Sora Merrill

Well, sorry I didn't right until now. We had zone conference on Monday so we were traveling until today, but it was absolutely wonderful and I loved seeing all my mission buddies and President and Sora Hill!

 

This week was great...I don't really remember a whole lot of what happened. It went way to fast. I feel like after your half way mark time goes twice as fast, which is totally not fair at all.

 

We did service this week for this old guy who has a garden. We dug up some ground and planted some ceapa and it was really hard. Sora Huffaker and I were so tired and sore! It was great to be able to serve him, though, because he's super old and lives alone and doesn't have anyone to help him. he's pretty picky about his garden, though. He kept yelling at us because we weren't digging or planting in straight lines, which we totally were. But that's ok, I'm sure he just wants it to look good. Before we left he gave us a bag of cauliflower and pickles...it was really weird. He also gave us a bag of ant-infested red onions. I really didn't want to get ants in our house, but we couldn't leave them outside our door, so we hung them outside our window...remember that for later.

 

I got your package! Thanks so much. I haven't finished reading the talk, but I liked the pictures and the butterfly thing and the skittles. Multumesc frumos!

 

We had a couple cool lessons this week. We met with Anca and Valentin. Valentin is so cool! They both have so much faith! We taught the Plan of Salvation and they just want to make it to the Celestial Kingdom so bad! Valentin always says that you have to be 'rich in your heart' with faith in God, even if you're not very rich in real life. I love that so much! He accepted a date to be baptized on the 2nd of May.

 

We haven't really been able to meet with Cristina much this week. We went over there once to make gogosi with Lenuta and them, but we more had a lesson with Lenuta's brother-in-law instead of Cristina, which was kind of frustrating because although he's an awesome guy, we really weren't able to talk to Cristina at all. We haven't been able to meet with her since because her mom's been sick in the hospital and she's been sick, too. I pray for her so much and Sora Huffaker and I just know that we're doing all we can for her.

 

We got to meet with Ileana this week! She's probably one of my favorite people I've met here, not that I have favorites...I just always say I do...for everything. Sora Huffaker thinks it's pretty funny because every time I share a scripture or something I always say it's my favorite...I just like everything! But anyways, Ileana is so sweet! She just got back from Italy so it was the first time meeting with her for 3 weeks. Our message was more of just, we love you and just really care about you. She came to church on Sunday! She always really likes it when she does come, and she loves everything we teach her, but she's still holding on to the Orthodox religion, mostly because it's a cultural thing and her family has always been Orthodox. She's not the only one like that, and I totally understand how hard it would be. Of course I don't understand completely, but anyways, that's why we just had a "We love you and care about you and just want to help you" kind of lesson, because I think we were kind of fourcing her too much, and Sora Huffaker agreed that that's what she felt Ileana needed. She is just the sweetest, nicest lady I have ever met.

 

On Sunday we had Branch conference, so President and Sora Hill came and spoke. It was so good! The Spirit was so strong! And there were so many people there! We invited our English students and probably 6 or 7 of them came! It was simply amazing! Everything just went so well. I tried to translate for Sora Hill during Relief Society, but it was so hard! If you miss one word, you're completely out for 2 minutes, or at least that's how it was for me. It was so hard, but I think I got most of the important things at least.

 

After we got to ride a maxi taxi to Arad. We stayed in a hotel with the Oradea and Timisoara missionaries. It was so fun! zone conference was just amazing, too. We're going to start doing more Family History contacting. They church is starting to digitize the Romanian records, soon, so that more of it will be online. Right now there are very few records on Family Search, but within a month or two there will be a whole lot more! Sora Huffaker and I were really wanting to try contacting with it, and now we really can! It's going to be great!

 

President Hill also talked a lot about Our Purpose as missionaries, and how our success isn't measured by how many baptisms we have. Rather it's more important for us to serve those around us, to bring comfort to those in need, to lift up the hands that hang low, to love the people, and to be Christlike. The best way to bring happiness is through the Gospel, but something that Sora Huffaker and I talked about a little today during companion study was that we first really need to show people that we truly care about them. Once people see that, then they will trust us enough to accept what we have to say. Some people will be really open to what we have to say in the first place, but most people do need something that tells them that they can trust what we have to say, and the Spirit will testify to them of the truth of our words.

 

I just love conference. I love seeing everyone together! All of my companions were there! And I really got to know a lot of people a whole lot better, especially the Cluj missionaries. After conference we went to Cluj to spend part of our PDay with them. We took a 5 hour train ride with them and pretty much just talked to them the entire way. It was so fun! They're all awesome missionaries. We went paintballing there yesterday morning. It was so fun! I was awful, but there was one game where I killed at least three people. Other than that, I pretty much was just good at dieing. But it was so fun. I got shot in the face probably at least 5 times. Sora Huffaker was awesome! She was one of the people who shot me in the face. Don't worry, we had masks. Man, that was so fun. We really needed that. I have an awesome bruise on my leg, too.

 

After paintballing we had to run to the autogara to catch a bus back so we could get there in time for English. We made it! But we didn't have time to change so we were all sweaty and gross on the way back. We were all super tired, too. It was so worth it, though. We got back to Sibiu and had to go straight to English. Luckily we did have time to change, but we hadn't really planned anything so we just did a review and Sora Huffaker and I totally figured out a spiritual thought 2 minutes before we gave it, which actually turned out pretty good.

 

Yep, I can't really remember a whole lot else this week. It was mostly just a very tiring week, but it was so good! I think the most important things I learned this week, though, is the importance and necessity of daily repentance, especially being a missionary. It is so important to have the Spirit with you. Although I often feel the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, there are times where I make mistakes that limit my ability to have that companionship. They're not big mistakes, but I've noticed that the longer I put off repenting of them, the more prideful I get, and the less I feel the Spirit. But I've learned that if I repent quickly, the Spirit will always be with me. I can repent anywhere at anytime! Yes, sometimes repentance takes more time than just saying sorry to someone, but it is so important. When you don't repent, your heart hardens and the Spirit can't enter in, because there's no room there. It is so good to feel that Spirit. The Spirit testifies of Christ and His Atonement. It's real! It is the realest thing on earth! And anyone can feel it, just repent, or think about Christ. The Spirit will be there!

 

Yep, that's this week. It's been great! Next Saturday we find out if I'm leaving. Elder Baielli and I think I'm going to Iasi to be a Sister Training Leader, but nobody knows. Maybe I'll stay one more transfer here! That would be awesome!

 

Again, sorry I'm late. Don't be worried, we're all fine.

 

Love you all!

 

Sora Merrill

A couple of things I've learned on my mission...

Well, in 2 days I'll only have 9 months left on my mission. Being half way is the weirdest thing ever. I feel like I just got here yesterday! But because I am halfway, I was really pondering this week all the things that have happened since I've got here, and all the things I've learned, and they're not few, I can tell you that much. You know, I don't really feel like I'm really that much of a different person, just more refined, and probably a lot more happier. I made a list of that things that I've learned so far (I had a goal to write down at least one things I've learned every transfer, but I kind of failed at that, so I decided to do this). I thought I might include some in my letter today:

 

1) Heavenly Father loves all of His missionaries and is grateful for all of them. He's proud of every effort we put in and understands our weaknesses. He doesn't expect us to be perfect, but does ask that we try our best and leave the rest to Him.

 

I think I really learned this at the end of my third and begining of my fourth transfer. I had spent a lot of my time beating myself up when I only saw the things I had failed at doing that day. It was really hard for me to really give myself credit for the things I was doing well, and therefore impossible for me to think that Heavenly Father was glad with my efforts. Although I knew He didn't expect me to be perfect, I wasn't exactly sure about what He really did expect me to be. But then on an exchange with one of our Sister Training Leaders, she reminded me of the truth that Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and especially all of His missionaries. He is so proud of us when we simply open our mouths. And Even on days that are hard, where we don't even want to go outside, He is still proud of us when we do, when we put in the effort that we can, and He blesses us significantly! And when He does bless us (which is every day) we need to show gratitude, which leads perfectly into number 2...

 

2) If you look for the blessings, you will find them!

 

This is something that just continually amazes me. I have to thank Ashley for helping me with this one. She got me started on really looking for blessings in my life. But I think in my first transfer I really started looking for the blessings Heavenly Father had blessed me with every day. Some days it was really hard, all I wanted to do was go to sleep. But I would always try to think of at least one good thing that had happened that day, and I always found one. Most of the time, once I got started, I could think of a lot more. Doing this strengthened my testimony so much that my Heavenly Father loves me, and He loves His children! This is His work, why would He want to hinder it? Every day I thought of just a couple of things, and it testified to me that Heavenly Father is leading this work, that He isn't only blessing the lives of the people here, but He is blessing my life, by using me as an instrument in His hands. There are always blessings to be found! I think I even found the most joy in the smaller blessings, because it showed me that Heavenly Father is in every aspect of this work, even the small and simple things. 

 

3) "Work will work when wishy washy wishing won't" --President Hinckley

 

This may be my favorite quote of President Hinckley's. This is probably something I believe in most. I love to work! Especially in this work! I love coming home at the end of the day super tired, because I know that that means I've been working hard. And I have a very strong testimony that that harder you work, the more the Lord will bless you, because you show Him that He can trust you with what He asks you to do. Although you may still have slower weeks, He still is blessing you. Just keep going! (Also, see the above section). "Run hard and to the tape," as Elder Holland said in that great talk that mom sent me, probably my first or second transfer. 

 

4) Have a Just Do It additude

 

Ok, so I'm not trying to quote Nike, this is definitely just something I have had to put into practice as a missionary, and it works! It's actually something I feel like I learned before my mission, but here it just works so well! I just remember always having to do hard workouts in track and a lot of people would just complain and grumble and really not put in their best effort, and I have to admit, sometimes I was that person. But then I realized that if I just did the workout without complaining and just started as soon as possible, it would be over a lot sooner and I would feel really good after! The same is in missionary work. So many times I would be so scared to talk to someone on a bus, or call someone on the phone, because I was afraid I wouldn't understand or wouldn't know what to say or it would just be awkward to talk to the person next to me because no one does that here and they would just think I'm weird. But everytime I would "Just Do It" everything would be better than if I didn't, even if I didn't understand. Because I saw that even if my effort was kind of whimpy, or I completely forgot how to speak Romanian when I tried to talk to someone, Heavenly Father blessed that effort (again, see the above sections). It's always just better to do it! 

 

5) First love, then correct

 

This is something I've really seen while being on my mission. I've realized that it's going to take a lifetime to really develop Christlike love for everyone. But I know that Heavenly Father will give us that love if we ask, and if we truly strive to have it. As a missionary, and just in general, no one is going to change if they don't first feel love. Something I've really pondered throughout my mission is how Heavenly Father speaks to me. Every time I feel a prompting from the Spirit, or receive a confirmation that something is true from the Spirit, it is always through my feelings, one of those feelings being uncomprehensible love from my Heavenly Father. I've really come to understand that people don't do anything, unless they feel that it's right, or good, or that it will make their life better. yeah, Heavenly Father could just make something make sense in our mind, but without feeling, it's very unlikely that we're going to do anything about it. Chirst was the perfect example of how to help people change, and He still is. He first gives us His love. His love is always there. And because of His love for us, He corrects us. It cannot be done in any other way. If you want anyone to change, you must first love them. I could go on and on about how important love is! I could go in 20 different directions from here! And I've learned that it's the same with the investigators we have. They're not going to change unless we show them love and until they really feel the love of their Savior for them, which comes as they pray, read their scriptures, come to church, and repent! Seminary answers, they're great folks. But It's so true, that is how we can feel the love of our Savior more fully in our lives. And I know that's true from personal experience. 

 

Well, I could keep going, but I guess I should also tell you a little bit about our week! Because it was fantastic!

 

We had many many really wonderful lessons this week! Who should I start with...

 

I'll start with Traian, because he's so cool! He's 87 years old and we block knocked into him last week, I think. Anyways, we went over there again to give him a Book of Mormon, because he wanted one, but we didn't have any...I can't remember why. We went back over and taught him the Restauration and actually talked a lot about authority and how the church is set up, because he had a lot of questions about that. He thought it was really cool and just really likes how we're so excited about this work. He saw that we really care and that this means a lot to us. He agreed to come to church, but said that he probably wouldn't be able to this week because he was getting back surgery, but that he would come the next week. But then yesterday, guess who showed up! He did! He said he saw in the Book of Mormon 'Duminica la ora 10' and was like, "well, might as well go!" and He came! And he loved it! He still says he's Orthadox and that he'll stay that way, but that he'll come every Sunday! He is so cool, but he smells really bad of old man. 

 

Next! Mirela. She is so cool. She's super shy, though, and it's really hard for me to read people, so sometimes I have no idea how she's feeling about what we're saying. But she told us in our last lesson that she knows it was just an "intamplare" that we came to her door and she has so much real intent, it's crazy! She is such a huge blessing! That was kind of a crazy lesson because she had gone online and had read about tithing and our member that we brought with us kind of went off on that and we were just sitting there like, "We haven't even taught the Restauration!" It was scary, but all went well and turned out great and she's still awesome. 

 

Anca and Valentin! Anca's a member, but her husband/ boy friend (because they're not actually married because they don't have enough money) isn't a member. But this last week he expressed to us that he really wants to be baptized, so we started teaching him. he can't read, but Anca reads with him and their daughter every night! They are so adorable. Our last lesson we asked him to pray, and he wouldn't because he said he wasn't ready, but him and Anca prayed together and he said he felt so good and that he was so sorry he didn't pray with us! They are just so cute. He already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Church. It's so cool. 

 

Cristina! She's doing awesome. We did the stop smoking program with her, and although she hasn't quit completely, she's doing a lot better. she's also cut down on drinking coffee. She wasn't able to come to church yesterday because she had a fever. Ugh! We are convinced that the adversary is trying so hard to keep her from coming. But we're not giving up, and neither is she! She is just so great. We love her so much!

 

We also found this former investigator when we were block knocking the other day. She is so cool! She used to live next to the Elders 2 or 3 years ago, but then they changed apartments. She absolutely loved them, though. She called us one day after we had gone to lunch with Eugen and invited us over right then. So we went over and found out she had made lunch for us (ciorba de salata). It was good, just like any ciorba, but we were already full from eating with Eugen. And then she's like, "I'm going to make you clatite, too!" and she did. And we ate probably 7 clatite each because she just kept making them and giving them to us and even though we said, "This is going to be my last one" she said, "No. You can have one more!" She probably did that 3 times. We felt so fat afterwards. It was kind of awful, but she was so cute! I love her so much! Her name is Maria, I think I forgot to say that. 

 

Yesterday at church we had a very interesting Sunday School lesson. It was on how to improve your marriage (or in this case, prepare yourself for marriage, since everyone in our branch is single except for like 2 people). It was so hilarious! One guy, who has a crush on me and Sora Huffaker and makes it really obvious, kept slipping our names into all of his comments. He also kind of tried to turn the class into a dating advice discussion. Sora Huffaker and I just kind of sat there, and I think both of us were just tuning him out. We kept looking over at the Elders and they were trying so hard not to laugh. It was so hilarious! But Sandu did a great job turning the class back to the real purpose of the lesson. Oh man, it was just hilarious, and slightly awkward at the same time, but it was great. 

 

Oh yeah! And we called Ileana yesterday and she was so excited to hear from us! She's been on vacation and we haven't been able to talk to her at all. I was so excited to talk to her and she was so happy that we called. She kept doing these cute little excited laughs while we talked to her. it was so cute. I love her so much!

 

Yep, a whole lot more happened, but I really don't have much time left. I love you all! I hope everything's going well! 

 

Love,

 

Sora Merrill