Last blog entry in Romania

We leave this evening for Israel.  We'll be there 8 days before returning home.  

This past week has been most memorable and rewarding.  

This is Cismigiu Park in the center of Bucharest.  It is where Elder Nelson, an apostle in the latter days came to dedicate Romania for the preaching of the gospel,  Feb. 9, 1990.

Missionaries come here with Pres. & Sora Ivory on this little hill to read the prayer at the beginning and end of their missions.  We loved reading the prayer and being mindful of the blessing pronounced on this lovely land.

 We started out the week driving from Arad out to Sannicolau Mare to find the 80 year old Zahn gentleman who was a possible relative of a family seeking family history information in the USA.   Here Sora Mogos, our translator, is visiting with the son and his friend.

 Finally able to meet Mr. Zahn we learned that he is not related to the family in question.

 Next we talked to the secretary at the Catholic church who wasn't sure he could find anything. The pastor that would have known had retired and moved to Bucharest.

 Dropping Sora Mogos off at her block back in Arad.   She told us now she knows how to go about looking for her relatives, so all was not in vane.

A couple days of packing and we have our apartment back to just the landlord's belongings and four large suitcases full to the brim.

 The wooly slippers I bought at Bran last fall were my favorites all winter.  Now they and a lot of our other clothes went to the "Good will" container down the street from the church.

 Glad for the Elders, Wilstead and Meek coming to help us pack our heavy suitcases into the car.  Now they are taking a last load of odds and ends as we close this era of our missionary life.

 On our way out of town we didn't pass the exit sign to the "forest" that we hadn't made time to visit.  We were glad we waited till things had started to green up.  This "forest" follows a river and is quite the recreation area for the community.  We find this kind of thing in the mountains at home.  But here it is in the low lands.  

 No mountain in sight, Rand says the forest is about 1/4 mile wide by several miles long.

 Camping and picnic tables followed by a 4 hour drive to our last night in Sibiu.

We hadn't been able to find Toma to say good bye and today we met him as we walked through Centru.  So happy to see him and say good bye.

 Finally got to eat at the "Music Pub" with Alexandra & Pres. Craciun.  It was great to get caught up on the branch and enjoy a meal together.

Friday driving from Sibiu down to Bucharest through our favorite views of the mountains above Sinaia. 

Saturday morning we met three other missionary couples for a day on Bucharest.  We started out just down the street from the mission office at one of the homes of Ceauşescu, the evil communist dictator who ruled Romania with an iron fist.

Our English speaking tour guide had no love for Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu.  He told us that for 25 years Ceauşescu & his wife as rulers considered Romanians as no better than rats.   He almost starved these wonderful people to death with his plush lifestyle.

Rand standing in one of their dressing rooms with their life size models in the background. 

 Gold plated tile adorned many of the rooms - even to include mosaics in the gardens.

Ceauşescu's palace or the People's Palace is the second largest building in the world next to the Pentagon in the USA.  Standing up close you realize the magnitude of this building.  However it was impossible to get a photograph of it up close. 

 This is the Shurtleffs who are the new humanitarian couple working from Bucharest.

 The DeSpains are the new office couple.  The Majerans go home next month so they've had the present office couple to train them.  

 Front are the Winders, the Pathway couple who has helped us so much with Self Reliance materials and have become good friends.  

 Monday morning was a beautiful day and with the Winders left for Constanta, the city on the Black Sea.  Here we are crossing over the Danube.

 Walking along the Sea everyone photographs the Casino, an abandoned building that ought to be good for something.  Sorry to say it is slowly deteriorating away.

 It was a little cold so didn't go swimming, but sure had fun exploring with these wonderful people.

 So fortunate to be there on a clear day.  These cement things were in many areas protecting the shore line.

 This was our lovely B & B, Vila Flavia.  Our host was so accommodating and dotting.  And the view of the sea from our dining room was gorgeous.

 Before heading home we dropped by our church to meet the Soras and pick up their apartment rental contract to deliver to the office.

 Our last full night was spent at the Ivory's with the DeSpains, Biehns, Majerans and Winders with Pres. & Sora Ivory and Shurtleffs standing in the back.

 Pres. & Sora Ivory trying to figure out what Elder Brown gave them as a going away gift.  A crazy item he found at a hardware store in Fagaras.  

 The Biehns first night in Buc.  They will be the Humanitarian couple serving for the West in Cluj.

Last photo with Pres Ivory, his wife and the Browns.

Two of my favorite paragraphs in Elder Nelson's dedicatory prayer over the Land of Romania.

I invoke a blessing upon the people of this land that they may learn to know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.  As these sons and daughters of Romania understand and keep the commandments, let them prosper in the land.  Bless them with an increase in the fruits of the field, with abundant grains and vegetables to give them physical strength.  Let their flocks and herds multiply upon the mountains and in the valleys. 

Bless their widows and orphans, and their wounded sons and daughters to rise from their beds of affliction and become strong once again.  Bless young and old with physical and spiritual strength, that heads may be held high in wholesome pride in their culture, language, and traditions of righteousness.