We're getting a bit behind on our blog.  

Scrambling to get caught up last week I started a blog that I thought I saved when I ran out of time.  Instead it appeared that I hit "Publish" instead.  So if you got a blog with several  un described pictures, go to our blog address to check out what was added later.

9th of October was our last Sunday as a district with these hard working missionaries, Soras Chandler & Armstrong and Elders Swafford & Jerome.

Sora Chandler had been with us for several transfers.  She left the next morning for Buc.  

 Sora Craciun brought a yummy treat for those who have to stay for district meeting.  Romanians like their food as natural as possible as you can see.  The cake bottom had very little sugar in it as well as the pudding the fruit is sitting on.

Unlike the missionaries who are always open to being photographed, Sora   Cruciun doesn't like her picture taken as she cut the dessert.  This was the best I could get of her. 

Her husband, Bro, Craciun proudly wears his new scripture carrying case.  A little hard to see but it fits his scriptures perfectly and he loves it. 

 Sunday night we had the Banciu family come to watch "Meet the Mormons".  That was the night I tripped coming up the stairs.  I saved the pie but at the expense of my toe, knee, arm and chin.  Everything is almost healed but my toe that complains everytime I do a lot of walking.  

Claudio & Monica are our Herbelife friends.  The Soras, entertained their three boys while the parents watched the movie in Romanian.

We hope the missionaries will have the opportunity to teach them the gospel.  Right now they are really busy but may bring their oldest, Patrick to English.  He is in a German school and is not getting any English.

 Monday afternoon, the 10th our daughter and five children from Texas arrived.   Not as much goes on during transfer week so it was a good time for them to arrive.

At our house.

They rented a 9 passenger van and with a tour guide in toe we spent a good part of the rest of the week touring Transylvania.    Except for the times they interacted with the branch members their blog update will be separate from this one.  

 Sunday Danielle and Nicole sang "We are as the armies of Helamen" for the intermediate song.  They have angelic voices and we were all moved to tears.

The Conner family really impressed our tour guide, Nicoleta.  She came to our Sacrament meeting and brought her boy friend.  She was so loving and good with the kids.  We told her this trip was school for the children so she turned into a teacher as well as a tour guide.

Monday the 17th was FHE with the branch.  I'm sorry to say the Conner children know more about the Book of Mormon than these members.  Any ideas on how you've gotten members to read and study on their own?

  Danielle and Nicole put their cake decorating talents to work on a birthday cake for Elder Winder, our new elder who turned 20 that day.

 Elder Winder's grandparents are also serving here in Romania as Pathway directors.  We may have mentioned them before.

 It was sad to send the Conners on their way Tue. afternoon the 18th.  Then we hurried back to the church to hold English that had been on hold for the last week.  Daniel Sas has joined Florin and Sat. we got even another student, Paul Pora for advanced English.  

 Our new missionary, Sora Gebar from Ukraine who speaks Russina of course, Romanian and has a pretty good handle on English went with us to meet Claudio at his Herbelife office.

Area auditor specialists came Thur, the 20th to meet with Elder Brown and Bro. Craciun (ward clerk) for training.  Bro. Lafoe on the left is a church employee from Franch and Elder Rich is a missionary serving in Germany.  He and his wife are from Sandy Utah.

Sora Rich and I took the opportunity to go see the sights in Sibiu while the men did their thing.  It was fun talking about so many things that we have in common as we serve the Lord in our respective callings.

 Had a fun day revitalizing the church flower planters.  The soil needed replenishing and I took up the plants that will freeze and moved them to pots here at our home. 

 This little pink bush faded badly in the summer but is coming out of it by turning bright pink.  Planted chrysanthemums, daffodils and tulips.  I may not be here to enjoy them but they will be pretty for many years to come.

Our Self Reliance leader for the branch is having many problems and doesn't make it any more to Self Reliance.  Instead of waiting for her we have continued on with these members who have become quite dedicated to making their businesses do well.  Tom, Florin and Ion are members and Maria is a friend of Toma's.

 Sunday the 22nd of Oct. we had dinner with the Soras and Claudia.  They loved the Chicken Alfredo and Sora Stoica's apple cake.  

Then we had a lesson on the first four principles of the gospel.  Claudia came in contact with the church in English class.  She is considering being baptized.

Our next event will be a halloween party.  Unlike most halloween parties we will be doing family history with "Billiongraves" at the Sibiu main cemetery this coming Sat.   (a little bit appropriate maybe?)  Members and friends will take pictures of gravestones to be indexed and added to a searchable web site that folks doing family history can search for ancestors.  We will have a contest to see who can find the oldest person, the person born the longest time ago and who can take the most pictures in an hour.    When it gets dark we will come back to the church for hot chili, toasted cheese sandwiches and doughnuts.  Don't you wish you could join us?

We Believe the first Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel are: first faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Second Repentance, third baptism by emersion for the remission of sins and fourth the laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

I memorized this when in Primary many years ago so if a word or two is not quite right that is why.  I could look it up but decided not to.  The important thing is that I know that when we have Faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ our actions become different.  We want to do good so we repent of our mistakes and we are baptized by one who has been commissioned by Jesus Christ to do so.  These men who hold the Priesthood, restored as it was in Jesus's time also have the authority to confirm you a member of his church and give you the Gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion to help you return to our Heavenly Father after this life.