Transfer 1; Week 4; North Zone

Bog vas ljubi! (Slovenian)

Hello again and welcome to my letters. For those of you first joining us I will restate two things. 1) I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and 2) Temple Square is the most unusual mission in the entire world. First and foremost this week is that I wish that I spoke Hungarian. I have met so many people from Budapest this week that are so sweet and amazing that it makes me sad that there is a language barrier, at least we got them to understand that they could listen to the organ because music is the same language wherever you go, thank heavens. (I've also met many French speakers, but my miscommunication with them is my own fault so I can't be sad about that)

This week was a week of fun and interesting experiences. I love the curiosity of children (especially those who applaud after hearing the apostles speak on the kiosks, those who make stories about their stuffed animals and tell me about them, and those who sing about taco pie at the top of their lungs in the tabernacle). They make our jobs as missionaries so easy, because they recognize the good feeling there so much faster than their parents (one girl asked if she could have her birthday party at Temple Square) and they are inspired to press buttons that answer their parent's questions. It's pretty much amazing. I also love learning more about new religions... even if it means that I make mistakes when talking to them. I wish that I had learned more about religions all around the world and the US before I went, because it is good to know more about the world you live in. I am so glad that I went to the Vatican before I went here though, because people compare Temple Square to it often.

We also got to take a tour of the Beehive House, which is pretty amazing because there are so many old books there. There is almost an entire wall there full of books. If the Church ever wants to sell the book cases there I would gladly take them (and the books too, they have so many good ones) because I want to have lots of books (Imagine the library in Beauty and the Beast and that's pretty much how many books I'd like. But that building is full of so much history I don't know how it could all be fit into one small house.

This mission is definitely growing on me, although I will admit that it is nice to watch the quail chicks on Temple Square grow up and follow their mothers everywhere, and it does help that we get to see so many different people every day. I can't wait to see who I will meet the next day and where they are from. I am now keeping a list of all of the countries and states that I've met people from (and their names of course) so I don't forget them. (they get to take a picture to remember me by, I just have to write down their names and hope the face comes to mind when I read it.