Week 94: -14: Ako Maďar

In a past email, I mentioned that some people had mistaken me as a Hungarian because of my accent, which I took as a compliment, because as long as they couldn't recognize any American I was in the clear. But I recently learned that if you want to criticize one's ability to speak Slovak, you can say, "You speak like a Hungarian." But to the Hungarians' defense, their language seems to me much harder than Slovak. 

***

Who would be excited for a new handbook of rules and standards? Only missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After nine years, they finally came out with a new booklet of guidelines to replace the somewhat out-of-date missionary handbook. It's definitely more principle-based and less oriented around rules. 

For example, in the old handbook was written that if we play basketball, we can only play at half-court. This was one way to keep the game from getting competitive, thus avoiding injury or extreme fatigue. However, in the new handbook, we find this guideline: "Play sports in ways that avoid injury and extreme fatigue." Nothing is specifically stated about only playing half-court. 

I think this new approach will help us be more spiritually self-reliant rather than needing to rely on written rules to tell us what is appropriate and what isn't. That being said, not all the rules have been replaced by principles...

***

Sunday happened as it usually does in Banská Bystrica; we forgot to assign talks in advance, so Elder Clayton and I prepared "surprise talks" for the fourth time in a row. They're honestly not much of a surprise at this point. Regardless, we survived again. 

During the second hour, one of our members was talking about how it was her dream to one day serve in the temple. However, because the nearest temple is currently in Germany, she wanted to wait for the one in Budapest to be constructed.

"I'll learn Hungarian so I could serve there," she said. 

"I'll learn it with you!" someone else chimed in.

"But you already speak like a Hungarian," I said. Boom, roasted.

So I have more photos, but they'll have to wait. 

Week 93: -15: Elder Nelson's Hidden Talent

I got to go on an exchange with Elder Nelson, who arrived in Slovakia about three months ago. His Slovak is great for a first-transfer missionary, seriously. I was blown away. During our exchange, we talked about how very super duper important it is to work with members rather than spending most of your time out on the streets talking with random people. 

Did you know? 1/1000 people street-contacted or tracted by missionaries gets baptized. Did you also know? 1/3 referrals from a member gets baptized. Also, retention rate is higher because they already have a friend in the church. Just a fun fact. 

Anyway, I showed Elder Nelson how Elder Clayton and I have been focusing on strengthening and building our relationships with members (a skill that Elder Clayton learned during his two months in the Czech Republic and has brought to Slovakia). Building relationships and doing things with those you are teaching is also a very good use of time. For instance, one person we're teaching invited us to a tea house for trivia night. We went and met some of his friends, who are also really cool and are learning Chinese. Today, we met up with him and one of his friends to play cards. Afterward, the conversation naturally flowed into religion and we got into the history of the church and the Book of Mormon. We gave our new friend a copy of the Book of Mormon and recommended a good chapter. He'll read it and we'll talk about it... when we go on a trip together to Banská Štiavnica next week! Missionary work has never been so fun.

Besides filling your time with useful activities, it's good to talk to people to and from planned events (for example, on a bus to the city). Elder Nelson and I did that. As I was talking to someone on one side of the bus, Elder Nelson struck up a basic conversation with three teenage girls on the other. Being the stud he is, they were way into it. He hadn't yet told them what he was doing in Slovakia as a missionary. 

One said, "Do you have Facebook?" A missionary never has a problem with getting someone's contact. 

While she was looking him up, he thought to himself, After she adds me, I'll tell them I'm a missionary. She couldn't find him, so he gave her his phone so she could find herself. 

For sure, he thought, right when she finds herself, I'll tell them I'm a missionary. She found and added herself on his phone right as the bus stopped. Then at once all three girls jumped off the bus giggling and screaming. 

Oh no, he thought.

The pics of the guy with a beard is Laman from the Book of Mormon videos that have been coming out. They're good templates for memes.

Week 92: -16: Babysitting

If you ask most missionaries whether they've babysat on their mission, they'll likely say no. After all, it is strictly against the rules. That doesn't stop Elder Aillery, though.

President Gehring and his wife were away in Italy at a conference for mission presidents. Meanwhile, I was on an exchange with Elder Webb, who, along with his companion, received an assignment to spend time with President's kids a little every day while he was gone. That evening, we were supposed to take his kids to the cemetery for All Saints' Day, a holiday that has to do with cemeteries and dead people. Well, when it was time to leave for the cemetery, it was cold and raining, so we just stayed at their house. We played some games and made them dinner. Definitely not what I thought I would do as a missionary.

I've mentioned someone that we sometimes play chess with. Can I just tell you how cool he is? He lent me a couple Slovak grammar books for children. Also, he took some of the pictures you'll see this week.