The Best Two Years: Elder Alex Ditto: Applying the Truth!

Hello everyone!

My another week just flew by and we are nearing the end of this transfer. So crazy! Living in Alexandria seemed like forever ago, yet it feels like we are just starting the work here in Otopeni!

I thought I'd just share a couple of highlights from this week to start...

Life is Good!

I played ''fotbal'' for the first time on my mission with our awesome neighbor, Tita. I learned two things: Being on a mission doesn't give you super athletic powers like I thought it would and I am a littllleee out of shape. DANG IT. I am starting a healthy diet and new workout routine because I am freaked out haha!

Love my comps

Soccer with the neighbors

We played "ninja" in the metro station... the beauties of being in a trio!

Witnessed a man playing a saw as an instrument... that's right!

Met a man named Alexandru who is a carpenter and blacksmith. You never know what kind of people you will meet when you are on the Lord's errand.

Meet Alexandru. He is a rad blacksmith-carpenter who has a house full of random stuff

In the fortress of stuff

Comp pic with Alexandru

An extrenal view of Alexandru's home

Alexandru's forge

Working hands and a cool statue

Ringing this random bell thing that Alexandru made

Also, I saw a child pooping on a street of Bucharest... that was really sad and depressing. Romania is a beautiful country with amazing history and people but it is so sad to see the oppression and poverty that so many people- young and old- still experience.

Perception

And now for some more spiritual highlights...

I finished the Book of Mormon this week! The reality of the truthfulness of this book has really come to life over the course of the last few months. I have come to realize that this book is the Word of God- guidance for us in these latter days- as I have applied the teachings that I have learned into my own life! I have not had a super miraculous experience from God that this book is true, but I can truly say that it has changed my life, and that the truths found in that book truly are from God.

I quote Joseph Smith when he says that, "the Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”"

I, too, can say with all my heard that I have grown closer to God as I have abided by the book's precepts! I am so thankful for this opportunity that I have to share this book with others, that they too might come closer to God.

The main part of Otopeni

Can you spot Elder Ditto?

Which leads me to my second experience. Paul, a member in Otopeni, invited us to this workshop that he was putting on. We had gone to a similar one a couple weeks ago and just assumed that it was at the same location. We got to the location and not a single person was there! We gave Paul a call and learned that the workshop was actually at his office in Otopeni. Due to the immensity of Bucharest, it was going to take us at least an hour by public transportation to get back to Otopeni. We had a part in a demonstration so we had to get there quickly. We ran to find a taxi but none were willing to take us to where we wanted to go!

Spring is here!

Finally, a nice man in a run-down taxi agreed to take us to Otopeni. I sat in the front seat and casually started a conversation with him. The conversation took a natural turn to our purpose here as missionaries. He was just stunned and impressed that we would spend two years of our lives serving others. We explained to him why we wanted to do this, which led to sharing with him the Book of Mormon- another testament that Jesus is the Christ, and that God loves all of his children. There was a moment of quiet at some part of the conversation and the man, Costel, told me, "Ah, abia astept sa citesc cartea!" (Ah, I can hardly wait to read the book!) That really impacted me- am I as eager as him to read the Book of Mormon?

How has the Book of Mormon impacted your life? Why is reading this book so stressed in our religion? As I thought about this, I reflected to when I finished reading the Book of Mormon the other day. In the book we learn that God has a plan for each one of his children and that joy is found through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is one thing to read all of this, but when you truly apply it, that is when the truth is manifested. And that is what I did- and am doing!

Cismigiu Park... I was here 5 months ago!

So back to Costel, he told us that he really wanted to go to our church and so we gave him the address of the church. In no time, we arrived to our destination, exchanged numbers, and parted ways. We talked to him once more that week and he told us that he was still planning on coming to church.

Flash forward to today, and we received a call from Costel! He told us that he went to church and loved it. He wants to go again next week but also wants to meet up with us to learn more. WOW! What an incredible guy. This man is a truth seeker and we are going to give him more truth! It is incredible to see how the Lord worked all of this out. I know that God places people in our lives that are ready to not just hear the truth but apply it to their lives!

It is funny how hearing that Costel went to church made my whole entire week, but to be honest, how could it not? Seeing people make steps towards Christ is truly the happiest thing in the world. I love being a missionary!