Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Be where you are when you're there.

From August 3, 2015
Just want you all to know...
This week... we got kissed. We were down in Piata Sudului putting up english posters. This random girl jumped in front of me and says "ce faci!? de unde esti? cati ani ai?" I answered.. then this other lady comes up to us talking about how she went to Germany and met the church and really enjoyed it and wanted to come here. While trying to talk to this woman about the good word of God, this young female straight up kissed us.. on the cheeks, so not as epic and more missionary appropriate. But like whoa! That was crazy. We just brushed it off like it happens all the time and continued talking to the lady. Then the girl pinched my booty on her way away, hahaha. What the heck! I could barely hold in laughing, but the woman interested in the good word was super chill and it didn't phase her...super weird
Anyway, we still got the ladies number and that was a real cool experience. Thought I'd start out with a real attention grabber. 
Europe!

This week was awesome. We went pretty hard and had a lot of fun meeting some cool Bucuresteni. 

Saturday we were walking to the church and there were a bunch of cops outside. So we are all "dang man they are gonna bust us.” because cops don’t always like missionaries. Then these guys walk in the gate of the church.. so then we're wondering what we (members) really did. An old member guy walks out the church and meets them, so we totally avoid the awkward confrontation with gaborii.. but to our surprise as we walk in we get a whiff of an awful stench of wet gnarly dankness, we look to our left.. astonished... we notice about half a meter of water sitting inside the church at the bottom of the stairs by the door to the exit. I was annihilated the night before and did not realize that it rained hardcore. And the church was landscaped wonderfully so all the water from the huge field next to it goes right up against it to some small drains (much sarcasm). For real there was a lot of water, and English class started in t-minus 30 minutes. So we take some photos, call some people.. some corrupt worker guys came with a huge truck with a pump, asked some really hard questions and then left because we didn't pay them straight up right there. haha
We thought we'd spend the whole night bucketing it out, but luckily there was a small pump we got going hard and got it all out before church the next day. So all we had to do was some extreme mopping and moving some tables out of this super soaked closet under the stairs.
It was great. The senior couples were stoked that we helped and offered to feed us an incredible dinner the next night :) yay! 

We met up with Marian this week and it was awesome. He is the coolest, nicest dude ever. He asked really good questions as we had him read some radical scriptures this week. He's really searching to follow Christ, and now has a desire to understand the Book of Mormon along with the Bible and the importance of the restoration, and the joy it brings to us. He had questions about baptism and it was hard for me because he is so sincere and his faith is real. He was baptized a baby in the Orthodox church and then said that was dumb and it wasn't really his choice, so he got baptized again at 18... now he is asking if he needs to get baptized again, because he doesn't want to just keep doing it as he chose to be a true follower of Christ at that point and has done so. Now he just wants to keep following him and loves that we invite him to come to Christ instead of just "to us".
But it was hard for me to answer, because   know that doing so with faith and a change of heart is the most important part, but I know the authority has to be there as well... 
He loves that we invite him to Christ, not just to "come follow us". We are stoked for him.We are going to work on a baptismal date for him this upcoming week. He's the man. He is eager and truly trying to follow Christ. Which is awesome and will be a huge example for many.
The Comp and I are great. We’re trying to get ripped these last two weeks of the transfer. And we work super hard as missionaries. it's going to be awesome. The kid I trained back in Arad is coming back out on the Mission WEDNESDAY! I am so so so stoked! He's the man and I am glad he is coming back. it's going to be awesome because he comes to stay in Bucuresti. We will literally be neighbors, it's the best. 

Life is good. bought some new pants to replace my old diesel jeans i've had for 4 years. ripped the crotch. sorry :)
We met up with these Members back from '92.. basically right as the missionaries came out here. It was cool to hear their conversion story. 
Back then the BoM was only translated in selections, with tons of language mistakes and stuff. They talk about how it was all the spirit. They came to church, and it was just a small room in a school.. They left thinking what are we doing here? Told the missionaries they didn't want to meet anymore. The missionaries were understanding and just gave them a scripture and asked them to pray together. Since then they could never deny the spirit and their faith of the restored gospel. It was awesome. Through all their hardcore trials they stick to it.

Last thing,
I've been praying for a while that my desire to have awesome studies would come back deep again and when I do have studies that I will be shown/given wisdom so I can better understand Christ's gospel and help other people around me, no matter how. 
I had a cool small conversation with a real good friend, Elder Chase Minor (Italy)... he helped me come back to myself and ask questions and seek to understand. 
I read in 2 nephi 28.. especially verses 26-30. and listened to "An Educated Conscience".. then it came to me.
When we pray, do we take it as a chance to council with God? I mean.. Do we take the time to allow the Lord to counsel with us? We ask, we thank, we plead etc. but do we listen? Do we give ourselves the chance to receive what he wants to give us? 
And once we listen we have to commit ourselves to these "personal commandments" he gives us. 
I've forgotten this at times, and I'm so stoked I've come back to remembering. There is a real difference when you commit.
As I've always said.. Trust God.. you'll be where you need to be. Where He needs you to be. You'll be who you need to become. You will notice a difference

I love it. God is good!
Be where you are when you are there! Be present. Live life or it's going to be gone before you realize it.

LOVE 
- Elder Boydstun