Ceau family!
As I write this, I am enjoying a very tasty Oreo Milka... which might not mean much to you all, but considering I only get chocolate once a week (one of my goals) and that this chocolate is amazing (no I'm not being dramatic) you can imagine how happy I currently am. And on top of all that, I got to read emails from some of my very favorite of people! :) Thank you for your emails!!!!
This email will probably be shorter. Not because I don't have a lot to say, but because I left my journal at home and my journal always helps me remember all that happened throughout the week and all that I studied. I will do my best to remember without my journal.
I will just start by saying how much I am obsessed with the Romanian language. It is so beautiful! I love that I can have entire conversations at times without even realizing I'm speaking and understanding a foreign language. Don't get me wrong, I still struggle and I'm no where near where I would like to be language-wise, but the fact that I love it so much makes all the struggling a bit entertaining and more bearable. I will be sad for the day when the world around me no longer speaks this beautiful language.
Tina is doing wonderful. Tina is our investigator with the baptismal date. We were able to meet with her three times last week. Each time, she expressed to us how much she wants to be baptized and shared her testimony with us of the Book of Mormon and that God has told her this is the true church. She wants so badly to be apart of it and to have the gift of the Holy Ghost in her life. She also wants so badly for her husband to accept the gospel as well as her entire world around her. It's beautiful to watch her go through the conversion process and seeing her desire to share the gospel after having received a witness of it's truth that came through study and prayer, all because she was humbled and invited to come unto Christ. The only thing holding her back from baptism is getting permission from her husband. He is against any religion, not just ours, and doesn't want Tina to be baptized. Of course, without consent from him, Tina cannot be baptized. Nor does she want to without approval from her husband. Her biggest dream and desire is to walk to church, hand in hand with her husband. Please, please pray for her and for her husband, that his heart will be opened to not only letting her join the church but that he, too, will accept the gospel in his life. I know they are both in Heavenly Father's hands and He will take care of them.
Ramona... Ramona is also doing wonderful. She is such a busy person, but still manages to make time for us every week and follow through on the commitments we extend to her. Last lesson we had with her we talked to her about the introduction of the Book of Mormon. She said it all seems a little strange and that it's all just new, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. We asked her to pray with us and she said she isn't quite that open yet. We tried very persistently to get her to pray with us, but she wouldn't. We plan on taking a member with us to our next lesson on Tuesday so that they can tell of their first experience of praying with the missionaries and hopefully she will be open enough to pray with us.
We went block knocking the other day (one of my favorite ways of contacting, we always meet the funniest of people). I'm just going to do a dialogue of the conversation we had in the hallway of a block with an old man in his underwear (not that uncommon).
Us: Can we share a message with you of Jesus Christ?
Man: Nu.(No.)
Us: Do you not like talking about Jesus?
Man: Nu.(No.)
Us: Can we leave something with you to read?
Man: I can't read, I'm too old.
Us: We can read to you if you would like.
Man: You want to read to me like a baby?
Us: Da! (Yeah!)
Needless to say, he didn't let us read to him. But it was a funny conversation, nonetheless.
I have a few more funny stories, that's what happens when I leave my journal full of my spiritual experiences at home, sorry. So the other day, Sora Rivera and I were on the tramvai (kind of like trollies in San Fran) and we hear a strange noise that kind of sounded like a chicken but we weren't really sure. We look around and see a man sit up really straight and look around to see if anyone heard. (Sidenote: animals aren't aloud on the tramvai's). The driver turns around to see what the noise was and then turns back around. Five minute later, the same thing, a loud noise that sounds like a chicken... And in fact, is a chicken. A man has got a chicken in his bag. The tramvai conductor just laughed when the chicken poked his head out of the bag. Maybe this doesn't sound like a very funny story, but we laughed. I love the things we get to experience as missionaries in Romania.
I've said it before, but I have gained such a strong testimony of communication and this week, my testimony grew even more. I love with all my heart doing companionship inventory and growing closer and closer with my companion as we openly talk with each other and seek to understand each other even more. I am so grateful for Sora Rivera. She is beautiful in every way. I am so blessed to be her companion and bask in her light.
Tender mercy... last Monday after internet, we were wasting our time walking around the mall and finding Sora Rivera a new camera and decided to pop into the book store/tea shop to get some tea and as we're all walking in, I hear someone say, "Hey! It's the missionaries!!" I turn around and it's Natali!! She didn't see me at first but as soon as she saw me we both freaked out an embarrassing amount for a public setting and gave each other the long, tight hug! It was so great to see her. Truly, it made my week. She was with Kenton and had just arrived in Arad that day for a few days. She seemed so happy and is still doing everything she should be to strengthen her testimony. She will forever be one of my dearest of friends.
Okay, I'm really sorry that this email doesn't have much content to it, but just know that a lot of really neat, tender mercies happened this week and that Heavenly Father is still watching over us and guiding us so tenderly. I love with all my heart being one of His missionaries. What an amazing opportunity and blessing.
I am so proud of all of you. I love reading your emails as you share with me how you are growing and the things you are studying. It makes my heart so happy that I have a family who loves the gospel and lives their lives in alignment with it's principles. My family is amazing. :)
Interviews this week with President and Sora Hill. So excited to see them and get to spend a few hours with them.
All my love,
Sora Alyson Cook
As I write this, I am enjoying a very tasty Oreo Milka... which might not mean much to you all, but considering I only get chocolate once a week (one of my goals) and that this chocolate is amazing (no I'm not being dramatic) you can imagine how happy I currently am. And on top of all that, I got to read emails from some of my very favorite of people! :) Thank you for your emails!!!!
This email will probably be shorter. Not because I don't have a lot to say, but because I left my journal at home and my journal always helps me remember all that happened throughout the week and all that I studied. I will do my best to remember without my journal.
I will just start by saying how much I am obsessed with the Romanian language. It is so beautiful! I love that I can have entire conversations at times without even realizing I'm speaking and understanding a foreign language. Don't get me wrong, I still struggle and I'm no where near where I would like to be language-wise, but the fact that I love it so much makes all the struggling a bit entertaining and more bearable. I will be sad for the day when the world around me no longer speaks this beautiful language.
Tina is doing wonderful. Tina is our investigator with the baptismal date. We were able to meet with her three times last week. Each time, she expressed to us how much she wants to be baptized and shared her testimony with us of the Book of Mormon and that God has told her this is the true church. She wants so badly to be apart of it and to have the gift of the Holy Ghost in her life. She also wants so badly for her husband to accept the gospel as well as her entire world around her. It's beautiful to watch her go through the conversion process and seeing her desire to share the gospel after having received a witness of it's truth that came through study and prayer, all because she was humbled and invited to come unto Christ. The only thing holding her back from baptism is getting permission from her husband. He is against any religion, not just ours, and doesn't want Tina to be baptized. Of course, without consent from him, Tina cannot be baptized. Nor does she want to without approval from her husband. Her biggest dream and desire is to walk to church, hand in hand with her husband. Please, please pray for her and for her husband, that his heart will be opened to not only letting her join the church but that he, too, will accept the gospel in his life. I know they are both in Heavenly Father's hands and He will take care of them.
Ramona... Ramona is also doing wonderful. She is such a busy person, but still manages to make time for us every week and follow through on the commitments we extend to her. Last lesson we had with her we talked to her about the introduction of the Book of Mormon. She said it all seems a little strange and that it's all just new, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. We asked her to pray with us and she said she isn't quite that open yet. We tried very persistently to get her to pray with us, but she wouldn't. We plan on taking a member with us to our next lesson on Tuesday so that they can tell of their first experience of praying with the missionaries and hopefully she will be open enough to pray with us.
We went block knocking the other day (one of my favorite ways of contacting, we always meet the funniest of people). I'm just going to do a dialogue of the conversation we had in the hallway of a block with an old man in his underwear (not that uncommon).
Us: Can we share a message with you of Jesus Christ?
Man: Nu.(No.)
Us: Do you not like talking about Jesus?
Man: Nu.(No.)
Us: Can we leave something with you to read?
Man: I can't read, I'm too old.
Us: We can read to you if you would like.
Man: You want to read to me like a baby?
Us: Da! (Yeah!)
Needless to say, he didn't let us read to him. But it was a funny conversation, nonetheless.
I have a few more funny stories, that's what happens when I leave my journal full of my spiritual experiences at home, sorry. So the other day, Sora Rivera and I were on the tramvai (kind of like trollies in San Fran) and we hear a strange noise that kind of sounded like a chicken but we weren't really sure. We look around and see a man sit up really straight and look around to see if anyone heard. (Sidenote: animals aren't aloud on the tramvai's). The driver turns around to see what the noise was and then turns back around. Five minute later, the same thing, a loud noise that sounds like a chicken... And in fact, is a chicken. A man has got a chicken in his bag. The tramvai conductor just laughed when the chicken poked his head out of the bag. Maybe this doesn't sound like a very funny story, but we laughed. I love the things we get to experience as missionaries in Romania.
I've said it before, but I have gained such a strong testimony of communication and this week, my testimony grew even more. I love with all my heart doing companionship inventory and growing closer and closer with my companion as we openly talk with each other and seek to understand each other even more. I am so grateful for Sora Rivera. She is beautiful in every way. I am so blessed to be her companion and bask in her light.
Tender mercy... last Monday after internet, we were wasting our time walking around the mall and finding Sora Rivera a new camera and decided to pop into the book store/tea shop to get some tea and as we're all walking in, I hear someone say, "Hey! It's the missionaries!!" I turn around and it's Natali!! She didn't see me at first but as soon as she saw me we both freaked out an embarrassing amount for a public setting and gave each other the long, tight hug! It was so great to see her. Truly, it made my week. She was with Kenton and had just arrived in Arad that day for a few days. She seemed so happy and is still doing everything she should be to strengthen her testimony. She will forever be one of my dearest of friends.
Okay, I'm really sorry that this email doesn't have much content to it, but just know that a lot of really neat, tender mercies happened this week and that Heavenly Father is still watching over us and guiding us so tenderly. I love with all my heart being one of His missionaries. What an amazing opportunity and blessing.
I am so proud of all of you. I love reading your emails as you share with me how you are growing and the things you are studying. It makes my heart so happy that I have a family who loves the gospel and lives their lives in alignment with it's principles. My family is amazing. :)
Interviews this week with President and Sora Hill. So excited to see them and get to spend a few hours with them.
All my love,
Sora Alyson Cook
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| My wonderful companion. Isn't she beautiful? |
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