Gratefully Recognizing My Dependence on the Lord

Hey there family and friends!(:

Thank you so much for all of the kind emails this week - I really appreciate it(: I love hearing from you all and every email you send means the world to me!

This week flew by fast again - it was pretty interesting actually. But I learned something really amazing that I wanted to share with you(:

I just want you to know that God, really truly, has a divine relationship and plan for each and everyone of us. This week I was really studying the concept of Humility - and in true to the faith it defines it as "to recognize gratefully your dependence on the Lord—to understand that you have constant need for His support. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that you know where your true strength lies."

So true and SO key! 

I have learned so much, time and time again these past few months - and especially these past few weeks that we CANNOT go through life alone. It is TOO hard. And the amazing thing about Gods plan is that we don't need to go through these hard things alone. God is going to make sure that you are taken care of - He is going to show you miracle after miracle, tender mercy after tender mercy if you simply reach out to Him - and ask for help. I PROMISE you that He will give you strength, He will comfort you and reassure you. I truly believe that He knows what is best for each and every one of us - and that as we rely on Him and His infinate love and grace - by turning our hearts to Him through prayer and deed, that He is going to strengthen us and help us to become better!

I sure love each and everyone of you! Life is hard - but it is something that we don't have to do alone. I know and testify of that to be true! God does hear and answer prayers - and He sure does love you!(:

Have a great week -

Sora Armstrong(:

Also......Guess who is coming up here to Cluj to serve with me for a couple of days??(: SORA GREEN.

Yes the same exact Sora Green who was with me in Constanta - who is a total obedient hardworking rockstar!(: haha. She is going to be training here in Cluj next transfer and so I am showing her around Cluj these next few days before transfers! She'll do great - sure love her<3

Us at the Schielts house(:

CLUJ! From the top of the Big Catholic Church in the center of the city(:

Felicia(: 

Zilele de Ungaria!(:

President Uchtdorf Coming to My Mission

Hey there Family and Friends!!(:

Super interesting week this past week - but it seems like it just flew by!

On Wednesday we got to head on down to Bucharest for the MLC (a conference for the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders) and that was super cool to see everyone for a few hours and to hear some amazing advice and knowledge from President Ivory and from his friend, Vaughn Burbidge. He promised us that our vision would expand as a mission and as a missionary - if we are positive, if we express thanks, and if we are grateful for all of the little things. It was super cool because since Wednesday - I have really been trying to make a extra effort to do all three - and I have seen such an amazing difference.(: 

Other than that - it has kinda been just a normal kinda week(: 

We found out that President Uchtdorf is coming to our mission after dedicating the temple in Germany - and that he is going to join us on our mission conference on the 6th of September! How cool is that?(: Super stoked!

I hope that you guys have a great week - sure love you all!

Sora Armstrong 

Freakin' Out....Received My Flight Plans

Hey there family and friends!(:

Sorry again for such a short email this week - literally all of the things have been happening haha(: But, there were some amazing miracles that we saw this week for sure!

The first thing is, is that we had an amazing lesson with Sebi! Ah yes! #lessgo. He is seriously just such a rockstar - and he is someone who I know will make such a great difference for the church here in Romania once he decides to commit to baptism. We taught him the Law of Chastity - which is like...stressful and kinda #awk at first haha - but it turned out to be an amazing lesson! The Branch President, President Iepure was able to come and help us out, and it was so incredible to see Sebi's connection to the gospel and the people in the branch grow even more. We gave him a Proclamation to the Family - and he took it and said hows hes going to go and lamanate it for his family and all of these things and like....he is just such a rockstar. #hanice He is progressing so well and I cannot wait to see his life and his family's lives change for the better through this gospel(:

I sure hope that you guys had an amazing week - let me know if I can ever do anything for you okay?(:

Sora Armstrong

Also....I got my flight plans this week.........FREAKIN OUT. DAH!

Saying Goodbye to the Nelsons

Hey there family and friends!(:

Sorry that we don't have too much time this week - but these past few days have been absolutely incredible! 

Sadly we had to say goodbye to the Nelsons yesterday, which honestly was one of the hardest goodbyes ever...but luckily it is just a "see you soon" kinda goodbye(: They have done so much for the missionaries and branch here - it has been so incredible to see and be a part of it all!

Other than that we had a great zone conference, a great exchange with the Arad sisters, and met some new, great people(: Heavenly Father is seriously providing us with so many miracles and tender mercies each and ever day - we are so blessed!

Sure love you all!

Sora Armstrong 

Herecleea - another amazing friend of ours(: With the cute Sora Stanley who is serving in Arad!

Herecleea showed us a Romanian treat - slushies hahaha(: 

Ameilia tried an American Butterfinger(: haha

Us and a cute friend of ours named Amelia(: 

Me and one of my last pics with Elder Nelson - he loves pictures(;

My First 17 Course Meal - SO MUCH FOOD!

Hey there Family and Friends!(:

This week was a rollercoaster full of ups and downs - but it was a week full of the Spirit confirming and tesifying truths!

So we met with Angel twice this week - and the second visit was a little bit rough. He told us that he needed to talk to us, so we met up with him in a park and he told us how he couldn't go forward with his baptisimal date - and told us all of his concerns and all the things that are holding him back. It was kinda discouraging not going to lie..and honestly I was pretty sad. However, the more that I thought about it, and prayed about it - I realized how proud I was of him for saying something to us, and how he really truly wasn't ready because he wasn't willing to sacrafice and keep commitments. It was just hard I think because I love him so so much, and I want him to excel and take this step that I KNOW will bring him so much happiness, but he isn't willing to act and find that out for himself right now. But you know what it is totally okay(: And we are going to keep working with him and praying for him, so that hopefully, one day, he is ready to take that step!

A great highlight from this week was that we were able to meet with this older english student named Liliana - haha she is literally one of my favorite people ever! She really clicked super well with the Nelsons - and she invited us all over to her home that she had just remodeled. She isnt married, has no kids, and her sister passed away when she was 15...so she is all alone. When we got there - she told us that this was the first time she had allowed guests into her home in the past 5 years since her mother had passed away. And man it was so cool to see how much she opened up and just loved it. She prepared 17 different dishes for us to try - it was SO MUCH FOOD! hahaha We all just felt so so stuffed afterwards, but it was just how she showed her love - it was so cute! We explained what the Book of Mormon was - and invited her to church - and guess who came?(: AH MIRACLES!(: Honestly such a huge highlight of my week(:

I sure love you guys! This is the last week of the Nelsons mission, and we also have exchanges with the Arad sisters here, and zone conference...so it will be quite the week, but a great one(:

Love you guys!(:

Sora Armstrong

Dinner at Lilianas House...17 different dishes to try...SO much food!

Sora Stader (my new comp) and I - called as STLs in Cluj. 

Tied Mission Record: Longest Time Spent in a City

Hey there family and friends!!(:

So....guess who is staying in CLUJ???(: hahahaha YES! Ten and a half months in literally my favorite city on earth(: #LESSGO I am SO excited to stay here for another transfer - literally tied with the mission record for longest time spent in a city haha(: But it will be good! I'll get to be here for Angel's baptism and I can't wait to see the other miracles that are in store for the amazing people and branch here in Cluj!

So I am now serving with Sora Strader - who I actually have been on exchanges with two times before this haha(: So pretty cool(: She is awesome! She is Ukrainian - and was adopted from there when she turned 13, and has lived in Utah ever since! She is seriously such a rockstar - always so ready to work and go go go!(: We are going to be STLs again here, so that also will be super fun(:

Things with Angel are progressing! And it has been great to see him so happy and so prepared! Be sure to keep him in your prayers - we are hoping that everything will go through!

It truly was SO hard to say goodbye to Sora Andrus - she was one of my best friends, and we just had a great time together! But I know that she will excel and do great things in the city of Ploiesti - and she will actually be serving with my MTC bud - Sora Cutler! Which will be great(: 

I hope that you all have had an amazing week!(: Keep me posted!

Love ya!

Sora Armstrong(:

Prayers are Working Miracles in Cluj

Hey there family and friends!(:

I hope that each of you had an amazing week - and that some cool exciting things happened haha(:

Here in Cluj there were miracles this week! ANGEL IS GOING TO BE BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW AMAZING IS THAT!!! hahahaha I've been like FREAKIN out all week long(: JULY 30th. YES! #rockstar! #hanice

I seriously am SO excited for him though!

So last week we had challenged him to fast about a decision - and he totally did and he LOVED it. Unfortunately he wasn't able to meet with us ALL week to talk about the date of the 16th....so by Friday (when we met with him) it was too late kinda. HOWEVER. We decided to use one of President Ivory's ideas about proposing three baptismal dates for him to be able to set a goal, and then him choosing. Its kinda like if you're a parent and you set out two different outfits for them to choose - its the symbolizim of it ya know(:

So we pulled out a calendar and bore powerful powerful testimony about the purpose of setting a date - and the blessings that come from baptism. It was SO. COOL! We had laid out the 30th of July, and the 13th of August and the 27th of August - and it was so so interesting because satan literally put every excuse/doubt/insecurity in his mind....but once he agreed to pray about it and let us know the following tday, the air cleared and he just was smiling and smiling(: All the tension was gone it was awesome. I prayed SO much that night for him, and so so much all day....and then he finally came to english class the following day and us, the nelsons, and him all went in the back room, said a kneeling prayer, and he just had this HUGE grin(: hahahaha and he agreed to the 30th of July(: He wants the Nelsons to be there SO bad - and they are leaving the 2nd of August so it will be SO PERFECT! He KNOWS that its true - and I am SO proud of him for stepping up and acting!(:

So just be sure to keep him in your prayers - they really are working miracles here in Cluj!(:

I sure love you guys - and I hope you have a fabulous week!!!(:

Sora Armstrong

Me and the Amazing Sora Strader!

Had a great exchange with her (Sora Strader) in the wonderful city of Oradea(:

I. love. Sora. Andrus. (: 

Margareta made us Ciorba de Borta (Cow stomach soup....#round3) AND lamb all in the same week hahaha #tookind

Simi (the branch president's son) had a new Nerf gun that had "STRONGARM" on it - so he said he needed a picture with Sora "ARMSTRONG" hahaha(: Love him!