November 17, 2014 - "Tău cel mai bun este suficient...."

I never know how to start these emails so I'm just going to jump right in! This week we had Zone Conference! Elder Kearon from the General Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us and it was such a great experience! I learned a TON of stuff....but some of the highlights were when he talked about how we need to be happy with our work, but never satisfied. This concept really hit me hard. We've been working our missionary butts off here in București and we're not seeing ANY results. So this was a really good reminder. I can be happy about the work we're doing because I know we're working hard.....but also never to become satisfied with what we've done because we can always do more! Also, he reminded us that we were called to a specific place at a specific time with specific people because of our specific stories and experiences and testimonies that can so specifically help a specific person. So we need to be ourselves! Sometimes I feel like I need to fit the perfect cookie-cutter guidelines of a missionary....but that's not me! I love rock & roll and sometimes I meow at people....and I've gone through some very different things than other missionaries haven't and I need to use that to my advantage! I love that. The coolest part about the whole thing is that before the conference actually started, Elder Kearon had all the missionaries come up and shake his hand. As I got to him, Sora Ivory leaned over and told him that my parents were serving as mission president and wife in Samara. He lit up and told me he wanted to talk to me after the conference. I ended up getting like a ten minute one-on-one interview with a general authority! It was the coolest experience ever. There is so much he said to me that was so inspired and that I ABSOLUTELY needed to hear. The first thing he said to me when I walked into the classroom where we had our interview was (remember he has a British accent which makes it way better...), "Well aren't you just lovely? We need to just take you and put you right on the cover of the church news." It really has nothing to do with anything, it was just cute and nice. Haha. What followed was a true heart to heart about how much I've been struggling since I got back to Romania. He listened to everything I said and gave me some great advice. He told me that my best is enough....and right now that I am doing my best and that the Lord is pleased.....which was such a powerful thing to hear from a general authority. At another point we were talking about how we get called to such a specific place to help specific people. I expressed to him that I felt as if I hadn't found anyone that I've helped in that specific way yet..... He looked me square in the eyes and told me that he KNEW that it would come and that he's sure it's already happened and I'm just not aware of it. It was good to hear that too. It was all over one of the coolest experiences and we ended my interview with a very personal and specific prayer given by Elder Kearon. Ah! It was incredible. God knows me so perfectly and knows exactly what I need....and that was something I needed. It was a great boost and even though things are still going downhill in the aspect of our "success" in our work, it gave me motivation to keep going and get through it. On a totally different note, the missionaries in București are doing a big Christmas performance at the American Embassy and I've been asked to direct the whole thing. So that's like....only the coolest once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ever. Haha. I've never, ever directed a choir.... But I am the branch chorister here in Mihai Bravu just because no one else can lead....and somehow that got me to the position of choir director? Anyway, it's a huge job and I'm so stoked to do it! So I'll keep you posted on that! But I better wrap this bad boy up. Love you all! 

PROFITE DE ZILE.

Sora Schwab

OH! P.S. I will not be having P-day next Monday! We're switching it to Thursday so we can have a big ol' Thanksgiving feast. So you'll hear from me then.

Sora Bird and I when we went chalking in Parcul Titan this week and plastered the Romanian church website everywhere.

Sora Bird, Elder Feil and I at Zone Conference. These are two of my very best friends that I've made out here on my mission. It's funny because we all became really close in Moldova where we served together a few months ago. Elder Feil is a Russian speaker, so he was called to Moldova....but out of nowhere he was called to be the Assistant to President here in București. Then I was transferred to Buc... and then Sora Bird got transferred to Buc. Anyway, it was so fun to serve all together again. He just left for Moldova again and this was when we said goodbye to him. Candid!

Gotta love the awkward missionary photos!

Me, Sora Bird and Sora Tanner at Zone Conference. Two of my past companions and easily two of my besties.

My missionary family at Zone Conference this week! To the left of me is Sora Tanner, my trainer and therefore my mission "mom," to the left of her is Sora Pauni, the second missionary she trained...making her my sister. To the right of me and the one kneeling in front are my brothers. They were trained in the district where Sora Tanner was the oldest sister, therefore making her their mom and therefore making them my brothers. Hahahaha. I know, it's confusing. But this is my mission family! My mission dad has already gone home. The missionary on the far right has no relation to me. He's just one of my brother's dad. Anyway, I know you really care about this....

 

Sora Black, my current companion, and me with some of the elders in our district. We love them!

Last but not least, we were supposed to go paintballing today with the missionaries in București but it got cancelled because of the rain. Anyway, Sora Bird and I wore matching camo shirts to get in the spirit of things and here's a candid of us in those.