Monday, March 24, 2014

Week 71

Dear Family!

We have had so much happen this last week! I was really excited to go on an exchange with Elder Montoya and get some work done, kinda "rekindle" the fire. You know, go out and just work as hard as we could. Someone else had some other plans in mind, however. We received a call from Sora M's daughter to meet up at the church with Pres. H. We thought it had something to do with financial support. When we arrived, we found out that Sora M had passed away and that her funeral would be tomorrow. Pres. H had to drive to Hungary to pick up his wife and that meant Elder M and I were in charge. Working out all the details, calling members and then preparing for the actual funeral was a very interesting experience. I believe the most stressing part of the whole process was finding out if Sora M had all the required clothes for her burial. We ended up not being able to work that out, but I believe that the Lord understands we tried our hardest.

The next day being her funeral, we finished preparations, translations and what not, and went over to the funeral. It was received quite well by her friends and family (there were so many!) and the Spirit was with us the whole way. Many people thanked us for the service and we were able to show them a part of what we believed of the Plan of Salvation. We might even be doing the No Smoking Program with one of her relatives. 

The day before the funeral, when we were at the cemetery, we saw an orthodox funeral for a young woman. It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen. They had next to no hope of seeing her again. Sora M's funeral was sad, yes, but it was also really happy. Sora L said something that shows the hope that we as members of the church have for those who have left us. "Think about how beautiful she is right now. No more pain. No more hospitals." C, her grandson, said something that stuck out to me as well. When asked how he was doing he simply replied "Grandma is with God in heaven." As if he were saying she is home, or at the store. He knows whats up. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and all that it teaches us.  What a difference it makes in our life, having that kind of knowledge.

I am doing really well. Nothing major to complain about, and a lot to be thankful for. We went over to one of the sisters' investigators' home and had a lesson with the sisters and Elder H. It was such a great lesson and they are such a great family. We shared the Plan of Salvation and I talked about my excitement to see The Love Magnet in heaven, as an exalted and perfected person. Romanians always do the same thing when I tell them TLM has Down syndrome, but by the end of my story, they see disabilities in a different light. This family loves the way we think. It was a long lesson, but I haven't had a better one in my entire mission.

Good job Secondborn on achieving his Eagle award. He will be so grateful that he was able to do that. Now, if he could only write his only big brother who is almost exactly on the opposite side of the world lol.

It is so crazy to think that before the end of this next transfer, we will be skyping again and it will be my last one. Life moves so fast!

Elder Ormsby



Sora M one year ago.  She was a wonderful person.

Helping out in Primary.


Investigator and good friend.

Romanian babies are the cutest!

Drawing "Whalvis".


Elder H tasting some of the pickle brine.

My old stomping grounds and apartment.


Leave your camera around, and you are sure to find a lot of these the next time you check your pictures lol (she is going to kill me, but put it up).  ;)

I'm a good student. 

Our district.

Creepy painting in the hotel room .

Elder M's new companion.

We carried this 100 kg behemoth

up these stairs

 for service.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Week 70

Dear Family,

Rabdare Mama, rabdare...

Lol, we just got back from our zone conference in Arad. We were going to write tomorrow, but we have English and FHE, so we decided to take a bit of time to email our stuff now. Lucky you! I have received the bank card and will send it out as soon as I can. I will read over it and see if there are any special instructions that I missed magically. Send me an email if you know something that I need to know. 

I have learned so much on my mission. One of my favorite things comes from my Grandma and has been my internal motto this transfer. "Lighten up” in spirit and attitude and enjoy everyone around you and everything you are doing.  Appreciate the beauty of the snowflake and how if it wasn’t so cold you wouldn’t ever see such a beautiful creation...Don’t look back at what you wish you might have done but push forward solidifying relationships and testimonies remembering in whose name you are working." 

This transfer has been the best transfer of my entire mission. NOT because everything is perfect and we have baptisms and all that jazz. Oh no, we have 0 investigators and have had quite a few people fall out of contact with us (including another member). Its my favorite because of my district and the fact that I have been enjoying "everyone" and "everything". I laugh about the drunken guy, I smile about the mistake in Romanian, I almost cry from laughing so hard about all the funny little things that happen each and every day. 

Life is pretty good. For example (and this one might make you cringe a little bit Mom), today for Zone Conference I was asked to sing in a quartet. We were supposed to sing "Mila sus de straluceste" or "Brightly Beams, Our Fathers Mercy"...something like that. Anyways, its the same song that I sang in Timi last year, only I was singing bass. This time I sang the melody...the "easiest" part. It was so funny. First, I kept going to the bass line, but remembering that I needed to be higher than the bass, I sang an octave higher, then the alto part sounded nice, so I sang along with him. Finally, I would remember my part and get that out of my system before the end of the verse. Then the show started all over again. To make it even better, my body decides that it is going into shock and starts to shake...hard! I was trying so hard not to laugh because all I could think about was how ridiculous I looked. Then I squeaked one of the notes. Better and better! I am smiling right now, as I am writing this letter, it was so funny. I never would have been able to laugh, about a situation like that, before my mission. I loved every second of it! My favorite part was looking up with smile, ready to see some of the agony on the other missionaries faces. One of the sisters had her head down with her hand up, as if she couldn't look at us after the song. Like a "oh those guys, I don't know them" LOL!!! Best zone conference ever haha. The other thing that I was thinkin' was about how you never wanted us to watch the bad performances on American Idol (Trademark symbol (just in case)).

I have just finished the OLD TESTAMENT. Wow, that was one behemoth that I could use a translator for. It was rough going, but compared to the Old Testament, the New Testament is like a bag of cookies. I love reading the different accounts of the life of Jesus. How some apostles put emphasis, where others neglected to mention it. Pretty cool stuff. I also listened to a really good talk from Elder Bednar.  It was a great talk about how we pray for our trials to be changed. But it is more often that we receive the strength to overcome our trials, rather to have them taken from us. The Enabling Power of the Atonement

Ya, so life is good. Missionary work isn't really going to fast, but its going and I can see some hope, so why shouldn't life be good?


Love

Elder Michael Ormsby

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Week 69

Dear Family,
I am so sorry, I have no idea how, but I totally forgot to write you. Yesterday we were paintballing in Arad and didn't get back until a little later. I read your email, but I thought that I had written something back....my bad lol. Everything is good right now. I haven't had such a fun district in a really long time, and I have never had a district that all get along basically 100% of the time. It has seriously been a blessing for me to be in this district, back in my old stomping grounds. God knew that He would have to do something special when He took me out of Bacau.

I have kept in touch with my other family, they are so funny. One of the new sisters there was asked by an elder what kind of cake she was eating. "Lemon" "No, in Romanian" (he had just taught her not to say it the wrong way). Here is where the story splits. The Bs say that she said it with an "u" sound...lol....the sisters there say that before she had a chance to finish the word, the Bs said the "u". Honestly, they are both probable, almost even. Those 3 are so funny! (Side note, saying some words in Romanian only a little off can make a huge difference(. I miss them a lot, but I have been having a lot of fun with my district. No one thinks themselves higher than anyone else. No one thinks they are below anyone else, and I have been 100% myself!!! No need to wonder if I have offended someone, no need to worry that someone is going to think that I am weird (who cares) and yup, its been great! 

Today we went paintballing in Arad, it was super weird to be with a lot of the same people (P, H, R) doing the same thing we were doing a little over a year ago. I feel like time has been moving forward so fast, and yet so slow. I haven't been angry ONCE this transfer!!! Annoyed, not so much (today was one of those days when I was losing lol), but not angry. You have no idea, it has been such a long time. 

So cool story, they said that they were never coming back. Guess who came on Sunday AND taught Sunday School? Yup, those guys! It was good to see them.

Talk to you next week!

Elder Ormsby

Monday, March 3, 2014

Week 68

Dear Family,

Well, it has been great to be back in Timisoara. I have the best district so far in my mission. Elder S is exactly like Elder B (and I LOVE Elder B). We have two really cool sisters and the other elders are legit. I haven't been able to visit any of the old investigators, that is going to be this week. A lot of the members were surprised to see me again and commented on how I had returned!

We have been hearing bits and pieces about Ukraine. It was something to worry about in Bacau, seeing how we were right there, but now its not so bad here. People know, but not really worrying. We hear enough to worry a bit, but it doesn't stop us!

Unfortunately the missionaries still need to take a course on record keeping. I once found a record that said "well a lot has happened in the last six months, so I will summarize..." Good luck on that one elder haha. We try to be better, but no one is perfect.

Sorry this email will be real short, the keyboard doesn't like me, but I will attach a few pics...just for you!

Love you all,

Elder Ormsby

ps Sora S thinks its very sweet/funny that you commented on her blog.