April 22, 2014 - Isus a inviat!

He is risen! I know I'm late on Easter, but it's still true! Haha. Sorry for emailing late this week. Easter, or Paste(pronounced Pasht), is a huge holiday in Romania and everything shuts down. So here is my belated letter of the week! 

We started teaching English classes this week....and if there's anything that teaching English has taught me, it's that I really don't know Romanian. Hahah. I have to study my part for what I'm going to teach just so I can say what the English word means in Romanian. It's like I'm in the class myself, but for the wrong language!  Haha. I did my first exchange this week with one of our Sister Training Leaders. It was great!...I had my first "get ridiculously lost in Cluj" experience and it had to happen some time, right? I didn't see that we passed our stop to get off and we just stayed on the bus. That day our focus had been contacting and talking to everyone! So we figured the bus would just go in a huge loop and we'd get back home eventually! But one of the bus officials asked to see Sora Tobler, the STL I was on exchange with, to give him her bus pass and she gave him the 4-ride pass we had bought her that morning. Anyway, she had stamped it wrong and the guy kicked us off the bus. He then proceeded to make her pay a bunch of money, which we watched him put into his wallet... We were very lost and Sora Tobler couldn't stop crying. So I grabbed us a taxi and told him to take us to the mall down the street from my apartment. It turns out we were like twenty minutes away... Haha. Oops! What an adventure.  ;) Speaking of adventures and first experiences... I've officially had my first sketchy medical experience here in Romania. I woke up Thursday morning with some horrible pains below my stomach. I called Sora Hill, the mission President's wife, and she told me to get a urine test. (Excuse my language) We went to the doctor's office to get the test and the nurses tried to take my blood like six times. Hahaha. Anyway the results were negative. But the next day the pain got way worse and so we went to an actual doctor. She had me get an ultrasound..but when she pressed on my bladder I started crying because it hurt so bad. She laughed and said she didn't need an ultrasound to tell me that I had a UTI. She gave me some anti-biotics and I'm totally fine now. We had a big branch lunch on Saturday for Paste and it was great! The missionaries and I sang a special musical number and set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids. It was a lot of work because we set up and took down the whole lunch but it was definitely worth it. That night we went to the Midnight Mass for the Orthodox church. It was definitely interesting and I enjoyed learning more about the culture and religion of the country I'm living in! We all brought candles and the priest gave us "the flame of Christ," which was really just fire. Pfffft. If you get your candle home without the flame going out, you have good luck for the rest of the year! (Side note: I am the only missionary who got home with their flame. Haha.) The next day was Easter and it was beautiful! The sun was out and it was so incredible to focus on Christ and his Resurrection. Christ lives!! I am so happy to know that He lives and through His Resurrection that we will all live again. If you haven't gotten a chance to watch it, look up the #BecauseOfHim video on YouTube. It's incredible... We had dinner with a member that night and she made us some classic Romanian dish and it was to die for. Yesterday since everything was closed and it was P-Day, President Hill let us watch a movie! The Elders in my district all voted for Frozen instead of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, (What pansies...) So we ended up watching that. Now we're back to preaching the gospel! Whoo!! 

I'm sorry I was so so brief and random in this letter, but we have such little time to write! I know this gospel is true... It has helped me so much in my life. Jesus Christ truly does live. He lives for you...and He lives for me. The Resurrection and Atonement were and are the greatest gift anyone has ever given anyone ever! If we have that knowledge in our lives, I know we can be so much happier. Jesus Christ wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us... Do you have a personal relationship with Him?

I love this gospel, I love this work and I love being a missionary! Until next time!

Hoorah for Israel!

-Sora Schwab

April 14, 2014 - Salut!

Whooo! The church is true!! Okay, a couple fun things before I get into my week. First of all, I bought Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in Romanian. Hahahaha. Best purchase of the week. On Easter we are allowed to watch a movie and we are going to watch it. I'm so excited! What a great way to learn the language. ;) Second, Sora Tanner and I get along so well it's almost weird. Haha. We work so well with each other and have tons of fun in the meantime. Probably the only differences between the two of us is that she doesn't like rock & roll, and that when we get to our apartment every night she takes of her skirt and puts on pajama pants and I take off my skirt and refuse to put any pants on. Hahaha. She's gotten used to it. I love her to death and couldn't be more blessed to have such an incredible trainer and friend.

Okay! Onto the goodies. This past week was awesome. We started it off with a Zone Training Meeting in Sibiu on Tuesday. We woke up at 4:30 in the morn and traveled the by bus. We had really awesome classes and got to explore Sibiu in our meantime. We had dinner at this incredible Romanian restaurant with our zone before we headed back to Cluj. The next couple days were filled with the Spirit and new investigators. We are working with a woman named Laura who is a student here in Cluj. She has incredible faith in Jesus Christ and we really, really think she will be baptised. In her first lesson she said, "It's funny because I think all of the churches on Earth are very similar...even this one. But there's one thing that makes it different. *holding up the Book of Mormon* This book is what makes it different." AH! It was awesome. She is progressing wonderfully and we have high hopes for her. Our other new investigator is named Ana. She has such a love for God, but she smokes heavily. It's the only thing stopping her from being baptised! But we know through her faith and the Atonement, she can kick the habit! We are also working with the Militaru family. They are what we call "Eternal Investigators" out here in the field. They have been investigating the church for 7 years. The whole family wants to get baptised, but the father won't give his permission. The branch mission leader told us not to bother, but we feel very prompted to work with them. We asked the Relief Society to do a special fast with us today that our investigators would progress and take that leap of faith and make that first covenant with God through baptism. I found myself bearing testimony and promising that if we had faith, there would be a miracle... And I know there will be!! Big things are about to happen here in Cluj, my friends. President and Sora Hill for interviews yesterday. They are doing their last interview tour of the mission! They leave in two months! Nebun! I love them to death. They have helped me so much. Sora Hill talked about love in Sacrament meeting and used me as an example. Haha. She said I had every right to be overly stressed and to take it our on others, but that I was serving and loving with all my might instead. (I'm glad she said it, because I think it made some of the sisters realize they need to be patient with me.) She also talked about how Grandpa Schwab was her driving instructor! Hahaha! The world shrinks in the mission field. She could not stop talking about how much she loved him and how good he was to her. (Shout out to Grandpa!) Okay, I've gotta wrap it up...but I wanted to share one more thing! This week I have broken out in tears multiple times because I can't speak Romanian. And as much as I hate to admit it, I've wondered multiple times why God sent me here if I can't share the gospel with anyone! This scripture has helped me a lot...

Ether 12:27

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness, I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

What an incredible concept. How lucky are we that we have a Heavenly Father loving enough to show us our weaknesses, and then to help us turn them into strengths?! I know I'll get this language eventually if I work my hardest and just have faith. God loves us! This is His true gospel on the Earth today! I love all of you. Hope to hear from you soon!

PROFITE DE ZILE

-Sora Schwab

Apartment in Cluj

Apartment in Cluj

Apartment in Cluj

Apartment in Cluj

Apartment in Cluj

Apartment in Cluj

Apartment in Cluj

View from the balcony in our apartment in Cluj

Sora Tanner trying to navigate us around the city

And last but not least, a photo of me with my favorite ad.... "Champagne with Gypsies: Wedding and Funeral Band." Hahaha. I laugh every time I see it, and it is EVERYWHERE.

April 7, 2014 - Buna Ziua din Cluj-Napoca

Buna Ziua! Wow. Has it only been a week? Hahaha. I feel like I've been in Romania long enough to call it home!

Well, where do I even start? Haha. On the 31st I began my journey with Elder Manning to Romania. We first flew to Atlanta Georgia, where we met up with the missionary going to the Netherlands (one of them being Sister Adams, my companion). We then flew to Amsterdam on a nine hour flight! We took off late and there was some pretty gnarly turbulence. I didn't sleep a wink because I was too excited to get to my mission. We traveled all night and in the morning we only had an hour between our flights in Amsterdam...so we were pretty pressed for time. When we finally landed, it was fifteen minutes until our flight to Bucharest left. So in other words, we missed our flight. But the Lord is so merciful! I had time to see Sister Adams off and we got a flight to Bucharest that afternoon. Long story short, we finally got to Romania! Whoo! I met President Hill and Sora Hill and I just love them! It was definitely hard getting used to everyone being called Sora out here, because in the MTC I was the only one! Eventually everyone stopped calling me Sora Schwab and just called me Sora. So the first day I turned every time a sister was addressed! The next day we did a bunch of technical stuff. I got a physical (in which I was required to be buck-naked. But it's okay because it's like I was bearing my testimony when she saw my garments...) and we went to go get visas. We stood in line for four hours and they turned us down. Hahaha. We were taken to the train station after that to meet our trainers.

My trainer's name is Sora Tanner AND SHE IS THE BEST. I am serious. We're already besties. We are so much alike, it kills me! We are both really determined to get work done and bring souls unto Christ....it's gonna be such a rad transfer! When I met some of the other missionaries being transferred, every single one of them asked me to speak Russian to them....not Romanian, but Russian. Apparently word got out that my parents are serving in Russia and somehow it got twisted that I was FROM Russia and spoke Russian fluently. Hahaha. From there we took an eleven hour train ride (we were in the crazy cool compartment-room-thing like in Harry Potter and I felt like I was really on my way to Hogwarts...) to Cluj-Napoca, which is the first city I'm serving in! I feel so at home here in Cluj. It reminds me a lot of Quito, but with a European twist. Everything is soooooooooo beautiful. Our apartment is incredible. I absolutely love this place. And the people are amazing! Even though I can't understand what they're saying... Hahaha. I thought the language was hard in the MTC and boy was I in for a treat... This language is ridiculous. Haha. I was in church yesterday, and literally the only thing I understood was the sacrament prayer for the water... #sob But I know with patience and faith I will learn it eventually!

We also got to watch general conference yesterday! Maybe I'm just in Sora-mode...but it seemed like every single talk was geared to missionary work! I challenge all of you to take M. Russell Ballard's challenge and invite someone you know that doesn't have the gospel in their lives to meet with the missionaries! Anyway, we're REALLY pressed for time because we want to go watch the rest of general conference. Love you all! The church is true!!

PROFITE DE ZILE!

-Sora Schwab

P.S. No photos today because we're in an internet cafe and it won't read my card reader... I'll try next week!

Oh! P.P.S. I want to explain the mailing situation. So I can't receive mail to my apartment here in Cluj. Instead it goes to the mission home. But we are over ten hours away from Bucharest. So...if you want to send me mail just know I might not get it for up to six weeks! BUT don't let that discourage you. I would still love to get some!  ;)

The mission home address is--

Sos. Pipera Nr 41, Et. 7

Sector 2

014254 Bucharest

Romania

Pa!

March 29, 2014 - Pa pa, America!

I didn't think I'd be writing again while I was in the U S of A, but here I am! It turns out that since we won't get another P-day until next Monday, we get a mini P-day tonight to pack and finish up anything that needs to get done before I leave Monday morning! Whoo! This week was crazy. It was such a roller coaster....but a good one! This is just going to be a quick one, but I wanted to share some things with all of you.

I had a really incredible experience at the temple on Monday. It was my last time going to the temple for 18-months....and I had an incredibly spiritual experience! As the session was wrapping up, I could not stop crying because I was so upset that I wouldn't be back for a year and a half! But this thought came to my head... "It is worth giving this up for just 18 months so that others can have it for the rest of their lives...." It was then that the sad tears turned to happy tears and I realized that this mission is SO WORTH IT. 

The rest of the week was full of getting things ready for Monday and packages. Lots and lots of packages. Wow. When I drop hints in my emails for packages, you guys really come through! I got NINE packages this week...which has to break some sort of MTC record! Two of them were from Aunt Jeanette Schwab, two from Ibrahim, one from Kathryn Goddridge, one from Grandma & Grandpa Schwab, one from Liz, one from Libby and one from Joe. HUGE SHOUTOUT TO ALL OF YOU! I feel so loved and so did my district because they got the brunt of it--they ate most of the treats. Haha. I seriously am so grateful for such an amazing support system....expect individual thank yous when I have a second to breath! :) 

We had tons of reviews and in-field orientations this week as well. It got me so excited to go and preach the gospel to the lovely people in Romania! Anyway, I have to jet! (Get it? Because I'm getting on a plane in like 30 hours? Do you guys get it.....) My teachers shared a very relevant scripture with us this week about the flight.. 1 Nephi 8:8 "And after I had traveled for the space of many hours....I began to pray unto the Lord that He would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of His tender mercies." Hahaha. The next time you hear from me I will be in across the world! I love you all!

PROFITE DE ZILE

-Sora Schwab

Sister Schwab and her companion with Alicia (the one who brought
them Cafe Rio).  She brought them cupcakes as a goodbye this week.

Sister Schwab's two favorite Romanian teachers, Sora Wilson and Sora Remsburg.

March 24, 2014 - ALL THE THINGS.

Hi fam and friends!

Oh my goodness, it's my last P-day in the MTC! I'm freaking out. You all have six days to send me caffeine and other assorted goods.... because then I'll be in Romania where it takes two months to get to me! So get it done!  ;) Haha. Just kidding. (But really....)

So many little things happened this week. On Tuesday, I got another really gnarly headache (luckily it wasn't a migrane this time). The pain was so bad that I threw up and it knocked me out for the whole day. My companion, Sister Adams was so worried that she made me go to the doctor's. All the doctor could really tell me was to sleep it off and he gave me some pretty powerful pain medication. Around eight that evening Sister Adams finally woke me and told me that I needed to go get a blessing. I felt so silly because it was just a headache....but finally she convinced me. President Willis was already in our classroom because we have a big devotional every Tuesday night. As soon as I walked in he jumped right up and ran over to make sure I was okay. I told him I'd be fine and I just wanted a blessing. He gladly obliged. What followed was such a tender mercy. President Willis hardly talked of my health at all, but talked about two or three other things that were really on my mind. I hadn't even mentioned anything to him.... It was so evident that the Lord was inspiring him what to say to me. If anything, Sister Adams felt prompted to wake me up just so I could receive the comfort from that blessing. It was great! That headache lasted well into Saturday, but luckily I only missed Tuesday's class.

On Wednesday we got two new missionaries in our room! Sister Johnson, who is going to the West Indies, speaking Dutch....she will be Sister King's first companion in the field in about six weeks! And Sister Hartlee, who is going to Norway, speaking Norwegian! All five of us are solo sisters. Haha! They are so fun to have in our room.

Thursday was so great! I got a killer package from Sarah (shout out to Sarah!) with all sorts of wonderful things. Thanks so much!! I also got my travel plans!! It's actually real... I'm actually leaving for Romania at some point in my life! I leave for Salt Lake City at 4:30 on Monday morning.. (Yeah! A week from today!) Elder Manning and I will be flying to Atlanta at about 8:30. In Atlanta, we meet up with my companion and the two elders who are going to the same mission as her and all fly to Amsterdam together. We drop them off in the Netherlands and from there fly to Bucharest! WHERE I WILL SERVE FOR SEVENTEEN MONTHS! AHHHHH. 

Friday was by far the best day of the week. Even though this past week has been great, I haven't been feeling as spiritual as I have my other weeks here, and what little process I've made in learned Romania has come to an abrupt halt. So I turned to my patriarchal blessing for some inspiration... What stood out to me was this: "I bless you to find yourself on your knees pondering what it is Father in Heaven wants for you. The Spirit will speak to you in kind and gentle ways. As you listen, as you obey, the Spirit will become ever more strong in you." So I've really been focusing on praying for what God wants for me. So Friday morning rolls around and I teach a TRC lesson. I taught a return missionary about revelation through the Book of Mormon. When I asked her what role it had played in her life, she told me a story about how she didn't want to go on a mission....but as she read the scriptures it was revealed to her that she needed to go. I was prompted to share a certain experience with her of when I had already gotten my call and was really, really struggling. My dad, (shout out to dad) told me to read Psalms 55:22 (go read it!) and it was totally a revelation to me at the time. I shared this with her and bore my simple Romanian testimony that God loves us enough to reveal His will with us through scriptures, prayer and the Holy Ghost. The spirit was so strong in the lesson and she told me after how beautiful my testimony is and how glad she was that I had shared it with her. My teacher pulled me aside in class afterwards and told me how great it was. Okay, now here's where the story gets good.... I got on my knees during my personal study time to thank the Lord for helping me to teach even though I can't speak the language. This very clear and distinct thought popped into my head... "The only reason you've been struggling to learn the language is because I want you to learn how to teach with the Spirit first." I was blown away. I started crying and thanked the Lord for being so merciful and patient with me. This whole time I have been BEGGING Him to help me with the language and I was missing what He was trying to teach me! I feel kind of silly now because I was so focused on what I wanted that I missed what He knows I need first! Just like the promise in my blessing said, if I prayed for what the Lord wanted for me -- He would reveal it to me. Now I know where I need to focus on this last crucial week. I know that I'll get the language on the Lord's time, not mine.

Today, we woke up at two in the morning to ship Sister King off to the West Indies. She was so excited she ran the whole way....while Sister Adams and I sleeping drug her bags behind her. Hahaha. 

Anyway, you won't be hearing from me next until I'm in Romania! So one more thing....I do get to call home on Monday morning when I'm at the airport. BUT I can't call internationally....so I don't get to talk to you mom and dad...  :( But I do plan on calling all the sibs for a couple minutes each. Will all of you please send me your numbers by Saturday? Just shoot me a quick email. Thanks!

I think that's it. I'm really pressed for time, so sorry for all the typos and random thoughts. I love you all! God loves each and every one of you and wants to see you all again some day. The church is true!!

PROFITE DE ZILE

-Sora Schwab

New roommates (the two on the left).  All are "solo sisters."

"The life of a solo sister in a district with seven elders..."

Sister Schwab's district with their Italian and Romanian flags

Sister Schwab and Sister King who went to the West Indies