August 3, 2014

Typical slice of pizza -- not always with broccoli, but ALWAYS with corn!

This was a sort of stay-at-home week.  Three times this week we went with the elders to villages outside of Kaposvár to visit less active members or to find less active members – which was not very successful.  

We had a referral for a humanitarian project at a hospital in Nagykanizsa, a town about an hour and a half away from here, so we went there one day.  The lady we met with was very gracious.  She showed us around the hospital.  she invited us to lunch in their cafeteria.  The director of the pediatric wing gave us a tour.  A few years ago they received a government grant to add an emergency wing.  The doctor in charge spent time showing us that new area.  He was very proud of their updated computer, security and records systems.  In every room, he made mention that there were enough outlets and power to use any and all machines necessary.  We realized that is probably not possible in most of these very old hospitals.  The hospital would be considered plain (or dated) by American standards, but it was very clean and very well kept, and the staff seemed to be very efficient, helpful and caring.

Today at church, we had 11 visitors from Germany -- a family of four and seven young adults -- all vacationing at Lake Balaton, about an hour from here.  Kaposvár is the closest meeting for them to attend.  The German family in our branch was there today.  He only speaks German; she speaks some English and some Hungarian, but it was wonderful for them.  In fact, because we had more Germans (the visitors all spoke English), and several who bore testimony, the meeting was mostly in English and translated into Hungarian.  So we understood without having an elder sitting next to us translated out loud during the meeting.  It was a wonderful meeting.  The visiting German family was there last week also, so we had invited them for lunch today.  We have just finished a delightful time with them.  He is the bishop in a Berlin ward and their son is on a mission in the Colorado Springs Spanish speaking mission.

In between all of this Sharon prepared 20 brightly colored fleece blankets to be tied as a service project for the stake Deacon Beehive activity tomorrow evening near Budapest. Stan spent time 'closing' the projects on paper and reconciling the accounting -- time consuming for each transaction and project.  Oh, and Sharon cooked food for our weekly family home evening and Young single Adults on Friday.  

What a rainstorm we had this afternoon -- a hailstorm, in fact.  But it will cool things down again and we'll take that any time.  It's just very sticky wet.

There's not much else to write about this week, so this will be the week to show some scenes around Kaposvár. 

One of the streetlights that has the countdown for the traffic, not the pedestrians, starts at 41 seconds.  The yellow light comes after the red -- sort of a 'ready, set, go' before the green light.  And go they do.  When it gets to this point, they know they can go!
 

Most mornings there will be street sweepers cleaning streets and sidewalks.

 This morning the Posta man let us take his picture. 

It is customary to leave anything you don't want (food, clothes, etc.) tied to or near the trash bin.  The Romas (Gypsies) will be happy to have it.  In fact, in the spring there is a two week period that you can do spring cleaning and put clothes (or whatever) out on the sidewalk.  After the designated time, the city will pick up whatever is not taken.  This year during that time there was much rain.  The piles of clothing were pretty ruined.  If garbage bins are not locked, the Romas will go through them for anything they deem worthwhile. 

Our city, like yours, uses summer for projects, like

replacing water lines, 

replacing sidewalks,

and more sidewalks,

and more sidewalks.

Roundabouts are very common in Hungary -- very efficient.  We love them.  They are used on the highways instead of traffic lights.  Many in Kaposvár have fountains in the middle, which are lovely. 

Speaking of fountains, we've been collecting photos.  Here are a few:

This one is in the center of the town square.

On the way to visit a member sister.

 A nice aerial view of Kaposvár city centrum -- very inviting.

Looking at the street a little closer this morning on the way to church, the flowers were 
beautiful.

Just look at all the flowers. . .

This week may we express our gratitude for our Savior's Atonement.  We finished the book, The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister.  It was amazing, education and humbling; and we feel like we are just beginning to understand and appreciate this amazing gift Jesus Christ gave to us:

• The Atonement gives purpose and potency to every event in history.
• The Atonement of Jesus Christ outweighs, surpasses, and transcends every other mortal event, every new discovery and every acquisition of knowledge, for without the Atonement all else in life is meaningless. 
• The Atonement is the lifeblood that quickens every gospel precept.
• Every attempt to reflect upon the Atonement, o study it, to embrace it, to express appreciation for it, however small or feeble it may be, will kindle the fires of faith and work its miracle towards a more Christlike life. It is an inescapable consequence of so doing.  We become like those things we habitually love and admire.  And thus, as we study Christ's life and live his teachings, we become more like Him.
• Our reception of the Atonement is the key to unlock these gifts of the Spirit (or endowments of godly traits) and all their enabling powers, for it is the Atonement that purifies us and prepares us to be eligible recipients.
• That is the whole purpose of life, the prime objective of the Atonement, to help us to return to Him and become like Him.
• One does not speak lightly of the Atonement or casually express its appreciation.

Like Alma, [we] cannot say the smallest part of which [we] feel.  Alma 26:16.