BRANCH PARTY -CLUE

OThe missionaries hosted a Branch Party.  We called it "Clue Party".   We planted clues in the 3 rooms of the church house.  When each of the 3 groups found their clue questions, they talk about them.  Then all 3 groups met together to discuss how we could use these clues to help each other activate the less active members.  After the game we ate dinner.  Then we had a lucky draw to win the center pieces.  It was fun.  I think the Branch members had fun.  They said, "Nothing like that had been done before".   Yup, I'll bet not.   

Monday is the Easter holiday so we went to a house in the Falu (country).  The house was a summer vacation home of a member's friend.  The missionaries are standing by the gate to go to the front door.  We cooked the traditional Bogrács in the back yard.  It is basically pork stew with plenty of paprika and pepper corns and it tastes very good.  

There is also an Easter Hungarian tradition where young men spray young girls with water or purfume.  It means they like you.  The the girls must give the boy Easter eggs or cookies.  This is the poem that goes with the tradition:

The moss is green 

The fern is green

I'll sprinkle to you

The House Dragon.

 

This is a another picture of the Bogrács.  The neighbors have apple trees and they keep the pesticide in the large container by the fence.  Elder Anderson is next to me.

Some people say the Falus (villages in the county) are disappearing because of the economy.  People can't earn a living there so they move to the big cities.  I don't fully understand it because as we were traveling by train last week we noticed many beautiful fields of (possibly) safflower flowers.  Some one must be making an income off the fields/farms.  

Interesting facts about Hungary:

1.5 million people in Budapest

Hungary is about the size of Utah with 10 million people in it. 

Currency is forint

In 1711 they took their independence back from Turkey and signed a peace treaty.

In 1867 Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy was born and peace descended.

Hungary was a WWII ally to Germany and Austria.

In 1918 Republic of Hungary and the Tready of Trianon split country from 20 million people to eight million.  New borders were established and they lost 71% of their territory.

In WWII Germans over ran country.  Hundreds of thousands died or were deported to German concentration camps.  Germans were defeated and Soviets took over.

In 1956 people tried to stop dictatorship by Soviets but it still lasted until 1989.

The Hungary, Budapest Mission was organized in 1987.

In 1989 Hungary finally became an independent democracy.

In1999 Hungary joined the NATO and in 2004 the European Union.  

Today I wrote my instructions on a 3x5 card after checking the dictionary.  Then off we went to the hair salon.  I showed her my card and I used my best sign language and explained that I wanted my hair the same style and same color.  However, she got a little carried away with the red coloring.  So now I am a red head.  You could say that Kristianna and I are twins.  Many cute Hungarian girls of all ages have red hair so now I am truly a Hungarian. 

This tree is in the park down the street from our apartment.