December 28, 2014

We enjoy watching for 'creative' translations.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas with family and friends.  Ours was relatively quiet and nice.  We had Christmas Eve dinner with the elders.  

They gave us a Rummykub game, so of course, we enjoyed playing – one of our favorite games. 

Christmas morning the elders came over for a late breakfast/brunch of palicsintas.  These are really Hungary’s version of crepes – filled with eggs, fruit and whipped cream, bananas and Nutella and/or peanut butter or jam.  They may have tried them all.  We didn’t do very well with pictures, but this one was near the end – fruit mixed with whipped cream, “sort of like ice cream,” Elder Roberts said.

We played a few games afterwards, but the elders had some invitations, so didn’t stay long.  Two of them returned later to Skype with their families. 

Within the day or two around Christmas we were also able to Skype or talk to our mothers and children and grandchildren.  We so love each of you and miss you this Christmas season.  We are here missing you because we hope we are helping to spread the message of Christmas – the gospel of love, hope and peace – to these of Heavenly Father’s children in Kaposvár.

We mentioned before that in Hungary Mikulás puts candy in children’s shoes the night of December 5^th and they celebrate St. Nicholas Feast Day on the 6^th.   Then on Christmas Eve, the family is typically together.  Their tree is decorated, if possible without children, so that when it is finished it can be shown to the children.  The gifts are added.  The family gathers for a dinner, typically of fish, pork and cabbage.  After dinner and the singing of carols, gifts from the Christ Child are distributed to the children. 

Christmas Day and the day after are holidays – for visiting family near and far.  All businesses are closed.  In fact, we took a walk downtown on Friday and. . .

‘Twas the night after Christmas and all through the town

Not a business was open; the entire town was shut down.

The streets were so quiet; hardly a man was about,

If we saw one, “Jó napot,” we greeted and received back a pout! 

The weather has been lovely.  Yes, it is winter, but it has been rather ‘balmy’ – high 50’s and even into the 60’s some days.  We have even taken walks without coats.  That ended today!  The temperature plummeted last night; and we awakened to a bit of snow this morning.  

During church it continued to lightly snow – enough to stay on our ‘nose and eyelashes.’  Currently, the temperature is 28ᵒ, but with the wind chill factor, it feels like 17ᵒ.  There is promise of sun tomorrow and temperatures will rise all the way up to 30ᵒ.

What a week to be ‘grounded.’  Because of the little mishap with our car last week – that we have discovered is not a minor offense in Hungary, we are not to drive (or talk about it) until authorities – country and church – give their permission!

We did have home evening on Monday with a good turnout – 6 investigators; and then on Friday evening we had Young Single Adults with good attendance again.  Saturday afternoon we received an emergency call and went to help a member move belongings out of a couple of rooms in their home to a friend’s home(a brother owns part of the home and doesn’t want anything in ‘his’ rooms.)  Then in the evening we visited a part-member family with the elders and had a nice visit and message. 

 

As mentioned, this has been a rather quiet and calm week.   We did have more at Church today than expected (with the snow) because we had 7 visitors, but some of our stalwarts were not there.  This week will be another quiet one.  Missionaries have another 48-hour P-day (holidays with everything closed again) because of New Year’s.  

At the end of 2014, may we thank all of you, our family and friends, for your love and support.  We especially thank our Savior for so many blessings in our lives.  We have so very much for which to be grateful.   We look forward to 2015, the opportunities, adventures, relationships and blessings; and we pray that you will each have an abundance of these also in your lives. 

Boldog Uj Evét Kivanok!

We wish you a Happy New Year!

or ‘BUEK’ as they say