Thursday, May 30, 2013

I got some fudge!!

Draga Familia mea,

I have less than two weeks left in the MTC. It's still surreal to wake up every morning and put on that tag. It still doesn't feel real. It feels like I'm in school still. It will probably hit me once I'm in the country, but for now It's just studying and constant spirit, which is great, but it gets to be a bit repetitive. 

I'm just so excited to get to Romania. I don't necessarily feel completely ready with the language, but I know that once I get into the country I'll have more immediate drive and need to learn the language better. One of the weird things I've noticed about being here is the fact that I honestly haven't missed technology one bit. Sure, we'll talk about shows or movies or whatever that we would like to see, but it is so easy to be entertained here with each other's company and with the gospel. We sing songs all the time, and that's really how I keep myself entertained. What I've found to be fun and helpful at the same time is translating songs into Romanian. They don't always translate very well or easily, but it helps me get used to changing words. One of my favorite ones I've done that to is Rugaciunea Copiilor. Because at least the way I've translated it, it still can stay on rhythm really well.

The spirit is so strong here. I feel like I'm constantly being bombarded by the spirit. In the best way possible. We have devotionals every Thursday and Sunday, and afterwards we have district meetings where we all bear our testimonies and i feel the spirit so strongly every time. We have continued to increase our language capacities with our investigators, and me and Elder M just got our second investigator to commit to baptism! I've started to really be able to feel and convey the spirit in my limited Romanian. The gift of tongues is real. I've been here for 4 weeks, and I can understand just about anything my teachers say. I can also say pretty much anything I need to say, although often I need to rearrange my words. But there is no reason I should be able to do that, especially considering the fact that we only really are supposed to study the language outside of class for an hour and a half. We are actually discouraged from studying the language, in favor of studying the gospel. And it works. I think I may be about at that point where I've almost learned all the basic grammar I need to know to carry on an average conversation, but to where I still need to learn all the vocab, but that will come in the country. I have a long, LONG way to go, but through the gift of tongues and the power of the spirit and the gospel, I have come further than I could through any other means in the world, and I know that I can go so much further.

I'm so sad to hear about Nana and Bapa moving, but I know that with God everything will work out. Sometimes things happen that we don't understand, but great good can come out of it. And always look on the bright side of life. It's just property. Sure, it may take a little longer to get to them, but they're still pretty close. Stay positive in the face of adversity, and blessings will follow. I promise you this. 

To all my cousins, stay in school, don't do bad things, and listen to your parents. They know a few things. ;) Thank you to Jeff & Tanya, and Nana & Bapa for the packages! And thanks to Gramz and Frank for the fudge! I got the notification of a package on Friday and couldn't pick it up until Tuesday! So I was hoping it would be something amazing and made my entire week and was definitely worth the wait. Haha it's some of the best stuff I've had in so long.

I've attached pictures with me and Anziano V (an awesome elder in our zone going to Italy) and one with me and his companion Anziano B.

Eu ştiu că Isus Hristos vă va dare binecuvântări dacă voi vom urmă exemplul sau şi aveţi credinţa în El. Eu ştiu că Isus va iubeşte. Fiecare zi mărturia mea este întărit. Eu să iubesc pe această biserică cu tot inimă mea. Vă iubesc şi vă ratez foarte mult. Voi sunteţi în rugaciunea mea. 

Dragoste,
Elder DeGraw

Me and Elder Valentine (he's going to Italy)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Halfway done with the MTC!!

So today officially marks our halfway point in the MTC! Three more weeks and I will be on the other side of the world preaching to Romanians. Every day I get more excited and more nervous to get out in the field. The language is coming along great! Yesterday me and my companion had an amazing lesson with our mock investigator. I felt the spirit so strongly, I knew how to respond to his questions quickly and succinctly, and the lesson flowed and felt more like a conversation than a monologue, which I have been trying to work on.
I'm sorry to hear about Jackson's nose! That can't be fun. But he'll have a cool story out of it!
Sorry my letters are always so short! There are so many spiritual experiences I have here and the days are so jam packed full of activities I can never remember them when I come to write you! But just know that I am very happy here and not super stressed out. I have learned how to turn the stress and pressure put on me by the rules and schedule into a positive growing experience. All of the missionaries in the Romanian districts have such strong testimonies. I love being around the gospel so much because my love for this gospel has never been stronger than it is right now. It feels to me like all of the Romanian missionaries are my colegii, and not just Elder M. We are like one big family! We have so much fun together but we all lift each other up and help each other grow in love and faith.
Thank you so much for the package! It had nearly all of my favorite things in it! Oh and just so you know, we're not allowed to chew gum in the mtc... so I've been getting really into tic-tacs haha. But those drawings from Katie and that calendar made my week! Thank you so much! The devotional we had yesterday was really interesting. It was from a member of the seventy, and he talked about a lot of doctrinal stuff, but he said a few things that really stuck. He mentioned the fact that this has been my responsibility from before the earth was. That before we lived I signed up for this mission. He reminded me that there are people out there, living their lives, as they have for years before, who I will teach. There are people out there who are waiting specifically for me to change their lives. That is a really humbling thought. His wife talked about the great council in Heaven. When we were all there, and God presented his plan of happiness, imagine how relieved must we have been when we saw our elder brother stand up and say, "I will do it. I will take upon me the sins of the world so that they can come home." He did atone for us, and we can be forgiven and come home.

I learn more every day and keep growing in my faith. The spirit is so strong here. Evanghelia este adevarata. Eu cred ca cu tot inima mea. Am credinta in aceasta biserica. Eu stiu ca Isus Hristos va iubeste foarte mult.
Remember that Jesus will always be there to uplift us. His atonement was universal. El a venit. El a murit. Dar El traiste. As one of my Romanian speaking friends put it, our hearts are restless until we rest in Him. I love you all. I would love to hear from everyone. If anyone has any cool mission stories, I would love to hear them. Always remember to alege ce e drept (ACD).
Dragoste,
Elder DeGraw

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Two weeks already??

Two weeks down, and the time has started to fly by. It's true what they say that the days are like weeks but the weeks are like days. But I have been learning so much.

We have language/gospel class for about 6 or 7 hours, and study time for basically the rest of every day except wednesday (P-day) and sunday. In class we learn the language by learning gospel stuff.

We have gym time basically every day, where we usually either play volleyball or run, though yesterday we found the other gym which had some pretty nice free weights and stuff. We study sooooo much though. But it's weird; it doesn't feel like too much. It's hard but doable.

Oh! Guess what! Yesterday we got to go to a devotional by Elder Russel M. Nelson! It was awesome. Every tuesday night is a devotional featuring a general authority, and usually it's a member of the Seventy, but occasionally it's an apostle, but here's the catch: they don't tell us who it is beforehand! So we were all wondering until the moment he walked out who it was and then I saw everybody stand up and he was there. It was intense.

Thanks for all the letters and the package! And sorry nobody was allowed to call home for mothers' day. Some of the elders reasoned that we should be able to email our moms because we couldn't call, but I figured you'd want me to follow the rules right? Haha the food here is interesting. It's usually not amazing, but I find myself getting a bit of everything because I want to know how it tastes. I've gained 5 pounds since being here. But our teacher said that everyone who goes to Romania loses weight so... yeah.

My companion is from VA, which is really close to where we used to live! Me and Elder M have been assigned the role of Sacrament coordinators, which means we basically function as the teachers and have been the priests but we just found out we can delegate that to other people too.

I've decided to try to read all of D&C before I leave the MTC, because I've never done that before. I've taken in more information, and prayed more often in this two week period than I ever had in that amount of time. It's like church all day every day but I love it! I love all of you guys! I love the support from all of you! I can't believe I only have a month left in the MTC!

Oh and I found out that I don't need a visa to go into Romania, so I don't expect any problems getting into the country!:) Oh and we found out that our investigator was actually our teacher, and that he is a native of Romania! And he is awesome. I forsee that helping quite a bit with our cultural integration.

Well I'll get to you later! Eu vreu ca voi sa stiti ca Isus te iubeste. Acesta biserica este adevarat. Eu va iubesc!

Love, Elder DeGraw



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Hello from the MTC! My first week has gone great! The second day was the longest day of my life, but since it has been going pretty good. Elder Jon Harper is my roommate, and so is the first elder ever to serve in Romania who was from Australia! My companion is named Elder M, and he's a great guy. There are 13 of us going to Romania, 11 Elders and 2 Sisters, and every single one of them are really cool. From day one, our teacher has basically only spoke Romanian. It was really hard to understand at first, but I think we've all picked it up really fast! I can now understand around half of what he's saying, usually more! On the third day, we began teaching our mock investigator Georgei. In only Romanian. Yeah. It was rough. But we've been progressing really fast, and yesterday me and Elder M committed him to baptism! Suntem primul botez noastre! And what's the deal familia? I got one letter! Where's the love? ;) No but really haha all the other elders are getting letters and packages like every day! There's a website called dearelder.com where you can send me letters and packages the same day! Like two other Elders have gotten drawings from their young siblings or nephews or nieces, and two have gotten these goliath boxes of food and stuff. I'm still stoked to get out there in the field! Everything I've heard about my mission from those who have been there has been super positive. My teachers are fantastic. Tell the family I look forward to letters and emails from every one of them! Eu stiu ca Isus Hristos traiste, si Biserica lui Isus Hristos este adevarat. La revedere, Elder DeGraw