Lasgna is from Mexico

Buna Ziua! It is the most beautiful day here in Arad. About 17 degrees C with a light breeze! Gorgeous! Finally the rain and snow seemed to have moved on! Fingers crossed it'll stay this way. We're hoping to go district contacting this week in the parks. Also people are in a better mood generally and more willing to listen to our message. Sadly, the Romanians think I'm a little crazy because I stopped wearing boots and tights. Visiting and elderly woman in our branch the other day resulted in her yelling at me for not wearing tights and me being forced to put on old granny nylons! They think I'll get sick or something. It's very kind of them. They don't want me to get sick... but I'm good! And how is one supposed to tan my winter white legs whilst wearing old granny nylons... not gonna happen!

Random funny experiences of a Sora in Romania:

"What do we do if we've found a dead guy??" I blurted to Elder Adams this morning on the phone. As we walked to the piata this morning we came across a man slumped on the ground not moving and seemingly not breathing. We didn't know what to do! What if he really was dead?? What if he was just taking a nap in an awkward slumped position? "Get a long stick and poke him!" came the helpful reply. But no worries.... right as I found a long stick we saw him move, and later when we came back he'd woken up and walked away. So no worries! No dead guy! Alive... just hung over guy :)

Also... "Lasgana is from Mexico!" a member, told us yesterday. My Italian companion burst into a fit of giggles and I was speechless. Really??? Lasgna??? Mexican??! Oh my life! Whatever next!

Sometimes as we travel to peoples' homes we can't help but laugh at our sometimes-ridiculous journeys! We think of missionaries in other missions driving to their appointments. What do they need to worry about?? Oh too many red lights?! Hahaha. A family in our branch with whom we've started to work, live in an area of the city without Tramvais. So what we do is take a tramvai to the Train station then walk across the train tracks and up the rocky banks, under the bridge and across the dirt road, then down the street and behind a random church until the maze of blocks where they live. It's very entertaining and we took a few pictures so I'll try to include them! :) Speaking of this family! They're so incredible! They are a part-member family. Just the Mother, Mihaella is a member. They're very poor. Two parents and 3 kids living in a tiny one-room apartment.  I'm completely in love with them! They're so sweet and beautiful and humble. We're going over for Family Home Evening and I can't wait! The kids are just the cutest things! Alexandra is 10, Sebi is 9 and then there's a baby Larissa who is nearly a year old. I can't express how much I adore them! And they adore us. We had a lesson with the 10 year old, Alexandra, yesterday about baptism and what it means to be baptised. She told us she wants to go to church but she doesn't want to be baptised. We told her that it was her decision, nobody would force her, but we just wanted to understand why not? "I'm not ready" she said. "I don't want to repent". What kind of 10 year says they don't want to repent? They're not ready??? I was really shocked and I looked at her little brown eyes. I'd heard the kids teasing her as we arrived "Pocaita! Pocaita!" They teased. It's literally translates to "Repenter!" It's the name they call people who leave the Orthodox church. I asked her if she knew what repentance means and she said "no, but I don't want to do it". She was so cute and innocent, and my heart broke as I realized that it was just because of the teasing, the ignorance of people making "repentance" into something negative instead of beautiful. She still loves us and wants to keep having lessons, and we want to start working with the entire family. We're definitely going to have a lesson as to what repentance really means. I know the Lord has a lot in store for this beautiful family and for that gorgeous little girl. I hope and pray that I can see a part of it.

Anyway, there's not too much else to report! I love you and I'll try and send more pictures soon. Keep the faith!

Sora Rivera