November 4th

I'm gonna have to send this in two halves probably, but we'll see how far I get. I sent pictures first because pictures are great. Tons of crazy stuff this last week, most of it was awesome. The big thing was our zone conference (multi zone conference) in Budapest with Elder Teixeira (of the 70) and his wife giving the training.

The conference was absolutely awesome. Going into it I wasn't really sure what to expect except for the fact that I knew Id get to see a bunch of my friends from the MTC during the conference. But, it ended up just completely amazing. 

As missionaries, every day we are supposed to be trying to do the best we can, we study Preach my Gospel, we get trainings during district meetings and zone meetings, we learn a ton from our companions and personal experiences, and we learned a ton in the MTC. I will be honest, I was looking forward to a good spiritually uplifting experience, but I wasn't altogether too certain what all we could be taught outside of what we had already learned concerning missionary work. Now, I really was open to learning whatever they tough us, I just wasn't expecting the awesomeness that it ended up being. 

Leaving the conference I felt spiritually motivated to work with an eye single to Gods glory and I had multiple concrete things that I knew I could do to work on that. I learned a ton. And I had a good time and never felt like falling asleep during the whole conference.

Here is one small thing that I thought was neat. Fleas. Fleas like to jump, in fact all they do is jump. They jump and jump and jump. If you put a flea in a jar and screw the lid shut and then listen very closely, you can hear the flea jump into the top of the jar a few times, and then, silence. The flea has assimilated how high it jumps so that it doesn't run into the top of the lid. It jumps just high enough to barely not hit the lid. Then, if you carefully unscrew the lid, the flea will continue to jump at the same height. The flea is captive inside of an open jar. Don't live below your means! Don't put the jar lid over yourself and tell yourself you're not good enough. And don't ever keep yourself captive inside of an open jar.

On a related note, or unrelated, which ever you like, I read from some more Isaiah chapters in the BOM this week. But Ill talk about those and more stuff after our member present lesson with Lili.

 

Lesson with Lili was awesome! Talked about prophets and scripture reading, Lili is about to finish Mosiah and is flying through the Book of Mormon, way awesome. She also recognizes the spirit in her life, we gave her a blessing and she said she felt the spirit and she also said she feels the spirit when she reads from the Book of Mormon. I think she's gonna be super ready by the 16th for baptism.

Alright, back to where I left off, Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon:

So, I'm reading thru the BoM right now and I'm in the latter part of 2Ne where its still Isaiah chapters. Not gonna lie, I think there is some stuff that is hard to get/understand. But, I think I've still been able to gain a lot. One thing I noticed in the past few chapters I read, it repeatedly and repeatedly says "but his hand is stretched out still."

These Isaiah chapters are, to my understanding, speaking to the covenant people, the house of Israel (which we should remember also applies to us). At this time the people had been saved so many times by God, going back to when they were freed from Egypt, through many wars and much time. The people had continually been blessed and then after time ceased following Christ. Yet, always, His hand is stretched out. 

Throughout our whole lives, Christ will be there with us. Waiting patiently for us. He is always there with His hand outstretched. Whether it be through times of extreme grief and pain, of times of disbelief and doubt, for us or for other. Christ suffered for us, He just asks that we follow him and take his Hand and let Him guide us through this life.

I have had the opportunity recently to experience some incredible things. Its scary really, how real Satan is and how much he can influence. But, the important thing to know is that if we reach out to Christ he will lift us through it all.

In Hungary they celebrate Day of the Dead on the 1st of November. Its a really reverent and respectful thing, not like Halloween. Everyone goes to graves at night and lights candles on the grave stones and puts tons of flowers on them, its super impressive. But, as missionaries we had a rough day. Ended up with 7.5 hrs of finding time, not one lesson, just finding. I think that might be my first day like that so far on my mission. But we did work and pushed through and by the end of the week we had 7 new awesome investigators (This in a week where we were gone all day one day for zone conference and another day was Day of the Dead, and another day we spent a few hours at the Branch halloween party).

Another way awesome thing, there is a recent convert family here called the Puttonék. They're super awesome and we love visiting with them, they call me Snoopy. My whole 3 months here in Eger have been spent trying to get them to come back to church because they were offended pretty soon after they were baptized and quit coming to church. Well, Yesterday, for my first time in Eger, the Puttonék came to church! It was way awesome and exciting for them because they have a goal to go to the temple. They plan on continuing going to church, way awesome.

As you can see in the pictures, the branch halloween party was way awesome.

Quick note, running low on time, sorry. Next week I will be emailing on Tuesday because we have transfers next wednesday. I hope I'm not leaving Eger.

I think of all of you and appreciate all of your support.

Much love

Elder Shoop