Merry December ~ România 🇷🇴Mission ~

December 2020

Our December was filled with love, laughter, activities, service, friendship, (a little head-cold; NOT Covid 😷) and total and complete J♡Y!

December is the time for giving and here in Romania there are many kind and compassionate people that go the extra mile to give service and show kindness to others.  One Sunday we were waiting for Denise (she takes the Metro to a spot and we pick her up there for church) and this little lady was just sitting in front of Luca's; (the very best pastry shop in the whole wide world 😋; bar none)! We were just watching her and then this lady came up and took off her nice, warm coat and gave it to her and helped her put it on.  Then another lady handed her a pastry.  I mentioned in the last email of the two separate bus ladies who gave water and a bag of chips to a homeless/mentally unstable man! There are so many people throughout the world who are Christ-like and do things out of the goodness of their hearts - such great examples to me: service and love are contiguous 💛👼💛!

Not being at home to do family or friends gifts was kind of sad, but Sora Falslev and I decided we needed to put together gift bags for all 56 missionaries plus a few friends (our missionaries couldn't receive any gifts from home as our mission office is not located in Romania 😞)! Sora Falslev did the majority of the work making all the handouts to wrap around the goodies! With Elder Falslev we had an assembly line and put them all together ~ it took a couple days but was so much fun to be with them and work together on this fun project!

The best of all was that we had new missionaries coming in from Hungary and so there were a lot of exchanges and transfers at the train station! This made it possible for me to go to the train station and spend a good portion of the day greeting the arriving missionaries and sending off some departing ones and giving out ALL the missionary Christmas bags to the missionaries at the same time ~ astonishing and fun! We only had one bag left where the missionary didn't come through Bucharest but his companion shared his and we will get his to him soon! It made our month very Christmasy and jolly!

Christmas Eve we went to Marilena and Vlads home and brought over some goodies for them.  I can't express enough the love I have for these two people.  Vlad cracks me up (I think he is about 38); he has this amazing singing voice and he is the best son to Marilena.  It is just the cutest ~ I love to watch him watch out for her; he holds her arm as they walk across the street and makes sure she has received dessert after game night and is always making sure she is happy, etc.  It is so precious.

Marilena is the best mother, friend and spiritual leader that I know.  She sacrifices her time and energy and does all she can whenever anyone asks her to do anything. I love these two kindred spirits (and I want to take them both home with me)! 

Always good times with Sora Gunn and Tobler and their infectious laughter and happiness! Even though Marilena lost her husband 13 years ago and has raised Vlad by herself, she has made sure he had the best love and support a mother can give.  She used to be a teacher during the communist regime and has many fascinating stories. She loves to dance and sing with Vlad and has more energy and gumption than me (or anyone I know at her age)!  She speaks English fluently; which is a blessing to me.  We had a very, merry time with them tonight!

Romania goes all out at Christmas time with the lights and decorations and the depictions of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus ~ it is so beautiful and every corner that you go around you see more spectacular scenery celebrating the birth of the Savior. It's truly lovely!

Christmas Day we woke up and finished with the preparations for our Christmas brunch! We were picking up Ovi and Tamara a little early (she's from Norway and Ovi is Romanian), but as we started driving we realized our tire had gone flat.  I hopped out of our car and called an Uber and headed for the church and Billy fixed the tire and then went and picked up Tamara and Ovi! 

We had the tables all decorated the night before so I just had to add a few finishing details then when everyone started arriving we all settled in the kitchen for any last bit of food preparation!

It was such a lovely day; we started the afternoon off by watching the phenomenal video:

 The Child Christ: The Story of the Birth

This new video presentation of the story of the birth of Christ describes in beautiful detail the sacred events found in the Bible about the birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago.  Observe the long journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Witness the astonishment of the shepherds in the field of Judea. Feel the joy of the Magi as they knelt before the Light of the world - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXWoKi5x3lw

A must see if you haven't already 💙😇💙!

After the video we went around the table and shared our testimony of what touched us about this sweet and miraculous video of Jesus Christ.  It was truly the best part of December.

We visited, sang and shared stories of Christmases present and Christmases past. 

It was nice and relaxing and hopefully brought a bit of home to everyone.

I don't know what it is about 'white elephant' gifts but I just love them (even if or maybe especially if I bring all the gifts 😉).  Most everyone was too polite to take someone else's gift but we fortunately had a few that made the game exciting and fun!

What a delightful way to spend Christmas day with people we love and cherish! 

BUT . . . it wouldn't feel like Christmas without all these Cutie Patooties! Everyone joined us for a Family Zoom call and it was loads of fun ~ the grandbabies are getting so big and some of Mindy's boys are practically men! It was a joy and delight to see them and visit with them! How we love and miss them all 💖😍💖!

Seventeen of the most adorable beings on the earth ~ we love you you guys to pieces! 

💖💙💚💛💜💖

~ Our little Cutie Patooties ~

Pitești/Ploiești/Panduri/Mihai Bravu Water 💦Filter Journey: The End ~ România 🇷🇴Mission ~

January 2021

~ Pitești ~

Look at these two adorable Elders! On the left is Elder Truscott  and next to me is Elder Dunford! Elder Dunford is fairly new and he is a hoot; after being with him for less than a minute it seemed like we had known him forever!  He does impersonations and had us all laughing! These young men are so amazing and are gifted and talented and are so great about sharing the Gospel and bringing others Unto Christ!

Elder Truscott arrived around the same time as us and he will be going home this November.  He seemed so shy when we first met him and I asked him if he was afraid of me (as I am a little bit of an extrovert and sometimes get in other people's "space"), he gently and kindly told me that I didn't and we've been good friends ever since 😇! It has been so much fun getting to know him and being around him - he's soft spoken but full of power! On one of our Christmas Zone Zoom meetings, we did a "Share Your Talents" night.  He had everyone shout out different shapes and as we did he created this awesome Christmas tree within minutes (above^^^^)!  He's the District Leader in Mihai Bravu now, so we get to see him a lot! He also is an amazing "banana-nut bread" maker and really looks out for and takes care of his district! We love these boys!

A little MOLD problem

There was some unexpected mold in their apartment ~ not just a little but 3 walls full! I told them to pack up because I am sure the office would send them to a hotel or somewhere right away. 

Unfortunately, they texted back with this photo and told me they were starting to clean it.  I immediately called them and they told me that they would clean a little then go on the balcony for some fresh air then back in and clean some more.  They said they were getting headaches.  I told them to STOP and pack.  I then made a few more calls and the AP's went and took them to an Airbnb until the Landlord could get someone else to clean and spray it.  We had mold issues in one of the apartments in Mihai Bravu last year and the mission office immediately closed down that apartment even though it was a new building. Lots of condensation in these apartments! They are safe and sound now!

It's always fun to see Bill's favorite horse-carts in the smaller towns.  They just journey along and nobody thinks a thing about it when they are traveling on the busy streets with the rest of us.  These horses must be trained so well so as not to continually get spooked.

💛Adorable little Village baby💛

~ Ploiești ~

Ploiești is only about 2 hours away from Pitesti but Billy wanted to get home and sleep in our own bed tonight so we just made a long day of travel and shorter visits. This is one of the many beautiful churches in Ploiesti.  The other 3 pics are outside of where the Sora's live.  It seems a bit sketchy but most all of Romania looks similar to this.  I must say though that Romania is a very safe place to live (and visit 😉)!

Since we were traveling on Sunday and didn't get to take these kids out to dinner we just brought these 2 cities of missionaries big goodie bags! We arrived just in time to watch our Sunday night Zone Devotional, which was so great! I know for the young kids it is awesome to serve a mission but for couples it is just a riot! We get to see all these kids and their cute personalities shine bright ~ Zoom allows us to see and communicate with them all the time whereas without the pandemic we would not have gotten to know all the missionaries so well! Blessings in spite of hard times 💙😇💙.

Sora Sorensen and Sora McAfee are our two Media Professionals! They help turn our pictures and videos into magnificent works of art that we then can post and share with the world. They are both so sweet and fun and do such a fantastic job! 

Elder Nielsen is one of our Zone Leaders and is a spiritual giant ~ everyone loves him and he is so compassionate and fun! Elder Olsen is fairly new and his mother is actually Romanian so it is a blessing that he has the opportunity to serve here in Romania! He seems to be quiet and reserved but I think once we get to know him we will find a fun-loving guy with lots to say! It's always fun to be with all the missionaries and we have been so lucky to have met them all!

~ Panduri and Mihai Bravu ~

We are back to our stomping ground with our adorable District! Up top we have Elder Bradbury and Perrigo, Sora's Sabir and Wilcock and to the far right Elder Firth and Mercer.  It's always the hardest when transfers come along because it is so easy to grow so close to our own district and area and we sure are sad when they leave.  We enjoy having them with us as long as we can!  All the missionaries keep us on our toes and yet there is plenty of laughter during our meetings! We love this group! The lower left hand corner is a picture of a basket full of Mega Image's delicious sandwiches.  After our District Meetings on Friday we either send the missionaries or Bill and I will run across the street and pick up sandwiches for our district.  We then spend lunch time visiting some more!

A little outing to one of our favorite places (the ribs are sooooo wonderful).  This little outdoor restaurant is right by our apartment and by the grocery store/mall.  These two girls, Sora Wilcock and Sora Sabir, are two peas in a pod.  They are both quiet, gentle and full of the Spirit.  They have so much goodness and everyone loves them. Sora Wilcock is a quiet worker and before you ask her to do something she has already taken care of it.  Sora Sabir ordered Mititei (Mici - meech). It is a famous recipe in Romania; it is a sausage without the casing.  It's usually made with ground lamb, pork and beef. I usually don't like any sort of sausage, mainly because of the spiciness, but these little mici's are yummy ~ I can only eat one because they are very filling and loaded with grease 😉! This May we plan on joining the 30 million people who will be enjoying Mici  for "International Workers Day" here in Romania; I'm hoping for a big BBQ with President Doru at the grill!

Elder Matthews frequents this spot regularly and he knows all the workers by name.  He had the Sora's pick up a Harry Potter book and give it to Sandra, one of the employees. Sandra has a little boy and little girl who she loves to read to. She was so touched by this little gesture that she wept and everytime we see her she has so much gratitude.  She is a beautiful woman and now a friend.

Sora Petercsak is from Hungary and is now serving in Mihai Bravu. Today she was on exchanges with Sora Sabir so we got to visit with her.  When she first arrived in Romania she got to stay at our house; it was to her relief because her first experience of Romania was being pulled over by a police officer right after leaving the airport (one of the Elders had the medal to the pedal a bit too much 😂😂😳).  After a good night's sleep we drove her to Sibui where she served 3 transfers.  She is a delight and is continually having to speak in 3 languages: English, Romania and her native language of Hungarian (since there are quite a few Hungarians here in Romania)! 

Here we are driving down the still decorated streets in Mihai Bravu and taking these two cuties out for a bite to eat.  They are going to move into a new apartment complex that actually has a washer and DRYER downstairs (and a nice gym area)! When we first rented it the Elders were living here but there won't be new Elders in this area for about a week so we did the ole' switcheroo today 😏!

Here is their cute, spotless, non-moldy, new apartment! It has one bedroom, bath, kitchen and a nice big armoire in the living room! Sora Smith was just a baby missionary when we arrived and she will be going back home in a couple months 💙😢💙. Sora Petercsak only has a few more months as well.  It is crazy that we have been with some of these young women their whole 18 months of their mission.  Such a fun time for us to see the growth and maturity take place in their lives.

These girls are rockin' the Mihai Bravu area! Between the 2 companionships they were teaching about 15 people and bringing many of them to game night and then to Church the next day.  I'm sure part of their attraction is that they are all so beautiful but it is the beauty within that shines bright and their radiant countances are what are bringing others Unto Christ! Sadly, Sora Smith will be heading home in a couple months ~ she has been instrumental in many baptisms and everyone loves her.  Sora Petercsak is dynomite and even though there is somewhat of a rivalry between the two countries, every Romanian loves her and she engages everyone in great conversations. Sora Northrup is from Colorado and we connected immediately! She has the sweetest smile and is so easy to talk to, she is great at going up to everyone and making them feel important ~ this is a real gift! Sora Gunn is great and full of energy! We love her so much and get to spend lots of time with her! She's staying in Mihai Bravu for a few more transfers training Sora Northrup! 

Sora Saunders (far left) was in Mihai Bravu for just one transfer and was a real delight. She is one of our media missionaries now so we don't see her as much. On the far right is our friend, Tamara.  She's from Norway and her and Oli (her fiance`) have become our close friends and she happened to be with me as we stopped at Sora Gunn's and Saunders to fix their leaking water filter 😯😅😏! The picture in the middle is Billy's favorite place to drive by.  In the winter it is decorated with a zillion Christmas lights and in the summer the fountains continue all the way down the boulevard, in the median and on both sides of the hug sidewalks! Spectacular!

P.S. In the next few months, Romania is getting a different kind of water-filter system; you know what that means . . . a summer road trip 💙🚙💙!

Sibiu Water 💦Filters/part VIII ~ România 🇷🇴Mission ~

January 2021

~SIBIU~

Sibiu is a cozy town and lies in Transylvania, a historical region of Romania. Whether you are traveling into Sibiu from the north, east, south or west, it is beautiful.  We've had the opportunity to visit Sibiu a number of times and have enjoyed the scenery and the sweetness of the people.

We met the 2 sister missionaries at Amber Caffe in the middle of town square.  Each city has a town square and even though they are similar they each have their own unique look and feel! The Romanian restaurants are so fun and we certainly take advantage of this country's cuisine each time we have the opportunity ~ deeeeee-licious 😋!

This is Sora Anderson and Sora Tobler!  We had Sora Tobler close to us in Mihai Bravu for a little bit so we got to enjoy getting to know her there and Sora Anderson is newer and she had a rocky start at the beginning; there were some outside influences that one would not normally encounter but she survived with flying colors and is a phenomenal missionary. Everyone loves Sibiu as it is a little university town and is so quaint and adorable (even with the large population of about 170,000 😉)! 

    "Since 2007, a traditional Christmas market has been held in Sibiu. The first of its kind in Romania, it is inspired by Viennese Christmas markets, being a project developed by the Social Attaché of the Austrian Embassy in Romania, dr.h.c. Barbara Schöfnagel" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibiu

At Christmastime in 2018 we went on the Danube River Tour with some friends and throughout the trip at every port there were these amazing Christmas markets.  The Christmas markets are so stunning and such fun.  There are a zillion booths, crafts, clothes, entertainment, food, Merry-go-rounds, ice rink, singing, etc., just plain fascinating!  

    When we were called to Romania I was so excited to have the opportunity to go to these markets at Christmastime; especially in Sibiu.  Unfortunately, Covid hit so only a few cities (Isai was one) still had the markets going (on a much smaller scale). This year there is a slim chance

that we might be able to see the market here in Sibiu ~ it usually opens at the end of November so we might have the chance to drive up there (or better yet take the train) before we come home; a lot of it depends on the condition of covid and how that is affecting the city! We do hope to have the opportunity to go but if not, perhaps another year we will make it back to Europe to experience the full immersion of these phenomenal works of art! 

Picture from: https://targuldecraciun.ro/en/sibiu-christmas-market/#group_1230-1

We stayed in the same hotel as we did before, The Continental Forum Hotel.  I can't remember if the price was this low before or if it is lower because of Covid?  Anyhoooo, it is the perfect hotel as it is centrally located and walking distance to Brukenthal Museum and Piata Mare along with many other sites.

Before heading to bed we took a stroll in the Piata Mare and just admired the beauty of the town; these places are truly breathtaking!

Romania has had a overwhelming history of ownership; wars, conquests, defeats and just plain arguments as to who owns what and when and if this part of the country should be theirs or someone elses or if another country still has part of Romania that should still be considered Romania ~ you get the drift.  This is the documented Historical affiliations of Sibiu from Wikipedia 😁

These houses are hilarious to me but so delightful and unusual! 

"The Eyes of Sibiu are the iconic eyebrow dormers on the roofs of Sibiu's houses. The eyes, which are a symbol and a tourist attraction of the city, have given Sibiu the nicknames of The City with Eyes, The City Where Houses Don't Sleep.

    There are legends, according to which the eyes were built to frighten the people, making them believe they are being watched. Their real purpose was to act as a ventilation system for the houses' attics. Nowadays, the eyes have become one of Sibiu's most famous symbols, making them a tourist attraction."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyes_of_Sibiu

On our way out of Sibiu I took a few more snapshots of the gorgeous picturesque villages. The frozen ice on the rocks amaze me as they came from a little waterfall up above.  There was an accident (which honestly, I don't know why there are not a million more on these roads) but even in the mountains the police get to it fairly fast which is always a blessing. This is one of my favorite drives as we leave Sibiu and head towards Pitesti!

~La Revedere Sibiu~

Timisoara Water 💦Filters/part VII ~ România 🇷🇴Mission ~

January 2021

~TIMISOARA~

We got to visit one of our mission babies, Sora Teuscher (next to me).  She has been with us since day one and was in the Panduri District with us forever! We love her so much and it was so bittersweet (tears for Elder Matthews 😂😉😏) when she was transferred to Isai. Now she is in Timisoara but will soon be transferred to Sibiu! It was fun to see her and her new companion Sora Curtis.  Sora Curtis has 13 siblings, is the oldest, has a twin sister and is an incredible baker! Both of these girls are delightful and it was so great being with them! 

"Timișoara is a multicultural city, being the home of 21 different ethnicities and 18 religions. It is the main economic, social and cultural center in western Romania.

"Timișoara was the first city in the Habsburg Monarchy with street lighting (1760) and the first European city to be lit by electric street lamps in 1884. It opened the first public lending library in the Habsburg Monarchy and built a municipal hospital 24 years before Vienna. Also, it published the first German newspaper in Southeast Europe (Temeswarer Nachrichten). Timișoara was the starting point of the Romanian Revolution.

"Nicknamed the "Little Vienna" or the "City of Flowers", Timișoara is noted for its large number of historical monuments and its 36 parks and green spaces. Along with Oradea, Timișoara is part of the Art Nouveau European Route. It is also a member of Eurocities. Timișoara has a very active cultural scene thanks to the city's three state theaters, opera, philharmonic and many other cultural institutions. The city will be the next European Capital of Culture in 2023."**

We had a scrumptious lunch at a darling little restaurant in the town square; it was still a bit nippy outside but because of Covid there was still no eating inside the restaurant . Our waiter was very 'interesting' throughout the whole meal; he kept coming out and just standing around.  He seemed anxious to have us leave even though there were no other customers in sight.  Also, because we didn't mention that we would be paying with a credit card he made us pay with cash. Unfortunately, neither Bill nor I had cash so poor Sora Teuscher had to use her money to pay for it. I had money in my purse and told her I'd reimburse her when we got back to the car.  Of course I forgot, so after we went to their (large, 2 story) apartment we were visiting while Elder Matthews was fixing the water filters and Sora started whispering in Romania to Sora Curtis. I'm like, "Sora Teuscher, what are you saying?" then Sora Curtis said she needs the money for groceries ~ 😂😂😮! How sad is that? If  she hadn't brought it up they literally would not have been able to eat for the week. Sad, but funny!

I hope I never tire of or get used to seeing the beautiful buildings that I am so in awe of.  I've always loved old buildings and houses.  Billy could easily fix them up but it is not his love or passion and unlike my daughters (and daughter-in-laws) I am not a builder, remodeler or fixer upper, so I am happy to just observe and enjoy the sights of other places and peoples homes.

This looks like it could be a before and after shot  (the one on the right would be the "before" 😉) ~ most of the cities in Romania are absolutely gorgeous but there is no money to restore these amazing buildings. I don't think that they even have building regulations. In the States in order to restore them it would cost millions of dollars because they would have to meet our Building Codes and Standards, so instead those that can afford it will do facelifts and interior designing but no major overhaul on their buildings or houses. I am still amazed by the architecture ~ it is so impressive and I am also impressed that these buildings are still standing. 

This was our 5 Star ⭐ hotel and was only $52 a night ~ it was beautiful and included breakfast! We woke up to a dreary morning (which is Billy's favorite kind of weather) and set off for our next city ~ Sibiu!

Timisoara ~ Gorgeous picture from instagram account “Promovam Romania”

** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timi%C8%99oara