Buna Ziua everybody! Ce faceti? Fac foarte bine astazi. How are we all doing this beautiful Thursday morning? I hope well. I am doing well like always and am learning and growing like nobody's business here in the empty sea (MTC). So thanks everybody for all the letters this past week. I'll respond to them as fast as I can.
So yesterday marked week 5! It's going by too fast! I will leave really soon (november 8th or 10th I think). It's super fun to be here! I haven't yet gotten my travel plans, but will obviously notify y'all when I do! I am thinking we'll fly to New York, then to Vienna, Austria, then to Bucharest. Exciting eh?
This past week was our first week of teaching the lessons solely in Romaneste (Romanian.) It actually went well! So far, me and my companion have taught the Restoration, the Word of Wisdom, and the Law of Chastity in Romanian. Friday we will teach the Plan of Salvation in Romanian. The first lesson went well. I actually knew more than I thought I could at this time. It's really a Spiritual experience to testify in Romanian (even if I still can't express myself fully yet!) With our one progressing investigator, Steve, we taught the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. we also committed him to be baptized and he accepted! Yay! Oh, funny story real quick: so we committed him to baptism in Romanian, and I say "will you be baptized?.....Or not?" Then he stopped the lesson for a few seconds and told me never to say "or not", that it's a terrible committment! haha. He said you shouldn't give investogators that option. Be bold and don't say, "or not". I wanted to say, "or are you not ready yet?" but even that's bad to say. But, I don't care, it was in Romanian and I will not do that again! But, yeah, I'm really diggin' Romanian lessons because of how much of a growing experience they provide. I feel closer and closer to being ready to teach real Romanians pretty soon!
So this past week, we heard from our teachers that 6 missionaries got sent home early from Romania! Yikes. It's because of disobedience. We have been told recently that Romania has a culture of disobedient missionaries here and there. Our one teacher taught 5 of those 6 and feels so bad that they were sent home early (some only had a month left!!!) Ouch. So we've been lectured to on and on about the importance of obedience and the blessings that come from it. I am NOT going to be sent home for disobedience. (because that would just suck).
Apart from that, I've had a great week, today I did initiatories in the Temple for P-day. I recently bought a Romania mission t-shirt. Pretty cool. I've also learned the language so much more due to teaching (speaking in Romanian). I enjoyed a sunday fireside by Richard Heaton (administrative director for the Provo MTC) He spoke of how central Christ's atonement is in our lessons. We also heard (on tuesday night devotional) from Bishop Richard Edgley (1st counselor of the Presiding Bishopric) so that was cool. He spoke of 6 principles of success for missionaries. One of the things he said was just to remember who you are (that's for you dad!) I really liked his message. We've also heard great lessons from speakers at Large Group Meetings too.
So my BYU besties Elder Perry and Elder Hagee both left on Tuesday for Ukraine! I said bye to them and wished them well. I'm pretty sure they are excited, especially to have gotten out of the MTC (they had to be here for 12 weeks! yuck) I also today saw Elder Brandon Kinser. He's here for 3 weeks and will be going to Orlando Florida. It was great to see him!
My companion and district are doing so great, learning and growing together. Of course I love my teachers too. They are amazing examples.
Thanks dad, for your mission stories. I love reading them. Thanks mom, for your news back home and letters. I'll write you two today! Happy Birthday Big Brother Christopher! how does it feel to be 27 already? man, you're old. hope you and Liz keep doing well in school and work. keep enjoying Bosco. Thanks Jamers for your letter. I miss ya'll and Kenadee especially. I hope she is doing well and you and Mark are doing well. Send me pictures of her in her halloween costume or something! I'd love to see her cuteness. Congrats to Andrew Campbell and Taylor Fisher for getting ever so closer to serving. You guys will love it!!! Keep it up. Good job to BYU football for NOT losing!!! yay! Hope they keep it up.
I am so excited to be serving in Romania and wonder where I will serve first. I understand that I need to submit to the Lord's will and be patient. well, I'm out of time for today, but thanks so much for all your support. I'll write back to y'all who wrote me. write me if you love me! I miss y'all but am having fun enough to feel happy here! I'll see y'all later. La Revedere!!! Love, Elder Lee.
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