Week 70 – Brașov, România

This week has been fun, and a little depressing. The missionary I am “replacing” is doing just fine. He had his appendix removed, and then was out of commission for about a week. He will be returning tonight, and I will return to my trio. It has been a fun week of “training.” I went in to this week knowing already that they didn’t have any investigators. (I do all the numbers, as district leader). It is kind of a bummer. However, I went into this thing with an attitude of work and obedience. I have been doing really good happy wise because of it, but we had kind of a rough time this week. We got bunged every single day. We had set up a few lessons throughout the week and every single one fell through. It was a bummer. The rain didn’t help either. It has been cloudy and rainy for about four days now. I like the rain, but four days is a little much for me. I am glad that I was able to train though. The new missionary is a great guy, and he really does want to work hard. I just hope that when his companion comes back they can keep it up. Especially because we got 7 new Potential investigators, and they are all super good! I am hoping that that will keep these guys busy.

Work feels good. I read a good quote and it reminded me of this principle of work. “The devil will find something to do with idle hands.” How true that is. I have really learned that the really dumb things that happen on missions are when you are not working hard. It is easy to get into an attitude here of, “well I have no investigators, I guess I get to do nothing.” WRONG! That means that you need to go and find some!

Brașov does have a soccer team, and they play defensive soccer. The exact same formation I played my senior year. I just about had a heart attack watching them play. They won, but barely. It was still much better than Americans playing, but it was still hard to watch those guys in my position. I hope to be able to get out to another game. I also heard about a Brașov Hockey team, but I think their season is over. ugh. That would have been fun. Oh well.

I don’t know if everyone would say they love me. I have not been the biggest star here lately. I have actually been feeling pretty lonely, and I think I have come across as pretty self-righteous. You see, I am not lowering myself to a level that is not appropriate for missionary work. I believe that clean language will invite the spirit. I thus will not participate in any conversation that’s otherwise. Let’s just say that I don’t talk very much, or ever. I listened to a talk this morning and I felt a little better. “The Loneliness of Leadership” by President Hinckley. He talked about how it is very lonesome to be a leader, and especially lonesome for the Savior. I realized that while I feel pretty much alone, Jesus Christ knows exactly how I feel, mainly because he was alone. His responsibility and goal, was one that only He could do. It must have been very, very lonely.

I have also been a little impatient as well. I have been trying my best to stay obedient, and even step up my game, but where are the blessings? I have been having a hard time seeing them. I have also been really busy in my emotions and mind, and so I may be missing some of the promptings that have been sent my way. I will work on that. I have been blessed though, with amazing studies. I haven’t had a time where I have walked away not feeling spiritually uplifted in the past few weeks. I wish everyone could feel the way I do after a good study. Even if it was nowhere near the topic I was originally going to study. That has been a huge boost throughout my days. I am grateful for those. I have been getting really good at taking notes in my study journal and I have had some amazing studies. That will be fun to look back into. I know this isn’t exactly the greatest thing you guys probably want to read, but it is the most major thing, spiritually, that I am facing right now. I am growing so much though, and my testimony keeps me warm at night 😉

I am happy though. Weird how that works. We have had no success, and things have been hard, but I think I am learning what it feels like to know that God is pleased with your work, even though it may seem like nothing. That is a feeling worth keeping. I am really starting to pick up my game in missionary work, or at least trying to. I want to finish this race strong. I mean, I still have a little time left, but I am not going to miss anything!

Boboc= baby duckling. (masculine form). We don’t use the word “greenie”, we use “boboc”.

Keep reading the Book of Mormon. I hope you guys are on schedule! It is really important to read. Every single day. I am learning this principle right now. I think that the Lord is watching me carefully in this situation I am in. I think He is waiting to see if I will keep going. Not that I can overcome a day, but two or three weeks even. Then He will bless me after all I can do. I believe that He has been helping a little here and a little there, as to keep me going forward, but for the most part, I think I need to take this one head on, and trust that He will have my back.

I was wondering about Trevor the other day. I mentioned something about hockey, and his name came up which got me thinking about him. I am happy for him. I hope they will have lots of children and be prosperous! That’s kind of a Romanian way of saying that. There isn’t really too much that is super interesting. A new mall opened up. That was cool. It is really really really nice. I love eating food still, and I am still a kid, but an adult when I need to be ;). Remember the Lord always, even in times of goodness. Everything after all comes from Him.

Love, Varstnicul Oldham