Happy Halloween!

Dear all you who live not in Romania, Happy halloween!!!

I am now in Constanta and I live 5 minutes away from the Black Sea...it's really cold. The wind is definitely killer, and it is still "warm" for this season as far as people tell me. Great. But it will be great. And yes, I am with Sora Kiriyama which is so fun because we were together in the MTC and now we get to remember the good times and create even more good times. It's been a blast already.

She and I are about on the same page on the language, just with different vocab cuz you learn different things in different situations and I've spent my whole mission thus far on the west, and she's only been in the East (Chisinau in Moldova, Bucuresti, and here in Constanta). This is her third transfer in Constanta so she knows her way pretty well, although we joke about how she has a defect when it comes to directions...it's fun though.

The branch here is cool. We meet in a big vila, and we as sisters actually live in the apartment on the 3rd floor of the vila where we meet for church...it's conveniant. so This branch has a bunch of Americans here...they all work for this big construction company and have been working on a project for the past year. But they're almost done so they leave in 2 weeks. Sad.

I didn't realize how much I missed kids until I taught primary yesterday to the family and it was so cute. They have 6 kids. There's another family with 2 boys, a couple that's pregnant, and a family with a 19 year old girl. So fun. And one of the girls, Olivia, looks EXACTLY like Tamara. Not kidding. I'll show you a pic sometime, but she even acts like Tam in different ways...like running and sliding accross the floor on her shoes and when she stops, bobs her head a little before running again in the opposite direction. I showed them family pictures of Tamara and they all thought I had been exaggerating about the similarities until they saw the pics. The only real difference is that Olivia is 5. But they are a cute family.

We had a huge halloween party with the branch...about 25-30 people were there which is a huge turn out, and I felt like I was in the states again with a functional activity and kids running everywhere. But it was fun. We told scary stories, played musical chairs, watched Thriller, had a pie eating contest, ate food, and played lots of other games. I didn't win the pie eating contest, but that's ok. It's not even pie, since pie doesn't exist in this country. It was sweet crackers with chocolate pudding and whipped cream on top with some gummy worms put in with it. Messy, but fun. Anyways, it was a good night, and the members dressed up real good, too.

Church was good...not as many people come to church as to the activities, but the Spirit was super strong for the fast and testimony meeting. It was so cute to hear a child's testimony again "I love my family and I know they love me too, and I know the book of mormon is true because Joseph Smith translated it, and I know that families can be forever because of the temple, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." So simple and it was just adorable. I haven't heard a testimony like that in a while. But everything that she said is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and it is a book full of amazing truths. I know that families can be eternal, and it is amazing to see a family work and work to do that together and see the hand of the Lord in their life. It changes everything, and it is worth everything that is required.

Anyways, our branch president is amazing, and I'm really excited to work in this branch. Our new investigator that we found this week is Ivanka and we knocked on her door and she opened it, gave us a huge smile and invited us in. Usually people do that without knowing what we want and so I'm weary about it to the point of trying to explain what my purpose is there so they don't get mad that you're in their house which happens sometimes. But she insisted and invited us to sit down to talk and appologized that she was in her pajamas. But we went into a lesson as if she was expecting it. At the end Sora Kiriyama asked her if she would pray to know if the message is true and she said she already knows it's true. So Sora Kiriyama asked if she would pray for a confirmation to know if it really is, and she said "the confirmation is that you came here. I've had elders come here 2 years ago and 1 year ago, and now you're here. God sent you here, and God led me to open the door even though I was already in bed not feeling well. But now I feel fine, and it's because God did it." So I of course asked her, "well, if you know it's true, will follow Christ's example and be baptized?" and she thought and said, "well, I've already been baptized once, but I'll read the book first and then I'll tell you." She leaves at the end of this month to go to Italy until January. I don't like time limits, but the Lord created time, so He can work with it.

I'm in Bucuresti right now because Zone Conference is tomorrow and a general authority (70) is going to be here with us. I don't know who, but you'll hear about it next monday. I'm excited.

So to answer my sister's questions, Jenna, I am definitely happy, no need to worry. Shaley, I didn't forget about Halloween, though we were lacking in the snow that I'm used to, and Tamara, I would love to have a tape of your violin music for my tape player. I haven't read that book, but it sounds like a good one. A book I remember reading in school (can't remember if it was 6th or 7th grade) was the book "The Giver" and it's still one of my favorites.

But your halloween sounds like it was so much fun...spooky and full of fun stories. Your costumes all look amazing, I loved it! And Jenna, your moaning ghosts and stuff you decorated in the bathroom made me laugh really hard. I wish I could have seen it. And Cherisse, it sounds like you put on quite the party. And 4 out of 31 less actives coming is a really good number. I would have been beaming if 4 of our less actives came to an activity, and we did have 3 with 3 non members that came to the activity on Saturday. One of them came to church, and she's a sweet lady. We're hoping to teach her soon! But I'm sorry Allen is sick...tell him I say to get better!

Oh, and tell the Stotts I say hi, and tell Brother Lee, and everyone else that I say hello and I love them all. Have fun in the snow, and I love you lots and lots!

ttyl Always, --Sora Karina

Oh, and I forgot to write earlier, Lenuta, our investigator from Sebiu that i mentioned last week about giving her a baptismal date, she's getting baptized on the 14th of November if things keep going well with her, and she's amazing so I'm not worried. Sora Staley promised to send me pictures. Anyways, I love you all so so much--Sora Karina
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