Hristos a Înviat!

 Paşte Fericit!

 Easter here has been an incredible experience! It's a big deal in Romania. Saturday we kept busy with all sorts of things. We were at the church villa for 13 hours, mowing the overgrown lawn, teaching English (though to a heavily reduced class), having a recent convert lesson, getting ready for and having the branch Easter dinner, then a late evening district meeting!

Once we were finished with all that, we got to relax a bit and wait to go to the midnight orthodox Easter service! That was a really cool experience. We gathered with the crowd outside the cathedral, to light our candles with the "light of Christ," At Easter, in the Orthodox religion, the top priest travels to Christ's grave in Jerusalem, where he receives the "lumina," and takes the torch back to Romania. Then, at midnight, the flame is spread around candle to candle. All six of us missionaries got the flame, but only Sora S managed to keep hers burning all the way home.

The service was cool too, lots of singing/chanting about the resurrection of Christ, and the priest gave a talk on joy. Then there was a procession around the cathedral. It really was a cool cultural experience.

On Sunday afternoon, our neighbour invited us over for an Easter meal. We were a little worried, due to some of the interesting dishes he has given us in the past, but it was actually really good! His wife made the second best sarmale I have ever eaten (Sora G's in Constanta are still at the top), and he had prepared lamb, the tradtional meat for Easter in Romania. And of course, we got coloured eggs and cozonac as well.



I've been trying to remember all the traditions I have seen and heard, and they really are cool. On Sunday morning, everyone greets you with "Hristos a înviat", the proper response to which is Adevărat, a înviat. (Christ is risen! and Truly, he is risen.)

Coloured eggs are also important here, red eggs in particular. The story goes that Mary, when Jesus was crucified, was carrying a basket of eggs. When he was on the cross, she placed them underneath and they turned red with his blood.

Another thing to do with the eggs is how to break them before you eat them. The first person says Hristos a înviat, then the second says adevărat, a înviat, and hits the first person's egg with his own. Whoever's egg doesn't break is the winner.

Lamb is the traditional food for Easter, and other standard holiday foods like sarmale and cozonac. We have been eating well lately. Elder S and I even made a chicken casserole for the branch potluck, and it went fast. (That's what happens when you cover something with cheese.)

Then yesterday, being Easter Monday, we couldn't do internet or shopping since everything was still shut down for Easter. But we were fed again by one of our English students, and visited N and his family as well. It was a great weekend, for sure.

Earlier in the week was busy, eventful, and stressful, since things have just gone downhill with our main investigator. He is not feeling the spirit, but wants to find an answer his own way.  It was really rough in our last lesson. But God is looking out for us. We had put so much of our heart and soul into helping him, and he rejected the spirit, and rejected our message. But walking out of that last lesson, I felt an inexplicable feeling of peace and comfort come over me. My testimony had just been rejected outright, but I felt more confident in it than ever before. I still feel a heavy sense of sadness for this investigator, but God has been strengthening me, and I can move forward. I have grown so much from this experience. I feel more confident, more able, and firmer in the spirit. God truly blesses his missionaries.
Romans 5:3-5
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Thanks for all the support, and for taking the time to see how I am doing!

Elder Lybbert

Just a note or two from the last couple weeks:

He recently got his Bible in a special leather cover to go with his Book of Mormon.  Here is a picture and then a scripture & thought he shared:

 D&C 42:12.

And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.

I am called to teach the basic principles of the gospel. It isn't complicated. And it can be found out of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. So we study from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and teach from them too. Simple.

He also sent a fun picture of himself in a wooden shoe a couple weeks ago or so.  He is not sure of the story, but a Dutch organization did donate this shoe to the city of Cluj.