Week 41 – București, România

I don’t really have any super crazy news from București right now. We are working really hard and I think that we are going to start seeing numbers go up. I think it really comes down to just working hard. and then never stopping. I have been having a hard time lately though with just trying to leave stuff in the past. I am ready to move on but my memory isn’t, and it has been a challenge to try to keep things in there place. However, I think I am going to replace that with all my missionary work thoughts, because I should be working hard enough to where that’s all I can think about!

I really hope that I can be an influence for good here in București. We have started working with some people but it can be frustrating because they clearly don’t see the importance of it all…because people don’t answer their phones! If every time we called someone and they picked up, we would be busy every single day, every single hour. In saying that, I love the Plan of Happiness (which we drew using chalk in Harastro park yesterday. Way fun!) because of our ability to choose. It can be frustrating, but I know that we will start seeing success here. We just need to keep positive and remember that we can be successful missionaries because we choose to be. I have learned about that a lot in the past. My happiness and success in the mission field is completely up to me! If I work hard and do my part to the best of my ability, then I can go to sleep each night knowing that the Lord will bless us, and those ways will be perfect for me. What a great promise we are given! Man I love the Gospel!

Anyway…Being a district leader is interesting. In the past I have been companions with district leaders and I don’t think some of them fully understood their opportunity. If I, as a district leader, can show my district how fired up I am about the work, and how excited I am that we get to be here in Romania, then our work will increase. If I lead by example and work my rear off, then my district will see that I am actually practicing what I am preaching. It is really neat to be in this position. I just hope that I can inspire some of the people here to work a little harder, or go that extra mile, or talk to one more person. That’s the attitude I want. “Come on Elder ONE MORE PERSON!” I don’t know. I just want to give the position its’ justice. It deserves that and especially in a city where we could boom like that *snaps*. SO EXCITING!

We have already seen a small glimpse of that. We just sat down and called people and got 2 new investigators from just calling the random potentials in our phone. We are still trying to meet with them more, but it’s a process. We do have a baptismal date for the 13th of September, and we are really excited. We know that our job isn’t done yet, and we will work with this man all the way past his baptism. It is really cool though! Other than that we just try to live our lives as best as we can. Stay positive and happy, and find those who are seeking the truth! I can think of no better place to be right now!

It sounds like a zoo at home right now! Although if Zeke is a nice dog then good on them for getting him! It sounded like a cute picture with them praying and zeke squeezing in. I bet Leo, Hector, and Wendel at night sit around a table lit with one candle and discuss how they are going to get rid of this problem once and for all. ;). I can picture it in my mind. Wendell would probably lead that. When it comes to other things, I don’t really have a say in it, other than whatever you decide to do, go with the Lord on it. Typically, (as in always, 100% of the time) He is right. I just hope that whatever you choose will make you happy, because in the end that’s whats important.

Poor Oliver. I hope he has a good year at the Big Campus. He is a good kid though. If anyone picks on him though, so help me, I will…teach them the gospel. :). (That’s probably the right answer anyway 😉 ). As long as he stays close to the Savior in all that he does, then he will be fine. IF though. There must be faith on his part first, and then the Lord will rain His blessing on him.

I don’t mean to say this but how does it feel to be batran (old)? :). I mean 18 years of someone in elementary school and now none has got to be a warning sign of your varsta (age). ;).

I don’t mean too, but hearing the scores form those games made me laugh out loud. It is so funny. You would think that would be a little heads up to CHANGE something. Even if it is to just try it. TRY anything new and see what works for your team. No team is the same and so the original strategy might not work with this new team. I want to see them succeed. I guess that is just my love for it coming out…darn it. Darn love for a sport. Makes you wig out about random things. Like defensive soccer…ugh…

I am glad to hear BYU beat UCONN. *does a small victory dance*. I miss football games…But I’LL BE BACK!

I am glad to be hear right now though. I do have one story. A small back story is necessary though. At my first zone conference with President Ivory, he told us to set an example at testimony meetings, by having one or two of us missionaries go up and bear our testimonies. We should thank the branch and bear testimony on something specific. It was really good. Anyway, it so happened to be that the next fast and testimony meeting was to be my last Sunday in Chisinau. So I stood up first to bear my testimony. I want to make this point very clear. I have zero…no recollection of ever standing up in church and bearing my testimony. It was probably the first time in 10 years. I thought about it afterward and I realize that I just wouldn’t go up to bear my testimony on my own. Anyway, I decided to be obedient to President Ivory. I stood first and bore what I thought was a solid testimony. Then I sat down. The man next to me was crying. Now this man had been to church every week that I was there. His wife is a member, and they have two little boys that always sit with him at sacrament meeting. It is really cool that he comes. I am not actually sure about his wife, now that I type that. hmmm…Anyway, he was crying and he cried during the entire meeting. I didn’t think anything of it, except that there truly was a different spirit that testimony meeting than I have felt before. I left Chisinau and a few days ago I learned after that meeting he went and talked with president Covali for 2 hours. In the meeting he told him that he knew that the church was true, and that he had felt it in sacrament meeting. He then told Prez Covali that he would do anything to keep going in this church. He now will be baptized in a few weeks. It was amazing for me to hear that. I am not saying in any way shape or form that my testimony was the one to tip the glass, but I will say that the spirit felt that Sunday was something different, and I believe that it stemmed from obeying what president Ivory said about setting an example. That and everything happens after I leave an area… ;). I am happy to be able to be a part of anybodies progress, whether in the middle or at the beginning or end!

Okay: A shoarma place is basically the Romanian burrito. It has shaved chicken (usually) and then it is put in a wrap with veggies and titiki sauce. (the stuff they put on Gyros! Probably the best thing ever!) They are the very best thing. Although you have to be careful because I have had some not so good ones. For the most part though shoarma are very good, and filling. It is nice to be able to have something like that. It is basically comfort food. It is also not very good for you. Cheap and satisfying. A shoarma place is just the little dink stores that sell them. You can find them probably every other corner. SO GOOD.

I did not find out the reason I was E.T’ed and I don’t really want to know. Typically something bad has happened, and thus I would rather not know. I am here, and it’s go time. That is what I know and I can do that! Besides, it is important that I am here right now. Meaning I am present in whatever I am doing. that is something I am trying to really focus on. Focus! When I am contacting I am there and present. I am aware of everything around me kind of thing. Just be present in whatever I am doing. Focus and work. It is going good too.

I live right across the street from the Panduri Chapel and that is my branch. It is a nice branch with really solid members, and a lot of potential. We are trying to work our hardest to bring people to come, but having our own building has its’ ups and downs. I like it though. It feels slightly normal. That’s a good feeling. ;). It is nice to have a solid branch beneath me though. It can sometimes be hard with some of the smaller branches because you know they can only support you so much. We are working with our branch to really increase the work here too.

You guys are so awesome! Thanks for being awesome. It is really nice to have solid support from home. I love doing this work, and there really is no other more satisfactory work than this. While it is very hard in some areas it is also the greatest joy in others. Worth every step though. I know that this work is true, and that if we keep moving on the straight and narrow, one day we will all see that it WAS worth it. That’s where faith comes in. I love you all very much!

(Shout out to Lizzy Nina and Marina…if you are still actually keeping up with my blog, then hey! I hope things in Chisinau are good!) The Lord is only one prayer away!

Love Varstnicul Oldham.

P.S. Try to find how the Lord has blessed your life every single day. Then as you do that, you will start to see His hand clearer and it will be amazing!