The Fruit Of Our Labours

Scary Fridge: Before

Only in Romania.... so most people if they've heard of Romania, just think of Dracula. Well, this week, Sora and I cleaned out a fridge covered in blood. Allow me to elaborate. On Tuesday all of us missionaries and a couple members from the branch went to one of the member's homes to help him clean, cut wood, and do some yard work and stuffs. It turned out to be a bigger job then we'd expected. So we agreed to return on the Saturday after English. Sora and I had been inside cleaning and clearing out the old cabinets. It was disgustingly dirty. The member lives there with his mother who has Alzheimer's. On Saturday afternoon we returned and he asked if we'd clean out the fridge! "Of course!" we said. The eccentric grandma was wandering around telling us about her three granddaughters as we grabbed the cleaning supplies. A little puppy covered in fleas nipped out our shoes and we opened the fridge door. Sora and I couldn't believe it! There was blood, frozen blood, dripped and splattered all over the inside of the fridge. It seemed to have originally come from a huge piece of meat on the shelves. We asked the lady what the meat was. "I don't know" she said, a little confused, and opened the back to look, "Porc" she said proudly, and then went back to dusting the shelves happily. I don't know if it was porc, beef, or I don't even know... but whatever it was, it was disgusting! But anyhoo, we cleaned and scrubbed and the fridge was a beautiful sparkly white by the end. Don't worry we got some good photos and an even better video! And afterwards, the member from the branch was so grateful that he went to his plum trees and filled bags of plums for us to take home! We called them, the fruit of our labours! 

Scary Fridge: After

Chalk Contact with Random Pony

With the Elders

Also.... another random fact about the service project, one of the member's friends/relatives was sat in the corner the whole time making some sort of vodka/whisky. We invited him to church, but he said he wasn't interested and then proceeded to tell us many racist ideas and plans. One of the newer missionaries was there, kind of listening. He's still at the point in his mission where he doesn't understand much of what people say. As Sora and I sat listening the Nazi-Romanian, I kinda of wished I still didn't understand. Oh well... people just need Jesus! That’s all I can say! :D


I gave another talk yesterday! YAY! The topic was "being examples worthy to follow". I based the talk around the scripture from Romans 5:19 about obedience. It was really fun. I love giving talks! Especially in Romanian. It's excellent language study. Also this week, Sora and I finished Alma and Helaman in the Book of Mormon. We're trying to finish it by next Wednesday. One thing that Sora Polatis and I love is how much the Book of Mormon uses the word "astonished" It's sooo funny! It's everywhere! Have a look out for it as you're reading. I have the goal to read the entire standard works before the end of my mission too. Next transfer is New Testament! I'm very excited :)


We had a fun experience on Thursday. The Elders were on exchanges and the two trainees were put together. Elder Collison and Montoya. Collison has only been here 9 weeks and Montoya just 3 weeks. So we decided to take them chalk contacting. It's a really nice, fun and relaxed way to contact. Perfect, for newer missionaries. They're both still terrified to talk to people! But chalk contacting is easy because you draw out the whole plan of salvation on the ground and then explain it to people, and if you forget what to say, it's right there on the ground in front of you. They did amazing! At first they would barely say a word and would just point and the pictures I drew. But by the end they were stopping people and explaining the whole thing and inviting people to learn more! I remember that feeling, when I was new. Just fearing that people would say stuff and I wouldn't know what to say back. So it was sooo fun to help them to become more comfortable with contacting and to relax and enjoy mission work.


We had the coolest experience on Saturday evening. We were walking home from the church after correlation meeting. As we were coming up the street we saw a little old lady from our block standing in the middle of our street. Her name is stella, me and Sora Caruso met her back in May. She has pretty severe Parkinsons. We went up to her. "Hi Stella! How are you?!" I asked. "I need your help!" She said, in a panicked voice. She looked so scared. She took my arm and we very slowly crossed the street. "Are you heading home?" She asked. She was shaking very bad and could barely walk. "Yes!" We told her. And we began our long journey back to the block.  She'd gone for a walk in the park nearby and had been struggling to walk home for an hour. She had been praying for help and then boom! Heavenly Father sends two little missionaries to help her get home. It was soo cute! She told us about her life and the countries she'd visited. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew her and she told them all that we were her neighbours, helping her home. She lives with her daughter 2 floors below us. It was such a joy to be used by the Lord to serve her. I was filled with love for her! I thought about the scripture, love thy neighbour! Yes! That's why we're here. To love God, and to love our neighbour.

I love this work! This week is transfers, and I hope I get to stay in Constanta with Sora Polatis, but if not, I'll serve wherever he wants me to go. Love you all! Keep the Faith

Sora Rivera xx