Polatis Missionaries: 1st baptism coming up!!

Hey everyone!!!! First off this was the CRAZIEST WEEK I have had in my entire mission.. I hope you all enjoy this letter! sorry it is really long... but it is needed... and I love being a missionary.. I cant believe one year ago I graduated from the nursing program and opened my mission call! I love being a missionary... Honestly best. decision. ever! My Romanian life>>>>>>>

MONDAY: Ok so after I emailed you all we were getting ready to go to our lesson and... stood up... bummer deal- So we were like "Hey lets go plan of salvation contacting!" So we go out and we started talking to a lady on the street.. her husband had died and she had a lot of questions.. it was going perfect! I asked her what the purpose of life was and then I opened up the scriptures to read to hear in Alma about how this is the time to prepare to meet God.... and.... BAM right as I start reading out loud on the street this random Romanian guy comes up to us and he starts like yelling at us and the Women that we were teaching... He was like "Aren't you orthodox" to the women... then he looked at us in disgust and he was like "This girls are evil... that Book is of the Devil... you should not be associating yourself with these people..." The lady turned to us and she was like "Do you know him?" we said no... He then starts walking off and says "I will see you in Heaven.." Sora Rivera was like ... "yep see you there..." (Well this mission is really making me tough.. I didn't even start crying...... well until later that night... ) but anyways the story keeps going on... the lady after that then did not want to hear anything more about what we had to say and then.... we were going over to the elders house to grab my hard drive and we were standing outside so it looked like we were contacting the elders... anyways the guys comes up behind us AGAIN! and starts making fun of us again... I just told him to have a good night... I could not believe it... I mean sometimes I feel like people aren't loving us in this country but when they come right out and say that you are from the devil.... that's rough.... (I realized the next day though I really just have to forgive that man... Orthodox is all he has ever known.. He was just trying his best... He was trying to save his neighbor's soul?) but then we had a little tender mercy moment after that we were walking into our apartment and we were talking to our neighbor she walked into her apartment but then turned back around... and was like "Do you girls want some chocolate?" Seriously I know this sounds really missionary but I really felt like it was a small gift from God telling me it was ok... and He loves me... The chocolate was delicious!

TUESDAY: Well after a little rough Monday we thought the week could only go up from here... We had 3 lessons set up for the day which is huge and we were all prepared and ready... Well Every single lesson fell through... they all bailed on us.... ha we tried to do some contacting and just tried figuring out what to do.... crazy day....

WEDNESDAY: Sora Rivera and I were the only missionaries in this country that didn't go to transfers so we decided we were going to have the best day ever!! So we got permission to go to the country side and visit less active family. Well we weren't sure if they would need our help and they didn't pick up there phone so we just wore our dresses and went out there. Well we got there and she had made us some roll up pancakes.. super good! Then we asked if we could help and they were like "of course!" so we go out side and there is this barrel thing of corn... they call it cleaning the corn here... but anyways.. it was there stash of hard as rock corn that has been chilling out in the sun... They wanted us to get it off the cobs.. so you attach this metal thing to your hand and you scrape the corn.. I will send the pictures it is so funny! We did it for FIVE HOURS! The couple is this cute little couple that have these strong moldovans country folk accents.. and they are just trying there best.. we could not leave until the job was done... So we thought we were done when we filled the bucket up but the corn just kept on coming.. they had a little shed with corn in it.. but it was like the clown cars... corn just kept on coming! ha I was dying of laughter.. the old man kept saying... "curaj!!!" with every bucket load of corn he added to the pile... I was getting blisters on my hands but I could not stop.... we have a video of us doing it and everything... We then taught them a spiritual message and they were very grateful... they said the want to make up for making us be there all day so they invited us back again to us the corn and grind it down to make mamaliga... famous Romanian dish kind of like runny corn bread... ha not my favorite.. but of course Sora Rivera and I were like "that sounds great!" haha o Romania!

THURSDAY: Block knocking all day long... ha (apartment is a block) so funny.. you never now what you are going to get at the door.. people half dressed... the funniest part is trying to get into the block.. because you have to buzz in... so entertaining.. we did that as a district for a couple hours! ha some good stories... we were both in one apartment complex and this lady was like yelling at us to get out!! haha but we stayed and finished!

FRIDAY: We had a great lesson with our investigator who has the boyfriend.. I asked her to be baptized... she said no because of her boyfriend... but she wants to continue learning and she knows that she is improving as she has been meeting with us! so we will keep working with her! We then had another lesson with a lady from the area book.. We could not find her block! ah we were dying... Romanians giving directions is hilarious... they are always like "go straight ahead that way and then ask someone else" ha needless to say an hour later we finally found her block.. you guys all know how much I love looking for things... ha but the lesson was good and she wants to meet again!! yay!!!

SATURDAY: Planning .... contacting... correlation.... :) and we found out that we are giving ANOTHER presentation at zone training this week.. it will be super fun.. we love presenting!!

SUNDAY... BEST DAY EVER!!! I can't fully describe this day.... but I will try... so we met with our Jewish lady.. and her husband before church. We were really excited for this lesson! We were following up on if she prayed about Jesus Christ. So we get there and they brought out there scrapbooks they had made and it was so cute.. I am obsessed with them as a couple... they have only been married one year and they are in there 60's and they have traveled all over... so cute! they had love poems in there and all these cute pictures and even one in front of the temple in Ukraine... so after looking through those we were like.. so how was 3 nephi 11 and praying.... The husband gets this big smile and his face and nudged his wife and was like "tell them about your revelation" So she goes onto tell us about her revelation she was like "I don't know if it was a dream or a vision or what (Romanian are really into dreams) but Jesus Christ came to me three times... the first time He just came.. the second time He smiled at me... the third time He hugged me! I know that is was from God and now I believe in Jesus. I had this vision before I read 3 Nephi 11- if I had had it after I would think I made it up in my mind but I had it before!" we were both like almost in tears.... We were like "We know that was from God..." She was like "I know it was... It is really easy for me to believe now." HOW COOL IS THAT!! I love in 2 Nephi when is talks about how God teaches to the peoples understanding... a dream is exactly what she needed!! a Jewish lady who did not know who Christ was last week now KNOWS THAT He is her Savior.. Miracle... seriously! She now has a baptismal date for September 28th!! wahoo!! My first investigator of my whole mission who I have been with to accept a date!!!!!!!!! They leave to Israel this week and will be there for a month but we called President Hill and he said we could Skype them lessons!! so ya crazy.. our main investigator we will be teaching a Jewish lady in Israel! I could not be happier.. Then they will be sealed in one year... ah I love it!! So after that lesson.. we are walking on cloud nine and then Elder Montoya comes up to me and is like "your guy is here..." I was so confused... I walk into the sacrament meeting room.... and remember the guy who came up to us and asked us out on dates on the beach...Well... He came to church!!! stayed all three hours!!! I was laughing so hard.. I could hardly play the piano.. I was dying... I could not believe it!! I love my mission so much!!

MONDAY: We helped the senior couple clean out an apartment and then they took us to McDonalds... So nice! I love senior couples!!! :)

So yes... that was my week.. I honestly love it so much! I would not rather be anywhere at this time then here in Romanian..

Cu mare mare mare Drag, Sora Abby Polatis