Winter Marching towards Spring

March has been a beautiful month. We began Cold and foggy and are ending with flowers and trees blooming with bulbs popping up everywhere. Hungarians love their gardens.

We began March with a trip to Miskolc, an industrial city about 2 hours away. This use to be a large steel producing town, but the mines and factories have shut down, and unemployment is high. The villages surrounding Miskolc have wonderful families who have been struggling through the cold and dark winter months. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints partnered with a Roma Association to provide food, cleaning and hygiene supplies for 120 families. They expressed such gratitude and we were so grateful to help.

The families waited on a cold foggy morning to load up there bags, carts, wagons and young children with the items to carry home.

Near the same area we also supported a community center that provides shelter, laundry, hygiene facilities and a full kitchen for the families living near the center. Here the families receive education and counseling on many different life skills. The families live in difficult conditions. Most are multi-generational families with, very little education and homes with no electricity or running water. Our Church funds supported bi weekly classes to associate together and be in a warm safe place during the winters coldest, darkest days. The classes included cooking meals, family and children crafts, special holiday events. These are pictures of a women's health and beauty day. Even though we needed an interpreter for every word, the residents welcomed us with open arms. We enjoyed watching the children play and seeing the mothers smiling. We also provided 3 laptops for the center for afterschool classes, and adult learning.

We also met with another community center to discuss doing this same project for multiple other community centers.

We were blessed to have a trip to Andermatt Switzerland to visit with Christopher for a few days approved by our Mission President. (Senior Couple missions are awesome!) Christopher named this trip, Project Goldfinger. Andermatt was featured in the Bond Movie Goldfinger. The hotel where parts were filmed is still standing. The Alps are always a sight to behold. We arrived to rocky mountains with very little snow. We must have brought the California Vibes, because 2 feet arrived on day 2 and three. It was beautiful, Christopher and his friend James from Dubai skied like movie stuntmen. It was a wonderful trip, time with Christopher was the highlight. The center photo is Christopher, playing with photoshop magic.

Andermatt is 2 hours south of Zurich Switzerland. We rode the Matterhorn Express on our journey back to the airport. A beautiful, friendly town.

We continue to spend most of our days on the computer, researching, imputing information. We will be visiting a few other projects this next month and closing up a couple. We meet the most amazing people who are doing a great service to others in so many different ways. The weather is providing more walks around this beautiful city. Our treat is receiving phone calls from our children as they lead their busy lives and photos of happenings from home. Here are some highlights.

Aunt Sarah had a slumber party for Christophers children (and Megan, while Chris was away) She shared her love of books. Then she treated herself to near front row tickets to Hamilton!

Next is a positive affirmation Annie has hanging in the bathroom. We all need this each morning.

Here is 1 year old Liam learning the pleasurers of Krispy Kreme Donuts, 5 year old Bennett drew and posted the Hungarian Flag for us, and Boston and Oliver asked mom to do a photo shoot.

Oh you should see the other shots. They all have our hearts!

We are so proud of our children and thankful for the support they give us while we serve. We feel the love and support of family and friends and appreciate your kind comments. Mission life continues to amaze and delight us. We look forward to our Church General Conference, where we can hear the words of the Lords Prophet and Apostles on the earth today. As we study the New Testament this year, I reflect upon my faith, my desire to know my Savior Jesus Christ. Would I have followed him? Would I have had the faith so many had to be healed, to leave everything behind? I know my Savior Lives. I know he loves us very much. I know His gospel is restored upon the earth today. Miracles are happening all over the world. We both try hard to "Hear Him" every day.