Goodbye Clark; Hello Kyle
The trio is great. I love them both and it's awesome. We've been finding a ton of people and it's been a good week.
WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE
So on Wednesday we went to visit Sora Lature in the morning and helped her clean a bunch of stuff because it was her grandson's birthday and they were going to have a party. So we basically just did yard work in skirts because I didn't realize how intense this service thing would be. Oops. After Sora Lature, we ran to the church to do some companionship study before our lesson with Sora Preda BUT it turns out that Sora Preda cancelled on us but one of my comps just didn't understand her on the phone and thought she was confirming. Nope. Cancelling. So we just did some limba study instead and then went English contacting at the mall. We ended up in Sephora somehow and we were trying to sneakily contact the Sephora workers but it ended up with a worker who was NOT good at brows doing my eyebrows at the benefit brow bar. she messed up so bad and had to call the Benefit specialist over to fix my eyebrows. They still weren't looking great but they were better. We invited them both to English though and they both were super nice and said they'd come so there's that.
THURSDAY 22 JUNE
Thursday! We visited Valerica and her bird pooped on Sora Lehr. It was hilarious. We had lunch at KFC and comp studied there and then went contacting. We ran into some Italian people and they were super nice but mostly I think they were just drunk. Then we language studied and then did some metrou contacting. We talked to some super dope people but most of them are just like "add me on facebook!" and we're like lol we can't, and then we never see them again because they don't have a phone number. #getthismissionsomeipadskyle
FRIDAY 23 JUNE
District meeting! The new district is super dope. It's me and my two companions, Sora Sterrett and Sora Lehr, and two elders from last transfer, Elder Green and Elder Meek, and then their companions Elder Boud and Elder Bird. I gotta say, I miss Elder Lemon and Elder Sewell and Sora Warwick. They were a ton of fun. After DM we went to lunch at 18 and it was super great, and then we did some park contacting!
We met with a member named Mirela and Sora Lehr almost fell asleep, and then more contacting. We met this super awesome girl named Maria who seemed so great, she was asking us questions about the Book of Mormon and heaven and we basically taught her the first three lessons right there on a bench. Then she started talking about reincarnation and was basically missionarying us trying to convert us to reincarnation and told us that we needed to come to the light. Super interesting but also really frustrating because we thought we found someone golden but nope. But, oh my goodness, while we were talking to her, this guy rolls up on a bike and stops and looks at Sora Sterrett and said something we didn't really understand and so Maria translated for us and basically it was "i like you i want to get to know you can we talk?" but in like a weird Romanian saying or something and Sora Sterrett just looks at him and is like "sorry i have a boyfriend" and then he got all sad and left. Maybe you just had to be there, but it was hilarious.
SATURDAY 24 JUNE
We weekly planned, got bunged, comp studied, and then met with a girl named Andreea that I met on the metrou on Tuesday. We got ice cream and then talked. she's leaving to England for the summer on Saturday :((( but she was super cool. Then we went to a baptism! The other branch here in Buc was having a baptism so we went. It was cool.
SUNDAY 25 JUNE
Church was really good. The whole Ivory family spoke because they're leaving this week and our new mission president is getting here. I'm really going to miss them :(( After church we came home and had lunch and then headed to Piata Unirii for a branch contacting activity. It was a ton of fun. We had a question written on a whiteboard that said "if you could ask God one question, what would it be?"
I stopped and talked to an orthodox priest (no picture, what a bummer) and he basically avoided the question and was just like "well God knows everything, I just think it's important to serve everyone around us because then we're serving God" and I was like okay that's not an answer but whatever. It was a good conversation though. Then we came home and Sora Sterrett packed because she's going on exchanges this week with another sister in the mission. So bye bye trio life! but just for this week so it's okay. We miss her though :(
MONDAY 26 JUNE
We grocery shopped and then came to email lol we haven't done much.
Sora Lucy Gleason
România/Moldova Mission
July 2016-January 2018
I Hate Teaching English: Episode 47939
N-am chef for a good group email sorry :))))))
MONDAY 12 JUNE
So Monday after we finished emailing we watched The Other Side of Heaven with the other sisters and ordered pizza. I love serving in a city with more sisters. It's nice to hang out with them :)
TUESDAY 13 JUNE
We visited a member named Valerica and she's still her same old nebuna self. Then we ran up to the office to get some reimbursements, and then we went to Hard Rock because they have a cheap lunch special and we were hungry and it's close by. It was yum. After lunch language studied and got bunged. Then English. Do I still hate English? Yes.
WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE
Bomb comp study and then lunch and then a BOMB resto lesson with AnaMaria and her son Toni. It was SO GOOD. That family is just golden. Then we visited a member and she fed us but asa e. Then we limba'd and met with a YW named Olivia. She's 12 and adorable.
THURSDAY 15 JUNE
Sora Lature and then Andra. Eventually we met with Simona and Romeo and they made us STEAK AND POTATOES. It was so good. They're adorable. They're teaching themselves seminary and it's so cute.
FRIDAY 16 JUNE
Our last district meeting :( It was a good one though. We ordered pizza after and then we language studied and contacted and then weekly planned. The other sisters came over for dinner. It was fun :)
SATURDAY 17 JUNE
Transfer board came out! I'm staying in Panduri. The sister companionships are combining, and we're going to be a trio! Sora Sterrett is coming in from the other companionship and Sora Lehr is coming down from Iasi. Who-hooo. Then English. I still hate it. Saturday night was an activity/concert thing at the other chapel in Bucharest and it was meh but I GOT TO SEE MY MOM! I mean my mission mom, my trainer, Sora Kitchen.
And some people from Bacau and Constanta and it was GREAT.
I was so happy. On our way there we met this guy on the train who was coming to the concert too because his son in Arizona who's a member heard about it and told him to go. He lives in Prescott Arizona and if I remember right my cousin Heath lives there...?? Someone ask him if he knows a Robert or Joyce Toma with kids who are like 10 and 7. Anyway so Saturday was suucuuuch a good day except then I just had to say goodbye to Sora Kitchen again so that was sad. I haven't seen her since she went home in November and I missed her a tonnnn.
SUNDAY 18 JUNE
Church! It was good. After church we went to the YW president's house with the other sisters. Her name is Daisy and she's from the Philipines. She made us some bomb food and told us mission stories and it was really fun. Then we went to the church to make cookies with a member named Nate and some of the other missionaries. He's working on his mission papers right now and he's almost done! Then everyone packed. We went over to the other sisters apartment to help Sora Warwick pack because she's going home today actually and we ended up losing track of time and having to stay the night.
MONDAY 19 JUNE
We came home and Sora NJ finished packing and then we took her to the gara to meet her new companion. Sora Lehr got here at some point and then it was just the four of us (me lehr sterrett and warwick) and things just worked out weird so we had to email today. We had pizza last night. It was yum.
TUESDAY 20 JUNE
We dropped Sora Warwick off at the office and said bye :((( i'm really sad to see her go. We got to be really good friends this transfer and I'm so stoked to go home and be real life friends. She's awesome and I love her bunches. Uhhh we also grocery shopped and contacted and got five numbers today! which is pretty good for this companionship honestly. It's been good and now we're emailing :)
Sora Lucy Gleason
România/Moldova Mission
July 2016-January 2018
I'm literally Lindsay Lohan
MONDAY 5 JUNE
So after I logged off last week, we went to visit our friend Bianca at work. She works at an eyeglasses store. Sora Nowjack bought sunglasses. Then since we had nothing to do we decided to go shop contacting. We went in a makeup store and started talking to the lady that works there. We asked her what makeup would work best for our faces. I was wearing no makeup that day and everything she said I was like dude I do that already so pretty much it was just a confidence boost to me that I actually DO know how to do makeup kind of a little bit. Whoo-hooo. After that we tried to go find a lady but she wasn't home. On our way home, I got a call from one of my former companions because she just needed to talk. Long story short, PLEASE keep her sister in your prayers. She's waiting for a heart/lung transplant, so send those good vibes her way 💕💕 When we got home that night, we decided to order pizza and pay with the money jars we found in our apartment. Sad thing: Domino's will only accept 10 lei in change at a time. So we payed with 10 lei in change and the rest in cash. Before we ate our pizza though, I PIERCED SORA NOWJACK'S EARS. Literally, we went totally Parent Trap with the apple and the ice and a needle and it was the most terrifying thing ever, but don't worry, she's fine and her ears are healing nicely :)
TUESDAY 6 JUNE
Tuesday we went to visit Sora Lature and we got her a Domino pizza again. Not Domino's pizza. Just Domino. It's this cheap junky place that a bunch of old guys hang out at at 10 in the morning and drink but the pizza is actually super good ha. After Sora Lature we limba studied at a bookstore and also did some other stuff I don't 100% remember and then we went to the church to plan English. English went OK and then we rushed to Piata Unirii to meet up with our STLs to do exchanges! Sora Andrus came to me in Panduri and Sora Nowjack went to Sora Schow in Mihai Bravu.
WEDNESDAY 7 JUNE
Sora Andrus and I went contacting with our district at Cismigiu park and we talked to some really cool older people. After that, we had lunch at pizza hut and it took FOREVER AND A DAY for them to bring our food so that was a little ridiculous. Sora Andrus and I comp studied at Starbucks and then visited Sora Sergentiu. I had a really good exchange. Sora Andrus is awesome. She's three transfers ahead of me and was in the MTC with my favorite person Sora Vann and I really enjoyed being comps with her :) After Sora NJ and I were back together, we went to a lesson with a girl named Carmen. She's super nice, but mostly interested in English. We also got offered jobs as professional English teachers on our way there and this girl would NOT take no for an answer.
THURSDAY 8 JUNE
I was reeeeallly not feeling good on Thursday so we went to the church and language/comp studied until lunchtime and then just grabbed lunch at MegaImage. I had bread and hummus and water. Then we met up with Diana. It went really well. Then Mirela. It also went well. Then we went home early because I was still feeling icky.
FRIDAY 9 JUNE
District meeting! After DM we made tacos together. Elders vs. Sisters. Sisters won. Our tortillas were homemade and we used chicken instead of pork/beef mix. We won by a lot. Then we had a lesson with Ane and the other sisters. It was... interesting. Ane used to be a model but then she gained a lot of weight but on her dating profiles she still uses her old pictures so we witnessed a phonecall where she told a guy she was fat now and the pictures were a lie... it was weird. We visited the Bogdan family with the elders and Ioana (the mom) made me do the cup song (which I do NOT do well lol) and she livestreamed it on facebook and told me I need to go on Romania's Got Talent. Uh. How bout no, lol.
SATURDAY 10 JUNE
English! Our friend Diana is helping us teach. She's 17 and basically told us everything we're doing is wrong. Then we went over to her house and she had ice cream cake for us :) super yum. Then games night and Ane came! We played Minute to Win It games and it was fun. I also got to see one of my friends from Constanta, President Constantinescu! He taught the institute lesson. I miss that family.
SUNDAY 11 JUNE
Church! It was good. Then we had lunch, weekly planned, and visited a member named Geta. Her grandson was there and he's so cute. He loves me. It was adorable. Also Sora NJ cut my hair! It's a little (okay, a lotttt) shorter than I wanted, but it's healthy now and I guess it'll grow back :( she only chopped off like 3 or 4 inches, but I feel bald. Ah.
MONDAY 12 JUNE
Today I cut Sora Andrus' hair! That's the second haircut I've given on my mission. It turned out well. Then we grocery shopped and since we got fed a lot last week, we didn't need to get a lot of normal grocery stuff, so we splurged on cheddar cheese and stuff to make spring rolls. Oh my goodness I haven't had cheddar cheese in almost a year. and it was scuuuump. But it's white irish cheddar and I was in heaven. :) then we were at Sephora because there's this expensive perfume that I can't afford but LOVE so every time we pass Sephora I go spray it all over myself lol and a nice Sephora lady was like "wanna try this brow stuff" and did my brows for me and she was just super cute and nice.
love y'all! Send me mail
LUCY GLEASON
Romania/Moldova Mission
Bulevardul Primaverii nr. 19-21
Etaj. 1 , #13 , Sector 1
Bucuresti 011972
Romania
Sora Lucy Gleason
România/Moldova Mission
July 2016-January 2018
I've pet so many cute dogs this week and I have pictures of none of them!
TUESDAY 30 MAY
We went to see a member this morning and we tried to talk to her about Joseph Smith a little bit because we found her teaching record and apparently the elders that taught her didn't do a very good job at teaching ANYTHING so we just wanted to review a little bit with her and it ended up with her explaining to us that literally every single church is exactly the same and that's why she goes to the Orthodox church now. It was an interesting visit. The only other really notable thing from Tuesday was English class and as always, I literally will never ever be a teacher because I hate it. It's fun sometimes but our students refuse to push themselves. They're like "we need more conversation!" and then if you literally ask them to say one thing in English they're like "No, stop, what are you doing? I can't speak English. You can't expect this from me why are you asking me to do this" and I'm just like OH MY, TEN MONTHS AGO I DIDN'T SPEAK ROMANIAN AT ALL AND NOW I DO, SO LIKE Y'ALL HAVE BEEN LEARNING ENGLISH FOR YOUR WHOLE LIVES, WHYYYY? But it's fine. I'm learning patience. Ah.
WEDNESDAY 31 MAY
Wednesday morning we had scheduled to go district contacting but because of a long story with exchanges it ended up being ZONE contacting. It was mostly a giant waste of time BUT we did end up meeting a super cute girl named Mihaela who's in law school right now so that was cool. Then we went to visit a member and we had given her a family history pamphlet in the past and she literally hasn't even written her name in it. We were like yo you can just write your name and your parents' names and that's a great first step but she still hasn't even written her name. Oh well. We met with a member named Mirela and read from the Book of Mormon in English because she wants to learn English. On our way home I was legit inspired to go to Carrefour to buy ice cream. Because we got to the ice cream aisle and guess what I found. BEN AND JERRY'S. APPARENTLY THAT EXISTS HERE. Y'all have to understand that ice cream here and desserts in general really aren't that great so I was in shock. They didn't have the one with Stephen Colbert's face on it (I think it's called Americone Dream??) buuuut they had chocolate fudge brownie and cookie dough and half baked and it was basically the best day of my life. Sora Nowjack and I bought three of them.
THURSDAY 1 JUNE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY BROTHER. We had to leave our apartment at around 7:30 on Thursday because we were meeting with an investigator named Bianca for breakfast with PRESIDENT IVORY. It was great except we went to the wrong restaurant at first... oops. I had eggs benedict with salmon and it was suuuper good and President Ivory ordered a fruit tray for the table. The restaurant had iPads for menus. A little ridiculous but cool. President Ivory is the best missionary ever. He talked to Bianca about her potential and how much the church could bless her and got her thinking about going on a mission and all that good stuff and then after he left we talked to her about baptism and she said that after she learns everything we have to teach, she'll totally get baptized because she just feels so good when she's at church or with missionaries or reading the book. It was awesome. #thankspres. After Bianca we went wayyyy out la tara to help a member in her garden. Sora Albu fed us sarmale and mamaliga and then we pulled weeds and picked strawberries for like two hours and she sent us home with a giant bucket of strawberries. It was fun. We got to wear pants :) and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes. Then we came home to change and get cleaned up a little bit and as soon as we got inside there was a huuuuuuge thunderstorm! It was great. I love thunder and lightning. After that we went to visit the Bogdan family. When we got home we made half our strawberries into jam (hey Mom aren't you impressed?) and then made some pie dough and IDK how to explain this but basically we made homemade poptarts. They were awesome.
FRIDAY 2 JUNE
We had district meeting at the office with the Otopeni elders and President Ivory. It was a good district meeting and we brought our poptarts to share. I can't believe I've turned into that sister missionary who bakes for district meeting but here I am... oh no. After that we went to lunch and then came back to the office to meet with a friend Diana. She's not super progressing right now. She's way more interested in the intellectual side of the church than the spiritual side but she's keeping commitments so we'll see what happens. Then we went to a bookstore to language study and we ran into the zone leaders on the way and ended up talking for a hot minute. On our way home we grabbed some cheap vanilla ice cream so we could use our leftover strawberry jam and have strawberry ice cream. It was pretty good. And it reminded me of home :)
SATURDAY 3 JUNE
A dude came to our house to change our lightbulbs and then we taught English. We lunched and limba studied and weekly planned and then headed to games night but the friend who said she'd come with us totally ditched out. We're supposed to bring someone if we go so that was kinda lame. Someone got really upset because I was "playing ping-pong wrong" and he was really not nice about it so that was fun. I was a little not nice back (after trying really hard to be polite!) so whoops. I guess I still have that fire in me after all. I thought the mission had mellowed me. Not quite ha.
SUNDAY 4 JUNE
Church was fun. We taught YW and it was fun. I love our girls so much. They're hilarious and I just love em. Then after church the APs had organized a service project helping an old folks home move locations so we went up there and moved boxes and chairs and tables and stuff and I found the cutest puppy ever and someone got a picture but I think she forgot to send it to me so next week :( Then. Literally the dumbest thing in the world. So we have 2 phones right now because there's some complications with our text messaging so long story short we need two phones. The elders have one of the same phones as us. The elders broke their phone. We've been weening ourselves off phone #2 for a while so we were like eh we can switch sim cards and it'll all be good we don't need it. Until we get home and try to call someone and our supposedly working phone is now out of minutes as well as texts. Ahhhhh. But we had planned to call everyone from our area book to invite them to something. So we call them from the phone that has a busted screen. We literally can't see anything it's just busted. But if anyone ever calls us back on that phone we have no idea who it is so they're like hi you called? and we're like hi yeah probably but like who are you? and it's just very frustrating. Also we keep getting texts on that phone but we can't read them. So we could just switch the sims. except that 90% of our people call and text the other number so then we'd just be in the same situation. We need another phone. Elders. WHY do you throw your phones and not catch them and then sweet talk us into giving your our phone? Why did we do that? It was ridiculous.
MONDAY 5 JUNE
I think I wrote about this a while back but we found 90 lei in change in our apartment so today we decided to take Sora DeSpain (they're the office couple) out for papanasi! It's a Romanian dessert that's actually good. And we paid in all change.
The waitress haaaaaaaated us lol but it was a ton of fun and Sora DeSpain thought it was the best thing ever. Other than that we haven't done much today.
Sora Lucy Gleason
România/Moldova Mission
July 2016-January 2018
