Alexandria October 12, 2008

We went to Alexandria for church today. It is about an hour drive from Bucharest. There was a brand new member that was baptized the previous day and confirmed today in fast and testimony meeting. President Lundberg and I both shared our testimonies, as did most the members of the branch. I then went into the youth meeting with Joshua and three other youth and taught a lesson. Elder Horgmo translated.

Alexandria branch congregation!

This is the building where church is held in Alexandria. It was a beautiful home. It was taken over by the communists during their reign. Government leaders lived here then. However, after the fall of communism, it was given back to the owner. The church rents the building now.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Matei home. President Matei is the branch president, and his wife, Anca, is a dentist. Her office is set up in the living room of their home. It's a great situation.

The food was traditional Romanian and very good. It is always so fun to get to know the members! There are some wonderful people here!

Senior Conference October 10, 2008

Senior missionaries enjoy the day together!

Elder and Sora Jacobs share their experiences in Moldova with the other senior missionaries.

We had the senior missionaries from the whole mission (Romania and Moldova) come to the mission home for a day of meetings, motivation, and food! A young American couple from Braila who are here with the Peace Corps, also attended. They have been instrumental to the auxillary training in Galati. It was fun for everybody to become acquainted and to feel of one another's spirit. Everyone's duties differ and each person is so important to the work. We are grateful for these wonderful people and their efforts in building the church here in Romania. We are always hopeful that even more senior missionaries will come.

Mihai Bravu Building Clean-Up October 8, 2008

Elder Fromm takes armload to the back dumpster!
President Enne, a branch president and church's physical facility's manager, works with Elder Campbell at tackling the bushes!
Sora Lundberg and Sora Poulsen use creative means to get cuttings to the garbage pile. We were short on garbage bags!
Elder Roundy swings axe while Elder Campbell, Elder Harwood and Elder Burrows cheer him on.
It takes a village to do some tasks! Elder McKinlay, Elder Ribgy, Elder Bringhurst, and Sora Thompson work together to get to the root of things!

Church Grounds Clean-Up!
We gathered with the Bucharest missionaries to help the grounds of one of our chapels get spiffed up. It's surprising what can be done with a lot of hands working together for a common cause. The missionaries were rewarded with pizza for lunch as well as a much nicer look to our church building's grounds. Thanks, Missionaries!

First Week of October!

I received a call from one of our sister missionaries in Iasi that one of the BYU girls who was there for the semester working with orphans had a blood clot in her leg. She asked my advice and I suggested that she come to Bucharest to meet with the American doctor, Dr. Hansen. Also, Dr. Matt Brady, a young man who had served in Romania on his mission in 1996-98 was in town, interning with Dr. Hansen for two weeks. So, Katie Creer ended up coming to town with the program's facilitator, Robbie to get help. Katie and Robbie stayed with us a few days at the mission home and Dr. Brady and Dr. Hansen took care of Katie. However, Katie's condition worsened and she ended up in the hospital here in Romania while we worked on getting her elsewhere for more specialized treatment. She was in the hospital from Friday until Monday, at which time she was flown to Vienna where her mother had come to meet her. More tests were run on Katie in Vienna, and she was there a week. She is now back home in Las Vegas and working on her wedding plans while she continues to be treated and heals. It was fun to get to know both Katie and Robbie. Although things got a little scary for Katie, she always had a positive, happy attitude. She's a real trooper.

The Romanian hospital where Katie was admitted was very big. As I wandered down the hall, I could see 14 people to a room. There were 7 rod iron beds on one side, and 7 rod iron beds on another. I heard that they could not have visitors. Katie, however, was put in a new private room for international patients at the end of the hallway. We could be with her there. Outside her window was the soccer field where the Romanian team plays. It was a beautiful facility.

This particular weekend was also CONFERENCE WEEKEND. I was able to watch the General Relief Society session, a week late, on the computer at our home. We then went to one of our two church buildings in Bucharest on Saturday evening to watch the live morning session. The following day, President Lundberg and Joshua went to the church to catch Priesthood Session while I was at the hospital with Katie. We watched another session at home and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Ensign with all the talks.

This conference was really wonderful. I've heard so many people say, "This conference was just for me." I am alway grateful for the spiritual boost and motivation that comes from listening to our leaders. I am grateful to have a living prophet on earth. It is such a manifestation of our Heavenly Father's love for His children.

SORA LUNDBERG GETS A PERM!

This is probably not the most noteworthy post on a blog, but I knew my daughters would be impressed with this! Having the problem hair that I do, my hair was always flat on top with the summer humidity. So, I kept wondering if I would be brave enough to have a perm--especially knowing that I might just end up with frizzy hair in the winter humidity. However, Sora Rees, works in the Mission Office and has 7 daughters and has given lots of perms. So, I braved it and all went well. I now have a little umph to my hair. Thank you, Sora!

Romanian Wedding

We were invited to the wedding and wedding party of a darling young couple in Romania. They were married at the church first, and then they were leaving with other church members from Romania for the temple trip where they would be sealed for time and eternity in the Frankfurt Germany Temple. Cristi, the groom, is a returned missionary, having served his mission in Russia. Julia, the bride, is from Cluj and was on the Young Single Adult Committee with Cristi. The two fell in love at the YSA Conference this past summer in Hungary. We are thrilled at this marriage and the beginning of a new family in the church here in Romania!

Joshua taught us when he was three years old that a wedding was called, "Tan-ta tan!" We were all quite confused by that, when he insisted we all stand up in a cirle, hold hands, and dance around the circle. He then sang, "Tan-ta-tan." It was fun to attend a Romanian wedding party and see everyone enjoying themselves as they participated in "Tan-ta-tan."

Romanian church leaders enjoy themselves as they "Tan-ta-tan" at the wedding!

Bucharest Zone Conferences-October 1 & 2

The two Bucharest Zone Conferences were held on the 1st and 2nd of October. As always, they were held at the Mihai Bravu building. Many of the companionships and even sometimes the districts, coordinate their wardrobe for the occasion.

Sora Poulsen, Elder Smith, Elder McKinlay, Elder McBride, Elder Stromberg, and Sora McKnight! Don't they look great!

Elder Fitzgerald and Elder Bailey come in burgandy colored ties, while Elder Richey and Elder Thompson are in Blue. These elders are from Pitesti (still in a Bucharest zone!)

Bucharest Zone!

Other Bucharest Zone! I told them to try to look dignified, but in that picture, nobody smiled. So I'm posting their "undignified" shot.

Interviews at the Mission Home

Craiova Elders come for interviews!

Joshua, Elder Manzione, Elder Waters, Elder Boyd, Elder Platt, President Lundberg

We always love having the missionaries interviewed at the Mission Home. Joshua and I get the opportunity to visit with them while their companion's are being interviewed. We always try to have cookies, banana bread, or some sort of treat and drink available for them. Joshua usually ropes them into playing a game. This time is was Mormon Mouthful!

Highlights of Timisoara

Presdient Lundberg adds final touches to the taping job of the broken window before we head for home.

Dinner at Gabriella's!

Joshua, Gabi, Elder Jepsen, Elder Woodard, President Lundberg

In addition to the wonderful zone conference at Timisoara, we had a few more exciting experiences. On Friday night while President Lundberg was inside the Vila (church building) doing interviews, somebody broke into our minivan. They broke the right passenger window as well as the back left window. The thief took President Lundberg's new briefcase with his scriptures and language materials as well as Elder Bringhurst's backpack. It contained some needed and treasured belongings including his journal! The assitants had to put cardboard in the windows and duct taped garbage bags around them. We had to pull over once on the 12-hour ride home when they got to flapping a little too much. We felt like the Beverly Hillbillies driving home. The five of us were in the van for the long drive, with different passengers doing the duty of a rearview mirror. We also played "buzz," a group game that helped Joshua to learn his timestables! Oh, and I mustn't forget---we got pulled over by a policeman for not having our lights on during the day. Elder Rigby kept speaking English and we were sent on our way.

Another wonderful memory of the trip was having dinner with a member, Gabriella. She made a delicious meal of soup, bread, stuffed peppers, dessert, etc. Gabi could speak English quite well and we had a great visit. Gabi sent Joshua home with seashells from the beach and a really neat turtle. (It wasn't real, fortunately.)

Trip to Timisoara September 26-28, 2008

This weekend was quite an experience. On Friday night, September 26, our office elders, Elder McBride and Elder Stromberg took Joshua and me to the train station. We were traveling through the night to Timisoara to meet President Lundberg and the assistants who had been on zone conference tour for three days. We were too late to get a ticket on the sleeper train, so the elders bought us tickets on another part of the train. While getting on that train, about 10 gypsy women crowded in ahead of us. They then pushed their way into a compartment of four seats where two Romanian girls were putting their luggage on the shelves above them. All the ladies crowded into this small compartment and then we heard screaming. After a minute or so, the women came out and then crowded around Elder McBride. They unzipped his coat pockets (which he had several) and tried to steal from him. Elder Stromberg and another man came and they all tried to push the women away and tell them to leave. Finally, they left the train. Fortunately, Elder McBride's money and cell phone were on the inside of his coat and they got nothing. I went back and talked to the two Romanian girls in their compartment who were shaking and scared. The gypsy women had all packed in around them so they couldn't move, and had grabbed their bags, wallet, can cell phones. When the girls started screaming, the women left. They dropped the items before going. One of the women was carrying a baby.

Joshua was very intrigued with all this excitement. He couldn't sleep for quite a while, but finally crashed around midnight. However, at 4:30 am, he woke up and was ready to go. However, we didn't get to Timisoara until a little after 8am. The assistants took us to the hotel and we got cleaned up and went to zone conference.

It was great to see the missionaries. They are all so wonderful. Zone conference is always uplifting and motivating. I was able to go later that day with Sora Larsen to visit one of her new investigators. We had a great time.

Sora Larsen and Sora Benson

Elder Sorensen, Elder Sandberg, Elder Sumbot, Elder Woodard, Sora Garff

The Zone

Sora Ertel and Sora Garff

Zone Conference in Brasov September 20, 2008

At this session of zone conferences, I talked to the missionaries about the importance of good grooming and keeping their apartments clean. I told them that very often people will decide whether or not to speak to the missionaries because of first impressions. I also reminded them that their hair was to look good and that it is still recommended that the Elders part their hair. It was so fun the following day to go to church and see the Elders show up with parts in their hair. What obedient missionaries we have! We know the Lord will bless us in our efforts as we obey. We're proud of our missionaries!

Mission Council--October 18, 2008

We love having the missionaries at the mission home for Mission Council. They arrive early for a musli and fruit breakfast, and then have several hours of "council" with time out for lunch. This group is comprised of the zone leaders, usually two sister missionaries, the assistants, often the office couple, President Lundberg, and me. There is always a great spirit at the meetings and they leave with lots of information and motivation to give to their zones to help them in their missionary efforts.

Elder Campbell, Elder Roundy, Elder Letham, Elder Bringhurst, and Elder Miles!

Elder Collingridge, doctor from Germany, asks Elder Miles to help him with his demonstration.

Elder Ward and Elder Davis take notes as President Lundberg gives them important information.

Sora Lovell, Elder Cantlon, Elder Patterson, Elder Hardman, Elder Miles, and Sora Jensen!