Today is July 2nd, which means our mission has merged with the Hungary Budapest mission! This is pretty dang crazy, as the sweet little country of Moldova has been annexed, and is now apart of the Kyiv Ukraine mission. Elder Welling and I have been preparing all week for this moment, because we will no longer have the office in Bucharest, which will make things difficult.
Tuesday was the big day when Elder Trottier and Elder Jacobson went home, which meant that Elder Welling and I would be in charge of all the transfer stuff, as well as the final ceremony at the place of dedication for the preaching of the gospel in Romania... the hill in Cismigiu Park. This has been a tradition for some time, all of the missionaries, the new ones and the ones going home have a little meeting at the top of the hill. I have many fond memories at dealul cimigiu- getting into the country, meeting Elder Krieger for the first time, welcoming the Hettinger family, and now this!
Missionary Leadership council was Wednesday. We had prepared and studied really hard in order to make the discussion with the other leaders of the mission be effective and revelatory... indeed it was!
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| Closing up the office |
The rest of the week was spent doing a lot of behind the scene work to ensure all is in place. We closed an apartment, prepped documents for a car to be registered in Hungary, coordinated travel, and a bunch of other things that are almost too complicated for me to explain, because I barely understand! Its been a super fun adventure, I have learned a whole heap about life, how to act in professional settings, patience, learning to be slow to anger, and most importantly how the Savior and his atonement fits into our daily lives.
I wanted to share a really cool story about my friend George, who just left on his mission to England.
George has always amazed me when it comes to his stalwart faith and understanding of sacrifice. On Tuesday (the day of transfers), I got a call from another friend who had spoke with George and heard that he would be taking public transport all the way from his house (20 km outside of Buc), to the Hettingers house (north buc), to get set apart as a missionary and from there would travel to the hotel with the other missionaries (that is another miracle story), and then leave the next day. My friend asked if we would pick up George from the outskirts of town. George had not said anything, and we all knew that he was too humble to ask for that kind of help, so he was going to do it on his own.
George has always amazed me when it comes to his stalwart faith and understanding of sacrifice. On Tuesday (the day of transfers), I got a call from another friend who had spoke with George and heard that he would be taking public transport all the way from his house (20 km outside of Buc), to the Hettingers house (north buc), to get set apart as a missionary and from there would travel to the hotel with the other missionaries (that is another miracle story), and then leave the next day. My friend asked if we would pick up George from the outskirts of town. George had not said anything, and we all knew that he was too humble to ask for that kind of help, so he was going to do it on his own.
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| George was baptized about 18 months ago. |
With permission from President Hettinger, after the cismigiu ceremony we booked it to Patelimon and awaited George. The sight was really incredible. In the rain, he and his sweet nonmember mother were walking towards us with George's belongings for the next two years.
When they were about to part ways, I could see the uncertainty of his mother, yet willingness to trust her boy that it was all going to be ok. I saw in George a flame of determination and excitement to serve the Lord. After a big hug, we got in the van and took off. Later that night, Elder Welling and I had the privilege to stand in with President to set George apart as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was a powerful moment.
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| My hero, George |
When they were about to part ways, I could see the uncertainty of his mother, yet willingness to trust her boy that it was all going to be ok. I saw in George a flame of determination and excitement to serve the Lord. After a big hug, we got in the van and took off. Later that night, Elder Welling and I had the privilege to stand in with President to set George apart as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was a powerful moment.
George is going (and already is) an incredible missionary. I have been blessed to know him and grow with him over the past year. Oh the places you'll go! I am off to Hungary, I love you all and can't wait to tell you all about it!
Love,
Elder Ditto
You are amazing!
ReplyDeleteLook for my niece Sister McKinzie Robertson in the Hungary Budapest mission. She is the red-headed Sister with the amazing testimony and professional opera voice.
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