HAPPY BIRTHDAY BODE AND JARON!!! la multi ani si sanatate! :) Give Bode a big kiss from me!!  I love you both and I am excited to celebrate with you both next year! Jaron good luck in school! You will love it!  Hearing about all of these different trials that we have in this life make me very happy to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. There is a mormon message called "mountains to climb" By President Erying onlds.org. The video nearly puts me into tears every time I watch it. The trials people face seem unfair... and almost not needed. one sentence is "When I have done all I can to be good... why has this happened to me?" it is true but the more I study I find out why we are here - the more trials make sense to me. We are here to prove ourselves... worthy to be heirs to the Celestial Glory that we all have the potential in obtaining. It does not make the trials any easy or less sad. Heavenly Father knows that we are sad. He cries with us. But He is also there just waiting for us to cry out to Him so He can lift us up and show us His tender mercies and love.

Well this week has been pretty good. Kind of a random week so I will just number some stuff off for you all:
1-  I finally started feeling better yesterday. It is kind of a rough week when you are sick in a foreign country. But I managed and I am now on my way to a full recovery. I couldn't hear out of my left ear and there was so much pressure on that side of my face I really thought that my ear drum was going to burst. I called Sora Hill She told me what meds to take and then she called the Doctor in Germany. Well he called me a few days later and I was feeling better so I didnt have to get antibiotics or anything so it worked out:) 

2- Remember the guy that was like yelling at us when we were trying to teach the lady on the side of the road... Well we got on the bus and he was there! ha He just looked at us in disgust and almost looked defeated to see that he had not stopped us from carrying around our books of mormon and talking to people... He then crosses himself and looked up to the Heavens as if he was asking for protection from us--- the evil sister missionaries! ha we just smiled and said hello. 

3- Another cool story we had the other day was we were walking down the street and a lady across the road called out to us and asked us to come over. We walked across the street and she was asking us for directions (ironically to the Adventist church) ha of course we had no idea but she was like "I knew I could ask you because you guys look like people of God-- with your Bibles in hand" We then went on and explained to her all about the Book of Mormon and she took it and said she would read it! So cool! People do notice us in Romania! 

4- We watched some of the General Conference from April 2013 at church yesterday because most of the ward is gone on the temple trip to Ukraine so there was like 10 of us at church. I could understand all the talks! It was so cool! It helps that I have heard them in English before but it was a really cool moment for me. I LOVE President Monson. His obedience talk is AMAZING! I love the story of him and Danny Larson. So cute! 

5- Sora Rivera and I only have 2 weeks left together this transfer. President in our interviews told us we were for sure getting split next transfer. So we have decided to bust out all our Romanian skills- We are now only speaking Romanian outside the apartment at all times.. I know we are supposed to be doing that but it is hard sometimes so we are really dedicated.. and right after we make the goal we saw instant results! We were speaking on the bus and one of the ladies who was checking out tickets starting reading my tag and talking to us. She asked where I was from then she just starts touching and hugging and kissing me! So funny I am not used to that reaction! Then We were walking home and another women came up and started kissing and hugging us- I guess she is pretty familiar with the missionaries! ha so yes a lot of love for me that night! it was so funny! 

6- I finished the Doctrine and Covenants! So cool! I love the scriptures. I feel like I am learning so much about the characteristics of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I love how so many times it says "your sins are forgiven you" and then they are given an assignment. This really connected to the talk from April conference. "Christ wants to Forgive." So amazing! Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want to forgive us and help us move on and progress in life. They don't really care so much as were we have been with where we are willing to go with their help! I just love it! I feel like God knows us so personally. I started reading the Pearl of Great Price this morning and I will finish before the end of this transfer! 

7- We are skyping our Jewish Lady tonight! It was supposed to happen last night but they had to reschedule for tonight... we are so excited we went over there last night and made sure that  everything was working! we are all set! I am sure we are the first people in the whole world to be having a skyping lesson from Romania to Isreal with a Jewish lady who now believes in Jesus Christ! We are beyond Excited! Her baptism as of right now is still scheduled for the 28th - but we are hoping to move it up:) 

I love you all so much! I have the best family ever! Have a great week- Keep me updated on all! I love you so so so much! :) numai bine... sanatate... pa pa... la revedere! va pup!! pa pa (This is how you say good bye to people here.. ha it takes forever to hang up the phone) :) 

cu mare mare drag! 

Sora Abby Polatis  

Tate eats at the mall everyday

at Panda Express--Not Abby--just found 1