The Blessing of Being in Romania

Before I update y'all on my life, I would like to take a minute to talk about my pops.  Yes, I call my dad pops.  Ask him about it...he loves it!  I think I have the best father in the whole world.  I know you all think the same thing about your dads but really I have you beat in the father department.  My dad is my rock in life.  I don't think I could every fully express my gratitude for him but I shall try.  I think I appreciate my dad (and mom) more now than I ever have before.  Romania has blessed me with understanding and appreciation especially for my parents.  I am so grateful that my dad (and mom) taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful that my father remained worthy to be the priesthood leader of our home. My testimony of the power of the priesthood grew from watching him.  I will never forget how my dad has made sure that I always have the priesthood close by no matter how far away he is from me.  I am grateful that my dad worked (an still works) so hard to provide for our family. I am grateful that he (and my mom) have expanded my world through travel.  I am so grateful that my dad can magically fix any car problem I have even though he is 2,000 miles away and has to suffer through my explanations and reenactments of the problem.  I am so grateful that my dad can make me smile when nobody else can.  I am grateful that he has always told me I am beautiful.  I am most grateful, however, that he took my mom to the Temple almost 33 years ago so my family can be together forever.  Thank you, Pops!  Happy Father's Day. I love you!

Now back to my life!  It is so hot here and I would do most anything for air conditioning or ice cubes some days.  The heat is just zapping my energy.  I am tired all the time but it's all worth it.  I know it's been awhile since I have blogged.  Sorry about that but please don't give up on me.  I have been feeling particularly blessed by my Father in Heaven this past several weeks.  Here are some of the reasons:

1. Orphanage update: Oh my goodness!  It was an amazing week at work.  I am completely in love with one of my little boys.  He has stolen my heart.  One of my best moments while here happened while I was working with this little boy this past week.  I was bouncing him on a big exercise ball and he was loving it.  But we can't just have fun all the time so I was making him repeat words while I was bouncing him.  I would sometimes have to break up the words for him but he was doing pretty well.  On one of the longer words, he pronounced it extremely well and I just said "Bravo! Foarte Bine!"  He looked so happy and just jumped into my arms. I can't even remember the word I had him repeat but I will never forget the look on his face and the hug we shared afterwards.  It makes me feel like my time here is worthwhile.  It was such a simple moment but it changed my entire experience here.  Most of the girls in my internship are devastated at the thought of leaving their kids in a few weeks.  While I will be sad, I hadn't ever felt devastated about it and I felt so guilty.  I didn't understand why I didn't feel as attached to my kids as the other girls were to their kids. So I spent the next weeks praying for my heart to be opened so I could love my kids completely.  God answered my prayers this week.  That little boy told me he loved me the next day and always blows me kisses when he runs off to play.  He will forever hold a special place in my heart.  I wish he could come home with me.

2. Mihai's baptism: Mihai is a young man that the missionaries have been teaching.  He is probably one of the happiest people that I know.  He smiles and laughs all the time.  He doesn't speak any English and well we don't really speak Romanian so talking with him is always fun. Well guess what! He got baptized last Saturday!  Seeing that I don't really speak Romanian, I didn't understand much of what was said at the baptism but I can say that the Spirit was there.  Mihai looked even happier when he came up out of that water.  I am so happy for him.  The next day, he sang with us in church.  Yes, I know it's hard to believe but I sang in front of people! Ah!  I love that Mihai got up with 7 girls to sing a Child's Prayer in Sacrament Meeting right after he got baptized.  It was a blessing to witness Mihai's baptism.  People have such strong faith here even when times are extremely hard.

Mihai is in the very middle in a white shirt next to the elder.

3. Professor's Visit:  The professors came to visit last week.  Oh my gosh!  It was wonderful.  I was super nervous about them observing me and noticing everything I was doing wrong with my kids but it wasn't at all like that.  I got to ask amazing questions and they were so very helpful.  They told me things to do with my kids that I would have never thought of.  Thank you!  We also got to take a trip with them.  We saw a couple of Greek Orthodox Monasteries in the mountains. They were beautiful!  I learned so much about the Greek Orthodox faith that day.  It was a blessing to have my mind opened to a different religion.  Sorry I couldn't take pictures at the monasteries.

Camille and I on the never ending bus ride 

Romanian countryside.  That was so cold, rainy, and foggy.

4. 3rd Nephi:  I appreciate these scriptures in 3rd Nephi more now than ever before.  These are the verses I came across while reading the scriptures in 3rd Nephi 17 this week:

21. And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

22. And when he had done this he wept again;

23. And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

24. And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.

25. And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.


5. Bird Invasion:  I don't know if this is really a blessing but it was funny.  We left our kitchen window open when we went to FHE on Monday.  Whoops.  When we got home there was just a bird chillin' in our kitchen.  Ew.  Chelsea had to get it out because there was no way in this world that I was going out there.  Only in Romania. God was trying to be funny that day!

Sorry that was so long.  I hope all of you are doing well.  I love Romania!  I feel like I have been here for forever yet I feel like I just got here. I can't believe that I come home in jut five weeks.  Thank you for all of your love and support.  I appreciate all the prayers in my behalf.  La revedere!