Week 13 – Bacău, Romania

Well I am for sure being transferred with my companion, and I am being moved to the wonderful city of Galaţi really crazy to me to have this attitude, but I am super excited to go and change what people think about it. I talked with my companion and we both agreed that we want to set an example to the whole mission in Galaţi with the work that we do. It will take a lot of proselyting time, but it will be so worth it. I am super excited to see another part of the wonderful country that I have grown to love!

It amazes me how fast time has gone he
re. In three days it will be my 3 month mark, and starting my fourth month out here. That kind of blows me away. Sora DeFord only has a year left. That blows me away too! I think about all my friends on missions, and I realize now how much time doesn’t phase Heavenly Father at all, and how it is a man’s object. I am loving everyday out here, and even though some days are hard, and even some weeks are hard, I am growing so much! I think this whole first transfer was the Lord helping me build a sure foundation for the rest of my mission. I had literally no paper success. Instead I had more success in my spirituality and mentality than I have ever had in my entire life…all crammed into 6 weeks.

We have actually started doing this new thing that I found rather interesting, it is a 40 day fast. Not of food or water, but a fast of something you want to change in yourself. Mine is I don’t want to say a single negative comment about anyone behind their backs, period. I am not normally bad at this, but I found myself doing it once, and I can’t have any of that at all. That is not the person I want to be, so I am going to change it. It has been really helpful in my growth and in all the aspects of my work, because it is forcing me to make a change.

Change is all about missionary work. We teach people to change everything in their lives on faith. In return we promise blessings on an eternal scale. I need so much work to become the person I want to be when I get home, and I am running out of time fast. I am learning more and more about change because of transfers. We got the news that we were being transferred this week, and everyday this week when we have met up with members it has ended up in tears about us leaving. Out of the four missionaries here in Bacău, 3 of us are leaving. I love Bacău with all my heart, and I have found myself with watered eyes, over leaving. I love the members here and the work that is going on. However, I know that the Gospel is all about change and that I must grow with whatever hits me in Galaţi. I know I will become a better person as I continue to learn how to change, and even seek it.

I really wish I had more stories to tell you but in the dealings with our potentials, we have been dropped by all of them. We can’t get a hold of them, or they aren’t home. It has been frustrating. We know though that we tried, and thus life moves on with change. I am grateful that I have been able to serve here and help change the name of Bacău, especially because Bacău had bad rep too. I hope my companion and I helped changed the name here to a more positive one.

This Sunday I gave my first talk in Romanian, and it went okay. I struggled through reading it the entire time, forgot where a scripture was and pronounced a few words wrong. However, I felt comfortable and did my best, so I am happy with it. I can now give a small spiritual thought completely in Romanian and my conversation skills are getting better. I want to continue to get better, and I think it is going to start with knowing more vocabulary. If I can know more, than I can understand better and participate more in street contacting.

I am sad to hear about what happened to Abby.  In saying that I am proud that she went back and fixed it, so leave it in the past and move forward. However, talking badly about anyone, in any situation has actually proven to be a bigger problem in every situation on the face of the earth. There was a city here where people started spreading rumors and things, and they actually shut it down this last transfer. An entire city was taken off the map. I couldn’t believe it. All because somebody started saying something bad about someone else. There is a lesson to be learned from this. It is that being kind even when we are frustrated is an attribute to truly have! Kindness is next to Godliness. How true that is! I am glad she is learning this principle now, and I encourage her to continue to practice kindness in everything she does and says.

I am super glad to hear about Oliver learning how to snowboard! I think he could be really good at snow sports and that might be his niche. Who knows? I am also glad to hear that dad’s knees didn’t hurt him, that is also huge!

I am growing so much out here and I wish everyone could serve a mission. I wish a lot of things. Oh here is a fun story that isn’t really fun, and is proof that God looks out for his missionaries! We were walking home one night and There was this cross walk with a median thingy in the middle that continued into the cross walk on the other side. In the middle median my companion stepped in mud, or dog poo ;), and stopped to wipe it off. I kept walking, and when I realized he wasn’t with me I stopped for a moment too look back. Right as I turned to keep walking forward a car went right past me and down the street. I was probably a few inches from it. This doesn’t happen very often because cars are very aware of pedestrians, but that was truly a blessing from God to inspire me to turn around and check on my companion. It was crazy.

I love getting pictures from you guys, and everybody back home. I don’t miss you much though, I am too busy! (I still love you all a ton 😉 ). I hope that you all can see the change that the Gospel is doing for me and seek for Heavenly Father’s guidance in changing your own lives. It is worth it, I promise.

-Elder Oldham