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.

jkj

Almost the last roses of summer.  I will miss their beauty

Wed. 28th of Sept we headed to Bucharest.  It was for a self reliance regional meeting and to get our winter tires installed.  After that the senior couples joined from both Moldova and Romania for a four day conference.

 Parking at the mission office, never enough.  We don't understand how large business offices are allowed to exist without adequate parking for the clients.

Many cars are parked illegally but if your hazard lights are on you're OK.  I think for the day.

 Rand wanted to go see some property owned by a member in the branch.  She is having quite a struggle and needs to turn this property into some kind of income.

 Her property is the last lot behind this street front property.

Oh goodness, I guess you could haul off the rubble and sell it as raw land.

 Our favorite hotel so far.  Makes up for having to go to "Buc" as the missionaries say.

We were on the 11th floor.

 Headed to Brasov later in the day. Thursday one of the senior missionaries, Elder Day pointed out that this was a major battle ground during WW 2.  Nazis stored ammo here in Romania and this was where his friend's father was killed as a bomber pilot while trying to destroy any advantage the enemy had for fighting the allies.

 This is a scene often seen in Romania.  Most we just pass by.  Would love to have gone exploring on this hill top.

 

Our first stop was at Biertan fortified church where our first detour was the "toileta".  Price is 1.5 lei for toilet paper.  This bathroom was extremely modern.  They aren't all worth the price we pay. 

 Check out the stone protruding from the tile wall to show what was covered up.

 Walls protecting the church inside.

 Love the autumn colors in the vines over the wall

  1490, no buildings on the American continent are this old unless you find something left over from the Indians (native Americans).

 One thing that this church was known for was the ability to store wealth.  This is the door lock behind which the gold was stored.  Wish I could remember all she told us about how this lock worked.

 Enjoying the view from the top

President Ivory taking a picture of Sora Winder and Sora Ivory. 

 It was a beautiful sunny day.

 Haven't seen a lot of red in the autumn colors.  Loved this view of the church.

  Crit Messendorf, Not sure how the mission president found this out of the way place.

 Family owned vacation home in Romania with father cooking the stew for the guests.

About 3/4 of the potato looking ingredients was a kind of dumpling, delicious.

 Rand wanted a picture of this roof structure and the grape press.

 Next stop Sighisoara one of the more famous cities to visit in Transylvania

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 Of course there are many churches, this being the most picturesque. 

 Taking pictures of the church tower.

We didn't pay the 5 lei to go into the home where Vlad the Impaler was born but this was his birthplace.  Many tribute him to the idea of dracula.

Sora Jeppson, Humanitarian missionary, checking out the native costume.

Only sign we've ever seen on a piazza.  Since it is all in English we're guessing it is a very expensive home.  Who else would have that kind of money?

Left to right, Winders, Jeppsons, Edwards, Days, Sora Taylor, Ivories, Elder Taylor, Rand and I, Alemans in front, Vogelsburgs, Coolies and Majorans.

Lovely accommodations for our travels.

Elder Coolie checking out the hat he just bought at Bran where the castle is.  Sora Edwards getting a good laugh at him.

Bought this hand made tablecloth from this lovely saleswoman.  Her family makes beautiful handmade runners and tablecloths.

Many of us had been to Bran castle so didn't pay to go in again but I enjoyed walking around the grounds at the base of the hill.  Quite a picturesque place for wedding photos.

As you can see the city of Bran capitalizes on the Vampire, Dracula idea.  Tourists have a lot of fun here.

Sat. night our last hotel.  This was the fourth hotel in four days and I sure had a hard time remembering what our room number was.  Here we are at a ski resort  above Brasov.

President Ivory knows missions can be hard so he made certain we had a needed rest.  loved the jacuzzi.

Oh, "hi".  Our patio is next door to the Majorans.

Many of us went on walks.  There were a lot of hotels and businesses the other missionaries checked out but Rand and I chose the trees and forests.

Yes, up here it is autumn.

One wall in the hotel had this nature display.  These weeds grow all over Romania.  Someone decided to take advantage of free material.

Sunday found us at Brasov church to watch General conference.  Here the women are watching the Relief Society session which Rand and I had already watched since it took place a week ago.  The men were in the Priesthood session both sessions being rebroadcast for our convenience.

This is the week Rand finally got his permanent crown on his front tooth.  These sun flowers are growing across the street from our dentist.  They are the same kind they grow in fields for sunflower oil.  Reminds me of our flower garden at home.

My favorite quote from general conference:

Sharing the restored gospel is our lifelong Christian duty and privilege.  Elder Quentin L. Cook reminds us, "Missionary work is not just one of the 88 keys on a piano that is occasionally played; it is a major chord in a compelling melody that needs to be played continuously throughout our lives if we are to remain in harmony with our commitment to Christianity and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We learned this week that Rand and I are going to be great grand parents next April.  I guess we should announce first that our grandson Chase and his wife Tiffany are expecting.  Now our son, Andrew is going to be a Grandpa.  That sounds like we must be really old.