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.