This was the weekend that was so busy.  You wouldn't know it by this picture.  We took time to go out to lunch with the Sisters at the Uruguay restaurant.  We finally found it open.

 Rand wanted a picture of their cooking arrangement.  The fire box was above the grill.  Hot coals fall down from the fire box to cook the food.  Colorful veggies are on the right staying warm for later use.

Central road in Sibiu with the two main roundabouts are blocked off so that the annual car races can take place.  Of course the church is on the other side of the race track and seriously disrupted our travel to and from.

 Games night for the YSA was finally able to meet out doors.  This activity was originally started out doors.  Members set up to play volley ball and invited anyone who wanted to join in.  By the time winter set in there was a good group of non members who looked forward to the Sat. night activity and were willing to move to the church to continue with indoor games.

Sunday the missionaries, Mihi and Elena, an investigator did a Sora Treabes hand signal.  We sure miss the missionaries when they move on.

After Sibiu Branch meetings on Sunday we headed to Deva.  Deva used to be a branch but when the branch president had to move to Bucharest there wasn't enough activity to warrant keeping it going.  We were asked to drive there in the afternoon once a quarter to hold a sacrament meeting.  The drive is about 2 1/2 hours away.  Something yellow was absolutely stunning.

 This was our first sighting of a castle.  None of us knew anything about it.

 We had four members attend our sacrament meeting and one investigator.  Elder Brown encouraged them to do their missionary work in hopes of qualifying to be a branch again.  The Elders brought a sacrament water tray and the prayers but forgot the water, bread and bread tray and cloth.  After they realized one at a time each of the items they were missing the gentleman who's house we were meeting at quickly provided the needed items.  We now have a list.  Live and learn right?

 We're hoping to have a Relief Society activity in the near future.  The problem will be a place to meet.  Homes are tiny with little room to do an activity.  That is why they are so sad they no longer have a building to meet in.

 Elders had an investigator we planned to meet with after the Deva group meeting.  Turns out he works at a restaurant at the base of the castle gondola.  He suggested we drive up the back of the mountain instead of riding up with the rest of the tourists.  We'll have to come another day than Sunday.

 While walking around the parking lot waiting for the missionaries to finish their lesson with the investigator I noticed a row of statues.  Surprised to see they were mostly women and not some old king or royalty we were told that it was statues of the Romanian gymnasts that went to the Olympics the year Nadia Comaneci won her perfect 10 score.  The building in the background has the Olympic circles and was were the team trained.

 We then drove another 30 minutes to meet up with a member who was not able to attend church.  The Elders were interested to find out his story and see how he could be included in the Deva Group.  Turns out he wants to get a job where the church is better established.  Interesting meeting though.

Monday for FHE Camilia brought us her rendition of a Romanian waffle.  She had heard that we had waffle dinners and she thought we must really love waffles.  The Romanian waffle is a cracker.  Something you would eat with soup.

I gave my first talk in church Sunday the 16th. I used the theme from the Women's General Conference "I was a Stranger" and combined that with Elder Kearon's talk about the 60,000 refugees throughout the world.  He said "not that many years ago their story was our story".  I told about my Great Great Grandfather, William Cook Prows who as a refugee of sorts went as a member of the Mormon Battalion to California and that the money he made provided funds needed for his step Mother to get to Salt Lake City.  William's father decided he did not want to be a refugee and follow the prophet.  He abandoned his family and went back East where he had come from.  I felt inspired to tell the members that they were the refugees of Romania.  Many have been abandoned by their friends and families for joining the church.  I encouraged them to stay faithful as William did.  His posterity now honor him for staying faithful to the Gospel and helping to build the kingdom.  His father was not faithful and none of his posterity honor him.    My talk was translate by Elder Hellewell.  Lucky him.  He is usually the one that translates for Pres. Brown up on the stand so Rand knows what is being said.  Elder Hellewell is the first counselor and does all the conducting in meetings.  We thought we would lose him this transfer but instead are losing Elder Cochran.  So sad.  We've spent most of our mission in the same Branch as Elder Hellewell.  I told him there was something we needed to learn from each other before he could move to another city.  We just haven't figured out what that is.