Let The Sun Shine In

Hello one and all. I hope you are beginning to see some sun where ever you find yourself in the world right now. We are very happy that tights are no longer a necessity. Well, according to us. Older women keep commenting on our naked legs and saying, "Aren't you cold?" When we tell them we're fine they comment about our youth. I love these people. They make me smile.

We had our final exchange this week with the other set of sisters here with us in Panduri (Panduri is a section of Bucuresti. There are two districts here: Panduri and Mihai Bravu.) I had my exchange with Sora Hovey, and she is great! We had some cool experiences together. One was during our contacting time. I'll be honest, even after all this time it's still a little hard for me to go up and talk to people. I really have to push myself to do it sometimes. And it paid off because we met this wonderful older woman named Carmen.

 She was sitting by herself on a park bench. We approached her and asked her if she would take our survey. She invited us to sit down next to her, and we began. We learned so much about this woman! She is so faithful! She told us a lot about herself--how she's a 

widow, how her only child lives far away and can't come home to see her, things like that. Her faith was very evident as she told us how God helps her through her struggles. She talked with us for a long time. As she did, tears came to her eyes. She then told us about how she had had a dream the previous night where she was eating grapes. When she woke in the morning she asked God why she would cry as apparently having a dream where you eat grapes is a sign that you will be crying. She then said that in that moment she understood why. She told us we were angels sent to her from God. Afterwards, we helped her get to the bus that would take her home. As we were helping her to walk I just kept thinking, "This is what it's all about." I was amazed that she was so touched by us when I didn't feel like we had even done much of anything. Even so, I know the spirit was there with us, and I'm so grateful for opportunities to serve! Sora Hovey and I were both really touched by this experience.

Sora DeRuvo and I also had a lesson this week with a woman that she and Sora Fletcher met in a park. The lesson didn't seem to end so well, and the woman seemed to have no further interest in meeting with us. So you can imagine our surprise and joy when she showed up at the church a few days later wanting to meet with us! We haven't been able to set up something yet, but we're hoping that will go through!

On Saturday we had the chance to go to a member's home and help them with their garden (think big garden not wee little garden). We were out there for a few hours working the land. Well, mostly I was gathering twigs and putting them in bundles, but still, it was good work. It's always nice to have opportunities to do service. We don't get a lot of it here and we always enjoy it. There truly is great satisfaction in it. We all had a picnic together of roasted chicken and rolls. The chicken was served by tearing it from the full body with bare hands. That's the way it should be eaten :) It was a great day.

In other news, we had zone conference this week. We spent a good amount of time preparing for that as we had a 45 minute presentation with the other STLs and we prepared a special musical number. It was great to see everyone, to feel of the spirit, and have encouraging words from President Hill as he assured us the work is moving forward and we are doing good things here in Romania. He told us that we are blessing the lives of these people and that's what this gospel is all about. He also said that we are fulfilling the role we were sent to do. He also assured us that we have the right to ask Heavenly Father to know how we're doing.

 This is something I know to be true and something that applies to us even when we aren't on missions. It's so easy to get discouraged and to think that we aren't doing enough or that perhaps we aren't as good as Brother or Sister so and so. We may be afraid of what other people think of us, but the only opinion of us that matters is Heavenly Father's. We are His children and He will love us no matter what. And if we are afraid that there is more that we can be doing or something needs to change, we can turn to Him to know what that thing is or to receive the encouragement that we are doing better than we think we are. If we do have something that needs changing in our lives, He will help us to change it. I have come to see more and more how Heavenly Father really does have a hand in our lives every single day. If you strive to look for those moments, you will find them.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Cu mare drag,                                                

Sora Adams

Package from home!!!
 Thanks for the socks Sister Peterson!!



And taffy from Leavenworth from Dad!!!

Baptism and Priesthood Blessings

First of all, we had a baptism on Saturday! It was a really sweet experience and I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to be there and to show my support for Roxana as she took this important step in her life. Roxana comes from a part member family. Her father is a member but her mother is not. At the beginning of the transfer, we were told that her mother had decided that if baptism is what Roxana really wanted then she would let it happen. The other sister in our district (Soras Fletcher and Hovey) began to teach her the lessons. The baptismal service was held an hour after our English class. We always give a little spiritual thought at the end of class, so a couple of elders talked about baptism and invited our students to the service. A few of the parents stayed with their children from our kid's class as they were curious how it was done. The kids were so adorable and sat with Sora DeRuvo and me. Their little chorus of amens was adorable. The three other sister missionaries and myself sang “How Great Thou Art” for the service. As we sang, I literally had chills. I could feel the spirit there, and I was so glad to look out into the congregation and see in their faces that they could feel it too. After we sang, Roxana was baptized. All the little kids squeezed their way up front. After it was over, they all spoke to each other in excited voices, saying, “I want to be baptized too!” The whole experience was just so sweet all around. Roxana shared her testimony and it was just so great to see how happy she was. Best day ever.

We were able to go see our investigator and her kids again this week. They are amazing. The assistants came with us so that they could give them blessings. This family really is so great. They've been praying together and reading from the Book of Mormon. The girls were very proud to tell us how far they'd gotten. We talked to them about the plan of salvation. We hadn't planned on giving them a baptismal invitation, but the lesson was going well, and it seemed right. We asked them if they would be baptized after they have received answers to their prayers that this church and our message is true. They all nodded their heads in agreement. We kept our cool as Sora DeRuvo expressed the importance of finding the answer for yourself. We were pretty much partying on the inside. We won't be able to visit with them again for a little bit with all this hospital stuff they have to do, but I really hope they follow through and that they recognize their answer. I have confidence in them! Afterward the elders gave the girls blessings of health. It was so cute because then their little brother really wanted one. Of course they gave him a blessing as well as their mother. What sweet words were expressed!

I am so grateful for the priesthood. It's something that Sora DeRuvo and I have been talking about lately. It's such a wonderful gift and yet another proof of God's love for us. The priesthood truly is the power and authority of God. It is a very real power, one that we can have in our lives. I am always touched when I see these worthy young men administering to people here, righteously using the priesthood which has been given to them. I am so grateful for the worthy men in my own life who have blessed me so much. The priesthood is such a great strength in our lives and will give us blessings, power, and strength to return to our father in heaven.

We had another exchange this week in a wee little town called Alexandria. Seriously, working with the sisters is great. They are such a strength to me. I don't think they even realize it. We actually had a really cool experience as we went out contacting. Well, first of all we just met some really nice people who were willing to talk with us for a moment. When we came to the last home of the street we were contacting on, a nice woman came to the gate. We were doing survey contacting (we conduct a survey with a series of religious based questions). The last question helps lead us into discussion about the Book of Mormon (if there were another book of scripture outside of the Bible would you be interested in reading it). At first this woman seemed very against the idea that there could be any other scripture or that it is even necessary. We began to tell her more about it, but she still didn't seem very interested, and I felt like I was starting to fumble over my words a little. Sora Bray came in with a nice save and we were able to finish our explanation and leave her with our testimonies. After we had testified, she said she would be willing to take a copy for curiosity sake. She made sure we understood she was only curious, which of course is fine. When she realize we weren't going to force anything on her, it was really cool to see her countenance change. She want from being on guard with little to no interest, to inviting us back over some time to have a glass of suc (juice or pop) and talk with her. She was really nice. It was a really cool experience.

In closing, if you get a chance this week, please take some time to read this talk by Richard G. Scott. And thanks to Dad for sending it to me! It is amazing, and I really needed to hear some of the things in there. I hope that it can be a strength to you as well: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1995/11/trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng

As always, thanks for your love and support. Also, Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

                                            Soccor!

Love,

Sora Adams

Lots of Work to Do

                                                        We had another busy week.

We had two exchanges, one on Wednesday and one the following day. We started out by going to Pitesti. The sisters there have been visiting a part member family that lives outside of town. It takes an hour and half to get there, so that took up a good portion of our exchange! We went all together and taught the family who are amazing. They are so happy and funny. One of them just got baptized yesterday! It was so great. Once we got back from the lesson, we had to do what we call "closing ceremonies" where we do apartment checks and talk with the sisters about a few things (goals they want to set, etc). Then we had to catch our train to make it to Craiova that same evening. While we were in Craiova it rained all day. My feet got really wet. Turns out my boots are wearing out. We did some English contacting and Sora Newell and I had a 30/30 (half English lesson/half gospel lesson). We met with two girls who volunteer at a hospital together. They seem really nice and they had even read the introduction to the Book of Mormon like the sisters had asked them to. We reviewed that and talked a little more about the Book of Mormon and what it is and invited them to pray to know of it's truthfulness. They were hesitant to commit, so we bore our testimonies of the strength and blessing that it is in our lives and promised them that it will bless their lives as well. I really hope that they give it a chance.

I really enjoyed visiting with the sisters and sharing experiences with them. I learned some good things from them, and I hope I was able to help them out in some small way. Sora Gee got me to thinking about how we are chosen to be here on the earth at this time. She talked about how one of our roles is to share the gospel, and how she believes we were excited to take on that role. We have such great missionaries here. I'm looking forward to working with more of them!

We haven't been able to meet with one of our investigators again. Timing just hasn't matched up with our exchanges and all the doctor visits with her kids. We're hoping we'll be able to visit with them later in the week.

Other than that, we're teaching children's English and we've actually got a good turn out. The hard thing is that we have a couple of young ones (4 years old) mixed in with some older ones (11) and some of the older ones are bored. I think some of the other older ones just like knowing the answers so it's okay that they've had a lot of review so far. It's hard to find the balance, but we'll figure it out. I think we're going to try and find more games/songs to teach them. They should help keep it interesting.

Oh, cool story. The other day we were out contacting and someone behind me said something about Mormon. I didn't catch what they said, but Sora Deruvo did because it was Italian. She turns around and asks them if they're from Italy which they are. They strike up a conversation. It was a girl and her mother. The girl looked at Sora Deruvo's nametag and recognized the name. Turns out this girl was in the same EFY group as Sora Deruvo's sisters some time back. Small world, huh? 

One thing I've been thinking about this week is attitude and how it really does make a difference. I was impressed when we visited the sisters that although things aren't always easy and they definitely have some tales to tell that they were still laughing and smiling. They were having fun. I was thinking about it also as I did some bloc knocking this week (knocking on apartment doors). I'll be honest, it's not my favorite thing to do, but as I tried to look at it with a better attitude and took strength from my companion, it really wasn't so bad. I realize that a change of attitude is sometimes easier said then done. I think part of it comes down to creating the habit. Being happy and not grumpy honestly is a skill that can be developed. There will always be hard things that we are faced with in life. We can either focus on the negative and be grumpy and sour or we can face adversity with a smile on our face, recognizing the good that is still in our lives and the little tender mercies that God blesses us with. Smile. Laugh. It's healthy, and you'll enjoy life so much more! There's always something to be grateful for in everyday. For example, today I am grateful for biscuits, dry streets, e-mail, an awesome companion, senior couples who can cut hair (I chopped mine off today), etc. Like all things, it takes practice and Heavenly Father will help you as you come to Him with a sincere desire.

Love you all! Have a great week. We should be nice and busy again with the rest of our exchanges. I looking forward to it.

Love,
Sora Adams 

Time Flies

                                                     Together Again! =)

                                              I feel like this past week went by really fast. 

We had zone training meeting on Tuesday. Sora Deruvo and I gave a presentation on obedience and the spirit. I really like the analogy that Sora Deruvo shared. She compared us to tubes, like what a plumber uses. A tube is only effective if it is clear and water can run through it freely. It can't have anything blocking the way. If we're the tubes and the water is the spirit, we need to be careful not to have anything blocking us from feeling the spirit and then letting others feel the spirit and the love of our Heavenly Father through us. The two things that block the spirit the most is pride and disobedience. The spirit helps us to know what is right and what isn't, and the spirit can't dwell in unholy temples. So obedience is essential to having the presence of the spirit in our lives. Everything that Heavenly Father commands us to do is for our benefit. Even if we don't understand why we may be asked to do something, we really can go forward with faith that we will be blessed through our obedience. 

We were able to meet with that family again (the mother's name is Elena). I love them. Those kids are amazing. Right before we left, their boy was holding the Book of Mormon and just repeated, "I love this book. I love this book." Their family is struggling a little at the moment, and it's not hard to tell that Elena is overwhelmed with wondering how she can possibly provide for her children's needs. The two girls have some medical problems. The oldest is in the hospital currently. If all works according to plan we'll be able to visit them at the hospital tomorrow. They've started to pray as a family. I hope they will continue and that they will feel the peace that comes from that connection with Heavenly Father.

We've doing a lot of contacting for English classes and just trying to get everything officially situated for the transfer and for our exchanges and such. We will have our first exchanges this week. I'm excited! We have such wonderful missionaries here. I look forward to getting to work with them. 

Oh yesterday was a good Sunday mostly because of this wonderful woman named Valentina. When we got to church, two of the elders told us that a woman that they had met through English and had taught once (maybe twice) was coming, and they asked us if we would fellowship her. She came, we introduced ourselves, and invited her to sit with us. She stayed all three hours and she was so sweet. After church, I asked her if she liked it and she said she did, especially Sunday school and Relief Society. I told her that I hope she'll come again to which she replied, "I'll come again. I'll come again." Is it possible for your soul to smile? Because that's kind of what it felt like.

Today we were going around looking at a bunch of little booths that are set up for something called martisor. It's a holiday to welcome in spring and men get little trinkets and flowers for women. We met this girl running a booth and we told her how we have English classes. She seemed interested, but she isn't from Bucherest. When she told us where she is from, we were very happy to tell her that we have missionaries where she's from too! So we gave her the number of the sisters there, and she seems very interested in going to English. She was so cute. Then we walked to the next booth where there were two woman who had seen us.




One recognized us for what we are. I feel like we connected with them instantly. They asked if Mormon men can be married to two women at once (the answer is no, just in case you didn't know). They asked a couple of other questions, and I just don't know, I just left with a huge smile on my face. We laughed together and just shared a good moment. As we left them and entered the metro I was just so happy. Those couple encounters really made my day. They were so simple, and yet because of those brief moments I feel like I can look at this day and say, "Today was a good day." I don't really know how to explain it better than that. I loved it. I loved them, and I know that their Heavenly Father loves them. Every little touch like that matters.

  

I feel like I could go on with some of the thoughts I've had this week, but this is getting long, and my time is running short. Suffice it to say that I know we have a loving Father in Heaven who loves us and truly answers our prayers. If you pray to Him, I promise that you will feel His love for you. I also know that we have a Savior who died for us, who paid the price that we may live with those we love for eternity.


 Continue to nourish your faith, and when you feel that your faith is waning, don't give up. Get on your knees and turn to your Heavenly Father. Continue pressing forward. Look for opportunities to serve. I can't express how therapeutic service is. It will strengthen you in many aspects. I challenge you to look for small ways to serve and then to follow through! Let someone know you are thinking of them. 

You are wonderful. I really do appreciate your support. Have a great week!

With love,

Sora Adams