Yipee!

Hello everyone! This week has been a great one.

So, I think that I'll start out with the funny story first. We were walking through Park Kiselff, and talking to people as they would listen about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Most of them were indifferent, but were polite and took a pliant (flier) or listened for a little bit. Then we stopped to talk to a lady sitting on a bench and she said we could sit with her for a little and share the message. We started talking to her about God's love for her and she just started laughing and laughing. She asked us what else we had for her in our message, and we told her that we have a living prophet on the earth and gshe looked at us for a few seconds without saying anything, trying to comprehend what we said, and then she said, "Are you from the extra-terrestrial group? "Uh, no, actually, we're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." "Oh, well what's that?" "It is the restored church of Jesus Christ on the earth today that is led by Him through a living prophet." Yeah, I don't think she really comprehended what we were trying to say, but still, I thought it was funny.

After we parted ways with her, Sora Hupp turned to me and said, "Did she say something about extra terrestrials?" And when I explained, she said, "Yeah, I thought that, but that was just too weird to be what she said." And we laughed.

Then we found 2 young girls that were talking and we had a really good discussion with them. It was nice. I know that God loves all of His children and He wants them to go to Him for the answers. He has all of the answers and is willing to give them to us if we would just ask with a desire. Tose girls didn't understand and said that they were looking to see if there was something more about God, but they didn't want to go to Him to find out. Prayer is such a blessing, and it is given to us so that we can have a personal relationship with Him as our Heavenly Father. He doesn't want us to be confused, but rather He wants us to come unto the Light of the World, His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can enter in at the gate and find true happiness. He is impatient to bless us and is waiting with arms open for us to go to Him, ask Him if He's there, if He loves us, and if there is a way for us to come to Him. I promise that He will show you that way. He has shown it to me, and I've seen it as he has helped many others find their way to Him, and He is not a respecter of persons--He loves each of us and desires each of us to return to His presence in the fullness of joy.

We are blessed with the amazing gift to be able to choose to do this according to our own actions. He will not force anyone to heaven, but He will lead and guide us as we seek and try. It is amazing the power that He will give us according to our weaknesses, so that we can accomplish the righteous desires of our hearts--to fulfill the work and the glory that He has established in the eternities. And nothing can stop this work from progressing. we are a part of it - we are His work and His glory and His joy. Should we not have joy in that fact? I think so, and it is amazing.

Ok, now exciting story time. First of all, I told you how Sora Petrisor (said Petreeshore), who was my teacher in the MTC, is here visiting. Well, her mom hasn't come to church for at least 4 or 5 years... and she came to church on Sunday! It was exciting, and Sora Petrisor was soooo happy. She came up to me and said, "Sora Karina, Sora Karina! That's my mom! Come and meet her!" She is a very nice lady. She probably felt a little overwhelmed at being back in such a long time, but it was a time to rejoice just as Jesus Christ says when the lost sheep is found, or when the prodigal son begins to turn around, we rejoice and bring them back with loving arms.

So then later last night, we had a lesson with Adrian, and it was a good lesson in the park. On the walk back to the metro station I asked him about a conversation that he had with a member after church today that got pretty intense, at least from the last 10 minutes that I heard. Fratele Matei had no problem being bold in telling Adrian that he was always welcome with us at church, but that he would not be showing his belief in God if he didn't get baptized. Adrian already knew this, of course, but it is sometimes different to hear it pounded into your head by a bold Romanian (when a Romanian is bold, they know no bounds). So I asked him what got that conversation started, and he said that he had asked a question about being a member and why it was so important, as long as he is coming, and then he said, "but I don't need to tell you about the rest. You'll just say that he's right and I know that he's right, and it's not like I won't be baptized. ...Actually, I already know when, I just haven't told you." WHAT?! Yeah, he kind of ran away from me and I was in shock. He said, "Don't get mad, don't get mad, but I just want it to be a surprise." Oh, I wasn't mad at all, I was thrilled, but at the same time, very confused, because it's not very often that when someone wants to get baptized that they keep it from the missionaries who are trying to help them get there.

But he had it all planned to talk to Sora Lundberg about the plans for it (she's our mission president's wife) and he was planning on just telling us the day before, like, "Hey guys, what are you doing tomorrow, cuz you should really come to by baptism" or something like that. So I told him that if he didn't want us to know, our mission president at least had to know, so he said that he would call President Lundberg and talk to him about it.

He called me later to let me know that he talked to President Lundberg, and he said in a slow nervous-ish voice, "So, are you sitting down? Because I talked to the President Lundberg, and he said that everything is NEXT WEEK!" And I sat in shock for all of 3 miliseconds before I snapped out of it and said, "Wait, next Sunday, like a week from today?" Yup. Oh my goodness. We are all so excited and happy for him and his excited and happy for him, which of course, is the best part.

There is just something that gives you so much joy when you have the assurance of the Spirit of God that you are doing what is right. And as we have talked about a lot before, when you keep the commandments of God, you are happy, and you get closer to God, which makes you happier, and it makes you want to do more for Him, and then He does more for you, and it's just a huge happiness cycle. That does not eliminate the parts of life that are hard, but it surely does give you the power and hope to get through those parts with the faith that you have in a loving and caring Father who is aware of you and your struggles, and who is anxious to help you get through everything so that you can be even closer to Him. And I find that there are times when I feel like I am as close as I can ever get to Him...but then He answers another prayer, and performs another miracle, and my love and gratitude for Him grows and somehow the eternities are smaller and I am that much closer to my God, my Father in Heaven. It feels wonderful.

So I will be able to tell you about that service next Monday, which will be fun and exciting! We will see if Andrian's mom and brother will come to see and support him. I hope so.

So, after those amazing stories, I have my funny Romanian statement for the day: they have a million different ways to say that someone is crazy, but I think I found my favorite one this week: Are pitci pe crier (ahray peeteech pay creeair) which literally means, "he/she has midgets on their head". Hahahahahahaha. I laughed hard at that one, and I hope that it at least gave you all a smile.

I am so glad that everything went well with Tamara's recital and with the Power's wedding and everything else that had to get done. Mom, you are so amazing for being able to do all of those things!

But I hope that all is going well. Shaley, have fun with graduation this week! And make sure you tackle Cherisse when she gets there this week! And give her big hugs from me! And give Grandma Curtis hugs from me, too!

But have so much fun, all of you, and I will talk to you next week!

Love you to pieces! Sora Karina