TRANSFERS! (April 13, 2015)

Hey sorry for the late email, it has been one hella of day.  So suprise! I already went down to Bucharest picked up my new companion and are back in Craiova.  So ya to say the least I am very tired.  So from that information you know that I am staying here.  My new companion is elder Avila.  He is from Texas. It will be a great next transfer and I am really excited about it.  It is off to a crazy start.  We found out Saturday about transfer boards.  Elder Christensen is off to Iasi whitewash training.  He is pretty excited but he knows it's gonna be a tough thing to do, but he'll be awesome. He had his trainer meeting today at 12.  So this morning we woke up early and hopped on our train down to Buc.  It's a 3 hour train.  We got there and got to see a lot of the missionaries going home which was nice.  This is Middlebrook's and Degraw's group so I am pretty good friends with a lot of them.  They

Gonna miss you Sora Bird

were one of the biggest MTC groups out here in the mission, and now that they are gone it's is really just going to be a different mission.  So I got to say goodbye to sora Bird which is so weird!  I dont know if you remember, but she is my

"sister".  She was "born" in Arad during my third transfer... and now she is going home! haha crazy how that works out.  So after chillen in the office for 2 or 3 hours my new comp showed up and we headed out again.  So another 3 hour train and we are back!  That is basically all for transfers. It's really weird cause it usually all goes down on Wednesday.

As for the week it was fantastic.  Dont really know what happened... but it was fantastic.  Just calm and good.  A lot of people were gone because it was the Orthodox easter celebration this week. This also means that only two people showed up to our last English class and that only our branch president showed up to church... but for some reason I still feel like calling it a fantastic week.  This year I made it home with my flame lite on my candle so no worries I am good. :)

We were able to go to a pretty legit place this week.  We

werent able to really have a Pday today, and we knew this, so we had one last week.  Ill send you pictures of the place it was gorgous and legit!

This next transfer I am officially in the MLS in the church.  So basically I am the branch Clerk.  It wont be to different from normal though.  All it means is that I now put in tithing and fast offerings into the computer and also do stuff with activity budgets from time to time.  It'll be fun.

This week should be full of a lot of stuff for us to do.  people are returning to Craiova, it is now super warm outside and green, the branch president is setting up a service project for us, and a lot of our investigators should be more free to meet.

Sorry that is really all I can think about haha... im kinda tired.  Thanks so much for your prayers and support, I love you all so mcuh!

Love, Elder Cooper

CATCHING UP! (3-30-2015 - 4-6-2015)

March 30, 2015
So this week wsa kinda rough looking at it in hign site.  To start if off I was sick at the begining of the week.  Last Monday was only the start.  It hit the peak about Tuesday/Wednesday and then I started feeling better.  The thing is, that is when Elder Christensen started getting sick haha.  So to say the least it was a calm week.  We defiantly got a good amount of rest in and just kicked the sickness as quick as we could.  I made us both pump our bodies full of air bourne because I have so much of it right now.  It is magical and I feel like it worked.

Saturday we had an activity.  We have been planning this one for a while.  We have a member here who is a really big help to us. He is really good on the computer and makes flyers for activities and really tries to have quality activities.  It's really

cool to work with him. We had half of our English class stay for this activity cause we did it right after the end of English.  So the thing is our English class is made up of a lot of people who have been coming for a while, so they know about us and what not.  Half way through the activity we had these four random ladies show up!  One of our English students invited her friends to come say hi.  They didnt stay long at all but we got introduced and I think they are going to start going to the English classes! I'm so happy about that!

Sunday was an interesting day.  It was our fast Sunday because of General conference and easter coming up.  It also happened to been a really rainy day and our branch president was outta town.  On top of that day light savings happened..  So I got to conduct and preside for sacrament meeting.  The turn out was pretty low. We had the two Americans come,

one member, and our investigator.  We ended up doing like a 45 minute meeting cause there were like 0 announcements and every single person in the room bore their testimony.  There was litterally nothing else to say or do.  After the meeting we stayed and we all just talked together for a bit and then they had to get going back to work or catch a train or something, so everyone left on the hour. We were about to do a little lesson with L and it went well I think. I really like him a lot.  He really is just a good guy and wants to be a good person. I have hope for him, but it might take some time. 

That is about it for this week.  It's weird to think that this coming Saturday and Sunday is my last time watching General conference here in Romania!  ah kinda freaks me out sometimes.  We are in store for a good week that's for sure.  Thanks for all the support, love, and prayers in my behalf.  Couldnt do it with out them!  Have a good week!

Elder Cooper

APRIL 6, 2015

So it has been another week.  So far I think this has been the

least amount of conference I was able to watch.  So far I have only seen the Relief Society session. haha.  It was the only thing we got to work on Sunday. So we got a lot of catching up to do. It's a good thing I have a USB stick cause we can just download them, take em home, and then listen to them.  I've heard a lot of good things about the sessions so I am anxious to watch/listen for myself.

Honesty this week was very calm.  A lot of people get busy around this time and it's harder to set up.  We were able to have a lesson with our lady.  The thing is she isnt going to be

able to meet with us for another 2 weeks!  So that is kinda sad.  She is outta town for Easter stuff.  But we were able to do a lesson over the phone with her.  That's how we have to do it with her most of the time.  At first it was kinda weird for me, but I am getting more and more used to it.  I can hear in her voice that she is truly interested in the gospel and she knows it can bless her life.  Can I tell you how refreshing it is to be teaching someone like that! She actually wants to change something in her life that is a rare thing here.  We just hope and pray that all will be well after this little break with her.

L is doing well.  I just love this man.  He is just a good person through and through.  He always wants to do the right thing and be a good person.  He comes to English and all of our activities so we see him quite a bit in a weeks time.

So Elder Christensen and I tried to make some peanut butter

fudge this week.  It was an epic fail!  We followed this reciepe that was total crap haha.  We basically made carmel peanut butter that was sitting in milk haha.  Hey at least we tried I guess. :)

OH I have completely forgot to mention this.  There is an amazing man here in Craiova.  So on a normal day walking on the streets you pass a lot of Gypsys.  Most of the time if you make eye contact with them they will beg for money or cigarettes or whatever they want.  So as missionaries we get pretty used to telling them no and kinda ignoring them because it literally happens every day.  Well there is a man that we pass every day.  He is homeless, has no legs, and is missing his right arm.  He is probably one of the happiest people I have seen. Every time we pass him he never asks for money, he never asks for food, he doesnt beg.  When he sees us coming from about 20 feet away he will get a smile on his face and start waving to us.  He always says " Ce faceti Domnilor?!"  Which means How are you gentlemen/sir.  We have a brief conversation with him and that is that.  All of it is positive and happy.  I guess he just really impresses me.  It's not only us he says hi to on the street.  There are always people that stop and talk with him.  A lot of people actually give him money, but he never asks.  He moves around on a little box/stool.  So sometimes we see him scooting around

trying to get to his spot... And the thing is, he is always smiling.  So there is the Craiova legend.  A lot of missionaries know him as the box man, and we all love him.  It just shows me that if this man can choose to be happy, then we all sure can.  Who even knows what goes on in his actual life but from what we can tell it's not easy, and yet day to day he continues to be happy.  So I guess what I am trying to get at, is just be happy.  It's a choice.

I guess that it is for this week.  Next Monday I'll be telling you all what is happening for transfers!  Crazy that it is already that time again.  I hope you all have a great and happy week!

Love,

Elder James