Sora Sami Schofield Romania Bucharest Mission: "I don't speak english"

Ok ok welcome back again! This week was nothing special but good! It felt like the first full week since I've been here that we stayed in Ploiești the whole time so that's crazy.

On Tuesday we did all the normal things! We weekly planned and did our studies. We finally went and got my medical form I need for my visa. They are supposed to make sure you are healthy and check you but they just looked at my passport, took my money and gave it to me. Easiest doctors visit ever lol. Nothing too crazy besides that.

Then Wednesday was actually crazy. We woke up and did our studies then went to another baller lesson with our friend Izabela. She's so hype, we are excited about her. She made us tea that tasted like how the carson high craft fair smells, anyone from carson knows the exact smell I'm talking about lol. And then it got crazy. We went back to the church to eat and then we had plans to go finding and inactive member finding. But it started POURING rain. We went anyways. I had my rain jacket and still got soaked and my comp got soaked. We were walking to go catch a bus and right as we got to the bus stop and the bus was there but it closed it's doors and left. (Anyone who knows the story of me and my friends in slc missing the frontrunner by like 10 seconds, it was exactly the same) so we kept walking towards an inactive members house and we got so wet. We were almost there when my comp looked at us and said "no way is anyone going to talk to us like this and no one is going to let us in" so we ubered home, changed, got umbrellas then left. We looked a lot more presentable. The sad thing is I swear romanians are scared of rain because no one is outside when it starts to rain, even just a little bit. We were however able to go visit an active member in our branch. She is so cute. She wanted to feed us, so she gave us bread with salami on it and got sad when we couldn't stay for ice cream. She's so cute and was so excited to show us her Book of Mormon. Overall very funny and entertaining day.

On Thursday the weather was so much better! But nothing too crazy still. We had breakfast at the senior couples house and it was of course fantastic. Had a lesson! Pretty fun!

Friday was good! We were supposed to have 2 lessons but they both fell through :/ oh well, we went finding again and got some good shaorma for dinner! Then we had a movie night!! We watched the restoration movie with some people in our branch. We have a newer member who we have to teach the lessons to again so we thought the restoration movie was a good way to do it. It was so fun! These members are incredible. I know stories of what they go through to come to church and be members and i'm astonished at their faith to make sure they are at church. It's insane.

Saturday was nothing special! But still good. We had a member meal and we got made some traditional romanian food, it wasn't too bad but not the greatest. She made sure we ate everything on our plates and nothing was left, seriously. She got mad when I had a few scraps on my plate and made me eat them while she watched. It was crazy. But fun. It was rainy again so not many people out so we did some different things. It was pretty good! We also got transfer news! I'm staying in ploiești but that's no surprise since I'm still in training but we are getting a new elder here so that's fun. It's also crazy that I'm done with my first transfer!

Sunday was normal! We visited some members and went inactive member finding! I also had to give a talk in church. So rip. It was fine but hopefully I'll be able to continue to improve haha!

Funny things!:

- getting a ton of weather alerts for the heavy rainfall, romanians are a little scared of rain lol

-we went finding and I went up to someone and started talking to her in romanian and she started telling me she doesn't understand English. I know my romanian is bad but I didn't think it bad enough to be mistaken for English haha but apparently it is😅

-some guy heard us talking English and asked if we were from America and started going off about how America is the greatest place ever and how wants to move there and then asked us who we support in politics lol

For my family (mom you can take this out and don't have to send it out or keep it I don't really care, just have the fam see it!), I couldn't say this over the phone or else I would get ruthlessly mocked by my siblings and would never hear the end of it for being sappy, sorry for being the only sibling with emotions, but I listened to a talk recently that talked about how proud a family was of their missionary and how they did everything to support them, and I just want to say that I'm trying really hard, whether people talk to us or not, I'm trying, in my bad romanian that sounds like English, I'm trying, and I really hope I'm making all you proud, I love you and appreciate the support and prayers.

Spiritual thoughts:

I listen to a lot of conference talks in the mornings while getting ready and recently I've been listening to a lot by Elder holland. I listened to one called "high priest of good things to come", in it he talks about how we all go through hard times. Unimaginably hards times sometimes and how it may look really bleak or bare. He mentioned missionaries on their missions go through this, families and parents trying to raise a family go through this and so much more. However he said something really profound which I loved. He said, Christ walked on the water also. He was also in the storm with the 12 apostles and He was there going through the worst bits of the storm as well. I loved that. Remember that Christ walked on the water also, He knows what you've been through or are going through because He has gone through it. I loved that and it was a very profound way to put it.

Anyways, really good week. It felt long but that's ok! Love and miss you all, please email me throughout the week. It's my favorite thing to see emails, and I mean anyone email me!

love sora schof

pictures ! :)

1. Getting soaked in the rain!

2. Funny old sign with a guy in a horse and buggy

3&4. Everything in romania is aesthetic if you zoom in enough!