From the land of Dracula and other vampires

Hey Beautiful People

Things are going alright here in the land of Dracula and other great vampires. This week seemed like a long one for me, but at the same time I can't believe the transfer is almost over. Next week, I'll be writing you and telling you who is transferred. I'm pretty sure I will stay and my companion probably will become assistant, but who knows. For his sake, I hope he stays here in Cluj.

Yeahhh! J got into BYU!! That is way tight.

Easter hasn't happened yet. It's this next Sunday and hopefully some baptisms will come with that, too. :) We haven't had our zone conference with Elder Christofferson yet, either. It is on Thursday. He will be speaking to us from 9-12, then we'll have lunch and then Elder Rigby and I have a presentation. We'll be talking on developing the absolute faith to find the very elect. It's a sweet topic and I've learned a ton by preparing for it. I'll tell you how it goes next week. We were told that in all the zone conferences that Elder Christofferson would speak and then leave after that, but I don't know if that will happen in ours, because he has a fireside, too, later that night and I can't imagine where he would go. Well, I guess we'll see if I have to present in front of an Apostle of the Lord!

This week we started handing out fliers for English. Actually, we didn't get them until Saturday morning and the first sign-ups are on Tuesday so we have to get those bad boys out. We are actually going to take the rest of our P-day on Wednesday, so we can spend today handing out fliers. Hopefully, a ton of people show up. The fliers are really well made. I'll send you a picture next week. I was going to send you guys pictures today, but in my hurry, I brought the camera and forgot the cable. So, next week. Hopefully. Church was pretty good. We're still maintaining a pretty good average, there were 48 people there.

While we were passing out English fliers, we talked to these two girls that were handing out fliers for Orange. And then they came to church! Sweet, huh? They seemed to really like it. I can't claim credit, Elder Armstrong was the one that talked to them the most and invited them. It's cool to see new people come, though.

For us, the Militaru's came, without the father :(, and Alex, of course. Today is going to be a deciding factor in what baptisms are coming next week. We finally got a hold of Ionut and we are meeting him. If he is really prepared then he'll get baptized this sunday. If not, soon after that. Then we are meeting with the Militaru's and we are taking Calina, the brand new member who got confirmed yesterday. I'm not sure yet why we are taking her, but I just had the impression when we were thinking of who to take that we should go with her. I'll guess I'll be able to tell you why next week. We pretty much have to give them their date today for this sunday if they are going to make it so it's going to be an intense, way cool lesson. Also we are going to talk to Catalin and his dad, who doesn't like his. We tried to stop by and talk to Catalin a few days ago but he wasn't there and his dad said if we want to talk to Catalin more we need to talk to the father first and tell him what we're doing with his son. He wasn't too pleasant of a guy. Hopefully that lesson goes well and my companion doesn't get in a fight, lol. He's fired up already for that lesson.

Oh man, we had to back to that pottery/porcelain/china/whatever it is store and buy more stuff for Sora Ashby. She wanted to have 12 pieces to give out at the seniors' conference that is coming up. We went and I hope we picked out good stuff. It cost 800 RON, lol, something like $350, but that was within the prices she told us she wanted. It was weird, I never imagined buying china on my mission. It was fun, in a different way, lol.

Well, I haven't gotten that package that, because we haven't had zone conference. Hopefully I get it this week. I can't wait to have more short-sleeve white shirts. Well, I don't know what to write. Not a super eventful week. I had an exchange with Elder Anderson, the boboc from Oradea. It went really well, he is an incredible missionary and I love his fearlessness. He was talking to everyone, wherever we went. Riding the train to Oradea then back again and then to Oradea the next day and back again drove me nuts. A total of 10 hours sitting. I got so restless.

Anyway, I'm going to bounce now. We're going to take lunch and then pass out more fliers and then start having those lessons. I love you all!

Elder Ross

A Few Bumps in the Road - but Forward with Faith

Good Morning Everyone!

Your last line was very appropriate, Mom, this week was a lot harder than the one before. ["Keep trusting in the Lord, even on days when things seem discouraging."] We worked really hard, both with our investigators we already had and also with trying to find new ones. It is sad when people get such a good chance to accept the Gospel, they seem so promising and then it doesn't work out. They either don't care or other things come into their lives and take priority. It brings to mind the parable of the sower. Well, we'll keep looking for those seeds that fall into the good ground and bring forth fruit.

Church yesterday was pretty good. The great attendance continues to happen. There were 52 people at church yesterday, woohoo! The Militaru's came again, too! At first they weren't there, they were running late, I mean, so when church started our only investigator at church was Alex. Man, we were so happy when we saw them, with the dad :), coming in. Unfortunately, Ionut and Catalin didn't come and we haven't really had a lesson with them since last week. We'll meet with them soon I hope.

About our goal for 7 baptisms this transfer, at one point this last week, we were a little discouraged and to be honest, I think our faith slackened a little. But we continued working hard and studying and praying, with more real intent than before, and I really believe it is still going to happen. There are only two sundays left in the transfer, so all 7 need to be at church on this sunday(preferably, not a rule, but important if you are getting baptized the next week) so they can get baptized the following sunday, which will be Easter. A great gift to the Savior, I think! This makes me think about when Jesus came to his disciples when they were on the sea in the midst of a storm. It's in Matthew 14 and He comes in the fourth watch, the very end of the night. That is how it will be with us, because He needs to try our faith first.

On Wednesday we had exchanges with the APs, Elder Linsenmeyer and Elder Jepsen. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it. Beforehand, I was a little nervous just because I went with Elder Linsenmeyer and I didn't know him at all, before that, and also because I don't know this city that great. But it went well. We did some dorm blocking and it was really successful. Students are really open. That's also where one of our trials came, though. We went back on Friday and an adminstrator came down and yelled at us and kicked us out of the dorms and told us we can't be there, so just two days after finding a great new place for finding new people, we lost it.

Interviews with President Ashby were ok, nothing special. Haha, we were assistants for a day! Sora Ashby wanted to get some china that I guess is only found in Cluj so we went all over the city with her. First we drove to a hotel that displays it and they sent us to the factory, but they don't sell it there and we were sent to the outlet store where Sora Ashby a lot of money on china and pottery things. It was funny, she was complaining that she didn't have a girl to consult with. I thought we did a great job, we found a really cool one that she could fill with Skittles and another one that would be perfect for putting cookies in. Whatever. :)

Yeah, the Hakes are the senior couple. Their responsibility is to run Outreach and other youth activities and to feed us missionaries twice a week. :) They are awesome, they do a lot. They are the coolest senior couple I've met yet on my mission.

Well, this is an important week and we're going to get down and dirty and work ourselves to the limit! We've got to make some miracles happen! Thank you for all of your support and prayers. They are much appreciated. I loved reading Elder Bednar's talk on praying in faith. It works when we follow that pattern. I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Ross

In love with the work - Grateful to be a missionary

Hey One and All!

Thanks, Mom, I'm glad that my letters sound good. And I think I'm doing even better than my letters sound. I really have fallen in love with the work and I can't really express all the gratitude I have that I get to be here. I'm all too aware of all my shortcomings, but it is ok, because as I strive to do my best the Savior and His Atonement make up the rest. It is a nice realization and helps my faith.

I hope that I am able to write everything that I want to. I have less than an hour today and it usually takes me a bit longer than that. But President Ashby is coming into town within the hour and we have interviews with him. So if the email is shorter than usual, sorry!

This last week was really great, I enjoyed it a lot and it went by really quickly. I am blown away when I think that the transfer is half over already. In the past I've always looked forward to the transfer passing quickly, but now I don't want it to end. I have a great companion, an amazing district and a high-quality zone. The investigators are so cool and I love the members. Pretty much the perfect transfer :)

I went up to Oradea for an exchange with Elder Valentine. It was a lot of fun. I got to know that district a little bit better and they are all, every single one of them, really good missionaries. It was sweet to see another city,too, and I snapped a couple pictures. The work is going well there. I got to meet with one of their investigators that is getting baptized pretty soon.

I have gotten to see three sessions of General Conference and it is amazing! I don't know what the difference is this time around, but I drank in the words like I never have before. It was amazing and so good to hear the words of the living prophets and apostles. Elder Christofferson was scheduled to come to Romania at the end of the month, but we don't know if that is still happening. It would be incredible to meet with a living apostle of the Lord. We'll see. Church was normal here. We watched the sessions at the Hakes' place. The Saturday morning at 7pm Saturday night, so that was live. After lunch at their place Sunday, we watched the Saturday afternoon session and then we watched the Sunday morning session live. Wow, it was sweet. We invited members and investigators, too. Not a lot came, but a few and I'm sure it was good for them.

Church was so good! Between the 6 of us here in Cluj, we had 15 investigators at church! It's the most I've ever had in my mission. Total, there were 48 people. We set a goal at the beginning of the transfer to have it up to 35(before it was 25-30, around there), so we are definitely making it! There were 48 last week, too. Ionut came, which was amazing, he was supposed to have a competition out of town, but stuff got changed around. He doesn't have a date yet, but he should get baptized this Sunday or the following, we're praying for this one. Catalin is struggling, a lot because of his mom. It is a big trial of his faith. I hope he pulls through. Hopefully he gets baptized in two weeks.

The big miracle of the week....The Militaru dad came to church!!! Elder Rigby and I and several members fasted for them on Saturday until Sunday and it worked. We are making progress! I was standing by the entrance when he came in, his family had already entered like 5 minutes before. He gave me a big smile and said, "My family doesn't know I'm here." Then went and sat by his wife who looked sooo happy. Usually he just drops the others off, but something made him want to stay and he did, with his family for all three hours. I think he liked it. I also think we have a decent relationship. He's always on the computer so we asked him if he would help copy some of Elder Rigby's music so that I could have it and he said to come over anytime and he'll help us. We're going over there tonight and it will be sweet if he joins us on the lesson, too. We'll see.

To answer some questions, mission council is a meeting that happens after every transfer meeting when all the zone leaders go to President's house and sit down with him and the AP's and we talk about the mission and its direction, make plans for improving the work and whatever. The theme this time was building the faith to baptize. Oh, we carry money to reimburse other missionaries for their utility bills or train tickets, stuff like that that doesn't come out of their normal funds.

Elder Armstrong's meeting with President Condurachi actually went really well. He took Elder Hakes and I think that was a big help. He is seen as someone older with a lot of Church experience and it is a lot easier for the Romanians to take counsel from someone like him.

Alex is an 11-year old kid. A total stud. He lives with his grandma. His mom works in Italy and she hasn't given him permission to be baptized yet. His grandma, btw, is a really great member. But Alex's mom gets here in the end of April and so we'll talk with her. She wants to come to church, is what his grandma said. So hopefully that all works out and we get two baptisms, instead of one in that family.

We are still pumped for our big goal of 7 baptisms this transfer, even though no one has a set date right now. We've seen so many miracles already, we know that it will happen somehow as we keep working hard and keep believing. We think that the Militaru dad will get baptized as well this month and we are going to work hard for it and pray hard for it.

Wow, Dad! Employee of the Year! That is super awesome, you definitely deserve it. Congratulations! My companion and I were talking earlier about how lucky we are that we grew up with such incredible parents and I really know that is true. I'm so grateful for both your example and for Mom's. This award you got is just a sign of the hard work and diligence you have always put forth and that I hope to inherit a little of. Thanks, Dad! I love you.

Thanks so much for all of your emails. I love hearing from you so much. And Happy Birthday E! I can't believe you are 10 now! Ridiculous! La Multi Ani!(To many years! lit. translated). I don't want the journal as either of the ones I have now, something completely new. I would love a hardbound one, just something big and tome-like that will be fun to write in.

Well, wonderful people! I better bounce to my interview. I'll let you know how it goes next week. I love you!!!!

Elder Ross