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 

******************

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

Cool building in Budapest

Benson Nővér 

Prayer is such a powerful thing!

Brooke’s email - brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net 

Week of 10/24 - 10/30

Sziasztok everybody!!

Busy week.  We were in Budapest the beginning of the week for Zone Training and splits with the Sister Training Leaders.  LOVED spending time with other fellow missionaries and learned a lot from them.  While on splits, I got to teach the Plan of Salvation in a donut shop.  Haha.  Doesn’t get any cooler than that!  

^^ In Budapest for Zone Training 

^^ Happy Birthday to my favorite - Mason Nővér

We had this movie night, where we watched “Meet the Mormons” at the branch house and guess who showed up. GÁBOR! We were so happy he came and I love that movie so much and Gábor told me he felt something special while watching it.  So that is a step in the right direction!  Meeting with him again at the end of the week. 

Also, thought I would share a quick though I had from my personal study this week:

The grace of God is and always has been pretty hard for me to completely understand. How is it that time after time, we make mistakes and fall short, yet in the end, God is always willing and there to pick us back up?  It really just comes to show how unconditional His love is for us.  The actual definition of grace is - "the divine means of help or strength and enables those who receive it to do and be what they cannot do and cannot be on their own."  And that is SO applicable for me right now.  Here I am, just a 20 year old American girl, trying to speak Hungarian and talking to random strangers about this blue book (Book of Mormon) But each morning, I wake up with a new-found motivation and when the hard moments come, I am given so much strength and comfort.  I know for certain that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for God’s hand, His grace, helping me every step of the way. 

ETHER 12:27 

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will i make weak things become strong unto them.” 

^^Brooke in front of her apartment building

Sorry for the short email and delay.  P-day was a little different due to some holidays here.  More stories to follow next week!  I will be writing again in a couple of days!

Have a great week, sending you all my love!

Sok Szeretettel,

Gertsch Nővér

*******************************************************

November 7th

^^The caption Brooke sent me for this photo is “HAPPY!!” 

Well, first and foremost - PRAYER IS SUCH A POWERFUL THING!  There had been so many slow weeks for my companion and I.  Lots of doors knocked on, lots of people not interested.  Through it all, I prayed for strength to keep going. To keep finding. To not lose hope!  God definitely answered that specific prayer and I have made it to where I am today thanks to Him.  Our friend Gábor was also another answered prayer as well.  Like I said in my last email, Gábor came to our movie night for “Meet the Mormons” and totally loved it.  We were worried before that he could possibly not be super serious because is always so busy.  But he made time to come to that and called us, asking to meet this week again.  So we met with him on Thursday and taught him the Plan of Salvation - my favorite!  And everything went so well and he really was so accepting of it all.  I could go on and on for days about the lesson, but all in all, he definitely feels like one of those people who has been prepared to hear the Gospel.  He just wants something to believe in and a reason for why he is here.  And lucky for us, we can share the gospel with him and help him find the answers he is looking for.  

^^ The Plan of Salvation 

Being a missionary is SO cool, I cannot even begin to tell you.  The answers to prayers doesn’t stop there.  A member in the branch had a friend they referred to the missionaries and it is their sweet  young girl in her 20’s and she lives in our area, so we are going to start teaching her as well!  Within a WEEK our work has picked up and I am so very thankful!  God is Good!  No… He’s not good, He’s the BEST!!! 

^^and this is what I mean whenever I talk about "csengő's” haha

Also… I was back in Budapest this weekend for Stake Conference and it was a lot of fun and a whole lot of Hungarian, haha!  I love this language.  And I love these people.  I love this chance I have to be serving and am growing in more ways than I thought possible.  

^^ Budapest 

I love you all very much and am thankful for you!

Sok Szeretettel,

Gertsch Nővér 

^^ Fall in Dunaujvaros 

Short letter - lots of pictures!!

The holidays are coming up… It will be Brooke’s second Christmas away from home.  I know it would mean a lot to her to have lots of mail during the holidays!  Here is her contact info and mailing address in case you would like to send her a note for the holidays!  I know she loves pictures and would love to get christmas cards!  Letters take a few weeks to get to her… but they go to the mission home first and then only get to her when someone from the Mission home is traveling to their area. 

-Chris (Brooke’s Mom) 

Brooke’s email - brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net

Mailing address:

1122 Budapest

Hajnóczy József utca 14

Hungary

^ Another statue!  This one says “Good Luck”  

The beloved transfer day has come! It is so funny that we all spend so much time stressing about what is next, when really I have so much faith in my mission president and my Heavenly Father and every call I have ever gotten was exactly what I needed. So this email will be shorter because we dont have too much time! 

TRANSFER CALL: 

I will be staying in Dunaújváaros another transfer with my adorable companion, Hooper Nővér!!! 

At first I was very shocked to be staying yet another transfer, but after being able to sit back and look at the situation, I was not ready to leave. I have so many people here I love so much and know that they still need my help! And I know that there are people I have yet to find that need me too. So all in all, I am extremely excited to see what these next two months have in store for me! Duna can't get rid of me yet! haha I apologize for it being short this week, but here are a few pictures that sum up the week! 

^^ Zone Day!! - Dunaújváaros Zone earned this day by meeting goals set by our Mission President. We watched the Lego Movie and played a bunch of games - one being "Box of Lies" from the Jimmy Fallon show. 

^^ Don’t worry… I didn’t lie to Sister Szabadkai. 

^^In the final round with Elder Miller.  I didn’t think he was lying…. so he won!

^^ Sword fight 

^^ Dunaújváaros missionaries before transfers.  Jensen Elder, Hooper Nővér and myself will stay here in Dunaújváaros.  

Miller Elder has now been called to be the AP.  

^^ These two nénis are my best friends. they sit out in front of the apartment building talking every day. Many days we sit outside and talk with them! SO happy I dont have to leave these two!!!

^^ new found love- coconut chocolate milk. I seriously go and buy one at the store every day

^^ A fall day in Duna

Sok szeretettel, 

Gertsch Nővér

10 MONTHS

10 MONTHS

I most definitely am in denial that this is a thing.  The fact that 10 whole months are gone is just incomprehensible.  And I hear that from here, it just goes faster and faster, so I am trying my very best to enjoy every minute of it!

^kürtös kalács - famous yummy Hungarian bread we got at a festival ^

One of these moments was this week while tracting we tracked a few buildings and nothing.  We kept going.  We did one csengő and were buzzed in before I even said anything into the intercom.  So we climbed up the stairs and from the top, a precious little néni poked her head out of her door.  When we go up to the top of the stairs, we started telling her we were missionaries and she just stared at us with this bewildered smile and then I realized that she was not  understanding us so we sat there for a minute just smiling (and almost laughing) and then finally she loudly told us that she could not hear us because she was deaf in one ear.  So she turned around and thought it was the end of that.  But then she turned back around and signaled for us to come in.  She then put in her hearing aid and we stood in her little living room - stood - for almost an hour!  Usually if we get a let-in, we don’t; get much in, but this néni let me talk about why we were here and then about the Book of Mormon.  When she went to hand it back to me.  I told her it was hers to keep and her face lit up and she pulled me in and gave me a big fat kiss on both of my cheeks!  (She also is 85 years old and so energetic, just thought I would throw that in here!) She promised she would read it and we are gong to go back this next week to follow up and see what she thinks about it!

 Elder Miller got a car!  Now we get lots of rides - so blessed!  haha

Just one of the many moments that gives me so much gratitude for having the chance to be a missionary here in Hungary and to befriend cute little néni’s like that one!  This coming week is th last week of the transfer, so next P-day could be a different story!  We will just have to wait and see.  

^This is one of our less-active members, Éva.  I love her with all my heart.  She was the néni that was in the hospital that we would visit

^Some members we meet with - Mother and daughter, both named Marika.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!

Have a great week!

Sok szeretettel,

Gertsch Nővér

Brooke Gertsch Mission Update - Fall has arrived in Hungary!!

Brooke’s Contact info:  brooke.gertsch@myldsmail.net

Week of 9/19 - 9/25

Fall has finally arrived and I am happy as can be! No More Sweating!!!  This is my favorite weather and I just feel like being outside all day, instead of taking 5 showers or sitting gin the fridge, haha!  So we survived the summer, officially!

This week we met with one of my favorite members in the branch, Rózi néni.  She is seriously one of the sweetest people I have ever met and has the strongest testimony.  She is such an example to me of what a great missionary is.  She is always helping the missionaries and sharing the gospel with others.  If I can become half the missionary she is, I will be happy.  

My companion and I are working harder on talking to everyone!  My uncle sent me a very impactful email last week that really helped me to see things in a different light.  It was full of some really great reminders:

- “If you want to be a good missionary, you have to do what good missionaries do.  It’s that simple.”

-  “You have to approach missionary work understanding that the Lord’s sheep hear his voice”

- “Expect miracles… He will blow your mind.”

So thank you Uncle Aaron for the reminders.  I have the greatest support system that I get to call FAMILY and words of advice and motivation come at the perfect time!

The Sister Training Leaders came to Duna for splits and it was so much fun to be training and to have my trainer there, too.  It was like a 3-generation little party.  Going on splits with them is always so beneficial because they are so talented and skilled and I always end splits with them ready to go out and try new things!

Another really cool thing I have been experiencing has actually been during personal study.  After being out here for over 9 months, a lot of things just become routine.  In the morning I would say a quick prayer and then read the Book of Mormon.   It was always good because, of course, it’s the Book of Mormon.  But this week, my prayers became a lot more real and sincere and I asked Heavenly Father to help me get more out of my personal reading and study time.  Without a doubt, every morning since I have made that change, I read verses that I really needed to read and feel the Spirit so much stronger.  It’s such a great way to start off the morning.  

Out here on the mission, I have heard a saying and I’m not sure who said it, but it is so true!  It’s something like… “when we want to talk with Heavenly Father, we pray to Him.  But when He wants to talk with us, He speaks through the scriptures.”  So it is so important that we really focus and open our hearts while reading them so we can fully receive what it is He is trying to tell us, because He ALWAYS wants to talk to us!  

So that was my little spiritual thought for the week, haha!

I love you all so very much!  You are always in my thoughts and prayers.  Stay safe and happy!

Sok Szeretettel,

Gertsch Nővér