Hello Family

Hey There,

Romania is awesome. I'm in Ploiesti which is about 45 min north of Bucharest. It is a fairly large city. I was amazed, when I got here at how much emglish signs and ads there are everwhere. Its kind of funny how they try to americanize everything here. Everybody has this fascination with the states because they think that america is built upon fast food, fadish clothes, cell phones, and supermodels. Its really sad, actually, how few people there are who actually like Romania. Many of them will admit that it is beautiful in the countryside, but most of them think that it can't possible ever be as good as America. People don't realize that work in America is difficult just as it is in Romania.

So, oh yeah, the rest of my MTC group. Elder Mckie went to Sector 2 of Bucharest with Elder Jorgenson as his trainer, Elder McKeeth went to Constanta with Elder Kidd, Elder Sperry went to Timisoara with Elder Whipple, Elder Adams to Sector 2 with Irion, Elder Jerome is in Sector 5 with Elder Christianson (Elder Bang's greenie), and Elder Goodell is in Pitesti with Elder Metcalf. That info is mostly for my teachers at the MTC who wanted to know.

Most of what we do all day is, in the morning we study of course. I am currently reading from the N testament having finished the BOM in the MTC. I am also reading the Bom in Romanian now. So, then after studies, we go street contacting. I have been doing at least 10 street contacts a day by myself, where I approach someone, intro myself, ask them if they are interested in hearing our message and getting their phone number and neighborhood, so we can set up a discussion with them.

Then we usually go back to the apartment to eat lunch. We often make pasta or french toast. We don't have an oven, but we have a stove, a microwave, a fridge, and even a washer that dries (its really cool). WE often play chess while the meal is cooking. We are pretty evenly matched so it is fun.

Then after lunch, we usually have an appointment where we will go to our bloc knocking zone and teach a lesson. After that we go bloc knocking. A bloc is pretty much the only kind of housing available in Romania. there are a few houses now, but in communist,. they only ever lived in the 5 or 10 story cement blocs so we go to a particular stairway, knock on the doors, record who we contact, who we have discussions with, who rejects us, who tells us to return another day, etc... that way, we get everybody, but don't bother anybody who rejects us once. My blisters, from walking everywhere have gone down, and now my feet are as tough as rocks.

Last Tuesday, we went to Brashov for a Zone Leader/ District Leader meeting. The way there, our train was delayed two hours, so we took a taxi, then our taxi broke down in the countryside, so we walked to the nearest train station, where we decided to take another taxi. It was quite an adventure. When we finally got there, I went out contacting in the center of Brashov with the rest of the junior companions who were there, and it was really kind of liberating to be by myself. I made about 15 contacts, and though only a couple of them would let me get their number to set up a future appointment, my language skills really improved. On the 3 hr train ride back to Ploiesti I talked to an Italian man the whole time, who was actually married to a Romanian and had a beautiful accent. My companion, wanting me to stretch myself, didn't say a thing the whole time, so I was on my own, having been here for only a week, talking to this man who only knew Romanian and Italian. It was awesome!!

I've found that most people here, frustratingly just don't want to here about God. Funnily, they even often think its a sin to change religions. When we tell them that everybody in the N Test changed their religion, and all we want to do is invite them to hear what we have to say they just give us blank looks. Oh well. The work moves on. I can't wait to find some one willing to listen.

I have to go, it is 10:50AM. I love you very much. Walker