Elder Bryce Oakes: Week 2 in Debrecen

Things are going good here. I didn't get to email yesterday because I had training in Budapest. The train ride is like 3 hours one way, so it killed our pday.

Last week when I sent those pics the guys on horses wearing blue and black, were Hungarian cowboys. We went and saw them on our first pday.

My companion and I are doing alright. He goes home in like 3 weeks. He is really pushing the missionary work and wants to go out with a bang. We've skipped study time quite a bit, he says if we want to be good missionaries we need to make sacrifices and so study time is the first thing to go. Being new I really feel I need that time. Other than that, though, he is a pretty cool guy.

I still am spending a lot of time trying to clean the apartment we moved into. I feel strongly that if the living space is messy it affects study time which, effects the work.

Thanks for the pictures from home! I really like those. I love you all!

Elder Oakes, Hungary Budapest Mission

How many missionaries are in Debrecen?

The missionaries are: us, the Steels (an older couple serving in Debrecen) and the sisters. We are very involved in the branch as most people have 3 callings just so everything gets done.

Bro & Sis Steel

Sisters
Are there any members that you've gotten to know well? Anyone you are teaching? What training did you have in Budapest?

Elder Miller, Michael and me
We know a lot of the members well. I really like Michael though, he is a member from Taiwan. He came to school here and got baptized. He is awesome and super funny. It was "greenie" training in Budapest, just learning the mission rules and such.

What is the one thing you feel like you are struggling with most?
From the Steel's blog about Elder Oakes (they think he is doing well with the language)

Probably the language. Could you send some BOD in the box you're sending out? They don't have any here and everything else is really expensive. Plus maybe a photo album of the family. The people here in Hungary really like looking at those, but I don't have one.

Are you having to cook quite a few of your meals or do the branch members feed you? Do you want a cookbook :)