I am in ROMANIA!!!

UM I AM IN ROMANIA!

Ce este viata mea?  What is my life?!

It took 3 planes, one train and about 5 taxis BUT I AM HERE!

Holy nuggets, where do I even begin.  I haven't emailed in two weeks.

Okay so I was on a plane practically all day.  We landed in Bucharest and we ran all over the town, eating delicious bread, as we went to several different government buildings to obtain the necessary paperwork.  

We (I) ate more bread.

So we meet our wonderful nashas ("Step mothers" - other sister missionaries) for the evening, who let us sleep over at their apartments until the next morning when we are placed in our companionships.  We hopped in a taxi and I practiced my limba Romana with our taxi driver.  He blared Ke$ha really loudly and drove like a mad man haha.  It was fantastic.  

So awesome sleepover with Sora Parker and Sora Parr that night.  I love them.

Next day, we go into the central park and Present Hill reads the dedicatory prayer.  We sang hymns and all were so happy because we all felt the spirit so strongly.  

Um I love Romania. Like this is my second home.  Not even kidding.  It fits me so well. 

So, to President Hill's home we go and we get our new companions!  My companion is Sora Smith and she is from Orem, Utah.  She is funny and also a redhead haha.  

We got to sleep on a NIGHT TRAIN!  It was like something out of Harry Potter..  I am so sorry, I was too excited (and too tired) that I took no photos of it!

I AM IN TIMISOARA!  It is the cutest little gypsy town in the whole world.  There is an Orthodox church building on every corner.  There are also these HUGE gypsie mansions.  What is funny is that on the outside they look so extravagant but on the inside they are incredibly bare.

MY APARTMENT IS INSANELY AWESOME.  We have a staircase.  A STAIRCASE.  I just can't even begin to tell you all how cool it is.  I also have my own bathroom and I sleep in a HUGE bed.  Photos will follow next week once it has been properly decorated.   

So I am all unpacked and I am in the process of decorating my room hahaha. 

We went tracking for English class, we do that quite frequently.  We have these little cards that we hand out to everyone that say, "Free English Classes".  I'm getting really good at passing out these cards haha let me tell you all that I have found my secret talent.  

So twice a week we go over to Sora Mitin's house and we read to her from the Book of Mormon and the Bible.  Yes, we do all of this in ROMANIAN.  I just still can't believe it.  Okay so Sora Mitin is like the cutest grandmother in the universe.  You just look at her and smile.  She is terminally ill with cancer and is completely blind now and is bedridden.  She is a member of the church and just LOVES the missionaries.  She corrects all of our reading hahaha and then calls us "children".  Haha I could tell she was cracking jokes left and right because she would always laugh at herself.  She tells us that she goes out to the disco tech every night and parties hahahahhaaha. 

Sora Smith and I also teach English classes for children on Saturdays.  Perfect for me right?  Well, haha it is rather difficult for me to control children's behavior in Romanian.  I have no idea how to say "No running in the church" or "Please no yelling" or "Keep your hands to yourself" or "Please don't bite the hymn book" Hahaha.  Sora Smith, who has been here for 7 months is a little too passive and was saying nothing as the kids got out of line.  I was sweating buckets on the other hand hahaha.  I would like to thank my job at Kids Factory for preparing me for this moment. A little 4 year old Romanian girl stuck out her tongue at me when I told her "Stop".  That was like a slap in the face hahaha.

Hahah.  It was definitely a humbling experience.  I just look back on it and laugh haha.  

We had the chance to go to Oradea in a maxi taxi to attend a branch conference.  Part of the meeting was translated in English, and the other half was in Romania.  I had like 70% no idea what was going on but how I FELT in that meeting made up for it all.  Never in my life have a felt so much happiness and peace that only the Holy Ghost can bring.  It was incredible.  I an't even describe it...

The elders here are hilarious.  Today we ate hot wings, went lazer tagging and played card games.  They are so funny and their attitudes on everything are refreshing.  

Romania is seriously so amazing.  This really is the best place for me.  I am loving it all and having a GREAT time.  Gah.  I am just so happy.  

The church is true.

The book is blue.

I LOVE ROMANIA!

Photo 1 This huge Orthodox church next to a square where we proselyte in a lot!
Photo 2: My little church building!
Photo 3:Romania bread on our first day in Bucharest!
Photo 4:A Gypsy Mansion