Two Years of Pure Awesomeness

Its hitting me!!! I cant believe it's been two years since I began my service as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I just read my very first entry from when I entered into Romania in October 2016. The time has flown, but I am a different man from when I began. Pretty neat to have my life so documented from these two years, it makes it easier to see the progress and the things I have learned. My mission was everything and nothing that I expected. 

Love it here!

I remember very distinctly being on a tram in Arad and looking at a Romanian and wondering if their jokes were the same, or if they even spoke in the same manner that I was used to. I had not a single clue who these people were, but I knew that I came here to serve them and I wanted to love them.

A gypsy neighborhood on the outskirts of town

Nicu helped us out with a lesson... it is amazing seeing the members catch the fire of missionary work!

Fast forward to now, and I find myself looking at Romanians like my friends, like one of my own. I feel accepted as one of their own. There was a lot of work that was involved to getting to that point, a lot of language mistakes, a lot of patience involved, and endless effort to develop more charity for these people. 

Click here https://youtu.be/e6byve4BkQQ

I have often wondered over my mission why people come home saying that they "love the people," or "its the best country on earth." I have learned that if you go to a country with the mindset of comparing, or "the grass is greener on the other side" kind of mentality, you will be disappointed and unsatisfied. Rather, coming to love a nation, or anyone for that matter, requires time, service, and reflection. It is only then when we can obtain this kind of love for God's children! I have learned to see through God's eyes, and love the people for who they are, despite their imperfections and annoyances, and believe me- after working with the Romanian government policies and business laws for six months; I have seen the worst of it!

Romania is my home away from home. It's where I became a man. It's where I learned how to cook, how to study, to speak Romanian. It's where I became friends with so many, made so of my best friends, discovered the wealth of things this world has to offer. It's where I learned the importance of bringing souls unto Christ, and the importance of helping my brothers and sisters make covenants with God. It's where I have solidified and strengthened my testimony that Jesus is my Savior, and that His church has been restored! By golly gee the list goes on and on. I wouldn't change these two years for anything. I know that the prophetic mandate to serve a mission is from God. I have seen that time after time, and I know that President Russell M Nelson is called of God to continue to direct us on good paths. 

I didn't even really start talking about everything that I did this week. It was one of the busiest of my mission. We faced a lot of adversity and had to problem solve a ton for the good of the mission. Elder Welling and I were a great team, and I feel confident that he will continue to keep this mission alive both spiritually and logistically, temporally, etc. This is our call! God has and will continue to deliver!!!

Being an assistant to the mission president has opened another section of my heart, especially as I have had to balance so many other things in addition to these responsibilities. I have seen the Romania-side of the mission progress so much, I am so confident in all of the other missionaries here right now. Each of them have a special role in helping the members build Zion here!!!!!! 

As you can see, these pictures do good justice as to my relationship with the people here in Romania. I love them so much!

De abia aștept sa va îmbrățișez pe fiecare dintre voi. V-am simțit iubirea de al lungul misiunii, și știu ca rugăciunile voastre fierbinte pentru mine într-adevăr au avut un impact mare. Sunt recunoscător lui Dumnezeu pentru ca a avut grija de voi și chiar ne a binecuvântat din belșug datorita credinței noastre!!! Ne vedem cât ați zice "Hawaii", va iubesc!!!!

Romania has my heart!

Vârstnicul Ditto