Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil!

Elders , Vanderlinden, Jackson and Hall. Yes, they are corn-balls but they are also very pure. These three are our office elders. Well....were. Elder Vanderlinden went home today. He gave me a set of three monkeys to remember him by. I will! 

Happy Thanksgiving 2005!

Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Romania and our missionaries work the same as any other day. Today we had 18 missionary interviews at our home. I couldn't help but think of our families back home during this special time of year when we show our gratitude for blessings and spend the time with those we love best. Right now we love these wonderful young missionaries and so I made turkey soup and pumpkin pie/cake and as each missionary came for their interview we had the best "Thanksgiving Dinner" together and talked about our families at home and how much we love and appreciate them. It was a different day but a very special one. John and I will miss four Thanksgivings in Utah before we celebrate this holiday the good-ole American way, but we couldn't be happier nor, could we be more grateful for all that we are blessed with.
Photo: Sister Houston, Elder Anderson and Elder Irion
2nd row: Sister Janzen, Elder Andrus and Lenore (me)!
Top: Elder Baker 

Little Iasi boys playing with their wagon

As we started home Sunday afternoon we ran into these two little boys. They were having the best time playing with this homemade wagon. They showed us how it worked and John gave them some of his famous suckers. They were very pleased and sent us cheerfully on our way. 

Claudiu receives the Priesthood

Another great thing that happened Sunday (nov. 20, 2005) was that John had the opportunity to give Claudiu the Melchizidek Priesthood. After doing so he gave Claudiu his Priesthood lineage. Claudiu was amazed and touched that his lineage could be traced back to the Savior. It was a great experience. 

Vasile loves Book of Mormon Stories

This little boy's name is Vasile and he lives in the city of Iasi. President Ashby and I went to Iasi this past weekend to do Zone Conference and to attend their Branch Conference. On Saturday night the Branch held a Joseph Smith birthday activity where they showed the movie "The Work and The Glory", gave popcorn to everyone and talked about the prophet Joseph. It was a great evening but one of the things that really touched me was when Vasile and his three little brothers came to the activity.

Vasile is 12 years old, he has twin brothers that are 10 and a little brother 5 years old. They came in and sat down with their popcorn and were glued to the movie. I first put on The Jungle Book while we were waiting for all the Branch members to come and the boys thoroughly enjoyed the cartoon show. I expected to see their parents any minute and meet them. They never came. I finally asked the missionaries where the parents were.
“oh, their parents are not members. The boys come on their own.”
“You mean they know abut your activites and come to them?”
“No, they come to everything, to church, to the baptim’s and all the activities.”
“You’re kidding,” I said. “Have you ever met their parent’s?”
“No, we tried recently but when we came to the door the boys looked at us and said their parent’s were busy and didn’t want us to come in.”
“But they let them come to church?”
“Yes, and they come to everything. They love to be here. We have started a Primary for them and they love learning the Book of Mormon Stories.


The next day was Sunday. John and I were the main speakers. Vasile sat on the front row and listened to every word we said. His little brothers weren’t there but after Sacrament meeting they all walked into the church and went to Primary. I wanted to get a photo of all of them but as soon as church was over the little brothers left before I could catch them. Vasile stayed because there was a baptism right after church.

I went up to him and said, “Vasile, are you a member?”
He looked at me and said, “No, but I will be! I’m going to get baptized some day.”
I was so touched by the earnest look in his eyes. I asked him why he didn’t leave with his little brothers and he said he couldn’t. He had to stay and watch the baptism.

Vasile had on his best clothes…this long sleeve red shirt. I asked him if he had a white shirt and tie and he looked down at his feet and said no. I then asked him when his Birthday was and he told me it was in January. I told him that we were buying him a new white shirt and tie for church for his birthday. His eyes lit up and he said, Thank you!
The sister missionaries, Sisters Homer and Olsen, are taking him to the store on Preparation day to get his birthday present.

A young man who works in the Orphanage in Iasi told me that he see’s one of Vasile’s little brothers out begging on a street corner every morning from 7 AM until the afternoon. He said that even when it is cold the boy only has on shorts and a Tee shirt and his face is very dirty. (It snowed in Iasi this weekend!) However, at the activity, the little boy was in warm clothes. I hate how parents make their children beg from such a young age and on.

I wanted to tell you this story to show you how devoted even a little child can be. How the spirit can touch anyone, any age. We take the church so much for granted at home but in a land where most people don’t even know what the word Mormon is, when the spirit touches hearts, the people want to be where they can have that feeling with them as often as possible. Vasile and his brothers feel this. They don’t really know what it is that makes them love the church, but, they know it is good and they come all that they can.
Sometimes I wish others at home could feel the difference it is to live in a country or a place where there is such a lack of spirit. It makes you appreciate how much we all have and how the Lord has really blessed us. We have a good spirit around us all the time in our homes….so much so that we often take it for granted.

What makes such a young boy like Vasile so dedicated and determined? I’m not sure but I do pray that Vasile will someday have the blessing of baptism in his life. He really wants it. But even if he has to wait, one day he will remember the feelings he had and the love he felt and when the time is right hopefully he and his little brothers will have the opportunity to accept baptism and the blessings of the Atonement in their lives. 

Giddy-up!

President Ashby and Elder Beames go for a fun "corn-ride" with a local farmer! We were in the countryside in Moldova. 

A peasant woman in a little village we visited in Moldova

This cute little lady was carrying her load down a pathway when we passed her. We were visiting an old monastary with our Branch from Chisnau and ended up walking through this little village. It was so fun and the people were very friendly and kind. 

Zone Conference Nov. 15, 2005

Today we had a wonderful zone conference at the Mihai Bravu chapel. The spirit was really strong and as usual our missionaries were amazing. Elder and Sora Beames gave their farewell testimony along with Elder VanderLinden, Sora Hathaway and Elder Metcalf. They all go home within the next cuple of weeks. We will miss them! It was weird listening to the Beames as our original release date was one week before theirs and we would have given our testimony at this same meeting! Boy, nothing is certain in life. We also sent Elder and Sora Thomas home this week. They have only been out in the field for 5 months but he started having some health problems and had to go home. We are so sad to see them leave. He was the one responsible for me finding out I had an eye problem and I will always be grateful to him for that. Sora Rodgers and I stick out in this picture like sore thumbs! Oh well, we are colorful! It was funny because I set the timer button on the camera and had to run into the picture and my shoes are only half on. They all got a kick out of that! I'm trying really hard to be more sophisticated but it's not easy for me! 

Char and Nikki with me at the MTC on the day we were set apart as mssionaries on June 23, 2005 

One of my favorite fountains in Sibiu, Romania

 

The top of a gypsy house in Sibiu, Romania

 

My living room in Romania

 

The wedding of Florin and Isabela Gimbasu - Nov 12, 2005

John performed his first wedding (ring ceremony) in Romania. Florin and Isabela were married civily then had a big reception and party at the church. Tuesday they will be married in the Friburg temple in Germany. It was a great day. 

Why Light-Stones?

Sounds like a strange name but I did this because I love what it says in the book of Ether....God touched the 16 stones with his finger and they changed and shone with brillant light. The stones were put in the boats and lit the way for the people to reach the promised land.

What are your "light-stones"? What guides you to happiness? I think everything that happens to us is a "light-stone". Our choices bring us to light or darkness. Eventually, if we keep our path lit with the light we find the "promised land".