Week 19!!

Mom! Dad!

 

Quick update on my week; It's been pretty sweet! Elder Baielli is a way cool guy; we've got a lot in common, he's a hard worker, and this "get to know you stage" hasn't been awkward at all. Like the beginning of the other transfers, we're spending most of our time English Contacting. We started doing something called bloc knocking. You know how I told you how all the people here are in huge cement buildings built to urbanize everyone during times of communism. So the missionaries here go through and knock all the blocs. but When you're just contacting for English it gets kind of exciting. As soon as they open the door you have to yell "free English!" or else they slam it in your face. They're usually about 10-15 stories tall, you run up the stairs and start at the top, then work your way down. They're super sketch! like the stairways are very rarely illuminated and sometimes I truly feel like I'm in azkaban walking through them. But It's perfect! Because if they were nice blocs they would have air conditioning. If they had air conditioning they wouldn't have the front door propped open and there would be no way for us to get in. It all works out ;)

 

Going up for transfers is always fun, seeing all the missionaries and spending a day in Buc. We went to a resturant called "care cu bere"..? That's what it sounds like at least.. Hands down, NiCest resturaunt I've ever been in- 4 course meal- soup, salad, steak, and cheese cake. Probably some of the best food I've ever had, and it came to about 8 American Dollars.

 

Haha, funny story..

 

So, you all know how great I am at playing the piano, especially when it comes to hymns.. So I never advertise the fact that I play a bit. But at church yesterday they needed someone to play the hymns and elder Montoya volunteered me. Of course I tried! and the best part is; I played the hymn perfectly for the first time!

Just kidding.

So I got up there, cracked my knuckles, and tried to work out some kind of intro to "for the beauty of the earth." we got about half way through the song before I was politely invited to retake my seat.

 

But hey! that's a whole half a song more than I've ever played at church before! haha

 

 

Ooh, before I forget- can I have your pineapple/zuchinii bread recipe?? My body knows it's stuff. I randomly started craving it last week and then I realized "hey, this is probably the time of year when mom starts making all her sweet breads!"

 

The Powells came down from Brasov to clean out the vila appartment. there's going to be a big singles conference for the church here in Constanta and they're all staying in the apartment I used to live in, so we spent this morning trying to get it presentable(haha, so in English we say "single adult" in Romanian it's "Necăsătorit" so it's "conference for the unmarried"). They're so great. They told someone in charge of this conference that they would get the apartment cleaned out, then they got the news that they had to move to brasov and got caught up in moving. They drove 6 hours yesterday so they could keep their word and get it tidyed up. crazy right?? Then they took us out for lunch and left.

 

It sounds like both your weeks were crazy! Dad, I can totally relate to that kind of week. We plan so much into a week; then everything falls through, no one wants to meet, then we make it to the end of a day and it's like "what can I say I accomplished today"? Time on the mission moves so weird, because we're always busy, always doing something- but there's always so much more to do and sometimes it's hard to see any progress made.

 

Were you able to work on the garage at all? Maybe one day it'll sparkle.. I'm glad you got some weeding done at least! Mom, I can't wait to here about your adventures out west!

 

Love you both so much! I've got letters to send as soon as the new month rolls around and I get money for stamps ;)

 

Elder Collison

 

 

Oh, and this is us on 4th of July (hence the fours)

and the cel mai sick graffiti you'll ever see; it's all over and I love it!