Ploiesti. Bucuresti. Arad. Cluj. Sibiu.

From March 16, 2015

This week was filled with.... Romania!

We had a zone conference thing in Ploiesti. So we had to leave Tuesday and the conference was the next morning. The train ride was great.. even if it was long. nothing like the Carpathian mountains.

We got in, ate at a sketchy but pretty decent little diner, then crashed at the ZL's place. Elders Montoya and Speyer are so sick. We had a good time and got prepped for the next day. They did really well talking about the heart of missionary work, and expressing what we feel and relating to people. It was awesome and the best way to do missionary work in Romania. Make friends and love em and show them the gospel. It is coooooool!

I was asked to share my personal conversion story. It was cool to talk about. I realized it's a continuous path and I'm still on it. 

Just finding joy in the journey!

So then we got on another train to Bucuresti. We got there, adventured around for a little while and tried to go to this restaurant Caru' cu Bere. We walked in and there were people in traditional clothing dancing together.  It was so awesome haha, but the place was packed. SO we had to go to Pizza Hut because we were lacking time and Bucuresti knowledge - the place is huge. Elder Reed spilled water all over himself, it was awesome.

The over night train was a good time. I went home to Arad. I love that place. It was awesome to see again. The weather was exactly how it was when I first got into the country. I had an awesome talk with Elder Smith who is in the District Presidency of basically all of central to western Romania. He got me stoked and gave me a solid commitment to get things going even more in Sibiu and even reaching out to a city where there used to be a branch called Deva. So basically in the next few weeks we are going to be reaching out to the members there and setting up a group for them.  Next thing you know there'll be a branch and missionaries there again. Thats the vision.

I saw my very first real friend/investigator Ghiti get baptized. It was the coolest thing ever. We gave each other the biggest hug when he came in and were able to visit with each other for a while and catch up.  I love this man! 

I remember who he used to be and watched him change and saw how much of a solid/happy and committed guy he is to following God. I was able to speak at his baptism and talk about the amazing memories we have and about the incredible potential we all have when we follow Christ and come closer to God. His whole family was there and some awesome members that I used to be close with. We had a solid time together, it was incredible! 

We had to stop in Cluj on our travels home.  It's such an awesome place. 

We ate some indian food. haha. I want to go to school in this place... :) 

We finally got back to Sibiu on a crammed bus ride. It was an adventurous week. 

So yeah, things are awesome. We are happy and doin this work. Well not really, God is handling it. We are just little instruments. It's the coolest. 

So if anything, find JOY in the journey and make it all matter because you have ZERO lives left on earth.  Love God and FOLLOW Him.  

Things are happening here in Romania/Moldova. It makes me happy. I love these people!

And I love you all.

over and out

- Elder Boydstun

Week of travels. More travels to come

From March 9, 2015

So.

Transfers happened. 

We got on the train at 6:30.. enjoyed (psych) the next comfortable (psych) 6 hours until Bucuresti. We made it a good time though. I can't remember everything that happened anymore but Romania is cool, going through the mountains was incredible too. The Carpathians are so amazing I just want to explore them so badly.

Anyways, Buc was cool. We had to go straight to this meeting at the new mission office. The office is way nice... 

They asked me to stay at the trainers meeting, so I learned some cool stuff and it was pretty awesome. I had some good conversation with my Finnish friend Elder Hokkanen before he left. He's hilarious, haha. I love that guy.

That night was super crazy though, we had 12 people staying at the AP's place and had to get up early and go back to another meeting the next day. I was able to get out and accomplish a few other things I needed to do.

We got some awesome mexican food. I missed that stuff. It wasn't anything like in America, but still pretty solid.

I stayed with Elder Johnson the next night, he is such a HOMIE! We talked all about skiing and hiking/adventuring etc. It was legit. He's a good dude. 

- My new comp is Elder Reed. He is the man. We are good friends and having fun while doing solid work. Setting good plans and goals to get this place to continue growing. He's in his last transfer. it is legit. We are going to get fit again too, so that'll be nice. Been going hard in mornings and yoga at night haha, it is awesome.

Coming back to Sibiu was cool. Elder Everton in my district is training, so getting on the train was hilarious as a gypsy guy with busted up legs gets on and scoots down the aisle of the train asking for money.. he ends up right at the new guy and us and the guys going to Brasov just sat back and watched to see his reaction haha it was incredible. It's awesome being with a new guy again and realizing all the stuff I have just become accustomed to now. 

This week is going to be epic. Tomorrow we go to Ploiesti for a zone conference, then the next evening we need to get ourselves on a train to Arad.... because..... 

My legit investigator there... GHITI is gettin baptized. I am talking at his baptism. I am sooo stoked. The dude is such a good guy and I can't wait to see him again and especially as he gets baptized. I knew it would happen, just had to wait 10 months. He has a legit testimony. I am so stoked... 

So yeah.. I am going back to my birth city and it is for the greatest reason ever. Couldn't have asked for anything better.

Life is good. God is real. He loves us. Diligence and obedience to the Word, and to his Law... he is bound to bless us. Live it, it is the most rewarding thing you will ever do.

cu drag,

Elder Boydstun

I am Sibiu

From March 2, 2015

Hey whats up?

So I am not going to email tomorrow, I've got to catch a 6:30 am to get to Bucurestiiiiiii.

Check this out though... Elder Reed is going to be my comp. I love this guy. It is going to be so incredible. He's an idaho spud and we are going to kill it. and I  am killing him.. His last transfer. This will be my third kill. Yes!

This week was crazy. We were basically not in Sibiu. Went to Peles on Wednesday (look it up, it's beautiful...like a ridiculously beautiful place) and it was super. Then the next day I had this financial audit thing with a dude from Hungary after getting stuck in a small village trying to visit a member and having to hitch-hike back home, that was cool. A really nice guy stopped out of nowhere - normal thing in Romania. We Ran to a bus stop, Elder Gunsay left his suit and stuff at the bus stop and then we headed on the way to Cluj (legit! the coolest city ever.)

We got a member to pick his stuff up...then... 

We had the most legit zone conference ever. Obedience is cool man. Freedom is in the gospel. Live it. God is good. 

Yeah, but anyways we set Johnny apart as an Elder in Sibiu today. It was epic. We are helping this young pup get out on a mission. It's going to be awesome.  

Well. Sorry this is short and stuff. 

I need to write some letters by hand someday.

The HOMIE Anziano Minor sent me the coolest studies I have ever read. So I am stoked on life in the spiritual study side of things. Life is good. Spring is here. 

Psalms 29:11

Check it out. God loves you. Fear no man

va iubesc

- Elder Boydstun

It's almost been a Year or so...

Time is just flying by. This transfer ends in a week. 

We are going to Peles in Sinaia on Wednesday. Its an incredible castle, look it up. We achieved our zone goal, and our district won the competition - we had 348 lessons this transfer, and we are getting some T-shirts or something I guess… sick. 

Then I have a Branch Financial Audit on Thursday with some guy from Hungary... that'll be real interesting. And then we have to catch a bus that night to Cluj-Napoca, another one of the most beautiful cities in the mission. We get in at 3 in the morning and have to make it to Zone conference at 9. Ce sa fac? Asa e viata.... . 

This week has been adventurous, as always. Today we were walking to the church, down this little hill and about to pass another church and this old lady comes out the church, passes gas super loud, and then laughs, hahaha.  I had to hide behind the wall and died laughing. 

Mission life is crazy sometimes. It's been kinda weird mentally recently, just because I have to worry about the craziest stuff. Just doing a bunch of stuff that I have no clue how to do, then doing it…just relying on God. It's amazing how real it is. And how He just works in these mini-miracles that you many times don't realize until a while later. I feel like this has been a huge part of my mission. I've had lots of thoughts this week looking at my mission and all of the "how did I do that?" moments.  Realizing how real and incredible God is and the way he works through small means so many times. The mini-miracles that have happened here in Romania are amazing. 

I mean, the gospel has been here for only 25 years and we are laying this foundation and tearing it up and re-laying parts. But literally almost everything that is working is a miracle in itself. Sometimes I wish I could have one of those knock a door, get let in, convert a family, get 25 other referrals missions (okay I know I exaggerated that), but then I LOVE it here. The growth is taking on and the foundation it is laying to show people true joy and freedom is incredible.  I love it. This life is so cool. I am learning in this weird and miraculous way that is solidifying the gospel into the depths of my heart. I can't always put my finger on exactly how I have changed, even after almost a year. But I see and feel it when I reflect. 

We have dinner with the Branch every Sunday. We don't have many members and we working for them to have social lives and not just cling on missionaries. So it's a weird balance :) It's great though. We have a film night activity and we watched The Lego Movie! We got it in Romanian. It's an awesome, funny movie! I bet it is cooler in English though! "Everything is Awesome" song was "totul este super!" in Romanian, haha.

We have been working to find ways to make missionary work awesome and introduce people to the lifestyle of the gospel and the blessings thereof. So we invited members, friends and contacted people to come play basketball with us a few times this week. We met some legit people. There are some decent players here in Romania. It's been super fun and making friends is the best. I am getting better at basketball again. I'm getting my hops back and then looking to improve them. We are planning on getting back into shape this next transfer.

Elder Gunsay and I eat super healthy. I haven't eaten so much fish and beans and veggies before and I've gotten way into humus on my mission, too. So my health is okay!

Also, we've been teaching these two ladies English and The Gospel. It is ridiculous. This lady who was miraculously guided to the church, brought her friend. Her friend catches on okay.. but the lady was struggling with the translation of "Eu" in Romanian being "I" in English. So we ask her, how to you say I in english?  and she says "uhh.. tu" so I just sit there like.. nooo that is "you" in Romanian.. haha. She is pretty sincere when we talk about the gospel.  Her friend is 7th day Adventist. They are pretty legit and we hope they keep wanting to meet up!

So yeah, life is great. Transfers are coming up. Most likely there are going to be some changes in my district. I hope I get to go to Bucuresti, I need a new journal and a geanta because mine totally busted when I missed the train last week. We shall seeeee! 

I am grateful for the reality of the gospel. It is the coolest and most real and worth it life ever. We are so blessed to have it in our family. 

Thank you all for being awesome.   

Elder Cole Boydstun

Perfect Days…Kitten round 2

This week was awesome.

Sibiu was pretty dead and now we have come in and there is a new fire here. We had 37 lessons total as a district this past week.  While Brasov, one of the biggest most legit branches in the mission, had 48 last week. They also have another set of missionaries and a senior couple and a branch that helps work there, too. So to see that here in Sibiu was super legit.

We had this challenge given in the mission to get perfect days - a lesson with an active member, less active, an investigator and 3 hours of contacting - all in a day. Pretty legit challenge for our mission. Our district had 8 of them total this week (counting as individual companionships). Even one day all 3 of the companionships in our district got one.  We are in a pretty small city with only 6 missionaries total so It is legit.  

We are having fun doing the work, making friends and introducing the awesome lifestyle of the Gospel. The lifestyle with eternal and ridiculously worth it promises, and things are rolling. It is awesome.  Still the frustrations and ups/downs of course, but it is nice to see when we look back and realize what's happening.  So yeah, Missionary work! 

 Being BP is pretty legit. Help from everyone and getting to know people better already, and so many things you don't want to forget.. but it is working out! BP just moved to Germany less than 3 weeks ago.

We found a kitten outside our church.. .we kinda adopted it. Bathed it, gave it some love. It was awesome, then it pooped everywhere in our bathroom and then pooped on my sweater the next day. Like it was really trying to be clean and at least poop on things instead of just on the ground.. but it was nasty and so unexpected haha..

So I left it outside the church. Never trust street kittens man. I told everyone it probably wasn't worth it, this same thing happened in Arad.. but they took it and it will be good for the kitten.

Street puppies are way cooler anyways, they are always happy and just want to play right then and there.

Elder E and I bought these sick ping pong paddles and we play whenever we both have some SHORT free time at the church. We have a games night where everyone plays ping pong and board games so it is legit. Getting way better.

This week was the 25 year anniversary of the church in Romania. There was a broadcast of a meeting in Bucuresti and it was super legit. We got a message from Elder Nelson and everyone was stoked. He did the dedicatory prayer here and talked about it.  There are cool members coming back to church. The adventure of missionary life is rising.  

We are rolling, this place has potential, and we are running with it.  Trying to change this branch in Sibiu and give it life!  

Striving to build Zion, do your part, too. 

I love you all. I'll send pictures sometime this week. 

- Elder Boydstun

Missing trains is cool...

From Tuesday February 3, 2015

Sorry I didn't email yesterday. Busy crazy day.

Basically we went to this city to adventure. So we got up at 4am, took a bus for a few hours. took a maxi taxi for 30 mins and adventured. Got some cool photos and what not.

On the way back, the bus back to Sibiu was nowhere to be found. Walked all over the AutoGara and checkin schedules.. called numbers. Typical Romanian confusion.

Missed the bus.

Figure there is a train about 2.5 hours later. So now we figure out something to do for that time...

End up walking back into the train station remembering the lady tell us it left at 16:59. We saw a train pull away as we walked up to the station, looked at the tickets and see it was at 16:49.

Cool. missed it.

Luckily we find a bus leaving an hour later. Made it. Successssss!

It happens...it's not an adventure unless something goes wrong. So if a lot of things go wrong and it still works out, it is that much more epic.

This week was solid. 

We went hard contacting for our English Classes. We got, as a district of 6 people, 50 numbers. So legit

Just making friends and living in a beautiful city. ahhh

We are supposed to get some epic contacting photos. So my comp got on my shoulders and we contacted some people. Surprisingly people thought it was cool/funny. 

We also adventured to this gypsy castle palace thing in our city. Supposedly this guy is the gypsy leader or something.. Hard to explain. But he has this crazy house that is all decked out in ridiculous stuff and...Pictures will have to explain. 

We also got our apartment destroyed by Elders L and E. So we came home from some hardcore BP office organizing to a house full of english cards and everything else ridiculous. haha it was pretty hilarious. Our Iron was in the fridge, a bagette in my closet and some salam in my pillow... literally English cards on every surface possible. 

So yeah. I conducted church and had some BP duties this Sunday. Interviewing people. All that goodness. oh and hey, Baielli.. err Alessandro, If you read this. know that this office had no financial organization dude. THANKS MAN , psych :) Man my mission is so sick. I love it. 

We've gotten things more organized and some activities planned. We are going to start doing Institute on Wednesdays. We have a game night on Sat and a film/culture night on Thursdays. And English is starting today. So it's going to be solid. Lots of stuff to do.

I am stoked I get to work with people. Sometimes I just want to be a normal missionary and go do normal work and meet more people on the street, etc. But I've got some cool other work I can do that will make a difference in the long run. Doing all the "other work" as BP is crazy. Organizing, cleaning stuff up, calling people, getting info and setting up church and activities. Wild stuff. But it is cool too.

Make some friends this week. Listen to someone's story. You'll learn something, I promise.

I love you. God loves you more. Christ is the way and the light.

I know it's true. 

 Elder Boydstun

          

Sibiu is a Dream

From January 26, 2015

​I really LOVED Moldova...but it is kind of nice to be back in Romania, completely understanding people again and all that Romanian-ness.

Transfers were really cool. The 14 hour train wasn't too bad this time. Elder Montoya and I had good conversations and what not. The guy who checked our bags at the border was being funny and then we had a decent amount of sleep.

Bucaresti was pretty crazy as always. Such a big city with so much going on everywhere. A meeting at the office made us miss our train so we had to stay the night and catch the one leaving the next day.

My district is soo cool though. We all get along and are just going to do hard work and make it a good time. Serious though, Sibiu is so incredible. A beautiful German/Romanian city filled with cool architecture and what-not. Cobblestone streets, bridges, colorful old buildings and happy crazy people everywhere.
The 6 hour train ride through the mountains was a dream come true and I am feeling great. It's always nice to do work in a place you love. When I look around I can't believe I live here.

My comp is the man. Elder Gunsay... funniest little happy man ever. He is always keeping it real but having fun and making everyone laugh. He's into yoga, being intelligent, singing and being awesome. 

Anyways, things are pretty intense. The first night I got here, we were getting all settled and about to make dinner with Elders Latiti and Everton when we get a call from the Branch President here in Sibiu. We go to meet up with him at the church and he basically tells us he is leaving to live in Germany for at least 4 months. Then he told us we are running the branch now and told us all the stuff we need to do. Hahaha, so awesome. We are literally the youngest district in the mission and we are running the church here in Sibiu. 

President Ivory called me up and told me I am going to be Branch President. So I guess I am going to be doing other work here, too. It is going to be so legit though. I've totally got this...I think, haha.

We've got some pretty cool friends here already, but are looking to blow it up even more this transfer. We have some cool challenges from our ZL's  so we are trying to get awesome in-action photos and go hard english contacting. So it is pretty epic. My mission is the coolest... seriously.

Anyways, this place rules. I will send some photos. Life is good. Busy, but a great time.

va iubesc pe toti!

Elder Boydstun