Spring, Green and Seen

March 23, 2026

Mărțișor-Primăvară fericită

(Little March-Happy Spring)

Mărțișor is a Romanian tradition celebrated on March 1, marking the beginning of spring with red-and-white talismans symbolizing health, love, and renewal.

Mărțișor literally means "little March," as it is the diminutive of the Romanian word for March (Martie) and is celebrated on the first day of the month. The tradition involves giving or wearing a small talisman, usually a trinket tied to two intertwined red and white strings. The red symbolizes vitality, passion, and the warmth of the coming spring, while the white represents purity, the cold of winter, and wisdom. The video is of one of hundreds of vendors throughout the city selling trinkets. Cool tradition!

The flowers and shops are returning to every corner. I'm assuming the late snowfall in Bucharest caught them by surprise.

Sometimes you just have to take a picture. One of the coolest old trams in the city. Its paint job is all about scouting. It's pretty cool. Parking on the street is optional, some prefer the sidewalk. Small cars are a bonus, and large dogs can be terrifying. This was by far the largest dog I've ever seen. It is not one you just throw in the back seat of your little car and run to the store. And, walking to the bank today green happened to be the color, imagine that. On the left is a VW on the right is a Lamborghini Urus. They run about $250K and have a maximum output of about 650 HP and 190 MPH. When Barbie started it up to leave, you could tell. I'd just like a few hours in it.

The last adventure in the Elantra may have had some excitement. We pulled into the Hotel parking lot. What was I supposed to do? Two fine gentlemen from the Hotel staff and our very own Vârstnicul Schneiter were instrumental in us at least parking for the night.

Goodbye Elantra, hello i30. They are very similar, but the new one is lacking in space for luggage. This week for transfers we may have traveled to the Gara (train station) with the hatch only partially closed, a few times. Nevertheless, in every case it is better that a bicycle built for two.

We took a quick trip to Galați to meet the Robinson's and exchange cars. It was a beautiful drive and day. We met them as they were completing apartment checks and then we took the Elder's and Sister's, (Elder Morrell, Sister McKinnon, Sister Mansfield, Elder Jensen, Robinson's) to lunch at the local TV tower. It is a 360-foot-tall tower which is now a restaurant called Cloud Dining, which as you can see is very close to the clouds. The views are remarkable of the Danube River and the country of Moldova in the distance. We had a bit of time to take in a couple more churches, never a shortage.

We never tire of seeing the sites and especially the architecture of our surroundings. From the stands along Stefan cel Mare (walking street) to the structures around Centru (city center) and the ivy. Oh, and one of the more than 20 churches that we can see from our apartment is getting a new copper roof. The red was just covered this week, and it looks like there may be more to come. We can’t forget the sidewalk washer. It was impressive after the winter of pollution and grime.

Last District Council of the transfer,

Elder White, Sister Baker, Sister Later, Elder Christensen, Elder Anderson, Elder Roberts

First District Council of the transfer,

Sister Baker, Sister Spencer, Elder Roberts, Elder Graham, Elder Anderson, Elder Patchett

Sister Later, Silvia Anton, Sister Baker Theodor Filipi, Elder Patchett, Elder Roberts

Elder Graham, Maria (Ana Maria's mom), Elder Roberts Ana Maria

Andrew and Maria The Vasile Doru

Geani Abdulan, Dorin and Maria Stoica

We have enjoyed meeting new friends and spending time with them.

The Branch continues to grow in size and faith. We have even started Primary.

A new friend at one of the outdoor shops where we've purchased a few items of clothing. We're going back to get to know her better. She was listening to a Christian podcast and when I looked at her phone, she said "Christian" and patted her chest.

Lilly loved the whipped cream!

We're doing good. We love seeing the spring and it bringing new life to the trees budding, the birds singing, and the many flower shops selling tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Our joy comes from the new life changes we are seeing in our friends and to us as together we are coming closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. We love this Easter Season to celebrate His wonderful gift that He has given each of us. He is Risen to bring us home again. Wishing you all tremendous week.

The week wouldn't be complete without an "I spy Boba". They are truly the cutest. Wish we could chat with each of them and give them a hug. They've had a tough life, way beyond our comprehension.