Katelyn: Week 7

Wow, what a week. I even brought my journal with me to the computer lab so I wouldn't forget anything. We've had a lot of changes around here. The Albanian missionaries are gone! I miss them so much more than I thought I would, but it's okay because they were so excited to leave and get  into the field. I am really good friends with some of the sisters and it was cool to watch them get ready and experience all their emotions with them. They were nervous but ready to share the gospel with the Albanian people. We said goodbye Monday night and exchanged some letters and they left us a huge pile of boxes to ship home for them. It was so funny because everyone was stressed about making weight for the plane so they were trying to get rid of a ton of things. (I am starting to feel the urge pack now so that I'll be ready to go.) After we said goodbye I was saying the prayer for our companionship prayer and I totally started crying when I thanked Heavenly Father for our fellow missionaries. They were so, so nice to us and we all helped each other through everything and I am so grateful that I got to meet them and learn from them. Some of them go to BYU and I am so excited to meet up with them when I return and maybe even be roommates!

Anyway, the very next day our new companion arrived. She was here for seven weeks earlier in 2013, but she had to go home and now she is back to finish up and depart with us to Hungary. She is really great and I am super grateful that she is here. We are able to help each other a lot with Hungarian and it is a huge relief to have her. It's nice because she really motivates me and I feel like if I don't know something I can ask her and together we can figure a lot of things out. Sister Erlandsson and I were worried about how it would be to have a 3rd companion, but it's been totally fine. 

We started "consecration week" last night. That means that we can only speak Hungarian for a week. We can speak English only if we try to say it in Hungarian first. It is very difficult. I started freaking out on Tuesday night and I thought maybe I should ask for a priesthood blessing, but I wasn't sure. But then I read in Alma (7:23) that the Lord wants us to ask for the things that we stand in need of so I went ahead and asked two of the elders if they would give me a blessing. Theyagreed and were very nice and one of the elders told me that he had had an impression the day before that I would ask him for a blessing. It was really neat. After the blessing I felt a huge sense of peace and I have been fine ever since. Speaking Hungarian is really, really, really hard, but I am having fun with it now whereas before it was terrifying. I have a testimony that priesthood blessings are a powerful gift that Heavenly Father has given us. The elder who gave me my blessing doesn't speak English incredibly well because he's from Austria, but he just listened to the spirit and went slowly and I know that everything he said was from Heavenly Father because it was exactly what I needed to hear and there is no way Elder Höferl could have known what I was going through.I am so excited to go to Hungary. I know it will be challenging, but I know that the Savior will help me. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Pray for me to be able to improve at Hungarian. I love you!
Naegle nővér

                                          Sister Naegle and Sister Singer:  best of MTC friends