One more tour with Nicoleta.  Our favorite and only tour guide offered us six missionaries a free walking tour of Sibiu centre Monday for P-day.

 Because of a paint job our car needed Rand and I got to take a taxi to Centru to meet up with the group. 

  I carried everything we'd need for FHE later that evening in my swim/Uganda bag as we traipsed around learning new things about our adopted city. 

 Nicoleta loves to give natives her tour.  Most don't know that much about the city.  She says she didn't used to like history but loves it now as a tour guide.

 A kind lady graciously took all our pictures.  Her little boy joined us for the picture.

 Hauntingly beautiful

 So glad Tuesday to get our car.  Well, we thought we would get our car.  After hiring a taxi to take us the 10 miles out of town to the best body paint shop they said they wouldn't be done for another 4 hours.  We had a class to teach and no taxi to get us there so the wife lent us her car as a loaner for the 4 hours.  Surprised how roomy this tiny car felt inside.

 Kaufland, one of the biggest grocery store chains in Romania has the biggest ware house out in the middle of no where on our way to Cluj for zone conference.  This is the ware house that was snowed in last winter when no food was getting to our store in Iasi.  Brings back memories every time we pass here.

 Thanks to David Wisehart for the chopped chilies.  We've sure enjoyed chicken enchiladas again.  There's not many things we can't get here but chilies is one.

 Thur. after the Craciuns got off work we met at the cemetery to plan out our branch activity for Sat.  This cemetery is huge with the old section, the russian army section, those killed in the revolution and on and on.  Sandu took on organizing who would go where to photo graves for "billiongraves.com".

Here the cemetery had a very sophisticated web page but everything we clicked on said "page not available".  We were told you had to go to the city hall for maps and other information.  Not sure why they have this computer at the entrance to the cemetery.

Moved our Sat.  Self Reliance class this week to Friday so it wouldn't interfere with the branch "halloween party".  So proud of these gentlemen, they are really starting to take responsibility.  Did I say that last week in  our blog?  Well, they are getting more inspired every week.  What more can be said, it's wonderful.

 Promptly at three we almost had a full chapel for the party.  Many of the intermediate English class wanted to join us.  The bus left at 3:21 so we headed to the cemetery that was about 4 kilometers away.  As Rand and I drove up we saw these kooky halloween costumed teens heading into the cemetery.  Turns out they were there for our party also.  No one complained so it was OK.  They came from games night and attended last year's halloween party.  I think they were quite surprised at this year's activity, what no spook alley?

 Sandu got the map from the city hall and made copies, one for each couple with an assigned area to take photos of grave stones.  Ioan Hader found the oldest birth date, 1831.  

 Mihai claims the rock here is the oldest headstone but with nothing visible to document we could only take a curiosity photo.

 Both Mihai and Toma have family buried in the cemetery.  Toma's father passed away just a year ago.  He says he wants to do a Mormon kind of celebration for his Dad.  We wondered what he meant by that as we know the orthodox have several ceremonies for the dead throughout the first year.  But as Toma says, "the Mormon celebration is to do their temple work after their one year anniversary."  Oh, that's right.  We do have a Mormon ceremony, I guess you could call it that.

 Back at the church we had all these lovely English students come help with food preparation.  In all I think we had 23 in attendance and a good time was had by all.

 These are the two ladies (mother/daughter) who joined us for our sewing project.  They are taking the missionary lessons.

 In all we had seven members attend the party.

 Plus missionaries of course.

Costumed attendees felt more comfortable setting up in the library.  

 Got pictures of the doughnut eating contest but missed out on the mummy wrap.  Elder Swafford bagged up the used TP and took it home.  I told him he reminded me of my Dad who didn't let anything go to waste.

 Lots of fun decorations that the missionaries hung around the building.

 This was my kind of halloween; something useful in a service to others, food, games and friends to share it with.

 Mihai helping out till the end.  Mopped the floor even.

 Sunday went to visit the Cernats and couldn't figure out why traffic was moving so slowly.  A funeral was the answer with mourners walking down the middle of the street all carrying umbrellas in the rain and hail.  What a gloomy procession.

Had to end with Elder Swafford who climbed in an empty grave that had a shelf off to the side.  Two caskets can slide in there then two in the main opening.  I'd say that's enough of that theme.

At zone conference this past week we were each challenged to come up with and share a 30 second script of why we are on a mission.  Mine is still too long but here it is.                                 About one hundred and seventy years ago Missionaries from our church came from America to Europe and taught my ancestors about the restored Church of Jesus Christ.  These ancestors joined the church from such countries as England, Denmark & Sweden then moved to America.  Now, my husband and I have come back to Europe to share this same Gospel of Jesus Christ which meant so much to them and now to us with Europeans who are now encouraged to stay in their own lands and build the Kingdom of God wherever there is a people who will listen to this wonderful message that God again speaks to man and has restored his church on the earth.