Hooray for Thanksgiving day!

 We had our Thanksgiving a little early.  It isn't celebrated in Hungary so it really didn't matter.  We had our dinner with the whole zone after zone training in Miskolc.  There are four senior couples in our zone we just divided food assignments up which made it really easy.

 Our sweet Sister Sholley was transferred to Eger but is still in our zone.  So we got to see her there.  Sister Naegle was also there.

 The elders' table.

 Sister's table.

 The Herds (who are going home in a week), the Jensens, the Steels

 After the dinner, we went to Lillafured one last time.  Jensens are being transfered to Sopron so we won't see them anymore--just once more.

 Beautiful Lillafured

 The Elders

 Sister Cropper is our newest missionary.  She is co-senior with Sister Williamsen.  They have only been in the country 6 months which is really young in the mission.  But they seem to know the language well and are doing great!

Our current group.  Sister Williamsen, Sister Cropper, Elder Cannon, Elder Zwingli.  (Elder Zwingli  got his tooth knocked out while playing soccer.  He is in the process of getting it replaced but has fun with being toothless.)  We love our missionaries!!!!

Miscellaneous happenings

 This is the salon where I have gone to have my hair cut and colored.  I thought this hair dryer was quite unique.

 Andy is the cute girl that cuts my hair.  She is really sweet.  She speaks a little English but I still have a hard time communicating with her.  When I told her "highlights" somehow that translated into brown hair.  I left there with brown hair last time!!!  AWWWG  I know she tries her best but I can't seem to get the color I want.

 I also thought the shampoo sink was interesting.  It's a little higher than the ones in the USA but works fine.  It might even be better.  She gives a great shampoo.

 The RS sisters have been getting together to make Christmas gifts for the young people of the branch.  Ildiko and Roberta are ironing on interfacing.

 We went bowling for YSA.   You pay for an hour and then they turn it off at an hour--you don't finish the game.  We were actually in to game 2 when they turned it off.

 After Branch conference we all went outside on the porch and had a picture taken.  That day we had a big group at church--probably around 60.

 Making prayer sandwiches in primary.

 I don't know what I would do without Dori.  She comes in the first hour of Primary and translates for me while I do sharing time and she helps with singing time while I play the piano.  She learns the songs along with the children.  I love being able to teach primary songs to the children.  They aren't familiar with a lot of them and nothing teaches the gospel like primary songs.

 After branch conference we had President and Sister Smith to lunch.

We had a big group to lunch that day--14.  Virgil made Virgil stew again so it was easy for me.

Miscellaneous

 

We are on the way to Miskolc to a YSA mini-conference.  We rode over with the kids on the train but we didn't stay overnight.  It was a two-day conference, the kids stayed--not us.

 This is one of the games they played.  They had a fairly good turnout.  We just stayed the day then took the train back.

 We made a quick trip to Hortobagy on another day in hopes of getting some souvenirs and had no luck; but we did see these wonderful traditional Hungarian costumes

 Hortobagy is famous for this 9-arch bridge

 For Sunday lunch we had President Balatoni and his three children.  He is in the mission presidency and is the greatest guy.  The church in Hungary is really fortunate to have him.

 OH NO!  Another transfer--one we didn't expect.  We didn't even have Steel transfer Breakfast..  Sister Naegle was snatched away from us and sent to Nyiregyhaza.  She is such a great missionary and has a fun sense of humor.  We wish her well and miss her.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

 We set up six carnival games in the foyer to play as people arrived.  Even the adults got involved (but this photo doesn't show the games.)

 Then we moved into the chapel/multipurpose room, played a couple of more games and then ate delicious Virgil stew and suti

 Some of the branch members

 Jensens came from Nyiregyhaza to party with us.

Afterwards we played a bunch of Minute-to-Winit games.  "A good time was had by all."

Pig Cutting

A real genuine Hungarian cultural experience--a pig cutting/slaughter/killing
I asked Tibor several months ago if he would invite me to a pig cutting when they had one--and he did.   The elders went also to help.  It was quite an experience!

 I love their yard. 

 Yard

 Yard

 More yard

Before

 After.  The pig was electrocuted and then his neck quickly cut.

 This is quite a while later.  First all the hair was singed  off, then all the charred skin was scraped off, the innerds taken out, and then the pig was cut in two.

 Each half was then cut into smaller pieces,  It all took about 3 hours.

 Elder Zwingli salting the bacon in the attic

Tibor and family, the butcher, the Steels

Church tour

For pday a couple of Mondays ago we went on a little church tour.  About two hours away there are lots of little villages; they all have one or two pretty churches.  It took much of the day and we didn't go to them all.  I'll just post a few of those that we did go to.

 Note the carvings on the fence.

This was an interesting cemetery--all wooden headstones.