June 1, 2014

A new town, a new view out our window.

The 'view' the other way -- our deck -- as big as our apartment.  We are on the level with the birds,
 but have not heard the Whippoorwill yet -- miss that whistle.

This week we met with this county’s Disabled Children’s Association, a potential ‘partner.’  It sort of seems like there is a disproportionate number of disabled institutions of one kind or another in this country.   It may be because those are the places we are looking for and visiting. There seem to be a lot of foundations (the government allows 1% of a person’s income tax to be allocated to a foundation), and, of course, with socialized government, the government funds everything, so it’s all underfunded! 
 

We attended District Meeting with the elders and were very impressed with them, their leadership and concern for branch members.  We then walked with them down this pleasant pedestrian street to inspect their apartments (by assignment) and took them a meal as a reward. That's the back of Sharon.
 

On the side of this street is this Cultural Center.  The posted schedule ended this weekend so we’ll have to watch and see if there’s something that’s not all Hungarian.  Maybe the language of music!

On Friday we drove to Pécs, a town about 50 miles south – beautiful, green valleys, villages and fields on the way.

Drove through small villages with homes right to the road.

 We even saw a ‘mountain.’   The highest point in Hungary is 3,326 ft.  This is not it!

 Almost a forest.  Could be Seattle, Utah, the East or South.

We pulled off to take a picture of this man and his horses and cart.  He was in a uniform and turned in to a building where there was a big group of uniformed men – a ceremony of some sort was about to happen.

Again by assignment we were to inspect the three missionary apartments in Pécs, so we went in time to attend their district meeting and get acquainted with those missionaries.  Great missionaries.  The missionary work is in good hands.   Afterwards the missionaries ordered two 60 centimeter pizzas to share together.  We ate the hugest slice of pizza ever before hurrying to an appointment at a nearby hospital clinic, another potential ‘partner.’

Afterwards we walked through the large town square to get to the missionary apartments.

You can’t see, but the yellow building is a McDonalds.  No town should be without one! Their architecture in Hungary is much more interesting than in America.

Leonardo da Vinci’s horse.  It was commissioned in Milan, Italy but not finished before he died.  It was intended to be the largest equestrian statue in the world.  Five centuries later, da Vinci’s designs were used to complete the statue.  This is a replica advertising a da Vinci art exhibit.

We miss all our walking (exercise) that we got easily and daily in Budapest just going on the public transportation to appointments – and any where we went.   Here, it’s a nice, short walk to the branch house – but not really exercise.  How many times a day can we climb our stairs?   So Saturday we walked to buy groceries – and saw these two churches on the way – gates were locked.  Sorry about the steeple.  It was either the steeple or the front door.

Thursday we went with the elders to visit Marta, a branch member who is a fairly recent convert.  One set of elders had helped her pit cherries the day before and she promised them fruit soup.  Fruit soup is a Hungarian favorite, served as an appetizer.  She had fresh cherries, fresh strawberries from her garden, but had made peach soup – and the missionaries downed it all.  After losing her mother, who she cared for, she didn’t go out of her little house for two years – but she grows all her own food and raises chickens and preserves them.   She had 3 freezers – unusual for Hungarians.   After finding the Church, she is very grateful for people in her life and wants to give of the little she has to others.

Today we had our branch president, President Balint and his wife, Dori, for lunch so we could get to know them better.   She has been a member for about 6 years and introduced him to the Church.  What a great young couple – strong testimonies.  He has a BA degree, a master’s degree and is getting his accounting certification so he can be an accountant.  She finished her BA in English, and is now teaching English privately.  She hopes to get her master’s so she can be an interpreter or teach in a school.  

There were a few more people at church today.  We were asked to be a visiting teacher and home teacher, so that will help us get to know some of the members.  We look forward to serving and loving these members and hopefully helping in some small way to build the branch.

We send our love and want you to know all is well here.  The Gospel is true in Kaposvár, Hungary even though the branch is small and the members are new and learning.