So I don't think I've told you before, but often, especially old people, Romanians as they say good bye they'll say "health, peace, blessings for you, blessings for you family... etc..." They'll just go off on a rant of all the blessings they wish upon you. It's really cute! And I kinda wish they did that in English! The other day Sora Krista, an amazing member in the branch, wished upon me and Sora Cook, health, blessings, and rich intelligent and handsome husbands :) fingers crossed hey? :D
La Multi Ani!!! :D i.e. Happy New Year!!! Happy 2013!!! For New Years, we played games at the villa we use for church until 11.30pm, then we waled to Centru and watched the fireworks. And YES, we had permission from President Hill, we were then allowed to sleep in until 8am the next day :) We played Monopoly Deal and Settlers of Catan in Romanian. we = Sora Cook and I and the 2 Elders. It was really fun! Then the fireworks were in the center of town, it was really cool! And oh it was so cute, there was this tiny girl on her Dad's shoulders who exclaimed after every single firework "O Tati, a fost cel mai super!!" meaning "Oh Daddy, that was the best one!" hehe it was so adorable.
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| Paintballing for the first time! |
This week has been a little crazy with ups and downs. A lot of people still are out of town until the end of this week. Kids here don't go back to school until Jan 14th/15th so a lot of families just leave the city for the Holidays. We did a lot of work on our Area Book though. Finding potentials. In just one night we set up three lessons. The Area Book, for those of you who don't know, is where we keep all the records of people taught. Some missionaries have been useless at keeping records which has been frustrating. One such example was an elderly man named Gheorghe who'd had a dream where a man in white told him to listen to the missionaries. He met the missionaries and stayed up all night reading the Book of Mormon and finished it. He then came to church and committed to be baptised the following day. But then.... that's all that's written on his record! Nothing else! What happened to the guy? Did he move? Did he back out? Did they even meet with him again? ....So after reading his record I called him and he gave me his address and said we could come visit... so we're going to go this week and find out what happened. Both Sora Cook and I have really gained a stronger testimony of record keeping throughout this week. It's like with the Pioneers. They planted seeds so that the pioneers on the trail behind them would be able to harvest the crops. The pioneers planting weren't able to make use of the crops but the pioneers after them were! So we're making good use of our Area book! The seeds left by previous missionaries may have grown and these people are now prepared to receive the truth. So we are prayerfully searching and finding people. We are also making sure we keep good records of everyone whom we teach, so that if they aren't ready right now, future missionaries can have records of the "seeds" we plant.
Have any of you ever watched "The District" or "The District 2" ?? It's where they went around filming missionaries in their day to day lives. Especially the first district, is really funny and pretty unbelievable. Sora Cook and I were watching some this week and realized how hilarious "The District, Arad Romanian style" would be. As we watch it, sometimes we are envious of how simple their lives seem in that video. Having lessons not cancel, Not eating chicken heads etc. However, we are SO grateful to be here in Romania. I mean how boring would our emails home be, if we ate normal food, and didn't get yelled at all the time, and weren't freezing cold in the snow everyday, and if people didn’t throw up on the Tramvai as we tried to contact them, or if our investigators didn't want to meditate in the middle of our lessons... I mean... How boring? :)
I went paint balling today for the first time!! It was so fun... I'll send a few picture of me in the gear, The Paintball man is going to email us the action pictures he took so I'll send them next week hopefully. We had a zone Pday, where all the elders in the zone came here to Arad. The only other sisters in the zone didn't want to come, so it was Sora Cook and I and 11 Elders. We went to this big empty building place where this guy runs a paint balling place and it was super fun! and It was really funny, because I was so scared of getting hit that I'd spend most of my time in the games just hiding, then occasionally shooting people from behind. Since I hid, most of the time they didn't know where I was and then I'd pop out and shoot them from behind. Yay! Fun Pday!! :D
So we went to visit a less active family in our branch this past Saturday. They are the same family to whom we brought Christmas Presents. The Relief Society president told us that they hadn't eaten in a few days so we brought them a few groceries. It was so sad to see the terrible conditions in which they live. The children are so skinny, where they all are! They really have nothing. It was so sad! The kids are so precious. I sat and took turns reading the Book of Mormon with the little boy Seby. He is almost 9 years old, super smart, and just the happiest and sweetest little boy. He was helping me to pronounce my Romanian words better! Then I also read with the little girl Alexandra. She's nearly 10 years old and just an angel! She's a really good helper for her Mum, and just loves the sister missionaries. It was really hard to see their living conditions, but I was grateful that we could visit and show them some love.
Okay... this next story, I don't mean in a way to scare you Dad, (or Colin, or anyone else who's prone to worrying). So this past saturday Sora Cook and I were completely protected by the Spirit. We were running a little late for our bus, so we decided to take a Taxi to the bus stop (which was across town), instead of taking the Tramvai. As we walked to the Taxi stop, both Sora Cook and I had a little thought, "skip the first taxi". It wasn't a big warning sign, or anything, it was just a little thought to skip the first one in the line. But both of us thinking we were being silly and paranoid didn't say anything and just went to the first taxi anyway. We opened the door and climbed in and Sora Cook told him our destination. The moment I sat down I felt something was wrong. He turned around and stared at us as though he was insane! He just stared. He then turned around to turn the car on, and just stopped and turned back to stare at us. The most awful feeling came over me as I saw his radio was unplugged, and just the most terrible look in his face. I saw that Sora Cook had the same feeling. "Get out! Get out!" I said to her, she tried to open the door but it was locked! The Taxi was doors were on child-lock. So in a moment of inspiration, Sora Cook rolled down the window and opened the door from the outside, and we booked it out of there! We immediately talked about it, and both of us had had the same feelings. That man was planning something, something evil, we don't know what it was, but we know for a fact that the Spirit restrained him. I don't mean this experience to scare you. It was really testimony building and we have been praying in gratitude ever since. I am just so grateful that we were worthy to have the Spirit with us, and that our Heavenly Father protected us. We have also decided not to take Taxis unless we are with the Elders from now on, and we are also going to listen to every little thought, even if it seems silly. But yes... we are safe, we are fine! We told our Elders about it, and both agreed that the Lord had protected us and they insist on being with us in Taxis from now on.
Oh there is the cutest most adorable old lady in our branch! She's just moved here from Brasov, was baptised 6 years ago. When the missionaries first asked her to be baptised she told them she was too old, but they told her that was even more reason to do it, and if the Lord had blessed the missionaries to come into her life and for her to receive an answer to her prayers that this was the true church, then she was obligated to be baptised! Oh she is just so cute! She went to the temple 4 years ago. She just loves the Church and loves the Book of Mormon, and the Temple! She's got this really cute little old lady voice, and walks really slow and I just love her. Her name is Sora Matei! One greeting that people say, young people usually say it to older people, means "kiss the hand" so I always say it to Sora Matei because it's very respectful and just so adorable. I love her! ...In case you couldn't tell.
Okay that's all I have for this week! I love this work! The gospel is so true! I just love sharing it with people! I love Arad, and I love Sora Cook, and fingers crossed we'll be together here, next transfer.
Thanks for your love, prayers and support!
Keep the Faith!
Love Sora Rivera
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