September 15, 2014 - Eu merg la București?!

Wow! What a week. It started off with me going back to Romania! Sora Bray, my STL in Chișinău, had a problem with her Romanian visa and needed to re-apply for a new one. President Ivory knew that I didn't have my visa either, so he had me go down with her to pick mine up. So Tuesday Sora Bynum and I traveled to Chișinău where I dropped her off to do an exchange with Sora Uhl, the other sister serving there....Sora Bray and I then got on the 14-hour train ride to Bucharest. I thought this was a pretty good indication that I would be staying in Moldova a bit longer...because not only have I applied for my Moldovan visa, but President was having me travel down to Buch the week before transfers...which meant that I wasn't getting transferred because IF I was, I'd have to travel to Buch that the next week too. So I was in the clear, right? Wrong. Boy did I have a suprise coming my way! But I'll get to that later. Wednesday morning Sora Bray and I arrived in the lovely capital of Romania. Bucharest had a hidden beauty to it if you look.... It is so different and so fantastic. And the trip was only ten times better because I was in such great company. It sure helps to be with someone you really get along with when traveling for days on end. Haha. Sora Bray and I had a riot! Plus we got to spent a lot of time at the office with some other missionaries there that we've both become really close to on our missions. Elder Feil and Elder Hokkanen, the assistants, took me to pick up my visa....while Elder Montoya and Elder Harper, the office elders, took Sora Bray to her physical appointment. It was so bizarre not having a companion for a little bit. It was just like being back in the MTC and always being with a pair of elders. It was fantastic! AND I finally have a visa! It only took six months, but I'm finally allowed to live in one of the two countries I've been serving in! After Sora Bray and I were united once again, we headed to re-apply for her Romanian visa. We played a giant game of "try to crack the elders" because they all were all well aware of the switches being made at transfers, while standing in line for a few hours...but to no avail... We had a grand old time being in Buch, which is SO different from Moldova. Later we headed back to the gara to catch our train back to Chișinău. But not before we ate at Subway. It's funny what little things you miss after not being in America for an extended period of time. Haha. It was delicious! Sora Bynum and Sora Uhl picked us up when our train got in on Thursday morning, and Sora Bynum and I caught a maxi-taxi back to Orhei. It felt so good to walk back into my apartment after being back in Romania. Moldova just feels like home now! I was EXHAUSTED from traveling, so I decided to take a quick nap. To my suprise, I woke up hours later with a gnarly case of the flu. Sora Bray had just been getting over being sick, so I must have caught whatever she had....and I'm sure the traveling didn't help either! We spent the rest of our week inside the apartment doing fun things like sleeping, puking and passing out in the shower (I wouldn't recommend that last one). Saturday rolled around, which was when we found out about transfers!! I was sick in bed, so we didn't have access to a computer...and our elders didn't answer our call! We ended up calling some elders in Chișinău to find out that.......I'M BEING TRANSFERRED TO BUCHAREST. Wuuuuuuuuuut. I was so shocked! I'm being taken from the smallest village in the mission, in little ol' Moldova, and being thrown into the biggest city in the mission, the capital of Romania! Not to mention I was just there for visa work! I've always wanted to serve in Bucharest, so I really am way excited. But I just didn't think it would be this soon! I don't know. Moldova is just.....it's home. I'll miss it so much. But come what may and love it, right? I know this is where I'm supposed to go to help further the work here. We finished up the week saying my goodbyes to the incredible people here and packing up my life into a couple suitcases. I take the evening train to Bucharest tomorrow where I will (hopefully) stay put for a bit. Anyway, the church is true! Sorry about all the silly details of this email. I know they don't really mean anything if you're not doing missionary work....and that's when it's super convenient that you're serving along side me, Mom & Dad! Haha. Love you all and hope this week is simply superb. 

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

Sora Bynum and I with Sora Taku, an incredible member here in Orhei. We call her Sora Taco....

Diana, Alina, two members in the branch, and I. Diana was tickling us, so we're all laughing.

Sora Bynum and I with Fratele Urii, the first counselor in the Branch Presidency and probably my favorite member in Orhei. He's so incredible. We were standing next to him awkwardly and at the last second he put his arms around us and pulled us in. Hahaha.

The fourth is of the three missionaries who left Orhei, Elder Streletskii, Elder Julian and I with the Branch President and his wife.

The four sister missionaries in Moldova right before we went our different ways. From left to right it's Sora Bray, me, Sora Bynum and Sora Uhl.

Sora Bynum and I with Ion, a member in our branch who is about to leave for Australia for his mission. Nothing like awkward missionary photos!

September 8, 2014 - Atingere de mână de master.

привет! Această săptămână a fost o aventură. Some of our adventurous actions included having a picnic for Labor Day with most of the Moldovan missionaries (we made sloppy joes and they were so American and delicious), watching the Joseph Smith movie with our branch for Family Night, going to Cișmea, a village outside of Orhei, baking a brownie cake for our district leader's year mark, getting an awesome new investigator from the depths of our Area Book, celebrating National Grandparent's Day yesterday (Shout out to Grandma Ila and Grandpa Jack!) and lots and lots of missionary work! As you can tell, we go pretty hard out here in Orhei. And also as you can probably tell... not a ton to report. Haha. But I do want to share a lovely poem that our district leader shared in our district meeting this past week---

The Touch of the Master's Hand.

'Twas battered and scarred,

And the auctioneer thought it

hardly worth his while

To waste his time on the old violin,

but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried,

"Who starts the bidding for me?"

"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"

"Two dollars, who makes it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"

But, No,

From the room far back a gray bearded man

Came forward and picked up the bow,

Then wiping the dust from the old violin

And tightening up the strings,

He played a melody, pure and sweet

As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"

As he held it aloft with its' bow.

"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"

"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"

"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,

Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,

But some of them cried,

"We just don't understand."

"What changed its' worth?"

Swift came the reply.

"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

"And many a man with life out of tune

All battered and bruised with hardship

Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd

Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,

A game and he travels on.

He is going once, he is going twice,

He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes,

And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,

The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought

By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

I've been studying the Christlike Attributes in Preach My Gospel and just finished this past week. (It only took me six months, it's fine.) But I've learned so much while studying more about the very characteristics that make up our Lord and Savior. He is the most perfect being to have ever set foot on Earth. It almost seems overwhelming to try and "become like Him" because....how could we? There is so much to do... I learned quickly that I can't do it by myself and that I need to be constantly seeking my Heavenly Father's help if I want to be more like Christ. I need the touch of the Master's hand. This world can leave us battered and scarred...but the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the touch of the Master's hand, can help us make music that we never thought possible. What a beautiful concept.  :) Until we meet again (via the internet).

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

Now photographs!

A silly photo of the Orhei missionaries with two members here, Diana and Ion, who had us over for dinner last Sunday. It's blurry....but it just makes it that much better. Haha.

Sora Bynum and I pretending to be cats.... 

The food we ate....plăcintă and sarmale. Delicious Moldovan dishes!

A bike in front of an abandoned building in Cișmea.

The inside of another abandoned building.

Bynum and I (yes! wedo have legs!) with an INCREDIBLE member in Chișinău named Nina. We went to dinner with her when we were in Chișinău for Labor Day.

The litter of puppies we found behind our apartment block this week. There's four of them and we named them after the members of The Beatles. From left to right, it's Paul, George, Ringo and John is the white one of top....he's my favorite.  :)

Slavic and Cristina, two members of the branch here, on their wedding day! Slavic is the Elder's Quorum President and Cristina is the Relief Society President! They're awesome!

Last but not least, the view from our apartment. This little run-down town gets more beautiful every day.

September 1, 2014 - Tatăl ceresc nu face greseala.

Photographs first today!

Our Zone Training Meeting from the beginning of the transfer.
I just barely got a copy of it...but here are the Moldovan missionaries!

A Christ statue in Mitoc, a village we visited this past week. These shrines are EVERYWHERE in Moldova. But I've never seen one as beautiful as this! This one was carved from wood and the crown of thorns were real thorns....the detail was incredible.

One of the puppies who followed us around Mitoc. They were adorable. We call this puppy contacting.....every creature on this Earth should hear the gospel, right?!

Sora Bynum and I in some building ruins....contacting
gets kind of weird in villages sometimes.

Just some pretty ruins.

The mama cat who had baby kittens outside of our apartment....I'm pretty sure I talked about it in last week's email! We named the little brown one Nephi because he's our favorite....then the other one's Laman and Lemuel because all they do is meow when we pick them up. Hahaha.

Mirror selfie with our neighbor's cat. Sometimes it sneaks into our apartment when we open the door, which I secretly love.... But we always play with her for a minute before putting her back into the hall. Haha.

Okay....now that I've sent the most random photos from my week.... In this week's email I'm just going to focus on one of the things I learned... Heavenly Father doesn't make mistakes. This concept hit me SO hard this past week. We had a hard week because literally every single lesson we had scheduled fell through...and that certainly starts to take a toll after awhile. But on Friday I had my STL exchange for the transfer with Sora Bray and it was such a good experience! She did a lovely job at reminding me that everything happens for a reason. Heavenly Father doesn't make mistakes and if I'm working hard in faith, things will go how HE wants them to go. 

I hope you all know how very much I love this gospel. I know God is my loving Heavenly Father and is very, very aware of what I'm going through and He knows what He wants me to become. Heavenly Father doesn't make mistakes.

PROFITE DE ZILE.

-Sora Schwab

September 23, 2014 - coming home

hi everyone. i don't know if mom and dad have let you know...but i have to get an oral surgery done. i was supposed to get it done before my mission but it would have delayed me. so they did a root canal and said it would hold me over until after my mission when i could get the surgery. this past week my whole jaw and tooth and face was in excruciating pain. i went to get it checked and i need the surgery now. (there's an infection at the bottom of the roots of my tooth and it's starting to wear away at my jaw and doing all sorts of fun stuff.) we looked into the possibilities of getting it done here in romania or in germany...which both mom and dad, and i both didn't feel great about. mom and dad talked to the surgeon there in utah who i worked with before and it looks like i will be getting it done there. the recovery is two-ish weeks...which i'll spend there as well.

i was very, very upset upon realizing i have to leave. but upon lots of fasting and prayer, i'm at peace that everything happens for a reason and that we'll get the surgery done right and i'll get back into the field in a jiffy. i'm hoping that i won't even get released. i love you guys and although i was wishing i wouldn't, i'll see you all in a couple weeks. (not that i don't love you guys....i'm just supposed to be here in romania.) va iubesc.

profite de zile.

-sora schwab