I ADMIT IT - I LOVE FOLK DANCING

We were passing out infomation about the Church and about the English Class that the Church offers when we noticed a lot of people walking toward the Town Square.  We followed them to the King's Mansion or the Castle. They were having a Folk Dance performance.  We couldn't help it, we had to go.  It was FANTASTIC.  See the smoking violin?  It's true, the violinists were smokin' good.  If I could start my life over I would be a dancer.  It was very refreshing to see great talent in modest clothing.  Ah, the joys of living in Hungary.  My new favorite music is The Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss II.  Now I understand where the word Danube comes from.  The Danube River flows between Buda and Pest.  

Another great sunset.  

The Elders and Sister Scherrer and I volunteer at a school for handicap people.  Here the Elders are teaching English.  It is fun.  This was another school that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints donated some items to as a Humanitarian effort last month. 

This picture is of Ilona and I.  We make items that the school can sell.  This gives them a little money to buy school supplies.  Ilona made this pencil holder for me.  It is fun to do this once a week.  In the back ground you can see the looms they use to make rugs.  Maybe someday they will teach me how to weave.  

Ok, ok we had another party in the back yard.  This is our Family Home Evening "family".  It wasn't a Branch" party just the group that gets together every Monday night.  

This picture is of Tunda between Sister Scherrer and I.   She teaches (or tries to teach us) Hungarian.  Check out the play equipment in our back yard.  

If we arn't partying in our backyard we usually play soccer in the park by the Branch House.  

I know when you look at this next picture you are going to ask, "Is that all Hungarians do is eat?"  Well ah....yah about the same as Americans.  This is a fund raiser Bogrács.  Each group makes their favorite Bogrács then the judges decide who wins.  All the proceeds go to help some needy organization.  Can you pick out our little Mormon group?  

FOOD, FOOD and MORE FOOD!

PIONEER DAY CELEBRATION with the Relief Society.  You do not have to have American Pioneers in your ancestors to belong to the heritage that members of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saint enjoy.  It is a privilege to belong to an organization that people gave their lives for.  Some Sisters told stories of courage, faith, hardship and dedication.   I'm not sure I could have done it, if I lived between 1830AD and 1847AD.  I am grateful for them.  

All five women came plus the Sister Missionaries and the Senior missionaries.  It was a success.

The table decorations were made from a shoe box and the neighbor's Cat Tails.

                HUNGARIAN SÜTI (DESSERT)

                      1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

                       Lemon zest from 1 lemon

                       3 eggs

                       3 Tablespoons Peach jam

                       2 Tablespoons Plum jam

                       2 heaping Tablespoons sugar

                       1 1/2 cups flour

                       1 heaping teaspoon baking soda

                       9 Tablespoon water

                       9 Tablespoons vegetable oil

                       Mix together.  Pour into greased and floured 9 X13" pan.   Add chopped walnuts,

                        if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees.  (Probably 30 to 45 minutes).

                       Be sure to keep checking it.  

 

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION in our back yard.  Not only is our back yard beautifully landscaped but look at the great neighbors we have.  Everyone from our apartment complex came to our party.  We served American hot dogs, American potato salad, chips and dip and watermelon.  We had everything except the 4th of July fireworks.   

The Missionaries are Elder Rae, Elder King, Sister Kovacs and Sister Neagle.  Sister Scherrer is taking the pictures.  

HUMANITARIAN EFFORT.  The LDS Church donated some much needed supplies to two day care centers in Pápa.  This picture shows a local TV station interviewing Elder Miller.  Elder and Sister Miller are serving as Senior Missionaries in a Humanitarian capacity.  They coordinate at least one Humanitarian gift every month from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

They are also interviewing the Mayor of Pápa.  Standing by to interpute is Elder Rae and his companion Elder King.  

THE LORD IS WATCHING OVER ME.   On July 21, 2014 I went to visit a new member.  On my new bicyle it only took 15 minutes to get there.  The Junior Sisters played a little video about The Restoration.  They asked me to bear my testimony which I did in broken Hungarian.  By the time we were ready to come home it was 9:00 at night.  I got on my bike and headed for home.  I began to realize that the streets were very dark and I didn't have my bike lights on.  I pulled over to the side of the road to figure out how to turn the lights on.  In the distance I saw someone on a bicycle coming toward me.  I thought, I hope that is a friendly person and I hope they can speak Enghlish because I need to ask someone for help.  When he got close to me I could see he was a grown man.  I said to him, "Beszel Angolul?"   He said, "Yes, I speak English".  So I asked him to help me with my light.  It took about 2 seconds and he was off down the street.  I got on my bike and headed home.  It was about 1 1/2 miles to my apartment.  I never saw another person.  At the "round about" I saw 3 cars but that was all.  I know The Lord sent someone to help me and I am grateful.  

JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, FOLK DANCING and STORK FAMILY

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In Budapest, Hungary is the worlds largest Jewish Synagogue.  It is a tear jerking experience to see plaques with 10,000 names of people that died because one stupid, power hungry man wanted to kill 600,000 Jews because he (Hitler) thought he was so perfect.  The Jewish Synagogue in Budapest hid many people trying to escape the German soldiers.  There were 10,000 Jews that were shot next to the Synagogue.  This is a picture of the area where the people were lined up and shot. 

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This is the picture we have all seen in history books.  (Compare the arches in both pictures - proof that this is the location where many were killed).

I am so grateful that the United States got involved in stopping Hitler.  It is too bad we didn't go after Hilter,s soldiers sooner.  I'm proud that my dad served in World War II.  In this next picture I am standing in front of  "The Tree Of Life".  It has a few names engraved on each branch of the tree.  

These next pictures are the inside of the beautiful Synagogue.  

During a Jewish service the men sit on the main floor and the women sit in the balconies.  I'm not sure why.  

Relices of the Jewish tradition.

The famous Hungarian "Folk Dance Koncert" was in the: 

I love to dance so, of course, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  A picture of the concert hall.  I just love the Hungarian architecture.

Sister Helen Brown, Melissa Taylor's Aunt and my companion Sister Scherrer enjoyed the concert. 

The Browns are great people.  They are serving a Mission in Hungary, also.  

The dances were amazing.   It gave me a peek into Hungary's history. 

On the trip to Budapest we saw another Storks nest.  This one had 2 parents and 1 or 2 babies in it.  

One of them flew away.  Can you see him almost to the neighbors chimney? 

Here he is standing on the chimney of the orange house.  Wow! A once in a lifetime experience.

BAPTISM

Valentina Orsós was baptized on June 21, 2014.  She was confirmed the next day and her baby sister was blessed on that Sunday.  They are such a cute family.  Her parents are Sándor and Sándorné Orsós.  They are a big asset to our little Papa Branch.  

BLUE DYERS MUSEUM in PÁPA:  For centuries blue dye was an important element in folk costumes and household textiles.  Blue dyeing comprises two basic operations:  pattering with a drye-resistant material, and the dyeing itself in an indigo solution.  The insulating material alloyed with wood or metal forms and stains is impressed onto the white cloth, and on drying this seals the printed surface from contact with air.  The indigo is reduced with ferrous sulphate and lime, and an appropriate concentration dye wash is "set" in the dye-becks.  The patterned cloths are hung on a bar and immersed in the dye, left to soak, and when it is lifted out into the air the oxidized indigo turns blue. 

This is the picture of the dye-becks.  

This is a picture of one of the men making the patterns by nailing the small nails into blocks of wood.  

A picture of the pattern-maker's workbench.  

This is a picture of me in a traditional costume looking up to the ceiling where the fabric is hung to dry. 

The fabric is lowered and raised with the rope.   Check out the fabric patterns on the wall.

This is the how they would iron the fabric to get it ready to sell.  This box is horse drawn and maybe 30 feet long.  The fabric was placed under the box.  Then the horses pull the box which would iron the fabric.  Amazing!

YET ANOTHER CASTLE

On the 5th of July we went to see the castle Sümeg Vár in the city of Sümeg.  It is just so interesting that the ground is flat except where there is a castle.  Obviously, in those days it was important to their defense.

On the trail up to the Castle, Elder King saw a goat. Can you see the goat at the top of the grass.  He is running up the hill to get a picture of it.   This cute family was just walking down the hill when I snapped the picture.

This is where their church services were done. 

This is at the back of the church.

There were a few people in costumns.  The horse and donkey were just walking around with the people. 

Elder King had to give the stilts a try. 

This sign on the "cage" says "nursery for children".  I wonder if that is really true.  Elder Rae is taking the picture of Elder King in the Nursery.

The most up to date armor of the day.  Notice the pointed shoes.  Wow, would that be easy to walk in or what?????  I hope the warror never tripped or fell over.  

The typical clothes

This is the torchure room.  

This is a girl they are going to burn at the stake.  It reminds me of the Book of Mormon story of Abinadi see Mosiah 17:14-15 and Alma and Amulek see Alma 14:8.  

This is a model of one of the wars.  It might be the war with the Turks.  I'm not sure.  During the American Revolutionary War, the British wore bright red and also stood in straight lines like this.  I'm glad the Americans got smart and hid in the bushes.  

We also went to the ruins of the Castle of Döbrönte on a different day.  Can you see the modern windmill on the horizon. It's like looking at old technology and new technology at the same time.  It's mind boggling to look at both ends of the time spectrum.

This picture is of Sister Kovacs and Sister Neagle.  In the next picture Elder King is trying to climb the castle wall.  (And no he didn't make it.  He had to walk around).