Week 59 - Lavdi' Per'ndise lart ne Qiellll

Sibora's baptism <3 <3 

L, our recent convert, was able to baptize his daughter yesterday before church! it was amazing <3 (she's just wearing an Elder's jacket since she was freeezing) 

<3 she is soo cute and we wrote her a little song about baptism/holy ghost (to the tune of "happy birthday") and she loves it and sings it loud and proud.. she's actually 11 yrs old but tiny and in 3rd grade and so sweet and has really blossomed since we first met her (influence of the holy ghost/ blessings of the gospel..!) 

  

this awesome member knitted me this cool vest!! (jelek).. e lumshen duart fare <3 

Hej! :) Gezuar Krishtlindjet etj.. glad to see you all wore some cool sweaters, me duket si puna ime e perditshme, kohet e fundit.. ;) 

The other day was cool. Driving out to a lesson on a bumpy dirt road between fields and flocks of sheep (going to meet with A, the one whose house is honestly way out in the middle of nowhere), sister E realized that the gas light was on and our tank was on empty.. we remembered having seen a gas station farther down so we kept going and made it there, but turns out it was the remains of what was once a gas station, converted into a lokal (bar/cafe). We told the lady working there about our problem and she immediately whipped out her phone and called up a friend for some help. We seized the opportunity and invited her to watch the Christmas vid NjeShpetimtarKaLindur along with her cute little son, and some xhaxhis in the corner declined our invite but then were craning their necks to watch while it played.. we had just finished testifying of what it means to us to have a savior when her friend rolled up on his little motorcycle, carrying 3 old fanta bottles filled with benzin which he poured into our makin while we set up a return appointment with A (tomorrow afternoon! And diff. A- confusing with just 1st letters sorry).

Last night we had a blast caroling with our whole district in Berat. Reminded me of Prishtina becasue 1. beautiful downtown/shesh, 2. super cold, and 3. tons of educated, open-minded people to talk to. It was especially powerful singing "Angels we have heard on high" as missionaries out there, because as President Weidmann reminds us, we're comparable to the angels mentioned in the scriptures; proclaiming these glad tidings of great joy! 

JU DUA SHUUME, especially this time of year, I have to admit I think about my fam more around Christmastime (not in a trunky way no worries ha), and I don't know what I did to get you as my parents and siblings but honestly I'm just feeling extremely blessed and so grateful for all of you and I loove youu allll <3 Froehliche Weihnachten!

Motra Rajlli <3 :)

PS don't be alarmed if you don't hear from me for a while.. we won't have p-day next week because of Christmas but, I will think of you when funny/ interesting stuff happens and tell you face-to-face soon ;)

caroling in Berat! soo fun just singing/ testifying/ getting #s and it is beautiful there btw..... 

our district minus the other sisters! plus a future investigator.. 

so great to have lessons with former-investigators in Durres

got to see these sweet ladies back in Durres.. powerful lesson testifying about Christ even though they're still Muslim 

took this cute &feisty nene to some lessons, her first time helpin the missionaries and it was awesome!

  

flashback to last transfer.. weird walking around Durres not sweaty

branch president's wife fed us some lentils (in meat juice) when we stopped by for a lesson and happened to be starving

and Lushnje got some Christmas lights.. who needs TempleSquare

+++++++++++++++

From Madi's comp's update:

We had the cutest baptism this week! Little S got baptized by her dad who was just baptized a few weeks ago. She was adorable. The poor thing was so cold though because the water in the font was freezing. But when she got the Holy Ghost in Sacrament Meeting, she blew kisses to everyone and was all smiles.  

We had a crazy/typical missionary experience on Saturday morning. As I was driving to a village for a lesson, I look at the gas level and realize we are dangerously low and the gas light is on. We are in the middle of nowhere and realize we are in a slight dilemma. We remembered there was a gas station coming up so we go there, but it was an empty gas station with no gas... -_- haha So we asked a nice lady who worked there for help and she called a man to come bring us some. As we were waiting, we had a lesson with her in her cafe and showed her the Christmas video. It was so cool! And then the gas guy came with three soda bottles filled with liquid that smelled like gas and dumped it into our car. It was pretty sketchy, but we didn't really have any other option because we were in the middle of nowhere Albania. We go on our way and the gas light doesn't go off so we left our car at the bottom of a huge rocky hill that we think wouldn't make it up. Then we trek up the hill to our lesson and have a really cool lesson about baptism. As we left the lesson in the car, the gas light goes off and all was well. But it was quite the experience!

On Sunday night the Elders and us drive to Berat to do Christmas Caroling contacting and it was SO awesome! We met up with the missionaries and members there and sang Albanian hymns for about 2 hours. The people loved it! By the end of the night, I couldn't feel my toes or fingers but my heart was full with the Christmas spirit! :D

 

Week 58 - GEZUAR Krishtlindjen :)

 T's adorable grandkids who helped us street contact and sang with us while we caroled for a few.. I had a couple extra nametags 

shqiponja w gloves before zone conf   /  drive back to Lushnja

drivin around a bunch of Albanians :) they're so awesome 

  and some sisters in our zone

hiked to an awesome restoration lesson 

this amazing new investigator! i'll tell you her story in the email because we stumbled across her and her fam and they are soo hospitable and kind and ready for the gospel!! 

made snickerdoodles and read the nativity at cute M's house with her cuute parents 

 

awesome member T

Hey! Ah so much cool stuff has happened, so much fun stuff planned.. let's just say my comp. and I love an excuse to get festive and we're goin all out for our first-and only- Christmas here in Shqiperi as full-time missionaries. Plus the ppl here don't do much for Christmas.. they have some decorations shyqyr but generally they're for new year's.. so we make up what they lack? Ha 

For example, our training at Zone training was having our whole zone act out the nativity! I suggested it as a joke "let's get them in the Christmas spirit: and sis. E was like "hey. good idea!" so we brought a huge bag of my sweaters and scarves and a couple other props, we read from Luke and Matthew chapters 2 and it was so fun(ny) and everyone seemed a little more enthusiastic after (since we brought cookies and mandarins too, typical us ha) soo success? 

Exactly a week ago today we had an amazing lesson.. we'd met this cool girl, A, in Lushnje and she invited us to her house so of course we got her digits and address and went over...literally in the middle of nowhere and it's a miracle we even found it! Up sketchy dirt roads with huge mud puddles and steep hills with vague directions.. pitch black out in some tiny fshat.. but we made it to her cozy house, filled with 6 new investigators! Her sweet, awesome parents and some uncles and cousins who had just gotten back from Greece and Italy (typical) and they fed us a huuge dinner and we had a nice lesson and then when we went back, A had read the restoration pamphlet thoroughly and recognized Joseph Smith's story as we taught. We're excited to follow up on that. 

It was a little disappointing/frustrating when noone from Gungas came to church.. excuses and complaints but lacking the effort and drive from within. Oh also I guess all the grandparents and neighbors say we're isis? That's a new one. L, the dad of that awesome family who got baptized a month ago, got the aaronic priesthood on Sunday and will baptize the (11-yo! looks younger) daughter, S, Sunday morning. It's amazing. Also caroled at the city (town) center yesterday and it was amazing, took along the grandkids of a recent convert and the elders joined us (one belted out bass while the other handed out cards) and it was awesome! I'm so grateful to be serving here at this special time! And check out the cool website: krishtlindja.mormon.org!! 

Here's the "pride-ception" epiphany I mentioned last week haha: (And there's a little graph/diagram that goes with it but no way to put on here so picture one ha)

When we compare ourselves to others, we fall into the trap of becoming stagnant; under the false impression that we are doing better than we actually are. Then we settle for less because as we look down at those who are living at lower performance levels we notice our own relative height, when we should be looking up in order to recognize our full dependency on God in his infinite glory. A healthy recognition of divine potential paired with a humble acknowledgement of mortal imperfection is the only way to progress. (Those are the effect-eternal perspective- and cause-need for repentance- of Christ's atonement.) Not only understanding, but applying our Savior's great sacrifice is key because it is the only way we are able to press forward with hope. Our eternal nature yearns to improve. The Adversary is aware of this and so he whispers to us that we're alright because compared to nothing we are something, but something is so much less than everything we were created to be. Essentially, we are battling our own pride as we fight to remain aware of our constant need for improvement while the natural man pats himself on the back and insists that he is doing just fine. 

(That was my version.. we kinda discussed and jotted down in our own words.. hope it makes sense to youu! It's a little wordy..I can tell I've been reading conference talks lately..)

LOVE YOU ALL<3 

Motra Rajlli :)

haha back with the mtc group ;)

one of our investigators J got us these cute mugs

recognize the dress haha?

 sending you pics from my comp's camera this transfer... so these are from October actually :)

we took this one night when we wanted to see if we looked as tired as we felt ha 

gezuar with A and her fam! The family we found.. way out there.. and btw the little white glasses have raki, they still have to be taught Fjala e Urtesise 

Lushnje (snapped from the car window, not a tourist no worries)

haha berat p-day panorama