Week 43

Glad to hear that your thesis paper has gone through. What an achievement this is! 

Someone was asking me if The Love Magnet was still doing hip hop class, I will have to give them the affirmative now. I can see The Love Magnet sitting in the back saying "Not right now, I need a break". I know that she is having a blast!

I have not heard of this book [The Power Of Everyday Missionaries], and as of right now I don't have a lot of time to read outside material, but I will definitely look at it when I get time. I have a printed copy of Temple and Cosmos by Hugh B. Nibley that I would like to start, but it will probably have to wait until December. Its not that big of a book, but to really get his words I will need to have some "down time" (missionaries never have down time haha).

It makes me really happy that you have started up FHE. I know that it can be really difficult to match every one's schedule, but it will help the family out so much.

Choir!

It is so cool to hear how much missionary work has grown in the past year (crazy! its almost been a year!!!!!) out in [Idaho].  I'll bet that Brother H is doing a great job as a ward mission leader. It is so interesting how different missions are. Idaho and Utah are not finding missions. They have a lot of members who can give out a lot of referrals. It is less effective to go tracting than it is to talk to members. Here it is the exact opposite. We are a finding mission. We cant take that 1 out of 3 people, we take the 1 out of 3000. It will be interesting to talk to different people about their mission and how they reacted to different situations. 

That's rough about Grandpa. I haven't received any letters from them since the MTC. Granted I haven't been the greatest writer in the past, but I do have a goal to write 10 letters this transfer. It will almost be more than I have written my whole time here in Romania! I will keep Grandpa in my prays and I know the Lord will do what is best. He has done a lot of great work for our ancestors.

The Temple. Don't take it for granted! The one thing that I miss more than all of you is the Temple. Which, to me, is kind of a strange feeling. I have grown up seeing multiple temples within 30 minutes of each other, or at least one within 20 minutes (Boise). I never took the time to really appreciate how special it is to have a temple close to you. What a blessing that is! To have a House of God near by, with the opportunity to help so many people is something that many people long for outside of America, and Utah for that matter. Go to the temple. Enjoy the temple. 

Something President Hill has said is this "All people inherently want to be obedient. The only reason people are disobedient is because they don't understand why they need to be obedient."

As I start to apply this thought into my everyday life, I am slowly (oh so slowly) learning to have a bit more patience with people.

Elder Ormsby

p.s. The package arrived well without needing any further payment

 Elder Ormsby asked Thirdborn to do companionship study with him via email.  It is tradition for new companionships to buy matching ties.  So Thirdborn picked out this tie and sent it to Romania.  Elder Ormsby sent back the picture to show what he thought of the tie.

Week 24

Aw, my dear family. It is always very good to hear from all of you. This email will have to be quick because we are leaving for a castle in 15 minutes. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and will tell you all about it next week. 

I don't know what your talking about, my 6 month mark is on the 14th of May, but you have been doing the same thing I do and just round it up. haha. 

Thank you for putting us in the temple roll, I have been missing the temple more than I could have ever imagined. It is such a blessing to have one close and I hope you know that. It is hard to understand for all of you, living with one very close and others just 5 hours away or less. People hear travel 3 days by train or 5 hours by plane, but it is very expensive:airfare, passport, lodging and other stuff like that. 

Dad, I love that talk by Președintele Eyring. It is such a good talk and explains a lot for me on aspects of life.  Mom, I want you to know how much I love you and miss you. I can't wait to Skype, even though it will be really weird. 

Thirdborn, I was praying one night and had an idea come to me directly after.  I want you to start reading the Book of Mormon by yourself. Well, not by yourself, with me. If you have already started, please start over. I will read as much as you read. Here is how it will go down. Each week I want you to read as much as you can, by yourself no help from Mom or Dad or Seconborn. It doesn't matter how far you get, but I want you to really concentrate on the stories. Then when you email, I want you to tell me everything that you read, and what you think it means. Then I will also have read as far as I can, so I will be ready to discuss with you what we read. We are going to have companionship study together from 2 different sides of the world. I feel that this is going to be a great blessing in both of our lives, so please try your hardest. Don't give up if it gets hard, just pray and keep on reading. I love you buddy and I hope that you are doing well.

Mom, if you could encourage/remind Thirdborn to read. Maybe ask him if he has read everyday or something, but don't read to him please. I feel like this is really important. Love you all and I will talk to you next week.

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.