Week 6: instead of purses or briefcases or even backpacks, they just use grocery bags.

So time is flying.  It's unreal how soon I will be leaving for Romania.  I'm excited!
 
Romania is full of dogs.  In București alone there are 50,000 street dogs. My teachers advice was do not run and just act like you are picking up a rock and they'll run away.  Another interesting colloquialism is instead of purses or briefcases or even backpacks, they just use grocery bags.  So in an attempt to attain native maturity my companion and I have been carrying around our books in some Macey's bags (Thank you Matthew and Audrey). They really advise to not use backpacks in the larger, busier areas due to thieves and the like. 
 
It's been very interesting to learn of how Romania was "prepared" to be opened up to missionary work. Normally the Church has to approach a country's department of religion or whatever it may be called.  Under communism (the official religion being atheism) they had no department or council.  So the Church approached I believe the Medical Department of Romania and the head of the department just said sure come right in.  The country was then open to missionaries and proselyting.  It's a longer more interesting story but I'm afraid I can't retell it too well. 
 
The language is still a struggle.  In German there are only like four cases and you don't really have to conjugate like we do.  Romanian has too many cases for me to remember.  And there is a slavic case.  There are often two words for one english word -- one being slavic and the other being a latin word.  It's somewhat fascinating to learn grammar, my commendations to whoever sat down and established all these obnoxious rules. 
 
Elder Swarts, a great friend from Draper, has been recovering from a foot injury here at the MTC and now has to stay here a total of fifteen or so weeks.... Pray for him.  One because his foot needs to heal, two because fifteen weeks is too long. 
 
Last night we had a great devotional.  We heard from Cecil Samuelson, the president of BYU.  He shared some of the following quotes and thoughts that I really enjoyed:
 
"You won't be judged by what positions you held but by how many people you served." -I believe that is from President Monson or one of the prophets...
 
"We won't be perfect in everything, but we can be perfect in some things." -President Samuelson
 
"Often those who need the most love are those that are the least loveable." -President Samuelson
 
He spoke a lot out of Paul's discourse to Timothy and how we need to be examples in everything.  Not just now but in our lives.  I related these quotes to the Atonement.  Something I have been studying every day now.  I have been reading some talks from Hugh Nibley (a genius to say the least) who wrote a four part message on the atonement.  This is fascinating.  Hugh Nibley knew and studied greek, egyptian, aramaic, arabic, german, latin, and other languages and cultures.  Reading his talks is actually easier than it sounds because of how clear he presents things.  I think most anyone would love his message on the Atonement. 
 
Basketball continues to be fruitful.  My feet hurt pretty bad from wearing my destroyed asics and then wearing church shoes the rest of the day.  We have been playing so hard lately, but nobody's been seriously inujured.... yet. 
 
Mom thank you for the Banana Bread.  I sat down today and ate the entire loaf by myself........... I shared like two pieces but I missed good banana bread.  Thank you :)
 
Crystal that card blew my mind, especially since the guitar moved. I think i'll leave that for the next residents to find when I leave.  It's something that should be passed on.  I'll put your address in it so they can write you. 
 
I'm still working on the combover.  Every since I got a haircut here the back just stands straight up.  It's not really a haircut anyways.  They ask you what you want, pretend their going to do that for you, and then shave your head. One interesting thing is that in Romanian you don't say, "I got a haircut" you say, "I mowed my hair today."  There are all sorts of funny things like that.  Another one is if you're talking with your pals or whatever and are referring to the cool person or the ripped jock who has it all (me) you call him the man who carries the sledge-hammer.  And if you want to say you slept really well, you say, "I slept like a lumberjack"
 
I continually thank you for your letters and support.  I'm having a great time and learning so much about myself, about the ecclectisism (is that a word?) of the world, and the importance of self-progression.  I hope you are all doing fantastic, I miss you all. Even Marcellus.
 
Love,
Elder Taylor.