Elder Lybbert in Romania: Happy New Year and Moldova!

Happy new year everyone! 2015 is here!

Galati is doing great. I am most excited about how we have our home teaching assignments set now and that we can get going on that this month. It will be a great strength for this branch.

As well, President S has a new fire in him to take charge and really lead the branch. He is new and the missionaries in the past have usually done all of the work for him, but I really want to support him as the president and help him lead out. Good things are coming in this branch.

We didn't do anything crazy for new years, but we did have the other elders come over to our place for the night. At around nine we met as a whole district since the sisters live close and we tried to light some flying lanterns, but the wind was too strong. It was a good try though. Then, we stayed inside out of the cold for the rest of the night, and played Axis and Allies to wait for the new year. (I have discovered that I really like this game, though it takes forever to play.) And then, at midnight, the whole city lit up with fireworks! Everyone had them! It was great.

We also had the amazing opportunity to visit a member who lives across the border in Moldova, about 30 km away! It was one of the coolest experiences of my mission, actually getting to go over there. We went as a district, and hired a private van to take us. The driver is very nice and helpful and very reasonably priced. He helped us get through the border and find the house, in a random little village in Moldova! We spent a long time asking around in the village before we found her. No one knows street names there, but they know people. However, we got first directed to her sister-in-law who has the same name.

Eventually we did find her, and we had a little sacrament meeting, shared a message, and I gave her a blessing.

But the meal she fed us was absolutely incredible! It was served Moldovan style, with all of the food, from soup to dessert, set on the table at the start. I really liked that. We ate a chicked ciorba (soup), sarmale (some of cabbage, some of grape leaves) salam, pumpkin placinta for dessert, and a homemade apricot preserve. The entire meal experience may be the best I have ever had.

Also, I got to hear the real Moldovan accent they have over there. Even just across the border, they speak differently. They put a "y" sound in front of all their "e"s like the Russians, and have a couple different words like o leaca which means a bit. I am so glad I finally made it to Moldova, at least once. What an experience.