Romania 28 March 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011 by Sora Jay
Hey everybody,
I don't think I have any more time to write than Tom and Ed do, because it is a limit that's given in the white handbook. They just need to type faster probably.
I liked the pictures. I think I'll print off that one with Tom jumping through the tropical background; I have a picture of Ed holding a machete that I show to people all the time. They pronounce the word machete like Americans.
That Catholic church is definitely way different from the orthodox churches, you have to stand up during orthodox services so there aren't really any benches. I'm glad we get to sit down.
I forgot about St. Patrick's day. But right now is a type of holiday for the orthodox church; the forty days leading up to Easter are days of fasting, nobody eats meat (and maybe not even any animal products). I know that they're fasting because they have special treats that they sell that are fasting-approved, they are called 'saints' or 'holies' and they taste pretty good. I talked to an orthodox priest and he said that he fasted for three days one time without food or water and when I asked him why (what he fasted for) he said it was just because he could. I didn't tell him that that was lame. We went to a shaorma (you guys can look that up if you want) place and got some food one day and I asked the guy if he was orthodox (because I figured he wasn't because he was working at a hamburger place during fasting time) and he said he was Muslim. He didn't speak Romanian very well because he was from Iraq. I have met lots of Muslims here, but this time I remembered to ask him to write my name in Arabic. It looks cool. Maybe I'll take a picture of it and send it to you. I don't completely trust that guy though, so I'll have to find some more Muslims to see if they write it the same way.
We switched to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday. I have been waiting forever for it to change, because I automatically start waking up earlier than my alarm clock because the sun comes up too soon. I got pretty discouraged and irritable with my companion during the past week especially, but ever since we switched the clocks I have been a lot nicer. Now I'm well rested enough to have good self-control. It was actually still a little bit bright outside when we went home from bloc-knocking.
I got sunburnt last week, or at least I got a lot more freckles, and we were out contacting without jackets on. But then it snowed yesterday.
During companionship study Sora Pucket and I discussed what types of instruments we are (for harvesting). Sora Puckett said that we are probably weed-whackers, and I thought it was really funny. It's pretty good; we have to whack through thousands of weeds sometimes before we find a prepared person. And, thinking about it, I realized that I have talked with probably tens of thousands of people in this country but I can number on one hand all of the ones that actually did what I invited them to do. But, it just means that I have to whack a few thousand more weeds and I'll be able to find some more.
This Sunday was the last Sunday in Romania for Radu, because he is going on his mission to Scotland. We didn't realize it was his last Sunday otherwise we would have tried to do something special like a musical number, but we didn't. It was a good Sunday though. I don't think I have told you guys yet that I have become the regular pianist for Sacrament meeting. Sometimes Andreea plays some hymns that she has practiced, but usually it's me that plays. Anyway, on Saturday one of the elders' investigators, Gabi, got baptized, and while he was changing clothes they wanted to sing hymns and so they were throwing out requests and I had to play them. They requested to play "If you could hie to Kolob," so I just played the top hand.
Well, that's pretty much it for now. Can you guys tell me when mother's day is? I know that the American day is different from the European day.
Love,
Sora Jay
P.S.
My favorite book in the Bible so far has been Deuteronomy, but now I have gotten to Isaiah and it is my favorite now. I read about myself this morning (ch 29) and I noticed how it talked about a 'deep sleep,' in verse 9 I think. That's why I can fall asleep anywhere even on the Metrou system in Bucharest.
I don't think I have any more time to write than Tom and Ed do, because it is a limit that's given in the white handbook. They just need to type faster probably.
I liked the pictures. I think I'll print off that one with Tom jumping through the tropical background; I have a picture of Ed holding a machete that I show to people all the time. They pronounce the word machete like Americans.
That Catholic church is definitely way different from the orthodox churches, you have to stand up during orthodox services so there aren't really any benches. I'm glad we get to sit down.
I forgot about St. Patrick's day. But right now is a type of holiday for the orthodox church; the forty days leading up to Easter are days of fasting, nobody eats meat (and maybe not even any animal products). I know that they're fasting because they have special treats that they sell that are fasting-approved, they are called 'saints' or 'holies' and they taste pretty good. I talked to an orthodox priest and he said that he fasted for three days one time without food or water and when I asked him why (what he fasted for) he said it was just because he could. I didn't tell him that that was lame. We went to a shaorma (you guys can look that up if you want) place and got some food one day and I asked the guy if he was orthodox (because I figured he wasn't because he was working at a hamburger place during fasting time) and he said he was Muslim. He didn't speak Romanian very well because he was from Iraq. I have met lots of Muslims here, but this time I remembered to ask him to write my name in Arabic. It looks cool. Maybe I'll take a picture of it and send it to you. I don't completely trust that guy though, so I'll have to find some more Muslims to see if they write it the same way.
We switched to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday. I have been waiting forever for it to change, because I automatically start waking up earlier than my alarm clock because the sun comes up too soon. I got pretty discouraged and irritable with my companion during the past week especially, but ever since we switched the clocks I have been a lot nicer. Now I'm well rested enough to have good self-control. It was actually still a little bit bright outside when we went home from bloc-knocking.
I got sunburnt last week, or at least I got a lot more freckles, and we were out contacting without jackets on. But then it snowed yesterday.
During companionship study Sora Pucket and I discussed what types of instruments we are (for harvesting). Sora Puckett said that we are probably weed-whackers, and I thought it was really funny. It's pretty good; we have to whack through thousands of weeds sometimes before we find a prepared person. And, thinking about it, I realized that I have talked with probably tens of thousands of people in this country but I can number on one hand all of the ones that actually did what I invited them to do. But, it just means that I have to whack a few thousand more weeds and I'll be able to find some more.
This Sunday was the last Sunday in Romania for Radu, because he is going on his mission to Scotland. We didn't realize it was his last Sunday otherwise we would have tried to do something special like a musical number, but we didn't. It was a good Sunday though. I don't think I have told you guys yet that I have become the regular pianist for Sacrament meeting. Sometimes Andreea plays some hymns that she has practiced, but usually it's me that plays. Anyway, on Saturday one of the elders' investigators, Gabi, got baptized, and while he was changing clothes they wanted to sing hymns and so they were throwing out requests and I had to play them. They requested to play "If you could hie to Kolob," so I just played the top hand.
Well, that's pretty much it for now. Can you guys tell me when mother's day is? I know that the American day is different from the European day.
Love,
Sora Jay
P.S.
My favorite book in the Bible so far has been Deuteronomy, but now I have gotten to Isaiah and it is my favorite now. I read about myself this morning (ch 29) and I noticed how it talked about a 'deep sleep,' in verse 9 I think. That's why I can fall asleep anywhere even on the Metrou system in Bucharest.
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