HOME

Mit csinálok most? Jó kérdés.

Home: Well yes, I am home. I flew from Budapest to Paris, then from Paris on to SLC. I had a little TV in front of me on the ten hour flight from Paris. When I was about to turn it on and watch a movie like everyone else was on the plane, I remembered that I hadn't been released yet and that it's still not allowed for me to watch movies! Lame. So I just watch the little plane make its way to SLC the whole time.

Woah: It was super strange to be back in America. From free refills, to massive cars and roads, and everyone speaking to me in English. It was pretty crazy to be in my house again.

What's It Like?: The adjustment hasn't been too bad. I've just tried to have a positive outlook on being home and getting into the next stage of my life. The idea of dating is a little scary but I'm hoping that feeling will go away soon. I've enjoyed being able to play guitar, drums, and soccer since being back. Life is great!

Now What?: Great question. Next week I will be helping out at my stake's youth conference. We will actually be returning to Hungary as a family in about three weeks! After that, I'm hoping to be able to work at efy. (church youth summer camp.) In August I will be returning to school. I will be attending Southern Utah University. If things go as planned, I will have all of my general studies finished by the end of the fall semester. After that... well, I haven't planned that far yet.

I loved my mission. I will only be able to look back on it with love and happiness. Now here comes the next stage of life.

Read The Book of Mormon. I'm doing it... Everyone is doing it.

Sok Szeretettel,

Cameron Alldredge

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Momma couldn't wait to hug me first

sisters were so excited to see me

momma can't let me go!

My family at the airport!

I am home!

With my family at home, before church and my homecoming talk

Week 105 last week (May 12-20, 2014)

Az Utolsó:

Transfer Calls: After much anxiety and anticipation, Elder Tuttle and I received our transfer calls this morning! I will be moving to the American Fork area and my companion is yet to be determined. Elder Tuttle, however, will be staying in Pest and he will be serving with a really stellar Elder who I like a lot. At least it's comforting to know he'll be in good hands. In other news, my first born son, Elder Bennet, will be a father!! (He is going to train.) Which makes ME a grandpa! They grow up so fast... Yay for mission genealogy!

The Opera: This morning, all of the missionaries from Budapest were going to get together for a big basketball tournament here at the stake center. I was invited last night to go to an Opera at that same time with two other missionaries who also lack in basketball skills. SO, I went to that instead. My word, it was just like the movies. The whole thing was in German and they just belted out with a vocal vibrato for the loooonnnggest time. Not only were we pretty much the only males in the whole venue, but we were also the only ones under the age of 55. We shared a booth with two sweet old women. We couldn't see the subtitles so we had absolutely no idea what was going on. After the first hour an a half, the curtains went down and everyone started clapping. We got up to leave and the lady who gave us the tickets said, "don't go too far! That was only the first part out of three!!" We just about died. Luckily we all had other programs and things we needed to go to. So, we had to slip out. It was, however, super cool to experience a real live Opera. Especially in that incredible Opera house--but that was definitely a once in a lifetime thing.

Búcsú Étkezések: We were fed both lunch and dinner for the past week an a half! It was crazy! We just about died. Literally. These Hungarians know how to cook and dang, do they do it well. They don't mess around either with proportion sizes. Hungarian food, you will be missed.

BYU Orchestra: Hungary was visited this week by the BYU Orchestra. They came to our church services this Sunday which doubled our sacrament meeting attendance. Being surrounded by a bunch of Americans helped the thought of going home sink in a little more. Of course they came on the day that us Pest missionaries sang a special musical number (Nearer My God to Thee). Having two times more people than expected just made it that much more nerve racking. I love singing that song in Hungarian so for me, I had a great experience. Sunday evening they put on a big concert and we had a LOT of people there. They did an incredible arrangement of "A Child's Prayer". I loved it!

Baptisms: Elder Tuttle and I had the wonderful opportunity of baptizing our two "little brothers" this past Saturday. They've been soooo excited for their baptism. It was absolutely incredible. (I know I say that about every baptism, but it's true!!) When planning the whole thing, they both really wanted to give the closing and opening prayers. Good earth, if only you could hear these boys pray. Each of them had the congregation in tears. Their sincerity is clear and you really feel like they are speaking with their Father in Heaven. I baptized the younger brother and Elder Tuttle baptized the older one. They were so happy and afterward they told us, "I feel so light and clean!" It was the ideal way to end my service.

The End: I couldn't have imagined a better way to finish these best two years. The love was just flowing in from all sides--it was overwhelming. Goodbyes are so SO stinking hard. Especially these kind. Saying goodbye to friends and family for two years is one thing, this hurts my heart in a different way. Before coming here to email, I had my very last program as a missionary with an investigator. That was a rough thought on the bus ride back. I had the first 19 years of my life to prepare for these two years and I'll now have eternity to reflect on them. I love these people, this culture, these weird customs, the food, the language--everything. At the same time, I'm ready. I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to attend school, get a job, start a family, etc. I'm not afraid, I'm not nervous, I'm not depressed, I'm not ecstatic--just ready.

Well, I'll tell you the rest of my stories in person. This will suffice for now. (Momma, can you put a little information about my homecoming here? Thanks! I love you!)

HOMECOMING TALK: Sunday, May 25 at 1:00 PM at the LDS church located on the corner of 150 West 1120 North, American Fork, Utah. 

Dessert at our house after his talk!!

This Gospel is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is his Church. He leads it today through the living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. God's Priesthood power has been restored to the earth enabling us to participate in ordinances essential for salvation. I know this, not because I received this knowledge from another person. No. I know it because God brought me to this understanding through the Holy Ghost. If we strive to live a pure life and live according to all the commandments we will be blessed and we will be happy. The Book of Mormon is true. I know it's true because I've read it and there's no doubt in my mind that it's not true. I would not have voluntarily come here if I didn't know these things were true. Man's perception of Truth is various--but God's Truth is one and it is eternal, just like the family.

Sok Szeretettel,
Alldredge Elder

Last English Class. (One of the ladies gave me the flag.)

I learned a lot more from this man than I feel I taught him. (Besides how to box.)

The best way to end a mission.

It was a beautiful event.

Opera!

Week 104 (May 6-12, 2014)

Na, akkor most már kell írnom ezt az emailt.

Mother's Day: Skyping (skypeing?) yesterday was great. Everyone looked so good! Happy mothers day to all of you wives, mothers, and mother figures! Here's a special shoutout to my wonderful momma and my rad grandmas. Oh, and also to my future wife--I don't know you yet, but I love you!

Stake Conference: Yesterday and Saturday was Stake Conference. It was rad to see old friends, members, and investigators from Budapest and from other cities in the country. Everyone keeps asking me how it feels to be going home in a week. I honestly don't know how it feels. My brain doesn't comprehend the end.

Hospital Visit: Don't worry, no one got hurt. We just went with the Humanitarian couple to help present a donation to one of the local hospitals. The Church donated an expensive machine to the hospital and the doctors explained they were going to use it in the Children's Intensive Care Unit within the Burn Center. They then took us there and showed us where it was going to be used. (We didn't know that was going to happen.) Yikes, it was not a happy experience. It was, however, good to know that the Church was able to help these doctors.

Crazy Encounter: On our way to the conference yesterday, an older lady stopped us on the street and asked, "do you know where the Mormon Church is located?" I responded with, "well, we're going there right now--come with us!" We got talking as we walked. She told me that she is investigating right now in the Kispest ward. I told her that it's a great place and that I used to serve there. She then asked me if I knew someone from that ward. (One of the men I baptized while I was serving in Miskolc.) I replied with, "of course!! I baptized him not too long ago!" She stopped there on the street and asked, "are you Alldredge??" Apparently her brother (the one that I baptized) had talked a lot about me to her and she was really wanting to meet me sometime. I replied with, "yep! I am Alldredge." We were able to walk to the branch house and get to know each other. Kinda crazy how those things work out!

New Melchizedek Priesthood Holders: During the conference, I was able to raise my hand to sustain that two men that I've had the opportunity to help baptize while being here should receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. If that's not an amazing experience, I don't know what is. (And if "Melchizedek" isn't a hard word to spell, I don't know what is.)

The Two Angels: Elder Tuttle and I were called "the two angels" this week by three different people. Strange. One was when one of our investigators was telling us how she feels that The Book of Mormon is true and she wants to get baptized so she can be sealed to her husband and do work for the dead within her family. She said we were the "two angels" sent from God to bring this to her. The other occasion was with one of our investigators who writes books about having faith in God. She said she wants to write her next book about the "two angels" that knocked on her door and brought the full, true Gospel to her family. The third time was last night while meeting with a part member family. The husband has been investigating on and off for a couple years now. The wife related the experience of when we first walked through their door. She said we were like two angels and they both felt like "these are the Elders we've been waiting for."

It's a shame we can't take any credit for such thing. We both know that they just feel and see the Spirit.

Well, we're going to head out and hit the city. I love you all. Everything is perfect on my side of the waters.

As my dear, Californian companion Elder Tuttle would say: You just gotta charge The Book of Mormon! I think by that he means you should read it. A lot.

Sok Szeretettel,

Alldredge Elder

We love these people!

Cutest kids.

Beautiful.

The two newest Melchizedek Priesthood holders.

Week 103 (April 28-May 5, 2014)

Nekem nagyon kell pisilnem, de biztos, hogy nem fogom használni ezeket a vécéket.

CHICKENS!: While tracting this week, we found a random group of like, 10 chickens. They were just roaming around in streets and we didn't want them to get hit by a car or something so we tracted the house we thought they belonged to. An old lady with only three teeth came out and we asked, "are these your chickens?" She looked over at them for a second and said (in hick accent), "yea. You boys want one?? They're always comin' and goin' I ain't been able to cetch 'em. They'll come back here in the evenin' to sleep. I'll tell ya what, if you boys can catch one, you can take it home."

It's a shame we can't have pets...

May 1st: So May 1st here is a huge holiday. I had a couple people try to explain to me why exactly it's celebrated. Apparently back in the day, all the workers took a strike because they were working too much. So now, every May 1st is no school and no work. As we went through the city to find and teach, we noticed there were HUGE festivals going on everywhere. It was quite the holiday! It was good, however, to see a lot of Hungarians all in one place just enjoying life.

Taking Lead: I had Elder Tuttle take the lead in all our programs this week. He did stellar! His language skills are off the charts. Everyone loved learning from him. We're having such a great time. Our investigators love us and we love them!

So. Much. Food.: A really nice member fed us lunch this week. It was an unbelievable large amount of rolls, bean soup, bread, and palacsintas. After barely being able to finish the first pot of soup, he left us at the table saying, "okay, I'll bring out the next pot of soup!" (Elder Tuttle got a picture of my reaction, you can scroll down to see it.) He then insisted that we eat all of that one as well. Elder Tuttle ate a LOT more than I was able to. (I still don't know how he did it.) Whatever we didn't finish, the member packed up and sent us home with. Hungarians don't mess around.

Priesthood Blessing: Just after getting off the phone with one of our investigators, (She called to tell us that she really hurt her spine and she didn't know if we would be able to meet the next day.) I strongly felt that I needed to immediately call her back and offer her a priesthood blessing. When she answered the phone she said, "I had a feeling you were going to call me back!" She gladly accepted the offer and we were at her doorstep within 10 minutes. She could hardly walk around or sit and she looked like she was in awful pain. We explained to her how blessings work and then gave her a healing blessing. After the blessing she said, "wow, that was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced! I felt a warmth coming from your hands flowing into my body. I know you hold the priesthood of God." She then proceeded to stretch and stand up. Her face was absolutely priceless everytime she would move or stretch in a new direction just to notice the pain had subsided. It was such a neat experience.

Well, I'd love to stay and chat but we gotta get back to work. I'll be skyping this Sunday! It'll be like, "oh yea... hey... I'll see you like in a week... cool..."

HA! I love it here. I'm staying on this climax till I board that plane.

Sok Szeretettel,

Alldredge Elder

Good ol' tracting

Sometimes people are late to meet with us.

Chocolate milk--in a bag! (So good.)

Taking a break from tracting.

CHICKENS!

We got caught in a rainstorm. Bleh.

Festival!

"I'll bring out the next pot of soup!"

Massive garbage day!