Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2002 January 7 (entry 0)

Mon Jan 07 2002 08:51: Back at the internet cafe (the non scary one we know how to use). Where else would I be emailing from, I guess. This time I made a list of things to write about so I wouldn't have to try and remember while simultaneously inhaling massive amounts of tobacco smoke. It's not very cold here. Ok, the first few days we were here were FREEZING!!! We all just about had frost bite while waiting for a taxi after getting into Iasi on the train. Today is very very nice actually; the snow is melting and we're only wearing one pair of gloves. But as a general rule, if you bundle up and wear enough layers, it's really not unbearable.

Yesterday we went to the Iasi branch for the first time. It was really great. I thought I wasn't going to understand a single thing but we all were quite surprised. Of course, it was Fast Sunday so we basically knew what everyone was saying and we know basic words like "thank" and "pray/ask" and basic church vocab. so tha! t was very helpful. The elders (there are six) translated sunday school for us, and all of the young women know english so we kind of just did that bilingually. The branch president is giving us callings this week. He is one of the elders.

Speaking of the elders... well one of them told us on the phone that "some of the branch members" were "a little too excited to meet the american girls". Our quote of yesterday was Kristen saying "yeah, the missionaries!" I guess they miss fetele americane but still. We found out that sister missionaries aren't sent here because of us. This would explain why the missionaries called us last night (they've called us every night) and had us come over to this woman's house... we weren't sure what we were supposed to do, but afterwards it seemed a lot like visiting teaching. Especially when they left us there. It was a little scary,

Today we went to Section 1 but they're on a quarant! ine (which has lasted over a month) so we can't start for at least another couple of days. Actually, I'm probably going to working at Section 2. So we went to the spital copii and played with some of the [very wet] babies. It was fun and the babies were cute. The ones in our room didn't even look sick, except that when I put mine down she went right back to rocking and sticking her tongue out. Then we went shopping again. (oh good, I didn't think there were enough people smoking in here *gack*.)

I think we're running off home before the hot water gets turned off. None of us showered this morning because we thought we were going to be working at Section 1. Well, the babies in the hospital can apparently pee all over us just as well.