Week 89

Dear Family,

We had a great activity on Saturday for Pioneer Day. We worked really hard and planned for a long time to get together a really cool activity that would be great for all ages. We made chili, corn bread, honey butter and peach cobbler. I made sure to not make the chili spicy, and yet all the Romanians seemed to think that it was too hot. They finally came to the conclusion that the spiciness was good for your stomach lol! 

We didnt have enough room in the main eating area, so Elder M and myself ate in the kitchen. The sisters were in the main area and everyone asked what the honey butter was. When they told the members, people started to take globs and put them in the chili! LOL I was laughing so hard. One poor sister even put her cobbler in the chili thinking that it supposed to go there...oh my, I laughed a lot. 

After food we had some activities. We made candles, line danced, tug-o-war and stick pull. I was destroyed during the stick pull, and the members weren't too big on the line dancing, but the candle making went really well. After those activities, some of the members left. I was kinda sad, cause we watched 17 Miracles afterwards. It was great for the members to see some of the trials that the pioneers went through. As we were cleaning up, Elder M was asked to explain why we celebrate the pioneers to one of the member's friends and he had an hour conversation with her. She was invited to church, but unfortunately didn't come. Oh well. Our member friend told us that her friend really liked the conversation. Its always a good thing when people don't think youre crazy after you talk with them!

I received my "death" call this last week. I told them that I will be flying to SLC. It is so crazy to think that its almost here. I can hardly believe it. I promised President Ivory that I was going to work my last three months like I did my first three. It will be exciting to see what he has planned for the next three months. I really like President Ivory. He is a very business-like man, but he shows his love through his actions. He has a lot of trust in us, and I feel like that puts us to work harder, knowing that we have that trust. We can do so much more pros activities and that has been a lot of fun. Elder Morby and I go play basketball sometimes. We have been able to help the image of future missionaries (as well as our own) by letting people know that 1) We are not Jehovah's Witnesses. 2) We are normal people and can wear/do normal things.

I love you all so much!

Elder Ormsby

Week 88

Dear Family,

Hey! That was supposed to be my first line! I was going to make a joke about 99 bottles of...root beer on the wall or days left on the mission to be exact, but you beat me to it haha! Life is so good! Life is great! Going to the zone conference in Iasi, I was still a little nervous to meet President and Sora Ivory. Even being a missionary for over a year and a half, I still get slightly nervous when preparing to meet someone new. It was fantastic. I love President and Sora Ivory. President Ivory has a very special way with people and its easy to see why his company has been #1 for twenty some odd years. When he spoke, I felt the fire inside burn brighter than it has in so many transfers. I made a goal with President Ivory to work my last three months of my mission as I did my first three months.  I feel it, just like I used to when I first came out and I had forgotten how amazing it is! There are no words to explain it, but I have a strong testimony that President Ivory has been called of God to preside over the Romania/Moldova Mission at this time.  Sora Ivory is really great too! She is so loving and ready to work as hard as she can. I accidentally called her "Sora Hill" as I was leaving my interview...awkward. Its like calling your teacher at school "Mom"!

Wow, it really is happening. It is weird to think that we will be living in a new house when I get home. Are we going to have a basement? 

The stuff coming out of the covrigi was chocolate. I tried the poppy seed stuff in my first transfer, and it just tasted like dead ants lol.

Oooh Secondborn already knows who he is going to marry, huh? Well, do I get a picture at least? Would you ask him to send me an email and/or you just tell me about EFY?

I would love to give a talk in the home ward. I have already been made aware that I will be talking a lot when I get home. I really hope to talk in a youth conference, I think that would be so awesome! The youth have so much potential and sometimes all it takes is a single question.

I love you all and Ill talk to you real soon,

Elder Ormsby

P.S. Did you ever think that we were supposed to move somewhere besides Utah?

Week 87

Dear Family,

I haven't met President and Sora Ivory in person, but I have talked to Pres. Ivory on the phone a few times, and he seems like a very smart man. I was very impressed with his approach to less active finding, its something I have wanted to attempt (successfully) for a large part of my mission. I am excited to hear what he has to say more about the matter, and finding in general, this Friday when we meet him. 

I hope to hear all about Secondborn's trip to EFY! I remember my two trips, and they were both so amazing! Of course Secondborn got a lot of numbers, he is a good looking guy. It also helps that he has texting haha. 

I am so happy that  you were able to attend President and Sora Hill's homecoming talk. They were both so amazing, and I will love them forever. They have helped me through so much, and the things that I learned from both of them will help me into the eternities. I am also glad to hear that he talked about the difficulty of being in this mission. There are so many missionaries who sometimes feel like they are failures for not having any baptisms. The greatest missionary, I feel, that I have ever known was an incredibly hard working, obedient missionary. And yet, even after all that work, he never saw a baptism. Is he a successful missionary? Of course! One of the most powerful questions President Hill ever asked was "How many baptisms did Abinidi get?" 

I can't wait for The Love Magnet's birthday! I expect lots of pictures from that.

Speaking of pictures, I haven't really taken a lot of pictures of myself recently, but I will send you a funny video of me eating a pretzel without using my hands!

I love you all so much. I can't wait to see you again. Don't ever think that pictures or news will make me homesick. The only time I have ever felt homesick was Thanksgiving in the MTC and that was because I wasn't playing in the turkey bowl! I love you.

Love Elder Ormsby

Week 86

Dear Family, 

I got the acceptance to BYUI and I sent in the questionnaire for the tracks. You don't get to chose which track they put you on, so I am hoping for Winter and Spring. That will give me a good chunk of time to work for some cash. I am going to be completing a lot of little scholarships in hopes that I get a bit more money for school. I had been contemplating not going to BYUI and trying somewhere else, but when I read the acceptance I felt almost the same way as when I opened my mission call. It is the right place for me to go. It will be really exciting! There are a lot of return missionaries from Romania who are going to BYUI.

Its good to hear that I will be having a bed for when I get back. Since most people don't know the back story to why you are telling me I will have a bed, Ill tell it :) I went off to scout camp one day when we were living in Lehi. I came home after sleeping on rocks and dirt, ready for a nice bed, only to find out that Mom threw it out with plans to get another one real soon. I spent the next 3 months sleeping on the carpet (which had little to no padding). It was only when we moved to Idaho did we get a new bed for me haha! I love you Mom!

For the 4th we had a BBQ with hamburgers, potato salad and apple pie! We stayed at the church, listened to some Patriotic songs and watch the 2013 Boston Fireworks. There are fireworks available in Romania. It seemed everyday in Buc there was someone celebrating something with fireworks. I was tempted to buy some for a member to light off, but I didn't have the chef to do so. 

That's so cool that you were with E for the 4th! I was just thinking about how much my experience working with him and T helped me prepare for my mission in huge ways! I am actually writing a few letters for them.

I kept the house selling in my prayers and my fast. I know it will sell when the time comes.

I love you all! I can't believe how little time I have left! Work hard, Work smart. HAVE FUN!!!

Elder Ormsby

Week 85

Dear Family,

Well, the time has finally come. President Hill and Sora Hill have completed their missions and are heading home right now. I am so grateful for the chance that I had to serve during their time, as well as come close to them during my time in the office. They were so loving to all the missionaries, helping all of us to see our true potential. They weathered through rough times with the missionaries and reminded all of us of the true love of Christ. I love them so much and I will miss them greatly. 

Ill be honest and say that I am a bit worried.  I am much reminded of my time in the MTC when we were transferred to the Italian zone. President Gamett, our English zone branch president, was so kind and loving. When we had our last Sunday with him, he cried as he told us of his love for the Romanian missionaries. Immediately after, we were handed over to the Italian zone, where I felt we had a lot of problems. Now, I dont expect to have a lot of problems from President Ivory. The opposite, I am excited to meet him.  I am still so grateful for President Hill's blessing of acceptance for President Ivory.

Thats about it. Nothing new has happened. We are going to a german town tomorrow (we switched our pdays) and I should have some great pics for y'all.

Love ya!

Elder Ormsby