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 

Architecture (last pics of this nature . . . maybe) ~ România 🇷🇴Mission ~

When we first arrived in Romania I was fascinated by the gorgeous and amazing architecture. I still am! I took about 100 pictures a day and would try to delete duplicates but each picture was just as incredible as the last.  I shared some in an email before but the rest I just put in a folder (a very large folder). Today I needed to clean up my computer a little bit so I decided to truly sort through the file and post as many pics as I could (without seeming too obnoxious 😏)!

As we drive around the city I am still just as intrigued as I was 9 months ago! I know my pictures don't do the city justice but hopefully you'll get a glimpse of what we see and enjoy every day!

I think about the time and money but mostly the labor it took to create some of these buildings ~ it is so impressive!

This picture didn't have to share its space with anyone else because I wanted to remark on it all by itself ~ WHAT WERE THEY THINKING 😮😯😳? The bottom building is so gorgeous and then they added a modern building on top that is just plain, straight and ordinary (besides the fact that it looks like a small windstorm could take it down 😉). Anyhooo, someone told me that it represents the "old" and the "new". I just can't understand why they would take a beautiful historic building and turn it into such an oddity especially since it looks so out of place with the rest of the Piata Revolutiei (Revolution Square) where it is situated with all the other old historic buildings. It's a pickle 🤔.

The features of the buildings are so integral in detail; even though each part seems unique and individual they compliment and add to the beautiful and the completion of the structure as a "whole".

In almost all of the underpasses you will see graffiti artwork on the pillars. They are all over the city and are just remarkable.  They all have meaning and it is so fun to see the creativeness of each artist.  The bridges and overpasses are very elaborate and beautiful as well.  The top right pic is of another Orthodox Church; People's Salvation Cathedral, under construction.  Although most all of the Romanian people are not in favor or even proud of it; the church is using government money on this objectionable edifice instead of putting the money to better use for hospitals and the school system. It will be the largest Orthodox iconostasis in the world.

These were taken in January and I need to take (or find) a few of the pics of the trees in the summer ~ totally gorgeous! It has been such a blessing to be here in Romania and to be able to enjoy all 4 seasons this year! They have so many beautiful parks, fountains and there are beautiful trees that line all the streets, fill up the gorgeous parks and make the city beautiful with the fullness of all the changes throughout the seasons:  I L💚VE it! There is even a little grocery market named after our granddaughter, Penny 😊.

I would have loved to live in one of these homes, but the main problem is that most of them should be condemned because they don't meet any kind of standard. 

It would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to get them refurbished and up to code.  I am happy that they are still standing (and that we have our own nice cozy apartment) and I love that we can still enjoy the beauty of these astonishing buildings and homes.

I think I have mentioned how the roads and driving are hilarious; this street has trolley cars coming and going in both directions and you drive on the tracks with them. Since we have been here for so long it has become common but it still cracks me up as I drive along them. The tracks are also in the middle of all the big intersections and you have to cross over to turn left or whip a U-turn (which is, like, legal in every place you travel) and you just have to pray that you don't get hit by one while you are waiting for the other cars to go so you can turn!

The top, middle picture is of pigeons standing on the gutter, a ton of pigeons. They are all over the city but it was interesting watching these pigeons; as they flew away another batch would replace them - it must be a "hang out" place for them to visit and be with their friends!

We glanced over at an office building and saw on the balcony these people taking a smoking break.  I don't know why I thought it was so funny but it reminded me of the parody of being "Sent to Serbia"; the cold, outcasts of society.

Just some more interesting pictures; I can't remember why I took some of them but when you go to a new place anything that is different from where you came from is picture worthy!

Here are a few pics in black and white "depicting" the Communist Regime (although during the communist leadership there were 1000's of homes demolished and the Romanian citizens were placed in high-rise block apartment buildings).  The country of Romania has really been put through the ringer. Their country, before the 1989 Romanian Revolution, had 42 years of Communism under the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu.  It went from a very prosperous country to one where the people were starving and giving all their food and wares to Ceausescu to pay off the country's debt (I'm not sure if these facts are 100% correct so feel free to study and report back to me!). 

PS ~ As I've mentioned before these pictures just don't do the city/country justice! Hopefully the pandemic will pass and you can come visit and check out Romania for yourself and see what an amazing country it is! We will be here until December 2021 and all our welcomed 💙😇💙!