This is the second time I've tried to get this blog off. Our internet keeps going down and I forgot to save my last post. So here goes again. We've completed just a little over a week here in Romania and so far things are going pretty well. We've met our new mission President and wife. They are just super. The office staff is taking a little to get used to. The young elders have been running everything for about eight months and its been a little difficult getting orientated. They had transfers last week and so things were a little hectic. This week is a little better. I've spent a lot of time just cleaning up. It looks like papers, files, and miscelaneous things have been accumulating since the mission first opened. We're trying to learn our duties in finance but the Elders have been a little slow in getting us trained. We must look a little old to them and perhaps they don't trust us to take over their responsibilities. But, we're working at learning as much as we can and to do it as soon as possible. Some of the photos are as follows: The fellow in the yellow shirt is President Daru one of the district presidents. I read about him before I came out. He and a few others locked themselves in a shipping container which was being sent to the U.S.. This was just after the Communist overthrow and everyone was trying to get out of Romania by any means. He risked the possiblity of suffication, and being tossed about by heavy storms to complete his journey. Eventually he made it to the U.S. and then to Canada where he joined the Church. His conversion story is truly marvelous. He then felt impressed to return to Romania where he has since married and now has three children. He is one of the pioneers here in Romania. The picture of the horses is taken in front of our office building which you see in the background. They are just grazing next to the sidewalk and highway. I guess it beats mowing the lawn. I have yet to see a real grass yard and have not seen a lawn mower anywhere. They must not know about fescue. The photo of the playground is taken from our living room window. And the block house in the background is part of our apartment complex. These cement apartment houses were part of the Communist effort to transition Bucharest ino an urban utopia. Now they just look like run down cement apartment houses. But, in are area they are a lot of middle class and some of the apartments, like ours, have been renovated and are fairly nice. The photo of the train is one the form of transportation we are learning to use here. It is our least favorite because it is old, rickety, and hot. the busses and subway are a little better. Its been an interesting transition to give up the use of a car for the most part.

We've attended church twice now and have really enjoyed meeting the members. Those who attend have very firm testimonies and we've heard some excellent talkes. We can see that the Lord's work is being accomplished in this part of His vineyard. We pray sincerely that we may do our small part in helping the Gospel to spread among this people.