Our LAST week in Romania!

As you can imagine, our last week was pretty hectic. We had to move into an apartment the previous week so the mission home could be painted. Those last two weeks meant we lived out of suitcases while trying to tie up all the loose ends that go with leaving a mission. It was a full week and one where we shed quite a few tears saying good-bye to many people we love. On Wednesday night there was a piano-concert-fireside where the branches in Bucharest awarded us with flowers and gifts to thank us for our service there. We hadn't expected that and were very touched by the outpouring of love shown to us.
On Friday, we invited the Mateescu family to our home. President Ashby had the privilege of baptising President Mateescu and his daughter, Alina in September of 2006 and their family have become special friends to us.

Saturday we spoke for the last time to the YSA leaders from throughout the country. These are wonderful young adults and we enjoyed this special time with them. It was hard knowing we probably wouldn't ever see them again.
After the YSA meeting we went to Cismigiu Park for our final time.


After reading the dedicatory prayer we each went our separate ways into the park and spent some prayerful time reporting our mission to the Lord. This is a sacred experience and one that every missionary has participated in before leaving Romania.
June 29th....our last Sunday! Which Branch do you visit? We chose to go to Ploiesti and had a wonderful Sacrament meeting there. I leaned over to my husband and asked him if we had to speak. He said, "No, this is our last meeting in Romania and we will just enjoy the speakers here." Well, right after that, President Eni got up and said he was changing Sacrament meeting and making it an extra half hour long so President and Sora Ashby could speak one last time to their branch. So much for just relaxing! I will admit that we enjoyed it very much and after church the branch insisted on a group photo. These are wonderful people and we have been so blessed to be able to serve them and learn from them.
On our way home from church we went directly to the Otopeni airport and picked up the new mission president and his wife.....President and Sora Lundberg, and their son. This will be a first for the mission to have a child in the mission president's family. I know the members will love it. After picking the Lundberg's up we spent the afternoon with them and tried to answer all their questions, tell them how the house works and any other important mission stuff....there wasn't much time for it but that is the way the church likes it! It is standard procedure and the new president then comes in with fresh ideas and does things his way. It's a good plan.

That night we went home about 8:00 pm. I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning and at 4:00 AM our office elders ( Rose and McKinlay) and assistants (Jepsen and Rigby) came to pick us up to take us to the airport. It was a whirlwind but we made it and actually had a nice flight home.


We made it! It was a wonderful welcome and Charly gave Grandpa the 3rd degree before deciding he really was that "Grandpa" she's been communicating with (from Romania) on the family computer!
This is our family....the day after we got home they had a swimming/barbeque party and we had a wonderful time....what a change from missionary work but how wonderful to be with our loved ones again.
These are our kids.....Charlene, (Lenore) Nikki and Danny. Second row: Curtis, Tygr, (John) and Brandon.

On Sunday, July 13th we spoke in church and reported our mission. We were so touched by the support we had. There were probably a 100 of our past missionaries there. We cried and enjoyed so much our reunion with them. The spirit in church was strong as we spoke of Romania and the Lord's work there. It was such an honor to be a part of it. Our missionaries sang "Called To Serve" in the Romanian language and we repeated "My Missionary Commission". We also had the opportunity to listen to Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy, at the end of our meeting. It was a wonderful day and at the end, John and I felt as though our missionary service had truly ended. We look forward to a day when we have the opportunity to serve again. But for now, we will enjoy our family and get back into life in Utah! First on the list....find a house!

A huge thank you to all of our missionaries families who supported us, their missionaries and the Romanian mission. I can't tell you how many people offered their time, money and anything else they could to help us in this work. You are amazing people and it was an honor serving with your sons and daughters.....the best missionaries in the world!