February 23, 2015

Hey guys!

This is it, I'm starting my week of lasts.. My last Sunday, my last metrou rides, my last covrig.. It feels really weird! I've had a really productive week. We met some cool people and set up for a lot of lessons. We waited at the church for a lot of the week, but as usual, nobody showed up. I'm just trying to work hard in this last week so I can go home feeling good. We had zone conference on Thursday and at the very end we had a guest speaker from the british parliment and he had a lot of good stuff to say. 

I'm stoked out of my mind AND sentimental about coming home. I love romania so much. I love the people and the culture and everything about this place. I love speaking romanian.

Meh, I'm pretty much out of stuff to say, I'll just tell you in person next week! I am so excited guys, I cannot wait to see you all!

Love you so much

Andrew

February 16, 2015

Hey everybody! I've had a really good couple days here. Elder D, the humanitarian service dude has hooked us up with a couple gigs this week. We spent all of Thursday carrying all the furniture from the old office, and taking it to an organization for cancer patients we donated it to. I split a taxi with the head lady of the organization while the other guys rode in the moving truck. She was this 70 old lady and super wise. She loved that I had the desire to help people as a doctor and she got me really excited to save lives. On Wednesday we went to an organization that takes in new mothers in need of support, and we put together a couple bookshelves and tables that the church had provided. The sun came back out this week, and that along with the service opportunities I'd been waiting for were a really happy combination. We spent a lot of time in the parks this week and it's really starting to warm up here.

Love you guys so much! Thanks for the updates. It feels weird emailing as my going home date approaches, but in that sense I'm really glad Caleb's just starting, so I can continue to get all the updates like I just left ;)  I'm so excited to see you all!

February 9, 2015

Hey guys! 

My week's been really good. We worked really hard to get the word out for English class but no one showed up for the advanced class on Tuesday, so we've still got no one to teach. I was going to help the other guys teach the beginners, but as we were starting, the branch president snagged me to guard the hall. The audio equipment was stolen a couple weeks ago and now my assignment for English classes is to walk up and down the dark halls to catch people opening closets and going into the chapel. We've got no one to teach right now, so knocking those big blocks is all we've got to do with the bad weather and all. It's really monotonous and nobody's interested, but I just keep telling myself it'll all be over soon. I'm trying not to get too excited to come home, but it's just so gray and depressing here, I just can't help but count down the days. 

Yesterday was really cool. We celebrated 25 years since President Nelson came to dedicate Romania for missionary service. There was a huge conference where both branches met in the Panduri chapel and it was broadcasted to all ramuri over Romania. Seeing so many of the people I love was amazing. The Constantinescus were there from Constanta, I got to see the Stancus from Galati, and sit next to my good friend Julius from Camaroon. 

I love you all so much! I can't wait to see you.

February 2, 2015

Hey my family! I've had a really laid back week here. We had a couple potential investigators I was hoping to meet up with, but nobody returned my calls. We met a really cool guy on Saturday though that we were able to have a lesson with. We spent all of our time this week advertising for English classes. Last transfer we didn't have a single student in our advanced class, and i really want to have a good last class. We put up posters all around the city and I've been handing out cards like a mad man. It's weird, I wouldn't say I'm any less ready to come home, but starting my last month I'm realizing I'm starting the checklist of final things. There's still so much here I've got to do! 

I'll be honest, I haven't taken many pictures recently. It's hard being in a big district because we don't share every adventure together so i can't lean on their photography skills. 

That's funny you guys are back on the sugar fast, I just started one yesterday. Ok, mine is more shed-this-stupid-winter-chub-so-I-can-start-fresh-when-I-get-home, but yeah, fast sounds better than diet. I've been eating super healthy and feeling good, but I've gotten in the habit of baking something big any time I get a hankering for sugar and I can't stand to see this dough cover abs I worked so hard for. Do you want to run a race this spring, dad? I know we'll both be busy, but I was thinking it'd be cool to train together for a half marathon or somthing. 

I don't know what else to really say. I think these next couple weeks are going to look pretty much the same, and every email will be just as boring, talking progressively more and more about home until i get there ;) 

I'm so excited to see you guys! 2 years ago, this one month before the mtc hardly existed. lets see if it goes just as fast from the other end. 

I love you guys!

Elder Collison

January 26, 2015

Hey guys! 

This is the start of my last transfer! I've just got 5 pdays (including that crappy last pday I'll be spending packing) and then I'm finished! really weird to think about. I'm already getting all introspective and sentimental, just thinking about all the things I would have done differently and things I wish I would've worked harder on. This last week was kind of laid back, but we have a lot of stuff planned for this next one. I met some good people, and if I'm lucky, maybe I'll be able to teach a legit lesson before I come home! haha

Today for pday all of buc got together to play some laser tag. I thought it was kinda lame at first, compared to paintball or airsoft, but it started growing on me after while and I had some fun. I had a blast on transfer day seeing all my old friends and trying to say goodbye to everyone. That's the last time I'm going to see any of them except those that stayed in Buc. A bunch of my buddies here stayed with us throughout the week and I got to spend a lot of time with some good friends. 

The mission moved into a new office this week and president Ivory had us all come by district on Thursday for our district meeting. It's super sad to see the old place go, after spending 6 months in it last year it felt like home, and I dropped by occasionally to talk with the senior couples since coming back to buc.

I'll try to get some more pictures as I say goodbye to people so I have something to show you once i go home.  

Love you so much guys! 

Elder Collison-the-Andrew-one.

January 19, 2015

Laaaaaaaaaast transfer! woohoo! haha 

Elder B and I are staying together in Bucuresti and I'm super happy about that. I'm also really glad I don't have to pack my bags before the big consolidation and donation party I'll be doing before I go home. I've accumulated a lot of stuff..  My good friend, elder b, is leaving for moldova, but Elder M is coming to take his place in the district. He's a really cool guy and I know we're going to have a lot of fun. I did get Caleb's email, I can't believe he's already leaving the MTC! I know he's already a fantastic missionary, he's already taking that whole experience so much better than I did. I hated teaching lessons to people I knew were acting and sitting in a classroom all day. ha

I've had a really good week though. We were able to visit the young couple that were just married, the indian man and his romanian wife I told you about. His brother and mother are living with him and the mom made us a meal. She's so cool. She wears the traditional indian saree and doesn't speak any english or romanian. That part kinda sucks cause she's the kinda person I want to be friends with. But I know one word that you say for hello, goodbye, and thank you- with a bow. So I do a whole lot of that and that's about as good as I can do for now. You know how crazy I am about a good curry. I've been living off this chickpea/spinach curry which is so good, I really want to make it for you guys in a couple weeks. But anyways, she made us such a good curry. She "didn't add any spices" because we've become so declimatized to spice out here, but we still burned our faces off as we devoured the stuff. 

other than that it's been a pretty chill week, visiting members and such. We got to spend a couple hours with sora gorzo yesterday.

Dang you guys have had a crazy week! I'm glad you're all alright with all the problems on the road. 

I'm really excited to see you guys too. like, really excited. Hopefully there's still snow on the ground then so we can do some sledding, I'm way ready for that! 

Love you guys so much! 

Andrew

January 5, 2015

Hey guys!

I'm doing pretty great healthwise. I'm just trying to pick up my old eating habits so I can drop this christmas flab I've allowed to settle. It really sucks, watching your body deteriorate after working so hard for it. I'm aching to run, but I'm still trying to find a free track here and the roads are super icy. it's been snowing a lot here and then melting in the afternoon. The whole city is covered in inches of ice with footprints in it.

Good luck over these next couple days! I wish I could see Caleb so bad, but I'm not envious of the goodbyes at all.. I'll let it hit me once i get home. 

I don't have to play the piano anymore! My companion is actually amazing at the piano and has since taken over. I was happy for the pressure to learn the hymns, but I don't mind at all not having that responsibility anymore. We still don't have any progressing investigators here, but we've been able to meet with a couple members. I was able to shave fratele brais's face the other day. We were having a lesson with him and he pulled out his rusty straight razor. I told him I had no idea how to use it and he's like " ah, no big deal." So.. I dry shaved his face with a dull blade. I did a terrible job and it was really uneven, but on the plus side I didn't cut anything other than hair.. can I get an applause over here?? We got to visit my favorite old lady, sora Gorzo. I never thought I would get so many kisses on my mission, but it just get harder and harder to turn down a girl once they're over the age of 60..

I love you guys so much! I'll be praying for you all as you have your last day with him. Try not to be weird and make him feel like a man on the gallows. haha