I cannot even kind of believe that August is here and that summer is almost over. However, it feels like I've been here way longer than just half of a summer. This blasted time warp that I'm in.
Thank you for the emails and pictures!! Seriously, how amazing is my family?? I'm so blessed.
First week of my second transfer went well. I feel like I'm improving little by little with the language. Not much, but it's getting there, I'm sure. Sora Remsberg and I have made it more of a constant effort to only speak in Romanian to each other, especially outside of the apartment. When I first got into the country, I was super motivated to SYL all the time but then I realized how much I didn't know and it was discouraging so I made it less of a constant effort, but I'm determined not to let my weaknesses dictate my actions... so despite my lack of ability to speak the language... I'm going to try to speak the language as much as possible. It's hard. However, I have noticed that as we've done so, and as we've removed that language barrier between us and the Romanians, the work has picked up. Which makes sense... when Paul was teaching the jews it said that he became like a jew. He removed all barriers between them to be able to teach them. I think of before my mission, if I were sitting somewhere and I heard people speaking a different language, my first thought is "Learn english. You're in my country, learn our language." (I know, I'm a brat.) But I guarantee a lot of the Romanians think the same thing when they hear us speaking in English to each other. They just simply aren't as open when we aren't even trying to speak their language in front of them. I wouldn't be either if I were them. So, one of my goals this transfer is to remove that barrier and speak in Romanian as much as possible. And if there is something I can't say (which, let's be honest, there's a lot of things i can't say) I'll say it in English and then at least they will see that I'm trying and hopefully have a little more compassion and be more open...
We have 2 new progressing investigators that seem hopeful. One came to church the other day and the other has been coming to church for years and reading the book of mormon for years, but has never met with the missionaries. Not quite sure how that happened. So, we told the Elders we were going to meet with him if they weren't and so we did! And he is wonderful! We love him. His name is Marcel and he is late 50's maybe. His understanding of the need of the book of mormon is stronger than a lot of members. It's so neat. When we met with him, he told us, if you asked me to be baptized tomorrow, I couldn't. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't want to get baptized for you or anyone else, I want to for me and for Jesus Christ. He told us that he didn't understand why he couldn't smoke or drink occasionally and I felt prompted to tell him that the reason God has commanded us not to do these things is so that in times of need, we don't turn to any outside source to make us feel better, and that we rely on Him for strength instead. Pretty sure I had never even though about this concept before it came out of my mouth. It was a cool experience as I felt the spirit tell me exactly what to say. He speaks perfect english and even studies and reads in english so he prefers that we have lessons in english, so I was able to express myself exactly how I wanted to. It was so nice.
Radu, our other progressing investigator, who came to church yesterday, also speaks fluent english and prefers to do lessons in english for the same reasons. Radu is awesome. He is 33, he was in the French Legion or something like that. (The French army for non-french peeps.) But he's now living in Arad again. We were at internet last week and he saw our book of mormon and said "are you mormons? I've never seen one in real life." :) adorable. He explained his version of mormons and we explained ours and he said he likes our version a lot better. haha. He told us he feels there is something missing in his life and that he feels this dark cloud of guilt for choices that he's made and he just wants it to be gone and that he wants to rely on God during the good times in life, not just when things are hard. Our first lesson with us, he said everything we said just made sense. I completely agree with him. The gospel just makes sense. We told him about Alma the Younger and read Alma 36:18-21 with him and how alma felt joy to match his pain. He was so funny...he said "Well, I guess if he can become prophet, I can probably be forgiven too, huh?" Yesterday at church in the middle of sunday school he leaned over to me and asked what the prophet who felt the joy to match his pain's name was. I told him where he could read about it. He loved church and he loved sunday school. In sunday school we talked about the Atonement and how we can overcome physical death and spiritual death. Pretty sure that lesson was for him. He loved it. He came to church in shirt and tie and was so nervous to come in. We watched him come up to the door and turn around and walk away, so we ran outside and caught him before he could leave. He just needed a little encouragement to get in the door. After that, he was fine.
We'll see what happens with Radu and Marcel and hopefully get some new investigators this week. We start teaching english again in 2 weeks so we get to do a lot of english contacting this week. I love english contacting.
Another one of my goals this transfer: BE A CONFIDENT CONTACTER! My lack of language makes me so nervous to approach people. But I am determined to just get over that this transfer and go outside my comfort zone. That's the only way to grow! Wish me luck.
So, I may or may not have cut all my hair off. It was a rash decision. But it is so much cooler and so much healthier now! I don't love it, but I don't hate it. I figured now was the perfect time to do it so that it could grow out while I'm on the mission and be longer by the time I get home.
Mini-Zone conference tomorrow. (it's a new thing every mission is now doing every transfer.) I'm excited! I love opportunities to socialize with other missionaries and get their ideas and thoughts of missionary work. It makes me feel more motivated to be a better missionary when I talk to other missionaries. I'm supposed to give a thought tomorrow. I've got it mostly planned out. We'll see how it goes.
Anyway, I love you all very much!! I don't remember the questions you asked me in your emails or if I addressed them, I'm horrible at that. Sorry:)
Have an amazing, wonderful, incredible week!!!
I love you,
Sora Cook
Thank you for the emails and pictures!! Seriously, how amazing is my family?? I'm so blessed.
First week of my second transfer went well. I feel like I'm improving little by little with the language. Not much, but it's getting there, I'm sure. Sora Remsberg and I have made it more of a constant effort to only speak in Romanian to each other, especially outside of the apartment. When I first got into the country, I was super motivated to SYL all the time but then I realized how much I didn't know and it was discouraging so I made it less of a constant effort, but I'm determined not to let my weaknesses dictate my actions... so despite my lack of ability to speak the language... I'm going to try to speak the language as much as possible. It's hard. However, I have noticed that as we've done so, and as we've removed that language barrier between us and the Romanians, the work has picked up. Which makes sense... when Paul was teaching the jews it said that he became like a jew. He removed all barriers between them to be able to teach them. I think of before my mission, if I were sitting somewhere and I heard people speaking a different language, my first thought is "Learn english. You're in my country, learn our language." (I know, I'm a brat.) But I guarantee a lot of the Romanians think the same thing when they hear us speaking in English to each other. They just simply aren't as open when we aren't even trying to speak their language in front of them. I wouldn't be either if I were them. So, one of my goals this transfer is to remove that barrier and speak in Romanian as much as possible. And if there is something I can't say (which, let's be honest, there's a lot of things i can't say) I'll say it in English and then at least they will see that I'm trying and hopefully have a little more compassion and be more open...
We have 2 new progressing investigators that seem hopeful. One came to church the other day and the other has been coming to church for years and reading the book of mormon for years, but has never met with the missionaries. Not quite sure how that happened. So, we told the Elders we were going to meet with him if they weren't and so we did! And he is wonderful! We love him. His name is Marcel and he is late 50's maybe. His understanding of the need of the book of mormon is stronger than a lot of members. It's so neat. When we met with him, he told us, if you asked me to be baptized tomorrow, I couldn't. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't want to get baptized for you or anyone else, I want to for me and for Jesus Christ. He told us that he didn't understand why he couldn't smoke or drink occasionally and I felt prompted to tell him that the reason God has commanded us not to do these things is so that in times of need, we don't turn to any outside source to make us feel better, and that we rely on Him for strength instead. Pretty sure I had never even though about this concept before it came out of my mouth. It was a cool experience as I felt the spirit tell me exactly what to say. He speaks perfect english and even studies and reads in english so he prefers that we have lessons in english, so I was able to express myself exactly how I wanted to. It was so nice.
Radu, our other progressing investigator, who came to church yesterday, also speaks fluent english and prefers to do lessons in english for the same reasons. Radu is awesome. He is 33, he was in the French Legion or something like that. (The French army for non-french peeps.) But he's now living in Arad again. We were at internet last week and he saw our book of mormon and said "are you mormons? I've never seen one in real life." :) adorable. He explained his version of mormons and we explained ours and he said he likes our version a lot better. haha. He told us he feels there is something missing in his life and that he feels this dark cloud of guilt for choices that he's made and he just wants it to be gone and that he wants to rely on God during the good times in life, not just when things are hard. Our first lesson with us, he said everything we said just made sense. I completely agree with him. The gospel just makes sense. We told him about Alma the Younger and read Alma 36:18-21 with him and how alma felt joy to match his pain. He was so funny...he said "Well, I guess if he can become prophet, I can probably be forgiven too, huh?" Yesterday at church in the middle of sunday school he leaned over to me and asked what the prophet who felt the joy to match his pain's name was. I told him where he could read about it. He loved church and he loved sunday school. In sunday school we talked about the Atonement and how we can overcome physical death and spiritual death. Pretty sure that lesson was for him. He loved it. He came to church in shirt and tie and was so nervous to come in. We watched him come up to the door and turn around and walk away, so we ran outside and caught him before he could leave. He just needed a little encouragement to get in the door. After that, he was fine.
We'll see what happens with Radu and Marcel and hopefully get some new investigators this week. We start teaching english again in 2 weeks so we get to do a lot of english contacting this week. I love english contacting.
Another one of my goals this transfer: BE A CONFIDENT CONTACTER! My lack of language makes me so nervous to approach people. But I am determined to just get over that this transfer and go outside my comfort zone. That's the only way to grow! Wish me luck.
So, I may or may not have cut all my hair off. It was a rash decision. But it is so much cooler and so much healthier now! I don't love it, but I don't hate it. I figured now was the perfect time to do it so that it could grow out while I'm on the mission and be longer by the time I get home.
Mini-Zone conference tomorrow. (it's a new thing every mission is now doing every transfer.) I'm excited! I love opportunities to socialize with other missionaries and get their ideas and thoughts of missionary work. It makes me feel more motivated to be a better missionary when I talk to other missionaries. I'm supposed to give a thought tomorrow. I've got it mostly planned out. We'll see how it goes.
Anyway, I love you all very much!! I don't remember the questions you asked me in your emails or if I addressed them, I'm horrible at that. Sorry:)
Have an amazing, wonderful, incredible week!!!
I love you,
Sora Cook
Lingo:
SYL -Speak Your Language. In the white handbook it says to speak your mission language as much as you can outside the apartment. aka SYL-ing.
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| Sora R. and I with one of the members. He name is Sora Krista and she is absolutely hilarious. However, she forced me to eat way too much food the other night. I told her I didn't feel well (which I didn't) and she said she didn't care and that I needed to eat. I was slightly cursing her in my head. She is so funny. I love her! She was converted to the church through the Mormon Tab Choir. She heard them singing 20 or so years ago and felt the spirit so strongly and saught out the church because of it. She's awesome. |
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| Sora Remsberg and I on a tramvai. We love the tramvai! |
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