner.  And this lady was JUST THAT! When we came in and sat down, she immediately started to tell us about her life.  About why she left the church, about how she loves the Sister Missionaries … SCORE haha!  The entire time as she talked, I was overcome with such a strong sense of gratitude because although I still feel like I can’t speak much Hungarian, my understanding of what people are saying is growing each and every day.  As time passed, this woman continued to like, bear her testimony of how much she loves God and how important prayer is, and we could truly see that she has faith.  This woman was hurting so bad.  She is all alone, her family has nothing to do with her.  My heart broke as she continued to talk because you could totally tell that she just wanted to talk to someone! And we were so happy we could be that someone!!! As we went to share a spiritual thought, she opened to a random page in the scriptures and found a scripture on strength and freaked out and said, “That wasn’t me!”  we all started crying by that point.  She was so cute and continued to flip through the Book of Mormon to other pages and would find a scripture she (and I) needed to really hear.   It was such a testimony to me of the power of the Book of Mormon and how it is the word of God and can help anyone with any trial in their life.  I could go on and on about this experience!  Haha, she said she can totally see me doing something with writing in my future (? She may be a psychic?) It was just rejuvenating for me to go from wanting to be done, to watching someone’s spirit come out from hiding and to get her laughing and smiling again.  I don’t think I have felt the Spirit so strong while on my mission!  I know she may have needed us to come at that exact time, but I needed to go to her and learn from her, too!  It’s funny how that works!

Anyway, I LOVE this gospel and I LOVE being a missionary!  I am so thankful for the patience the Lord has for me when I crawl back in my shell and give up for a little.  But as soon as I start moving, He ALWAYS gives me opportunities to be strengthened.  And I know that does not just apply to me as a missionary, but to anyone throughout any walk of life.  He has felt every pain - whether it be the rejection of a door slammed in your face or feeling completely alone, and we don’t have to experience any of that on our own.  Aren’t we lucky?

 My heart is so full.

Then to end the weekend with 2 days of General Conference.  We actually watched the Saturday morning session at 6pm and then the Saturday afternoon on Sunday morning and so on.  So that was a different experience!  No PJ’s or pillows...but being here on a mission, I have never gotten so much out of a couple hours of listening to the leaders of the church!  Each talk  was full of so much relative inspiration for everyone and made me want to be such a better person in so many ways. 

Setting up for Conference at the Branch House 

I really really love this gospel.  Have I said that already?  I know I’ve already said that I love my Savior, but I could (and will) say that an endless amount of times.  Having the knowledge that I am never ever alone can get me through any difficult challenge.  And what’s really amazing is , that was what we were teaching that lady  I was talking about before.  I had no idea that by serving and teaching others, I would be the one learning as much, if not more, than the people we meet with!  

I hope you all had a wonderful week and enjoyed Conference too!  It was so much fun to watch the session live and to know my family was at home watching the same exact thing, as well as my friends out on missions too!  We are so lucky.  so, so lucky!  

Stay safe and happy!  

All my love,

Gertsch Nover