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| Little flowers in profusion. Are they in the daisy family? |
Happy American Mother’s Day to all the mothers in our lives. Thank you! Hope your day was memorable.
This week was another one to stay-at-home with desk work – mostly. The last projects that were approved are on
hold for the couple coming after us. So,
we are finishing up the ones we have been working on, closing out the paper
work and accounting details; hence, not many photo ops.
Of course, when we are here we attend teaching programs with
the elders and this week we went to several with each set of elders.
Saturday we left after lunch to Budapest to attend stake
conference. Stan attendied the Saturday afternoon priesthood leadership meeting and said they mentioned that 2/3 of the priesthood brethren in Hungary are less
active! That really validates the
thought that this country, like in the early days of the Church, is going
through its own growing and refining process.
The strong saints will become stronger and that kind of a foundation is
greatly needed for the future growth.
One focus of the evening session was on social media –
flooding the world with worthwhile and uplifting messages. The Europe Area goal is to double the
activity level, and there was a very enlightening discussion and demonstration of
all the possible Church events to which we could invite others. Yes, we know all these events, but the
enlightening part was when it was actually shown on a calendar – baptisms,
blessings, ordinations, talks, RS activities, YW and YM activities, YSA, FHE,
(non) farewell and homecoming talks, camps, father-son events, etc. The calendar was quite full of
possibilities. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is
manifest. D&C 84:20)
Sunday morning we were visiting with elders and I looked over
and did a double take, thinking a woman looked familiar. She was!
It was Cami Buhman. She and her
husband, Jeff, lived in the Pleasant View 6th Ward in her parents’ (Kirk
and Carol Waldron) home while they were serving a mission. The Buhmans and friends were on a trip to
Prague, Budapest and Vienna. It truly is
a small world! How fun to see someone
from home and reconnect.
We were reminded Sunday about the importance of family
history. Any work done in the temple is time well spent, but receiving
ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the
temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received. (Elder Richard G. Scott) We are committed to go home and get involved
in family history!
President Smith (mission president) spoke and shared a couple
of missionary miracles: 1) two elders
had been knocking on doors unsuccessfully for an hour. They stopped, evaluated what they were doing,
prayed, and as they said “Amen,” someone tapped one on the shoulder and asked
if they were Mormon missionaries. “Can
you teach me,” he asked. “I met with the
missionaries in another country and since coming here, I haven’t found them.” 2) A
man was very down and discouraged. He
decided to pray and ask God to help him.
He finished and picked up the Bible and it opened to Revelations
3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. . .”
Just then there was a knock at the door. He opened it and saw two young men. Without saying anything he invited them in. Surprised at the reception they asked him who
he thought they were. He said, “I was
praying to God asking for help and I think you have been sent by Him to help
me.” They were blessed to teach and
baptize this man.
President Southwick used the analogy of Simba in Lion King.
Simba, who was the son of the king, was led away by his evil and
jealous uncle and taught ‘Akuna Matata’ – no worries. Just enjoy life; eat, drink and be merry (see 2 Nephi 28:7-8). Simba
finally came to himself, learned that it was his uncle who had killed his
father, had a mighty change of heart and then he fought for all that he had
before and for his right to be the king.
We are all children of a King! Now we want to watch Lion
King again.
Did you know that smiling releases more endorphins to your
brain than 2,000 chocolate bars? We also
learned that at stake conference! This
is a happy stake; we have many blessings.
Show it by smiling.
We returned home Sunday afternoon arriving only minutes
before the elders came to have their time to Skype their families for Mother’s
Day. Of course, they all had enjoyable visits and we
got to say a quick hello to their families.
We then had dinner – as close to Café Rio as possible here.
Then President Balint came over to discuss the details of the
upcoming YSA activity next weekend. And we
learned that the branch, being filled with mortal human beings, has had a bit
of drama the last couple of weeks. We
just hope and pray that this young, 26-year-old president does not get overwhelmed
with these issues as he tries to counsel, direct and continue in his own
full-time work and study as a student.
Oh, how imperfect we as human beings are. Hopefully, as we err and stray from the path
we grab hold of the iron rod and pull right back on because wickedness never was happiness and happiness
comes only when we are on the strait and narrow way being obedient and daily adding
to our testimonies line upon line, precept upon precept.
