My Home Away From Home

November 10. 2007

It felt really good to be back to my home away from home. It was a little hard to go back to the trash and the murky feeling that hangs over Iasi. But I was still happy to be home. We definitely took most of the day to recoup. Sniff it was so nice to be home.

I decided that i wanted to go to Saturday sports with the branch. It was crazy. It stared to rain. So we ended up playing soccer in the rain. It was really fun but super tiring. I was exhausted but I am glad I went.

Since we missed Mihai's birthday we were going to take him to dinner. We forgot again that Saturdays are impossible to find somewhere to eat. Everything is always booked of weddings. We ended up going to the mall and eating in the food court.

A Blood Sucking Day

November 9, 2007

We got up early this morning to go and visit Bran Castle and the fortress. It was so fun taking a tour and looked at all of the places. What was a little frustrating was that we got like a half hour to go through each place. So we were definitely rushed. I would have liked to spend more time but I guess you take what you can get.

After that I spent the rest of the day and the hotel watching movies. I had to rest my hips and it as really nice to relax. What is funny is that i thought the hostel was going to be completely stressful and horrid but it actually ended up being more relaxing than our hotel. Probably because we weren't as busy.

Our train left tonight at like 11 so I am super tired and it is not a sleeper car. This is going to be really fun:)

The Hostel

November 8, 2007

When we got to the hostel this morning I honestly thought it was a joke that we were staying here. It looked like the armpit of Romania. Honestly I was afraid to touch anything, it looked terrible. I think part of it was how grumpy and tired I was. But it was a little bad. When I woke up I felt much better about my surroundings. Yay!

After some much needed naps we took a short walk around the city and visited the Black church. Brasov is so beautiful it was one of the only cites in Romania to go almost completely untouched by Communism. It is right at the base of a n incredible mountain range just at the right time where all of the leaves are changing. It was so beautiful.

We went to this authentic Romanian restaurant for lunch. It was really good and fun to be able to go and eat different Romanian foods that we have not yet tried. We went back tot he hostel and hing out the rest of the day. It was so nice be able to just sit and relax.

On to Brasov

November 7, 2007

Today was our last day in Hungary:( It was really sad to leave because Budapest is so beautiful and i loved the city so much. But that is okay! On to Brasov!!

For the last few hours before we got on the train we went to the House of Terror. Wow it was really neat. It is this building in Budapest that was the head quarters for the Hungarian Communist Party and the Hungarian Nazi's. It talked a lot about all of the terrible things that went on there. It was really creepy and authentic. It was a little hard to get into it thought because it was all in Hungarian but I still enjoyed it.

We left for the train station two hours early. Only to sit there for a long time and almost miss our train. Our tickets had the wrong information on them so we did not know where we were suppose to get on the train at. Luckily we made it!

However by this point in the trip my hips were killing me. We walked a minimum of 8 miles a day because our hotel was so far from the city center. I honestly could not walk, and lying down I just cried because they just ached. So once we got on the train I took some medicine and just lied there. It was a really long train ride. But I made it and I think I just need to walk as little as possible.

Relaxingish Day

November 6, 2007

Today was our relaxing day. We went to the baths and walked around shopping.

Shopping was really fun. We wen tot this huge warehouse place that they have this giant market. It was really fun to go and interact with the locals and see all other things they buy and sell. Then we headed over to the hotel Gerret. It was so incredible. The building is huge and looks like a castle. The baths are sort of like swimming pools but really beautiful and indoors. The ceilings were at least three stories high and all mosaic tiles. It was so incredible and breath taking. We all got massages. Ha that was an experience. I will never have a European massage again, but I am glad I got the experience. He he he.

Now that I am home I am so unbelievably tired and this was suppose to be our relaxation day.....

Rainy Day

November 5, 2007

Today was a beautiful Monday in Budapest. We spent the day walking around and visiting all of the sites. In the morning we decided to split up the group and visit different areas of interest in the city. Laura, Natasha, and Alie went to visit the Jewish Synagogue. Christina and I were planning on going to this really big beautiful museum but it ended up being closed. So we decided to walk around the city. It was really nice to be able to have a little time alone. It sort of do what we wanted and not be stressed or hurried. It was fun.

We then met up with the other girls and went to St. Stevens Basillica. It was absolutely beautiful. In it is St. Stevens hand. It was a little gross but that is okay. We then bought our tickets for the dinner cruise and decided to go home and get ready.

We hurried and got ready and decided to take the metro to the Fisherman's Warf before the dinner. However things went a little haywire. It stared pouring rain and we never were able to get on the metro because of how crowded it was. It took us two hours to walk in the rain to the dinner cruise. We were soaked, it was really fun though. Laura got the bus splash, it was hilarious she was drenched head to toe.

We finally got to the dinner cruise. It was beautiful. The dinner was authentic Hungarian and so good. It was so nice cruising along the Danube and eating a wonderful dinner. It was so relaxing and romantic. Too bad i had no one to be romantic with....maybe someday soon:)

We then went back to the hotel, I am so exhausted. I am going to bed!

Budapest, Hungry

November 4, 2007

We are here! We made it! It is so fun and exciting to be some where new. Hungry is so different than Romania and it is fun to notice the differences for good and bad.

The more and more I am put in situations that could possibly end up bad, the more I am starting to recognize how much the Lord watches over me and the other girls. We so often could have been taken advantage of, hurt or scared but always the Lord has put people in our paths who could help us or protect us. I am learning more and more how much the Lord's hands are in all things. He has blessed my life so greatly by having me come here. No matter the struggles he is there by my side leading me a long the way.

We walked around the city for a few hours today. It is such a beautiful city. The history and architecture set this city apart. It is so beautiful and old. I loved walking down the streets and thinking about the many millions of people who have walked here before. I love thinking and learning about my past and my history. It is especially interesting to be able to learn of the past of these countries and to see how far they have come. It can be so amazing.

I am super tired. I am not really sure why since I slept fairly well last night.

Saturday

November 3, 2007

SO today was a day on the train. It actually went by super fast. I read Ella Enchanted.

I love that book so much. It is so romantic and I honestly see it in a different light every time I read it. I am learning from the contents with each phase of life. I am really enjoying it a lot. Sniff I don't care if Adrian doesn't like it HMPH!

There was a drunk man today on the train. He tried to get into our cabin but Laura help the door shut. He started pounding on the glass and was yelling profanities at us until a man can and pushed him away. It was actually pretty scary but for some reason I started to laugh. I tend to laugh at the most inopportune times. I am definitely going to be working on that.

The sleeper car was not that bad. It was actually really fun and I slept pretty well. I would take a sleeper car any day of the week.

Friday

November 2, 2007

I cant believe that we are leaving in a matter of hours for Budapest! I am so excited. Now I have been totally stressed about everything but still I am really excited and hopefully all of that stress will leave once I get gone.

I had a normal day at the orphanage and hospital. I was a little anxious to leave but at the same time it was sad to think that i would not see my kids for a week. I think going back might be a lttle bit discouraging because of that fact that there will be minor set backs. Hopefully they will jump right back though and we can continue working.

The Elder's came over for dinner. It was really fun. We cooked Fajitas and they brought Carrot Cake for dessert. It was amazing. Honestly i had no idea that elders could cook that well. It was really really really good. Maybe it is just my lack of food-well good food lately that has brought me to thinking that everything that is edible is good. Hopefully it will wear off when I get home and I will actually get my taste buds back.

I helped Elder Loveland fix his Ipod. Hopefully I did it right....who knows. I am still trying to get everything packed. I am super tired but I need to finish up. See ya!

Thursday

November 1, 2007

I cant believe that it is already November 1^st. In some ways it has seemed like everything has flow by but in other day to day time everything is at a crawl. I am really excited to go to Budapest on Saturday. I am definitely ready for the much needed break. I can tell that i am starting ot get emotional and super tired. Hopefully Budapest will rejuvenated me enough to finished strongly.

Mihaiella was an angel today at the apartments. She was honestly entertained by the bubbles the entire time. It was nice to be able to spend some time with the other kids with out Mihaiella freaking out.

I have been sort of stressed out lately about my class schedule and finding a job when I get home and finding somewhere to live. I mean I know it will all work out and everything will fall in to place I just get worried when I cannot see the end from the beginning. I definitely need to place more trust in the Lord.

Cute Girls

October 30, 2007

Today was a good full day. I got to talk to Adrian this morning. It is so nice to hear his voice. Sniff.

We did the normal orphanage thing.

Larisa was really funny today. She was disappointed that I didn't bring my IPOD but luckily she fell in love with Adrian instead. It was really funny. She saw our picture on my phone and her eyes lit up. She even kissed his picture and asked if we could call him on the phone so she could talk to him. It was really funny. I will have to keep my eye out for her, she might steal Adrian from me.

It is going to be nice to come home to some personal space. It will be really nice to actually be alone....

Went to the apartments in the afternoon. Mihaiella was as crazy as ever. She is so funny because she would get so excited and hyper, like out of control. Then she would ask me to pick her up, and she would turn into this angel. She let me hold her for like 20 min and she was silent the whole time. Wow she can be two different people sometimes.

Romanian Orphanage

October 29, 2007

Today was a pretty good day. I was my first day back since last Friday. It felt really good to be back. It was so fun to come in the room and have all of my kids yell “DANIELLA!!” It was nice to know that I was missed and loved. Ghitsa was practically knocking his wheel chair over he was so excited. Sniff I really liked that.

We got to go outside today too! It was my first time taking the kids out. It was fun to see them all get bundled up to go out. They had to have hats and winter coats on. It was pretty funny. I pushed the kids on the swings and played with the plastic bowling set. It was really funny. I remembered I was in Romania when one little girl had to go to the bathroom. The worker instead of taking her in the building which was five feet away, she took her behind a bush. It was pretty funny.

We had Family Home Evening tonight. We made Caramel apples. It was really fun. Sort of hard to make Caramel on Romanian ingredients but it was okay. I am excited to get home and have Caramel Apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Wow those are so good...

Halloween is decided!!!

October 23, 2007

Today is my half way point! I dont really like describing it like that because it feels like I have been here a long time and then I find out it is only half way. I like to think of it in bit milestones. I leave for Budapest in a week and a half, when I get home I will have a week and a half until Thanksgiving and then i leave in three weeks to come home! I cant believe it. It has gone by so fast and yet so slow at the same time. It feels like years since I have seen my friends and family and Adrian, but I cant believe that I am almost going home. A little bitter sweet but hey I will be glad to be home.

Aside from the strange illnesses I seem to acquire, I live Romania. I love the people and the culture. But trust me it has definitely given me an appreciation for America that I never had before.

I have decided to go with Erica's idea of being Wendy from Peter Pan. Really ingenious idea! Heff the girl from the Ring terrifies me. If I embodied her character, like I do all of my Halloween characters, I would be scarred for life. That is actually really scary to think about....

I was home sick today. I was all alone. It was kind of boring and a little scary. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow but things are not looking bright.

:)

Cabin Fever

October 22, 2007

Today I was home sick again. I definitely think this Cabin Fever thing is true. I have not left the house since I got home on Friday at 12. It is weird what not having fresh air can do to you. He he he.

Hopefully I will be better tomorrow and i will be able to go to the orphanage. This is the reason why I have not been posting. My life has been very boring.

I have been thinking a lot about what i am going to be for Halloween. Sort of slim pickings here in Romania. We did however find a box of old Halloween stuff form past interns. Inside it contained a blue dress. I think i am going to wear it. I dont know what I am going to be though. What do you think I could be? The most creative answer wins!

I have a paper due on Wednesday that i have not yet started. I should get to work on that. I went to FHE tonight. That was fun. We made toilet paper mummies:)

Fast Sunday

October 7, 2007

Today was my first Fast Sunday in Romania. It was really nice to hear all of the testimonies of the branch members. We also met the new missionaries. They seem really nice and willing to translate so that will be good. There was a baptism today. It was really neat and the spirit was so strong. The Elders asked if we would sing a musical number the night before. It went okay, a few minor flubs but not too bad. I am sad that I am missing out on General Conference, we get it next week in Romanian. I need to find out my other options.

I got to talk to Karlie today. That was really nice. I had missed her a lot and it was good to talk for the five min before the phone card ran out. Hopefully we will be able to talk again soon.

I have been a little home sick today. If anyone would like to send me pictures I would love them. I dont have many.

Sigh sorry this entry was not the best, but I love you all and i will write more tomorrow and in my emails.

Happy Birthday Alie!

October 6, 2007

Today Is Alie's 21^st birthday.

We started out by going to Kauffland's and stocking up. Since the festival is going to be starting to is going to be crazy trying to get around and especially trying to go grocery shopping. So I went and got my case of ramen noodles for the next two weeks. I really like ramen noodles. I even am starting to mix things up by adding different vegetables. It makes things a little interesting.

After that we came back and started making party preparations. She wanted to do something with the youth from the branch so we decided to have a little get together at the branch. But before that we went to dinner. It was crazy trying to find a place to eat. Everyone has weddings on Saturdays so we went to like five places and they were all booked out. Finally we found this little Lebanese restaurant that was actually fabulous. I really enjoyed it. But since we got started lated we barely made it to the villa on time.

The party was really fun. About 6 or 7 people came so it was a big turn out. We played games and had cake and ice cream. After that we came home and had girls night. We watched Alie's favorite movie, While You Were Sleeping. It was cute.

A Good Day

October 5, 2007

Today has been a really good day.

I had a little break through at the orphanage today, in two different situations. With the kids whoa re completely functional; it has been really hard to know what to do with them or how to work with them. Since I dont speak Romanian I have had a hard time communicating with them or getting to know them. Today I figured out a way that I can be teaching them but also gaining their trust at the same time. I starting teaching them and playing a shape game with them. I would say the name of the shape and then all of the kids would take turn solving the puzzle. It was also good because it is helping them be happy and cheer for one another, after each child would go we would clap and say “Bravo, Bravo!” for them. It made them all giggle and smile. I was happy that we were all working together. Also I have been trying to reach this little girl named Izabella. She is severely handicapped. When stimulated she hits her face really hard and has bruises all over her face because of it. She cannot speak and is completely blind with one completely clouded eye. She can be sort of intimidating and scary to look at. Often times she is forgotten in the corner because the workers just do not want to deal with her. So everyday I make a conscious effort when I go in to touch her face and say “Buna Ziwa Iza!” so she knows that I am here and that I am soft and nice. I bring a toy for her to play with and through out the day I go and touch her face and say hello. SO I have been doing this for about two weeks with no reaction. Today I go and spend a little time with her and I actually got her to smile and even laugh for a small moment. For the instant it really sort of uplift me and show me that I really was making a difference. It was amazing.

I also got some pictures of my new little nephew Dyson. Can I just say that he is absolutely adorable. He has Jessica's nose and chin and the rest of his face looks a lot like Derrek's. Oh he is so cute. It makes me home sick to see him. I just want to go and hold him.

We are having our girls night tonight instead of tomorrow, so we made Crepes. They were so good. We got this jam stuff from one of the sisters in the branch and it was amazing!

Today was a good day...

Romanian Experiences

September 29, 2007

Today was definitely a new Romanian day. I experienced a lot of things I haven't before! It was really fun. We started out by going to Aurelia's house. She is a investigator and she amazes me at how strong and happy she always is. She lives at a boarding school and she is an orphan. We went over and had a dance party with her. It was actually really fun. The school was definitely a little scary but we had a lot of fun. She taught us a dance and then showed us her ballroom salsa moves. I laughed a lot and it was fun to sort of let go and have fun.

After that we were suppose to meet the Sora's at the train station to go to the branch picnic. We almost missed it and that was a little stressful. The picnic was really really fun. It was down in the valley on the far side of Iasi. There was a little lake and a bunch of trees. We had Romanian pizza which is really really good except for the fact that they dont put pizza sauce on it, and we had some grapes and apples. It was nice to hang out with the branch and get to know everyone a little better.

I started to walk along the bank of the lake and it was disgusting. From a far it looks really pretty and serene. Up close is a totally different story. There was tons of litter lining the banks, there was leeches in the water and even a syringe with the needle still intacted. It was a little scary, definitely toxic waters. But anyway we had fun trying to catch frogs and taking pictures with them.

Some of the old men in the branch had fun trying to teach us how to whistle. They dont really care if they spit on you he he he.

After the picnic we played Saturday sports. It was really fun. I am starting to actually enjoy playing soccer. We had our girls night after that. We watched “13 going on 30” it was fun

.

So I am not really sure whats going on in Baby City but I would liked to be filled in. Where's the baby?

A Girly Night

September 28, 2007

Today was a crazy day. We started out at the orphanage which is really starting to go well. I think it will keep getting better and better as I get to know the children and the workers. I just want them to be adopted so badly. I know that there problems will go down greatly because of that. It would help them so much. The chances of them getting adopted are pretty low though, no one usually adopts a handicapped child even with mild disabilities.

We took the Soras' and the Wrights to lunch today. We went to a restaurant called “Little Texas”. It was supposedly suppose to be like Texas and have American food. It was still Romanian-American but it was really good. They had Mexican food that i have missed having so that was nice to have.

After lunch Christina and I ran to Kaufland's with the Soras to get stuff for the YW's girls night activity. We shopped for a little bit and then headed home. We got lost. Sniff we have no idea how to get a taxi or a maxitaxi I almost started crying. We had walked there once so we started to walk home. It was pretty scary actually walking through the streets of Iasi not really knowing where we were going. We made it back but it took us forever. Sigh

The Girl's Night with the YW was so much fun. It was fun to be able to do girly things with them that they really never get the chance to do. I really think they enjoyed themselves and I loved watching the looks on their faces after the makeovers and nail polish.

Oh just a couple of side notes. I sister is having her baby tomorrow! YAY I am so excited!!! and also I have like 20 flea bites on my body, he he he I guess we have fleas in my apartment. The Sora's are going to kill them though so that will be good.

Hmmm Day

September 25, 2007

Today was a lot better day than yesterday! In the morning we went over to the orphanage apartment in Dancu. It took us about 30 min to get there but the kids were adorable. I really enjoyed going there and working with them. I played with the cutest little Down Syndrome boy. He could not speak so he would look at me and smile and laugh.

After that we came home because everyone was sick. I think there is something going around and I hope I don't get it. Christina and I are the only ones that have not gotten and let's keep our fingers crossed that we don't get it! Well anyway I made lunch for everyone and then Christina and I left for the hospital.

The hospital was amazing today. There were tons of Orphans to visit. In the time were were there we only got to check to floors and visit 4 little girls. They were so adorable. Consuela was a month old and so precious. Ana Maria she is a year old but about half the size of Consuela. She is the tiniest little person. You can tell she is older though because of the interaction she had with me and how she can hold her head up and smile. She has fetal alcohol syndrome so I hope I will be able to work with her a lot while I am here. She is really smart and so cute and funny. She weighs about 5 pounds but she is the funnest little girl. I really loved being able to go and interact with his little girls today. I wish we could have stayed longer to be able to visit all of the levels but we have to leave at 5:00.

Elder and Sora Wright the senior couple for the branch had us over for dinner tonight. It was amazing. Petru a sweet member from the branch cooked for us. It was so delightful to be able to sit and visit with them and eat amazing food. It really was so good, I am not sure if it is just the fact that I have not had a good meal in a while or if it really was good but I sure liked it!

I was starting to get stressed out about all of my homework that I have to finish while I am here. So I made a schedule and a calender and I planned out all of my projects. It makes me feel so much better when I have it all down on paper what I am going to do and when. Anyway this is getting really boring...

Cu Drag,

Dani

Sunday is a special day

September 23, 2007

I taught for the first time today in Relief Society. I said probably a total of about seven minutes worth of my lesson and the women talked the rest of the time. Well two women did ha ha ha. I taught about family togetherness time and how important it is. It was really different teaching that lesson to Romanians. The way of life and how they view things is so different. So different from the Utah version of the gospel. But I really like the challenge of creating the lesson for these sisters specifically. It makes things a challenge and it forces me to get to know the culture and the women of this branch better. I could never just go up and teach how I would back home. The women that way would either be offended or would learn nothing from the lesson.

Elder Loveland translated Sunday school for us today. He is a pretty funny guy. He has been out for about seven months so he is definitely still getting used to the language so it was funny to see him sort of take a round a about way of telling us what they had said. He was such a nice guy for translating for us!

We attempted to make hamburgers tonight for dinner. Something went wrong with the meat and for some reason the hamburger would not stick together. We ended up making sloppy joe hamburgers. Ha cooking in Romania is so funny. First of all the timing is always off. Like cooking rice for instance. We only have the non instant variety so normally in the US it would take about 20-30 min, here is takes 5. We just cooked jiffey muffins that we brought from home and they took five min as well. It is going to be hard to get used to going back to our slow cooking methods in the States.

Another train ride....

September 22, 2007

Well we almost did not make it home to Iasi today. We seriously got on the train and it started moving. It was crazy. I was ready to go on time.....

The train ride was really really long. Luckily the conditions were not as bad as the ride there. We played games and listened to Vasile and Mihai play the guitar. It was fun but also very boring at the same time. I really started to get home sick and miss my friends and family at home. I had not been able to really talk to anyone while i was gone so it started to make me sad. But I shook it off and realized that I would be home in a few hours and be able to talk to them then:)

And then we got home and I am so glad to be home. I never really thought of this place as somewhere that I would call home for four months but I am glad that it is starting to become that for me. I missed my mattress on the floor and my internet ha ha ha.

Anyway I have to go to bed I am teaching tommorrow! yahoo

A Beach / Crazy Day

September 21, 2007

We decided that we wanted a little girl time this morning. So we got up early and left the boys to hangout by themselves. We went and walked around to the shops and did a little bit of shopping. It was really fun to number one hangout with just the girls and to number two go shopping! Ha my favorite past time:)

We then went back to the apartment and go ready to go to the beach. Besides the fact that it was about 40 degrees outside, we were excited. We all jumped into our swim suits and went to take some pictures on the beach. We did not actually swim but we got wet and had fun. The Black Sea is really dark and mossy. I am used to the clear blue water of California. It was definitely a change but it really was beautiful. We did not stay for very long because we were freezing but that is okay we walked on the beach later that day.

There was a special Dolphin show going on while we were there so we decided that we would go. It was definitely not Sea World. I loved it for the fact that it was so original and completely Romanian. I dont really know how to describe it besides saying it was fast and efficient. Not really the American show we are used to but I did not come to Romania to get American situations.

After coming out of the show were saw a large group forming on the side walk of the street. We went and looked at what was happening. I guess a man had committed suicide by slitting his throat and was found with the doors locked in his car. I will never forget the image of that man. What disturbed me the most was the way the police handled the situation. IT was sort of in a callous and harsh way that had no feeling. They never covered the body or blocked off the road. They let things run as normal like nothing different really was happening. It made me feel really blessed that I am American. Not just in the fact that our police handle things differently but that I have the gospel and that I am able to feel safe in my country. Not that I don't feel safe here because I do, but it is a different feeling of safe. I don't know how to describe it but it just really made me glad to be an American.

After that we tried to have a little shift in atmospheres and took a nice long walk on the beach. It was so beautiful to walk on the beach at sunset and collect sea glass and shells. Sea glass is my absolute favorite and I got tons. I also found some huge shells on the beach. It made it really fun to be able to find cool things like that. Normally I end up with a few tiny oyster shells:)

Next we went to the Villa and watched a movie for their outreach night. It was really fun and strange at the same time. A investigator in there branch asked me out, luckily there was this really cool missionary in the room and let him know that that was not allowed. Ha he and I laughed about it later on. He asked me out merely by the fact that he knew I was a ballet dancer and he was very strange about it. Like at the birthday party he asked to take a picture with me and wanted me to do an arabesque and I of course declined but none the less it was awkward. We ended up watching A Night at the Museum. It was fabulous. I really liked it, it was super funny and clean. Yay!

A Constanta Day

September 20, 2007

So we slept a lot of the day today, until about noon. We were all completely exhausted from the train ride. Once everyone was up and going we decided to get a tour of the city. Our friend Vaislae who is currently going to college in Iasi but is from Constanta showed us around. It was great having someone there who knew the area and was willing to help us out.

We went and walked by the beach and saw all of the old parts of the city. It was really cool because we saw the remnant of walls and foundations that were from 400 B.C. When Constanta was actually under Roman rule.

We also went to the mall. I am really starting to not like the cigarette smoke. Everyone smokes here and everywhere. They don't really have laws against smoking in public places and since everyone smokes it can be sort of overwhelming at times.

Then we went over to the villa for the Constanta branch. They were having a surprise birthday party for one of the member of the branch presidency. It was really fun to go to an actual Romanian birthday party. It was of course Americanized because all of the missionaries were American and we were all American. One of the missionaries there taught me how to play Backgammon. I guess it is a really big thing here and that everyone plays it. It is actually really really fun. I was a little confused at first but I caught on and it was fun.

The Not So Harry Potter-like Train Ride

September 19, 2007

I have felt really sick for most of the day. I think I am getting the body flu that all of my roommates have had as well as the Sora's. I feel so terrible.

I stayed home for most of the day sleeping and resting. Sora Back came over and gave us language lessons. She is so amazing. I am so glad that we have gotten to become better friends. She taught us a few phrases and words in Romanian and then we chatted. She wants us to send her off at the train station when she leaves. She really has been such an amazing missionary and I am so grateful for the example she has been to me. It is going to be sad but I am excited to take a few classes with her for winter semester.

Speaking of classes if I plan on graduating by next summer, not this upcoming summer but next summer. My schedule is going to be crazy. Full time all the way through. But if it works out that I can graduate by then than it will be totally worth it. If not I will just never graduate and never have a life because I will be a forever student:)

We went to Outreach today before we left on the train for Constanta. It was......fun.... There was this “forever investigator” boy that kept talking to me. It was really bad. He kept bringing up conversations that were contrary to the gospel or are hot topics in the church. It was my first time ever that I honestly was so surprised by some of the things he said and the way he acted. It was really hard for me to be able to compose and defend the church because I was so taken back by his comments.

We went to McDonald's before we left on the train. I was really excited to go because it is American food. After eating I realized why I did not really like McDonald's at home. I felt pretty sicker after, not a good thing because I was already sick.

We took a train ride to Constanta. It was nine hours of heck. I have been really sick so as you can imagine it was crazy. I was originally excited for my first Harry Potter train ride but it was terrible. The bathroom was foul. I have never used a bathroom as bad as the one on the train. I laugh about it now but it really was terrible. I would not be surprised if I got even sicker from using it. The toilet goes on to the train tracks. That might just give you a small picture of what it was like...

Anyway I am going to go back to sleep.

A Very Good Day

September 18, 2007

Today was a really really good day. We started out by going to Kaufland's. My most favorite place in Romania. I am only kidding. I got some treats to take with my on my first train ride ever to Constanta!! I am really excited. Hopefully it will be warm enough to swim in the Black Sea.

I then went on splits again with Sora Beck. I love her so much, she seriously is like my best friend in Romania. She is so fun and nice. We really get along well.

By going on splits I am really growing as a person. The more I interact with the people on the gospel level I love them more and more. They are so amazing. These young girls in the branch are so incredible. They have been though things that I could never imagine and they hold strong to the Gospel. It is so sad to see them struggle with things that by the mere fact that they are Romanian can cause. They are true pioneers in the Lord's church here in Romania. I love being able to talk to them and answer the questions that they have. I love teaching lessons because I like seeing the light turn on in their eyes. Being bale to see that they are really starting to understand the Gospel and that the Lord loves them so much. A big struggle for new converts and investigators is that the Romanian Orthodox Church teaches that if you change your religion you are going to Hell. They learn that all their lives so it is hard to take that away. I mean they know the Gospel and the Church is true but they get so afraid that they will go to Hell. There was this one girl that we were teaching today. She is a young college student and is incredibly smart. She is trying to find out which church is true and wants to know as much as she can about all of them. When we were talking to her she would get so excited because things and ideas were starting to make sense. I really think that she was starting to recognize the spirit. I have fallen in love with that look or idea or moment that a person recognizes the Gospel and Spirit.

Going street contacting can be so exhilarating. I can tell though that if I was a real missionary it would stress me out major. I would feel like I would have to talk to every person I pass. Ha ha ha I am crazy. I just love doing the errand of the Lord. I am so grateful that I am able to do a little bit of that while I am here. I brings me back and helps me refocus on how amazing this Gospel is and how blessed I am. I never could have imagined the change that is already happening. I am so excited:)

We then taught English and the Villa. It was really fun. People from all over the community come for free English lessons. I really liked being able to speak and teach in English for once. It gets sort of hard to keep trying to speak Romanian. I think it will get easier as I go.

Anywho I would love to hear about your day and what is new in your lives! Please feel free to email me or leave comments:)

A Day in My Romanian LIfe

September 17, 2007

Well we thought maybe we would be going to the Orphanage but Child Protection Services never called. But we did find out that we get to start for sure on Wednesday! I am really excited.

I spent most of the day getting caught up on my homework and trying to fix my computer. It was a little bit of a nightmare but I think everything is fixed now. I had this huge virus and our internet kept going down so I could not get it fixed with Adrian but finally everything worked out.

We went to the hospital again today. Everyday I go I just realize how much I am needed here. If just to sit and hold this little boy for two hours so that he had someone to hold him, it is worth it. He was so beautiful. I did not even find out his name because none of the nurses knew it but he was the sweetest little boy. He had blonde hair and blue eyes which is rare for a Romanian. When I held him he would cling to me and lye his little head on my shoulder and sleep. He loved it when I would hold him but would not cry when I had to put him down. When I first started playing with him he was very emotionally closed off. He would not react in anyway and would just stare. But he more and more I patted his back and held his hands the more he warmed up. By the end he was laughing and smiling. The sad thing is that that is completely because of him being an orphan. He has not mental disabilities that i could tell and was completely functional. He might be suffering from a slight attachment disorder but hopefully not. He was so fun to be able to play with him and love him.

We had Family Home Evening tonight at the branch. It was nice, short and sweet. We had a lesson an praying to Heavenly Father and receiving answers. I have noticed since being here and going on splits that so many of the member and investigators struggle with that. I tis such an important element of the gospel. I have no idea what I would do if I did not think that God was listening to my prayers. That fact that I know he is there and he loves me keeps me a float everyday.

We are supposedly going to Constanta on Wednesday but we have no idea where we are going to sleep. Sniff. I hope we are able to go because if we don't go now i am not sure if we will be able to go. Our semester is super packed and busy. Like I said in my last post I will be home before I know it!

Love you!

Here I come Constanta!!

September 16, 2007

Since today is Sunday I think I will tell you a little bit about the branch. It has about 10 members, and about 5-10 investigators come every week. We have an activity of some sorts on every night of the week except Tuesday's. I am really growing to love these beautiful saints. They have been through so much and sacrifice so much on a daily basis for the gospel. Not one of the members in the branch has all of their family member's of the church. In fact often times they come to church alone and their spouse does not support them in their church callings or activities.

I just found out that my computer has a major virus on it that likes to delete my files and ruins my life. It is called Win32/Funlove. I almost had a nervous breakdown when I could not find my file with all of my Romanian homework in it. Instead am trying to look on the bright side and hope Adrian can fix the problem.

This week is sort of a big week. We should be starting in the orphanage so that will be really good. On Tuesday a Romanian woman who works with the BYU program sometimes is making us dinner. I really like it when people come over and we get to cook with them. It is really fun. And then on Wednesday night we are leaving to go to Constanta and the Black Sea. I am really excited to see the Black Sea. Even though it is going to be freezing cold, I am still excited.

I saw that the U won their game. Way to go Derrek!! That is really exciting, I hope they beat BYU this year. He he he

So we were sort of calendering everything for the semester and i am starting to realize how fast everything is going to go. It really is going to fly by. We have so many things we have to do and especially when we start working I am going to be home before you know it. I never thought it would go that fast, but i have already been here two weeks and it is just going to go faster. See you soon Christmas!

Death by Chocolate

September 15, 2007

I am really starting to enjoy my Saturday's here in Romania. They usually have little festivals or fun things going on. It makes for an interesting and new afternoon. Since this morning we for some reason did not wake up until 11:30 we had sort of a late start on the day.

Once we got up and got ready we went to the park in front of the Romanian Grand Opera. On Saturday afternoons a bunch of local painters come and set up there work for sale. It was incredible. All of these local painters gather and discuss painting and sell their work. It was so fun.

I love art and the fact that is was original work made it so enticing. So I bought this beautiful painting that is absolutely incredible. I love it so much and when I go home it will be the perfect item to remind me of Romania and how much I love it here. I just love it so much.

After going to the art festival we came home and Mihai taught us how to cook Romanian style. It was really fun. We cooked an authentic Romanian dish called Sarmali stuffed in peppers. It was delicious. I really liked it and I am so excited to come home and make it for everyone.

However through out the day I had started to not feel very good and plus my ankle has still been bothering me. So i decided not to go to sport's night at the branch. Which was probably a good idea. I stayed home and rested it, and i am starting to feel a little bit better now.

We then had our weekly girls night. We watched Ever After. I love that movie so much! It really is so cute and just makes you feel so good inside. Ha ha ha something funny Natasha bought these chocolate items from the store to share at girls night. Well they started eating them and one of the girls turned to me and said, “I think there might be something wrong with these, will you try it and tell me I am just crazy?” Well I tried it and ha it was chocolate liqueur. Ha ha ha she tried to intoxicate us. I laughed so hard. We will definitely have to be a little bit more careful next time:)

An Evening with the Sora's

September 14, 2007

So for the first part of the day everything was just normal. I woke up, read my scriptures, got ready for the day. Yada, yada, yada. We went to the grocery store, I organized my closet:)

We had a Relief Society activity and they needed some help setting up so Christina and I went early to help. Little did we know the adventure that was in store. Sora Padarue is the president and she is hilarious. Her and her first counselor Sora Jenni bicker back and forth nonstop. It is pretty funny for all those watching because they are just so funny. So anyway we are eating a light dinner so we start helping prepare it. They don't speak English so the sort of point and say what they want in Romanian and we tried to discern what that meant. It was rather humerus. We made this Romanian potato salad and a fruit salad.

The whole time we were cooking they would be handing us food to eat and taste. It was definitely different to be constantly eating items and be cooking at the same time. There was no way to say no... Once Sora Padarue started mixing the potato salad with her hands I sot of lost all of my appetite. I think that they really like mayo over there because as they were spooning it out of the jars they would take spoonfuls for themselves, that was sort of hard to watch.

I honestly felt like I was in My Big Fat Greek Wedding this entire time. It was chaos and they kept yelling things at my in Romanian. I had no idea what they were saying. I could not help but laugh. And then the real party started. I never knew that in Romanian culture they dance at ALL events. It was hilarious, I have never laughed so hard then when Sora Jenni started dancing in the middle of the chairs. Oh my it was insane. I knew things were getting a little out of hand when Sora Jenni ripped off her jacket. I though maybe she had gone crazy....

They are very very competitive as well, now picture with me 65 year old women all yelling out and screaming to get the right answer in a trivia game. The Sora's and I just looked at each other and could not stop laughing. It was definitely and experience that i would not have in the U.S.

Oh and by the way we had a Macerana dancing contest and guess who won first place?? Oh me:)

Yawn...I am very tired

September 13, 2007

Wow today was a long day. I am really really tired. Today is also my Dad's birthday! Happy birthday Dad! I love you so much. Dont worry I will bring you a present back from Romania but know that I miss you and love you!!

We went to Kaufland's today. Oh it was really fun. We had to walk like 30 min to get there but it was worth it. It is probably the size of a D.I. But for Romania that is HUGE. It was really fun because I got a bunch of stuff that they did not have at the grocery store by our apartment, such as Romanian Ramen Noodles. I think I started to cry, I LOVE ramen noodles. After walking home with all of my groceries I was dead tired. I then immediately left with Sora Beck to go on splits.

It was so much fun. I really like Sora Beck. It was interesting being on the teaching side of the discussions. I really enjoyed it. It was sort of hard because most of the lessons were in Romanian but by the end I was really starting to recognize and understand. Hearing the language that much in a day was crazy. I really liked it. I was only out for about five hours but it was tough work. I was exhausted by the end. No wonder missionaries are so busy and get so much done, they work like mad. Being with Sora Beck made me really excited for missionary work, not only for while I am in Romania but hopefully for when I serve with my husband or by myself if the option presents itself.

By the way I am freezing. It is so cold and it is mid September. I have one blanket. I sleep by our balcony door. I need some more covers. I wonder if they have heating blankets like in the US.... Oh man I am so tired.....Good Night!!

Shopping:)

September 12, 2007

Today was a fun day. We went shopping at the mall. It was crazy big we got lost several several times. But it was really fun. The past interns said that this is the closest we can get to the American culture, and believe me it was not that close. :) I really enjoyed it though. I got a couple of shirts because i realized in my packing I only packed long sleeve shirts somehow forgetting that i hate long sleeve shirts. I feel so confined in them....

My cell phone is out of money. I have to go and fill it up tomorrow, just in case you were wondering. Tomorrow we are going to go to the grocery store superstore, it should be the size of Kohler's. I am not sure if you knew but in Romania they don't really have large stores with everything. They have a bunch of stores the size of closets jam packed with some things that you might need. SO it should be fun, it is the Costco of Romania, sigh I love Costco.

A change of heart

September 11, 2007

I went to the hospital for the first time today. What an incredible experience. When we visit the hospital we first ask if there are any children without mothers. Once we know where they are we go and play with them and talk to them. We first went to a room of a baby boy named Ozmond. He was probably only about a year and a half but was absolutely beautiful. He had eyelashes that were about an inch long and the biggest brown eyes you will ever see. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. When I was playing with him he would call me “mommy”. It made me cry to think that I was the closest thing to a mother that he has ever had. That the “blue scrubs” meant love and happiness for him. It was these moments that I came to Romania for. The moments were you see the difference the program is making and that happiness that I am bringing to this baby who knows me not as the stranger that I am but as his “mommy”. It is so humbling to think of the magnitude of that word. It means so much more than the three letters it is made up of let on.

In visiting the hospital it was hard to swallow the conditions and the idea that if these children were receiving care in a more advanced hospital that they might be healthier and happier. We visited some older boys that had some pretty severe accidents or surgeries. Their casts and bandages looked liked what they were used in WWII. It was shocking. Not that I should have expected something different but just the fact that it was there right in front of my face and I knew or could know ways that might be better to treat the patient. Yet this is the only way they know,and they are happy so I try and bring a little more happiness to these orphans lives. I give them balloons and one on one time. Some attention that they will not receive for the rest of the day. The lives of these orphans is one that I could never imagine. They must feel so alone at times. While here I want to fill that void. I never thought in an instant I could love these children so much...

It was my night to cook. I attempted at making a little Taco Soup, Romanian style. Since they were lacking a few items in the G Market I made a few substitutes . Such as making homemade tortilla chips, which turned out really very good. I was very proud of myself:) We are now watching “Bride and Prejudice” Karlie would be proud....ha ha ha it is a little crazy. And the chest hair is definitely flowing.ew. Did I mention that one of our favorite Lostees, Sayid, is in this. Who knew he could sing and dance?

I Win!!

September 10, 2007

Today was sort of a hang out day. It was nice though not to have anything to really do. I got caught up on all my emailing, which I am now again behind (sorry! I should catch up again tomorrow). I got to talk to Sam today. It is so nice to be able to talk to my loved ones back home. It helps me feel connected and loved. Even though I know I am but to verbally have someone there to talk to is always nice. I am making Taco Soup tomorrow night for dinner. It is going to be a little makeshift and made up but hopefully it will turnout okay.

We had Family Home Evening tonight at the branch. All of the missionaries were gone to zone conference so we sort of ran the show. We unlocked everything and let everybody in. It was fun. We learned about how we need to trust in the Lord and let him mold us into our best selves and eternally back to him. We then had a contest to see who could make the best clay sculpture and I won third place out if five:) ha ha ha I made a sculpture of pancakes. If you will notice the detail wit the butter and syrup. I even have silverware... Let me know what you think;)

Other than that is was sort of a lazy day. I go to the orphanage tomorrow. I am really excited. I will let you know how it goes.

Ciao

Sunday's are Special

September 9, 2007

Today was our first Sunday in Romanian. It was really neat, even though I understood probably about two words when I did not have a translator. I never really understood the saying the church that the spirit is the same no matter where you go. I found out today that it is so true. Even though I had no idea what in the world they were saying, I could feel it. I could feel the spirit and the testimony of the person speaking, it was incredible.

I think in the branch they have the motto of “flying by the seat of our pants”. They are so funny. If you are a teacher or a member or can speak you need to be prepared to teach at a moments notice. Luckily I did not have to teach but two of the other girls did and I am teaching next week. It is going to be interesting teaching Relief Society and teaching it with a translator. Today in Relief Society the sister missionaries had to teach a different class unexpectedly so Elder Loveland translated. It was so funny because I guess he had never been to Relief Society before so it was a new experience for him. He learned all about how the sisters in Romanian do their food storage and the best canning techniques. It was really funny to watch his facial expressions as he translated.

Walking home from church I felt like a sister missionary. It was a funny feeling to feel like I was on a errand for the Lord. It made me think about going on a mission and if I get the chance what an amazing experience that would be. Seriously the sister missionaries in the branch are amazing. They speak beautifully and they testify powerfully....I might like them more than the elders:)

We had group dinner night tonight. We had Fajitas with homemade tortillas(which I made). It was really good, a nice change from the salami that I ate every other day this week. I love Mexican food, sad I am already starting to miss it and I have been gone for a week. I really am spoiled.

Well until tomorrow.....

My Saturday

September 8, 2007

Today was a very interesting day. We had a very rough start. This
morning the water just stopped working, this happens regularly
so it was not a big deal....to those who knew it was suppose to
happen. It was off for a couple hours before it came back on. Then
we had a major flood in the bathroom. Sigh... what a start.


After that we got going. We went and visited a section of the
orphanage that is located in an apartment on the opposite side of
town. At the tram stop we had an interesting experience. It was
pouring down rain outside and freezing so we were all bundled
up waiting for the tram to come. A couple walked up in front of us
that were obviously having an argument. The man was very angry
with his girlfriend/wife and was handling her very rough. He took
her umbrella from her and torn it apart. Then lovingly he gave her
his jacket. He was upset and offended that she would use the umbrella
instead of his jacket. It was hard to stand there and watch him treat
her badly and #1 not really understand why he was treating her that
way and #2 not be able to do anything about it. In all my life I have
never been in that situation in the open public and not have someone
do something or help in some way. It was hard for me to see how this
culture is different in this way
than my own.



We then returned home soaking wet, but happy to be home and indoors.
We had a girls night and did some much needed bonding. It was really
fun, we made Romanian No-Bake cookies and watched "A Walk to
Remember". It was really fun, we stayed up pretty late so tomorrow's
church is going to be interesting.
Cu Drag!

A "Bazaar" Day

September 7, 2007
Well today was a much better day. I actually slept, that was a huge bonus. I woke up however to three strange Romanian men standing at the foot of my couch. Definitely not something you wake up to normally. They were repair men and they had come to fix our toilet and measure our windows. :/

After they left we went to the Bazaar. It was really fun to walk around and see tons of Romanian people. It was huge. I got a couple items:) Shopping always seems to brighten my spirits. As I walked around I felt like the people selling the items thought I was either deaf or rude. I never had the slightest idea as to what they were saying or even if they were talking to me. I usually just kept walking hoping that maybe they were talking to the person behind me:) We then came back and Mehai came over to fix the Internet. We now have wireless, I think I cried... It was really hard sharing. We then went to the villa and had English lessons with the branch. I really like the branch everyone is really nice and friendly. The missionaries are always willing to help. Oh and I got these really good beef sticks at the grocery store:)

One little quirk about Romania that I have not mentioned before is the money. It is really sort of funny how they do change. First off they hate it when you don't have the exact amount. They get pretty irritated, if you are lucky. Most of the time they just keep the change. I have hardly ever gotten change back and if I do it is usually whatever the cashier grabs. It is funny because that is how it is all over Romania. It is also very rare to see anyone smile. It can make things a little depressing when you smile and no one smiles back. I think it is starting to rub off on me. I am usually a natural smiler but today I noticed that I was checking out at the grocery store and I didn't. Which is really sad because I love to smile and make people happy. I guess I am going to have to make a more conscious effort from now on!


"Each of you has a part to play in this great and marvelous work.
The Savior will help you. He will lead you by the hand (see D&C 112:10;
Abraham 1:18)."

A Long Night...and Day

September 6, 2006

Today was an interesting day. To start things off I got to bed last night-this morning at around 8 am. None of us could sleep because of Jet lag. It was so crazy, I was not tired at all and those of you who know me know that that is a rare occurrence after 10 pm. We stayed up late trying to fix the wireless internet, which still is not fixed. Hopefully soon.

We had to be at the bank this morning at 10:30, strangely enough those two and a half hours of sleep lasted me for most of the day. For the rest of the day we walked around Iasi and looked at most of the historic sites. It really is such a beautiful city, very old and magical.

We then went to Outreach. It is a program run by the couple missionaries for the youth. They can come and hangout and play games. It was fun, I got a calling. I am now a relief society teacher—in Romanian. That is going to be interesting.

I think I had my first little bit of culture shock/home sickness today. I was napping on the couch between walking around and Outreach and I just got really sad. I felt alone, I have not really bonded much with the girls here yet and I dont really have anyone to talk to. I dont get very many emails or phone calls from the US and I am pretty lonely. I think I become really disconnected with those around me when I dont really know them. It is hard for me open up, I miss not having to hold everything in. I miss all of my friends and family back home. It is hard for me to recognize why I am here because we have not yet been to the orphanage or hospital. It all came back into focus when I got to the branch. I am here for the people. I want to be able to learn and grow from them. They are so amazing and beautiful. I know that the Lord wants me here so that I can serve but he also wants me here to grow. It may be hard for me but I think that is what this is all about. It is not all suppose to be easy, if it was I would not grow half as much. And really that is what this is all about, me growing. Nobody ever told me it was going to be easy:)

Well i am off to bed...hopefully

Cu drag!

The Orange Miracle

September 5, 2007
Laura woke us up today around twelve. I could have slept for another three. I guess 14 hours of sleep was enough.(The picture of the couch is where I sleep, it is not too bad if you consider its nick name to be the "Big Khunk" oh and that is me sleeping at the airport) For most of the day my body felt asleep and worn out. My mind was awake but for some reason my body was not reacting to my brain's commands. It was mostly a house cleaning day. We had a meeting with Mario. She is an amazing woman and I am excited to get to know her a little better.(she is a Romanian women who is hired by BYU to help us out a bit). We then walked around the city and bit, went shopping to get a few items and stopped by the Orange store.

I cannot express to you how happy it made me to get my phone working. That first text form you know who instantly made me happy again. I felt connected and loved, something I had not yet felt in Romania. It was a mazing to me at how such a simple thing could make me so happy. I guess it shows how dependent we have become to those little luxuries that living in the US have afforded us. Well i am going to eat dinner...French Toast. Cu Drag!!Oh and just for you Heff, here is a picture of our lovely toilet:)