Marvelous Work and a Wonder® Testimonials

English translation follows.

 

Numele meu este Lavinia Sas. M-am născut în România, in anul 1983, o fostă țară socialista din Europa de Est, regiunea Transilvaniei. Am crescut într-un apartament cu 2 camere împreună cu părinții și sora mea. Toată viața am trăit modest, fără să am prea mulți bani. Am avut o copilarie linistita si frumoasa.

Deoarece nu mi-a placut niciodata matematica, fizica, chimia nu am excelat niciodata la aceste materii. La matematica in special sunt un dezastru. Prin urmare am ales sa urmez un liceu cu specialitate in limbi straine si literatura.

Dupa ce am absolvit liceul toata ramura bisericii LDS in care ma botezasem la 14 ani se astepta sa merg intr-o misiune. Eram printre primii copii crescuti in biserica si ar fi fost un eveniment ca ramura Cluj sa trimita in misiune primele fete misionare. Insa intotdeauna m-am simtit inconfortabil sa fac munca misionara. Nu ma simteam confortabila la gandul ca trebuie sa bat la usa oamenilor, sa ii opresc pe strada. Imi era rusine ca ii deranjez. Nu puteam sa deschis gura sa vorbesc, incercam sa fiu invizibila cand era vorba de munca misionara. Cunoscand sentimentele mele legate de acest lucru am ales sa nu slujesc nici o misiune si sa merg mai departe sa studiez la facultate.

Prin urmare am ales sa urmez Facultatea de Comunicare si Relatii Publice. Deoarece nu aveam destui bani pentru a-mi plati facultatea in intregime, in timpul vacantelor de vara, care in Romania dureaza 3 luni, mergeam la munca in Statele Unite. Aveam nevoie de viza pentru a calatori in SUA. Ambasada SUA este doar in capitala Romaniei, Bucuresti. Asa ca facem programare la ambasada, plateam taxa de ambasada foarte multi dolari (cred ca era cam cat salariul pe 1 luna in Romania), mergeam 12 ore cu trenul, stateam la o coada de cateva sute de persoane, avem un interviu in limba engleza de 5 minute si pe urma decideau daca primesc viza sau nu. Marea majoritate a persoanelor nu primea viza, dar nici taxa nu ti se returna in cazul in era erai respins. Eu am primit de fiecare data viza. Imi aduc aminte ca in ultimul an cand am solicitat viza imi expirase pasaportul. Am facut demersurile si am primit un pasaport nou. Cand am mers la Ambasada am luat cu mine doar pasaportul nou, cel valabil. Am ajuns in sfarsit la ghiseu si am avut interviul. Mi-au spus ca voi primi viza doar daca aduc la ambasada personal si pasaportul vechi, expirat deja de 6 luni. De ce? Nu stiu. Am venit 12 ore cu trenul acasa, am luat pasaportul am mers 12 ore cu trenul inapoi la Bucuresti, stat din nou la coada si apoi au decis sa imi dea viza pe 4 luni pentru a putea intra in SUA. Procesul de solicitare a vizei era unul foarte costisitor, obositor si umilitor pentru cetatenii romani. In anul acela am ajuns in Statele Unite cu 50 de dolari in buzunar. Singura salvare a fost ca urma sa lucrez intr-o tabara de copii prin urmare am avut cazare si mancare asigurata. Obtinerea vizei era exact ca si la loterie. Si azi e foarte greu sa obtii o viza SUA. Insa cu banii pe care ii castigam in SUA in 3 luni, imi plateam facultatea pe 1 an intreg in Romania.

Dupa finalizarea studiilor m-am angajat. Am lucrat 12 ani ca si secretara la Liceul Teologic Baptist din orasul meu natal Cluj. Va dati seama eu o mormona care lucra pentru un liceu condus de Biserica Baptista. Noroc ca liceul era un liceu sustinut cu fonduri publice prin urmare angajarea s-a facut pe baza de examen si nu confesiune religioasa. Insa acest fapt a fost un lucru extrem de benefic pentru mine. Am invatat sa fiu ingaduitoare cu ceilalti si sa le respect crezurile lor si sa nu devin eu insami o fanatica a credintei mele.

Dupa 12 ani am renuntat la jobul meu din cadrul Liceului Baptist. Am renuntat la acest job cand am lesinat la propiu din cauza extenuarii si fiul meu, Tudor, l-a intrebat pe Cosmin: “Cand mai vine mama in vizita?” Eram asa de mult timp plecata de acasa pentru a munci, a-mi indeplini chemarile din biserica etc, incat Tudor credea ca nu locuiesc in aceeasi casa cu el si Cosmin. Am decis sa fiu casnica o vreme, asa ca cu ajutorul lui Cosmin, care a asigurat banii pentru necesitatile de baza, am ramas acasa cu Tudor timp de aproape 3 ani. Aceasta perioada a coincis cu perioada pandemiei cu covid.

In timpul pandemiei deoarece eu eram fara serviciu si nu ne ajungeau banii Cosmin si-a dorit sa plece sa lucreze in Olanda. Eu am ramas cu Tudor in Romania si Cosmin a muncit in Olanda aproape un an. Putea sa isi caute sa lucreze in Romania insa nu a vrut. In Olanda bineinteles salariul era mult mai mare si, in plus, a insistat sa experimenteze el insusi modul in care sunt tratati romanii in alte tari.

La vârsta de 14 ani am cunoscut misionarii bisericii LDS. In urma discutiilor cu ei toata familia s-a botezat in Biserica LDS. Am fost o membra exemplara, care isi facea chemarile, nu lipsea de la adunarile de impartasanie si activitatile bisericii. Desi eram devotata si convertita nu am putut niciodata sa zic ca Biserica LDS este singura biserica adevarata pe intreaga fata a pamantului.

Lucrarea MWAW am gasit-o prin intermediul lui Cosmin. El a fost cel care a început să caute răspunsuri despre motivul pentru care nu găsim liniștea și suntem practic nefericiți. Găsirea Lucrării Uimitoare și a unei Minuni a avut loc in urma unor luni de zile de cautari si framantari.

La un moment dat, într-o seară, în timp ce participam la o activitate a bisericii, după ce activitatea s-a încheiat, Cosmin a fost abordat de un domn din Australia, pe nume Christopher, care a vrut să vorbească cu el. Am asistat doar la ultima parte a discutiei lor. Acesta a spus ceva care mi-a rămas în minte si m-a marcat si anume că suntem înșelați de religie. După seara aceea nu l-am mai întâlnit niciodata. Privind in urma, azi, la cativa ani mai tarziu, pot spune ca a avut mare dreptate.

Imi aduc aduc aminte ca in urma lucrurilor declarate de Cosmin in cadrul adunarilor bisericii, intr-o dupa masa, fara sa fim anuntati de vizita, ne-am trezit la usa cu presedintele de ramura si 2 misionari. Aveau la ei un plic. Au intrat in casa si ne-au zis ca au trecut sa lase plicul care este de fapt instiintarea pentru Cosmin ca este chemat in fata unui consiliu disciplinar. Eram socata de ceea ce se intampla. I-a dat lui Cosmin plicul cu zambetul pe buze, i-a strans mana zambind si apoi au plecat. Era ca scena cu tradarea lui Iuda din scripturi. Asistam la ea pe viu. Mentionez ca socul a fost foarte puternic deoarece noi am avut o relatie de prietenie foarte stransa cu presedintele timp de mult ani. Dupa ce au plecat am deschis si am citit scrisoarea. Am inceput sa plang de suparare, de disperare. Apoi m-a cuprins un sentiment de frica. Frica de necunoscut. Nesiguranta. Ce facem? Unde mergem? Nu as mai fi dorit ca eu sa continui sa merg la biserica dupa ce am vazut prin ce a trecut Cosmin. Cel mai important lucru era ca deja incepeam sa studiem lucrarea Marvelous Work and a Wonder.

A urmat o perioada de liniste si pace datorate lucrurilor pe care le invatam dar si de stress enorm si suferinta datorita presiunii venite din partea celorlalti. Rudele, membrii bisericii cu care eram prieteni la acea vreme, cautau sa ne “salveze” cumva pe mine si pe Tudor. Credeau ca eu sunt cea care il poate convinge pe Cosmin sa se pocaiasca si ca el va asculta de mine pentru ca eu sunt sotia lui. Avand in vedere ca potrivit doctrinei mormone eram pecetluiti in templu pentru timp si eternitate credeau ca il voi putea convinge sa se pocainta si sa nu distrugem legamantul facut in templu. Am fost si cred ca inca suntem considerati nebuni, posedati de diavol. Alte rude cred ca eu sunt manipulata, condusa de Cosmin, ca eu nu stiu sa gandesc singura, ca nu vad ca suntem in apostazie, ca sunt incapatanata, mandra, invidioasa, ca noi ii uram pe liderii bisericii, ca le vrem raul.

Oricat am incercat sa le explic despre ceea ce gasisem, felul in care s-au petrecut evenimentele care au condus la desfratirea lui Cosmin, nu m-a crezut nimeni. Nu am putut convinge pe nimeni. Intr-un timp foarte scurt o parte din parul meu a albit, la propriu. Era clar ca nu puteam sa continui “sa slujesc la doi stapani”.

Impisa de aceste imprejurari, framantari am vrut să știu cu sinceritate dacă MWAW și Christopher reprezinta adevărul real. Am făcut ceea ce știam la acea vreme și ce am învățat din Cartea lui Mormon: să citesc din Porțiunea Pecetluita, să meditez, să doresc sincer un răspuns.

Într-o noapte am avut un vis, care părea a fi foarte real. Nu știu cum să-l explic, parcă lumea reală ar fi fost acolo. În vis, Cosmin vorbea cu 3 persoane. Oamenii nu îmi erau cunoscuți, nu i-am mai văzut până atunci. Eram în spatele unui gard de plasă și nu puteam ajunge la ei pentru a auzi ce vorbeau, nu exista nici o poartă și plângeam, dar plângeam pentru că regretam emorm ceva, faptul ca nu puteam fi și eu acolo. M-am trezit plângând. Am adormit din nou după câteva minute și am visat exact același lucru. M-am trezit și m-am gândit că a trecut mult timp dar trecuseră doar 2 minute. Am adormit din nou și am avut exact același vis pentru a treia oară. Visul m-a marcat si a fost momentul care m-a convis ca este timpul sa iau o decizie clara.

Invataturile, claritatea si usurinta cu care Christopher ne-a explicat orice subiect m-au convins ca  acesta este diferit de  toti liderii religiosi si ca este intr-adevar un mesager adevarat. A devenit de la zi la zi tot mai clar ca alegerea corecta era Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Pentru mine intotdeuna a contat invatatura, mesajul, care imi aduce claritate si lumina.

Aceasta lucrare si cartile citite din MWAW mi-au adus in viata mea intelegere, claritate, liniste, si puterea de a-i accepta pe ceilalti oameni cu diferentele lor. Viata mea s-a schimbat radical in bine.

Cu drag,

Lavinia Sas

grandini18@yahoo.com

 

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My name is Lavinia Sas. I was born in Romania, in 1983, a former socialist country in Eastern Europe, the Transylvania region. I grew up in a 2-room apartment with my parents and sister. All my life I lived modestly, without having much money. I had a peaceful and beautiful childhood.

Because I never liked mathematics, physics, or chemistry, I never excelled in these subjects. In mathematics, in particular, I’m a disaster. Therefore, I chose to attend a high school with a specialty in foreign languages and literature.

After I graduated from high school, the entire branch of the LDS Church where I was baptized at age 14 expected me to go on a mission. I was among the first children raised in the church and it would have been an event for the Cluj branch to send the first missionary girls on a mission. But I have always felt uncomfortable doing missionary work. I didn’t feel comfortable at the thought of having to knock on people’s doors, or stop them on the street. I was ashamed to bother them. I couldn’t open my mouth to speak, I tried to be invisible when it came to missionary work. Knowing my feelings about this, I chose not to serve a mission and instead went on to study in college.

Therefore, I chose to attend the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations. Since I didn’t have enough money to pay for my college in full, during the summer vacations, which in Romania lasted 3 months, I went to work in the United States. I needed a visa to travel to the USA. The U.S. Embassy is only in Romania’s capital, Bucharest. So I made an appointment at the embassy, I paid the embassy fee a lot of dollars. I think it was about as much as the salary for one month in Romania. I went for 12 hours by train, I stood in a queue of a few hundred people, I had a 5-minute interview in English and then they decided whether to get a visa or not. The vast majority of people did not receive a visa, but the fee was not refunded if you were rejected. I received the visa every time.

I remember that in the last year when I applied for the visa, my passport had expired. I took the steps and received a new passport. When I went to the Embassy I took with me only the new passport, the valid one. I finally got to the counter and had the interview. They told me that I would receive the visa only if I brought to the embassy in person the old passport, which has already expired for 6 months. Why? I don’t know. I came home for 12 hours by train, I got my passport, I went 12 hours by train back to Bucharest, I stood in line again and then they decided to give me a 4-month visa to be able to enter the USA. The visa application process was very expensive and humiliating for Romanian citizens.

That year I arrived in the United States with 50 dollars in my pocket. The only salvation was that I was going to work in a children’s camp, so I had accommodation and food provided. Obtaining a visa was just like in the lottery. Even today it is very difficult to get a US visa. But with the money I earned in the US in 3 months, I was paying for my college for 1 full year in Romania.

After completing my studies, I got a job. I worked for 12 years as a secretary at the Baptist Theological High School in my hometown of Cluj. You can imagine a Mormon who worked for a high school run by the Baptist Church. Luckily, the high school was a school supported by public funds, so the hiring was based on an exam and not a religious confession. But this fact was an extremely beneficial thing for me. I learned to be lenient with others and respect their beliefs and not become a fanatic of my faith myself.

After 12 years, I quit my job at the Baptist High School. I quit this job when I fainted because of exhaustion and my son, Tudor, asked Cosmin: “When does my mother come to visit us?” I had been away from home for so long to work, fulfill my church callings, etc., that Tudor thought I didn’t live in the same house as he and Cosmin. I decided to be a housewife for a while. So with the help of Cosmin, who provided the money for basic necessities, I stayed at home with Tudor for almost 3 years. This period coincided with the period of the COVID pandemic.

During the pandemic, because I was out of work and we didn’t have enough money, Cosmin chose to go and work in the Netherlands. I stayed with Tudor in Romania and Cosmin worked in the Netherlands for almost a year. He could have looked for work in Romania, but he didn’t want to. In the Netherlands, of course, the salary was much higher and, in addition, he insisted on experiencing for himself the way Romanians are treated in other countries.

When I was 14 years old, I met the missionaries of the LDS Church. After discussions with them, the whole family was baptized in the LDS Church. I was an exemplary member, who made her callings and did not miss sacrament meetings and church activities. Although I was devout and converted, I could never say that the LDS Church is the only true church on the entire face of the earth.

I found the MWAW work through Cosmin. He was the one who started looking for answers about why we don’t find peace and are practically unhappy. The finding of the Marvelous Work and a Wonder took place after months of searching and turmoil.

At one point, one evening, while I was attending a church activity, after the activity was over, Cosmin was approached by a gentleman from Australia, named Christopher, who wanted to talk to him. I only witnessed the last part of their discussion. He said something that stuck in my mind and marked me, namely that we are deceived by religion. After that evening, I never met him again. Looking back today, a few years later, I can say that he was right.

Cosmin was also the one who showed me the testimony of Ida Smith. I remember that when I saw her interview and her testimony, I saw her as a very cultured and sincere lady and I believed what she said.

I remember that following the things Cosmin said during the church meetings, one afternoon, without being notified of the visit, we found ourselves at the door with the branch president and 2 missionaries. They had an envelope with them. They entered the house and told us that they had come to leave the envelope. It was actually the notification for Cosmin that he was called before a church disciplinary council. I was shocked by what was happening. The branch president gave Cosmin the envelope with a smile on his face, shook his hand smiling, and then they left. It was like the scene of Judas’ betrayal in the scriptures. I was witnessing it live. The shock was very strong because we had a very close friendship with the president for many years. After they left, I opened and read the letter. I started crying out of anger, out of despair. Then a feeling of fear came over me. Fear of the unknown. Insecurity. What do we do? Where are we going? I would not have wanted to continue going to church after seeing what Cosmin went through. The most important thing was that we were already starting to study from the Marvelous Work and a Wonder.

A period of silence and peace followed due to the things we were learning, but also of enormous stress and suffering due to the pressure from others. The relatives, the members of the church with whom we were friends at the time, were trying to somehow “save” me and my son Tudor. They thought that I was the one who could convince Cosmin to repent and that he would obey me because I was his wife. Since according to Mormon doctrine we were sealed in the temple for time and eternity, they believed that I would be able to convince him to repent and not destroy the covenant made in the temple. We were and I believe that we are still considered insane, possessed by the devil. Other relatives think that I am manipulated, led by Cosmin, that I don’t know how to think for myself, that I don’t see that we are in apostasy, that I am stubborn, proud, envious, that we hate the leaders of the church, that we wish them harm.

No matter how much I tried to explain to them about what I had found, the way the events that led to Cosmin’s disfellowship happened, no one believed me. I couldn’t convince anyone. In a very short time, part of my hair literally turned white. It was clear that I could not continue to “serve two masters.”

Impelled by these turbulent circumstances, I wanted to know honestly if MWAW and Christopher represent the real truth. I did what I knew at the time and what I learned from the Book of Mormon: read from the Sealed Portion, ponder, sincerely desire an answer.

One night I had a dream, which seemed to be very real. I don’t know how to explain it as if the real world were there. In the dream, Cosmin was talking to 3 people. The people were not known to me, I had never seen them before. I was behind a mesh fence and I couldn’t get to them to hear what they were talking about, there was no gate and I was crying, but I was crying because I regretted something, the fact that I couldn’t be there. I woke up crying. I fell asleep again after a few minutes and dreamed exactly the same thing. I woke up and thought it had been a long time, but only 2 minutes had passed. I fell asleep again and had the exact same dream for the third time. The dream marked me and it was the moment that convinced me that it was time to make a clear decision.

The teachings, clarity, and ease with which Christopher explained any subject to us convinced me that he is different from all religious leaders and that he is indeed a true messenger. It became clearer and clearer that the right choice was a Marvelous Work and a Wonder. For me, the teaching and the message that brings me clarity and light, has always mattered.

This work and the books I read from MWAW have brought me understanding, clarity, peace, and the power to accept other people with their differences. My life has changed radically for the better.

Love,

Lavinia Sas

grandini18@yahoo.com