SLEEP TALKING...in Romanian

I HAVE BEEN SLEEP TALKING IN ROMANIAN.  

I have made it to "that level".  

I am very (extremely) excited.  

So this week:

MONDAY:  MUSHROOMS AND MENS FASHION

We all took the "dying" (he goes home at the end of this transfer) Elder Stinson shopping for some European threads.  He absolutely hated the tight European pants but he will get over them.  The elders also gave me an early birthday present, 4 pounds of mushrooms!  I ate them with everything!  

>>>Side note: 70% of what I eat in Romania is vegetables and fruit, it is just so cheap here!

TUESDAY:  TRAINING AND TOILETS

Zone Training in Arad.  It was nice to meet up with all of the other Missionaries in my zone.  We found the sketchiest bathrooms in the world, literally a hole in the ground.  Nasty.  Normal.  I also bought some Disney movies that are dubbed over in Romanian.  The movies were about $3 USA dollars each.  SCORE.  

WEDNESDAY:  WAITING AND WALKING

It was blistering hot and Sora Peterson and I were out contacting all day long.  We walked 16 miles that day.  By the end of the night our legs were like lead. 

Anyways, on our way back we see an ice cream cone stand and we flock to it like the holy grail.  So we wait in this huge line and when it finally gets to our turn, we pay the lady for two cones and the carmel ice cream portion wasn't working.  The ice cream was so soft that when the woman handed the cone to my companion it slid right off the cone.  

Splat.

So the lady goes back to make another one and the ice cream machine breaks down.  So we waited for another 15 minutes so that the lady could change the flavor four us.  By that time, everyone had already left and we were the only ones in line hahaha.  Us chubby Americans are willing to wait for ice cream! #soworthit

THURSDAY:  THREE LESSONS

We taught seven of our investigators and it was so amazing.  We taught them all about the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.  

The first lesson was Delia and her her father Cristi, we did an English 30/30.  Next was Victoria, another English 30/30.  Finally we taught the 3 girls, Edina, Elida and Damaris, and Andreeaanother one of our investigators, all together.  They were all so interested.   They are all so ready to learn more about the gospel.  

FRIDAY:  FAR FAR AWAY

So I had a doctors appointment in the boondocks of Timi and we had to walk there because we didn't want to spend money on a taxi because we are trying to be money wise since it is the end of the month and we are low on funds.  

So we walk for about 2 hours to this place and we get there and say, (THIS WAS ALL IN ROMANIAN BUT FOR CONVENIENCE IT IS IN ENGLISH) "We have an appointment" and the lady says. "No you don't".  So we show her this confirmation text and she just laughs and she said, "Oh, you made an appointment with our sister office in Bucharest, not the office here in Timi"  Hahaha we started laughing too!  

It was one of those, "We are such idiots, we just walked a gagillion miles to this office and it isn't even the right office" laughs haha.  Well, we walked all the way back home. Got in some great English contacting haha. #bunsofsteel

SATURDAY:  SUCCESS THROUGH AREA BOOK

We decided to go through the area book and call some of our past investigators.  We have 6 new lessons lined up this week.  I am so excited to meet some of these new (old) investigators.  

We also were going through our phone, trying to clean out the random contacts we had in it.  For example, we had 6 "Iona's": Iona, Iona Cool, Iona Tall, Iona Car, Iona Train, Iona Blonde, Iona Coke.  

Um.  Okay?

And then we find this contact "Random Lady".  So we call it.  Coolest woman in the world, or at least she seems like it.  We have an appointment with her tomorrow.  

I love Romania!  And on Saturday I will be 20!  

EXCITING NEWS!  This upcoming week is our "săptămână sănătoasă" or "healthy week.  We will not be eating ANYTHING PROCESSED!  It will be a challenge but we are so excited!

Romania is seriously the best.  I have never been more happy.  This church, the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the reason why I am so happy.  I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and takes care of all of his children.  

LOVE YOU!

:) Sora Kendall Lee

CHECK OUT MY PHOTOS HERE!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124181655@N06/with/14271825532/

Mistakes and Miracles

THIS WEEK WAS THE BOMB.  I love my companion so so so much.

Okay. Here are a list of "mistakes and miracles" for the week.

MISTAKE #1: RIDING A BIKE IN A PENCIL SKIRT.

  Don't do it.  

It's impossible.  

But if you are feeling bold, do it while carrying your purse on your shoulder, while juggling a tote bag- filled to the brim with books, then, fill the bike basket with groceries- make sure you buy lots of eggs, and also carry a grocery bag full of clothes, just because you weren't carrying enough already!

MIRACLE #1: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

I didn't break a single egg. #skills

MISTAKE #2: LACK OF ASSERTION.  

Let me tell you a story. 

"Once upon a time there was a sister missionary.  She went down to Bucharest for transfers.  Upon entering the Metro station, the sister missionary was waiting with the other missionaries for the next metro to come blazing through the station.  The metro arrived.The missionaries quickly piled on the the metro.  The sister missionary however, chose to let every Romanian and their mother, go past her and onto the metro. The metro doors shut.  The sister missionary was left standing on the platform, in a panic, as she peered at the other missionaries THROUGH THE CLOSED DOORS OF THE METRO. The metro took off, leaving the sister missionary all alone, in a foreign city, unsure of where to go. "

And I would be THAT sister missionary.

MIRACLE #2: BEING RESCUED

3 other missionaries came to my rescue.  As the metro pulled away from the station and out from site, I turn around to see a group of missionaries coming my way.  

I was safe! #hallelujah #scaredoutofmymind

MISTAKE #3: GETTING LOST

While in Bucharest, I was hanging out with some of my beasties from the MTC, Sora Bastidas, Sora Barrera and Sora Parr.  We were with two other elders but we had gotten separated from them.  4 girls in a completely new city. #crudders. So we figured, "hey, we are already lost, let's shop," So we go into this Peruvian store and . . . . . 

MIRACLE #3: POTENTIAL INVESTIGATOR RECEIVED

So we get to talking to this guy and he is Peruvian, speaks perfect Spanish. Three of us sister missionaries in that room spoke Spanish so we got to testify about the gospel IN SPANISH, IN ROMANIA. He wanted to learn more about the church and the gospel so he gave us his number! Whoop! We handed this investigator over to the Bucharest sisters, since we don't serve in Buch. It was so cool getting to see Sora Bastidas and Sora Barrera talk back and forth about the gospel.  All I got out was "Buenos Dias" and "El Libro De Mormon" hahahah

MISTAKE #4: FORGOTTEN PANTY HOSE

We went to go visit teach one of the members and that morning I had forgotten to put on my tights.  My legs were shaved and lotioned and my skirt covered half of it anyways and I figured, "Hey, I'm fine". So we go in and sit down and Sora Stan, the member, gets up, touched my legs and tells me in Romanian, "You will go sterile if you do not wear tights. Don't you want to have children?!" Hahahahahahahahahahaahahhaha.  She walks into the other room and comes out with a pair of black slightly-taller- than-my-ankle dress socks and asks me to put them on.  Hahahahahahahhahahahahaha. Never before in my life have I felt more fashionable.  #geekalert #someonecallthefashionpolice

MIRACLE #4: STILL NOT STERILE AND...

We got in some really great contacting on the way home.  A lady actually gave us HER number, her DAUGHTER'S number and said that they were interested in learning more about us. We also met a lady who said that "We are all brothers and sisters on this earth" and she wants to learn more about the gospel. Pretty cool. And this all happened while I was wearing those funkadelic socks.

AND. . . I have bed bugs. They never said missions would be easy. . . 

I love Timi and my companion. 

BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TIME!

Happy past-due birthday to ZOE LEE

Happy semi past-due birthday to HERMANA BREANNA CALDER

Happy early birthday to ERIKA HANSON

Love you!!!!!!!

FOR PHOTOS CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124181655@N06/with/14223105055

Godmothers, Mothers and Members

 - - - - - - - - - About the Godmother - - - - - - - - - - -

EXCITING NEWS ABOUT TRANSFER BOARDS!

I GET TO STAY IN TIMI!

WHOOOOOOOP!

My new companion is Sora Peterson and she is my "godmother" in this mission because the first night I spent in Bucharest she was the sister missionary who watched over me!  I am really looking forward to serving with her!

SIDE NOTE:  The city I am serving in is pronounced Tim- E - Shwarr - Ahh

 - - - - - - - - - - - About the Mother - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I was allowed to Skype home!  

For those of you who don't know, missionaries are only allowed to communicate with their families once a week through email and are allowed to Skype home twice a year: for Mother's Day and for Christmas.  

It was such a treat.

I really love my family and I am so grateful for the chance that I had to talk to them!

I couldn't sleep the night before because I was just super excited.  

I LOVE YOU MOM

I LOVE YOU DAD

And yes, 

I LOVE YOU TOO CONNOR!

I also want to give a little shout out to all of my other families members who I couldn't Skype:

Aunt Kristi and Uncle Leif !                                     Aunt Aimee and Uncle Scott!

Mitch, Wyatt, Colton, Nina, Tay, Bay, Lay!                   Parker, Owen, Addie!

Uncle Scott and Uncle Alberto!                                  Grandma and Grandpa Lee!

Grandma and Grandpa Rader!                                    Great Grandma Hardesty!

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Matt!

LOVE YOU!

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - About the Members - - - - - - - - - - -

Everyone knows that I LOVE the area where I am serving and that is because I LOVE the people I am serving.  

The branch (a small ward) where I am serving is incredible.  The members here are such strong spirits.  They are incredibly Christ-like in all that they do but they are so humble that they will never admit it.  

We have been going around to all of the members and just meeting with them.  It has been an incredible opportunity to get to know them and hear their stories.  

The cooked a huge "Farewell to Familia Hunt / Welcome to Familia Alston" feast.  They all brought authentic Romanian dishes.

It. 

Was.

Delicious. 

My branch calling (my position that I am asked to hold in the church) is a Primary teacher.  In Primary, I am in charge of teaching the little kids for 2 hours.  

IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO IN ROMANIAN.

Haha.  We only have two children, Diana who is 2 and Bianca, her older sister, who is 5.  

Romanian children aren't disciplined and basically do whatever they want. 

I have my work cut out for me.  

We had a bowling activity with all of the youth and our youth investigators.  It was SO FUN!  

I LOVE YOU!

:) Sora Lee

FOR MORE PHOTOS:

Click the link below, it will take you to a big spread page of my photos.  You will not need to download them to view them

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124181655@N06/

Skyping home on Mother's day!!

Oh Timi You're So Fine, You're So Fine You Blow My Mind, Hey Timi, Hey Hey Hey Timi!

I don't have a lot of time this week to email a huge letter but here is a lowdown of what basically happened this week.

1.)  RAIN and THUNDERSTORMS.  They are absolutely lovely here.

2.)  A plumber FINALLY came and fixed my toilet.  For those of you who don't know, I had jimmy rigged it with a piece of floss and gum to get it to flush.  

3.)  We visited ward members this week!  It was so fun being in there homes and eating their delicious Romanian food.  

4.)  I SYL'd (Spoke My Language) for a whole day.  My brain was going to explode by the time I went to bed that night.  But it was amazing how much I actually learned, and how much I actually KNEW.

5.)  We had a woman walk into church and ask for a Cartea Lui Mormon.  We got to talking to her and she said that she was trying to have a better relationship with God but she felt like no religion really "matched" her.  We started talking to her and then told her that we had to teach our English class. 

She said she would love to stay.  After English, we started talking to her more about what we believe.  Then, we had Institute, and she stayed.  She was with us for 4 hours and was absolutely loving it.  She said that she felt so good being in the church with all of us.  I just wanted to shout out, "It's because you feel the Holy Ghost!"  but, I didn't.  

Right as she left I got to bear my testimony to her about the Book of Mormon.  It was short but powerful.

Since I shared it with her I thought I would share it with you.  

I am here in Romania because I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  It is another testament of Jesus Christ.  It is an incredible book.  It is true doctrine.  I am a missionary, thousands of miles away from home, here in Romania, because I want to share this book with everyone.  I am grateful for the Book of Mormon.  It has changed my life and I KNOW it is true.  And I know that when you read this book, and when you pray about this book, that you will feel the same way.  

I love my Savior.  I love the people of Romania.  

I just love everything and I am so grateful to be alive.  

:)

-Sora Kendall Lee

PS THIS WEEK WE GET TRANSFER BOARDS.  I might switch cities.  I might switch companions!  The craziness comes Saturday at 11am!  Gah!

PSS If you have questions about Romania send them to me!  I want to answer them!  

PSSS I love you!

FOR PHOTOS CLICK THE LINK.  It will take you to Flickr.  Sorry my photos are too large to send through emails....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124181655@N06/with/14051795734

Face in the Sunshine

THIS WEEK!  

It was hard.

I was sick.

I was stressed.

I was creeped out (Romanian men and their cat calls...)

I also have no more email time today so it will be pretty short.

That is all I shall say.

1.) I taught a HUGE audience on Tuesday night for Family Home Evening (FHE).  A full 15 people!  I taught about Charity, Good Works and Service.  I felt the spirit so strongly and it was such an incredible experience.  The Romanian just came flooding out.  I spoke with so little errors that it amazed the other missionaries and the other people who were present.  THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL.

2.)  Sora Smith cut Elder Morby's hair with a lady razor.  Several bald spots were left.  Elder Morby entrusted me with the job of "making it all look nice".  I filled in the bald spots with a eye brow pencil and was given the special task of cutting his shark tail (stick up mass of hair on the top of his forehead)

3.) I had to give an impromptu talk in church on Sunday because one of the members who was asked to speak became very ill the night before.  I had to speak on Jesus Christ for a full 12 minutes.  In English, it would have been a piece of cake but in Romanian, I was stressing out.  With all the 5 minutes of notice that I had, I made a quick outline and prayed for help.

I don't even remember what I said but I could tell from the look on everyone's faces after I said "amin" that I must have said something right.  

One 12 minute talk.

All impromptu.

Only one error.

(I called everyone girls)

Ha. Ha!

I know that my Savior loves me and that he is helping me out here in Romania.  I know that he loves all of us, all of his brothers and sisters.  I know that God hears our prayers.  I know that he answers are prayers on his own time time table but he will ALWAYS answer them.  I know that we can do hard things.  

"With your face in the sunshine you will never see shadows"

Eu stiu ca aceasta biserca, şi aceasta evanghelia este adevărata.  Eu sunt foarte recunoscătoara pentru Isus Hristos, salvatorul nostru.  Eu sunt foarte fericita aici în Romania.  

Te iubesc,

-Sora Lee

For more photos click on this link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124181655@N06/with/14028529616

Reading to CLAUDIU!  I love him!

The Best Easter of My Young Life

Paşte.

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

Easter in Romania is so amazing.  

So, everything is decorated so beautifully.  Easter eggs here are so ornate.  They are also mostly red.

The Romanians believe that Mary Magdalene had eggs with her when she went to spread news that Christ had risen from the tomb and that he had been resurrected.  The people told her that they would believe her if her eggs turned red.  

And in that moment, they turned red.  

They have this bread called Kürtőskalács which is bread that is cooked over a fire on a stick.  It has this huge hole in the middle of it and it is freaking amazing.  So you know, I had to buy a loaf.  

People here also crack eggs and say, "Hristos a inviat!", followed by, "Adevarat in viat!"

Or for all you English speakers, "Christ has risen", "Yes, he has risen!"  .  Whoever wins the egg crack is said to have luck for the rest of the year.  People will also say this greeting to one another instead of "Good morning" or other things like that.  

We had the chance to go to a midnight mass at the Orthodox cathedral in Centru.  It was a very cool experience.  They give everyone candles and if you can walk all the way home with your candle burning, you will be blessed with a prosperous year.  

On Easter Sunday, I definitely experienced a miracle.  I understood EVERY WORD which as spoken, I even participated in the lessons because I knew what was going on!  Haha!

This Easter, I really appreciated the true meaning of Easter.  Romanians don't commercialize it as Americans do, and it was a great experience.  

I am just so happy and I am grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice he made for us.  

I am sending photos in a separate link, because they are too big of files to send through this email.  

HRISTOS A INVIAT!  ADEVARAT IN VIAT!

-Sora Lee :)  

This Week: Perfectly Perfect in Every Way

WOW.  That really is all I can say is wow I love being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

So this week . . . 

TUESDAY: SICK DAY!

My companion and I both had fevers (101.5 and 101.3) so we were forced to stay inside and get better.  Our mission president gave us permission to watch Disney Movies that day.  We watched "A Goofy Movie" (my favorite) and "Megamind".  It was a very fun opportunity.  

We were feeling up to teach English Class that night and since we love our students so much, and didn't want to give them to the elders to teach, we went to English!  It was definitely worth it because we had 2 new students!  They are two young girls in high school and they are so much fun!

We are no longer sick so no worries there!

WEDNESDAY:  Hairdos?  More like Hairdon'ts....

Sora Smith and I went to go visit a ward member and shared a spiritual thought with her.  I absolutely love Sora Stan, and she loves us and upon our arrival, she fed us the most delicious pudding cake thing.  

Oh my gosh.

Fatness.  

So we are sharing our spiritual thought about how we need to be like the early saints, the early pioneers and endure when times are hard.  And mid lesson, she gets up and leaves the room and comes back in with 2 hairclips.  She takes Sora Smith's hair and twists it up into a bun haha.  And I let out a laugh haha and then she turns to me and grabs my hair and does the same thing haha.  

What was so funny is that we both had huge chunks of hair not pulled back in the clip and they were just dangling there awkwardly across our foreheads haha.  

Sora Stan said we looked beautiful and said, "keep these, they are gifts".

I wore my hair like that all the way home.  

THURSDAY:  Friends of All Ages

We had the chance to go read to Claudiu, the little grandson of Sora Miţin.  We have been meeting with him and have been reading from the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants- doing the exact same thing that we did with his grandmother.  

It is a great experience, this little boy has such a strong testimony that his grandmother is happy in Heaven.  He loves her so much and he is so amazing.  

While contacting we also walked alongside of a young man who was speaking the most amazing English ever.  It caught us off guard.  I asked him where he was from and he said, "Egypt"

WAAAAAAH?!

And we are in Romania.

So we kept talking and he goes on to tell us how he is here for 4 months for work, then goes home for 2 weeks and then back again for 4 months.  Crazy right.  Then, he asked us about why we were here and who we were and I told him:

"We are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we will be living here in Romania for 18 months.  We are here to serve, teach and help the people".

That just about blew his mind.  

He was in his late 20s and he couldn't believe that two young girls couls be away from home for so long, without their family, their friends, their education.  He was amazed and wished us the most success.  

The elders are teaching one of the professional soccer players for the Timi team.  Yup.  They are teaching a professional soccer player.

Wilson Kneeshaw, look him up.  

FRIDAY:  

I held a baby bunny named Penelope!  

SATURDAY:  A DAY OF NEWNESS

1.)  New missionaries....

   We got a NEW senior couple here in Timi!  They are the Alstons and they are from Tuscon, Arizona.  They are awesome.  We picked them up from the gara (train station) bright and early that morning.  

2.) New window....

   During English class we heard a loud "BANG!"  and were scared out of our minds when we realized that our window had been shattered.  Something had hit our window!  I thought someone was out to get the Mormons!

So I look at the window and there is all of this chunky, pasty looking stuff all over the glass shards.  A potato?  Did someone throw a potato?  Seriously.

Then I see a feather.

And then I look down.

A pigeon.

A stupid pigeon had flown smack dab into our window haha!   

It was a pretty gross site.  

3.)  New bug bite.  Gross.  That baby is huge.  

4.)  New friends....

   So while walking through Centru I saw two glorious individuals.  

Minnie and Mickey Mouse - So I had to take a photo with them! 

They were actually creepy men inside of the costumes and they asked me (while looking at my name tag) if Jesus Christ had sent me to them.  Hahaha and I said "Yes!  All the way from California!"  Hahaha.  

What can I say?  Romanian men, they love me!  Haha

#creepers #iwillpeppersprayyou

I will send out an Easter email next!  There is just too much to say!  Ciao!

TE IUBESC!

-Sora Kendall Lee

 Apr 22

MINNIE AND MICKEY MOUSE!

It was kind of fun seeing familiar faces in Romania!

And hey, we matched!

Sick Day and Disney Movies!

Penelope!