they're grăbesc-ing

Welcome back! I feel like I was just writing an email, the weeks are going by faster so that's kinda awesome haha! In one of my friends mission emails he said that he is understanding the meaning of long days and short weeks and I totally agree! That's how this week felt. 

Quick note about my subject - mă grăbesc in romanian means "I'm in a hurry" and a lot of people say this to us if we ever try to talk to them on the street so we make jokes about how they are "grăbesc-ing" or hurrying in a sense haha 

But this week was crazy! We had a lot. 

Tuesday we just had some normal missionary work but then left that night on a train to go to Galați for an exchange! Unfortunately we got on the wrong train, fortunately it was going in the right direction so we got off on the next stop and waited for our right train. Kinda dumb of us but honest mistake. Then we got to Galați! 

On Wednesday we did an exchange! I was with Sora Gubler and it was so fun. We taught this lady in English so I could actually participate!!! So lit. She lives in a place where there are no missionaries and the church is very small so while visiting Romania she wanted to meet with the missionaries. She was so receptive and open and took in everything we gave her. She was so cool. It was amazing. Then we just had a chill night, nothing crazy. We got back from exchanges and had our own lesson to teach! We met this guy on Sunday who seemed interested and when we met him he said that he wasn't super interested but his 10 year old daughter was! Apparently she is super spiritual and wants to learn more. We invited them to church and games night and they came to games night! They couldn't come to church but games night is a start haha, she is the cutest. 

I also celebrated 2 months on Saturday! Crazy times. We celebrated by going to a baptism haha (not really just happened to be the same day), we went to Bucharest to see one of my comps old friends get baptized, so amazing!!!

Other fun highlights: 

-60 year old man absolutely eating on skates (meaning he was so good at it) 

-exercise parks are everywhere in romania and it's funny to see people use them 

-baptism in bucharest!!! We got to go to a baptism of one my comps old friends! 

-my comp is trying to get off caffeine (she's drinks a lot of coke lol) so we make jokes about her going through withdrawals 

-playing the piano in church even though I haven't played in years lol, not my brightest idea but very humbling (I only practiced for like 20 minutes and my practice was good but man I was bad when it counted)

-tried shoarma (thats how they spell shwarma in romanian) for the first time and it cooked, it was amazing 

-learned that getting bashed is a lot easier when you can't understand what they are saying, I guess there is an upside to not knowing romanian very well lol 

Spiritual thought: 

I had to bear my testimony in front of the whole mission on zoom the other day and I talked about the Book of Mormon. I know it is a true book and was written for our day! It is truly a book of relief and I know it will help all of us as we read it!! I read this week in Alma 26 and the verse talks about how God is mindful of every people in every land. I know this refers to how God loves and knows all His children but I read it more as God is mindful of me (&you) in every place we are in. He was mindful of me when I lived in Nevada, He was mindful of me when I lived in Utah and He is mindful of me when I'm in Romania. I know God is mindful of you in every aspect and part of your life! 

I love this Gospel, I love Heavenly Father and Jesus (and I know they love me and you), I love Romania and I love all of you! Please write to me, it makes me day to get emails!!!

cu drag (with love), 

sora schof

Pictures!!:

1: Galați! 

2: lunch in Galați

3: 2 months! 

Extra Pics

Off brand Danimals

Sketchy train station in Galati

The Sora's apartment in Galati. It is so nice and huge.  Not a commie block haha

Church in Galati

Really good lunch in Galati

The Danube River in Galati

In Galati on exchanges

Random streets in Ploiesti

Baptism in Bucharest 

Cute 10 year old we are trying to teach

Kind of a terrible picture, but this family was roasting a whole pig, the whole thing on the skewer.

Exchanges

bloc knockin'

Hey everyone! If you feel like you just got an email from me, I feel like I was just writing one haha! But this week was good! 

I had my first full week in Romania! It has been difficult but I know that through Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ I can do anything and will be blessed! 

This week we did a lot! My companion says every night how hard we worked that day so I'm hoping she isn't lying to me because it feels like hard work haha but we are still trying to figure out Ploiești since we are both new to the area. We have started to try and visit inactive members and some active members. Our branch has a lot of inactive members so we think that that will be the best use of our time! Which then leads to us trying to find the right commie bloc to go into and then we bloc knock once we get inside and find the inactive members, no one really ever wants to talk besides the members but you never know if someone will! My companion and I don't want to leave any stone unturned! You have no idea who is waiting to hear the Gospel so we try and talk to everyone. Bloc knocking has been fun, not much success but there is no harm in trying when you are already going to one. 

When we go out finding I can't talk to many people but I always try and get there attention and share a verse and my companion does the rest. I hope I start to pick up romanian a little faster because I would love to be able to bear more than just a simple testimony, but I know that if people are ready, my simple testimony will be enough. I have however been learning to introduce the Book of Mormon and my comp said she was proud #tendermercy haha made me feel good 

Then on Saturday, the Fowlers (my mission presidents) visited us! They took us to dinner which was nice and went to games night with us! Also had a great Sunday dinner, made my week! 

I've been thinking a lot this week about success and success in my mission. It can be hard when no one wants to talk to you and you feel like you've talked to everyone but I know that success here isn't going to be getting someone on baptismal date everyday or even having a lot of baptisms. I know success is just trying to talk to everyone and share a message about Jesus Christ. I know that even if we share a message and tell them Jesus loves them and they don't want to meet again, I know that we shared the light of Christ with them and ultimately that is what we are here to do. We are here to bring the light of the Gospel and of Christ to romania, while of course that would be amazing to end in baptism and conversion and a continuing relationship with the Lord, I also know that you have no idea what seeds are planted and how this may prepare them for the Gospel later in their lives! Being a little Christ like can go a long way, even not as a missionary! That has definitely been sticking with me this week! Just a little thought I'd like to share haha 

Here are some highlights/things from this week!: 

- a cute member made us pizza after English class! 

- a member we visited with hard life circumstances told us how Jesus Christ makes up the rest and how he is whole through Jesus 

- some ladies ringtone was savage love so that song has been stuck in my head 

- it was a Romanian holiday on the 15th, the orthodox church believes it's the day when Mary's soul went to heaven so everything was closed and no one talked to us lol 

-I have so many mosquito bites and some older lady saw and said I need to go to the hospital haha 

-we got really good Gelato! 

-went to Sinaia and saw some really cool castles and churches! Very storybook, very pretty 

-half naked and very aggressive man opened the door at a bloc and yelled at us #thriving

Overall, this week good but hard! I think that is just how missions are haha but I know it'll get better and that through Christ we can do anything!! 

A little spiritual thought: 

I've been reading in Alma lately and I feel like every time I read the Book of Mormon there is a verse about how God will bless us through our afflictions. In every chapter. This has given me a lot of comfort lately and I know that as we turn to God we will be blessed, maybe not in our timeline but in God's! 

love you all, 

sora schof 

Pictures!! (For more look at the link my mom put!) 

1: member who made us pizza! 

2: orthodox church in ploiești 

3: us with really good gelato 

4: castle under reconstruction in Sinaia! 

5. church in the town of Sinaia

Additional Photos

Visit from my Mission President

My entire mission. Three zones, 61 missionaries

Pday visit to a castle in Sinaia. It looked like a storybook

Nights in Ploiesti

Little library hut

Street we walked down to go bloc knocking

Pizza with Theo. He's 15 and was baptised a few months ago. If our branch had 5 Theos we would be set.  He's so excited and loves the missionaries. He also speaks perfect English. Learned from video games. 

Romanian Money

More from Pday in Sinaia

A park we go finding in a lot.

Gelato

More from Sinaia

My wall in the apartment. I taped up your letters and a lot of the letters from Bear Lake. The advice from the RM cousins was so good, I keep re-reading it.