Botez, Mountains, and the Book of Mormon

To whom it may concern (WHICH SHOULD BE ALL OF YOU),

I am literally in THE BEST, MOST POSITIVE MISSION ON THE PLANET. This week has been jam packed I am not even sure where to start. Thank you to all who sent me the birthday wishes. I would love to reply but I have 0 time BUT I love you all thank you so much for the thoughts!

Okay I will start with the BOTEZ!!! Liviu got BAPTIZED!!!!! He is so AWESOME! But wow is it a story.

So.....Liviu decided to get baptized at 10 o'clock in the morning. Because it is so hot these days, he thought would be best. We were so excited for him that the logistic side of our brains did not kick in so we were just like yeah of course perfect. Then we are walking home from the lesson and I am like "wait a second, it takes 5 hours to fill up the font and we have to do it the day of or else the water will be freezing." So after some convincing on Sora Armstrong's part (I had to convince her,) we decided to sleep at the church the night before the baptism so we could start the water at 3:30 in the morning. Saturday, we wake up at BEFORE the crack of dawn to start the water. The way we fill up the font here is through a hose connected to the kitchen sinks that runs into the big plastic tub in the next room. So I wake up turn on the water and fall back onto the couch and then I hear this flush of water and the hose as shot OFF of the sink!!! Sora Armstrong and I spent the next HOUR scotch taping the hose onto the sink because the connecting piece had BROKEN!!! Then we finally fall back to sleep around 5:30. 6:30 rolls around, we pray, then I look into the font and there is like no water in there, so I walk into the kitchen and as soon as I set foot into the room my foot is SUBMERGED in water. I was like "uh oh" and Sora Armstrong comes running in. Turns out our scotch taping job was not as pro as planned so there was a major leak and resulted in a kiddie pool in the church kitchen. We fixed the leak, mopped up most of the water, and then the Elders brought us some pancakes. Then we had a BAPTISM. It was BEAUTIFUL. Liviu just BEAMED the entire time. He thought the baptism suit was hilarious and just busted up laughing when we showed it to him. Baptisms always have an awesome spirit about them but I think the baptism is different depending on the person. The gospel for Liviu is just such a happy thing. It is something that gave him the hope and change of perspective that he needed as he came out of a very tough challenge in his life. It has helped him heal and after he got baptized he said he just felt ready to start life again. Everyone was smiling. The second counselor in the branch president gave the welcome and he said something so beautiful. He looked at Liviu and said, Brother we are small but we are strong. Liviu just smiled. After, Liviu got up and bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Christ. It was so simple but so SOLID. Not really sure how to put the feeling into words but wow it was an INCREDIBLE day.

The day after Liviu received the holy ghost, the priesthood and a calling as a Sunday School teacher. He was a little dazed but still smiling. He was walking around with all these books and I was like "Liviu, it's my birthday! Why do you get all the gifts!" He said "It's my weekend. I got reborn yesterday." hahaha I let him have it.

I am so BLESSED!!! I had the best birthday ever. The branch all kissed me and wished many birthdays upon me and blessed me to have beautiful children and a strong husband and great old age. I was like guys I'm only 20, I got awhile but they just kept giving me blessings which is a Romanian thing. Back to the point. THE LORD IS PREPARING PEOPLE. EVERYWHERE!!!! Go find them! Let me reiterate MISSIONARY WORK DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT THE MEMBERS!!! Get busy!

Monday, we took our favorite 5:30am train to Buceresti. We made with 20 minutes to spare I will have you know. Then we headed up to climb mountains with EVERY SINGLE MISSIONARY IN ROMANIA AND MOLDOVA. It was amazing! We got there and it was pouring rain and President was like "Let's go!" So we hiked to this amazing waterfall and was so beautiful and so much fun. That night, we had this delicious dinner in A CASTLE. It was so much fun to be with everyone. This mission is changing. We are obedient, we are striving everyday to find the one, we are committed to building the Church here in Romania and you could feel the power as we were all gathered together. There are also just so many awesome people in this mission. I got to talk to my home girls Sora Allen and Sora Marchesci who are going home soon but who are two AMAZING missionaries. I am so blessed to be making the friends I have made here.

Then we had an all mission conference. It was all about the BOOK OF MORMON. President Ivory's sister was there with her husband who is a surgeon. He and President Ivory both bore powerful testimonies of the Book of Mormon. It was thinking how cool is this gospel? Here are two incredibly intelligent men, President attended Harvard Business College.....and where is the first source they turn to for guidance and direction in their lives? The Book of Mormon. A book that some people argue was made up by a 24 year old unlearned school boy. Would a man that graduated from Harvard and now runs a very successful company turn to a book like that for guidance? NO The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It was written by prophets for our day. In it we can learn how to be a better parent, friend, teacher, sales guy, co-worker, brother, sister, spouse whatever we can learn to BE BETTER. So guess what my peeps I have a challenge for you. READ IT!!!!! The Romania Moldova Mission is starting to read it from front to cover tomorrow. Read it with us! We will finish it in 84 days. When a people unite in something this good MIRACLES WILL HAPPEN. Romania needs miracles, Temecula needs miracles, WE ALL NEED MIRACLES.

My friends and family I love you, I pray for you, I promise you that there is no truer book on this planet than the Book of Mormon and you will find no greater joy than the joy you can find in the Book of Mormon.

Over and out

Sora Armstrong

when you wake up expecting the font to be full but instead the kitchen is