Botez!!!

So some fantastic news for you all, one of our investigators got baptized!!! His name is Iancu and he's a twelve year old kid. He's got the light of Christ so bright in his eyes.

 

The sister missionaries in our area traded him over to us after he had a baptism date because his family was no longer interested, but he was. So the hardest parts were already done when he came to us. He had already read much of the BoM before meeting with the missionaries, and he already had a desire to be baptized and loves being at the church and with us. He hasn't missed a day of church since he started meeting with the missionaries. One of the senior missionaries baptized him, and he was confirmed on Sunday and was smiling practically the whole time in both meetings.

 

His whole family came to his baptism, including his dad, who has a lot of health problems and had been reluctant to come to church the entire time he was being taught by the missionaries. So that was a big deal. They are gypsy, and pretty poor, but they brought flowers to give to the church, and I think Iancu said they bought him a special shirt or something for the occasion. And while his family seems for now to not be interested in the church themselves, they are very supportive of Iancu and his decision, which is fantastic, and certainly makes it easier for him.

 

Elder Benson (the senior missionary who baptized him) gave him a triple combo, a case, and a small Romanian-English dictionary as kind of a confirmation present. In the investigator/new member class after sacrament meeting, him and his little friend were there and were very attentive (for a 12 and 9 year old in that kind of setting haha). He was writing down the scriptures that the teacher named, and taking notes and stuff. He's such a cool kid.

So yeah that's my most fantastic news of the mission so far:)

At our English classes we met with a guy who told us that he came just for the English lessons, but that he expected us to share stuff about our religion, which we do, and he was okay with it. He said we looked different than everyone out here. He said we're always smiling, that we don't always look angry or depressed like everyone else does. 

 

This past week was great. We were a little stressed prepping for the botez, but it was the best kind of stress, because of what it meant.

Things are going great out here. It's weird to think though that I've been out here already for half as long as I was in the MTC, when this has felt like it's been like two days. Although at the same time it almost feels like I've lived my whole life here. I can already tell that simultaneously forever away and in no time at all I'm going to be getting off the plane home. I'm getting more familiar with things and the routine out here every day! I'm doing great, talk to you next week!

Iancu gets baptized!



Elder Reid, Iancu, Elder Benson, and Elder DeGraw