We took Sora Bobrov to the park for her own personal reading of the dedicatory prayer!
Sora Bobrov met up with her first companion and trainer, Sora Hupp. Companions, Sora Harward and Sora Mullen, worked with them a day in Bucharest before getting Sora Bobrov and Sora Hupp on the train to Moldova. 
Companions, Elder Hyatt and Elder Farr, prepare to leave the mission home after their interviews with President Lundberg and their chocolate chip cookies with Sora Lundberg! 
Companions, Elder B. Johnson and Elder Veenendaal, currently lead the Bucharest East Zone. 
Tricky photography. The elders wanted me in the picture with them, so I strethced my arm and snapped! I am surrounded by the following wonderful elders: Elder Vekony, Elder Wirthlin, Elder Mathis, and Elder Bennett!
Elder and Sora Dummar completed their mission. They spent their final night with us at the mission home. The electricity went off during dinner so we enjoyed part of our dinner by candlelight. We love the Dummars and are grateful for the many wonderful things they did for the Young Single Adult Program, the Panduri Branch, and the missionaries. They will be missed. 
March 24 was the birthday of our dear friend, Dana Biolaru. We were invited to her home for dinner. The whole week had been very special because there was a fireside the Saturday evening before celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the first 3 baptisms in Romania. Dana's mother, Doina, was one of the three baptized that day. Steve Worsley, an American, returned with his wife for the occasion. The missionaries taught Doina, but Steve baptized her. What a great week! 
Joshua participated in the Science Fair at this school. His project involved floating an egg in salt water.
Elder Craig Wright, our visiting area authority from England, met us in Arad for a District Conference. It was such a pleasure to meet with him and to be taught by him.
Sora Henrie arrives! Sora Henrie was delayed at the MTC a couple weeks because of a volleyball injury on her knee. We are thrilled to have her here and know she will be an asset to the mission.
Elder Bennett, Elder Mathis, Elder Radu Stoica, and President Lundberg are big smiles after the setting apart of Elder Stoica. Elder Stoica, a member from the Iasi Branch, left April 1 for the Preston England MTC where he will prepare for his mission in the Scotland Ireland Mission.
Trusty assistants, Elder Mathis and Elder Bennett, out in front of the Chişinău vila.
Elder Olsen (left) was our visiting area authority from Sweden. Next is a member who was arriving as we were, along with Elder Mathis and Elder Bennett. Elder Olsen was a very kind and humble man. It was a great experience to hear him speak and to learn from him. 
Mostly missionaries, a couple members!
Saluting Elder Smith and President Vizitiv in District Presidency, show the final two fire extinguishers to get delivered to all the missionaries. Each apartment now has one! 
Moldovan members and missionaries! 
The girls all giving a "high five" 
Elder Hackett and Elder Smith, along with this sweet member, head back to Bălţi.
President Lundberg with Orhei elders, Elder Kopsa and Elder Finch (serving as branch president), along with senior couple, Sora and Elder VanWormer. The VanWormers are our humanitarian couple in Moldova. 
The senior missionaries serving in Bucharest met for dinner together before the Lineruds 
This was the DELICIOUS dessert---papanaş! It's kind of like a big scone with a little scone on top, covered in sweet cream and fruit. Elder Linerud treated us all!
March 14 (3/14) is "pi" day. Remember your math days when you learned the circumference divided by the radius is always 3.14................, which is called pi? Joshua had to decorate a cake or a pizza, make it tasty, and also have it be creative as it related to "pi." So, we made a pineapple upsidedown cake, that had lots of "pi"shapes (pineapple slices), and we use the "pi" sign to spell the word pineapple. It looke great and we were sure Joshua would win the contest, but he came home and said they just ate the desserts and didn't judge them afterall.
The four missionaries that were departing for home this week were at the mission home for their final interview. Joshua called and said, "Quick, Mom, get the missionaries there. I'm bringing Gabi, my busdriver home to hear about the gospel." I told him that we had four missionaries at home, and it was fun to be with them as they taught a final lesson before leaving the mission. Good job, Joshua! Good job, missionaries.
After the interviews, Joshua talked his dad and the three departing elders to go outside and play baseball with him for a minute or two. President Lundberg is seen ready to pitch, while Elder Zavala, Elder Lainhart, and Elder Bigu are ready to field.
Changing of the guard! Later that evening, we had Elder and Sora Wolsey, as well as Elder and Sora Linerud for dinner. The Wolseys are our new senior humanitarian missionaries who are replacing the Lineruds. The Lineruds spent the night at our home and flew out early Tuesday morning. They will be missed by many.
Departing missionaries this transfer included Elder Lainhart, Elder Zavala, Elder Bigu, and Sora Walker. We will miss them all. Since Sora Walker was the only sister leaving at this time, she was able to stay at the mission home with us a few nights. It was great to have her here.
The new missionaries arrived on Tuesday. The three elders include Elder Melville, Elder Eaton, and Elder Newey. The Wolseys arrived a couple days earlier on Saturday. We're thrilled to have them all!
Office elders Elder Olson and Elder Herman, along with outgoing office elder, Elder Boehme, teach the gospel to a many on the park bench. The office elders had been busy helping our new arrivals get their extended-stay visas, and had brought them to the park for our first day in the country routine. I'm always thrilled when the missionaries will open their mouths and share the gospel with people no matter what errand they are on.
Just a few days in the country and the Wolseys have stepped right in and are helping with whatever needs doing. The Mission Home seemed to have a revolving door on Wednesday, with all sorts of wonderful people coming and going. We did our best to feed all who came.
New trainers and assistants have a quick lunch before their newly arrived companions are matched up with them and sent out into the world to find the elect. (l to r): Sora Hupp, Sora Hansen, Elder Vogelsberg, Elder Bennett, Elder Mathis, and Elder Frandsen.
Onward Christian Soldiers! New missionaries and trainers leave the mission home to head for the train station. The adventure has really begun!
Transfer day finds many missionaries at the train station as they meet up with new companions and head to the city where they will serve during the next six weeks. This happy group includes: Elder Simmons, Elder Laherty, Elder Biggs, Elder Sullivan, Elder Johnson, and Elder Mathis.
Sora Hupp started talking to this lady at the train station. Elder Mathis walked over and joined in. Always a missionary, always!
Missionaries take turns standing guard over the luggage and supplies at the train station. The missionaries really create quite a beautiful scene! I love it.
Passing through at the same time are Elder Boehme, Elder Biggs, Elder Lee, Elder Gunter, Elder Martin, Elder Sullivan, and President Lundberg.
Elder Johnson and Elder Laherty finds somebody who will listen to them.
Wednesday evening, two of our former missionaries came over for a visit and a little dinner. We were so thrilled to see Elder Rigby and Sora Thompson Rigby again. They were great missionaries then, and they are great people now. It is so fun to see our returned missionaries doing so well.
And then, it was so fun to also have Elder Allphin and his parents come over Wednesday evening as well. President Lundberg and I were on the stand on Sunday for District Conference and the Allphins were in the back. President leaned over and said, "Look at that guy in the back with the green sweater on. He looks like Elder Allphin." I said, "Yes, it kind of does. I saw him walk in and I thought that he looked like an American." Pretty soon, we saw Elder Allphin look at us and start to smile. He was clear in the back (we had 258 people there!) but we then knew it really was him. It was so fun to visit with him and his parents (who look the same age as Elder Allphin) and to see that he, too, is doing great. We sure love these missionaries.
Sora and Elder VanWagoner
Missionaries currently serving in Galaţi with the VanWagoners are Elder Green, Elder Layton, Sora Henriksen, Sora Holman, and Sora B. Hansen
Senior missionaries attending the art show included Sora and Elder Linerud (Humanitarian missionaries living in Bucharest) and Sora and Elder VanOrman (office couple also living in Bucharest.)
Elder Green, President Lundberg, and Elder Layton at artshow!
Sora Linerud took this great picture as she was leaving Galaţi!
View of the Danube River in Galaţi from our hotel window.
These next few pictures were taken while traveling on the road between Bucharest and Galaţi.
Cemetery picture taken by President Lundberg while he was driving. He can do it without getting blurry pictures like I do. (A little window glare, maybe!)
Another roadside picture!
I truly love these pictures. I love the homes of the people in the little villlages. Notice the clothing out hanging on the lines. No dryers here.
Water comes from the wells still for many people.
Another great shot of what is reality for many people.
I love the people. I love how the older village ladies still wear scarves on their heads. I always wonder what these people do each day inside their homes during the winter when there aren't farms, vegetables, and gardens to take care. I wish I could go visit some of them.
Another home along the main road.
