I've had a hard time writing this post, because I haven't known where to begin. When I returned from Timişoara last night, I had the thought that this had been the longest week of my life. Then I realized that it had only been two days since our heartache began. There had been so much to do, to think, and to deal with, that the timeframe seemed much longer.
I started to write the details of Saturday evening and the following days, but decided they are probably more appropriate for my journal. I want to be sensitive to the feelings of the families involved. However, I know that many who read this blog are part of our mission family: former missionaries who served here, families and friends of missionaries still here, and Romanian members whose lives are changed forever because of missionaries, . There may be others. As members of the church, we all love missionaries. We raise our children with the hopes of wanting to be one, we pray daily for all of them throughout the world, and we suffer if anything happens to a missionary whether we know them personally or not.
Two of our precious missionaries, Elder Jace Edwards Davis and Elder McKay Choy Burrows, received an unexpected transfer on January 30, 2010. They had their final interviews with President Lundberg on Wednesday and attended zone conference on Friday. They completed their mission in the Romania Bucharest Mission on Saturday, and have begun a new mission on the other side of the veil.
Elder Davis and Elder Burrows will be greatly missed. We love those two elders with all our hearts. They will be a source of inspiration to this mission as we move forward. We often talk of the great mission reunions we will have in the future. We know that the time will come when we will all be together again---Elder Davis and Elder Burrows included.
The mission will be having a Memorial Service for the two missionaries on Thursday. We will bring all the missionaries in to Bucharest. President Erich Kopischke, the Europe Area President, will preside. The program we've planned will help us all remember the wonderful things we love about Elder Davis and Elder Burrows. It will help our heavy hearts to heal as we rejoice in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the resurrection, and the atonement. We will become a stronger mission as we remember these elders who gave their all.
I must express my deep appreciation to all who have offered prayers on our behalf. They have been felt. We have witnessed the calming influence of the Comforter. We have been buoyed up by the expressions of love and concern for us in the mission. The missionaries here are fine and safe. The Lord watches out for his missionaries, and He brings them home when He's ready.
I'm grateful that the Lord has been patient with me. Sunday morning after a sleepless night, I cried out to the Lord in pain, "This wasn't suppose to happen. We were suppose to return these missionaries home safely." The sweet spirit that came to me said, "You did."
I will close this post with my testimony that Heavenly Father lives, and Jesus is the Christ. The true gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. Elder Burrows and Elder Davis lived to deliver that message. While their bodies will soon be layed to rest for a period of time, those two young men still live. Their spirits will still be felt in this mission. Their passing at this tender age will not be in vain. News of these Mormon missionaries giving their life and service for this great cause will have an effect on the Romanian people. Hearts will be softened. People will listen. The work will move forward.
Sora Geta is a member that attends the Panduri Branch. Elder Burrows had served there for two transfers. Sora Geta shed many tears on behalf of the elders. She told her friends at her work about the two missionaries and they bought the flowers that are shown below the pictures. Sor Geta has a great heart and would do anything for anybody. 
Sora Linerud and Sora Dummar dish up cake for the dinner. The Lineruds took over the planning and preparing of the meal for the mission, and I was extremely grateful. Other senior missionaries pitched in to help.
Elder VanWagoner, Elder Linerud, Elder Dummar, and Sora VanWagoner working the kitchen.
More proselyting pictures. Elder Wirthlin stands on the wall near a Metro (subway) stop and preaches about the Gospel. I'm not sure if he was trying to be like Dan Jones, a great missionary in England in the early days of the church, or Samuel the Lamanite! Either way, he got the crowds' attention!
Another photo of Elder Wirthlin on the wall!
The policeman came and got Elder Wirthlin OFF the wall. Elder Wirthlin and Elder Barclay explain what they were doing. They ask the policeman if they want to know more!
Oana, a university student that was chuckling at Elder Wirthlin on the wall, told me that she believed in Jesus and that he had helped her with her exams that she had just taken. I got her name and number. She said she would meet with the missionaries. She stood me up the first time, but said she is still interested. We hope things will go well.
Brother Marius Corca, a mini-missonary from Brasov, and Elder Gauthier, a new missionary, speak to a gentleman about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sora Own and Sora Gibbons pause for a picture while they look for interested "passerbys." That word translates better into Romanian.
Elder Barclay gives a pamphlet to a man on the street.
This man tells Elder Gauthier that there is only hope for people if they have money, and most don't. Elder Gauthier tells him of a new kind of hope.
Most of the mission! President Lundberg had run President Kopischke to the airport, and a couple missionaries were in the hall and we didn't realize it, but this is the majority of the mission.
