Week 37

Dear Family,

I am writing this at the end of the transfer day (almost, its only 5 o'clock). Such a crazy day. Up at 4 am to get the departing missionaries to the airport. 

Last night I had a thought about our purchasing card that we had used before for some DVD players for the missionaries. It didn't work and I had a talk with Elder B, our Financial missionary here at the office, and we decided it would be better to bring money as well as the card, just in case. Well, morning of, as we are walking out I thought "That cards not going to work, better grab a whole lotta cash", but we decided that it would indeed work and just left. We get to the airport to find out that the APs were already there and although the card had worked for the first two missionaries, it wouldn't work for anyone else. Missionary-forehead-smack-shoulda-had-a-V8 deal. So after some frustration our valiant new AP decides to use his personal card to buy everyone's luggage. For reference, each departing missionary gets 2 free bags by the church but only 1 by the airline. We pay for one, as long as it is underweight. By the way, extra bags are expensive! I had no idea before coming to Romania. 

So that's all done, we head home for a glorious 25 minute nap before going to a notary. Part of the process for getting missionaries visas now includes getting insurance (social) before you apply for a visa. We took all of this group and all of last group (20 missionaries) and took them to a notary to say that they had never received a visa before this day. Fun fact, in Romania a Notary is a full time job and requires a 4 year degree. Getting them all there was CRAZY! I was ready to become a MLB pitcher with our phone, the way it kept on ringing. Everyone gets there right as I take a different missionary to go pick up his visa with 2 sisters, one of which was picking up her visa. Picking visas up is such an easier job than applying (unless its not ready). 

We went over to Cismigiu Park to grab my comp and met up with the new missionaries right as they were reading the dedicatory prayer. I love that prayer, it has so many great blessings for the people of Romania. For those of you who read this and have your missions dedicatory prayer on hand, I highly recommend that you read it and think about what has been promised for your area. It may not seem like it is coming to pass for your mission, but one of my parts about the Romanian dedicatory prayer is that of the prophecy of "water springing up in the wilderness". To my understanding/view is that water doesn't explode out of the ground, it can but usually not. Instead it slowly comes, steadily increasing until you have an oasis. Romania will be " a Citadel of light" for the surrounding countries. It will take time, but it will come if we continue to work the area. After we were done there, we went to do some more treaba. Let me tell you, Romanian missionaries have an unlimited amount of treaba to give us on transfer day. At least we always have something to do. 

We eventually made our way over to the mission home where we mooched off of the new missionaries lunch while listening to their "incoming missionary" talk. So strange to think that was over 6 months ago. This new group seems like a bunch of really good missionaries. It will be very cool to see how this mission progresses with a new change of missionaries. That's about it for today, we might go group contacting in a bit over at Parcul Tineretului. We will see if there are any other emergencies for the day.

This is a hello to the R family who apparently read my blog. The above mentioned sister who received her visa today has your last name on her missionary tag. She told me that you keep up on my blog, so I decided a shout-out was definitely necessary.

Elder Ormsby

Yesterday we were able to have a great district meeting at the President's house. The office has its own district. The Aps, President and Sora H, the Bs and us. We meet at the Presidents house every Thursday and start with a simple meal and then have a meeting. Elder P is a great DL and always incorporates all aspects of the teaching guide. We had great conversations about goals and how to set them, plan for them and then accomplish them.

Today we grilled. Ribs, oh so good! Elder P knows how to grill, even with the dinky little thing we have. Ribs and garlic mashed potatoes. Mmmm, then we were able to teach a man, who is in Norway, through Skype. It can be such a blessing to be able to teach someone so far away, but it can also be frustrating not being right there talking face to face. 

Week 35

The 20 year celebration here in Bucuresti was awesome. It was really cool to see all the different mission presidents bearing testimony on Romania, and then also being able to see the growth that has happened since them. I will never forget how old the Romania mission is because its only a few months younger than me. 

It was great to see the F's (they came down for the celebration) and to talk to them. They will be leaving Deva soon to move to Ploiesti. This will be a great move for them as they will be closer to Bucuresti and also be around a much larger group of people who all love them and share their beliefs. It is sad for Deva though, not really sure what will happen there with them gone. 

Right after we sang at the 20th anniversary celebration, Elder P and I had to leave to have a skype lesson. We didn't get to see the whole celebration, which is sad because I heard that there was some sweet performances. Did you see the member who played the cello? Man, that performance was so good, and then with Sora Ewell. We have some incredibly talented people here in Romania. 

The hamburgers that we made were half pork-half "beef". It is unknown what "beef" is here sometimes, but this time it had a lot less bones/cartilage and they were really tasty, so maybe it was really beef. Besides, horse cant hurt you all that much (haha i really hope that some newly called missionary is reading this part (the food here is great, I promise!)). 

We were going to go paint balling today in a wooded area here in Buc. It would have been really cool, but people opted out till next week (when we probably cant go because of transfer stuff) but both Elder P and myself were reminded of camping, so i am very jealous of Dad and Secondborn. It sure sound like you all had a lot of fun up there. 

It is so great to hear that the ward (almost wrote "branch") is engaging in missionary work. I was thinking back to when I was home and couldnt remember ever hearing about the missionary work. I am very excited for the work to really push forward, especially seeing members step up to the plate. I think it was Elder Bednar...maybe, I forget, but an Apostle said that it is not the missionaries job to find people, it is the members of the ward/branch. How much more effective this work would be if we didn't have to talk to 10000 people before we found the one who wanted to talk to us. One of my past companions put it this way "we can knock on every block, talk to every person on the street and maybe find 1/1000 people who wanted to hear what we say, OR lets say a member or investigator has 100 friends and helps us to talk to them all. 1 of those people wants to hear our message. Then the process begins again with their 100 friends." The theory is sound, but it needs the members, as well as the missionaries, to work. 

Our skype lessons have been going great. The people from Austria seem a little bit distracted, but have brought a friend or two to the lessons where they couldn't really be in front of the screen (that was fun!). Our investigator from Czech came down to Pitesti and went to church there with his wife and family. From what it sounds like, they love it and want to be baptized. Our investigator said that he would be baptized if his family would join him, but our missionaries in Pitesti feel like he still has reserves, so we will try and help him out with that when he gets back to the Czech Republic. We also just got a new investigator in the Oslo Norway mission. The sisters there are super cool and found this great guy. He is very spiritual and can really understand all that has been said. He is pretty funny, the sisters had to use a lot of hand gestures and what not with pliants...booklets? (whats the word), and they thought that he didn't get all that they were saying. But when we talked to them, he had it all down. We hope that he progresses really quickly. I made the joke to Sora Hill that we had gotten voie to fly out to Austria, Czech and Norway to baptize them if they decided to do so, apparently that's not going to happen ;). So that's life. Keep praying for me, i have been hitting some rough patches and need to find my feet again, but I've put some goals into action again, so I know I can do it.

Love you all and hope you are "surviving" without me,

Elder Ormsby

20th Anniversary Romania Bucharest Mission

Week 23

Mom - That is super cool that you were able to go to California for a conference, and then become a missionary as well. Bravo ție!  Just know that your example is the best way to be a missionary. It is a way for everyone you meet to come to understand the gospel. Everyone knows who you are, if not exactly by name, but that you are a representative of Christ. Especially in the States, they know who you are and what you should be doing. Show love, kindness and patience and a seed will be planted. Think of the pioneers. They would plant seeds on the trail knowing that they would never see the fruits of their labors, but they did it out of their love for their fellow man. 

That is super cool that you have been able to move along on your projects. I have had an idea about something, but you will have to wait for 1 1/2 years before you get to know what it is. How is that for vague? Keep up the good work and don't forget you always have someone next to you who knows exactly how you feel. 

P.S. Mom you are an international star. I have talked to a few people and one of our English students said that he looked me up and found the blog and also the video of you. He said "I watched the video of when you opened up your assignment to the church and your mom was crying and read before you. But your face had no emotion, I couldn't tell what you thought of your going to Romania" Ha ha, well how is that for getting the word out. It is funny because some of the missionaries in the group below me also saw the video and read the blog. And about a month ago a soon to be elder from Arizona read the blog and sent me a letter to ask  me about Romania and other stuff. That is amazing that people can be influenced from a video and a blog. Missionary work is so cool!!

 Thirdborn, I will be sending you a post card next week, but it wont be Dracula's castle. But it does look a little bit like Hogwarts! I heard that you "borrowed" some of my coins from my car... We'll have a long chat when I get home. Ha ha! That is super cool about the people in India. I was reading in the Liahona and I might have read some of the same things that you heard about. It was from a few years ago, but it was still very inspiring.  Thirdborn, you are too young and way to skinny to be worrying about calories! I hope that you are doing good in school. Will you do me a favor, will you kick Secondborn into writing me some more emails. You would think with a computer that he would be writing me at least 3 times a week...

Love Magnet, I heard that you had a hard time at school this last week. This makes me sad. Will you be a good girl for your big brother? I will be going to a castle next week and want to take some fun pictures, but I cant if your not a good girl. There might be some fun things coming to you from me in the next few weeks, so make sure that you are a good girl OK. I love you!

 Hey Dad, thanks for doing my taxes. I was thinking about that the other day and wondered if you had remembered/were able to do them.  So thank you. That is so cool that Grandma and Grandpa were able to have a baptism.  We were finally able to teach someone from our English classes, and although they don't seem very interested in changing they listened and understood a little bit, so that is a beginning. You tell the H's that I am sorry their car broke and to enjoy the Passat. Hope you are all having a good week and here are some pictures of the castle on the hill.

Week 22

Well that is really cool that you guys were able to fast for the F family and for our efforts our here in Deva. I am also glad that your paper finally went through, it was in my prayers the other night, and although it will be a lot of work, I know you'll be able to get it done.

Today we are going to the castle ruins that I sent in a previous picture! Next week, however, we will be going to the Hunedoara castle, 2nd prettiest in Europe. And there will be a little surprise in the next email that I think The Love Magnet will like a lot. 

I am very jealous that you have the ability to go to the temple.  I know that it has only been 3 months since the last time, but I miss being able to go. I am sad that I didn't take the opportunity to go as much as I could before I left. Go there as much as you can, it is such a blessing to have a temple as close as you do. Members here only make the trip once or twice a year, some only once in their whole life! its a long 3 day journey up to Germany or Ukraine. I hope that is one thing that I am able to leave these people with. A progression to obtaining a temple here in Romania. Its still a long way from it, but it will happen in my life time, its only a matter of the members and how much they really want it, as a whole group. Members who understand that THEY ARE MISSIONARIES make this work so much easier. Become a missionary! Small steps go a really long way. It doesn't even have to be about religion. Just be a friend! 

Well, anyways, we were blessed to have our mission president give a surprise visit when he dropped off Sora F. It was so nice to see them, even though they were only able to stay for 10 minutes. It really is true that you have a absolute love for your mission president, and he returns it. Love you mom.