Week 12 with pictures!

Another week has come and gone and it is just flying past. Its crazy to think that I have been here for only 3 weeks, but then I realize that its been 3 weeks...wow. 

Anyways, super cool miracle this last week. SO on one of the first days in Romania, we were block knocking in the student housing and had some success with talking to people and we gave out a lot of English cards (we give free English classes on the side of our missionary work). It was getting late, and I was hungry so we decided to go and get a Shwarma/ shoarma/ şormă, almost every where its sold it has a different way of being spelled. Oricum, we went to the better looking place and ordered one. Elder Harrison wasn't hungry so I ordered by my self, slightly afraid that she would say something back, and lo and behold she talks back in perfect English  It was the best English I had heard in Romania (not that impressive, I'd only been there 4 days), and it was the best English that Elder Harrison had heard (super impressive!!!!). So we talked to her, trying to figure out where she had learned to speak English so well. She kind of avoided the question and just moved on to making the food. When she was done we asked her again where she had learned to speak so well, and she told us (sounding slightly embarrassed  that she had taught herself!!! So we were impressed, who wouldn't be, and so we gave here a mormon.ro card and then a card that had a link to a video made by a TV Station in Romania about the church. I actually cant remember what the English word is...emisiune....special...I don't know, Ill ask Elder Harrison later. Oricum, she stopped us short and told us that she was Catholic and that we had to know that before we said anything else. We said that we were only inviting her to watch the video and look at the cite. 

Ok, so we jump to 2 weeks later. We worked really hard on getting the information about the English classes out to everyone and it payed off. Over 70 people show up, which is really good for Timi. So we teach the class, give a spiritual thought at the end and then everyone leaves. We have Family Home Evening that night and 6 new people from the classes stayed for FHE. It was really cool. BUT the coolest part was when D walked in (remember D, she was the one who made my shaorma, the one who speaks really good English  ya that one). Mind is BLOWN, so I go and talk to her for a bit, just thanking her, and the Lord, for coming and asked her how she was. Sora S (probably spelled that one wrong) talked to her for the rest of the evening and its pretty much the coolest story ever. 

So the night that we saw her was the last night of her working there. Her brother had died and she was really angry with God. After we had left, she said that she felt her anger leave and felt that we had been sent by God. It was so cool to hear this, such an amazing experience. She came to church on Sunday and I hear that the Sisters will be teaching her this week. I know that we were placed there for a reason. It is amazing to think that we were in the right place at the right time and were worthy of the Holy Ghost.

So yesterday was my birthday and it was probably the best birthday ever. So I was sick with the same thing I had in the MTC on Saturday, and I really didn't want to be sick on my birthday. We had to stay home Saturday evening cause I just couldn't go anywhere. Sunday was even worse, but I had to go to church, so I sorta fibbed to my companion (shh). We went to church and it was so hard to do anything. All I could think about was how hot it was, how much I hurt and how much my head hurt. But I was determined to make it through. Church ends and Elder Harrison wants to see an investigator who wasn't there and then decides that I need to go home. I didn't put up much of a fuss and as we are walking home he starts talking about how we have nothing to eat for my birthday, how we forgot to buy a cake...But I have been trying really  hard to see the blessings in my life, so I stated that being with a great companion, in a great district  in the amazing city of Timisoara, in Romania, on a Mission was good enough for me. 

So we get to the apartment and before we enter the door, Elder Harrison remembers that he needed to go tell Sora H (Senior couple, awesome people) how to do something. It is now misting, yes misting, and I'm just not all there, but still working to look for blessings decided I could wait a half-hour or so, and as we are heading to their apartment he is contacting everyone we see, which is a good thing, but pushing the line for me. Then he mistakes another building for the H's. So the question that you must be asking yourself is 1) Why is this the best birthday ever and 2) is companion is a terrible human being. Ok, well here's where it goes all good. We go up in the elevator and I see the H's with 4 other people with their hands up making an arch and my first thought is "The H's are doing some meet your neighbor activity" then I realize that it is my district and they had prepared dinner for my birthday. It was really nice because it was completely by surprise and it just made a hard day really nice. They tried so hard to make my favorite meal (Pot roast), but had to settle for a pork roast. It was still really nice, and really really good. I miss the whole Sunday meal from back home. So the whole experience was really nice.

Oricum, thats all for this week, I love you all and pray for you all.

Pa!

(note from Mom:  "Oricum" means "anyway" according to Google Translate)

Birthday pictures from Elder and Sister H's blog:

Birthday cheesecake!  How did they know the Ormsby love of cheesecake? 

Elder H sings!  I hope Elder H and Elder Ormsby do a duet for the branch.

Surprise Birthday dinner with the district.

D (from the story above) and Sora K.  D is writing a story about the missionaries and her school is sending it to Bucharest for a competition.