I hope you know I have refrained from using sick in my e-mails so as to appear more dignified but this week really was a sick week.
So pretty much all of the investigators we had when I got here have either disappeared or told us off. The last was two days ago when Emil finally answered his phone and was very cold and right before hanging up just told me he didn't want to meet or be baptized. Now I don't know if I should take his dish back. That really bothered me all day. But in the course of a week and a half we have accumulated six families to teach with others to set up with. Six families!! That's crazy. Basically if they all baptized it would double the size of this branch. And they're all awesome. Teaching a family is a wonderful experience and I'm much more comfortable that way and happier I guess you could say. I can definitely relate better. And teaching in a home makes a huge difference. No matter how small the home is. I don't remember what I said last week about that first family, Ramona and Gabi but their house is exactly like the cinderblock "houses" we were around in Central America and yet they're way happier and more pleasant than all these other singles with their fancy clothes and cars. That right there says enough about family. But I'm so excited to be working with all these families. Two of them are just people I called in the Area Book and turned out to be very open and seemingly more ready now. Please pray for them all.
Sometimes the Lord blesses us when we don't really deserve it. That's how it seemed on Thursday when we'd had a long discouraging day and we hadn't accomplished much. I hadn't contacted hardly anyone and wasn't feeling too great but I saw this cute little family that looked too happy so all I said was, "We're missionaries with a message about families. Could we share this with you sometime?" The father smiled and said, "Sure! Not today though, come by Sunday at 2:00." and they are an awesome, happy, humble, pentecostal, gypsy family. They were very receptive of the message and want to meet more and learn more etc. Pentecostals can be difficult to work with because they'll believe that all we teach is true but not understand the need or importance of baptism through proper authority. But this family was able to understand that and sincerely are going to find out if the message we share is worthwhile.
This week, Elder Barney and I have realized how subtly our contacting transformed from giving people pass-along cards to setting up lessons with people on the spot. Also we are understanding better the reasons for early baptismal commitments (extended) and finding blessings from doing that -- even when they are not accepted. We have no idea how all these families fell on our laps and what we did to deserve them but we are very grateful for it.
I'm sorry to hear about Brother Stewart... He was very nice and genuine with me and I appreciated that.
One awesome Area Book family find is Mihaela with her husband Negris and their son Caron. I really misjudged them based of the teaching record and their appearances (something I'm trying to get over...) but they turned out to be fantastic. Even though it has been several years since contact, they remember a lot about the doctrines, specifically about the Plan of Salvation and Joseph Smith's accomplishments on Earth. She was sharing with us her experience from that morning when a friend asked her a couple questions about why God allows this and how He can expect this, etc. And she showed us the answers she gave her friend using the Book of Mormon. She's awesome. and her husband agrees with the majority of what we teach. Their kid is an incredibly bright, eleven year old and was very interested in the Book of Mormon. They already know the Branch Members pretty well and have good relations with them. I'm very excited to see them progress.
Elder Barney and I also have found some service opportunities which he insisted was impossible. We've chopped wood, moved furniture, picked up leaves, pushed cars, carried out old furniture out of blocks...., carried groceries. The simplest of things but it is possible and very rewarding.
Transfers are actually like next week or something crazy. Time's flying by but I'm really enjoying it. Elder Barney will most likely be transferred out and I'll stay but I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed. Elder Casangiu was released as a Mini-Missionary so that he can get a job and earn some money for his full-time mission. I'm gonna miss that kid as trying as he can be. He has more love in his little frame than the great Mother Teresa. He has no fear and contacted probably half this city.
I hope you all made big wishes on 11/11/11, that's not gonna happen for a while.
Romania is a beautiful place to serve. I'm still blown away that I can communicate with these people in their language. I'm amazed that this branch is all converts, they run this church with great efficiency and with so little. I love being in a city where I hear church bells all the time. They remind me of watching the Sound of Music, good movie. This place is rich with culture. Communism in a way preserved some things. I love the old ladies that tell us how beautiful we are, because we really are. Just kidding. Yesterday I was almost on the ground laughing because this one baba that usually stops us and tells us how much she loves us was hiding from us. She like ran to a van and ducked down and at first I thought, "maybe she's just getting something out of her bag..." but then as we walked past she peeked up and through one of the windows and we made eye contact and she ducked back down super fast. Definitely one of the weirdest mornings...
Well I hope you're all excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas to see friends and family. I'll actually probably get a sort of Thanksgiving here. Either with the Geambasus (best members ever) or with an awesome Evangelist friend we made who lives here but is from Pennsylvania. Him and his wife have devoted their LIVES to bringing people to Christ. Not just two years. They have been here for eight years now.
Tell Nico Reed to e-mail me, What's Corbin up to? and jace and tyler and jacob and zac and everyone?
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Taylor
p.s. Matthew, I found this awesome arrangement of O My Father for Cello and Piano and we will master it one day.
Elder Dan
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