23 April 2012

Buna Ziua

I hope you all had such a good week. I say it all the time, but the time just seems to be going by. I am already half way through this transfer. If only things could go a little more slowly I would be happy. But seeing as it can't I will fill you in on what we did last week. It was kind of a slow week, but we found a lot of success. My favorite thing about this last week was that we got to visit a lot of less-actives. We haven't had much success in contacting or vititing the less-actives, but this week we did and I absolutely loved it. Each one has a unique story and such a strong testimony, we just need to help them find it and help them to come back.

The weather is getting much warmer here. It makes being outside so much more fun and there are a lot more people to talk to. We have found a lot of success lately in contacting people using the church websites. With how much people use and find information on the internet we figure we should probably help them go to the best site to find information on the church. This last week we found a new investigator and it was so fun to have a first lesson with her when she had found out and studied before on the websites.

I echo Elder Bednar when I say that the internet can be used for a lot of bad things and can consume much of our time and our talents, but it can also be used to help forward the message of the restored gospel. What a blessing we have to share our testimony on blogs and on social sites and it can be seen by others around the world.

I love this gospel. It's message is so tailored to each one of our lives. It is so personal. God loves us and he knows exactly how to succor us, to help us, and to bless us.

I wish you all a fabulous week.

Va Iubesc

Sora Remsberg

16 April 2012

Buna Ziua

Happy Easter! I know you all celebrated Easter last week, but we got to celebrate yesterday. I would just like to say Easter is the biggest holiday in Romania, even bigger than Christmas.It was so much fun. A little harder for us to do missionary work because schools are closed, shops are closed and people have gone to the country to be with family. I will tell you alittle bit about what we got to experience.

On Saturday night we met up with the Elders and we just played games until we left at about 11:30 to a beautiful Orthodox church next to a lake, it is made out of black wood and is right on the lake. The tradition is to bring candles and to light them at midnight to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The original flame starts at the priest and then it slowly makes it way through the crowd. You also want to keep the flame going until you get home and it is a saying that if you do, you will have luck for the next year. (Yes, Sora Cottam and I both got our candles home without the flame going out)

On Sunday we just had 2 hours of church. There weren't that many people there, but it was focused all on the Atonement of Christ. Also, one of our investigators came. She's awesome. Her name is Iulia. She is a student in her last year at university. She is studying English and French so needless to say there is no language barrier. What a tender mercy that she was able to come. After church we headed to a part-member family for lunch. They were way too nice and had so much good food for us. They color their eggs solid red and on sunday they break them while saying "Jesus has risen" "Yes, he's risen" It is just so fun to see how the country has focused on the holiday and made it the highlight of the year.

This is how it should be for every single one of us. We don't need a huge holiday once a year to remember the Atonement and Ressurrection of Jesus Christ. We get to use the gift of the Atonement every single day in our lives. We are all promised to live forever, but through the mercy and grace of God and through the infinite power of the Atonement we can live forever in the presence of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and with our eternal families. We need to continue in faith, repent, remember the covenants we made at baptism, use the gift of the holy ghost that is conferred by those who have authority and then endure to the end. I am grateful for this week and the extra amount of time I had to concentrate on the love and atonement of Christ. I know that Jesus Christ lives.

I love you and have a fabulous week.

Sora Remsberg

9 April 2012

Bunz Ziua!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. We actually are celebrating easter this upcoming Sunday. Last Sunday the Catholics celebrated Easter and the Orthodox celebrate this sunday. I'm not sure why it is different, but we are excited. Hopefully the weather brightens up for us. It has been raining and cloudy the past couple of days.

This last week was a lot of hard work, but so rewarding. One thing the elders and us have discovered is Block knocking wars. It's so fun. We have a lot of time to contact and so we have decided to make it more fun. It basically means that we go block knocking in apartments and there are points at how well you do. We have found so much success and it such a blessing to see that people are prepared. We were let in for 2 lessons and we have a return appointment.

Also this week, Sora Cottom and I had a cool experience. We had just got done preparing for the day when a youth called us to see if we had any lessons set up for the day because he was free. He was able to come with us for 2 lessons and what a blessing he was. I love our branch here. The members, especially the youth have such strong testimonies. I know that one day there will be wards, stakes, and hopefully a temple.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak in church. I chose to speak on Elder Wirthlin's talk "Come What May and Love It" I recommend that you all read it this upcoming week. The advice he gives is timeless. One of the things he says is that we all need to laugh. I think of the days that have been the hardest, they have been the days that I have not smiled and laughed as much. What a simple thing that we can all do to endure the frustrating, embarassing, and sometimes hard times in life.

I am thankful to be a member of a church that continually allows us to grow not only spiritually but in knowledge as well. We have opportunites to teach, to speak, to discuss and to listen.

I love you all, I know the church is true and that Jesus Christ lives.

LoveSora Remsberg

2 April 2012

 Casa Poporului - Bucaresti Romania

Amy with her MTC companions