July 01, 2013
Hello again!
I feel like I write a lot and so I have a hard time thinking
of what I need to write. Also I am on a mission and so you know we have
missionary work to do. Hahaha the work doesn't change here, which I really
like. But that just makes time go super fast here. Like the weeks just go
by super fast here and I don't know how that is even possible really.
Anyways off my random box...
This week went by extremely extremely fast for me. And I
think it's because it was a traveling week. We had zone conference this week
which for our zone is in Arad! So we left Thursday afternoonish and got in to
Arad around 10ish... and well I just am loving train rides! haha No there not
bad just a lot of time on your hands. And train rides aren't bad if you have
two districts that you just love and adore so much! Anyways we had a really
good zone conference that really just talked about unity in companions and what
we want our zone's to accomplish with the Book of Mormon. I believe I told you
before that our mission is focusing a lot on passing out Books of Mormon. We
really want every home to have a Book of Mormon in their house. Anyways so we
focused a lot on using the Book of Mormon in our contacting and in our lessons
and in just every aspect of missionary work which is what it should be anyways
:)
And I really loved Zone Conference because I get to see most
of my sisters from my MTC district and I get to see Sora Lund who wasn't in our
MTC district but I just adore her and love her! She never has a bad day I
swear!
Oh I almost forgot that President Hill announced some
fantastic news for our mission we are getting 18 new sisters! WHICH MEANS that
we will have sister missionaries in ever branch! Because right now we don't
have enough sisters for every branch so they open an area and then they will
switch stiti? But isn't that amazing so we will have a total of like 40 sister
missionaries in ROMANIA! And then we have around 60ish Romanian speaking Elders
and then 10 Russian speaking Elders and 13 senior missionaries! I am so excited
to see all these new changes come into this mission!
I guess we did have an exciting adventure this week we got
to live without power! HOORAY! It was actually super funny and I basically just
laughed the whole day. We had apartment checks and we had just gotten signed
off and everything was just fine and dandy and then we get a random knock on
the door. And this guy tells us that 4 months agoish that the power wasn't paid
and so they turned off all our power. Luckily the wonderful Boyds were still
there and so they helped us get out of that trouble which just consisted of
standing in lines for a really really really long time. And it would have been
longer but the security guard really liked us because we were the only ones
trying not to fight with him as everybody was well not happy campers. That is
the wonderful gift of being patient and happy in extremely stressful
circumstances.
We had a really good lesson with D and D this week
since there really the only ones that are somewhat progressing. D is
really one of the smartest and most diligiant 17 year olds I have met. But she
is also extremely stubborn and has a really hard time understanding that
Christ's Gospel can help her in her life. So we have really tried to focus with
her how we have a LOVING Heavenly Father. And there is this awesome Mormon
Message that talks about Earthly Father, Heavenly Father. And we figured out
that it has Romanian subtitles which was super awesome. The spirit was so
strong and so she is slowly reading the Book of Mormon which was our other
lesson with D and D. We both testified that the Book of Mormon had
changed both of our lives and that we know it's true and all they have to do is
read it and pray about it. That they can know it for themselves! And they
agreed to slowly with some hesitancy. And unfortunately they weren't able to
come to church this Sunday. But we are looking forward to seeing them this week
and seeing how they are doing. 'They really are adorable and they don't want us
to leave. They always ask,"Are you in a hurry? Do you have to go? You can
stay if you like?" I want them to progress into the gospel so bad! AHHH!
We also had a wonderful lesson with one of my favorite
members Sora S! AHH I love her so much! She is so dang cute and whenever
she sees me she just talks my ear off! So last Sunday she comes up to me and
asks when are you going to come visit me? And I just told her that I didn't
know and she looks at me and just says what you don't know how about this
week?? And I mean she is really concerned for when we are going to visit her.
And so I just told her that we would call her since I didn't really know what
lessons were on which days. And so last Monday she calls and tells us to come
over that night and she made us Saramale and just had a wonderful lesson about
the Temple since she just returned from the temple! Super cute. I will get some
pictures with her soon.
Sunday we watched the Missionary Broadcast as a branch so it
was in Romanian so ya know didn't catch every word there. But I am excited to
here about all the new ways we will be able to do missionary work here. Which
is good because phones here for Romania well they don't work a lot of the time
so being able to use the internet to try and connect with our members and
investigators is fantastic! It's not going to take effect here right away as
far as I know, but eventually! Missionary work is getting exciting over here!
... sometimes.... :)
Missionary work was a little slow as you can see. And I have
really thought of things that I have learned on my mission so far. Which is a
lot let me tell you how much I have to change and the little/drastic changes
that are happening in my life as a missionary. Anyways and I have had a lot of
discussions with other missionaries about the work here in Romania. Because
it's slow. It's super slow. The branches are small... I shouldn't say this
since we have one of the biggest branches here in Cluj but in general there
small. It's hard to get member presents on lessons. It's hard to get
referals... okay it's nearly impossible to get referals here.
Because it's really hard for them to share the gospel. Being a member of a
different religion isn't like it is back home... it's completely different. And
it makes me really grateful to be from America. Where I can be any religion and
share my religion with my neighbors and friends and family. And that's one
thing that I will make sure I am better at when I get home is being a better
missionary. Because this work is IMPOSSIBLE without members. Absolutely
IMPOSSIBLE! If the missionaries call me to be a member present I will be there.
If they ask for a refferal I will give one prayfully. I will do my job as a
member.
Anyways life here is good. It's hard... but I love it. I
really do. Being a missionary well it's nothing and everything I thought it
would be. Contacting... is well interesting sometimes fun, and teaching is
wonderful. Really being an instrument in Heavenly Fathers hands is AMAZING. And
these experiences I will never ever forget.
I love you all so much. Sorry it's not a super
happening letter! And it's also super random :) Have fun!
Love,
Sora Stewart
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