With so many things happening all the time it is hard to get everything in order in my head, so lets just start with last Monday. All in all good day. We got haircuts in the morning so I have been sporting a fresh new look this last week. Its been really nice actually with the weather getting warmer. Plus we had Zone Conference on Wednesday and we had to dress to impress.
Zone Conference was a high and low of this week. Obviously, it's a great, spiritually uplifting meeting. They always are, but this one was a bit rougher for me. Many of the missionaries I really respect in this mission bore their departing testimonies, including Elder Whiting and President Smith. They will all be going home in the next month and I will be sad to see them go. But the Conference was great. I felt the spirit so strong and the next few days were pretty much super charged!
We were able to re-pick up an old investigator in Pápa who is pretty serious about the gospel, just has smoking troubles (seems like all of them do). But we actually have been able to start the stop smoking program with him so that's good.
Saturday was actually a ton of fun. There was a 5k race held here in Pápa and we decided why not run it as a district? So that's what we did! All of us (Elders Mellor, Rodgers, Nordberg, Antablian and I) went out and bought some T-shirts and wrote "I'm a Mormon" on them and went and ran the 5k! Needless to say I was definitely the slowest but I ran the entire thing without walking!!! I was super pumped!
We met with Csaba again later that day and had a great program with him and his family and friends. His programs are always kinda crazy because he always has random people just show up at his place. So many people ended up showing up it was crazy, but a ton of them just stayed and sat in on the lesson. Some how we ended up each of us teaching like three different groups at a time handing out a few books and all of them committed to come to church! While not all of them came the next day, 4 out of the 8 people we randomly taught did!!! SCORE!!! We are going to be trying to set up with them later as well.
Church was good! Lots of investigators, of course, and there was the most people there that there has been in the entire year! A random guy also showed up during church saying he wants to investigate as well. So we set up to meet with him tomorrow on Tuesday! The blessings have been pouring in this week. It's been awesome to see.
I can't wait for next week! I love you all at home, and shout out to all my friends! Have a great week, maybe send me an email or two sometime!
ttyl,
Elder Oakes, Hungary Budapest Mission
daniel.oakes@myldsmail.net
Elder Oakes wrote this poem for his dad for Father's Day...yes, we cried...
Looking back on my life
I see moments filled with strife
But the good times outweigh the bad
especially when i think of my Dad
That we are diffrent it is true
though on the outside who could tell its me or you
I am proud strong and free!
And yet humbly you have taught me.
you entreated me with love and respect
never once have i felt neglect
and its not till now that i am older i see
all that you have helped me come to be
In this world i see those alone
ones who have grown up on their own
why am I more blessed than these
the thought brings me to my knees
So I will try to do what you did for me
I will try to help others that i see
Thank you dad for helping me along
thank you for letting me be right when i was wrong
thank you for setting me on your knee
thank you for hearing my every plea
thank you for giving me all that I've had
thank you for being My Dad
