2 months

We have just passed the two month mark; I still feel like a boot camp.  A new couple just came into the Mission; they are going to Moldova so we won't see them very much and this is their second mission.  They seem very nice; Moldova will be blessed.

The last 2-weeks have been crazy; I thought I knew crazy but I didn't.  The experienced couple in the office had to return to the states for a medical procedure (they just got back Friday; yea!) so it was me trying to fill his and my shoes (let's just say my shoes were mostly ignored).  He is the Finance Clerk. We had a 3-Zone conference during this period; that means we had more than 60 missionaries here.   Most of them wanted money.  I thought that I brought enough money to the zone conference; I was wrong.  I ended up borrowing money from two other senior couples and me.  I got all of the people paid that really needed money and spent the next week (last week) trying to catch up.  Next week I'll be showing the other Elder Nelson (the real finance guru) all of my successes, things I think might be right and things that we're going to need forgiveness for; I think it will take another two weeks to catch up before I can get back to my job (can you believe both office couples are "Nelson's"?).

Last Sunday I spoke in Sacrament meeting (in Romanian).  I had two different sets of missionaries and one native Romanian correct my discourse (it looked like my first edition of one of my master thesis papers except the corrections weren't in red.  This week I taught Priesthood class in Romenglish (a missionary translated my Romanian parts into English and English parts into Romanian); I don't think they'll ask me again for a while.

Krisy's experiences were just as crazy except she didn't get any warning.  Two weeks ago we had a baptism of someone we had fellowshipped (she's the one that corrected my discourse).  Well, Krisy was just sitting in the back listening to the speakers when the conducting member of the Presidency mentioned that she would be the next speaker; it really didn't even register with her until another senior couple sister elbowed her and told her to get up.  She walked up to the podium, looked in amazement at the mission president who was smiling a big old grin and bore her testimony in Romanian.  She thought it was over.  The next week she was asked to speak in sacrament the following week and then at the beginning of the meeting the branch clerk came up to her and told her she'd be speaking now instead.  She grabbed the new convert we fellowshipped and brought her up to the front to translate what she couldn't say in Romanian; the new convert was more nervous than Krisy.  Krisy's remark to her after the meeting was "Welcome to the Church".  At least then Krisy knew that it was over (or so she thought).  The following Sunday the District President (Mission equivalent to a Stake President) grabbed her as she was going to Sunday School and told her he wanted her to teach the youth in Sunday School.  Krisy asked him when he'd like her to start; "Today" was his answer so off she went with no lesson book or clue.  It looks like we will be teaching the class together; the Branch President told us he'd tell us which book he'd like us to use.  "Welcome to the Church in the mission field"; Krisy will most likely be tasked to teach the RS for a Sunday too, in a few weeks.

We are continually impressed with the people (except when they are behind the wheel) and country of Romania.  They are a wonderful, hard working and family oriented people.  I just wish we could get more to listen to the missionaries; sometimes I think they are just too busy.

A reminder from Xander of why we are here

Hand painted eggs from a street market

How the little kids get around in one fancy mall

3-Zone conference; guess who did the table decorations

Sister missionaries correcting elder knelson's Romanian sacrament talk

Presents to Sister knelson as she was visiting some very poor members

a few of our Sunday School class