Natalee's Letter September 3, 2012

Hello family and friends!

We had a wonderful week I have a lot of pictures from this last week and they will have to do because I will not be able to explain everything in words this week.

I can't believe that this time has come.  I feel kinda weird. ha ha.  I have about a week to finish serving the Lord with all my heart might mind and strength.  Dad wrote me and said that maybe it would be  good to talk about my testimony and my journey that I have had these last 18 months.

I love that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.  I know that as we live the principles taught in our church we will be happy.  That does not mean that we will have an easy life, but we will have hope and trust that the Lord will take care of us.  I know that God loves all of his children.  That is why I am here in Romania speaking with the Romanian and Moldavian people about the word of God!  He wants all of his children to return to him, so he has made it possible for missionaries like me and thousands of others to go to countries all over the world and find those who are ready to hear about Jesus Christ.  I have gained a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon on my mission.  As it states in the introduction that those who read it will become closer to their Savior.  It is true.  Read it and you will know! 

I have a strong testimony of temples.  The ordinances and covenants that we make in the temple are essential for our salvation.  I also know that we can be sealed for time and all eternity in the temple and that this life is not the end.  We have and even greater work after this life.  I love the gospel, I am excited to come home and to share it with others in my own language. :) 

I love you all so much.  I can't wait to see Mom, Dad and Dan in about a week and a half.  I thank you all for your support and for your love that you expressed to me through emails, letter, packages and prayer.  I thank you all for everything.  Have a wonderful week.

Va iubesc,

Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter August 27, 2012

Dear Family and Friends!

Can you all believe that I only have about 2 weeks left?  Man I can't.  I feel like I still have so much to do, to learn and to accomplish here in Romania.  I guess that is why we have this life to learn and to grow.  Well how is everyone?  I am feeling a bit anxious.  I think it is really starting to hit me.  We had Zone Confernece this last week and everyone kept asking me... How are you feeling?  Can you believe that your going home?  What are you going to do when you get home?  All those types of questions and to be honest, I know I am going home, but I really don't feel like it has REALLY hit me.  Sora Jone who "killed"( missionary term we use when missionaries go home like I killed Sora Harward and Puckett because I was their last companion ) Sora Mullen and Sora Atkins who killed Sora Wilson both asked me this last week if I was emotional.  I'm not really at all...of course I am excited to see my family, but I don't think that I feel like it's real.  Which I am okay with.  I will let my mind think that this is just another transfer and that transfers are coming up in about 2 and half weeks...WEIRD!!! ha ha

As I said we had a zone conference this week and it was wonderful.  It was great to have that spiritual up lift and to get some more fire under my butt to keep me working.  I gave my "dying testimony" I bore my testimony for all the missionaries who were there.  We have a lot of missionaries that will be going home in the next 2 transfers...we had 11 individuals just in our Conference bare their testimonies!  I was the only sister.  It was so great to see so many of these awesome young men share how their missions had changed their life.  As I looked out over the crowed of elders I was so filled with a strong conviction about the power of the priesthood.  I want  to thank dad and all my brothers for their great example and for my wonderful friends who have always been a wonderful example to me.  Thank you!  I love you all. :)

Also, We had a great opportunity to go to Motivation Romania to help them with a B ball game for those in wheelchairs over at one of the parks here in Ploiesti.  It was so awesome! There were at least 4 TV stations that came and about 3-4 Reporters from News papers.  We didn't talk to the reporters, but they did mention the church and how the chairs were donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and they also mentioned us as missionaries and how we came to help and to serve.  They were so good...we got to play for a bit with them and they whipped us!  Ha ha  We couldn't keep up with them.   It was great though.  I am grateful that we have had so much success with them.  A lot of this came from the big Open House that we had.  Our relationship with them has continued to grow. What a great blessing.

 I love you all.  I hope you all are well!  Have a wonderful week. Happy B day Foote...in a couple weeks.

Hope you enjoy the pics

Sora Hickman

Buna to all my friends and family!

Okay, well I don't have a lot of time today, so this will be a quick email.

Highlight from the week.  We are helping a company called Motivational Romania with a wheel chair tournament!   Motivational Romania is a partner to the church here.  They help us when we distribute out wheel chairs. They work a lot with our Humanitarian Missionaries. They are a company that helps people who are disabled.  They helped us at our open house and now we have had a few opportunities to do some good service work together.  We practiced basketball with them Friday and then this coming Friday we will have actual games with others who are also in wheel chairs.  It was so fun, one of the players came to church yesterday.  His name is Florin and he is great!  I attached pictures!

Also, today we had an awesome P-day.  That is why I don't have a lot of time to write.  We got back a bit late.  We went to Busteni again which is the BIG CROSS on the hill.  This time though we took a big jeep up, it was AWESOME!!  It was like off roading, I remembered how much I love off roading! ha ha.  We then got dropped off in Sainia, which is a small town not to far from Busteni and we had some time so we went to the Pelesi castle, which is beautiful. It was the castle of the first King of Romania!  It was way fun.

Update on our work.  It is going well.  Really cool story...we have a sister, Sister Georgeta. She was reactivated about 2 months ago.  She was actually placed on the list of deceased members and hadn't been to church for about 12 years! 12 YEARS!  She comes to church almost every week.  She also has baptized children and we are now working with her granddaughter Alexandra!  She is 12.  She loves coming to church with her grandma and wants to be baptize!  Sister Georgeta has 3 children that are baptized and we are hoping to work more and more with them.   Andrea and Marius...we still have not had any contact with them. SO SAD!!!  I don't know what else to do, we are going to try to go by their house more often this week. 

Also, do you all remember Cristina Paraschiv?  She was the young 17 year old who was so cute and Sora Atkins and I found her contacting on the street, and she had a baptismal date?  Well, she still doesn't agree with the Book of Mormon, but one of our other almost members Catalina, (does everything as a member just isn't baptized) has been helping her with math. So we have been having little lessons with her...and we fasted with her yesterday to help her not feel so confused.  I hope that she will start reading the Book of Mormon more. 

Well, I love you all!  Mom and Dad I can't believe 3 more weeks!!!!!  Then about 4 weeks and I will be home in America...WEIRD.  Don't worry, I am working hard.  Not getting truncky, just excited to see you.  Make sure to email the Bensfields.

I  LOVE you ALL!!!!

Va iubesc,
Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter - August 13, 201

Well hello again to all my family and friends!

Can you believe that my mission ends in less than a month?  I can't!  Sora Harward emailed me this week and if you don't remember her, she was my 2nd companion in Cluj and she had her last transfer with me.  She is now married and I am so excited to see her.  Also, Sora Henrie wrote me this week, she just went home.  I feel like it was just a few months ago that I got into the MTC and she was there.  A lot of time has passed and I have grown so much.  I have seen the small steps; but now that I look back over the last 18 months, I am amazed at all the memories, good times, laughing times, crying times and hard times that have helped me to become the sister missionary that I am today.  The greatest part is this doesn't just all go away when I get home.  I have so many skills and talents now that will continue to be a blessing to me, my family, my future family and for my future callings.  I LOVE my mission.  I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to serve.

Well, my week was great.  We have such a baller district.  So right now our Zone leaders are Elder Groberg (I served with him in Cluj when I was with Sora Mullen), Elder Cox (he was in the group below me in the MTC, so I served with him there), District Leader Elder Nemrow (he will go home at the some time as me...well actually a week earlier, so he can get back to school), Elder Hickenlooper (He's from Alaska),  Elder Rasmussen (He's from California) Elder Doloscan, who I LOVE, really he is Moldovan.  Cool connection, he was baptized in Chisinau by Edler Dobry who is Sora Harward's husband how...COOL HUH?  Small world. He reminds me so much of all my brothers.  We pick on each other SO much.  He speaks Russian, Romanian and English, but his English isn't the best; so it is so funny when he says things because he sounds like a little kid when he talks.  But then I have to remind myself, that I probably sound about the same in Romanian. ha ha.  I love my district a lot!

We had a wonderful week!  To give you a few updates, Andrea and Marius, we could not contact them this week!  Oh, it makes me sad, but I know that God will make things happen. We even went by their house and we didn't find anyone home.  Keep them in your prayers.  I just have a feeling that Satan is working really hard on them.  English, was okay.  We didn't have TONS like I was hoping.  We had one new student and about 7 returning students, so that was good.  Tomorrow's class will be bigger because it is not on the weekend. I am excited to teach.  I have gained such a LOVE for teaching, especially English on my mission.

We did some service with Motivational Romania.  They are a company that helps handicapped children.  The church works with them to distribute wheel chairs to those who are in need.  Thursday we went over for about 6 hours and helped them get their office all organized and to put together wheel chairs.  I attached some pics.

Sora Hall and I are doing well. We are excited to work hard together for this last transfer of mine.  She is so quiet, but so wonderful.  I enjoy teaching with her. 

We had a wonderful missionary named Elder Carson Orm, who served here in Romania about 8 years ago, come back to Ploiesti with his wife this past weekend. It was so great to see him and her together.  The members just loved him.  We had a fun party for them on Saturday night.  I am excited to come back in a few years, to see how the church has grown and to see the members and those that I've worked with.

We are currently in Bucharest for Sora Starks B-day!  We all put on tiaras this morning and took pictures, so that is what the picture is of her, Sora Sam and I.

I am ready for my hard sprint!  I have so little time, but also so much time.  I'm continuing to work hard and to soak up all that I can.  Mom and dad I want to thank you for your wonderful example to me.  I love you all.  I miss you all like CRAZY!  I can't wait to embrace each and every one of the little nieces and nephews!  

Va iubesc din toate inima,
Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter August 6, 2012

BUNA BUNA BUNA to all my wonderful family and friends,

Holy Smokes, can you believe that this is my last transfer?!!!!  Number 12 baby!  I can't even believe it.  Time really does fly, but when I think back on it, I really have been here in Romania for some time.  I have done a lot and I still have a lot to do.  I am very excited to work hard and to give it my all this last transfer.

Dad, to answer some of your questions this past week.  It is actually a lot quieter, we had lessons and are working hard, but NOTHING like that week before the event.  That was a CRAZY week.  We are seeing good things come from the event.  President Hill did have an interview with TV 2 in Bucharest this last Friday with President Doru (District President) and President Pasare.  Which is awesome to get more and more publicity.  I attached a link, I hope it works, I know it is in Romanian, but Sora Atkins and I were mentioned as being two full time missionaries as part of the interviews that took place.  I am glad that we got some good feedback from it. 


http://www.stiriprahova.ro/Articole/%E2%80%9EZiua%20usilor%20deschise%E2%80%9D%20la%20Biserica%20Mormona/13239.aspx

Well, transfers came and went.  I am now with Sora Hall...again.  We served together in Chisinau.  We were very surprised to be serving together again, but I know it will be great. We have a lot of work to do this transfer.  We are trying to get the young women organized here in the Ploiesti branch.  They have a Young Women's program, but it just needs a few tune ups, so we are working with Sora Critchlow, (Amy Wilde's Sister in law) because she is the young women's district president.  I am excited to have another project to accomplish here. 

Okay, so MIRACLE story.  Do you all remember Adrea and Marius back when Sora Atkins and I were first together?  Like back at the beginning of May?  She was the one with all the cats and we street contacted her, then she showed us all her cats.  We had an amazing first lesson with her and her boyfriend Marius.  They promised they would come  to church, but on Sunday they didn't show up and then we tried to call them and they NEVER answered?  We tried for about a month trying to contact them a couple times a week and then just every so often.  Well, anyway, we met with them on Saturday and they came to church on SUNDAY!!

Here's the story, I was sitting down after lunch on Friday and I had been thinking a lot about them.  I thought to myself, well it wouldn't hurt to just try.  Plus she had like over 40 cats, a few dogs and other odd animals that she takes care of and Sora Hall is an ANIMAL LOVER. I called them up and they answered!  Come to find out she got really sick after our lesson.  She was in the hospital and they had to sell their car. It was just a really low time for them. They came to church, they loved it and we will be meeting with them more this week.  Sora Atkins, I hope you are reading this!

We have been doing a lot of English contacting these last few days.  I am excited to teach English I love it so much.  I really have gained such a love for teaching while here.  I can't wait to apply all the wonderful things that I have learned here on my mission to my life back home.

Mom, thanks for all the updates on everyone.  I can't believe Summer Roy is married!  Good for her. 

I have attached a few pictures, one of them is with a sister in a blue shirt and that is Sister Medzeleweka from Poland.  She is now serving in Chisinau with Sora Zimmerman.  We talked for a bit and shared the connection that we have with Stacey Helfritch (Day).  She is wonderful and beautiful!  Also, the others are of me with our awesome elders and others from transfers.  Well, I love you all!  Hope you all have good week!

Va iubesc,
Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter July 30, 2012

Fam and friends,

Okay, this will be a really short one because I spent forever writing Mom, Dad and Dan about our trip, so I apologize up front. 

Wonderful week.  It was a lot slower this week.  We went from a really really busy week to a very easy slow week, but we are hoping to see more and more of the results here soon.   We have seen some results, the elders were able to meet with a lot of the referrals which was really cool.

Mom, thanks for the email from Sora Schuld its great to hear about Thea; unfortunately she wasn't baptized, but I guess she is moving to the United States for a year this Thursday, which is crazy!  I hope she will find the church in Iowa and get baptised while she is there. Thea is so strong and she will find her way.

Also, big news Sora Atkins will no longer be my companion she is headed to Lasi to sever with my MTC companion Sora Bennett.  I am going to be with SORA HALL again!!!!  YAY! I am so excited to serve with her again.  Can you all believe that this is my last transfer?  I have just 6 more weeks.  Well, about 8 actually with the traveling we will do here in Romania. Mom, to answer your question, I would say capris and a jacket.  It will probably be good fall weather.  Also, my big suit case would be great!

Also, Lauren my old roommate wrote me this last week and asked about my homecoming.  I will be speaking in Colorado Springs, Colorado on September the 23rd in my home ward. 

I am sorry this is full of stuff!  I really did have a wonderful week.  I am going to miss my district.  I always grow so close to all of the elders and I am very sad when they have to go. But, now that I am headed into my last transfer I am excited to be even more obedient, more diligent and happy!!!!  I am excited to set some goals and to make awesome things happen here in Ploiesti.  I remember telling myself at the beginning of my mission that I had so much time to learn how to become a good missionary and learn how to become more Christlike, but I have come to realize that that journey will not happen in 18 months of my mission.  It will be a life long pursuit and I am excited to keep progressing after my mission.  To hold a calling, to do my visiting teaching, to become a wife and mother...CAN"T wait, but now I have a short time left to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength.

I love you all so much and I wish you all a wonderful day and week!

I attached a few pictures of me and Sora Atkins and our elders and a pictures of Cristina Paraschiv our former investigator!

Va iubesc,
Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter July 23, 2012a

Oh man, family and friends I have so much to tell you! 

Okay, first off congratulations to Brad and Jenny on their new baby girl!  I am excited to come home to a couple of new nieces!   I hope I get pictures soon.  Mom, about the suit cases...I am not sure yet.  I am not sure how big the nativities are.  I will do some research and get back to you next week.  I also feel like a day in every city will be good.  I mostly want to see the members and then we can see other sites around as we are traveling from city to city.  I tell you what, I will think more about it in depth this week. I will write down who I want to see and when and then next week I will send you a separate email!

I have a lot to tell you about the open house and this last week, so lets get ready!  I hope this all make sense there is SO much to tell, but I don't have the time to tell about every important detail.

SO, this last week was probably one of the most stressful weeks EVER on my mission and I would say in my life...I felt really nervous, not agitated, but just STRESSED.  I  want to give a shout out to my awesome comp Sora Atkins for putting up with me.  Well, we went with our branch president President Pasare to do personal visit to meet with many of the local leaders of the well known businesses and organizations here in Ploiesti.  We went out for hours on Tuesday...It was great to talk with them face to face and explain what we are doing and why we wanted them to come.  We had a great turn out and many came.  Later on Tuesday we had lunch with a reporter of WilTV here in Ploiesti.  It was amazing I felt so important, but really Sora Atkins and I have NO idea what we were doing. Two young American Sister missionaries meeting with four older, very successful hard working men.  I'm just glad that we have GOD on our side.  Anyway, the out come was perfect.  He wanted to put together a 45 minute segment about us as an LDS culture and he asked us to put together the questions we wanted asked. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN!  Virgil, the reporter, is also a great friend of President Pasare.  He was wonderful plus I am pretty sure that Sora and I won him over. ha ha  That is the spirit ladies and gentleman. 

I will tell you more about the interview later. All week Sora Atkins, along with all of the awesome Elders and the members worked really hard to get everything accomplished.  I felt  every day we had SO much to get done and not enough hours to get it done.  I always had my planner with me and I had this huge list in the back of all the things we had to get done. The Elders were amazing!  We had six helping, Elder Hickenlooper, Nemrow, Cox, Bruner, Rasumssen and Ward and then the Marcov's who are the Senior couple here with us.  There is NO way we could have made it through with out them.  They took on the large projects and did an AMAZING AND AN OUTSTANDING job. They baked lots of banana bread for the Open House too. They were amazing.

Anyway, the week was going well.  We had a few things more to do, but we are stayed on top of everything.  Friday, President Pasare had to go to Bulgaria for a day!  This was Friday!!  The day before the EVENT!  Oh man, I was nervous.  We had TONS to do.  Well, we kept working and we made some calls to check up on all the Americans who were coming for the event just, so they had an idea of what was going on.  Well the first person I call was President Spooner and he had no idea about the activity.  We then panicked, (well I panicked) Pres. Doru was the one who had told us that they were coming, they being Gary Spooner and Kent Holtz. The reason they were so key is because  they are very important people in the business world here in Romania and the important business leaders from Ploiesti and Bucharest were coming to see them.  If they didn't come...we would look bad. Well, then come to find out Brother Holtz was in AMERICA.  He also had NO idea!  We were not sure what to do.  Don't worry Brother Spooner changed his schedule and came.  We missed Brother Holtz, but all the others were present and we got a couple others to help us. 

For the interview we invited the Hill's, President Doru (District president over the Bucharest district), President Chirila (1st counselor in mission Presidency), Gary Spooner ( the owner of Ford for the eastern European area), Kent Holtz (Eastern European Chevron Company owner), Randy and Vicky Wolsey (humanitarian missionaries), Brother Critchlow and Brother Bensfield they both work at the American Embassy.  The Bensfields are the couple that are related to Natalie and Rick Porter.  We did the interview at 4:00 on Saturday with all of the above mentioned.

Saturday comes...the church looked great.  The missionaries had worked so hard.  All the interviewers had a lunch at 1:00 and then the interviews were at 4:00. They got back from lunch and Sora and I are running around like crazy, trying to make sure everything is looking perfect.  The McFaddens had all the things they need for the food. (They did a wonderful job) I will never be able to repay them.  We were trying to practice our hymns, Sisters in Zions and The Army's of Helaman Medly with the youth and get them lined up so they knew what they were doing.  Then President Pasare told me that they wanted Sora and I to be in the Interviews!  WHAT?  We were not prepared for this...I was so nervous, but it went well. So, we will be on TV!   I will send you the link when I find out what it is. 

The OPEN HOUSE was great.  We had about 200 people there about 150 were there for the program.  The people loved it and more than anything, we accomplished our goal of helping the community see a new side of the LDS people.

The Lord was along side of us the whole way.  We could not have done it with out Him. I am so happy we had this idea.  I loved planning it and seeing it all come together.

I love you all. I miss you tons.

Love, 
Sora Hickman 

Hi friends and family!

 

Well what a week!  Another down and ready for a new one.  We have MUCH to do this week for our Open House.  We are working really really hard this week to get everything pulled off for the open house. 

 The pictures from the funeral were wonderful!  THANK YOU!!!  I wish I could have been there.  It was wonderful to see all the family together.  Shanda your hair looks AMAZING short.  I love it!  Taylor I am sorry about your ankle, I'm sure that's no fun.  OH man I LOVE you all so much!  Seeing you all together makes me miss home, but I know that the time is getting closer and we will all see each other.  I got an email last week from Keagan and he said that he will be getting married in August.  I'm Super excited for him, but sad too that I won't get to hang out with him, when I get home or be at his wedding.  I guess we will have to do fun double dates or something and he will be able to be at my wedding.  All the cousins look so big and grown up...haha  I am also one of those grown up ones. To me its crazy to believe that not too long ago we were the young ones running around.

 

Well, so some updates about our work and our investigators.  Cristina unfortunately is no longer investigating.  She talked with an older man at the hospital about a week ago and he told her that reading The Book of Mormon is a sin.  She said that she would no longer read it or come to church.  She said that she felt like this was her answer from God...Sora Atkins and I testified our little hearts out and it was so hard to see her be so deceived by this old man.  I know that Heavenly Father will take care of her...she'll come around.  Also, we had a baptismal date for Gabriela for July 28th, who is so wonderful!  She came to church 2 weeks ago and loved it, but then last Tuesday she was hired at a company and they stationed her 250 kilometers outside of Ploiesti, 250 KILOMETERS!  Now she doesn't come into Ploiesti except for once a month...SAD I know.  I am super happy she found a place to work but we can no longer meet with her now and as of recently she has not answered our texts or phone calls.  I hope she is doing okay.  The life of a missionary is so up and down.  Really every day brings many new adventures, trials, heartaches and smiles.  I have become so much more reliant on the Lord and flexible with all the things because he knows what he wants  and he guides us moment to moment.  I LOVE being a missionary, but sometimes it is hard, but that's life and I do love it.

 

We had exchanges this last week.  I spent a few days in Bucharest with Sister Ewell!  Who is a brand new missionary from Salt Lake City.  She is being trained by dearest Sora Henrie. Exchanges were great and kinda crazy because Sora Ewell is new, so she is still not use to getting around Bucharest super well.  I've never served in Bucharest, but I have been there a few times and I can get from the church to the train station or from the train station to the sister's apartment in Bucharest on the Panduri side...lets just say we might have gotten lost a few times, but it was great fun.  Sora Ewell is a great missionary and she has an amazing voice.  We did some singing contacting on Wednesday night...that's where we go to a park and we sing hymns and if people stop or approach us we go and  speak with them and tell them about the church.  Unfortunately Sora Henrie hurt her knee the previous Monday...so a week ago!  We are afraid it is her miniscus again.  DO you all remember last year in April when she tore it before she was about to leave the MTC?  I hope she is okay...she was told to stay in bed for 7-10 days and then they will do an X-ray after the swelling goes down which is also unfortunate because she only has about 3 weeks left in the country before she goes home August 1st.  Pray for her!

 

Also, I got to meet the Bensfields...they are a couple serving here in the embassy, but they know Rick and Natalie Porter, so if you see them you can tell them that I got to meet them.  I'll attach a picture for you to see.  She cooked us tacos and burritos, oh it was delicious!  I also got to see the McFaddens, oh how I love them.

 

Sora Atkins and I are doing so well!  I love her so much and I grow to love her every week!  I am glad that we stayed together the 2nd transfer because without her I would not have been able to do this project.  This week we are going with President Pasare (Branch President) to do individual invites to many of the local authorities!  We have about 20 companies we are inviting.  We are going to starting with The Child Protective Services, the police station the Anti Drug Services!  It is going to be great.

 

Also, Mom and Aunt Georgia, I put your order in for the nativities.  I also bought one.  Mom, how many suit cases are you planning on bringing? haha  Not that I am planning on bringing a ton home.  I just need to know we are prepared.  My credit card it woking.  Thank you again for sending it to me!  Shout out to Tiffany, Ashley Farris, and Katy for wrtting me.  Ash can you send me your address?  I love you all!

 

Va iubesc,

Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter July 9, 2012

Okay, this will have to be a short one!  We are currently in BROSOV!  We took a trip to Brasov for P-day and it is been so awesome!  We do not have tons of time, so I have to apologize in advanced. 

Sora Atkins and I have really been busy with our open house here on the 21 of July.  We have so MUCH to do, but luckily we have an awsome branch and Branch President!  We will have lots to do this week, but I am loving it. 

I am very sad to hear about Grandpa, but when I read that he passed away, my initial thought was to cry, but then a very nice feeling of relief come over me because I know he is in a better place and he is with grandma!  I love the gospel SO much!  I am so glad that I have the knowledge that I have about the great plan of Happiness!

Mom, I got my package safe and sound THANK YOU!  I LOVED the peanut butter cookies and the girl scout cookies topped it all off, of course I love cereal from America so thanks. Kari I also got your pictures and letters...thank you I loved them.

I love you all.  Will you make sure to take pictures at the funeral of family and send me some...please?

Well, again I am sorry that this is so short, but just LOVE me and I will do a longer letter next week.

Attached are some pictures of our 4th of July party last Monday, me eating stuff from my packages and then some pictures from our hike here in Brasov.

LOVE YOU!
Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter July 2, 2012

Wow, I know I say it every week, "another week down," and they are flying by NOW!!!!!!

 

We had a wonderful week!  I have so much to share.  We are working hard on our project.  We moved the date to the 21st of July...THANK GOODNESS because we have SO much to do.  We are still working hard and I still feel like we have a long way to go, but I am convinced that the Lord is going to make up for us because His hand truly is in this Event.  It keeps getting bigger and bigger and Sora and I just keep praying and fasting that we will have all the help that we need and that we will have all the skills necessary to pull everything off.

 

We have another baptismal date for one of our investigators...Gabriela on the 28th of July. She came to church yesterday and really enjoyed it.  We are still working with Cristina.  She still does not feel ready to be baptised, but I know that she just needs time, the support from the branch and her time will shortly come.  We are being so blessed with lessons and people to teach, so many miracles.  When Sora Atkins and I started serving together, we really didn't have anybody and now our numbers are rising.  We are busy and I love it!

 

Yesterday in church we had one of the best fast and testimony meetings I think I have had in my entire mission.  I could just feel the love of the branch.  Members were coming up one after another.  It was awesome!  They testified of The Book of Mormon, they testified of families, of the power of a living prophet, the power that comes from doing visiting teaching and home teaching.  Then of course you have some of the old timers, like Fratele Popa who is 84 and so funny, he share a "lifeamony" instead of a testimony, but it still was so wonderful!  I love this branch here is Ploiesti.  Mom and Dad I can't wait for you to meet these wonderful people in Romania and Moldova.

 

Sora Atkins and I had a wonderful opportunity to meet with the Relief Society President, Sora Banita and do some work with the less active .  Oh, it was AMAZING!!!  We went out, found and visited a lot of members who were baptized years ago...15+ years ago.  Sora Banita is a wonderful and strong member.  She came out of a 10 year inactivity period about a year and a half ago!  She now is helping find those lost ones, her lost friends.  We met a sister on Friday night, actually it was slightly by accident.  We were headed to the Ursu's house.  They are an inactive family who were also baptized years ago.  As we were headed over there this lady waved to Sora Banita.  She shouted back at her and we walked across the street.  Come to find out she was baptised years ago.  Sora Banita hadn't seen her in years and YEARS!!!  The member, Georgiana is her name, came to an activity once at the church and according to the records she was DECEASED!!!  Could you imagine showing up to your church and having the members tell you that they thought you were dead, because you had been inactive for many years?  You would no longer recognized anyone and of course no one would recognizes you!  Sora Banita said come back to church, prepare yourself for the temple, this branch needs you!!!!  Oh it was amazing.  I have such a strong testimony of member missionary work. It truly is the BEST way!

 

I also hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July!  We are celebrating today...we are going to have a BBQ and we are roastin' S'mores!!!!!!!!  OH, I'M SO EXCITED!!!

 

I miss you all and I love you all!

 

Have a wonderful week!

 

Love Sora Hickman

NATALEE'S LETTER JUNE 25, 2012

Hello family and friends,

Wow, it is hot here in Romania!  Sounds like Colorado has been really hot too with all the wild fires.  I hope they are able to get  things under control.  We are so blessed to have air conditioning and OTTER POPS!!!  Mom and Dad thank you SO SO SO much for my package!  I was so excited when I got it and only 2 of the otter pops had split open, so I was impressed that it made it!  Thanks a ton, I shared a few with some of our elders and they were very grateful and happy that I have a wonderful family back home who loves me.

I have to give a quick shout out to Stacey Helfrich Day.  She wrote me last week, but she didn't give me an address, so Stacey if you read this will you please send me your address, so I can write you a letter.  I can receive emails from anyone, but I can only write family and others approved by my President.  I haven't met Sora Aleks Modzelewsa yet...she is being trained by my MTC companion, Sister Natalie Bennett, she is so lucky to have her. Send me your address and I 'll get back to you.

Well, we had a wonderful week.  Nice and HOT, but blessing filled.  Transfers were this last week, but since Sora Atkins and I stayed together nothing was different about our week.  We had a lesson with Cristina and she came to church yesterday.  Which was wonderful a improvement from last week.  We also had a branch trip to the mountains on Saturday and she came and loved it...she gets along so well with all the young singles.   They are so good to her and we are so blessed in this branch to have a great group of young singles who really understand the purpose of missionary work.  She is so funny too, she really has a great sense of humor and is just beautiful and she likes to look good.  She loves it when people tell her she looks beautiful. ha ha  She isn't conceited or anything she just likes to look good.

 Also, we have a missionary leaving from the branch here in Ploiesti, Radu Simon.  He will be serving in England and he leaves early Thursday morning to enter the MTC in Preston.  I am excited for him; it is great to see young people like me leaving to do the same thing I am doing here in Romania.  We have 3 other young singles preparing for their mission as well in the branch here. SO EXCITING!

Saturday we were able to accompany the branch on their adventures up into the beautiful mountains of Romania!  We left from the church about 9 in the morning and we came home about 6.  They made mamaliga (its like corn meal but it is made a little thicker and they eat it like bead) with branza (cheese and this cheese was from sheep and was kept inside of a sheep's stomach).  I know it sounds gross, but it is actually really good.  They also BBQ'ed sausages and chicken.  It was really fun, I enjoyed being there with them and to see the young singles mingle with Cristina.  Alex was also there he is another investigator of the elders.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet in my emails, but on the 21st of July Sora Atkins and I came up with the idea of doing an open house/ fireside type thing...but MUCH MUCH MUCH more than just that.  We wanted to have a night where people from the public could come and learn about "US", meaning the LDS culture or how we are very commonly known as the Mormons.  It is going to be HUGE!  We went to President Pasare ( Branch President) about 2 weeks ago with the idea.  He is very excited and wanting to have a HUGE turn out of about 150 non members.  Another branch here in Romania did it a few weeks ago and 3/4 of the people that came were non members!!!!  How awesome is that?  The branch in Pitesti is smaller and they (the 4 missionaries) that I talked to said that it went really well.  We are working closely with the branch and we are working with a few other companionships here in Ploiesti.  We are expecting the Mayor of Ploiesti to come.  We have 3 TV stations and 2 news papers.  We have a director from the university here in Ploiesti!  IT IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!  I am very excited.  We have A LOT to do, but we are hoping to receive a lot of referrals from the members and that those who are prepared for the gospel will be there. 

Well I love you all!  I hope all is well with everyone.  I wish you a wonderful week!

Va Iubesc,

Sora Hickman 

Natalee's Letter June 18, 2012

Hello family and friends! HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!!

Well another week and another transfer are done and over....................CRAZY!

Sora Atkins and I are staying together!!!  I have never stayed with a companion this long, so this is new.  We are very excited to be staying together again here is Ploiesti.  This probably means that I will die here in Ploiesti meaning I will finish my mission here in PLOIESTI!! Wow can you all believe that I only have 2 transfers left? 12 weeks, 3 months however you want to count it!!  Man, I can't believe this.  Mom and Dad you will be here in Romania in less than 3 months.  I have been asking around...well, I asked our English students where we need to go?  One place they said is Serpentine or Curtea de Arges which is a famous long very winding road...I know it probably doesn't sound too awesome, but it is famous, so we could check that out. 

I talked with an American who is here in the Ploiesti Branch and he said that if we want to go to other countries we can't take a rental car over the border.  I know we talked about going by train, so we can talk more about it as time gets closer.

Well, our week was good.  We finished up English class.  I hope in the next session we will have more students.  I said that last time, but we also got a TON of rain at the beginning of our transfer, so it was a rough start, but I know we can get more now. 

We had a hard time getting in touch with Cristina this week, which was frustrating and scary, so we went searching for her.  We knew she lived close to the church, so we asked around and we found her house.  She said she would come to church on Sunday and then she didn't show up!!  So after church yesterday we went to visit her and we asked her family if we could have a lesson with all of them.  We ended up having a lesson with her mom, her brother and his friend!  Which was fun but kinda crazy at  the same time.  She said she is NOT ready to be baptized, which was a little disheartening, but we are hoping that during this next week we can meet with her more and help her receive her answers.

The culture here is so different and I am reminded of that constantly when we get done with a lesson.  When we want to pray the ladies get their scarf or handkerchiefs and cover their heads, because they can't pray with their heads uncovered.  To repent and be baptized means you can no longer wear pants and you have to wear a skirt all the time and you can no longer wear jewelry...it is just so different.  We as LDS member live a more simple life, but we are still normal people in the world, just not of the world.  I am constantly reminded and I am so grateful for my religious beliefs and that I know I belong to the true Church of Jesus Christ. I am a child of God. 

Mom and Dad thank you for raising me in the gospel.  I love you all so much. Thanks for all of your love and support. 

Sorry this weeks is a bit shorter.  Attached are some pictures of me and Sora Atkins.  A few are of me with an old member Brother Gheorghe Popa and an older sister Sora Valarica Radu, Sora Atkins helped Sora Musat do some visiting teaching to one of the less active members, the Ursu family, that is the picture with all the little kids.  There is one other with Sora and I.  We went to a wedding of two members...Violeta and Adrian...it was an adventure to say the least, but really fun.  I will tell you more about that maybe next week or after the  mission...ha ha 

Again VA IUBESC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SORA HICKMAN

Natalee's Letter June 11, 2012

Buna Family and friends!

Wow, another week...HOLY COW!!!!  I really can't believe it and I think you will have to get used to the fact that I will be saying that every week because now that my time is getting shorter and shorter, I feel like it is going by faster and faster.

Sora Atkins and I had a wonderful week.  We had zone conference Wednesday night and Thursday.  We did a Harry Potter theme for it and so a funny story.  You know the witches type brooms, like they used in Harry Potter?  Well they have street sweepers here in Romania and they use brooms like that, so we decided we should buy one.  They cost about $16, we were like, what?  NO WAY!  Then they quickly took it down to 20 lei ($6.50), so on a whim we bought it. Well, we were not really thinking of how we would actually get it to Bucharest.  We took a taxi to the train station and we had to hold it out the window. ha ha  I'm glad our taxi driver was very patient with us.  Then getting on the train to go to Bucharest, everyone was looking at us then we had to travel all over Bucharest with it...lets just say it was an adventure.

Zone Conference was awesome.  We had a short sister's meeting with Sora Hill and all the other sisters.  Then we received a lot of wonderful training from our Zone Leaders, Elder Barney and Elder Bruner and the Buc Zone Leaders Elder Newey and Elder Horgmo.   We got to use the video for training and it was really good; actually they used the 2nd video more because it turned out better, plus Cristina looked hotter in that video!   President and sister Hill are so SO SO SO wonderful and I love them so much.  We got a lot of council from them too!  Guess who else I saw?!!!  Yep, you guessed it the McFaddens!!!   I love them so much.  Elder and Sister McFadden catered the conference, so YUMMY!  They will be home at the end of February and I can't wait to spend time with them in good 'ol St. George!

Thursday night to Friday morning, I was on an exchange with Sister Henrie!  I Love LOVE LOVE her so much.  We can't believe that  we are getting down to the end.  We talked about living together in Orem or Provo which would be really fun.  Sister Henrie started her mission here in Ploiesti, so we got to visit a lot of the people that she worked with when she was here. We had quite the adventure and learning experiences together.  We also got to make s'mores!!!!  I LOVE S'MORES and they have become quite the companionship treat between Sora Atkins and I.  I got to see parts of Ploiesti I've never seen before.  We really did have a wonderful time and it was awesome to see how much she has grown.  I remember looking up to her so much in the MTC because she was a part of the older group and they could speak Romania the first night that we got there, it just blew my mind.  She is so wonderful and I still have high hopes that we will serve together, but I doubt that will happen. ha ha  But I can keep wishing.

Can you believe that transfers are NEXT week...yep that's right NEXT WEEK!!!! NEBUN(crazy)!!!!!!!!  I will be going into my 11th transfer.  We'll find out next Friday or Saturday if I will be staying or going.

Oh, mom you asked me about Cristina...she is doing great!  We had a lesson with her before we left for Buc on Wednesday and then she was at church yesterday.  We will be meeting with her Wednesday to start working on getting her ready for baptism...JULY 7TH!!!!!!!!!!!!  Woo Hoo! I am SO excited for her.  She loves the youth...the branch here really is amazing with her.

I will talk to Tibi this week and let him know that we will help him go in October with the Cluj Branch. I feel that he being able to go to the temple with the branch will be an even better experience. I can't believe that you will be here in Romania in 3 MONTHS!!!  SO EXCITED!!!!!

Well, we still haven't heard anything from cat lady Andrea...makes me so sad.  I wonder what happened. It is okay their time with come.  English is okay, we really haven't had a lot of students like I was hoping.  Partly due to the fact that we had so much rain at the beginning of the transfer and many of the bad storms were on Tuesday nights and Saturdays!  LAME so it is going okay, but we have a lot of growing possibilities.

Mom, could you check my account please and let me know the update on it?  Also, I wanted to get you and dad a nativity that are hand made by a man in Brasov.  I hear that they are AMAZING, but they are a bit expensive.  They are 100  U.S. dollars, so about 300 Romanian lei, but I know you like nativities.  We can talk more about it, but if you are interested you should put $100 in my account, so I can get one ordered because I know it takes time to get them...so better late than never.  I thought it would be perfect for Christmas time.  Also, will you plan on bringing an extra suit case when you come?  ha ha  I will get rid of a lot of my clothes, but I will still have some things to bring home.

Also, just to be clear, we get in Saturday night at 8 pm, right?  Do we fly into the Denver airport?  I am speaking Sunday in church, right?

Couple shout outs, Katy Broughton where are you living now?  My friend Sora Henrie and I were talking; I brought up your name and I thought we might look at getting a place together!   Nic never mind about the dirty dash because it is happening on the day that I get back; but just know that you are in my prayers in regards to job hunting!  Also, Nic will you tell Tess and Scotty hello and that I got their packages?

If some of you are reading this and thinking WOW she has only 3  months left and I've barely written her or I NEVER sent her that package...IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!!!  You can make up for slacking off as a friend....ha ha.  I would love hand written letters or packages before I go!

Well, I love you all, I hope you didn't get bored reading my massive letter.  ha ha.  LOVE you all!  

Va iubesc,

Sora Hickman

Natalee's Letter June 4, 2012

Holy cow, we have had an AMAZING WEEK!!!  I have so much to tell you, so I will have to write really fast, so I can get it all in, that I need to tell you! The baby blessing sounds like it all went well.  Mom you look so beautiful in what you were wearing on Sunday!  Thanks for the pictures Dad.

 

Okay, well we just got back from Busten. It is a small town about an hour from Ploiesti.  It has a few tourist attraction.  We had a huge hike down the mountain.  We took this machine type thing (it's like what is at the Royal Gorge bridge in Colorado or something like that) up the mountain and then hiked to a HUGE cross at the peak of the mountain and then walked down the mountain.  We were told the hike down the mountain would be about an hour and a half...WRONG, it was about 2 and a half hours. haha   My legs are going to be sore tomorrow.  I LOVED it though. The mountains were breath taking. I loved seeing all the beautiful creations and I got a little sun.  I will send you pictures.  It reminded me a lot of the mountain in Colorado. Obviously, not at big at Pikes Peak, but very beautiful!  Can we do a camping trip when I get home?  Man I miss the mountains so much.  We do make s'mores on a weekly basis, so I am able to have those. :)

 

We had an awesome week, like I said earlier.  Actually we just have seen so many miracles this last week I can't explain how amazing it was.  Okay, so I mentioned last week about Andrea with all the cats and her boyfriend Marius.  We could not get a hold of them this last weekend...sad, but we will try again this week because they really were so wonderful.  We have this other wonderfully adorable investigator her name is Cristina.  She is 17 and we have been teaching her for about 1 month now.  Sora Atkins and I contacted her and her brother on the street at the beginning of May.  She really is such a miracle story!  Ok, so from the first time that she came to church she has loved it, she loves meeting with us and she loves the young people in the branch.

 

So, funny story about Cristina...last Friday the Zone leaders called us and said they needed our help to prepare for our Zone Conference, that was coming up on Wednesday and Thursday of the next week. Of course, we said that we would...answering before we even knew what we were getting into.  They had this great idea of creating a District 3...you probably don't know what that is.  We have training videos we use as missionaries and it is recordings by missionaries from California with just them in their lessons doing all types of missionary work and they are call  District 1 and 2.  So, we wanted to do one Romanian style, thus District 3.  Anyway, the Zone Leaders wanted to record our lessons over the weekend, like record them on a camera so that we can use them for training at Zone Conference!!!!!!   Well, we thought who could we set up for this...then we thought Cristina would be great.  We didn't actually tell her what we were going to do until she showed up for the lesson on Saturday.  She was so stressed...she was like, "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"  "I didn't put makeup on, I didn't do my hair"... haha  Super cute and a typical 17 year old.  She spent 10 minutes in the bathroom trying to do something with her hair.  Anyway, it was an amazing lesson; really the spirit was so strong and we invited her to be baptized on JULY 7th 2012.  This is her baptizmal date.  It was so awesome. Then after we were done she was like, "can I do another one tomorrow please"!  She said, "please erase that one, I don't like it."  We did agree that we could have another lesson with her on Sunday...Sunday morning she came walking into the church looking like a BABE! haha  We did have another lesson to check up on her Book of Mormon reading.  She is doing awesome.  She reads on a consistent basis.  I love her and I am very excited for her to be baptized on July 7th!!

 

This week like I said we will have Zone Conference in Bucharest on Wednesday and Thursday. Then I have a sister exchange with Sora Henrie...yep Sora Henrie from the MTC on Friday and part of Saturday!  So excited.

 

 

I'd like to give a couple shout outs because I heard from a lot of people this week!  Thank you all who wrote me and I hope you know that I love you and I miss you SO SO much.  I've missed weddings, engagements, births and I'm just  gratiful that you are all keeping me up on the news.

 

Sora Mullen!  I love you!  I miss you and hopefully I will be home for your wedding.  I am so sad I missed Sora Harwards because, Stella you looked so happy and beautiful.  CONGRATS! Please send me more pictures. I would love to see more.  Tiff I wish I could be there to help you with all you wedding plans.  I can't believe that you are getting married in Ohio.  I hope that all goes well with your family. Thanks again for all of you who have send me letters and emails!  I LOVE YOU!

 

Also, Brad happy birthday!  I thought I would be better at keeping up on all the siblings and grandkids birthdays while being out here, but I have done horrible.  I just hope you all know that I love you!

 

Well, I hope you have a great week.  I also got my travel plans for when we go home.  I found out today that the temple trip to the Germany temple is actually in October, but I was thinking maybe the best thing that we can do is help Tibi with money to get to the temple in October with the branch in Cluj.  What do you think about that?

 

Again I love you!

 

Sora Hickman

Natalee Letter May 28, 2012

HELLO Family and Friends,

Okay, well I will have to make this letter a little shorter or write a lot faster this week because I have already written mom and dad a long email about our travel plans and question with all that.  So I apologize ahead of time for it being shorter.

Well, what a week!  We started English and were hoping for about 20 students at the least.  Oh, don't worry we had a total of 5!  So that was a little sad but it really is because of the RAIN!  It has been so rainy these last 2 weeks and I am ready for SUNSHINE!!!!   Instead of coming home all sweaty and hot we come home wet and cold...I am not sure which one I like better.  ha ha

We did see a lot of miracles this last week.  We were leaving the church after our young single adult activity on Wednesday and we hadn't been able to have any lessons that day! :(   As we were walking down the street we stopped a lady and talked to her.  She recognized us right away and she said "I know who you are".  She continued, "when I was younger I went the the theater here in town and there was a family of missionaries just like you from America. I will never forget them".  We then asked her what she thought the purpose of life was.  She said come with me and I will show you my purpose... I was thinking that was an unusual response.  Well, she lived just around the corner and she took us to her back yard and there is the big handmade wooded caged were over 40 cats!  Talk about a cat lady, I have never seen anything like that in my whole life.  Her name is Andrea and what she does is she takes a few of the stray cats that are sick and have physical disabilities and nurtures them back to health!  Amazing right?  We didn't have much time because it was late, but we asked if we could come back on Saturday.  When we went back she said that she had read a lot of information about us on the internet.  My initial reaction was, "oh great, what crap did she find on the internet about us MORMONS?"  Actually she used lds.org and found a lot of information and she said she was very impressed with the type of people we are.  She read about Joseph Smith, the word of wisdom and how we try to live what we preach in our day to day lives.  She asked us if she could come to church!  Now that does not happen very often and of course we invited her and she seemed very happy and excited to come.  She didn't show up, but you know that's okay.  I know that we will continue to teach her and that Heavenly Father will provide a way for her. 

 Overall, it was just amazing because Heavenly Father really does guide each of our steps.  We hadn't planned on going down that street at all!  God really does have his hand in the work.  As Sora Atkins and I continue to pray often and fast weekly, we are seeing the results from our sacrifices.  We are doing our best to call down the powers from heaven so we can find those who are ready.

I just want to give a shout out to Nic thanks for the update girl!  I really hope you can find a job soon. Cars congrats on your new calling and position at work.  I am sure it will be a lot of work but you are amazing so you can do it!  Also, Aunt Georgia wrote me this last week as always.  You are so busy but I love that you took some time to write me.  I am so grateful for all of you really EVERY SINGLE one of you!  For all your support prayers, thoughts, packages, and emails/letters!  THANKS!

Love Sora Hickman

Well Hello again!

I feel like sometimes I was just here writing you all yesterday.  The time goes by so fast.

This week Sora Atkins and I focused a lot on English contacting.  Trying to talk to as many English students as possible, so that we can have a large English classes this transfer.  The larger the classes the better odds we have of finding more people to teach the gospel too.

Well, I found out on Saturday that the country of Romania is going to the temple in Germany on September 2nd to the 9th.  Three DAYS!!!!!!!!! Before I am released!  When the members from Romania go they stay for a whole week!  They do temple work for hours every day!  I would love for Tibi to have this opportunity instead of just a day or two with us, ya know?  Of course, I want to be there for his first time!  I need to talk to him more.  I thought one thing we might do is to go to the temple when you first get here in Romania.  Meaning you get in Monday and then Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning we fly to Germany and meet him in Germany.  Then we could drive back to Romania  and travel around that way, but in my head I am not sure if that makes much sense.  I won't be there for HIS endowment like I wanted to, but I am not too sure what to do now.  I also don't know how long he can take time off from work.  I am not sure  what our schedule is either or where we want to go, how long we are staying, and all the detail like that.  I know you bought your tickets to Bucharest! YAY!!!!  You are coming in on the 10th right?  Then when are we flying out?  How long are we planning on staying?

Also, what happened with Lhanis Birliba?   Mom were you able to make contact with him and find him a place to stay in Salt Lake?

Okay, sorry to bore everyone else with all that business.  Sora Atkins and I did had a good week.  Like I said we did a lot of English contacting, which consists of us walking every where and talking to as many people as possible.  We have little flyer's that we pass out.  We gave out about  500 flyer's.  We met some really wonderful people and we hope that a lot of people will come!! 

It has been super rainy this last week and when it is bad weather it is hard to get many people out of their houses.  Sora and I got caught out in the rain twice, once on Tuesday and on Thursday.  We came home SOAKED!!!!!  I forgot my umbrella, which I know is my mistake, but when I leave in the morning and it is pretty nice outside, then we don't usually come home through out the day;  then when it is late afternoon and the rain comes, I am out of luck.  It was fun, but cold at the same time.

We also had another baptism this week, her name is Violeta Opera.  She will be another great addition to this branch.

Sora and I have been fasting every week with  the purpose of finding more investigators. Yesterday when we ended our fast it had been raining all afternoon, but the sun finally came out for just a bit and we thought "Lets go talk to people!"  We were only out for a short while and we met this super sweet lady, Elena, she has seen the boy missionaries (Elders) around all over town, then she saw us girls (sister missionaries) this time and she thought, Oh, I can talk to them.  She speaks English pretty well and went to Chicago for a trip last summer and LOVED it.  She was really interested in our English classes.  She had so many wonderful question for us.  I know our Savior is aware of us and wants to bless us.  We just have to be patient, diligent, faithful and he will bless us!

Mom and Dad I love you both SO much.  I get more excited every day thinking about you coming!  Thanks for the pictures of China's graduation.

Attached are a few pictures from this past week.  We bought a broom off of a gypsy on the street  Monday for Zone Conference because it was Harry Potter oriented, so we wanted a broom to paint silver and green for the Slytherin Team.  Also, some random pictures of Sora Atkins and I and a portion of our district.


I love you all! 
Sora Hickman

FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!

 

Well, I still can't believe that I just got to call you about 6 hours ago!  I loved skyping you and seeing all of you and all my super cute nieces and nephews.  I love you all so much.  I really can't believe that I only have about 4 months left! CRAZY!  I know it will fly by, but I also have LOTS AND LOTS of work to do here in Romania.  So, I will stay busy to the day that I leave.  I can't wait to come home and do member missionary work to keep this going.

 

Well, something I forgot to ask you mom and Dad is,  I want to know your engagement story, well not just the engagement, but your whole dating story.  I ask a lot of people out here because I feel like those are some of the happiest days of their lives.  The other day Sora Atkins asked me and I really had no clue.  I do know that you were both at Utah State, but that's about all I know.  Also, I want you to tell me your "Conversion story."  I know you were both born in the gospel, but when or how did you know that the church was true?  If you could include that in next weeks email I would greatly appreciate it!  Also, if any of the Siblings want to do it to I would love it!

 

Also, I finally heard from Katy Broughton...(9 months later) she wrote me when I was up in Cluj and that was forever ago!!!  I just wanted to give her a shout out.  Kates I love you! I miss you like crazy and when I get back if you need a TA I am all over it for you, plus we are going to be doing some trading for massages.  You and my family will have to be my practice bodies, so I can get back into tip top massage therapist shape.  Also, tell Melissa Humphries (my first companion/ trainer/ mama) I say hello or buna!

 

Okay, well a few fun things from this last week. Saturday here in Romania was a national cleaning day called "Let's Do It Romania."  We went to a huge park and cleaned for a few hours.  It mostly consisted of picking us trash especially a lot of cigarette butts.  There were about 20 of us from the branch.  It was fun and beautiful weather.  We also, played soccer on Saturday night! I LOVE LOVE LOVE playing soccer and I love playing here because girls and soccer is NOT a thing you see here in Romania, so everyone thinks I'm really good, but in all honesty I'm not, I can just play....HA HA.

 

Thursday was an AMAZING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   We made a goal of talking to 100 people on Thursday.  We had other lessons planned, so we knew that every where we went we had to talk to every one we could.  We started the day out good with an awesome district meeting...THANK you District leader Cross (He is our DL right now).  We talked to many people as we were heading home for lunch.  We left extra time in between lessons so we could talk to more people.  We walked EVERY WHERE so we could talk to more people.  After a few lessons it was about 6:30 pm and we were at about 40 people.  We suddenly went into panic mode.  We just got out of a lesson and had a bit more planned for the night so we just went nuts.  EVERY person in our path, whether it was about the gospel or about our English classes.  Some of the conversations were really short, just a few minutes, enough time to bear our testimonies and to give them a pass along pamphlet or card.  Some others were really long and gave us time to explain more in depth about the Book of Mormon or about a gospel principle.  Well 8 p.m. hits we were at about 70 people at this point  We only had an hour left!!!!! When we FINALLY hit the 100th person, Sister Atkins and I looked at each other with smiles of victory and conquer!!!!  WE DID IT!  Did I mention it was exceptionally hot that day and we were fasting?  This is why  I love being a missionary!  I love love love LOVE talking to people about this church, about our beliefs.  Even when we get denied, it doesn't matter.  The chosen and ready will be out in our path.  We were exceptionally exhausted that night when we got home.  I did sleep really well though.

 

Also, Sora Atkins and I only speak Romanian to each other, so this morning it was a nice relief to speak English to you all!  I love you all, I miss you all like crazy, but it won't be too long and I will see you!  Mom and Dad thank you for making sacrifices for me to be here.  To all my baller siblings, thanks for being the great example and wonderful support to me that you are in every way.  Again I love you!

 

I will keep in touch with Tibi and let you know more about what he says next week in our email.

 

Cu drag, 

Sora Hickman 

 

Hello Family and friends!!

 Can you believe that another transfer is over and that another week is down!  I can't, it feels like the less amount of time that I have here in Romania it is like the time goes by faster and faster.  Well, since Sora Atkins and have only been together a couple of weeks.  We will be staying together for another transfer!!!!!!!  I am very excited about this as I'm sure you can tell by the mass amounts or exclamation marks I've used!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It does mean though that we will not be going to Buc for transfers which is a bummer because I love it when I get to see all the missionaries, but it will be great to have the day to work hard here in Ploiesti.

Well, Sora Atkins and I are trying hard to find new investigators.  We have been talking to more and more people on the street and trying to find those that are prepared.  As of right now we have not seen a huge change, but I know that as we try to hold fast to the mission rules and as we work harder and more diligent in other words put our trust in our Heavenly Father and the Savior, that we can see miracles here in Ploiesti.  I really want to see a change here.  We have a lot of work ahead of ourselves, but we are going to try to fast more together.  We are trying a "language fast" meaning, we only speak Romanian all day outside and inside.  I hope that through our effort we can see some changes in our success and we can bring more people unto Christ.

We had another baptism on Friday for a sweet girl named Angela.  Elder Friel and Elder Cross have been working with her.  She is wonderful, so humble, so prepared and absolutely awesome!  I am so excited for her.  Her confirmation was yesterday and I was so touched by the spirit.  I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, for a NOT so fun and spiritual day...THURSDAY!  We had District a meeting at 10.  We left the house and were just going to grab the bus, so we could get to the church early.  We got on and they controlled us!  I thought, NO worries, we have our abonaments; the guy looked at them and then asked us to get off the bus.  Sora and I were so confused that our abonaments had expired the day before, so you know what that meant, yep we had to pay a fine of 60 LEI!!!! (lei is the currency here in Romania) So, we were ticked (well kinda... we walked off laughing) We were now LATE for district meeting, but they did give us a little ticket that we could use for the whole day.  That was the most expensive ticket I have ever paid for here in Romania.  HA HA.  Well, we went to the district meeting, which was great!  Later that day we had a lesson with a less active member who complained to us that the church use to be so much better when she was active and that things are not the same any more.  Oh, we did take the bus to her house because she lives way down South, but Sora Atkins had forgotten her ticket at the church after district meeting, so she had to buy another ticket!  Then on the way back Sora forgot to buy a ticket by accident and we were going to jump off the next stop and buy a ticket and we got CONTROLLED AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I could not find my ticket!  Ugh, it was so frustrating so we had to pay 30 lei again!  Then later that day I got pooped on by a bird!  I love being a sister missionary!  Our lives are so interesting at times.  It just reminds me of what Sora Cottam wrote in her letter last week about Elder Wirthlins talk "Come what may and LOVE it!"  I do love it here!  I love being a sister missionary.

Mom, I will talk to Tibi this week and make sure he knows all he needs to do. I'm sure he does because I talked with the missionaries in Cluj and they have already talked with him.  For a package I would have to say Peanut Butter and cereal.  I will think of more things and tell you on SUNDAY because I get to talk to you!  I can't wait.  Expect to get an email from me later this week and we will set up a time to talk.  I'm thinking in the morming before you go to church.  I will let you know.  

Well I love you all.