9 Months of Joy!

Ok everybody- if you are reading this title and are shocked, so am I, I've been a missionary for 9 months today!! Which means I'm halfway and only have about 9 more months here in this beautiful country 😢 

These past nine months has been full of hard times, tears, laughs, smiles, suc, sarmale, walking, door slams, so many commie blocs, sticky notes, trains (a lot of trains), beautiful friends with tender moments, the Spirit, and so much growth and JOY! Everyone will tell you missions are hard and they aren't wrong, but everyone tells you they are also so full of joy, and they aren't wrong. These past nine months have in no way been easy but they have been so full of joy and happiness and fun. I can't describe it. When you tell someone about who Jesus Christ is, help someone understand God's plan of happiness, share a smile or a hello with an old baba (grandma) on a bench, you can't help but be filled. I'm sad that I'm already half way done but so so excited for the next 9 months I have to serve here in Romania and to talk about Jesus- I wouldn't want to be doing anything else 💗 

Here are some weekly highlights : 

- had zone conference! I love zone conference a lot and it was perfect, it always brings a new energy or morale to missionary work and I love seeing all my mission friends 

- got a nice train on the way to zone conference so that was awesome 

- met some super cool people who just want to be closer to God 

-taught our friend the plan of salvation and his mind was blown, you could see how happy he felt knowing God had a plan bigger than just this life on earth, it was tender and amazing 

- the weather has been getting a little nicer so hopefully it stays warm 🤞

- really understanding more and more the power of the atonement in my life and how grateful I am that we have this gift and I get to share about it everyday 🤎

- met a man from south Africa, who lives in Saudi Arabia and Romania, directed a movie in America and speaks 5 languages, I wish I could fully explain this crazy interaction I had 

- met a crazy man who said "I'm not the bad people, I'm the man who tells you of the bad people" 

Spiritual thought: 

We taught a friend this week about the plan of salvation and we read in 2 nephi 2 about the need for a Savior and redeemer, how we need the atonement in our lives in in order to progress and make it back to our Heavenly Father. I'm so so grateful for the gift of the atonement, if my mission has taught me anything it's about the hope the atonement brings and opportunity we have to grow and be better every day, we are not going to stay as we are, we can grow and change and be better because of the atonement and it's a such a beautiful thing I'm grateful for 🤍 

Love you all

- sami 

Also I love emails throughout the week so please write even if I'm bad at responding! 

Nine Months!

Zone Conference

Fancy train

Zone Conference