Great week, more miracles!

Bună ziua everyone!

This has been a great week! We had transfers at the beginning of the week, which was sad, because Elder Benson left to Alexandria, but we got a great new elder, Elder Samoilă, who's a native Romanian! He's really funny and great to have in the district because I've been forced to speak more Romanian with the other missionaries. He's from Sibiu, a city about halfway between here and Bucuresti (I think).

So at the beginning of this week, immediately after district meeting on Tuesday we decided to change our plans and head over to Strada Horia instead of going wherever we were planning before. We headed over and started knocking on vile. It went slow at first as we wound through some side streets, but then we got back on Strada Horia and pretty much the work exploded. Within the first 20 or 30 minutes we had talked to two families that gave us phone numbers and addresses and when they were going to be available, then a few houses later we met a lady who was only there feeding her dog but wanted to hear our message so took us to her apartment a few streets over where we had an awesome lesson. We went back to Strada Horia after that and soon had another lesson. The next day we went back and just knocked up the entire street. It seemed like every other house would let us in and we could talk to them. In two days we had tons of great contacts, 4 lessons, and 5 new investigators. I don't know what we've been doing to deserve this kind of success from God, but whatever it is I hope we keep doing it.

We had several other miracles this week. One of our investigators, Cătălin, brought his blind friend, Andi, to a lesson a few weeks ago. Andi was very cynical and pessimistic, but then when we met again this week he was super interested in praying and finding out if our messages are true. He loved learning about our prayers and asked us for a Book of Mormon so his mom can read some of it to him. It's amazing because we actually haven't had any of the normal lessons. Cătălin is an old investigator, so we've been teaching him commandments. Andi has only had lessons on the law of chastity and following the prophet, so it's amazing that he wants to find out if our church is true (without knowing why it matters if it is). He came to church this week too and said his mom has been reading to him.

After a member visit Sunday afternoon we had another amazing miracle. We left the member's bloc (apartment building) and started walking down the street to head to a different part of town, not realizing that it ended up ahead. A younger guy in his early 20's ran up behind us and said that we couldn't get out that way, but that he had a surprise for us, then ran into his bloc. We waited, and about 2 minutes later he came running back out and told us to go sit down. He came over to the table where we sat down, and laid a Book of Mormon on the table. At first I thought he wanted to give it back or something (several people have done that) but then he said "look I have this book just like you!" He then explained that he met with missionaries for about a year, but then fell out of contact and has wanted to get back in touch for a year and a half and finally found us. It was super cool and we set up a lesson for Saturday and he said he wanted to start coming to church again, because he has a job now that will let him do that.

This whole week has just been super amazing and I've loved it! I love Romania and it's so great being here! We were challenged to memorize a scripture for zone conference which is being held later this month, and I chose Alma 26:16 which says "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." I love you all and I hope you're all doing well!

Cu toată dragostea mea, Elder Michael Abbott