The Best Two Years: Elder Alex Ditto: Time is going, and I am growing!

Wonderful family,

Hello again!!! Holy mackerel time is flying by. This week was my 6 month mark... WHAT THE HECK. That is so cray to me. I really don't know where the time went. This whole mission thing is going WAY too fast. I truly love Romania and everything it has to offer. This feels like home- the smells, eating salam and eggs every morning, wearing skinny pants, crazy traffic, talking to endless amounts of amazing people, being in a small branch, taking awesome pictures everyday, preaching the word of God, and making friends- the list just goes on!

The world's heaviest building with my bros!

I guess you could say I am on a sort of "high" as far as being a missionary goes. I just love this way of life! I love not having to worry about school, work, social media, girls, etc. Life is simple!

Discussing the wonders of life

I have talked to a lot of my companions about how unique this opportunity is. Being a missionary is truly an experience that few people in the whole world get to have. To think that I was thrown into a country six months ago, knowing zero Romanian, never living on my own before, and completely homesick just sounds crazy. BUT I have had the Lord's help every step of the way, whether I realized it then or not.

I have done a little reflecting about how I have changed as a person and I don't think I could be the man I am now without the experiences that I have had in the past six months. The mission is truly the Lord's workshop- and I am his project!

Celebrated my 6 months in old buc with a gyro!

It is definitely hard to see progress in oneself and I think that is a good thing. I also think that is one benefits of keeping some sort of journal; so that you can witness how you were however long ago!

I feel more confident in who I am. My relationship with my Heavenly Father is stronger than it has ever been in my life. My testimony and knowledge of God's plan for us and the reality of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ has deeply rooted. My ability to speak Romanian has sky rocketed! Attributes like patience, long-suffering, charity, and service have started to become apart of me. I have a love for reading and playing the guitar. I love photography. I have learned of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and can TRULY say that it is the Word of God.

A nice clock in a nice city

A orthodox cathedral

Arcul de Triumf

Greek dude playing a Greek instrument

Ping pong with Paul

Intense matches of ping pong

Dang sorry I was tooting my own horn there, but I just wanted to illustrate how I feel like I have changed. None one of this happened over night, and I am still working on all of these things, of course! BUT through striving to do the little things and making God the center of my life and trusting in His will has made all the difference. When we keep the commandments of God and strive to live like Jesus Christ and learn all we can, AMAZING things happen!

This is just such an incredible, true principle, that I will continue to use throughout my life and the next. Dang and I still have so much more time in Romania- I can't wait to grow even more!!!
So enough of that spiritual mushiness- THIS WEEK WAS INSANE. I think every week as a missionary is insane, but when you are starting a new area, and still go to church in your old area that takes about three hours to get there, and you also keep up the area that your third companion is still in charge of... ya the craziness adds up!

Which reminds me that I forgot to mention that Elder Baker- my MTC companion- joined Elder Forsyth and I for the rest of the transfer!!! His companion had to be flown to the US to get some eye treatment stuff done, so things got a little crazy! It has been a lot of fun to be with these two awesome dudes and we are learning how to work most effectively as a trio.

A CHURCH BUILDING IN ROMANIA... So crazy to go in it for church

I also need to tell you guys about the first time villa knocking in Otopeni... Elder Forsyth and I had a little extra time before we needed to be home, so we decided to try and get to know our neighbors. We spent one hour in the nicest neighborhood I will probably ever be on my mission and THREE PEOPLE wanted us to come back. That is CRAZY. I have never had that happen in the six months I have been in this country. The people in this area are so much more open and willing to learn. I have very high hopes for the northern Bucuresti area and am so happy to be apart of the beginning. Each zone in Romania has different kinds of people. The people of Arad are WAY different compared to the people here. I don't really know how to explain it but people in Bucuresti are a little bit more like the western society and have a more positive outlook. And that is perfect because I am here to help enhance that!

A new friend named Alex. Alex from Arad in fact!

Dragomirescu- A photographer

Man, we met so many cool people this week. In about an hour and half we are gonna meet this rad Nigerian dude so that will be sick. I also met some really cool photographers and a lady that I think is going to accept the gospel soon. We met her on the bus ride home from Alexandria and talked about the Plan of Salvation, about life in general, happiness, etc. She loved being around us so much that we walked with her for another 1.5 hours, enjoying the beautiful Sunday afternoon and continued to have an amazing conversation with her. She told us that there is something different about us that she just loves. How awesome to know that that "difference" is simply the knowledge that God is our Heavenly Father and that he has a perfect plan for us! It is so simple, and so magnificent.