19 December 2011

Craciun Fericit

Merry Christmas!

I can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner. I hope it will be filled with lots of carols, fun, time spent with family, and remembering the true meaning of the holiday.

This week has gone by fast. We have made some progress and found wonderful investigators. We are working with some couples and it is so fun to see how they are growing and learning about the gospel together.

I read a talk the other day by Susan Tanner titled "My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord." As I read the talk I thought about the things I delight in.

I delight in the opportunity to be a missionary. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I have already grown and learned so much about the Savior, the Gospel, and about myself.

I delight in my family. I cannot imagine being on this earth with any other family. What a blessing to know that through the blessings of the temple and through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ we can live with our families not only for this life, but for all of eternity.

I delight in the priesthood keys. This is the only church to have the keys of the priesthood restored. What a blessing. Through these keys we are able to heal the sick, perform sacred ordinances, and be sealed to our families for time and all eternity.

I delight in the scriptures. I don't know if I have every appreciated the Book of Mormon and the Bible more than I do now. They are filled with countless promises and countless counsel for us in our day. I know that each time we read from them we grow and we can find answers to our problems.

Lastly, I delight in our eternal father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ. They love us more than we can possibly imagine. They have made it possible for us to enjoy this life on earth and especially during this season may we remember the things that they have done for us.

Va Iubesc,

Sora Remsberg

12 December 2011

Buna Ziua Familia Mea!
Ce Faceti?

Thank you for all your letters, prayers, and love. I can feel them everyday.

This week was a little crazy. We had 14 dropped lessons and an investigator who cancelled her baptismal date. It kills me to have that happen, but I have to remember that it is ultimately the agency of the individual to accept or reject the gospel. Our role as missionaries is to create an atmosphere in which the spirit can work through us so that the heart of the investigator will be touched. Much easier said than done because I just know how lucky we are to have the gospel in our lives that I want everyone to have the same happiness. The best part about having a harder week is that you find the tender mercies of the Lord throughout the day that build your testimony. We had the opportunity to talk to a lot of people and we have met some really amazing investigators this last week and the weather was so nice this week.

We don't get a lot of referrals from the members but we are trying to involve them more in the missionary work. The members are so important to the missionary process and it makes me realize I could have done so much more at home. With this new training program we get to study fundamentals everyday in companionship study. This last week we studied how to use the members. There was a story from a lady who had been baptized and her experience shortly following. She said that it was hard and sometimes lonely because she had just entered into a new way of life that was sometimes uncomfortable. It was when she was welcomed by the members, given a calling, and felt a part of the group is when it became easier. I forget how much of a culture the LDS way of life is and if we can get the members involved from the beginning of the conversion process they will have ties and relationships in the ward long after the missionaries leave.

President and Sora Hill came to Iasi this week. They are awesome. They want to help the church here in Romania grow so much, but they are focusing on building the church from the inside out. They are really having us work with the members and the less actives to make the branches stronger. They are both brilliant people. President Hill was the dean at the BYU Marriot School of Business and Sora Hill is a lawyer. They bring such a excitement and optimism for the future here in Romania. They have so much trust in all of the missionaries and they know the Lord has miracles in store for this country.

I am excited for the next week and to work hard.

Va Iubesc

Sora Remsberg