Romania, Bucharest Mission: Sept. 2010 - Sept. 2012

Monday, June 18, 2012

The time is far spent, there is little remaining . . .

Dear Loved Ones,

   Hello! It's Elder Lee here again, reporting on another awesome week in Mihai Bravu. It's been a good week. The weather is pretty hot and kind of humid. It can get really nasty in buses and metros. Well, we all found out abut transfers a few days ago. So here's the deal. I am staying put in Buc, and I'm getting Elder Nilsson (from my MTC group!) He has been a ZL in Arad for the past 2 transfers. I'm excited for that! Elder Durand is simply going over to Elder Fonnesbeck. Elder Knapp is going to Constanta with a missionary named Elder McCombs. The rest of the district is just staying the same, except Sora Hosking will be going to Timisoara, and Sora Moulton will be coming here to be with Sora Sam. So, it looks like another fun district. It's funny how there will be 4 of us together here from our original MTC district. I will miss Elder Knapp! It's been so fun serving around him here! But I know he'll have a great time in Constanta. He is going to have a fun district there. And, he'll get to meet the branch president/Anaconda star, Alin! It will be pretty hot for him there too! We will be getting an new AP--Elder Pettit, from my MTC group. He is extending another transfer, so he will probably finish his mission as AP. He's a great missionary. I am happy to be staying in Buc!

   Elder Durand and I have really enjoyed being together this past transfer. The work has been a little slow for us two, but we have done a good job trying to find new investigators, as well as working with our less-actives and recent converts. This transfer went so fast! But, when I stop and think back upon the things we did earlier on in the transfer, it seems like a very long time ago. It's weird. We had a good week. We made some member visits to Sora Oros and Fratele Gabriel, as well as talked to Ana and Flavian, our recent converts. They're all doing well. Sora Oros is a great member, and is so funny. She made us some good food, and we talked with her about how small and simple things become great. We had a great visit with Fratele Gabriel. He does finances and stuff like that in the branch, I think. It was the first time I visited him in his home. He lives with his dad, who is not a member. Fratele Gabriel is a more quiet guy, but he is a very good example and has a strong testimony. We talked with him about how the word of God can have a more powerful effect upon our minds and hearts than anything else (see Alma 31:5 and 36:26). I like getting to know members better. There are a lot of great members in this branch. Ana is doing well. We talked to her about the Doctrine of Christ, and read 2 Nephi 31 together. She is coming to church about every Sunday and is trying to read her scriptures daily. Flavian has been busy finishing up his Master's. He hasn't met with us for a little while. But, he came to church (and to a branch picnic we had on Saturday). We talked to him about the Priesthood and about how he needs to stay at church for all three hours. He needs the Priesthood soon! He's a great guy, and has a strong testimony and knowledge of all the important things in the Gospel. We committed him to stay at church for all three hours, and promised him that he would have more desire to study and pray alone, as well as feel more confident and ready to receive the Priesthood if he did so. We're still trying to find new investigators...that's what we are always trying to do, right?

   We have done some fun stuff this week too. We had some delicious breakfast at the Wolsey's last P-day (and today for that matter!). They made us breakfast burritoes and root-beer floats. Today, they made us french toast and bacon. We didn't have our full P-day last Monday, because on Wednesday, we went to Peles Castle!!! We had a great time going up to Sinaia (the town where the castle is) together as a district as well as with the APs. The train ride only lasted for almost 2 hours. Oh my goodness, it was so gorgeous when we arrived there, up in the mountains! It was the first real time I have been in the mountains here! It really is super pretty. The humidity went away the further away we got from Buc. We got there and walked our way up a pretty path lined with shops and stalls until we got to the castle. It was really pretty. So much detail, inside and out. We did an inside tour of the first and second floor. Amazing stuff! We all got student discounts, so it was super cheap (only 12.50 lei per person!) I loved being there with some awesome fellow missionaries. I took tons of pictures. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to finally see this country's mountainous beauty. The next day (Thursday) was Sora Sam's birthday! Just 2 weeks after mine. So, we had a great district meeting in which we talked about Christ-like attributes, and Sora Wolsey made more cake! It was a really good maple walnut sponge cake with cream cheese frosting. After the meeting, we went to eat some pizza at a place near the sisters' apartment. Later in the day, we did some chalk contacting in the park with the sisters (everyone else was busy I guess). On Saturday, we had a fun branch picnic. Guess who showed up in a visit? The Lundberg's! Pres. and Sora Lundberg, as well as Josh, are visiting the country for a little bit to see their organization in some city I don't know of. They paid a visit to the church on Saturday and joined us in our branch picnic. It was good to see them. They're doing well. I got a picture with them! Finally, church was great. We heard some nice talks, and Elder Durand and I taught the Sunday school lesson on Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We had good food at Sora Gozo's right after--roast beef and potatoes.

   So, it was an eventful week. I'm excited for next transfer. Hopefully Elder Nilsson and I will keep finding people, before I go home! It's good to hear from home. I'm glad that the fam is all doing well. Mom and dad, you're probably getting excited to come up here to Romania soon! I bet you guys want to see Brasov and those nearby castles even more now! I do too! Haha, I got that email from Elder Holden. That's hilarious! That was just like him. I hope he's having a great time in Georgia, and learning important things. That's impressive that Redlands 2nd Ward has so many missionaries serving! Anyways, Thanks for the email mom and dad, and I hope you all have a splendid week. La revedere!

Love, Elder Lee

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