Monthly Archives: April 2015

April 28, 2015

Hello Friends and Family!

Oh what an eventful week it has been! I first off want to thank you all for the birthday wishes. It was so kind of you all to think of me. I had a wonderful birthday here in Hungary and received much love from all my Hungarian friends. Thank you all again!

This week was an incredible week full of all kinds of miracles. On Tuesday one of the biggest, most amazing things happened with our investigator who we have been teaching for a few weeks now. We sat and talked about life. How his job is going and somehow got talking about our last program we had with him about temples and families. He said while in those very few minutes, when all was quiet, “I felt this calm, loving feeling wrap around me, and I knew it was the spirit”. He then talked about our first interaction together when we gave him an English flyer and how he felt since that time and how his life has completely changed. Sister Wilson and I felt the impression to ask him to be baptized. With a little doubt in our hearts, we confidently asked and he said, “YES!”  “I know this is the path I need to take to make it back to God.” Then and there we set up a specific date, May 16th. I can’t explain to you the joy that I felt and continue to feel. It was a night I will never forget. As missionaries, you never really know the seeds you plant and the lives that will be changed. All we need to remember is to have patience and by small and simple things, great things come to pass.

The senior couple, Elder and Sister Viernes, the missionaries and Maija spoiled me on my birthday with a yummy lunch and American brownies to top it all off. This week the weather was beautiful and you almost would have thought summer was already here. On Saturday we had an amazing dinner with a wonderful family, also provided by Brother and Sister Viernes in their home. After dinner we watched a special Mormon message and shared a few testimonies.

It was a special week and I feel so blessed to be able to be here in Hungary, sharing the gospel! There really is no happier, better, greater work than this.

I love you all and I want to thank you again for making my birthday so special. I wish you all a wonderful, safe week.

All my love, and more…

Whittaker Nover

April 20, 2015

Hello Friends and Family!

This week was a great one! The weather wasn’t all that good but we did meet with the most amazing people. We had a wonderful lesson with one of our investigators. We talked to him about the blessings of the temple and family history. He loved the idea of temples and how we can be together forever. Sister Wilson and I bore testimony and the spirit was so strong. I am so grateful for the knowlege I have that I can be together with my family, and someday I will see all my loved ones again and be in the presence of our loving Heavenly Father. Our ancestors are waiting patiently for their work to be done and it’s our job here on earth to help them have the opportunity to accept it. At the end of our lesson, we were all trying to control our emotions but that special spirit stayed with us the rest of the day.

We met with another wonderful couple again this week and they are doing incredible. They told us recently of a special experience they had. It is very expensive to get married in Hungary, and you have to wait three months just to actually receive the marriage papers. Our investigator knows the church is true and wants to be baptized, but first they need to get married. After many prayers and fasting, asking the Lord where in the world they will get all the money they need to get married, he received an answer from God. Right then, his girlfriend walked in the door with an idea how they might be able to afford it! So it looks like it will be July! I know God answers our prayers when we most need them. He knows our plan, and where we exactly need to go. We just need to keep up our faith and never ever doubt.

We also felt so grateful that five of our investigators came to church this Sunday and two less actives. There really is no greater happiness then seeing the ones you teach and grow to love, growing closer to the gospel and have a desire to change.

We have started a tradition with J and M by having an American dessert party! This week we decided to make delicious peanut butter fudge. In the meantime, we played a game of charades for all the Hungarian vocab words we didn’t know in the kitchen. It was quite the adventure and it turned out to be delicious with many laughs along the way.

This week during personally study, I came across one of my new favorite quotes by Mother Teresa. “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” It’s not what we say, but how we are living our life that will change the people around us.

I hope you are all doing well. Just know that I am praying for you! God bless you all.

All my love, Whittaker Nővér

April 13, 2015

Hello friends and family!

It was a wonderful week and the weather couldn’t have been better. On Wednesday, we decided to have a baking party with our investigator, Annamaria and her daughter. The elders loaned us some brown sugar (which you cannot find in Hungary) and in the end they were delicious. After, Annamaria asked us when we were baptized. We answered 8 years old, and then we felt the impression to ask her if she would like to be baptized. She thought about it long and hard, and with a sure answer, she said “yes.” We were overjoyed and that spirit stayed with us the rest of the evening.

On Saturday, we helped some members of the ward clean there garden areas. When we got there, there was no garden at all, so we started from scratch. We had many hands building and making the gardens beautiful. After being there for many hours, we finally finished the job and it was definitely a job well done.

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day. In church we were able to hear most of the members bare their testimonies, and that’s always a spirit booster, and to top it all off, András came in his dress shirt and tie with the biggest smile on his face. It was so great to see him there. Later that day, Sister Viernes and Elder Viernes, our senior couple, held a party at their home for our investigators and a few of the members. They provided delicious food and dessert, then we ended the evening by crowding in the living room to watch “The Testament.” It was very powerful movie and you could just feel the spirit and peace in the room.

I know that Jesus Christ died on the cross in Calvary and was resurrected for all of us. I know that He lives and will come again. I know that through our hardest times, we can feel the Savior’s arms around us comforting us and giving us the strength that we need. Something that really touched me in conference last week was Elder Oaks comment about how it’s not important what we say to people, but how we are living our lives…that’s what people really notice and that’s what really matters.

I want to thank you all for your love and continuous support. I love you all! God bless.

 

All my love, Whittaker Nover

 

April 7, 2015

This week was transfers and it was so hard to say goodbye to Sister Nybo, but I know that wherever she goes, she will change so many lives. My new companion is Sister Wilson and she is a sweetie from Virginia. Everybody loves her here in Nyiregyháza including me. Conference was the biggest highlight for Sister Wilson and I. Unfortunately, it was all in Hungarian, but for the most part we understood and they were so great. One of our investigators, András came to conference and absolutely loved it.

It was great to be able to celebrate Easter here and talk about our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of him, we can overcome the difficulties and challenges in our lives. Because of him, we can feel happiness in our lives and feel peace in some of our hardest times. We will all live again, perfect and in the presence of our loved ones. I know this to be true.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. God bless!

All my love, Whittaker Nővér