"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.

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

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.

Our "Deeeeesgusting" Bug Bites

The pictures on the left are Suzanne . . .Mike on the right.
These 4 bites are on Suzanne's back . . . . At the same time she
had two under her arm that got into the lymph system or the
blood stream and that scared the crap out of her. That is when
we got hold of the Church Missionary Doctor in Germany.
He was helpful.
Mike got them too . . . actually he got them first and being the
good husband and companion he is he shared them with
Suzanne. The scary part of the picture is the hairy body . . . .
and they hardly ever came only two at a time. Mike had up to
12 at a time a couple times. And now we are free of the bugs
. . . . Yippee!! Yahoo!!

Our "New" Bacau Apartment

This is the living room with Suzanne's study desk
in the corner. The door behind it is actually a
food storage room with shelves and everything.
Mike's study area and the computer are in the
spare bedroom.

This is the other side of the living room with all the wonderful
shelves. Wish we had this much storage at home.


This is looking the other way. A couch
and two nice chairs (hard as rocks all of them).


And the kitchen with tons of cupboards and countertops.
For a Romanian home, this is a VERY NICE APARTMENT!!

This is our new Mission President Scott Lundberg and his wife Laurie and their 9 year old son Joshua. They arrived here at the end of June and have logged a lot of miles so far, traveling the mission for Zone Conferences and visiting the Branches. They are so tender and spiritual and such great leaders.
Josh is a late comer to their family as they adopted him from an orphanage here in Romania when he was about three years old. Now he is a typical American . . . full of energy . . . 9 year old.

Our Recent Baptisms

Our first baptism in Bacau in a very long time . . .
Cristian, a now 14 year old, Elder Castro and Elder
Bunting, the Branch President
August 2008


Teo (one of our new Single Adults) and
President Popovici in Iasi
September 2008

Constantin and Elder Hruska in Bacau
October 2008
(Oh, and this is our "bazin" - portable baptismal font)