What a Great Way to End a Mission!

A few days before we left Romania we attended our last senior missionary couple conference in the beautiful Transylvania city of Brasov.

Meeting with these great couples was always inspiring.

 

It was a special treat to hear President Hill sing "If I Were a Rich Man."

 

The Elders just loved singing "Ye Elders of Israel" again for the Soras. 

(Well, maybe not.  But we loved hearing them,)

 

We had dinner in a quaint little restaurant in Brasov's centru.  The manager surprised us with a recorded show about Utah from the Travel Channel and played it during our meal. 

 

It was a pleasure serving with these senior couples.

 

We were glad there was time during the conference to enjoy more of the historical sites in Romania. There are several medieval fortified churches in the villages around Brasov.  This church was started in 1218 and fortifications around it were largely built in the 1400s.  It was under seige about 500 times over the centuries, but was captured only once. 

 

A few hundred people lived in little rooms inside the walls of the fortification.

   

This is one of the defense portals in the outside wall.

 

The church is always in the center of the fortress. Though much of this church is 800 years old, it has been restored and well maintained.

 

 

It continues to function as a church and is shared each Sunday by both the Catholics and the Lutherans.

 

 

We also visited a medieval fortress on top of a hill overlooking the small city of Rasnov.  A wagon ride up a steep hill dropped us here outside the fortified gate in the outer wall. 

 

After passing through the gate into the outer courtyard, we could see the main fortress on the hill above us.

 

 

Inside the fortress there were many little artisan shops.

 

 

From high in the fortress we could look across ruins of ancient dwellings into the valley below.

 

For a fortress to be able to withstand a long seige, it must have water. While there were previously some cisterns and springs within this hilltop fortress, beginning in 1623, a well was started to provide a constant supply of water.  It took 20 years of digging through 450 feet of rock before this well was completed.      

 

We enjoyed the central piata of Brasov one more time.  

  

Elder Newey and Elder Harrison, the assistants to the President, picked us up from the mission home early Monday morning, October 15, to take us to the airport.  We had worked with both these outstanding missionaries before and it was so good to see them one more time as we were leaving Romania.

 

How many missionaries does it take to check in 6 bags? 

One to do the work and two to give advice. 

 

After over 13 hours on airplanes and a 4 hour layover in London, we finally arrived in Denver and got our bags through customs.  It was good to be home!

 

And this is what we found waiting for us at the airport.

 

Oh, his parents were there as well. 

 

The long wait for this moment was finally over and I think we will get along just fine. 

  

Elder and Sora Wahlquist with Sora and President Hill

 

Our mission to Romania was truly an unforgettable adventure.  We will always remember the wonderful people we met there.  

 

La Revedere!