Week 3 in Romania!

Dear friends and family!

FINALLY I have a little time to tell you how life is in Romania! My first area is in Iasi. Its in the north eastern area of Romania. It is beautiful here. Romania has a lot more poverty than probably anyone (or maybe just me) ever thought about. So I mostly just gasped when we landed in Bucharesti. But Iasi is fantastic. As we were walking to this little internet cafe, I realized that I knew my way around, and that it really is starting to feel like home.


But I really want to talk about it the people, the branch, our investigators and the faith that I have to pray for everyday to have the desire to go out and talk to people even though I literally don't speak Romanian. I guess the thesis statement, if you will, of this letter home is about faith. The faith of the people and the faith you have to have as a missionary, especially when you are serving in a foreign country.


So the first few days all passed in a haze... I had my first lesson with Fratele Stoica and his member wife two days after I made it into the country. I'm ashamed to say, the only thing I remember was that the food that she gave us was delicious and that they seemed really nice. I think we talked about the plan of salvation and I said about two lines because I understood even less throughout the course of the hour we were there. I had such a desire to be obedient but I was soo afraid to open my mouth. I am still scared to death! But through the grace of God, my mouth HAS been filled to help his children. I felt miserable and afraid of everything and everyone my first week here. I still get scared everyday, but I have at least a better idea of how to conquer it.

At about day five, I was just feeling beyond belief inadequate, so scared, thinking crazy thoughts like I should be sent to serve in eastern U.S. or something like I thought I was going to but then one day, in my personal studies. I was reading in the last chapter of Ether and it talks about Coriantumr, the king, who had seen how a great number of people had died and he felt such great sorrow and he remembered the words of the prophets and began to repent of the evil which he had done. But the last you here about this before he goes to war with his people again and he dies last and alone, it says, "his soul mourned and refused to be comforted." and in the margin next to it, I had written sometime in the MTC, "to refuse the grace of the atonement, is to refuse Christ." To refuse the grace, the forgiveness and the help of the atonement is to refuse Christ. It is failure.

And it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been called to ROMANIA, speaking ROMANIAN. Obviously, God knows that I can do this. But I can't do it alone. How long was I going to refuse the aid of Christ? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me." And because I wasn't called stateside, this is what he wants me to do. Even if I still can't understand when people ask me where I'm from or how old I am, or many other simple things, I know that I can learn. When I was reading this story and thinking of all this, I still had such fear in my heart. And it wasn't just that day but everyday since then.

Every single morning, I pray to be lent the courage that I lack, to speak to these people. I get so scared so often, speaking to strangers, let alone members who know that I can't understand anything, But I know that I want to be obedient  I want to give what I have in me and then some on my mission. And the Lord has really blessed me, the mouth really has been filled. The first time I bore testimony, like my one experience I had in the MTC, my mouth was filled. I felt like I could speak fluently because the words were written on my heart and through my faith, they could be called to my remembrance.

Last week, we had a lesson with Fratele Stoica, and his wife is a member, he has two children on missions and has basically been the eternal investigator for the last ten years. But me and my companion prayed to have more faith for him and that he would start to feel ready for baptism  Sora Atkins decided that I--ME! should be the one to invite him to baptism  I was so scared and anxious about it the whole day but I said a prayer in my heart and when Sora Atkins gave me the go-ahead (I usually need one since i get lost when people talk too fast) and I bore my testimony. I said I knew these things were true, that Christ lived and that he was the head of this gospel on the earth. I looked down and took a deep breath. It was quiet and I said, "veti urmam exemplul lui Isus Hristos prin a fi botezat de catre o persoana care detine authortatea preotiei lui Dumnezeu?"
He said "Da"!!!


We didn't set up a date with him but he said yes and for the first time he is actually progressing! since then he has been reading in the Book of Mormon and praying everyday! Even it wasn't exactly what we wanted neither Sora atkins or I could complain at all! because for the first time eh is progressing! And we know that that is the lords will for him! Fratele Stoica's birthday was yesterday and he wants to take all the missionaries out for it tomorrow night. He is so wonderful. There are so much countless experiences here that I wish I could share but hopefully I will have time next week to get them all down. I love you all so much, you are always in my prayers.
love always,
katy/sora macdonald