July 21, 2014 - Câmpuri de floarea-soarelui pentru totdeauna

Hi everyone! This week we did lots more of.....you guessed it! Missionary work.

I started off the week with a fight between my stomach and the Indian food I ate last P-day. The Indian food won.... I spent Monday night throwing up and the next few days staying close to the toliet. But let me just tell you....that chicken curry was so worth it. Count your blessing, you people in America....and India, I guess. We spent the majority of the week trying and failing to get lessons/find less-active members. Saturday finally rolled around when we traveled to Chișinău for our Zone Conference where we met our new mission president, President Ivory. To be honest, Sora Bird and I had been stressing out for a few days to meet him.... But he is so awesome! The first hour was a combined meeting where he, Sora Ivory and his four kids all spoke to the members of Chișinău, Bălți and Orhei. It was great hearing him talking to the members about being more involved in missionary work...something that is really needed out here in Moldova! He also gave his whole talk in Romanian! It was incredible. We had a big lunch with all involved afterwards and it was really great to see the Ivory family socializing with the members. One great thing about the branches in Moldova, is that they're all so small that all three of them are really close. It was lovely to see friends from different towns and to see them all revamped for this gospel. After that we had about four hours of the Ivorys introducing themselves, introducing the ideas he's incorporating into the mission and a total spiritual work-out session. (Literally, we did squats.) The thing he talked about that stood out to me most was optimism. I don't think I've ever mentioned it in my letters, but the Romania/Moldova mission is suprisingly....not. Haha. I was shocked my first couple transfers to see most of the other missionaries being very pessimistic about the work here. I couldn't count how many times I was told not to get my hopes up or not to plan on getting any baptisms. I mean yeah, our mission is world-renowned for being a hard mission... but still! It was so good to hear his say that that wasn't an excuse anymore....that our mission was going to be the most positive mission on this planet and that he wouldn't settle for anything less. This mission is on a tipping-point, folks....and boy, am I ready!  :) I later had my first interview with both President and Sora Ivory and it went so well! Oh my gosh! I love them. I am too excited to work with them. When President asked me what he could do for this mission, the only thing I could say was to do exactly what he's doing. He is exactly what this mission needs right now with optimism and hard-work. He is awesome. I wish I had time to type out our conversation, just know that lots of incredible things are coming in the following months! 

One great thing about Moldova is the sunflowers. Who would have known, right? There are huuuuuuge fields of sunflowers when you get out into the little villages around Orhei. They are so incredible... But I've only ever seen them as we're traveling to other cities. Well today we went to one! We took a maxi-taxi to Piatra and played in the sunflower fields. It was lovely! You just can't be grumpy standing next to a sunflower that's taller than you. It's impossible. I want to be like those sunflowers...always looking to the sun and letting darkness fall behind them. There will be hard times...that is a promise. This mission is hard....that promise was made to me. But it's how I handle those hard times and negativity that will make me into that sunflower. It's OUR choice if we look to the light instead of dwell in that darkness. Always remember the sunflowers.  :) 

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

July 15, 2014 - hey everyone!

just wanted to shoot everyone a quick email for the week! we went to romania yesterday with our district and zone leader for p-day to work on their visa work, so we didn't really have time to email yesterday.

anyway, still a missionary! still doing missionary work! haha. i'll write you better next week. love you all. the church is true.

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-sora schwab

July 7, 2014 - Aventuri de Moldovamy

I never really know how to start these emails.... It was another week of missionary work! Haha. But here are some highlights--

We started off the week doing a mini-bonfire for our P-day activity. It was Elder Hollist's last P-day before he went home so we did something big! We made s'mores and drank cvas. (It's Orhei, so yeah, that's about as crazy as we get up here....) But it was so fun!! 

Friday we celebrated Independence Day even though we're in Moldova! Sora Bird made a killer apple pie and the elders made root beer! We had our weekly district meeting with patriot music playing in the background the entire time. It was great! Fun fact: Moldovans go hard for the 4th of July. Hahaha. Who would have guessed?! So on Saturday we traveled to Bălți for the real 4th of July celebration.... a double-branch activity! Bălți is one of the three cities that we currently have missionaries in. It is the only all-Russian city, and since we don't have Russian-speaking sister missionaries in our mission.....we were the first sister missionaries to EVER go to Bălți! It was quite an honor!! The branch there was so good to us and I learned some more Russian words. (I don't know how to spell them with the Russian alphabet, but I'll just write them how they sound in English...) Some of them were spaseba, pajalsta, fsyeh blag(which I remember Jake screeching after his mission) and kneega mormona. Whoo! Look at me and my bad self! After lunch, they watched 17 Miracles in Russian. So a member there named Natalia, we speaks killer English because she did an exchange program in St. George, took us to "see the sights" in the city! We didn't have much time, but it was fun! We went and saw the biggest statue of Ștefan cel Mare in all of Moldova and drank lots of Cvas! (Cvas is non-alcoholic beer. Most of it is less than satisfying....but Natalia introduced us to a bunch of different flavors and they were actually really good! My favorite was Rose Petal.)  

Then this morning, we woke up early to travel to Chișinău and see off Elder Hollist. Since there are so few missionaries in Moldova, they make a pretty big deal about them leaving...even if it's just for Romania again. But Elder Hollist will be leaving for the states in the next few days, so we went all out! We went out to lunch with all of the Moldovan crew and then went and got ice cream as a district. After that we traveled to the gara to watch him and Elder Farnworth, the other elder going home, waving out of the window of the train in the pouring rain. I was so sad to see him go! But I guess there's this thing called life after a mission that people have to get back to or something? I don't know. I don't really like to think about it. Haha.

Anyway, now that I've told you enough about our Moldovan adventures for the week....I'll focus on something a bit more spiritual. Although we had lots of "goods" this week, it was also filled with quite a few "bads." We just cannot find people to share the gospel with... The potentials and kind-of-investigators that traveled over from last transfer have all fallen through....and the little to none potentials we've been able to get this transfer have also fallen through as well. We're working hard....and having no success. I had the lowest numbers I've had yet on my mission... Not to mention I got hit with a giant dose of home sickness this week...which is strange because that hasn't been an issue for me on my mission yet. (I mean you guys are great and of course I miss all of you dearly, I just love being a missionary. I know this is where I'm supposed to be...sharing the gospel with the people of Romania and Moldova. So it has been very bearable.) So why? Why am I giving up a year and a half of my life, trying to learn a dying language, serving in a city where they have yet another language I can't speak while I am constantly getting rejected by people who don't care about what I've given up so much for.... Why? 

Because I know that this gospel is the way.....the only way. I know that God loves me and has given me everything I have, everything I am and most importantly, a way to have eternal happiness. I know that He loves me. I know that He has a plan for me that is the best possible plan that I could possibly go through. I know that He gives me trials so I can grow.... I read a quote from Neal A. Maxwell this week that he said while considering the struggles of the pioneers. It said, "all the easy things in the kingdom of God have already been done." Now, I haven't had to uproot my life and move cross country in deathly conditions to settle a desert or anything lately....but I have been through a lot of other things. More importantly, I've been given a lot....and I couldn't NOT give back to the Lord by sacrificing a year and a half of my life to try and further His kingdom here on Earth. The point I'm trying to make is, we all have to go through hard things. The struggles we go through in our modern world are worse that at any other time.... And that is exactly why YOU were sent to this Earth at this time. Because Heavenly Father saw the best possible path for you, and He trusted in you enough to send you here during this time. When times get tough, the tough get going. So get on your knees, ask for strength and keep pushing forward! Because God knows you can do it.... Now you just have to realize it too.  :) Love you all!

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

My awesome district whilst having a fire.

My Moldovan version of s'mores. They were actually pretty great!

Something bizarre that happened this week. There was a funeral service right in front of our block, right on the street.

Sora Bird and I during our fire.

Our apple pie, ice cream and root beer for Independence Day!

Sora Bird and I and a little boy in the Bălți branch. He only spoke Russian, so we had to get everything he said to us translated...but he was so cute and only wanted to hang out with us at the activity. Sora Bird and I have a one-man fan club in Bălți.

Natalia, Sora Bird and I in front of the Ștefan cel Mare statue in Bălți.

All of us with our cvas!

Sora Bird and I, the first sister missionaries to go to Bălți, in front of the city sign.

One of the many sunflower fields on the trip from Orhei to Bălți. They are SO beautiful!

Sora Bird, Elder Hollist and I. We're so sad he left!

Our time as a district before Elder Hollist went home....getting ice cream at Okey Dokey's, an American goodies shop!

June 30, 2014 - Привет из Молдовы! & Salut din Moldova!

Wow! What a weird week. Haha. Hello from Moldova! This week was kind of just all over the place... from moving out of Romania into Moldova to getting a new companion (who is sooooo rad, by the way) to normal craziness of missionary work.....this week was pretty off the walls. 

Tuesday included a lot of me packing up my things, getting last minute good-byes in to all my favorite people in Cluj and crying with Sora Tanner because we didn't want to get split up. We wrapped it up by taking a sleeper train to Bucharest.

Wednesday was transfer day! This was my first official transfer day because getting into the country doesn't really count... We did some singing contacting with a bunch of other missionaries, went to Care cu Bere (which literally translates to "which with beer") and had one last meal as a district...also Elder Swenson's parents had just arrived fresh from the States to pick him up and were able to join us! After that we just hung out at the Gara waiting for our trains. I was able to meet a ton more missionaries and it was a really great experience! That evening I boarded my train to Chisinau, where I would meet my new companion, with four other missionaries who were to serve in that city. 

After a night of traveling which included policemen coming into our sleeper compartments at four in the morn' yelling at us in Russian to show them our passports, getting our bags searched, being told that Moldova has the highest rate of human trafficking in the entire world, and going through the train switching wheels when we reached the Moldovan border, we finally arrived Thursday morning. I finally met up with Sora Bird, who is my new companion! I had met Sora Bird once before on exchanges because she was a Sister Training Leader my first transfer. Sora Tanner and Sora Bird were in the same MTC group and are the best of friends, so they had gone on an exchange together while I had been with Sora Tobler. I had already gotten a glimpse of how great she was.....and I knew if she and Sora Tanner got along so well, we were bound to get along as well. Well I was right! The whole drive from Chisinau to Orhei we talked and laughed about everything and nothing. The rest of that day was filled with unpacking and getting things in order.

Friday was our first district meeting. My district consists of Sora Bird and I, and a pair of elders. I originally thought this was a Russian companionship...but it turns out it's actually a zebra companionship with one Russian elder and one Romanian elder. But it was soon obvious why I was told otherwise... Elder Files is a Russian speaker and Elder Hollist is assigned to be a Romanian speaker, but it turns out he has been in Moldova for over a year and learned Romanian AND Russian. So as you can tell, the elders in my district are total champs. Not to mention that Sora Bird really is the bomb.com.

Saturday morning we headed back to Chisinau for a young adult activity. I was able to meet all of the missionaries now serving in Moldova, and the AWESOME young adults we have here! We then went out to lunch there at MALLdova. (Wow, good things Moldovans are so punny.) We finished off our day-trip to Chisinau with me being slapped by an old, cat lady. Yep. There was a Romanian woman giving kittens away for free on the street. She asked us where we were from and we told her. I then went to go pet one of these kittens and she slapped me, muttering something under her breath about us occupying the wrong country. I was so shocked that I didn't really know what to do, so I just told her to have a great day and walked away.

Sunday I attended my first half-Romanian, half-Russian sacrament meeting. It was super interesting because people here have the same accent when they speak both languages.....sometimes it took me a minute to realize they had switched languages. I ended up being called up to bear my testimony and I was suprised how well it went. Haha. The branch here is awesome. 

Anyway now that you know every single detail of my whole life, let me end with this simple concept that we focused on with the young adult activity in Chisinau this week.... "If you don't have time to pray and read your scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be." Daily scripture study and prayer are so essential!! They help so, so much.Also if we're not doing the basics in our lives, how are we justified in asking our Heavenly Father to give us basic help? Sorry this email was kind of all over the place. But read your scriptures and say your prayers! Love you guys!

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

Our last meal in Bucharest with the district and Elder Swenson's parents. Elder Swenson is going home and I'm so sad about it!!!!

A present I recieved in Buch. In a giant pile of about a hundred suitcases some sickly bird targeted my bag. Mine was the ONLY one whose got hit! I was hoping this wasn't a sign of what my transfer with Sora Bird was going to be like....

MALLdova. I get a kick out of it every time I see it....

Pretty self explanitory. Yum!

Beautiful Orhei. Suddenly I don't mind being sent to the middle of nowhere....

Sora Bird and I in our new "Ray Bans." Chisinau specializes in knock-offs and we got these bad boys for like 5 bucks, but they look SO real! Haha. We decided to try and look like thugs. Epic fail...

June 23, 2014 - VOI MERGE LA MOLDOVA.

As we learn in the story of Alma, the prayers of faithful parents are answered....and it looks like your prayers have been answered, Mom! Remember how you told me you secretly wish I would serve in a Russian-speaking part of my mission so that I could learn how to speak Russian? Welp, looks like this is my chance! I am being transferred to Moldova. Yep! That's right! With not even three months under my belt in the country of Romania & practicing the Romanian language, I am being transferred to a different country....where about half the people speak Russian.  I leave tomorrow night for Bucharest and will there take a train to Chisanau (P.S. I still haven't figured out how to type Romanian letters on these keyboards...so that's totally spelled wrong.) to meet my new companion, Sora Bird! We will then leave for the teeny-tiny city of Orhei, where I will be serving. It is literally the smallest city in the mission! There I will have to learn a new accent for the Romanian language and relearn how to say a LOT of words (I've been told that it's like you have to relearn the language. They have different words for food and the accent is so different that most Romanian speakers don't understand it). The only missionaries there will be my companion and I, and two Russian speaking elders. I've been told I will have to learn how to bear my testimony and to contact in the Russian language. Hahaha. (Any tips Jake, Ben, Mom or Dad?) In my email from President Hill this week he wrote, "And now, in a move to get you closer to your parents, I'm asking you to go to Orhei, Moldova. You'll enjoy that experience!" It'll be very interesting. I will miss Cluj so much. I feel like I didn't get enough time here and that I could do so much more with the people we are working with. But I'm excited for this new experience and I just have to trust in the Lord that this is the right move for me to be the best instrument in His hands that I can be. 

I've felt the Spirit so much this week with the passing of Grandpa Schwab. It is such a blessing to know of the Plan of Salvation and to know we will all be together again if we live righteously. I wrote a tribute to honor Grandpa this past week and I just wanted to share it with all of you--

When I recieved the news Monday morning that Grandpa Monie was about to end his journey on this Earthly road I couldn't help but be upset... At first I felt like I should be back home instead of in Romania on a mission. I felt like I should have been in Bear Lake to say goodbye and to wiggle my nose with Grandpa one last time... I felt like I should have been there with my arms around Grandma and to comfort the rest of the family.... But the more I thought about it, the more I knew that this is what Grandpa would have wanted for me... If he was in my situation, it's what he would have wanted too. My feelings changed after that. I began to look at this trial as a learning experience. I started asking my myself what would Moroni do? I looked back on the example he's set for me and everyone else in the family. Grandpa Monie is one of the most influencial, loving, hard-working, humorous and spiritually-oriented men I have ever met. Ever since I was a little girl, whenever I told almost anyone my name they would quickly respond with a, "Are you related to Moroni Schwab?" I'd smile and tell them that he was my grandfather and they'd happily rattle off the story of how they had met him and how he had impacted their life. By the time I could ride a two-wheel bike it was common knowledge to me that my grandpa had changed lifes. Even on the mission, the first day I arrived in Romania my mission president's wife asked me if I knew him. After I told her our relation, we spent a good portion of my "Training with the President" time talking about Grandpa Monie and his wonderful impact on both of our lifes. When my mission president and his wife later came to the branch I am serving in and spoke in church...she gave her talk on loved others, and used Moroni Schwab, her high school driver's education teacher, as her prime example. As I've looked back on these experiences through my life of seeing how Grandpa Monie has touched other's lifes, along with my own, for good, I have tried to base my missionary work on his nearly perfect example. The verse from Alma 48:17 comes to mind -- "Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever: yea, the devil would never had power over the hearts of the children of men." I have strived to follow his principles of obedience to God's commandments, hard work, following the Spirit and especially Christ-like love. I know that through this gospel that Grandpa Moroni cherished so deeply, I will see him and wiggle my nose with him again. I am so grateful to carry on the Schwab name and spread this gospel hopefully half as well as Grandpa and Grandma Schwab have done. I know he is happy....and he's probably already started doing missionary work on the other side. I love Grandpa and I am so grateful for the example he has set for me and how it has changed my life. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Just a quick experience, I know this email is getting long. But this week we've been doing lots of good-bye visits to the people who I've gotten close with in Cluj. Last night we went and visited the Militaru family. They were one of the first investigators I worked with and they left such an imprint on my heart. We all shared our favorite scriptures together and Maria, the mother, just so happened to share Alma 48:17. It touched my heart. I knew that Heavenly Father was aware of me. He was aware of this incredible family who yearns for the gospel. He is so aware of each and every one of us. It's such a beautiful concept. This gospel is so perfect. I hope you all no that I know all of my heart that this is God's gospel on this Earth....and if we follow it, we will return to live with Him.

Hoorah for Israel!

-Sora Schwab

P.S.  Sorry for all the photos! I took a lot this week! The church is true! Love you guys!!

Just a photo of how beautiful the insides of some of the buildings are here.

My district doing service in the Botanical Gardens. We go every week and have become close with the head gardener, Benny. Since half of our district is leaving, we gave him a Book of Mormon with all of our testimonies in it.

The horrific tan-line on my feet. #missionaryprobs.

One of our favorite English students. She's in her 80s or 90s and is just a champ at trying to learn English.

Just another lovely photograph.

Our English class on the last day. We just loved them!

Our district while proselyting. We made district t-shirts for the Romanian church website, "suntmormon.ro"

Just some of my favorite branch members!

Just some of my favorite branch members!

Just some of my favorite branch members!

The Militaru daughter, also named Maria.

Maria Haidel, a lady we contacted and have become super close with. She calls herself our "Mama din Romania."

Our family portrait. Elder Swenson, my mission father, is going home this week so we had to get a photo of our little family. Haha!

Sora Tanner and I doing yoga with the city of Cluj behind us because.....why not?

June 16, 2014 - Esti minunat!

Salut! I don't have much to report this week. It's funny because I'm so busy as a missionary and we're always doing things...but they are mostly the same things! So I'm not going to bore you with the day-to-day...this email is going to be mostly about a message I want to share with all of you!

I'll start with sharing a picture with you that definitely wins "Graffiti of the Week." And it's actually in English! Haha. (See attachment, now) It says, "Dreams can damage your mediocrity." What a great reminder it was! We were not sent to this Earth in the latter-days to be mediocre. Heavenly Father sent us here during the Restoration of His gospel! He wouldn't send the ones who were half-hearted in Heaven to be on this Earth during the hastening of His gospel. He knows how incredible you are. He wants you to have hopes and dreams....and to go after them! 

Later that week I attended my first Zone Conference in Arad! It was so lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed the spiritual upliftment from our mission leaders and especially President and Sora Hill. The point that stuck out to me from that day was actually written on another sora's planner.....but it struck my heart with great force... It said, "Why are you trying to fit in when you were set apart to stand out? I love this... With this little black tag on my chest I was set apart to stand out in the crowd and proclaim this gospel! Not all of you have missionary tags on at the moment...but you were set apart in Heaven to be sent to this Earth in the last days to be witnesses of how amazing our Father in Heaven is. What a blessing! 

To top it all off, I read this scripture that goes along with this theme perfectly! In 3 Nephi 12:15-16 it says, "Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all who are in the house; therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." AHHHH. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE INCREDIBLE?! You are here to be amazing! And you are! Man.... I love this gospel.

That's all for now... But I just wanted to remind you all how loved you are....how FANTASTIC you are. Our Heavenly Father loves you. I love you! Have a great week.

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

"Dreams can damage your mediocrity"

My companion, Sora Tanner and I with president and Sora Hill.  It was the last time we would see them before they go home.  So strange!

Sora Tobler (my mission grandmother), Sora Tanner (my mission mother) and me!  This was the last time we saw Sora Tobler because she is going home next week!  So we took a "three-generation" photo.

Just a quick shot we got at Zone Conference of my district.

The Romanian sunset on the train back home from Arad.  Romania's beauty trumps everything, ever.

June 9, 2014 - Crap.

The Romanian word for carp is crap. Hahaha. I promise this has something to do with my week. But first, an explanation... Sora Tanner HATES fish...and Elder Swenson has been trying to trick her into eating fish this whole transfer. Well this past week we ordered pizza as a district and Elder Swenson and Elder Jarman picked them up for us. They also picked up some carp paste... Before we got there, they put a teeny-tiny bit on each slice of pizza. After all the pizza was gone, they pulled out the container of carp paste and Sora Tanner freaked out. We're still trying to figure out a prank we can pull on the Elders to get them back... (If someone could google "pranks you can do on a mission" and email me the results, I'd really appreciate it.) Anyway, funny story for the week. But it was a good introduction to my fish-analogy-based email for the week.

I have been craving sushi since the day I landed in Romania. But I quickly came to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to find any not-sketchy restaurants here and where I could eat sushi and live to tell the tale. (If you spell it "tail," it would count as my first fish analogy.) But alas! Someone told us about a sushi place that was totally safe! So this past week after service, we went as a district. Mind you we were covered in dirt because we had just worked at the botanical gardens.... It turns out that it was actually a super nice restaurant. They stuck is in a back room and shut the door. Haha. To make a long story short... I had some incredible sushi and Sora Tanner, Elder Swenson and Elder Jarman all tried sushi for their first time! (This wasn't really an analogy, but second fish reference!) 

Also this week, it rained sharks and dolphins! (This one's kind of a stretch, but nonetheless, third fish reference.) Pictures included.

Okay, now about the work. The fish are not biting. (Fourth fish analogy.) The past couple weeks have been really weird. My first transfer we couldn't even fit all of our lessons into our schedule because we had so many. But this transfer....it's like the river has run dry! (Fifth fish analogy.) We're really, really good at contacting and getting numbers for potential investigators... but our lesson numbers are at a record low. This past we had ONE lesson. One! We just can't seem to bridge the gap from getting potentials to teaching those potentials lessons and turning them into investigators. Either we schedule the lessons and they get cancelled or we can't get a hold of the potentials to get a lesson set-up in the first place! On top of that, we can't seem to schedule lessons with the people who are already investigators! So it's made the work kind of weird, with lots of contacting and service. Nonetheless, we're still working hard and fishing for new investigators. (Sixth fish analogy.) 

The lesson we DID have this week was with one of our investigators, Corina. Corina is an English student and had the question this past week of "How do we know what God wants for us personally?" We were able to teach her about personal revelation and more importantly, how to recieve it. It ended up being an incredible lesson and SHE ACCEPTED A SOFT BAPTISMAL COMMITTMENT. Hook, line and sinker! (Seventh fish analogy.) It may not seem like a big deal for all the other missionaries reading this who have had baptisms up the wazoo (I'm talking to you, Joe)....but it's a huge deal for us! Sora Tanner and I have been working ridiculously hard since I stepped foot in Romania and it's nice to see our work finally bringing someone closer to baptism! We're hoping to get her a date this week. Please keep her in your prayers! 

Last but not least, I will leave you with a spiritual thought. This week I saw someone wearing a shirt that had a great message. "Un nava in port este ferit, dar nu este scopul care a fost contruit." which roughly translated is, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for."  (I'm going to count this as my eighth fish reference because you can catch fish in ships...) This saying really struck me this week. Yeah, we can go through our life being "safe." But that's not what our purpose here on Earth is! We are here to learn and grow and become the best versions of ourselves....and sometimes that takes us getting out of our comfort zones! Yep, you guessed it...I'm going to refer this to missionary work. When was the last time you got out of your comfort zone and asked a friend if they would be interested in the gospel? I know as we share this gospel we have been blessed with...we will be blessed ten fold! I love this gospel. I love being a missionary. And I love you all! Have a lovely week.  :)

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

Me being waaaay too excited about sushi.

Sora Tanner trying sushi for her first time.  (She didn't like it.)

Sora Tanner and I drenched from the rain.

The beautiful view from our balcony when it rains.  Cluj just gets prettier and prettier every day!

June 2, 2014 - Isus Hristos si Cartea lui Mormon este temelia mele!

Buna! What the heckers, it's already been a week? Haha. I feel like I don't really have a whole lot to tell you guys this week. I literally do the same thing everyday! BUT IT IS THE BEST THING EVER. I love being a missionary and doing this work!

There really wasn't that much that happened this week. But the highlights are as follows---

-Exchange with our Sister Training Leaders. I was with Sora Merrill this time and I learned so much! I focused on teaching by the Spirit instead of teaching by Romanian. It's interesting how much lessons and contacts change when you're focusing on what the Holy Ghost is telling you instead of how to say something from your mind in Romanian. It really helps! It turned out being a great day....and we didn't get lost this time! But it was so good to get back with Sora Tanner. We basically had separation anxiety. I don't know what's going to happen when one of us gets transfered... 

-Old man futbol game! Okay. So fun story! There were posters all over Cluj about this charity futbol game this past week...and the tickers were super cheap! There is an elder in our district who is in his last transfer and has always wanted to go to a futbol game here and never has been able to. So he got our whole district permission from President Hill to go to this one! We got there and quickly realized why the tickets were so cheap and why it was for charity.... One team was the University of Cluj team from 1990-1995....and the other team was the Romanian National Team from the same years. So it ended up being a ton of 40-50 year old men halfsies-running around the field. We all had a good laugh and ended up leaving at half time. But it was still fun! 

-The same elder who is leaving at the end of this transfer, Elder Swenson, and his companion, Elder Jarman are on a "special assignment" this transfer. Basically they travel around the whole mission and check all the computers to make sure they're running properly. This past week they traveled to Bucharest AND BROUGHT ME BACK DR. PEPPER. The only place you can find this drink in all of Romania is in certain little shops in Bucharest... It was one of the times that it was really hard not to hug the Elders. Haha. I was so happy! I drank them both that night. (Hint: Dr. Pepper would be great in a package... No pressure....)

Okay, see what I mean when I say I don't really do anything other than missionary work? Hahaha. Anyway, spiritual thought for the week! I love the Book of Mormon! It is so great! Every second of spare time I have (which is not a lot) I read in the Book of Mormon. I've made a personal goal to read the Cartea lui Mormon (the Book of Mormon in Romanian) by my six month mark. I know... I'm crazy. Haha. That's what everyone out here thinks too. Most people don't read it until at least a year....but I can't wait that long to learn this language! There have been multiple prophets and apostles promise that if we read the Book of Mormon in our mission language, we will without a doubt improve in the language. To reach my goal, I have to read seven and a half pages every day....and I haven't missed a day yet! It's incredible how many words I've learned and how much I've learned about sentence structures and grammar from Cartea lui Mormon! With reading it in Romanian and reading in English during personal study, my days are filled with this incredible book. The verse I'd like to share with you all is Helaman 5:12---

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men are they cannot fall."

Man. Isn't that an awesome promise? If we build our foundation on Jesus Christ (and I'm adding my two bits to this verse....) and on the Book of Mormon, a sure testimony of Jesus Christ, we cannot fall.... not "maybe won't," not "probably won't," but CANNOT. I know that this is true! I love this gospel and I love being a missionary. Have such a great week!

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

The old man futbol game.  So funny!

My district at the old man futbol game!  From left to right is Elder Sookhoo, Elder Jarman, Elder Swenson, Elder French, me and Sora Tanner.

Me with my DP.  Notice the happiness that can be achieved by such a simple gift....

Sora Tanner and I in front of some random graffiti.  Nothing to do with this week....we just liked it!

May 26, 2014 - Isus te iubeste.

Buna ziua prietenii si familia! This week was awesome. I tried to especially focus on Jesus Christ these last seven days (not that that's not already what I think about 26/27ths of my time). But it's just incredible how much closer you can come to Christ in such a short amount of time. I feel truly blessed and I feel His love stronger than ever! I'll just share of couple of those experiences...

So we started off this past week on Tuesday with Zone Training Meeting. Sora Tanner and I were asked to give a presentation on Christlike Attributes... It was no coincidence because that has been the focus of my studies for weeks now! It was really great to be able to review all of them for our zone. I got to share my testimony about my personal relationship of Jesus Christ and it was just an incredible experience. (If any of you have a Preach My Gospel, there's a whole chapter about Christlike Attributes in there! STUDY IT!)

On Friday we had a lesson with a woman named Bianca. After about fifteen minutes, we found out she was a Jehovah's Witness and it quickly because a one-way "discussion" about how the points in our church aren't valid. It turned from our lesson to her lesson. Haha. It ended up being fine and we parted on good terms. But before we said goodbye she said something that shocked me... I didn't realize it, but they believe that God's communication with His children was cut off when Christ was crucified. She told us that they believe that's where it ends... that God only communicates through the Bible and we cannot have a personal relationship with Him.. The statement rang through my brain all day. I was so suprised! It is so sad to think that there are people who know that God is their Heavenly Father...but that He doesn't want to have a relationship with us. It's quite the contrary! God is willing and ready to hear from us. God is waiting to give us answers to our questions. God wants to have a very personal relationship with every single one of His children! In an odd way, that lesson made me feel God's love in my life so much more. I have the sure knowledge that God loves me and my brother Jesus Christ loves me so much that He gave His life for me!

Last but not least, yesterday we found something really great while contacting. It definitely wins "Graffiti of the Week" and reaffirms the theme of this email. The picture is attached of the art, with the words "Isus te iubeste." It translates to "Christ to you loves" or with English grammar... "Christ loves you." He really does, folks. Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven love us very much. I know this and I love being able to share it with the people of Romania. I love you all and hope your week is fantastic.

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

"Isus te iubeste" (translation: "Christ loves you")

May 19, 2014 - Mi-e somn...

Buna! I didn't send out an email last week and I feel like so many things have happened since I last wrote. So I'm not even going to try and cover all of it. But here are the highlights--

-Suprise day-trip to Bucharest to get my visa papers in order. In about two months I'll actually be legal here! Whoo!

-Transfers... Sora Tanner and I stayed together! Double whoooo! We've started a really solid base of work here in Cluj and were just hoping and praying that we'd stay together so we could hit it hard this transfer and really see the fruits of our labor. We only lost one elder from our district and the one who replaced him is our new district leader. So we're all pretty happy because we've gotten so close!

-Castles and Salt Mines. We went to a castle last P-day and Salt Mines today. Both were incredible. I'm falling more and more in love with Romania every single day. :)

-Breakups. Lots and lots of breakups... We have been dropped by a record-breaking four investigators since I last emailed home. Some breakups are worse than others.... our latest include being ignored, being hung-up on, a heartfelt text and my personal favorite...when we sat on a park bench and talked for like twenty minutes and we gave her a box of chocolates to end it. Hahaha. It's so weird because we're usually so busy that we don't have time for lunch or dinner hour... But now we have all this time for contacting! At first I felt guilty because I didn't feel like we were working hard enough and upset because the main chunk of our investigators didn't want the gospel in their lives anymore. But my wise companion put it this way... It was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father because now we have more time to look for people who ARE ready for this restored gospel. So before I've fallen into bed every night from emotional and spiritual exhaustion...and now I'm falling into bed every night from physical exhaustion! We're excited for what this new transfer with bring. Out with the old...in with the new!

Side note: Please no one write back and say, "It's okay because you're planting seeds!" We're not here to plant seeds....we're here to harvest! It's just taking a little longer than we hoped.  :)

Okay. So spiritual thought for the week. I've been reading in Alma and although I read this passage a couple weeks ago... I've referred to it many times as an example. So in Alma 35ish-42, Alma is prophesying to his sons because (this might be wrong, so don't quote me on it...) he's getting old and it's kind of like his last written words to them. I have just loved reading in Alma because Alma the younger is ALL about missionary work. He's like, the most bomb.com missionary ever. Anyway, after reading his "last words" to his sons, I assumed he was going to die. But in Alma 43:1 it says....

"And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth."

What?! I thought he was going to die! But Alma COULD NOT REST and went forth to declare the word of God. How cool is Alma the younger? He could not stop being a missionary! He was so sure of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he was so sure that Christ was his redeemer, he was so sure that Jesus Christ is the one and only way for eternal happiness that he COULD NOT REST from sharing it with others. Ah, man. What a rad guy.

This verse reminded me of President Uchdorf's talk from General Conference. (It actually might be from the priesthood session because I think the elders showed it to us...) He talked about the fact that yes, this gospel has been restored to this Earth... But the restoration is not over! It is a promise that this gospel will spread to every land and sound in every ear. He said, "Are you sleeping through the Restoration?" We are literally taking a part of the last restoration of this incredible gospel on this Earth.... Are we doing our part? Are we sleeping through the restoration? Or are we following the example of Alma the younger and not even resting from our labors of missionary work? You don't have to wear a nametag to be a missionary. For me personally, nothing has brought me more joy and satisfaction than the gospel of Jesus Christ....and so I try and tell every person I meet about it. Who is someone in your life who you could share this fantastic doctrine with? I'm excited to hear about all of your missionary experiences when I email next week!  ;)

I love you all! Have a lovely week!

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

P.S. Brace yourselves for lots of photos.... #sorrynotsorry

Sora Tanner and I.  Typical day as missionaries!  :)

Castelul Banffy, which we visited last week.  INCREDIBLE.

Our "tour guide" of the castle.  There was no one there except this dog who followed us around the whole time, even when it started pouring rain.  He took a special liking to me because I scratched his head so much.  What a cutie!

Me looking out one of the castle windows with my little friend trailing behind me..  :)

This photo is so funny.  If you guys didn't know, PROFITE DE ZILE is "seize the day" in Romanian....which is "carpe diem" in Latin.  This week we found a "carpe diem funeral services" van.  We got quite the kick out of it.  :)

Sora Tanner and I with our black men.  Yep...  They sell black men here....

My district at the Salt Mines today.  It doesn't sound like much....but they were incredible!

This photo is really the only decent photo I got of the Salt Mines.  That big hole goes down miles.  We took an elevator down 20-something stories to get to the part where the tourists could go.

The salt pond at the bottom of a giant chasm of salt.  We rode in those super sketchy row-boats in the picture.  Definitely a rad experience.