Elder Jake Hough, 2/11/19--week 29

"I just love it when they die on me"

SZIAAAAAA AGGGGIIIEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!

I mourn with you all in the patriots victory. The good news is, there will always be another year, another chance, and another opportunity. But in the famous words of Korg "Another day, another doug." We move forward in hope.

This week was a doozy. Let me tell yall, it was nuts. First off last pday after the last email session I took my beloved companion Beck Elder to the most beautiful part of Tatabánya: The famous Madár Turul (giant bird statue). Its also the only beautiful thing in Tatabánya but it sits regally on the mountainside for all to see everyday, so we just had to go this pday to ensure he saw it, and so I could say my goodbyes. Fun fact it is actually the biggest bird statue in EUROPE, so that is saying something! There will be pics below for reference. But yeah, that was fun to return once more and to get those madár pics. You can never get enough of those. It is actually a memorial for the 1000 year anniversary when the hungarians were led by this giant bird aino the carpatheian basin, and fought for this land in the battle of banhida (section of town weve tracted a ton). So its a pretty dope thing they got. Then we visited the barlang (cave) and the lookout tower that are all on the mountain in that national park area, and that was jsut really good hike, felt good weather was good, it was awesome. I will dearly miss it.

Secondly, we taught a progressing investigator who was an engineer and nath teacher about my FAVORITE lesson from the missionary lessons, and the most peace bringing doctrines that I feel we have in this church, and that was the Plan of Salvation (A Szabaditás Terve). He is pronounced aethiest as well, but as we talked about this lesson, the points contained therin about how we are Heavenly Father's Children spiritually, and he loved us so much that he created this earth so we could be like him, learn, and grow, and he sent his son to take and suffer for all of our sins and struggles so that he may help us when it gets really hard, and that was for EVERYONE, and how we will live again because of this atonement, and we have the opportunity to live with Heavenly Father and Christ after this life if we follow him and are baptized by proper authority, this man, very opinionated, became quiet, and he was very reflective. He especially loved the resurrection because he cant use half his body from a stroke, but his countenance changed, and he wanted to believe and know it is true, and he said BOTH prayers for the lesson. It was awesome. I love this dude jsut cause I relate to his interests but I jsut love his faith. Whether he knos its there or not I see it and its awesome. That was a powerful lesson for sure.

Now, I would like to say that I really DONT enjoy it when people die on me, but the story goes that there is a member that lives in a falu out in the middle of no where in Hugnary, but was on our church registry, and was not active or returning member, so we made the travel plans to go out to this city, and to look him up. It would be about an entire days joourney, no telephone number to verify he lives there at the given address, no google maps, so yeah. Piece of cake. But we get out there in really good time and start walking down the road, out of town...and out of town....and out of town until literally we are NO WHERE. WE were in the wilderness wlaking through the hills of hungary, and it was crazy. We go down this road, and see houses finally, and there is a barn that is leaing to one side and about to crash down, there are houses ith windows broken out and no one living there, jsut abandoned looking. Dilapidated. And we were like "Whhhhere are we?" It was pretty surreal, but we had to find this member, who had lost sight of the tree of life, and was in the darkness but didnt realize he was jsut 2 feet from the iron rod. We HAD TO FIND HIM! We find someone, ask them about the address, and he says no idea. Great. Shake his 3 fingered hand and gave thanks, walked back the way we came. Serached for a couple more hours of walking and trudging through the mud and nothing...We were getting to the point where we were like welp this was a great use of time lets go home so we dont get stranded here when we finally, FINALLY find the house. It was the last house on the street, and so we excitedly and with new energy stroll through the mud over there to the house, and we greet the man there. hes polite we ask where this person we are searching for is and he says "Well kids, sorry. This guy died 12 years ago. I bought this house from him"

........

Huuuuuuuhhhhh. And that was that. the guy died. And we had no way of knowing, but now we know, and we can tell the other missionaries that come DONT GO TO SÚR, there is nothing there for you but sore legs and mud. So yeah. that was that. We still felt good we had exercised our faith to find this dude, but that wasnt in the Lords plan I guess. We got home in time as weel which was a whole nother miracle. But that was the week! It was pretty action packed and we are doing great here in the city of Tatabánya, the promised land of Hungary. I love it here and the days are literally flying by its super sad, but I guess that happens when you find the groove.

Love yall! Have a great week! Sziasztok!

Hough Elder

also my email address is changing tomorrow to jacob.hough@missionary.org, due to the emphasis on the name of the church (you can read the talk about the correct name of the Church from our prophet President Nelson HERE) and so thought Id throw yall a bone so if you ever wanted to email me, you wouldnt get confused if I didnt respond. It wouldnt be cause I dont like you, but more because the email changed. But the first one is also a possibility. ;)

Also because I love yall and its valentines day this week, here are a ton of pics. Enjoy at your own pace!

Love this one! I thought it was a statue at first. :)