Monday, September 16, 2013
Dear Family!

Well hello there family!! I just want you all to know that I miss you all so so so much!! The mission is going great though. Nothing really much has changed, but things are just good. This week has been a lot of finding efforts (as every week seems to be). We have been trying to talk to many people about our english classes so that more people can come. And again, I don't have my converter for pictures. I'm sorry momma!! I will try to remember to bring it when I come next time to internet. Well we haven't really conducted any meetings. I think the branch president just does it everytime. It's funny because the branch president conducts, I'm sitting at the sacrament table by myself, and Slemboski is playing the piano. Then when it comes time for the sacrament the branch president comes and sits next to me to bless and then Slemboski has to get up from the piano to head over on the other side of the sacrament table so that he can pass. Then after the sacrament is done we all get up and sit up in front of the congregation. Ha ha it's like we play musical chairs or something for church! Well speaking of baggage stuff, one of my suitcases has been broken basically since I have been in the country. The wheels on the bottom just got destroyed so I basically drag it instead of having it roll on wheels. But so far all my stuff has been fitting in them so that is good! We only have two other companions to do exchanges with and so we just have to figure out when we are going to do that this transfer. Actually one of the companionships are going to come to us this week. So it's not like we are really going out and about to do exchanges and stuff like that. Yeah Elder Slemboski and I are having a great time! This transfer is going to be a lot of fun! My language skills are still coming. My time in Chisinau has really hurt my language skills mainly because I had no opportunities to speak in Romanian in Chisinau. So speaking right now is actually harder than it was but I'm slowly getting back to par. Yeah I have no idea what is going to happen for general conference. We will just have to see what happens! 

Well you could say hello in many different ways. You could just say Alo (Awe-low). But usually when I say hello to someone I say Buna Ziua (Boo-nuh Zee-Wah) which means Good Day. So will let you pick which one you want to choose. 

This week there was something totally crazy that happened!!! We were just walking along in centru talking to people about english classes when all of a sudden we hear this shout of "Elders!". So we turn around to see who called us and we find that there are this group of like 30 americans, all from Utah, who are here on some type of tourist trip or something like that. It was super crazy because the next thing we know they started treating us like we were celebrities or something like that!! They were asking us where we were from, asking about the work, taking pictures of us, and they even managed to give Elder Slemboski 20 dollars so we could go buy a dinner!! It was super crazy!!! We were talking about it after the group left and we had to "regroup" and realize what just went down!! ha ha It reminded us on how different cultures are from america to here in Romania. Like, never has a romanian come up to us and like talked to us in such a friendly manner about the work we are doing and such. It just reminded us about how americans really are and such. Oh and then the next day we were walking towards the church and there was an american couple (see picture below) and so the same thing happened again!! Took pictures with them and they gave us money so that we could go buy some food!!! Gosh I'm sure that missionaries in Utah get their whole missions paid for by just walking down the street and going out to eat all the time. ha ha 

I LOVE YOU ALL SO FREAKING MUCH!!!!!! 

Elder Josh Barney

Picture taken and emailed by

 Steve Davis, Rainbow Sign and Banner, St. George Utah