garbage cans are blessings

My dearest family and friends and wonderful people,

How are you all doing? I am doing great...I am working hard even though it's starting to get cold, and it looks like it's going to be a freezing winter, but right now it's just a decently cold fall...and the colors are so pretty! it's fun.

I don't really know if there is any new news to tell, most of it is all the same. This week was better than last week, as far as effectiveness and work goes. Well, pretty much everything...
there wasn't anything worse about it. But each week is getting better, and that is very exciting. I know that we are doing exactly what we have been asked to do, and because of that, we will find those who are ready to do what they need to in order to receive a witness from the Holy Ghost about the truth of the Restored Gospel. It is hard, but there are many blessings that occur from it. It takes faith sometimes to see the little miracles, but when you look, the love and gratitude you feel is more than can be expressed.

This week we had interviews and zone conference, and it was fun. We went up to Cluj-napoca for zone conference which from us is about a 4 hour drive in a maxi-taxi which is like a mix between a van and a bus, and really is not comfortable at all. But that's ok. Cluj is big, and from what I saw of it, it's pretty. They have a singing fountain that has 12 different songs that it will play according to how the water is coming out - the taxi driver kinda gave us a mini tour as we passed the main city center area, and that was cool. But I learned a lot about the work that we are doing here and how important it is to give EVERYTHING you have to the Lord to do it. It is amazing how much you can give to Heavenly Father, and still He is able to give us more than we gave, and we just can never make it up. But we keep trying because we love Him, and so He keeps blessing us because He loves us and it's an amazing cycle.

Central to this cycle is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, without which we would be lost and there would be no point in trying, no point in giving or receiving because it would only be for this short time here on earth. But everything is eternal, and that is a blessing that I am trying to understand even more. Even the time we spend with our friends or family, or the time we spend learning something, it happens in a temporal sense, but the effect of everything we do is eternal and we will reap the eternal reward, not the temporal one, in the life for which we are preparing right now. That is why it is important to use the Atonement every day, and to not give up regardless of what has happened, or what is going on now. The Atonement applies to everything on a personal level, and there are no exceptions...the only thing that stops the Atonement from working is if we don't want to do our part, and how sad is that to not be able to reap the eternal blessings of our Heavenly Father's eternal love for us because we simply would not try.

I know that he loves us, and I know that it is possible for each and every one of us to attain the perfection talked about in the scriptures. Jesus Christ did not say "the power of faith could move mountains, but you're not ever going to receive that type of faith" or "if only you could be perfect like me and your Father in Heaven are, but too bad you'll just have to settle for whatever is second best." No. He told us the power of faith because He expects us to work for that, and he knows that we can attain that kind of faith by relying on Him. When we try to go forward, He is immediately there walking with us and helping us to get where He knows we should be. Even if we can't pay back what we've missed, the Prophet's counsel is clear: "go forward, start today." make the choice to give everything to Him, including your trust and your fears, and the Atonement will give you strength sufficient to overcome and take one more step towards him. And that step is worth it.

It is so amazing to see the love that the Lord has for us on a specific and individual level, and it is so sad to see the people who believe that He died for everyone, but don't think that they can have a personal relationship with him. I know that we can. I know that he wants us to, and I know that I want to. How amazing is it to have a testimony and KNOW that God loves you, and that He has done all he possibly could to give us the way to be with Him again. It just gives me even more motivation to do all that I can. And we are promised in the scriptures that "I will go before your face, I will be on your right hand and on your left, my spirit will be in your heart, and mine angels round about you to bear you up" for "victory is of the Lord". I know that this is true and it is possible and as we look to Him, He will help us in everything.

Anyways, on a completely different note, we have this really old woman neighbor who is obsessed with where we put our garbage can, when we put our garbage in our can, when we roll our garbage can out, when we roll it back into the parking lot, and if we really know which one is our garbage can. Oh, she also asked me if I know how to lock the door to the complex. She knocked on our door this morning three times to make sure we know about the garbage schedule and told us how to lock the door (just in case) and told us to open our windows during the day because apparently it is a new building and fresh air is good for the walls??? That's ok. They also say that eating ice cream on a cold day will give you a cold, and sitting directly on cement effects your ability to have children, especially if it's windy. She really has taken upon herself to regulate the garbage cans of the block. Is everyone putting their own garbage in their own cans?? Today she asked me to please write our apartment number on our can. One time I set the garbage out by the front door to take when we left the apartment. She knocked on the door and informed us that the garbage can't be there. I told her I was just about to take it out. She's really cute...just kinda bored and I think a little lonely. I should suggest knitting to her or something. I love it so much, we definitely are not lacking smiles every day.

But anyways, I am so glad that you had a good birthday mommy!!! I'm hoping to send something in the mail soon. Oh! And I got your package finally!!! And thank you so much, it was awesome. The food is being much enjoyed by all of us (the missionaries) Tamara's pictures are so fun - they will become the best p-day ever! and you were inspired about the pens that I needed...I know it's silly, but you gave me the kind that I needed/wanted/like. It was perfect. And I loved the pictures! And I got your package too, Rachel, thanks a million, I loved it! ...especially the stuff for smores, the scarf, the candy, that's pretty much all of it. Yeah, it was a good late birthday celebration.

And while I'm on that topic, the office told us to forward this: The office elders have asked us to pass along some information that should help you receive mail and packages from home more quickly (a good thing as Christmas time is approaching). We are recommending that all mail and packages sent to missionaries serving in Romania and Moldova be addressed as follows:

[Name of missionary]
Sos. Pipera Nr. 41, Et. 7 (Posta 41)
Bucharest, Romania 014254

The name of the missionary should NOT include “Elder” or “Sister.” Also, DON’T include the name of the mission or anything like that in the address. Please pass this information along to families and others that want to send you things by mail.

But I love you lots and lots and lots, and Shaley and Jenna, you look GORGEOUS in your homecoming dresses, I loved it! And Shaley, congrats on winning homecoming queen! I knew you would! But it sounded like a lot of fun. Keep enjoying your sports, the three of you, and tell Cherisse and Allen that I love them - the whole star trek guy thing made me laugh for about 20 minutes with my district, and your house looks so cute! I love you lots, and ttyl!

Always, --Sora Karina