Charity Week

This week was charity week, so the missionaries thought they would give some charitable service in different ways....
1. Through badmitton. Such a fancy sport and fun for all.
2. By snapping sneaky pictures that make you laugh.
3. By carving a watermelon and writing nice notes on the outside for their zone leaders. (who doesn't love receiving carved watermelons?)
4. Visiting a less-active sister




30 July 2012

Hi Everyone,
This is the last pday of the transfer. I can't believe that six weeks have come and gone. Sora Cook and I will be staying together for the next 6 weeks here in Arad as well as the elders. I'm excited because we can continue to move forward with the goals and ideas we had set as a district.
This week has been good. We have made a lot of contact with less-active members. I have come to realize that a lot of these members have such difficult situations. For some they live over an hour away from the church, some can't afford the travel to the church, for some they have a desire to come back, but are afaid to make the first step, and for many their families do not support their membership in the church.
"Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Sister Hinkley
It seems like this has been the theme of my last transfer. We all struggle with the battles of life. We have to continually choose to do what is right and make the right decisions. As we struggle, we can make sure that we do not add to the burdens of someone elses life by being kind, loving, charitable, patient, etc.
We work with a lady named Mihaela. She was baptized in the 90s and for the more part of her teenage and early 20's she grew up in the church. She is now married with 3 kids. Her testimony is so strong. She has a desire to raise her children in the church and to go to the temple; however, her husband is against the church. It breaks my heart. She loves to meet with us and to hear from the members of the branch. It's the little things we do, phone calls, notes, visits, that help these members remain active in the gospel when their situation does not allow them to be active in the church.
How grateful I am for the things that I have learned while on my mission that I may have never or much later learned in life.
Va Iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

Things to celebrate

Picnics
Amy and Sora Cook decided to celebrate the purchase of their new rug with,
what else, but a picnic!
Complete with...
Pasta
Cantalope
Biscuits
Coke
Can you say classy!?


Birthdays
Take 1- Amy, Sora Cook, Elder Harrison and Elder Myers celebrated Timi's (a less-active) birthday. It was also Elder Myers' birthday....hence the fabulous bday hat.
Take 2 - Elder Myers turned 21, so the missionaries had to celebrate.
photo scavenger hunt
pizza
rice crispy treats
monopoly deal
Super fun!
(despite what you may think by the unhappy face of the elder on the left)


23 July 2012

Buna Ziua!
I hope everyone had a great week. It just seems like the weeks keep going by faster and faster. It's crazy to think that we are already on the last week of this transfer. The weather has been much nicer this week and has made it much nice to be outside.
We worked a lot of with less-actives this last week Whether it was meeting with them, talking with them on the phone or working with the members to find our more about them, it was a success. I just love them!
Yesterday we had the District President (similar to a stake president) come to our branch for church. He talked about how we, as members, can be compared to the salt of the earth. He said that we, like salt, bring an extra flavor into life. What we do and who we are and what we know is what other people need. As we continue to be active in the church, to read the scriptures, to pray, to do our home/visiting teaching, to stay all 3 hours of church we are improving our lives. It is interesting to see as we work with those who have fallen away from the church how much of their testimony they have lost or how different their lives have become because they are no longer doing those small things. I say it all the time, but my testimony of it grows stronger and stronger everyday, that it is the small things that matter most! President Monson said when you look at life by the yard it's hard, but when you look at it by the inch it's a cinch. A little cheesy, but it is so true. As we take everyday one step and one right decision at a time we will not be so overwhelmed by the obstacles of life and before we know it we will have accomplished so much more than we thought possible.
Va iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

So Pretty


This week...
WAS FULL OF PHOTOSHOOTS!
Missionary clothes or workout clothes, some of the prettiest people in Arad.


Plus, who could say no to these elders....

16 July 2012

Buna Ziua!
This week has been full of different activities. We had sister exchanges this week. Sora Cook went to Timisoara for 2 days and Sora Bulloch was my companion for 2 days here in Arad. We had luck with a couple lessons and we got to do a service activity at a homeless shelter. I forget how good it feels when we serve others. Elder Harrison, our zone leader, gave a talk on service in church yesterday and it really made me think of what more we can be doing here to serve those around us. Our companions, our elders, our investigators, our members, our neighbors, etc. Sometimes I am guilty of getting caught up in my studies and in teaching and planning, that I forget to stop and serve others. Christ was a perfect example of service. No matter where he went or how important his task was at the time, he always found time to life the hands that hung down. How nice would it be if we all did small acts of service each day, the world would be so much happier!
I know that as we lose ourselves in the the Lord's work or in the service of others, we not only help those around us, but we receive blessings that bring eternal joy.
Va Iubesc,
Sora Remsberg

9 July 2012

I want to start by saying two things:
1. Happy Birthday Uncle Jay!
2. Congrats to Janae and Isaiah on their engagement! 
I am so excited to hear all about the wedding plans.
This week has been unbearable hot. It stays around 100 and 104 during the day. It has affected our missionary work a little bit because no one is outside and no one wants to go anywhere or meet because it is too hot. However, heat and all, we had a successful week filled with the spirt, fun, activities, and a baptismal date!
Last week I told you about an investigator that we met and he came to church unexpectedly. On the 4th, we invited him to join us for a bbq and then for a lesson after. The lesson was so filled with the spirit. After the lesson and after he said a powerful kneeling prayer, my companion and I felt impressed to extend a baptismal date. He accepted! We feel blessed to be teaching him and we hope to continue to help him prepare to make the covenants of baptism.
This week we focused on increasing our ability to receive personal revelation. Elder Scott gave a wonderful talk in the April 2012 conference about revelation. As a zone we committed to change and do things to help us receive revelation as well as to bring questions to church on Sunday with the faith that they would be answered. I kept a little "revelation book" with me all week and wrote things down throughout the week. As church ended I looked back through my book and realized that many of my questions had been answered! I know that we all have the ability to receive our own personal revelation and we need it to move foward in life making the right choices or to find the comfort to move forward. We are blessed to know that the heavens are not closed, that God continues to speak to us today not only through the living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, but personally as well. May we never forget to always turn to the Lord for guidance.
Va Iubesc,
Sora Remsberg
Activities....missionary style.
1. 4th of July. Big sunglasses were a requirement.
2. Zone pday in Lipova. Google it. It's cool.
3. Gypsy families. Apparantly they are the nicest people ever.
   (forgive how sweaty they look. It's 104 outside)

Amy and Sora Cook on the 4th of July.
Old castle "citate" in Lipova
Gypsy girls

2 July 2012

Buna Ziua Familia Mea!
This week has been such a good one. Sora Cook has been awesome and it's hard to believe that she has only been in the country for 1 and a half weeks. She's such an awesome missionary and so willing to do whatever it takes to help others to come unto Christ. So this last week we had some really good lessons, we did a lot of contacting for English classes and we met some cool people. The best part of our week was Sunday. We had met a 22 year old guy on the streets while handing out cards for English. He speaks pretty good english so we talked for a while. We got his number and invited him to our sports night that we have every Friday. He wasn't able to make it, but we did send him a text and invited him to church on Sunday. Just befor the sacrament was to be passed out, he walks in! Sora Cook and I were shocked. He stayed for the first 2 hours of church and he loved it. The testimonies were so powerful and he felt the spirit. He asked if he could come back next week. Of course we said yes. He really connected well with some members as well so we are excited to start meeting with him and to bring members with us.
The youth are the strength and the hope of the church here in Romania. Sometimes it is hard to talk to the youth or to approach them when we are contacting because they are our own age, but for the most part they are the most receptive and the most open to our message. I am grateful to my sisters who have been an example to me of sharing the gospel with those around them. They have shared what they know to be true and allowed others to come unto Christ. I may have a nametag and be called as a misisonary, but we are all missionaries. We all have the responsibily and opportunity to share with others what we know.
Ps. We also got to go to a place called "Lipova" today with our zone for pday. It was so fun. We visited the ruins of an old castle.
Va Iubesc,
Sora Remsberg
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