Hello everyone in the world!
This week was so good. I feel like I'm finally out of a pit I didn't know I was in and on to solid ground.
Anyway,
we left for Bucharest, Tuesday evening and the Elders talked to the
sleeper car guy and there was a vacant room, so I run ahead to pay him
the extra cost for the room and the Elders and my companion come with
the luggage... except for my stuff so we had to stall the train to run all the way to
the back of the train, grab my backpack, and run back before the train
took off. It was exciting, but we got a sleeper! Phew...
Transfers
were really boring, I got to stick around from six in the morning until
midnight. But I also got to see a lot of people so it was worth it. I
ended up going out to lunch at a Ruby Tuesday with some past companions
and friends and it was really great to see and talk to everybody again,
even for the short time I did.
So, my
new companion and I got into Arad on Thursday and settled in nicely.
Sora Cox is awesome. She is really sweet and we have a lot in common.
One of those things in common is we both just came from a very similar
companionship, so we were both super ready to get to hard working. She
just came from Chisinau, too, where there's mostly Russian so I've been
helping her learn Romanian (although for a third transfer missionary she
already does great.) We're working very well together.
Also, more blessings, even in the first week we've already had good things going with our Elders. They actually, listen to us and are working with us...... We aren't alone anymore. AH I AM SO HAPPY.
I
haven't met the Smiths (mission couple) yet, except for Elder Smith
briefly when I was in the mission office. He seemed very nice and I 've
heard a lot of good things about them. They just got into Arad last
night so I'll see them soon.
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| Library in Arad |
We
went contacting with our Elders and we chalked some sidewalks for
English classes. I don't know if I told you already, but we're going to
do English classes different this transfer because our church building
is so far away. We got permission to hold them in the library. We're
hoping for a bigger turnout. This also means that we only have August to
do it, so we won't be holding classes for as long a s usual. BUT, if
the library likes what we are doing, they'll let us continue.
Sunday,
Ioana wasn't able to come for the first week in a long time. She had to
stay at the farm, so it's understandable. I think I forgot to mention
that last week we found a stray cat on our way to church, so Ioana took
him home to the farm. Apparently she named him Myler, hahaha.
We
went to primary, Sora Lidia's granddaughter usually comes with her to
church, and the Elder's investigator brought his goddaughter. Lidia's
granddaughter is so well behaved, but oh my goodness the other
girl was difficult. She was running around the villa yelling... so I
grabbed her and sat her in the room and talked about being reverent in
God's house, and she goes on saying things like "shut up," or "you're
stupid," "I don't need to listen to you," and I'm just like... .. haha
this little girl needs a lot of love. She was most especially rude to
Lidia's granddaughter, but she took it like a champ. She was such a good
example and would retaliate by saying things like, "I'm not stupid,
look what I drew," and she shared her toys and markers.. and the other
girl rips her drawing and she just goes, "that's too bad, people
would like you more if you were nicer." Woah! She's five!
Anyway,
after that crazy, relief society was just that. .. a relief :) until,
of course, the end when one of the sisters gets upset over a small
matter. The other sisters, Lidia and Mogos were also champs. They made
her feel validated, loved, and the problem was resolved.
There
are some really, really good people here and I feel that those events
were just like a tender mercy reminding me how good some people are,
especially when dealing with other people.
Anyway,
that was this week other than a lot of English contacting. We contacted
this one guy who had been to our church before in Arad a long time ago,
and he had a lot of questions that he said he asked missionaries but no
one gave him a satisfiable answer. Well, he liked my answers. At one
point, though, I kind of felt like Jesus when his interrogators were
asking questions only to test His knowledge or prove Him wrong, and I
figured we wouldn't get anywhere like this. So I bore him solid
testimony of the Book of Mormon and our restored church, and he took it
and accepted the challenge to read and pray about it.
That's
what I learned early on in the mission, it doesn't matter how clever
you are with words or at proving yourself right, the absolute best thing
you can do is to bear testimony and let the holy spirit of the witness
of truth handle the rest.
So
I've definitely felt much less homesick over the course of this past
week. I suppose Daniel and Isaiah are both going through a similar deal
of being reassigned to the states. I can't remember who it was, I think
maybe it was either Miss Kate or Fratele Vizante that told me, "You
aren't called to Romania. You are called to serve a mission. You are assigned to
Romania. It doesn't matter where you are, just what you are as a set
apart servant of the Lord." I think they both probably understand that
fact, but reminders are always nice :)
Scriptures
are awesome. Everything really is connected. I was just studying about
the portable tabernacle in the wilderness and how it typifies the plan
of salvation.... never thought of it that way before but it makes so
much sense.
So everyone have a good week!
Sora Smith the First
P.S. That was a lie, there was another Sora Smith long before me who served both in Timi and Arad :), but still.
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