The end has come and gone.

I live by the lesson that the Lord taught me while in Romania. 

My mission did not change my life....

the Gospel has changed my life!

18 Months came so fast. Some days I felt like the days would last forever and before I knew it my time was painfully short. Now, I'm back. I'm on American soil. I'm back to English. My life is no longer "Sora Remsberg." I was so excited to come home. I was so excited to see my family, to hug my family, to laugh with my family, to love all over them. I am so blessed and I couldn't have done it without their love, support, and prayers. 

I quickly want to write down some of the things that the Lord taught me while serving His children in Romania:

- Doctrine and Covenants 18 - Sometimes that one soul is our own and it is just as important and worth saving than any other soul!

- You cannot change others, but you can change yourself.

- We get the choice to be happy. Everyday we have to choose happiness.

- People are attracted to the gospel. People are attracted to us when we worthily live the gospel

- My testimony has not gown while on my mission, it has just been engraven deeper into my heart. My testimony became as living testimony as I saw the gospel change my life and others lives.

- We do not have to convince or force anyone to join the church...when they are ready, they are ready!

- I have a lifetime of work to do

- Prayer is essential to life and changes our thoughts, attitudes and our relationship with our Father in Heaven.

- As you grow closer to the Lord and search Him out, you inevitable change. You want to change.

- Christ and Heavenly Father must be at the foundation of every relationship.

- We have the capacity and it is our responsibility to love everyone of God's children.

- The Lord knows who you need in your life. God's plan is always the best, maybe not the easiest, but always the best.

- Sometimes what matters most is what you do when no on else is watching

- Life is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it!

- Generosity of spirit. Be happy for others successes, goals and dreams

- Our differences make us unique. Our differences are needed in the world!

- Complaining and gossip only bring loneliness. 

As this part of my life comes to a close I want to bear my testimony. I miss "Sora Remsberg" but as the days go by I realize that the name is only gone, but the person I became is still there and I have a lifetime of work to do.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. It is the most correct church and God's church on the earth today. It has the authority of God, restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, as Joseph Smith said, and is evidence that God loves us. The miracles and blessing that come from it are innumerable. I know that God loves me. I know that he knows me. I know that he only wants me to be happy and that I can find happiness through His gospel. I know that Jesus Christ is my brother. I know that His Atonement is the greatest gift and tool we can use here on this earth in order to be happy and to one day return to live with Heavenly Father again. I know that I can be together with my family for eternity because of the Atonement and the saving ordinances performed in the temple. How blessed we are to have the gift of prayer. I know that there is no other form of communication that can bring more answers and quicker feelings of comfort and love than when you earnestly go to your Heavenly Father in prayer. I never really understood it when people would say the church is a living church. In my own way I now understand. The church lives on through us, through me. I know that I have the wonderful blessing to forever wear Christ's name and be his example.

Stiu fara nici-o indoiala ca Biserica lui Isus Hrisos a Sfintilor din Zilele din Urma esta adevarata. Este cea mai corecta biserica si biserica Domnului aici pe pamant. Ea are autoritate lui Dumnezeu care a fost restaurata prin intermedial Joseph Smith. Cartea lui Mormon este cheia de bolta a religiei noastre si esta o dovada ca Dumnezeu ne iubeste. Binecuvantarile care vin de la ea sunt multe si fara de sfarsit. Stiu ca Dumnezeu ma iubeste. Stiu ca el ma cunoaste. Stiu ca numai vrea sa fiu fericita si ca pot gasi acea ferecire prin evanghelia lui. Stiu ca Isus Hristos este fratele meu. Stiu ca ispasirea lui este cel mai mare dar si cel mai mare instrument pe care putem sa o folosim aici pe pamant sa fim fereciti si sa ne intoarem intr-o zi in prezenta lui Dumnezeu. Stiu ca familii sunt eterne datorita Ispasirii lui Isus Hristos si legamintele pe care le facem la templu. Cate binecucantati suntem sa avem darul rugaciunii. Stiu can nu este un alt mod de comunicare care pot aduce atat de mult respunsuri si care pot aduce un sentiment de alinare she iubire decat atunci cand te rogi sincer lui Dumnezeu. N-am inteles nici-o data ce inseamna o biserica vie. Acum, in felul meu, inteleg. Biserica traieste prin noi, prin eu! Stiu ca am o oportunitate minunata de a porta numele lui Isus Hristos pentru totdeuna si sa fiu exemplu lui.

The LAST email home

11 February 2013

Ceau,
I am writing you today from Bucaresti. The last week in Sibiu was a bitter sweet one. We were able to meet every other day with Florina. She is the cuttest lady and her daughter is wonderful. She loves the gospel. She wants to learn all she can. She wants to be baptized, but she knows she needs to correct a few things in her life before she can make that commitment with God. I am constantly in wonder at how the Lord prepares people for the gospel.
Sora Zimmerman and I safely made it here last night after spending Sunday in Ploiesti. It was a wonderful experience. There were about 70 people or more at church, and it is actually held in a capela (building) and not a villa. I was not used to that seeing as the biggest congregation I have participated in since leaving the MTC has been about 20. However, the greatest things I realized as I was able to bear my dying testimony is that no matter where we are, in a 5 member branch who meets in a house or a 200+ member ward, weather you know the people that are sitting next to you or not, the spirit is the same and can be felt by those who are there. There are so many people here in this beautiful country that are without the gospel, but I have so much hope and faith that in the future the work will move forward and many will be able to feel of the spirit that comes from the gospel. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father that he has given me this opportunity to be spend 18 months as one of his servants and to serve his children here in Romania.
I will keep this short and end with a verse from 2 John 1:12
"Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full."
Va Iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

4 February 2013

Ceau!
This will be my last letter home from Sibiu, Romania. Next week I will be in Bucaresti for exit interviews with President Hill and preparing to fly home. I can't believe how fast it is coming. I'm not quite sure yet if I will have time to go to the internet, so we will see.
This week started off really slow, but ended wonderfully. I am so blessed to be here and to teach and be taught by the spirit, members, investigators and people we meet on the street. Florina was at church again this week and she even brought her 12 year old daughter, Denisa, with her. We were able to watch the Restoration DVD with them after church and it was just a wonderful experience. Everytime I watch that short film, the spirit reconfirms to me that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ and that through him God's church was once again restored to the earth in it's fullness and the authority of God was brought back upon the earth.
This week I have studies a lot out of 2 Nephi 4. I love what a strong and spiritual man Nephi was, but at the same time so humble and wanting to do the Lord's will and to shake himself of all his sins. I love what he says in verses 20 and 21.

20 My God hath been my asupport; he hath led me through minebafflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
21 He hath filled me with his alove, even unto the bconsuming of my flesh.

I know that the Lord does support each and everyone of us through our trials and he will fill us with a love and a peace that we cannot find anywhere else as we turn to him and ask for his help through prayer. I have seen this in our work each day and in the lives of those we work with.
Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

28 January 2013

Ceau!
I'm sorry for the lack of a letter last week, but I will make it up this week. We have been really blessed by the Lord this transfer to have lots of work going on. It is so sad to think I don't have much time left here and that I cannot be "Sora Remsberg" my entire life, but that is how it works. It makes me want to work even harder and enjoy every moment I have left.

We have really made a push to use members on member present lessons. What a difference it has made and makes not only in the lessons and in the development of relationships between the investigators and the branch, but it also helps establish a good relationship between us as missionaries and the members. With these small branches we are involved in a lot of the branch work, but as we really have pushed to focus on our purpose of finding people and bringing them to the gospel and incorporating the members in the work, the work has turned around.
This last week Sora Zimmerman and I were in centru and we met the mom of a less-active member. We stopped and talked for a second and she intruduced us to her friend, Florina, who was with her. Florina asked a couple of questions about what we are doing here and we invited her to church. When we walked in on Sunday she was there! The branch members were wonderful and had fellowshipped her right away. She stayed all three hours and we were able to have a lesson with her as well. We are so excited to meet with her this week.

I have such a strong testimony that if we are living the Gospel the way we should and are not afraid to share our joy that comes from the gospel with others, the Lord will place people who are prepared in our paths and they will want to know more about this joy that we are so blessed to have in our lives. In relief society we talked about the October 2012 conference talk "I'm Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it." by Sister Dibbs. It was just another testimony to me that as we are confident in who we are and in the decisions we make everday as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we will be blessed to share the gospel with those around us.

Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

14 January 2013

Ceau!
Thank you for all your birthday wishes.
This week we will be having transfers, again. They seem to just keep coming. Sora Zimmerman and I will be staying together for the last four weeks here in Sibiu. We are so excited to stay and to continue working here. The work is moving forward and things are just coming together right now. I am so lucky to be able to witness some of the Lord's many miracles here in Sibiu.
This week we started teaching the Gospel to one of our english students. She is a 50 year old woman with a lot of influence in the city. As we have had a couple lessons with her we realized something very important. She knows the traditions of the orthodox religion, but she does not understand her relationship with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. As we discussed and planned how we can help her understand her relationship with them and how important it is to understanding not only the gospel but understanding life as well I realized how blessed we are to know how relationship with them.
I know that God is our Heavenly Father. He is our literal father in heaven who loves us and knows us perfectly. He wants to hear from us, about our lives, and he wants to bless us. He has so much confidence and trust in us. Jesus Christ is our brother. He loves us more than we can imagine and because of that he offered himself as a sacrifice so that we may have the opportunity to return to live with our Father in Heaven again through His Atonement. The holy ghost is our constant companionship. When we enter the waters of baptism we are promised that he will be with us at all times as long as we live worthy. He comforts us, he guides us, he teaches us and gives us responses to our questions. How lucky are we? How simple and yet the most important things we can know.
Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

7 January 2013

Ceau!
It is still a little weird for me to write 2013 on things. Another year is here and it is already going so fast. New years was fun. We had a branch FHE where we played games and watched a Disney movie before we headed to Centru to watch the fireworks. There were so many people out there and you could just feel the energy of those waiting to bring in the new year.
Sora Zimmerman and I have been blessed this transfer to continue to find a new investigator each week. This last week we started meeting with a cute 22 year old who we found from a member referral/english. Her mother is an Adventist, but she has never felt comfortable there, too many rules that she just doesn't understand. We have had a couple good lessons with her and we were able to bring a member with us to one of the lessons. She is progressing and currently praying to receive an answer if baptism is the right thing for her to do and if this is the church that she should be baptized in. Early in my mission I was a little nervous to teach those of the same age as I was because I thought they would laugh at me or I wrongfully thought that they wouldn't be interested. That they enjoy the things of the world too much to be interested in the gospel, but Romona has once again showed me that it does not matter what age you are, but when you are ready for the gospel you are ready. Also, it is evidence to me that the Gospel is the most important thing in our lives and people are searching for it and for the joy that comes from the gospel.
Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

31 December 2012

La Multi ani!

Happy New Year!
Can you believe that 2012 has come and gone? How quickly time continues to move forward, whether we want it to or not. Christmas came and went. Many people left for the holidays and have been busy with cleaning and preparing food and guests, but we were blessed to be able to have a busy week and to see the Lord's hand in our work.
A couple weeks ago, we met Eugen. We started meeting with him and things are going really well. He is from Moldova, but has moved here for school and to work. He graduated in theology and history and needless to say is a very educated person. We have had lessons on the Book of Mormon and the Restoration. He is open and progressing. He has gone back home for the week, but we decided that we would send him a "15 chapter Power read" of the Book of Mormon.
We first heard of this in the MTC. One of the speakers told us that if we could pick any 15 chapters from the Book of Mormon that would help an investigator to come unto Christ, what would they be? Obviously the 15 chapters would be tailored to the needs of the individual, so that's exactly what we did. We are excited for him to read the chapters and to meet with him after the new year.
As we were thinking of the chapters to have him read, I realized how many of the chapters and the entire Book of Mormon talk and testify of Christ You can't help but feel God's love and hear his guidance as you read and study it's pages. It sounds cheesy, but I often want to just hug my scriptures because of how much I love them and how much joy they bring into my life. How blessed we are to have another testament of Jesus Christ.
May this new year bring you "numai bine" only good and "multe sanatate" much health.
Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

Craciun Fericit

Tis the season to be jolly

1. Branch Christmas party

2. Amy with Sora Z, Simona, Mariana, and Elena

3. Merry Christmas from the Sibiu sisters :]

24 December 2012

Craciun Fericit! 
Merry Christmas!

Congrats to Janae and Isaiah. You look so happy. I'm glad the day was perfect for the both of you. Thank you to everyone who sent pictures of the big day. I loved them.

I can't believe that Christmas is already here. How time just seems to be going so fast. This week was a busy one and such a good one. This week we were able to meet with a few investigators and with a few less-active families. They just make the days so much better. What better way to spend the holiday season than by telling everyone about Christ!

We were also able to celebrate Christmas with the branch. We had about 9 nonmembers come. The night was filled with ornament making, dinner, caroling, and reading of the Christmas story from Luke. How I love this time of year. It seems now more than ever I have the opportunity to focus on it's true meaning, Christ.

Yesterday, Sora Zimmerman taught the relief society lesson on angels. We read the following scriptures fround in Alma 29:1-3

1. O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
2. Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemtion, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
3. But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

I just loved this. It made me think about the role of angles. They bring tidings of glad joy. They pronounce repentace and to invite others to come unto the savior. She then asked us, "How can we become like angles?" What a blessing that we have the opportunity to be angles in the lives of others by bringing joy into their lives, being examples and inviting them to draw closer to the savior. I have been blessed to have many angels in my life. My parents, my sisters, my friends. During this season may we try to be that angel for someone else, may we do everything with the sole purpose of making life better for other people!.

Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

17 December 2012

Ceau! 

The weeks are continuing to go by so fast. This week we were able to travel to Arad to celebrate Christmas with our zone and with the Arad zone. It was fun to be with all the other missionaries and I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner. I love the holiday season because we really get to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, Christ. We have the opportunity to invite Christ into the lives of others everyday, but it just seems that during this time of the year everyone opens up just a little bit more. We do truly bring glad tiding of great joy.

When we got back, we had lots of work to do and we saw so many little miracles. Sora Z and I had made a goal to have 2 investigators at church this week. We knew it could be done, we just needed to work hard. Sunday came and Natalia, the sister of a member and an investigator came to church and a new investigator, Sanda, who is the girlfriend of a member came! What a blessing. Church was really good as we had President and Sora Heninger, the second counselor in the mission presidency come to speak to us.

We have also been working with a less-active member quite a bit and he is progressing and coming back. The best part is to see his desire to share the gospel with those he loves. What better way to strengthen your own testimony than by inviting others to strengthen theirs?!

When Elder Kerr of the 70 was here he advised us to think of power lines, our arsenal, to give to those we come in contact with everyday. We really have about one sentence or one minute to grab people's attention and invite them to learn more about the gospel. This is even more true as it gets colder and colder outside. We have made it a goal to think of at least one new "arsenal" everyday. We have come up with a few:

-Repentance is the ability to change who you want to become
-The Gospel of Jesus Christ inspires action and change continually
-The Bible teaches us what we need to do to return to God, the Book of Mormon teaches us how we can return to Him. Together they are complete
-The Atonement is the foundation of our lives and our faith and qualifies us for all the blessings of heaven.
-The feelings of the heart can bring great joy into our lives

If you had one line to share with others about any aspect of the gospel, what would it be? I would love to hear what you would say. The gospel is so personal and tailored to every individual life. It is truly a blessing that we all have been given in our lives.

Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg