Happy New Year! Many more, health and all that you desire!
Or so the Romanians say to everyone they say for the new year. Or a lot of times they will also wish you to have a beautiful wife(or as the case may be, a great husband. It's way funny. I love Romanians and their many vorbas(sayings).
The New Year's was really fun up here in Iasi. I think usually we are not supposed to be outside after 9pm or something, but the Wrights were way cool about it. As they said, "President Ashby kept us from seeing the fireworks last year so this year we're going. What are they going to do? Send us home?" Ha ha ha. Senior couples are hilarious when they are trunky.
We went down to Palatul Culturii and they had a way good show. There was a laser light show going on and some good music blasting really loud. You could feel the bass shaking the ground. So after the countdown, well for one, everyone pulled out their bottles of champagne and started drinking and couples started kissing, but better than that was the firework show. It was super impressive, a lot better than I thought it would be. And it looked especially cool, because it was above the palace, which looked really cool as the background. It was a tight celebration, I think I want to always go to big celebrations for New Year's from now on, like city squares and stuff.
Yes, I got your package! I'm really sorry I forgot to mention that last week. I realized that later in the week, when it was too late. Anyway, your package was great! I love everything. It was nice to have a second Christmas. I got the package from Grandma and Grandpa J, too. Tell them thank you for me. You guys are the best.
Man, you're right, it has been soooo cold here! Like I'm wearing 2 pairs of socks and my feet are still cold, long johns for my legs and chest, gloves and I put my hands in my pockets and they are still cold and I have my big, fur coat that mostly keeps my head warm. My nose feels raw sometimes because it's so cold. I really hope it doesn't get that cold again. That's how it was the end of last week, but it's a little warmer right now. We got a ton of snow last night and it is super beautiful here right now. The snow warmed it up a little too. I know that one of the days it was -14 C. I'm not a winter person, lol, it was ok until the last couple weeks and now I am ready for spring.
So, Sora Maria, an old member lady that has been bed-ridden for a while, passed away this week. On Thursday we had a funeral service for her and then after that we went to her burial. She was able to buried in her temple clothes, at least her temple whites. It was a really good service, really positive. Right before the burial, we went into the funeral parlor where Sora Maria was laying. It was just her and one other lady in the room, but there was such a contrast between the two. Sora Maria looked really at peace, but the other lady didn't look that way at all. And then the people that were around her were all weeping and wailing and they looked so sad, like it was huge tragedy. And then our member sisters were standing around talking, smiling and there was a really good spirit in that. It's so nice to know exactly what happens after this life and that Sora Maria is in a better place now.
Other good has come from that event as well. Yesterday, my companion, the Wrights and I had a discussion with Angelica(Sora Maria's daughter) and Nina and Romina, mother and daughter who are friends of the family. We gave them all Books of Mormon and had a good lesson. Romina was the only one that seemed interested, but she was really interested and we set up to meet with her again on Friday. She's way excited to read the Book of Mormon, too. We'll see what happens.
No, Gianina didn't get baptized this week. Unfortunately she didn't pass her interview, but she didn't have any problems with the Book of Mormon or Jesus Christ, nor is it worthiness stuff. We just have to go over a few things with her, like Joseph Smith(shouldn't be hard, she believes the Book of Mormon is true already) and that God has a body. She'll get baptized this Sunday.
Ok, this one should be a shock for the BYU girls...guess who decided they wanted to get baptized and then did yesterday?! ...Traian! Sora Podaru's husband. Elder Wright performed it(No, the Wrights don't ever do tracting with us). I guess on the 1st he all of a sudden decided he wanted to be baptized and he met with the other elders every single day and on Saturday I had my first baptismal interview, with him, and it was really cool actually. He was well prepared and he is committed to keeping his baptismal covenants. I really enjoyed doing the interview and hopefully I get lots of chances to do more.
On Wednesday, I went up to Chisinau for a ZL/DL. Because the office didn't get my companion's passport to him, he stayed in Iasi with Elder Davis and just had a normal day. The meeting was really good and I learned a lot. My favorite presentation was one done by Elder Armstrong and he talked a lot about being a good leader. He used scriptures from Mosiah 2 and also D&C 121, talking about how many are called but few are chosen, how many people(even missionaries, believe me) aspire to the honors of men. It's something I've thought a lot about and something I really want to avoid, to stay humble and to always lead with love. It really felt like his presentation was made just for me, I really, really liked it and I learned a lot and also learned some things I want to study more. It was a pretty long day, with a 3 hour Maxitaxi ride each way and I was ready to get back to work, especially after coming off of two days of nothing because of New Year's.
It is really nice to be on the other side of the holidays! Especially knowing that the next time they come I will be with all of my loved ones. So hopefully this week is a pretty normal one and we start getting back into the swing of things. People are starting to come back from holiday. Diamanta got back on Thursday and it's been really good to see her again. Lol, she is pretty upfront with Elder Bennett. One of the first things she said to him was, Oh are you a boboc? Oh, then why is your romanian so bad? Then when she found out he is in the same group as Elder Hardman, she really got on him. "Elder Hardman was a lot better, he learned really fast. You need to work harder." Luckily, Elder Bennett is a stud and he didn't take it the wrong way and it makes him want to work even harder at the language. He really does struggle with romanian, but he works at it. He's a hard worker and a fun guy. I get along well with him and I'm trying to help him grow and learn. Diamanta is helping him out, too. She's a great friend, just frank.
Yup, E, I lit a shirt on fire on Thursday, January 3, my one year mark. We didn't really have a good place to do it, so we did it on the balcony over a bucket. The shirt lit up super fast and burned a lot better than I thought it would. I was holding it up with an old broom handle and after a minute it burned itself off and fell into bucket, which became this pot of infernal flame. Until the bucket caught on fire, too, haha. Thank goodness everything is cement in Romania. But it consumed the entire bucket and nothing was left. It was sweet. I haven't had time to return my camera yet, but my comp took pictures and I'll get those from him and hopefully next week I'll send you guys a bunch of pictures.
So I've started to step it up a little. For district meeting I talked about happiness and how it always depends on us and is indifferent to our circumstances. Then I talked about the example of Jesus Christ and things He did in His life to grow and to be happy. I read Luke 2:52, which is something like. "And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, in favor with God and with man." So we talked about those 4 things and how when are striving to be better in all 4 of those that is when we are the happiest. So, to answer your question on New Year's goals, that is kind of it. I have a goal to grow in wisdom by reading the Book of Mormon twice this year(yeah, I finished it by my year mark, a super good feeling!) and finishing the Bible. In stature by working out every morning. It's a lot more fun, because my companion has an ab wheel and then I found a couple bars(can't really explain what they are) for working out. It makes a big difference and I already feel better for doing it. I worked out every single day last week. Lol, today my biceps are a little sore. And a little bigger, too :) I've got to be ready to take on J when I get home! Also, with stature, to be more bold, to be able to present the Gospel better to people. In favor with God, I'm really trying to pray more and pray more sincerely. Also, to be more in tune with the Spirit. In favor with man, the biggest thing I thought of was really loving these people. I'm already in love with them, but keeping it up and serving them. Also, learning the language better is a way that I can gain more access to the people's hearts. Some of those goals are a little broad or vague, but I'm going to study them more and make a list.
Well, this email is one of my longer ones I think. S, I agree with you. I like it, too, when I write to each one of you. Unfortunately, I wrote a lot today and I don't have very much time. I still need to write President, too. Tell you what. Have everyone write me an email next week and then next week, I promise, I will write everyone their own message. Sound good? Remind me, too. :) Ok, I'm going to go now, but I love you all! Have a beautiful week, everyone!
Cu Drag, Elder Ross
