The Joyous Journey of Elder şi Sora Bryson: 2008

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Week 53 of Our Mission - How Glorious it is

Bacău Branch Christmas Party - 20 December
13 members, 10 non-members, 6 missionaries
Romanian food, fun & friendship . . . oh and Santa
(Moş Craciun)

Baptism in Galaţi - 21 December
Marian & Catalina Stanciu
with 18 month old son Liviu

Monday, December 22, 2008

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas time in Bacau 2008

Suzanne wanted to ride the train, but they wouldn't let her,
but we snuck a picture anyway

Santa (Mos Craciun) is a "Very Big Man" in Bacau

Lots of lights and characters in the parks

Wishing you all a Craciun Fericit si Un An Nou Fericit!!
(Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!)

Single Adult Conference - 6 & 7 Decembr 2008

Single Adults from Romania and Moldova meet for the first time in Bucuresti, Romania at the Panduri Capela

President Vasile Doru of the Bucuresti District came to greet them and helped with the "get acquainted" activity . . . He made it so much fun!

We walked about 2 miles to Chismigiu Parc to read the dedicatory prayer given by Elder Russell M Nelson on that very spot on 9 February 1990. Sorin Stanciu, our SA Mission Representative read it for us.

This picture will go down in history as those who attended this historic conference. 38 wonderful souls united by the gospel and their desire to get to know others with the same values and desires.

Monday, November 24, 2008

"Feast" of Thanksgiving

The Branch ladies (including 3 new converts) showed up at 9:30 am and worked until 2 pm fixing all the food. What a feast we had! Romanian chicken & dumpling soup, salata de boeuf (like potato salad), deviled eggs (really different than ours but very good), and gorgos (like scones). Plenty for all of us.

Sora Dragomir and Alexandra (new convert) mix the gorgos.

We had 20 come to "feast" on the delicious food and after our meal we all shared what we were thankful for. Then we danced and played games and socialized and loved on each other as brothers and sisters in the gospel.

4 Baptisms - 16 Nov 2008

What an incredible day!! It was a bit "nippy" in the water
but the Spirit was sure warm! So, here we are L-R
(Back) Constantin Iancu, Elder Bennett, Elder Andersen, Elder Bryson
(Front) Maria Pastor, Fabiola Iancu, Cristina Sobeţkii, Alexandra Iancu

Birthday - 10 Nov 2008

Well, here we are at the Go Cart Raceway in Bacau, Romania.

It's my birthday and my idea of fun!! (L-R) Elder Bunting,

Elder Castro, Elder Bennett, Elder Andersen & me, the birthday boy!!

Getting all tuned up and ready to go . . . . FAST!!

Here I am on the corner . . . the "Red Helmet Flash"
What a good time we had. Nope, I checked, I am not old.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Halloween '08 in Bacau

The "Jack-O-Lantern" masterpiece

Some came in costumes

Twister . . . not for the "stiff" ones

Cristina . . . . soon to be baptized!

Halloween in Bacau cont'

Dress me up in what???

Be careful with that blade!!
Alin - Elder Bunting and Bennett - Carmen

"Big Bag of Wind" Contest

Pass that gourd to me . . . .

Flowers of our Cities

Flowers of Iasi

Flowers of Galati

Flowers of Bacau

Monday, November 3, 2008

Preparation Day Outing Above Bicaz, Romania

Georgeous views and breathtaking vistas everywhere . . . .

from the high valley lake to the high mountain tops . . .
Ooooooos and Ahhhhhhhs

The narrow canyon solid rock walls of Bicaz Gorge

and the roadway that nobody should ever pass on . . . but they do!!

YSA Conference 5-7 Sept 2008

We had 77 YSA at our conference in Pitesti . . . the kids were great!!

Activities for all . . . It was hot and the water balloons were the favorite.

They danced and had a great time each evening.

"Mr and Miss Mormon" winners for 2008
Alin and Camila

Humanitarian Project - Friday - 22 Aug 2008

On Thursday evening our Bacau Branch and some friends unloaded a truck and put together Humanitarian kits to be distributed on Friday.

350 bags . . . humanitarian kits to be distributed to the first village of Saucesti where 350 homes were completely destroyed by the flood from the rains.
The villagers helped us unload our vehicles . . . then

stood in line again to get their bag issued back to them. What an incredible display of cooperation by all.
Suzanne talked with eveyone and made more friends.

Galaţi Branch Conference 25 May 2008

Today was the annual branch conference. President and Sora Ashby were here along with their assistants. It was a wonderful meeting as we had a record attendance with 35 people in attendance. We had 5 visitors and 4 investigators and the rest were regular members. We got to sustain the living Prophet along with all the other general, mission and local authorities. We had speakers and a priesthood chorus, then Sora Ashby and President Ashby spoke to us. We took a few minutes after conference to take some pictures, then we had a "new member meeting" to honor our two newest members and allow them the opportunity to bear their testimonies. It was hard to say "goodbye" to President and Sora Ashby. This is their last trip to Galaţi as they go home the end of June. So it was very sad for all. But we will see them again . . . at future Mission Reunions.

Senior Couples Conference - Braşov 5-8 May 2008

On 5-8 May we got to go to Braşov for a Senior Couples and Sisters Conference with our Mission President and his wife. We stayed in the Bella Musica hotel, that was in a building that is 400 years old (upgraded of course) right in the “old town square”. Amazingly it wasn’t expensive at all. They have a “real” LDS chapel there in Braşov and that is where we had out conference meetings. Each couple got the opportunity to give presentation to all on what their specific assignments are for the mission and we all gave a little bio on ourselves so the others could know a little bit about us. We learned so much for those amazing “spiritual giants”. We had the opportunity to be instructed by President and Sora Ashby on Thursday before we left town. They are so wonderful and we are so sad that they leave on 30 June when the new mission president arrives. We were supposed to have been rained on for the week but we only had a few light sprinkles ever. After the sessions we got the opportunity to do some sightseeing. We went to a beautiful resort village up in the Transylvanian Alps called Poiana Braşov for supper one evening. And we went to the “Bran Castle” (Dracula’s Castle) another evening (I even got to drive one of the vehicles that day). Then on the way home after the conference was over we got to ride in the Presidents vehicle and stop at “Peleş Castle” in Sinaia. This was the most beautiful structure in the country and every detail was impeccable. The setting was so serene and beautiful. We caught a train in Ploieşti that evening and came back to Galaţi.

Our Extended Stay in Moldova

We got to stay in Chişinău for 4 more days so we got to go to church with them the next day where the service is conducted in Romanian and Russian with all participating in their native language and it just seems normal to them. We also had the opportunity after church to attend the baptism of the mother of one of our YSA young ladies from Orhei. WOW!!!

We did a little touring with Iuliana on Monday up to Orhei and Orhei Vechi (an old part of the county) where there is a monastery and a church built into a cave. The monks all used to live in caves in the cliffs around the monastery. And that evening she and her husband invited us to attend their Family Home Evening. Tuesday we had the opportunity to have a fireside with them there. Elder Todd Christofferson, the brand new Apostle, had come to tour our mission and do conferences and firesides so he was there for them and then he presided at our missionary Zone Conference the next day. What an experience for us and all of them. He left us all with an Apostolic blessing.

We met so many wonderful people there and hope to see them many more times before we leave our mission here.

YSA Conference in Chişinău Moldova

In April we had our first experience of “crossing the border” into Moldova in a “maxi taxi” (which is a van). Oleg our driver goes back and forth from Chişinău Moldova to Iaşi Romania at least once and some times twice a day carrying anyone who needs to go. Our missionaries always call him because he picks them up at the villa (church) and takes them to the other one. He is a good guy.

We went up with our Young Single Adults (YSA) from Romania, 6 of them, to the District YSA Conference that we were holding in Chişinău. It was incredible. They have a beautiful new 3 story villa there in a fenced property with a playground/patio area. We went up on Friday evening, 18 April so we could have a District Council meeting first. They YSA are amazing there. We only have 2 to 4 in our branches down in Romania and they have 25 in the Chişinău branch alone. It is interesting because half of them are Romanian and half are Russian. Some speak both languages plus English and some only speak one or the other with some English, but they all make it. We started our Conference at 8:30 Saturday morning with registration and then an Institute class taught by their Institute teacher, an amazing lady named Iuliana Blakely. We had 30 attend that day as we went to a nearby park (down embassy row) and picked up trash for about two hours and made it fun. Then we had lunch back at the villa and began the “games” part (actually, they made everything a fun game). The excitement and enthusiasm for each other was just electric all day. We ended the day with a DVD presentation that the YSA had put together with pictures that they had gathered from everyone so they were all featured. They had set it to music and it was totally classy and fun. Then everyone pitched in and helped clean the villa for church the next day. They did not want to leave each other. All the Romania kids had to leave with Oleg at about 7 pm. They all just hung out till the bitter end.

What we've been up to . . . .

Well, first off, we love it here in Galaţi Romania. We are responsible for watching over three little branches in our zone . . . Galaţi, Bacău, and Iaşi. We are supposed to travel to each of them once a transfer (every 6 weeks). So far we have been to Iaşi 4 times and Bacău twice. But we have also been to Bucureşti 4 times and Piteşti twice. We have logged almost 5500 km on the trains and maxitaxi's (big vans) between cities and we have only been here three months.
We have been very involved with the Young Single Adults (YSA) (ages 18-30) and we are also responsible for putting together a program for the Single Adults (SA) (ages 31-45) for the mission. We attended a YSA Conference last January in Pitesti, and been involved as a senior advisory couple in the reorganization of that program and beginning new "District" councils. Our district is the largest and is our three cities in northeast Romania plus two cities in Moldova, Chisinau and Orhei. The kids are just wonderful to work with.
On 15 March we took 6 of our Sora's to Iasi for the Relief Society Birthday Conference, hosted by the sisters there. One of the sisters that came with us is a long time investigator who is getting closer to baptism herself. It touched her deeply. It was amazing and faith building as the sisters talked about their conversions and baptisms. Sora Bryson was one of the speakers and talked, not about her conversion, but talked about how she had always been a missionary because sometime way back, someone had been a missionary to her ancestors and it brought her into the gospel.
We just had our first meeting with the new male and female mission representatives on 21 March in Pitesti to go over the plan to get their program up and running.
We began our Outreach program in Galati on 29 January and even though we only have two YSA in our branch we have had as many as 5 investigators there participating with us so far. We believe that there will be conversions and baptisms from this effort. We love these kids!!
We, like many other branches in the mission field, have several "less actives" and that is a focus we have in working through the members and with the missionaries. We have had some really incredible young men serving as missionaries in this beautiful city. They care so much for the members and investigators. They are on a quest to find the "elect" that God has prepared to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so glad to be playing a part. We got to sit in a "progressing investigator" lesson on Wednesday evening just before branch FHE. What a joy it is for us to be able to bear testimony to this wonderful young woman .
WOW!!! We Love This Work!!!

The Joyous Journey of Elder şi Sora Bryson

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Week 53 of Our Mission - How Glorious it is

Monday, December 22, 2008

Merry Christmas from Romania

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas time in Bacau 2008

Single Adult Conference - 6 & 7 Decembr 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

"Feast" of Thanksgiving

4 Baptisms - 16 Nov 2008

Birthday - 10 Nov 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Halloween '08 in Bacau

Halloween in Bacau cont'

Flowers of our Cities

Monday, November 3, 2008

Preparation Day Outing Above Bicaz, Romania

YSA Conference 5-7 Sept 2008

Humanitarian Project - Friday - 22 Aug 2008

We've got to have flowers on the table.

About Us

Blog Archive

Galaţi Orphanage Visit 21 Dec

Galaţi Orphanage Visit 27 Oct

Galaţi Branch Conference

Galaţi Branch Conference 25 May 2008

The "Relief Society" Room

Senior Couples Conference - Braşov 5-8 May 2008

Our Baptisms

Our Extended Stay in Moldova

Elder Christofferson at our Zone Conference in Chişinău, Moldova

Elder Christofferson and Tanţa Iacomi from our Galaţi Branch

YSA Conference in Chişinău Moldova

Our Picture Website is fun to check out too

A little touch of Texas

YSA Conference Jan 08

What we've been up to . . . .

Romania East-Moldova District YSA Council