Hi everyone! Wow, I didn't know the family reunion was coming up so soon!! Now that I think of it, it is that time of year....weird. Well, I've spent the last hour and a half on Mormon.org because I was locked out of my email account for some reason so I have to be breif (is that spelled right?)
In answer to the culture questions, we have a washing machine for our clothes but no dryer, so we hang our clothes up on a rack. And a lot of the missionary apartments have microwaves, but really we don't use it that often because there are hardly ever leftovers.
So this week was pretty trying. Elder Cox and I have been working really hard and have gotten almost nothing. Literally, we had one lesson the whole week. Until Sunday. Sunday comes around and this guy in his late 20's shows up to church. His story is really similar to Ovidiu's in that he found our churche's website, liked what he saw and what he learned about our religion and life style, and came to church! He told us that he's looking for truth, and that while he was at church he felt really, really good. He was really impressed by our church's standards (word of wisdom stuff etc.) He speaks English pretty well, and wants a copy of the Book of Mormon in English so he can have the original translation. After church we sat down and had a lesson with him and he asked us what he would have to do to become a member, so we told him, took his number, and we're gonna meet up this week!!
Then later that day we were completely led by the spirit to a park that we usually don't go to because the sister missionaries tract there a lot. But we felt like we should go there, so we did. We were in the park for no longer than 10 minutes when we ran into a less active member who we'd been trying to set up with for the past couple of weeks just sitting on one of the park benches! We sat down, had a lesson, and the Spirit was really strong. When we first started talking to him he seemed a little depressed and unsatisfied with life. But by the time the lesson ended, his entire countenance was changed and he just did a complete emotional 180!! That was a really big faith building experience for me.
Well I'm really sorry but I've gotta run. We've only got an hour and half left for p-day and we still have to go grocery shopping! Thanks for the pictures -- sounds like you all had a really good time at the reunion. Love you all!!
Love, Elder Myers
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Quote of the Week:
This week's quote was sent to us by Shane:
"Dumnezeu iti da, dar nu iti puna in geanta" which means "God gives you, but he doesn't put it in your bag."
"Dumnezeu iti da, dar nu iti puna in geanta" which means "God gives you, but he doesn't put it in your bag."
Thank You, Thank You
Well everyone, congratulations you have effectively left me speechless. I love you all so much and am so grateful to have such amazing people in my life. Thank you so much for everyone's words of love, encouragement and inspiration. That's the stuff the missionaries live off of. At least me anyways...It was awesome to hear from Julia, and I wish her and Cullen the best of luck down in San Francisco! And to everyone, just...thank you thank you thank you.
I don't understand how my words have had such an impact on your lives. I don't feel like someone who shares a Spirit-filled and inspired letter every week, I'm just a 20 year old guy trying to do my best in a calling that I feel like is much, much bigger than me. But, then again it's always good to get another perspective on things to give you encouragement, hope, and strength. That is so awesome that there was just barely another baptism in our ward!! Absolutely incredible! Rachel's story sounds like an absolute miracle!
Mom and Dad, what you both said about being united as one body in Christ has really helped me. Soo.....what's it like being a district leader? What are my responsibilities? Simply put being a district leader means that every night you call the members of your district, make sure they're home safe and keep updated with their investigators etc, plan weekly district meetings, meet with the branch president weekly, and attend branch counsel. However, that's only the things I do. As far as responsibilities go, I am essentially responsible for the Spiritual well-being of my district, I am to be an example of an obedient and hardworking missionary to the other missoinaries and to the branch members. I am supposed to be the branch president's right hand man, his best friend, and I am held accountable for all of this to my Zone Leaders, the AP's, President Hill, the branch president and more importantly, God. Now take all of that, add on the whole training thing and being responsible for basically the way that Elder Cox serves the rest of his mission, and think about how my brain processes responsibilities and duties. Is it stressful? Yes. Is it challenging? Yes. Do I feel inadequate and unqualified at times? Yes. Do I witness miracles and feel the strength of heavenly guardians? Every. Single. Day.
This branch is struggling a lot, and not very much is being done about it. I've been thinking, we've all been thinking as a district, about how we can help this branch become what it once was. A lot of the members are becoming depressed, discouraged and close to giving up, and I've felt completely helpless with everything. But what you said to me today about uniting ourselves and becoming a body of one has confirmed exactly what members have been saying and what us missionaries have been thinking. This branch needs unity, trust and love. So....within the next couple weeks I will be doing everything I can visiting members, talking with the branch president, talking with my mission leaders to get advice and direction to help these people come together.
We've been thinking about holding a branch activity where we can have people share their testimonies, thoughts, ideas and feelings, and set some goals together as a branch. I've been doing my best to be patient with the members here, I know that life is really hard for them and that most of them are just barely getting by, but what I don't think they fully realize is that it doesn't have to be that way. I feel that once they learn to reach out to each other, forgiving each other for past offenses and disagreements, stop taking sides and pointing fingers and become united in purpose then they will witness tremendous growth in the branch and blessings will pour down from heaven.
There is a saying in Romanian they use here a lot that says "Dumnezeu iti da, dar nu iti puna in geanta" which means "God gives you, but he doesn't put it in your bag." In essence, you have to work for blessings. You can't just sit around and wait for things to get better. And while there are a few members who do do a lot of work for the branch, staying in contact with less actives, sharing the gospel with friends etc, it's only a select few, and those select few are getting burnt out.
As for investigators, we had another lesson with Marcela and she came to church again! She's read up to 1 Nephi 9 and is continuing to read. However its been hard getting her to pray. The thing is she's really open to our beliefs, but too open the point where she doesn't really see the importance of gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith because she says that we all pray to the same God, so we're all going to go the the same place after this life. Hopefully after we finish teaching her the Plan of Salvation she will start to understand a little better.
On the bright side, Ovidiu, the guy who just showed up at church last week, came again!!!! We were able to have a lesson with him during the second hour of church and it went really really really well!!! He's already read almost halfway through 2 Nephi!! At the end of the lesson we asked that if he came to find that this church is true if he be baptized, and he said "well, I don't have a belief in this book or in this church yet, but I want to. So yes, of course if I feel like this is God's path for me I will certainly be baptized. I just have to come to know for myself first." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So........basically if he keeps up his commitments he will absolutely, undoubtedly be baptized either this transfer or the next. He's so prepared. He's 43, he does volunteer work as a counselor for children who have been abused, and he's single and has never been married because he wants to marry someone who has the same faith as him, and he's never really found the right church.
Then last night we were vila knocking and everyone rejected us until literally the very last door. A middle aged man opened the door, we told him we wanted to talk to him about the Book of Mormon. He said he'd never heard of it, that he studies from the Bible but wants to know what this other book is about. He apologized saying that we couldn't come in at the time because he had guests, but he asked if we had some place where we could meet up. I told him we could meet up at our chapel and then we exchanged numbers and he said he and his wife would be very interested in sitting and talking with us!!! So we're super excited for that as well.
Thank you so much once again for all your love and inspiration. I love you soo sooo much!!
Cu drag,
Elder Myers
I don't understand how my words have had such an impact on your lives. I don't feel like someone who shares a Spirit-filled and inspired letter every week, I'm just a 20 year old guy trying to do my best in a calling that I feel like is much, much bigger than me. But, then again it's always good to get another perspective on things to give you encouragement, hope, and strength. That is so awesome that there was just barely another baptism in our ward!! Absolutely incredible! Rachel's story sounds like an absolute miracle!
Mom and Dad, what you both said about being united as one body in Christ has really helped me. Soo.....what's it like being a district leader? What are my responsibilities? Simply put being a district leader means that every night you call the members of your district, make sure they're home safe and keep updated with their investigators etc, plan weekly district meetings, meet with the branch president weekly, and attend branch counsel. However, that's only the things I do. As far as responsibilities go, I am essentially responsible for the Spiritual well-being of my district, I am to be an example of an obedient and hardworking missionary to the other missoinaries and to the branch members. I am supposed to be the branch president's right hand man, his best friend, and I am held accountable for all of this to my Zone Leaders, the AP's, President Hill, the branch president and more importantly, God. Now take all of that, add on the whole training thing and being responsible for basically the way that Elder Cox serves the rest of his mission, and think about how my brain processes responsibilities and duties. Is it stressful? Yes. Is it challenging? Yes. Do I feel inadequate and unqualified at times? Yes. Do I witness miracles and feel the strength of heavenly guardians? Every. Single. Day.
This branch is struggling a lot, and not very much is being done about it. I've been thinking, we've all been thinking as a district, about how we can help this branch become what it once was. A lot of the members are becoming depressed, discouraged and close to giving up, and I've felt completely helpless with everything. But what you said to me today about uniting ourselves and becoming a body of one has confirmed exactly what members have been saying and what us missionaries have been thinking. This branch needs unity, trust and love. So....within the next couple weeks I will be doing everything I can visiting members, talking with the branch president, talking with my mission leaders to get advice and direction to help these people come together.
We've been thinking about holding a branch activity where we can have people share their testimonies, thoughts, ideas and feelings, and set some goals together as a branch. I've been doing my best to be patient with the members here, I know that life is really hard for them and that most of them are just barely getting by, but what I don't think they fully realize is that it doesn't have to be that way. I feel that once they learn to reach out to each other, forgiving each other for past offenses and disagreements, stop taking sides and pointing fingers and become united in purpose then they will witness tremendous growth in the branch and blessings will pour down from heaven.
There is a saying in Romanian they use here a lot that says "Dumnezeu iti da, dar nu iti puna in geanta" which means "God gives you, but he doesn't put it in your bag." In essence, you have to work for blessings. You can't just sit around and wait for things to get better. And while there are a few members who do do a lot of work for the branch, staying in contact with less actives, sharing the gospel with friends etc, it's only a select few, and those select few are getting burnt out.
As for investigators, we had another lesson with Marcela and she came to church again! She's read up to 1 Nephi 9 and is continuing to read. However its been hard getting her to pray. The thing is she's really open to our beliefs, but too open the point where she doesn't really see the importance of gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith because she says that we all pray to the same God, so we're all going to go the the same place after this life. Hopefully after we finish teaching her the Plan of Salvation she will start to understand a little better.
On the bright side, Ovidiu, the guy who just showed up at church last week, came again!!!! We were able to have a lesson with him during the second hour of church and it went really really really well!!! He's already read almost halfway through 2 Nephi!! At the end of the lesson we asked that if he came to find that this church is true if he be baptized, and he said "well, I don't have a belief in this book or in this church yet, but I want to. So yes, of course if I feel like this is God's path for me I will certainly be baptized. I just have to come to know for myself first." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So........basically if he keeps up his commitments he will absolutely, undoubtedly be baptized either this transfer or the next. He's so prepared. He's 43, he does volunteer work as a counselor for children who have been abused, and he's single and has never been married because he wants to marry someone who has the same faith as him, and he's never really found the right church.
Then last night we were vila knocking and everyone rejected us until literally the very last door. A middle aged man opened the door, we told him we wanted to talk to him about the Book of Mormon. He said he'd never heard of it, that he studies from the Bible but wants to know what this other book is about. He apologized saying that we couldn't come in at the time because he had guests, but he asked if we had some place where we could meet up. I told him we could meet up at our chapel and then we exchanged numbers and he said he and his wife would be very interested in sitting and talking with us!!! So we're super excited for that as well.
Thank you so much once again for all your love and inspiration. I love you soo sooo much!!
Cu drag,
Elder Myers
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Happy Pioneer Day!
Hey everyone, and also happy birthday to Eli!!!!!! La multi ani as they say here! Unfortunately I have to keep this really short cuz we got to internet late today. Thank you all so much for the advice and support, it's exactly what I needed.
So my new companion is Elder Cox from Colorado, and he's just full of boboc fire!!! I've been really impressed with him. Aside from giving him language tips here and there I hardly have to anything, he pretty much came pre-trained and pumped for the work! I'm just going to share with you a little miracle that happened this Sunday and then I'll have to go.
So we were expecting Marcela to come to church but she never showed up. Instead, Ovidiu did. He's a non-member man in his 30's or or maybe 40's and was looking for a place to worship when somehow he found our church's website, got the time of service and the address and just showed up!!!!!! He even stayed for all 3 hours!!!! He's a really nice man, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and said he drinks coffee just every once in a while. Basically, he's totally prepared. Right now I'm just praying my guts out that this doesn't turn into another Mihaiel or Hans situation. He said that he wants to come to our church regularly and we gave him a Book of Mormon which he said he would read. The only down side is that he works all week except Sundays so it's going to be hard meeting up with him, but it will work out. The cool thing is yesterday I gave a talk about Faith, Works, and Grace, and how after we have done all that we can do, God steps in and does the rest. I know that to be true with all my heart. I love you all, gotta go!!!
Love,
Elder Myers
So my new companion is Elder Cox from Colorado, and he's just full of boboc fire!!! I've been really impressed with him. Aside from giving him language tips here and there I hardly have to anything, he pretty much came pre-trained and pumped for the work! I'm just going to share with you a little miracle that happened this Sunday and then I'll have to go.
So we were expecting Marcela to come to church but she never showed up. Instead, Ovidiu did. He's a non-member man in his 30's or or maybe 40's and was looking for a place to worship when somehow he found our church's website, got the time of service and the address and just showed up!!!!!! He even stayed for all 3 hours!!!! He's a really nice man, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, and said he drinks coffee just every once in a while. Basically, he's totally prepared. Right now I'm just praying my guts out that this doesn't turn into another Mihaiel or Hans situation. He said that he wants to come to our church regularly and we gave him a Book of Mormon which he said he would read. The only down side is that he works all week except Sundays so it's going to be hard meeting up with him, but it will work out. The cool thing is yesterday I gave a talk about Faith, Works, and Grace, and how after we have done all that we can do, God steps in and does the rest. I know that to be true with all my heart. I love you all, gotta go!!!
Love,
Elder Myers
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
WOOAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!
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| View from Shane's first apartment in Brasov |
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| View from Shane's new apartment in Brasov |
Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy smokes, so today we just got the new transfer boards and it is absolutely insane! Sooooo Here's everything that's going down. Sora Jay and Sora Bedebone are both staying in Brasov. I will also be staying here, becoming district leader and training a boboc!!!!!!! Pretty much everyone is getting moved around a ton. A couple cities have gone from 4 man disticts to 2 man districts, and both Bucharest districts (Buch is divided into two distrits) are getting new companionships moved in. Elder Simmons and his boboc will be one of the new companionships there!! Yep he's training too!! He's pretty much starting from complete scratch. He'll have to find a new apartment, the phone he will have is from a completely different city, he'll have no area book with previous records, he and his boboc will be starting with absolutely nothing! My MTC companion, Elder Bruner, is now the Branch President in Bacau! In total there are 15 missionaries going home, and 13 new ones coming in.
Also, in Craiova, which is probably the youngest city in the mission in terms of how long it's had missionaries serving there, used to be a Group, but this week they were just organized as a Branch! So basically this transfer is going to go down in the history of the Bucharest, Romania Mission. This transfer will be absolutely insane. I have no idea what I'm going to do with a boboc! I feel like I'm still a boboc! I mean I know I've progressed a lot, and just since I've been in Brasov I've learned a ton and probably have made more progress than I've realized, but still, I feel like I got in the country yesterday. Well, either way, the Lord says I'm ready for this so I'm going to make the best of it, have a blast, and learn as much as I can from my new companion. I'm going to miss Elder Simmons a lot though. He's been an absolutely amazing companion, and he's going to do amazing things in Bucharest.
This week has been really slow on missionary work as usual. We got stood up probably at least 20 times, but I've had some really unique and incredible experiences. Right now, one of the biggest highlights is yesterday on the bus, I saw Mihai!! I sat down and talked to him, asked how things were going. He told me about how things were going with the band which by the way I would not be surprised if they're not touring all over Europe and even in the States within the next few years. I also asked him if he'd been reading the Book of Mormon, and he has!!!!! He said he got about 30 pages into it, and actually wants to start it over because there were things he didn't really understand very well but wants to understand it. I told him that if he ever has any questions about it we can meet up, read it with him, talk about it, and answer his questions.
We've also had some cool finds in this gorgeous neighborhood (or villa) up above a park in centru. All the houses are situated on the hill side with cobblestone streets, breathtaking views of the city, and beautiful gardens. But a few days ago we had a lesson with a retired man named Adrian. He is one of the nicest, mild-mannered, most humble people I've ever met. He actually asked us questions about our lives, took an interest in what we had to say, listened to us teach the Restoration, and put in his opinions and beliefs where appropriate. He owns this huge 3 story house with this beautiful terraced hillside garden with stone steps leading up into a small orchard at the top of the hill, and a small fish pond in the side yard. And pretty much all of it he did himself. Anyways, he promised us that he would read the Book of Mormon. He PROMISED!!! Romanians never promise you anything because they're always afraid of breaking their promise and losing your respect. This man is absolutely stake president material. The only bummer is he said he works out of town a lot and wouldn't be able to meet again until September.... but, anywho that's a huge seed planted.
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| Villa in Brasov where Shane and his companion met Adrian |
We also had the opportunity of giving a couple blessings to members who've been either going through a rough patch or have been sick. Actually, we've given someone a blessing pretty much every week I think. One of them I gave was the first time giving it in Romanian, that was a really cool experience. We also went over to Sora Miron's house again to help some more with her house....or at least what's left of it.
This transfer has been another one really low on the number side but the more I look I find a lot of rich blessings and extraordinary spiritual experiences that have made a really big impact on me and have absolutely nothing to do with how many lessons I taught. I'm really looking forward to this next transfer and can only imagine everything that it has in store for me!
Thanks for the pictures of Ember and Tristan, and all the fun stories. That's awesome they're both starting to talk a little bit! Once Ember starts really talking I'll bet she'll never stop! Thanks again also to all those who wrote me birthday notes.
I'm so grateful that I have a family that is so loving. I love you all so much! Have a great week!
Love, Elder Myers
Shane's Photos of Bran Castle (also know as Dracula's Castle)
Here are the photos Shane took two weeks ago on P-day:
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| Bran Castle courtyard, Brasov, Romania |
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| Bran Castle, Brasov, Romania I think this castle and it's views could inspire a thousand stories! |
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| Shane's companion, Elder Simmons in front of steps to Dracula's Castle |
Quote of the Week:
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
---Thomas Alva Edison
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