OH THE LIFE OF THIS MISSIONARY

Hello!

Oh my goodness... I am tired.  This email just might be describing what my life has been like this past little week.

Basically the craziness started Friday.  We did our last district meeting.  I played the ball game with everyone and it went well again.  I can always rely on that game haha.  After we took them on a journey to find their "spirit animals".  It is kinda hard to explain how we did it.  It is kinda like a meditation type thing.  Elder Chatterton and I recorded our voices and played it for the district.  Then later on that night we had our sports night.  It was kinda a

Gonna miss this kid. It's been great
finishing his training

rough turn out.  There was one investigator and one member.  To wrap it up elder Chatterton and I gave our last spiritual thought together.  So we get home about 9 pm.  We start packing for the trip we were going on.  We were headed to Oradea for our zone conference and our district conference.  We get all packed and cleaned up and get to the train station at 11:30.  From there we took an hour train to this random town just out side of Sibiu.  We get off the train and start our hour and a half wait for our sleeper train to come.  We ended up playing some hacky sack!  Before we knew it some random people had kinda jumped in the game.  Basically we

Taken by a member :) So tired!

ended up playing hacky sack at a random train station at 2 in the morning with some gypsies!  It was probably the funniest game of hacky sack I have ever played in my life!  Because it was so late, everything was funnier.  Well eventually our train gets there and we hop on.  It ended up being about 3 or 3:30 when we are all settled in.  So we try to get as much sleep as possible before our big meeting.  We woke up at like 6 to get ready to get off the train.  (gotta make sure you are ready when your stop comes cause there is always the chance the train will only stop for like 2 minutes!)  So our stop comes and we get off then we catch a taxi to the Oradea church.  We end up getting there at like 8:30 and the meeting started at 9.  So we had some time to kinda get settled in.  After this...commenced the 6 hour meeting... To be honest.... dont really know what I pulled away from the meeting.  I was fighting falling asleep the whole time, but it was good.  Okay now after this meeting we had a quick lunch break which consisted of two pieces of pizza.  (Keep in mind we

We are both staying here in Sibiu!
There is work to be done!

werent able to get a solid dinner and did not get a breakfast)  After this they announced transfers to us in person! It was different :)  Chatterton has a new assignment, but I am staying here in Sibiu!  I am so excited to be staying to be honest. Things are switching around which will be different, but I didn't feel like my work here in this city was done. I feel like I kinda got an answer why I'm here though. The Lord really wants us to 'hit the pavement' so to speak.  Sibiu needs a lot of help, so we have to concentrate ALL of our energy into it.  

Alright so now, all this crazy stuff is over and we have to help set up the church for a culture activity that the Oradea branch was doing.  While doing this we also had to squeeze in some interviews with President. 

 Eventually this activity rolls around and it was super cool.  I just wish I could have been a little more awake and I could have appreciated it a little more.  So now the activity ends and it has been a total of 12 hours we have been at the

Still love the clouds. It's kind of an obsession

church.  After clean up and stuff, President says to go out and do two hours of contacting.... it was just after 7 pm.  in the most obedient and polite way... We went and got some food first.  We hadn't had a decent meal in almost a day!  We then had to go get some food we could pack for Sunday cause we didnt want to buy stuff on Sunday.  By the time we get all this done it is pretty late.  We finally are able to get over to the other elders apartment to get some sleep. (fun story:  President and the AP's kinda forgot we were coming to Oradea, so they didn't book enough hotel rooms for us.  We crammed 8 elders into an apartment... the sleeping arrangements were a little less then desirable haha... made for a good story though) We get settled in, and try to get as much sleep as possible.  To say the least, not much sleep was gotten that night. :) haha

We love our members!

Now this brings us to Sunday.  We tried to sleep in as long as we could, but we still had to be at the church for district conference, before 9.  Then we had that great meeting and everything was over and finished at like 1.  We had about 5 or 6 members come in a maxi taxi. ( it is kinda a bigger taxi but a smaller bus)  We then returned to Sibiu with the members in the maxi taxi....It was a bit rough.  It was a 5 and a halfish hour bouncy swervey car ride.  Imagine riding through the Utah/Arizona canyons bouncing up and down and doing that for the whole 5 and a half hours!  I would even say that the turns and swerves were sharper and more frequent then the canyons back home. Bless the members hearts.  They had woken up at 4 am drove all the way there in a maxi taxi stayed for the whole meeting and then came back that same day after the meeting on the maxi taxi. 

It's going to be fine.

This now brings us to today. :)  We actually didn't get to bed until like 12 last night.  What we have a head is super crazy!  Elder Chatterton has to pack and I have to clean all day today.  We will get one solid day of sleep. (so grateful for! haha)  Tomorrow we are going to hop on a 6 hour train (not a sleeper) and get to Bucharest.  We then will spend the night at someone's apartment.  After that is transfer day!  You already know how that is haha.  Depending on timing, we might be in Bucharest until Thursday or get back to Sibiu Wednesday night... Who knows!  haha..... This church is so true. :) It was a different kind of week, but all is well. 

That was a huge throw up of info, sorry about that.  My mind doesnt really work straight right now.  Can't wait to get back on a normal schedule!  Love you all so much.  Thanks for you all you do!  Maybe next week there will be some good spiritual stuff in there.  Just know for now, I am good, happy, and strengthened through the Lord.  We are doing all we need ONLY cause we have the help of our savior with us.... so ya... have a great week! ;)

Love,

Elder James