Week 56 – București, România

I love getting your guys’s email. It is so nice to hear about the whole lot of nothing that happens. It is relieving actually. I don’t want too much to change 😉

Anyway, this week was fun! We had our Zone Conference. I love Zone Conference. It is always such a breathe of fresh air, and we learn a lot. I am learning how to be a better missionary and a better person. It is an amazing thing. We focused a lot on Behaving ourselves. It was really cool and I am glad I could have heard it. I will have to show you all my notes from any of these things when I get home.

I am sorry to hear about Sora Brown, but I am happy for her. What a Reunion that must have been! I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that allows us peace and an understanding in times of death and pain. What a wonderful blessing indeed.

We haven’t done anything truly crazy lately, but we did have a really good day the other day. We taught 3 lessons in one day! That is the most I lessons I have taught in a single day! it was really cool. Another cool thing was what President Ivory said about his “perfect day”. It is three lessons (one to a non member, one to a less active, and one to a member), 3 hours of contacting, and three pop’s. A POP is a new thing we are doing, where we learn how to have a simple, powerful statement in less than two minutes. This statement uses a scripture, has testimony, and an inspired question. We do three POP’s a day, two in Romanian and one in English, and they are amazing. I am really bad at them, but we are learning and they are going to help us learn the Principles of the gospel a lot simpler, which is good. I am excited to keep trying to figure those out.

Not much else happened this week. I am feeling healthy, which is a major blessing! That wins out last year ;). I am excited to talk with all of you! AH! Here is a crazy thought. After this time we talk, I will only have one other skype call before I come home! Can you even believe how fast the time has gone? I can’t! However, I still have time, and I am still working, and I am going to learn as much as I can in this time I have.

Let’ see, I really don’t have anything for you guys story wise. I am sure I will have more as the time goes on. We are approaching Christmas, and I am excited to see what Romanians do! I have been trying to find a few recipes from the older ladies in the branch. I want to be able to come home and make a lot of the stuff I ate out here. There are some easy ones and some hard ones. That won’t stop me from trying to make them though. ;). It is amazing to me to see the difference in how I feel when we are working and when we are not. I am also noticing the way I feel when I think about working even. When my mind and actions are all in line with the Lord’s work, Then my mood and attitude are higher than normal. It is a gift I think. Especially when this work gets hard.

This week has brought a lot of disappointments, but it is after the trial of our faith that we are rewarded, and so we continue on in hope and faith. I am also very grateful for the Spirit of Christmas. This time period is a time period to change ourselves! I have noticed that in my life right now, I have been undergoing a change for a little while, but ever since December started it has accelerated, and I am grateful. I have felt that a change is needed and I am happy about that. It is the Spirit of Christ and Christmas that has helped me see my faults and weaknesses, and has also given me the strength to face them. I feel that for a long time in my life I have merely “put off” problems, and hoped that they would fix themselves in the process, but I can’t do that with some of them. This Christmas season I read a few inspired passages of scripture and heard some inspired words from my leaders and I have felt that it was needed for me to come out and face those fears. Ever since I have done that my progress has been different. It has been growing and growing in a way that I didn’t know it could grow. I am learning now more than ever what it means to have the enabling power of the Atonement in my life. I can feel it. It is so powerful, and every time I reach out for His help, He is right there ready for me. I advise, and guide you to look for Him again this Christmas season and he will show you your weaknesses. In order to face them, you must know what they are. He can do that for you, but also be the power behind the change that is so needed. I have experienced that lately, and it is liberating. I feel free. It is an amazing thing really. So turn to Him, and you will be happier for it.

Love, Varstnicul Nick Oldham