"A Sense of Death & Adventure"

Hi fam :)

So the title of this email... that is how Sora Stanley and I feel every time we try to cross a street. You never really know if you're going to die or not! Luckily the Lord protects His missionaries, so we haven't even been hit one time yet haha :)

OKAY SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK: D&C 75:5 - we shared this with a less-active (Dana Muscan) this week, but really I needed to read it more than she did. Shout out to Aunt Tiff for being a BOMB D&C seminary teacher (and Uncle Aaron and Aunt Allison BUT I'm pretty sure I was still in Tiff's class when we read this section haha) and helping me understand this scripture a bit more....so "sheaves" means blessings. SO the Lord PROMISES us to laden us with blessings , glory, immortality, AND eternal life IF we are faithful. WE GET ALL OF THAT IS WE ARE FAITHFUL?!?!??! Okay. Sounds good to me. So be faithful my dudes! But also be faithful because you love the Lord ;) haha but really.

I don't have much time because I'm currently riding in a bus, using the senior couple's phone hot spot, TO CORVIN CASTLE. I will send pics next week. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FUN. Especially after driving a total of 8 hours. Reminds me of my Sasquatch days. #RIPtomymirandavoicefriends

This week was crazy! Lots of ups - a few downs BUT mostly ups :) a lot of appointments canceled on us, a lot of doors slammed in our faces, but REALLY BEAUTIFUL sunsets every night. And Sora Stanley and I just keep becoming better and better friends. Heavenly Father is mindful of me :)

One thing I wanted to talk about really quickly is prayer. S.S. and I have this eternal investigator named Rune. This week we decided to hit him hard with the Joseph Smith story. Testify boldly. Commit him to pray to know if what the missionaries have been telling him for the last year is true, and make a decision. HE PRAYED AND GUESS WHAT. He told us that he still didn't ask if everything was true, but he did pray. Which he hasn't done since he was in his teens (he's 60ish now). And he told us that when he prayed, he felt at home. WELL DUH YOU WOULD FEEL AT HOME! You're talking to YOUR FATHER !!!!!! Rune. What a character :) Anyways. That was such an awesome moment for me. To hear him tell us that prayer=home. And for him to know that and believe that. Powerful stuff.

I love you all! Keep going! Keep praying! Develop a real relationship with Heavenly Father. You can do that through prayer. TALK TO HIM. Yes! He knows everything already. But He has given us the gift of prayer - a way to communicate with Him - for our benefit. To help us develop a bond with Him. I love prayer. I love you all. I pray for you all - mostly by name. Sora Stanley gets mad at how long my prayers are in the morning because it shortens the amount of time we run ;) But I have to mention all of you by name!?!?! Just kidding. She doesn't get mad. But we do run for less time. Mwuahahaha ;)

OKAY THANKS FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU ARE ALL SO AWESOME.

Cu drag, 

Sora Idiart 

 SHWARMA !!!!! First time. Life changing. Don't get too scoops of the hot sauce though. You will die. And then go to a lesson and be sweating. A lot. Hahaha

 Didn't buy it....probably should have. Sounds appetizing right?! 

This bread cost 75 cents. It tasted like a cloud. They sell it at a bakery right by our apartment. I'm going to gain 60 pounds. BECAUSE I ALSO DISCOVERED FINITI (sp?) AND WOW THAT STUFF IS DANK. 

Here is the thing about Sora Stanley. She makes everything fun. And always insists on eating the smaller of the things we have in our apartment. 

So this is a tiny piece of bread + a mountain of PB & J. Nut job. Haha :)

Blessing come for HAAAAAARD work

Hey fam!

I think I maybe walked 900 miles this week between meetings, contacting, finding less-actives, and the normal/daily adventures that Sora Stanley and I seem to keep having :) (I can't find the hashtag on this Romanian keyboard or else I would do "hashtag get fit" haha)

OKAY SO SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK:

1 Nephi 13:37 - I started rereading the Book of Mormon and wow. I love that book. It is BOM hahhaha ;) mormon puns. How they give me life. I LOVE THE ENTIRE VERSE. We need to SEEK to bring forth Zion. SEEK in all instances to be better and stronger and more faithful. But I really love the phrase "how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be". This is something I've been thinking a lot about. This week was a little rough fam, so I've had the analogy of our trials being mountains on my brain lately. But I love that this scripture says the word beautiful. When we look back on the hard things we've accomplished in this life because we have endured and had the Holy Ghost with us, WE SEE THAT OUR LIVES ARE BEAUTIFUL. Truly beautiful. Being a missionary is hard! Romanian is a way hard language, BUT the experiences I've had, the Spirit I've felt, and the people I've met have made it all seem wonderful. 

SO if you are on a mountain right now, whether it's just starting, you're in the middle, or you can almost see the peak - KEEP GOING. And look for the instances where you've felt the love of God in your life. If you can't find those moments, try harder. And then know that I love you and I'm always praying for you! 

So let me tell you about a few of those beautiful moments this week :) 

Sora Stanley really focused the beginning of our week on doing some serious contacting. To be creative and make it fun we decided to pick a color and contact THE HECK out of that color hahah aka we talked to everyone wearing that color. So Wednesday roles around and the previous days all we saw were people wearing orange (Monday's color) and yellow (Tuesday's color). So we decided to be a little more specific to be able to find THE ONE who needs the gospel. And that's when we met Flavius. Well before we met him, we saw him 4 times. He was wearing BRIGHT blue shoes and a blue shirt, which were the specifics for that day! (Ben and Josh you would have loved his shoes. They were really cool) 

OKAY ANYWAYS FLAVIUS: Really cool dude. Likes to talk a lot. So Sora Stanley and I have a hard time getting a word in edge-wise, but he's willing to listen AND EAGER. He has questions. Which is fun :) He's a pretty devote Orthodox, which is strange to find in the younger generation, BUT we've met with him, taught him, and he's followed up/kept commitments aka WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR THIS WEEK! 

Well two investigators actually. SUPER SWEET LADY in her 40's named Adriana. She is golden. The gospel will bless her life so much. SO keep her and Flavius in your prayers this week! They need the gospel! And Sora Stanley and I need to know how and what to teach them! :)

On the same note of miracles: WE HAD 20 PEOPLE (including missionaries) AT CHURCH YESTERDAY. Two of the less-actives we invited came! It really was a miracle. The work is coming along here in Arad. Heavenly Father is mindful OF ALL HIS CHILDREN!

Okay here were the adventures of the week:

Our water got shut off for a day.....hahahha there is a leakage problem...which still hasn't been fixed. But it will get fixed. Once Sora Stanley and I learn plumbing terms in Romanian or the plumber learns English...... The good thing is that we have water again! Yay for not having to wash our faces in the next-door grocery store's bathroom haha :) 

We met with a less active in Arad Nou (New Arad), which is the farthest thing from new...haha we crossed some suuuuuper sketchy/AWESOME train tracks for a few yards to get there. Which is where I saw my first Gypsy cart with a donkey and all. Very fun. Honestly though, really humbling. The people have so little, but still smile and say hello when we initiate conversation with them. I LOVE ROMANIANS SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!

I gave my first (and hopefully last) talk in Romanian yesterday! The topic was on the gifts of the Spirit. It made me grateful for the gifts I've been given, BUT how I need to work SO MUCH HARDER to develop more so that I can be a better instrument in the Lord's hands. Thank heavens for the atonement and the strength and ability to change and become better through Christ, my favorite older brother - thank heavens J and B are the best and my favorite little brothers :) 

CAN I JUST SAY THANK YOU for all of the prayers and love and support I've received?! I know I say this every week, but S E R I O U S L Y. I am made strong and better 1) through the Savior but 2) through all of you. I love and pray for everyone of you back home. Keep it up. I love you and Heavenly Father loves you. Have a great week!

Cu drag,

Sora Idiart 

Making friends after lunch. Pigeons are the spawn of Satan. I hate them. They give me nightmares. 

Just doing some weekly planning with my two homies (Sora Stanley and the Savior. Dream team)

How I felt after weekly planning/updating the area book 

(UPDATE YOUR AREA BOOK PEOPLE OR ELSE YOU GIVE FUTURE SISTERS GRAY HAIR) 

EVERY WEEK IS AWESOME, BUT THIS WEEK WAS THE AWESOMEST!!

Hello again fam :) feels like I just barely emailed you all! 
BECAUSE WHAT A WEEK THIS HAS BEEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UNCLE JARED THIS WEEK YOU OLD MAN :) 

Scriptures of the week: 

D&C 35:13

4 Ne 1:15-16

Click ion the link to go check them out :) 

I'm going to just jump the gun. PRESIDENT UCHTDORF WAS IN ROMANIA. AND I SHOOK HIS HAND?!?!?! AND HE DID A SOUL SCAN ON ME AND NOW KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT ME WITHIN THAT 30 SECOND MEETING WE HAD ?!?! But really. Mission conference this week was amazing. Also, sorry if I spell anything wrong? It says I'm spelling everything wrong....but pretty sure I'm not haha okay so let's begin.

MONDAY - Right after emailing home GUESS WHO GOT TO WALK HOME IN A DOWNPOUR?! Me and Sora Stanley :) Really. Think Noah's flood hahha for 30 minutes. BUT no worries. Because later that night we got to walk in the rain again to hear the broadcast President Uchtdorf gave that was transmitted to all of Romania. Key take away from that: We NEED to build the church where we live. You have to remember to always be a light and example to members, less-actives, investigators, and non-members alike. I know how much pressure that is....but you can do it! I'm praying for each of you EVERY SINGLE DAY! Also get this. Sweet Sora Kranacs. She's a member of the branch. Who has to travel for 4-5 hours to get to church each week. She knew that President Uchtdorf was giving a country-wide broadcast so she left at 3pm to get to the 8pm broadcast...via bike, train, and walking. Can you believe that?! I seriously repented for complaining about walking up freshman hill, in heels, after learning about her weekly routine. THE MEMBERS HERE ROCK. 

TUESDAY - another sleeper train, another adventure. Everyday here is an adventure, I swear haha but this time Sora Stanley and I had a really awesome conversation/lesson with a sweet 15 year old named Nausica. She reminded me so much of you Rach. SOOO kind, talkative, and smart. Unfortunately/fortunately when I tried to give her a Book of Mormon I had brought with me, she said  that she already had one. So. THATS GOOD. We told her to keep going to English + to start meeting with the missionaries, which she said she would :) 

WEDNESDAY - OKAY THIS IS THE NITTY GRITTY. This was the day. The day that I told an Apostle of the Lord my name. And shook his hand. And breathed in his face. Hahaha. Okay all joking aside. It was so awesome to be taught by him. For like 2 hours. He was solely focused on us missionaries. He told us the story of his wife's conversion. And challenged us to keep going. Every day, keep going. TALK TO EVERYONE. Another thing I love that he said was to have a "Posture of humility and confidence" LOVE IT. He talked a lot about loving everyone. Never looking down on our fellow brothers and sisters. Always looking at them. This is something that we can all work on this next week! :) Oh PLUS SO COOL. Elder and Sister Boom, Area Authorities from the Netherlands (THE AUNT AND UNCLE OF SUSANNAH JACKSON'S HUBBY aka mom send this to Tracy) also spoke to us. I went up and told them about our "kind of" family connection to them haha and they were very happy to make my acquaintance. 

Also on Wednesday we went to some DOPE castles. I'll attach pics. THEY WERE DOPE. AND IT WAS SO FUN TO SEE MY MTC DISTRICT AGAIN. Those people. I love them more than I ever thought I would. Friends for life. 

THURSDAY - Brașov is THE prettiest place. It reminds me so much of home. In fact, I was getting a tad homesick on the drive because it really just looked so much like Oregon. BUT ALL IS WELL because my pals Sora Dusie and Elder Trottier and Elder Jacobson were on the same bus as me :) we also ate at The. Best. Restaurant. Ever. EVERRRRRRRRR. By the time dessert rolled around, I was sobbing. Uncontrollably. Because it was so delicious. It was like this moist cake thing and you KNOW how much I hate gross soggy sock cakes like Tres Leches.....but this was something else. An angel made it I'm pretty sure. Sorry I didn't take a pic of it.....I literally inhaled it hahaha 

Okay but also on Thursday we had a great morningside. One of the elders bore testimony about never giving up. We have no excuse to quit trying, whether on a mission or in normal civilian life lol. But really. Nothing will ever be as hard as the atonement. And nothing is too hard for the Savior to bear. Isn't that comforting?! 

FRIDAY/SATURDAY - Loooooots of contacting. We've been trying a new method of just talking about happiness. So far it has upped our meaningful conversations, but hasn't produced very many contacts/new investigators...but that will come with more hard work and faith! :) 

SUNDAY - So yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, since the week before that was the temple rededication. President Ivory invited us to bear our testimony for the branch during the first fast and testimony meeting SO I DID IT. Somehow I have forgotten all of my Romanian since leaving the MTC....but I was able to butcher it and get through it and express the feelings of my heart. Then return to the safety of my seat haha. As soon as I sat down AN OVERPOWERING feeling of love washed over me. I've never felt anything like it before. Except for maybe when I saw Florence + the Machine in concert. Haha. Joking. But seriously. It was an answer to my fasting and heartfelt prayers for the past two weeks. I had been praying to love the people of Arad, specifically the branch since I've been here. And after sitting down, I felt it. I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves these people so much. All 11 of them. They all sacrifice so much to be members of the church, as we all do. But their sacrifices are on a different level. I love them. Miracles people. They still happen in our day. This work is SO HARD. But so rewarding if you get to feel the way I feel for these people in Arad. 

Okay. Sorry this email was so long. JUST SUCH AN AWESOME WEEK !!!!!!! But alas. I am done. Thank you for all the prayers and love you're sending my way. I can feel it out here in Arad, which I really need sometimes! So thanks to every one of you. Know that I pray for you and love you! Jesus Christ is our Savior and He love you! God truly is our Father, and He wants to hear from you. P R A Y. 

Cu drag totdeauna, 

Sora Idiart  

I need to buy a little umbrella that I can stick in my bag! Earlier that morning during contacting it was like 100 degrees, then WARM RAIN.
The good thing is that I didn't get sick :)

TRIO BACK AT IT BABY

REUNITED AHHHHH isn't she the cutest little Chiseaua sister ever?!

Hahaha like the Hollywood sign.....EXCEPT WAY COOLER

SQUAD GOALS. Probably won't see these beautiful faces
(except for S. Dusie and Elder Trottier) for who knows how long :( 

ARAD WOOOOOOW

HELLO EVERYONE! (Translations provided by Emma's mom, Thanks Google Translate!)

I AM IN ROMANIA!!!! I'm currently in Arad. Which is awesome. And amazing. And absolutely the best. And I'm running out of time to think of adjectives that start with A hahah but REALLY. It is cool here. Very different from America. So. That's a little bit weird BUT CE SE FAC. 

My trainer's name is Sora Stanely. She's so cute and fun. And from Utah. And has been out for about 6 months. And has served in Arad for 4 weeks previous to me getting here. We spend a lot of our time being lost hahah. Something that we will be working on these upcoming weeks. Pray for us hahahah

Okay so lemme give you a breakdown of my first week here. 

SAYING GOODBYE TO MY DISTRICT WAS ALMOST AS HARD AS SAYING GOODBYE TO MY FAMILY. MAN HOW I LOVE THOSE PEOPLE SO MUCH. But the good thing is, is that Sora Dusenberry and Elder Trottier are also serving in the west SO WE ARE IN THE SAME ZONE WHOOOOP WHOOOP. More on that later. 

BUT THE IVORY'S ROCK. I love them. Sora Ivory is so sweet and kind and a go-getter. President is a rock. He's so cool. I'm so stoked to get to work with both of them over the next year! They're sacrificing so much to be out here serving the Lord! Major respect. 

OKAY so the very first miracle that I would like to talk about. But some preface to the miracle: The train ride from Buch to Arad is like 12 hours. And so Sora Stanely and I were the last two at the Gara (train station). Our train left at 11:45pm. SO WE GOT TO SLEEP ON IT. And that was terrifying and very hot BUT FUN. So now for the miracle. I, being the ditz I am, left my journal on the bed once we got off the train...........so yeah. I realized that I had done that like 5 hours after getting into Arad. SO very frantically I said a prayer hoping I had just put it in a different bag. Nope. Left it on the train. So Sora Stanely and I rushed back to the Gara - like a 25-30 minute walk - and TO MY DISBELIEF AND AMAZEMENT ONE OF THE CLEANING LADIES HAD KEPT IT AND TAKEN IT BACK TO HER APARTMENT AND TADA. Heavenly Father looks out for you. Even with the silliest things. Like a lost journal. BUT He knew how important that journal was to me. It had all the miracles and feeeeeeeeeeels of my heart during the MTC! So yeah. 

Basically I've seen miracles since day one. 

I can't understand the langauge really at all...but that's okay! I'm working on having patience haha and really I'm working the most on having charity for the people, instead of a pity based love. BIG humbling/eye opening moment this week after we taught an investigator named Mariana. I honestly was about to understand maybe 7 minutes of our hour long lesson with her. I felt so discouraged and defeated the rest of the afternoon. I had tried to hard during the lesson to really tune in to what she was saying and listen with the Spirit but still couldn't understand her. Later that day Sora Stanely and I were reading CLM (The Book of Mormon in Romanian is Cartea Lui Mormon or CLM) in the park and I read a verse in Ether that was like "BAMMMO listen up Emma. You're being selfish" Ether 12:34-36 !!!!! 

So I'm really trying hard to have charity for the people here. Until I love them as Heavenly Father loves them, I won't be given the talents and gift the Lord sees fit to give me. 

OKAY WAIT THE MORE ON THAT LATER THAT I PROMISED. Okay so YESTERDAY I got to see Elder Trottier and Sora Dusenberry for the day because the Germany temple was being rededicated and so all of the zone except for the Sibu sisters trained to Oradia to watch the transmission. Which was in Romanian. Only. Hahah so basically I just tried my hardest to feel the Spirit and pay attention as best I could. One of the things that was said (I think ahha) was in the temple is where we feel God's love the strongest. AND AMEN TO THAT. Go to the temple. Make it a weekly thing. It will bless your life. I can't wait for the day when I get to go back in a year and a half! Yipeeee! It was so much fun though to a) see another city and b) see my friends again. We were able to go contacting with them in a park which was so much fun. UGH LOVE PRIMA DISTRICUL MEU (LOVE MY FIRST DISTRICT). 

But really. MISSIONS ARE THE VERY BEST CAN I JUST SAY THAT. I know this is where the Lord needs me. Even if I can't speak or understand the people. It will all come through faith, charity, and the grace of God. 

TE IUBESC FOARTE MULT SI MA ROG FIECARE ZI PENTRU VOI. (I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND PRAY EVERY DAY FOR YOU)

HEY AND GOOD LUCK WITH SCHOOL SIBLINGS AND COUSINS. Have a great year and get straight A's just like I did ;) And shout out to my BYU babes. Keep grinding. Week one of many done haha I'll be back to join you soon enough. 

Cu drag xoxox (literally means "Affectionately" but to her it probably means "Love")

Sora Idiart 

Me and my cuuuuuute comp Sora Stanely :) 

Sleeper trains are so scary and sleeping top bunk is even scarier

bc you have to make sure you don't fall out....

and Fratele Simmons lied.

There was no net device that held you in just in case hahah

SUNRISE ON DAY 2 JUST MADE ME HAPPY BC TENDER MERCY

In Oradia with some of our zone for the temple rededication transmission!

WEST IS BEST BABY - except Elder Trottier and Sora Dusie aren't actually in this one....ahahha whoops

THUMBS UP FOR THE BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD YEEEHAAAWWW

EVIDENCE THAT GOD LOVES ME haha it really was so fun to catch up with Sora Dusie and Elder Trottier (lurking in the background lol) after being apart for a few days.

 CANT WAIT TO SEE THE REST OF MY HOMIES LATER THIS WEEK AT MISH CONF YA

This was from when we got lost on a Tramvai (Tram or Subway) for like 20 minutes and

went to a super sketch part of town lol

From the Mission Office

Dear Brother and Sister Idiart,

 We are pleased to let you know your daughter, Sora Idiart has arrived safely here in the Romania Moldova Mission and we are very happy to have her here with us.

Attached is a group picture with President and Sora Ivory. 

Also, a picture with Sora Idiart and her new companion Sora Stanley.

They will be serving in Arad, Romania.