HEY HEY EVERYONE! I AM ALIVE!
This week has been crazy, scary and insane to say the least!
Well to start off this big week we left the MTC on monday morning at 4:45 jumped on a flight to Minnesota and on the flight over had an awesome experience! So i was praying for a miracle/ experience to have onthe flight over to Romania before i left the MTC! So weget our tickets and none of us missionaries are siting together so that was dissapointing! But when i sat down i was siting next to this couple and was just talking to them and i found out that the girl was a less active memember and her whole family was still part of the church! So i was like this is awesome i should share something with her! But she was asleep the whole flight, so i wa praying she would wake up so i could share something with her! Then 5 minutes before we landed she woke up and i was like "Can i share a scripture with you?" They were okay with it and so i shared 1Nephi 10:19 which is a similiar to Moroni 10:4-5. And i just testified to her about how God loves her and that no matter what she does he is always there and that if she reads the scriptures and prays she will receive an answer! SO that was a miracle in its self and she was so grateful for it and i was so excited i had an opportunity to talk to someone!
Then we got on a plane to Amsterdam which was the lonegest flight in the world! But Amsterdam is really pretty but everyone in Europe looks like they want to kill you and they never talk to you first either so that was quite interesting! But at the end of the flight to Amsterdam, Elder Matrindale and Elder Whiting were siting in front of me and were talking to this guy for a lot of the time and so i felt like we should give him a book of Mormon and so i told Elder Martindale to give him one so he did and while he was testifying the guy started to tear up and took the Book of Mormon which was incredible and insane! So many spiritual experiences in only two flights!
So we finally arrived in Romania which is the oldest and smallest Airport in the world! We got to customs and so they speak Romanian and i don't know Russian so i gave them my passport and they were like what are you doing here and i said mission and they just stared at me and legit took 5 mins to let us go through!
After we meet President and Sister Hettindger which was awesome Presdient literally acts like one of the boys and is super like down to earth haha! Following we went to the Place where Elder Anderson opened Romania for preaching! SO that was a super cool experience.Then after we went back to there house and had dinner with them and the APs! After dinner we had interviews with President and then little did we know we were hoping on a sleep train to Moldova which is a 14 hour train ride! While the elders were driving us over to the train station they were driving like cray people! So literally rad rules don't apply here and you can do what ever you want! Cut people off at any time drive on the other side of the road, like that is the norm here which was insane to be in and watch! But that wasn't even thewors bit!
Everyone looks super sketchy and either really drunk or on drugs i swear! SO walking on the path everyone either stares at you or asks for money! Then i saw the train i was about to hope on! And i was like oh NO! What have i got myself into! The Train was legit exactly like the one on Harry Potter but smaller and smells like pee and sweaty men! (See Attached Photos) But the ride was hectic and insane! When you get to the Moldovan Boarder which is like 3 in the morning they wake everyone up check passports and go through your bags! I was legit sleeping and then woke because this men was tugging on my leg yelling something in Russian which was insane! So we got up and gave them our passports and then when they get to the boarder of Moldova they chnage the wheels of the train! Because the train tracks in Romania are likesome what up to date but the train tracks in Moldova are the from the Soviet Union time! So they pick up the train and change the wheels!
We arrived in Moldova and met two missionaries who took us back to the missionaries apartment to shower and to get ready for training from the Mission President and his wife and also for lunch! It was awesome to meet all the missionaries, all the Russian speaking elders are mostly from Ukraine so they are all native! So we had some training and then went to the Mountain were Elder M. Russell Ballard opened the country for proselyting! We read the pray which was an awesome experience! Then following we found out our companions which was awesome! My Companion is Elder Ribistkey! That is how you say it but i don't know how to spell it becauseit it massive in Russian!
Following went back and got our stuff and went to our apartment whch is pretty nice but it the apartment that is the furtherest away which its fun!
We had a lesson on Thursday with a guy named Konstantine who has been an investigator for 5 years! But we managed to get him to commit to be Baptised on the 29th of October so that will be amazing if it actually works out!
Then on Saturday we went to do a service at this members house who burnt down which was insane! So we took everything from the second story outside tothe front of the house to put it all in a pile to cover with blankets and it smelt so bad because the sewage pipe broke so there were sewage from the house! But it was an awesome experience to serve everyone!
After the service project me and my companion went to maccas to get food and we went and sat down! Then this man approached us and sat next to us and said in English i want to know more about what you guys do! So i talked to him about the gospel and he was not interested what so ever andsaid it wasnt for him but then i just read a scripture Moroni 10:4-5 and testified about The Saviour and how he loves everyone and all of a sudden he became interested and was looking me in the eyes when were talkingand then started asking questions and was intrigued so that was an awesome experience! But i didn't get his details but thats okay cause he isn;t fromhere but i did give him pass along cards and wrote mormon.org on the card!
On Sunday we had church which only goes for two hours because there isn't enough people to keep church going for 3 hours! But during sacrament Elder Whting and I had to bear out testimonies and i asked Elder Morgan how to say Good Afternoon! So i got up and said it! But it meant good evening and this was 12pm so everyone started aughing and they legit corrected me over the stand haha was pretty funny and got everyone laughing so was super funny! And after church we went to Elder Whitings Apartment and had lunch with him and his companion! And after we had zone contacting so there were like 16 of us on this main part of the city with posters and Books of Mormon! So we were all just talking to people as they walked past and so this was the first time contacting and i handed out 3 Book of Mormons! And got 3 numbers too! So i am super stoekd and hopefully we can set up and appointment wih them and hopefully it all works out because they seemed really interested! By the way i didn't do thisbefore the missiona but now i use the photos at the front of the Book of Mormon to share the stroy of the Book of Mormon which is cool and something i have never done before!
So had an awesome experience contacting and hopefully will gain some investigators and find more people!
But by now you are probably wondering why the title! So over here they have somewhat buses and maxitaxi's(Which are White Vans) And they re packed full with people and the main source of transport! You are literally rubbing against other people in these busses! And because people over here dont think having wind blo on your faace is good thing they don't open the windows so i am sweating like 24/7 on these things and it is the worst! I will try and get pictures! But it is insane and seatbelts aren't a thing over here cause everyone is just standng on the busses!
It is real crazy here but so awesome at the same time! Some days are hard but i know i will grow to love this place so much! I love this gospel and i know this church is true! I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve and mission and serve the Lord for 2 years! I knwo the Book Of Mormon will change lives!
Love you all,
Elder Dumbrell
Question and Answers:
1. Who is your trainer and where is he from?
Elder Ribitskey and his is from Ukraine
2. What is your apartment/living arrangements like?
It is really small but better then nothing haha
3. What is the name of the town you live in?
Chisinau i think that is how you spell it
4. How is the weather?
Windy and cloudy but then also really hot during the day
5. Does the landscape remind you of anywhere in Australia?
Not really haha it is completely different
6. What characteristics stood out to you about your mission president and wife? Super down to earth and fun
7. Where is Elder Whiting serving?
Literally in the same place as me and we see each other every day
8. What ward/branch are you serving in? How many missionaries?Chisinau Russian Speaking Branch! 9 i think
9. What was your first impression of Romania and Moldova?
So crazy and so poor! Its just insane i can't compare it to anything!