Monday, August 29, 2016

TRANFERS!

So I'm staying in Brasov! Yay! My new companion, Sora Savoie, got here this afternoon, but the awkward thing is that Sora Jerez isn't leaving till Wednesday. So we get to be in a trio for two days. 

Celebrating my 3 month mark with Clatite (name of the dessert)
Anyway, this Tuesday, was my three month mark in the country and I cannot believe that I've been here for that long! It seriously just feels like I get here yesterday! But to celebrate, we went to this super yummy traditional romanian food restaurant that Sora Jerez has been wanting to go to. The food was super yummy, and we got dessert :) 

Daniella is gone this week on vacation which is super sad but for some reason she decided to leave us with her keys to her apartment. So we decided to go heart-attack her apartment :) It was super fun! We wrote things we liked about her or a scipture, or a quote. She got back today and she said she loved it! And she got us postcards from Croatia; which was awesome! 

Me, Sora Jerez and Adriana
View of Brasov from our hike
On Wednesday, we decided to get up at like 5:30 and hike up this mountain to watch the sunrise. Adriana was suppose to come with us but she fell back asleep. haha Oh well. We ended up not getting to really see anything because it was so cloudy, but the view of Brasov was still awesome (dont worry I have pictures). Also Sora Jerez and I, both took the opportunity up there to spread out a little bit and just pray. It was such an awesome experience to be surrounded by so much beauty of the earth and just bear my heart out to my Heavenly Father in prayer :) I felt so grateful for everything He has given me and everything He has helped me with, and I felt His love for me so strongly! Prayer is such a beautiful gift we have been given! 
Sora Jerez petting a stray dog on the way back from our hike
Putting together a puzzle at Daniella's
Our District -  Aren't we so cute!

Anyway that's pretty much it for this week! I love you all! Be safe and be happy! 


Love Sora Vann


Sora Jerez in the park in Centru

Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Gospel is Wonderful

Brasov Centru
I want to start off with talking about Daniella because she is so awesome and there is a lot to say. We met with her a lot this week and taught her about the commandments. She loves everything we teach her! AND exciting news! She moved up her baptism date to October 22. Teaching her has been such an amazing experience. I've gotten to see how her life changes for the better as she has accepted the gospel and she has noticed it too! She talked about this week how she just feels happier and lighter. I know I have seen this in my own life, but it is so cool to see it in someone else's! Sadly, she left Friday for a week long vacation, so we won't get to see her this week. 
Parkul Nou (The new park - literally)

We also have been reading the Book of Mormon out loud in public a lot because of our Book of Mormon challenge. We had some super cool experiences because of that. We have been able to teach a least like one random person a day about the Book of Mormon because they ask us about it when they notice us reading. We have given a lot of people Book of Mormons as well! 
Selfie in Bran

I'm sorry I can't think of any funny stories from this week but I do have pictures from Bran castle! (Dracula's Castle but not really) 

Inside of Bran











I love all the emails everyone sends and appreciate all the love and support.  It means a lot.
Have a great week!
Love,
Sora Vann
Bran Castle
Romanian Countryside from Bran





















Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Slow Week

A selfie with Elder Wilkes  (like the younger brother I never had)
We had most of our lessons cancel on us this week so it was a pretty slow week, but thats okay. On Tuesday, when our first lesson of the day canceled on us, we decided to clean our apartment (it really needed it). Which ended up being super great and wonderful, because our proprietor called and said that she would be coming tomorrow morning to look at our apartment. So glad we cleaned! 
Sora Jerez being a ballerina

A pretty alley way in Centru
Yeah I don't really have that much to say this week.... we went block knocking in the rain Friday (going from apartment to apartment to see if anyone wants to talk to us). 
Last night we went to a free concert with one of our members and it was super full; so we had to sit on the floor and we almost got kicked out, but don't worry we didn't. 

Elder Brogerg about to go in a creepy basement we found
We couldn't meet with Danielle this week because she went to the beach, but she was at church yesterday and she even brought her mom! So that was super cool. Literally all our English students disappeared! Tuesday, we had two; who both came late. Saturday we had zero, but it's just because we are the advanced class. The elders' classes have plenty of students. 

We got the exciting news the President Uchtdorf will be coming to Romania after he is in Germany! This is the first time Romania has had someone from the first presidency or the 12 apostles visit. So that is super cool! We can't ,wait to hear from him! 

Yeah, sorry I really have nothing exciting to tell you guys, but don't worry the church is still true! I will now attach some pictures.
 I love you all! Hope you have a great week!

Two of our Elders very tired
Love, 
Sora Vann








Monday, August 8, 2016

If You Like Pina Coladas, and Getting Caught in the Rain

Me with ALL of Brasov behind me
So I'm going to go a little backwards and start with a story from yesterday, but it's a good one. Last night, we were at our investigator, Danielle's house doing a puzzle. The Elders came too, because she wanted a lot people to help work on it. Right before we were going to leave, it started pouring rain. We all just looked at each other and were like, well this is going to be fun. And it was. We all got completely soaked walking from Danielle's house to the bus stop. Then, the bus took forever to come. We thought they might have stopped running, so we started walking home. But when we got to the next bus stop, the sign said our bus was coming in like 2 minutes. So we waited for it. The bus was crazy packed and hot and wet, and also for some reason, the lights werent working. So we are all standing on the bus; smushed together, soaking wet, in the dark. There was a lot of laughing. It took us like an hour to get home and the Elders had to walk us home because we left our phone at Danielle's, so they couldn't call us to make sure we made it home safe. 


Anyway, other exciting news is Danielle has a baptismal date! :) It's in January, but we are hoping to help her see that she will be wayyyyyy ready for baptism before that. She loves everything we teach her and she is just so prepared! Her faith in Christ is growing so much and it's so cool to be able to see that. We can see the difference the gospel is making in her life and so can she :) 

We also had a lesson with our girl from England named Adriana. She said she would take the lessons and we are really great friends with her now (and so are the Elders). We didn't get a chance to start really teaching her this week, but she has already read half of the Book of Mormon and is loving it! And she comes to every activity :) Elder Jensen actually broke her finger on Saturday playing basketball. He claims he is innocent though. 

Citate in Brasov
Last good stuff of the week: We pranked the Elders this week and it was great! Elder Jensen had told us he has never had to go check on the sisters at night to make sure they were okay, so if we ever wanted to not answer our phone that would be okay. So Sora Jerez came up with the idea that we would make brownies and leave them on our desk with a note that said "have some brownies love Karma". (he likes to tease us a lot).  Then not answer our phone when they called at 10 to make sure we were home and safe. Then leave our door cracked open (they don't have a key to our apartment. Don't worry, our apartment building is super safe) We turned the lights off and hid on our balcony (we can't be in our apartment as the same time as the Elders).  All went according to plan and it was so funny! They were a little annoyed/mad (because they were worried we were dead) but said it was a good prank and that the brownies were really good. 

Anyway I love you all :) Have a great week! 

 Love,  Sora Vann



Me in the skinniest street in Europe

Sora Jerez and I in front of Brasov





















This says "I like Mermaids"  -  when in Romania

Monday, August 1, 2016

The Week of Craziness

So our goal this week was to have 20 lessons in honor of Sora Jerez turning 20! We didnt' get it (we had 16) but we still had an amazing week and learned so much! 
I will start with old bench guy. We met with him Sunday on the bench we meet him on (he doesn't have a phone). He talked for a straight hour. I'm not even kidding. I couldn't really hear him at all, so I just sat there for an hour people watching and trying to focus on him. Near the end, I was starting to go a little crazy but luckily, we got a call and had to leave. He is sweet but I don't think he is interested in the gospel at all. 

We have a super awesome investigator that I don't think I've told you about yet, named Danielle. She just showed up two Sundays ago at church. Apparently two guys who stayed with her as they were traveling though Brasov, talked to her about our church because they were Mormon. She told them she had been reading the Bible online and they asked what website. Turns out she was reading from lds.org. and she took it as a sign from God! She's been looking for a church to join for the past two months. How awesome is that!? We had two awesome lessons with her this week, and she agreed to be baptized! She doesn't have a date yet because she told us she wants to finish reading the Bible and then read the Book of Mormon before she gets baptized. But she is seriously so awesome! She is loving everything we teach her and she asks so many great questions :)
                                                                                                The Birthday Girl with her Chocolate Pancakes
Wednesday, was Sora Jerez's birthday :) We celebrated by going to lunch with the elders. We went to an Indian resturant and we all got curry that was wayyyyy to spicy! My mouth was seriously on fire! and so was everyone else's. It was fun though, lots of laughing (and crying). Later that night, I made Sora Jerez chocolate pancakes and we sang Happy Birthday to her (the elders sang over the phone). 

We made friends with this super girl from England who is living in Brasov right now. She didnt' really seem interested in the gospel, but then last night she came to a fireside and then today she came to Zone Conference! So now I think she is super interested :)

On Saturday, all of our lessons bailed on us (which is why we didn't get 20) but we had a super great Relief Society activity that really just turned into the whole branch activity. We had a big dinner together and then watched a chick flick. It made Sora Jerez and I both cry! (don't worry we got permission from president). 

Zone Conference
We had Zone Conference today and it was awesome. It made me really think about how much joy this gospel and church has given me. I know this church is true with all my heart and I'm so glad to be a member and to have it my life. I know the Book of Mormon is the true word of God, and it too has blessed my life so much! It has given me so much peace and happiness from reading it! We have this video that we love to share with people "datorita lui" (Because of Him). I encourage you all to watch it :) I hope you guys have a great week! I love you all! 
Love 
Sora Vann!





                                                                                                            
                                   

                                                                                                                 








                                                                                                            At the Indian Restaurant

















Ducklings at one of our member's house