Week 33 – Chișinău, Moldova
Dear my wonderful family!
Life here in Moldova has ben really great! We have been able to go about and talk to a lot of people, but mainly about our English classes! We also have been working with the members. That is the hardest thing here. Because of some things that happened in the past the members here in Chisinau don’t have a good relationship with the missionaries. That makes us a little sad. We are hoping to have a good sit down conversation with the Branch President telling him what we expect as missionaries, and make sure that we are on the same team.
The world cup has actually been a good way of talking to people, especially because we just starting asking who won and they get going! We love the atmosphere here with the World Cup going on. When we run, there is this outdoor patio of a restaurant where we will slow down to see what the score is, and the past few times, the same ladies will see us, and tell us the score for us, so we don’t have to slow down. it is pretty funny. Now about america in the world cup, we didn’t see that game, but we did get to talk to our neighbors about it, and they said that America looked dang good. Which if a European is saying that, then I am pretty proud. USA USA…wait there out… Oh well.
This transfer had a bit of a twist and a story with the twist. So Moldovan transfers work differently, then Romanian ones, because elders going to Russian speaking Moldova stay in the MTC nine weeks not six. So their schedule is all mixed up. In saying that the Zone leaders gathered us all in and told us that my companion and I would be leaving to go to Orhei (in Moldova) for the rest of the transfer! WHAT! So we went home and packed all Sunday, because we were to leave on Tuesday. Ugh. So that night we got a call from the AP’s asking about some numbers in the past. They then asked what we were up to, and we said packing to leave for Orhei…They replied that we shouldn’t have even known about that, and that nothing was final yet…So the long story short. We are actually staying in Chișinău, but a couple of different elders will be leaving instead, and we will have a random apartment open in Chișinău. The open apartment actually means something very interesting. We will probably apply for Moldovan Visas and train here in Chișinău! SO I may stay in Chișinău for a little while. I am okay with this. I love it here, and I am really starting to love the people here too. I think this transfer though, we really want to work with the members to establish better member missionary relationships. Oh well.
Other than that scare we are just loving it here. Oh I have been deemed my companion’s personal trainer now, and we are working on getting him back into shape. A lot is about to change though, because on the 19th we will have zone conference and our new mission president has a game plan and oh man is it NEBUN! He might have mentioned mission wide P-day adventures…and mission wide baseball games, and he literally has said that he wants all of us to go home and be able to say that we had the best mission on the face of the earth. He is all about fun and work! Oh man I am pumped.
I am glad to hear about things at home! Unplug that darn t.v.!!!!!!! It is a time sucker! Go to the beach more! (That’s right you kids!). I mean it is summer after all. Go out and have a picnic at the beach with all the neighborhood kids! I don’t know do something. You will regret not doing more. Learn something new. Pick a talent and try to develop it! Learn how to play the guitar and play in the park and sing and have fun! Who cares if you aren’t perfect just go out and do something!
It has started getting really hot here too, and that means less clothes for the europeans, and still long white sleeve shirts for me…ugh…Oh well, we are learning that playing soccer though is very fun, and I have a good story about soccer too. So there are huge piata here, or markets, and I bartered a guy down 80 lei to buy a nice pair of indoor Nike shoes for only 470 Lei, which is like 30 U.S dollars. WHAT! So now I will probably play a lot, and we are using it as a good contacting activity too! Our new mission president is all about planning something fun, and then doing it! I wish I could tell you all that he is about to do, but it is literally misison changing. I am super excited. I love you all so very much. Maybe you should hold family home evening tonight 😉
Love, Elder Oldham