This is the second time I have written this, so if you got something before and no news was on it, that is why. We aren't sure what happened, but here goes again.
It is hard to believe we only have three weeks left. We have been trying to "clean" this apartment to leave it somewhat nice for the new couple. And no, a couple has not been called as yet, we we are hoping before we leave, someone will have been. So we are going to Plan B. The Volz's (couple in Vlore) have volunteered to come to Tirana Monday through Wednesday and take care of FHE and Institute on Wednesday. Then they will return to Vlore and take care of their commitments at their Center the rest of the week. This is wonderful of them to do this and will greatly bless the lives of our YA's. The Willis', another couple in Tirana, know of our situation and are willing to help out where needed. We haven't talked to them as yet, but will do so soon. It is going to be hard to leave and not have someone here full time to take over, but we have enough faith to know the Lord is mindful of our needs and things will work out. There are missionaries that used to be in our district we need to go and see before leaving, and the Lamis' also. We are all having withdrawals not being together, so we need to go and say goodbye.
We have had six YA's called to go on missions this month. Four are going to England, one to America, and we don't know where the other one from Durres is going as yet. Both Jona (Yona) and Erblina will be coming to the Provo MTC in November, then Jona will go to England and Erblina will go to Minnesota. We are excited about them because if they can come a few days early, we can pick them up and take them around SLC and to the temple before they have to go to the MTC. They are excited as well, as we have been very close to both of them. At Church today two more YA's told us they wanted to start working on their papers. As one, Ola, was just baptized five months ago, she will have to wait a few months, but Jola (Yola) can start on her's right now. Sidi is also working on his papers, and come October he will have been a member a year and can go. What blessings these YA's will be as returned missionaries, they will have a strong testimony, a greater knowledge of the gospel and really learn how the Church functions. They will be a great strength to the rest of the YA's when they return.
I have been playing the piano in the 2nd Branch for a few months now, and sometimes I even play it in 4th Branch. Today was one of those days. It doesn't matter how the notes are written, the members sing the way they learned the song, even though it is wrong. It is like I am playing a solo at the end, because they are finished with the song and there are still notes to be played. Before I am finished they just start singing the next verse. It is a lesson in futility to try and change anything. But I am stubborn enough that I still play as it is written.
We had a swimming party with the YA's yesterday and we were preparing ourselves for the bathing suits the girls wear. They do not sell one piece suits here, or if they do, we have never seen any. The girls do not understand "modest" and even though we have taught dress standards many times, they continue to dress the same way. Hopefully some day, "modest" will catch on and they will understand the need to look better. We had 18 boys show and only one girl; the girl did not go into the water, so our fears were unnecessary.
It is going to be hard to leave our YA's as we have grown to love them so. We have bought 5 x 7 pictures of Christ and framed them and will put our testimony on the back as a little gift of our love for them. We are having a gathering on August 19 to say goodbye and give them some last thoughts from us. They are so used to having couples come and go, they will be able to move on, and so will we, but it will be hard to say goodbye. Living in an apartment is wonderful for missions, but we do miss our yard, garden, patio (not the myrtle) and flowers. Of course, we miss our family most of all and will be happy to be home with all of them. We will be content to let our grandchildren serve their missions, and give them love and support as they serve. We are proud of Sami and her desire to serve, and know there will be many more following. Thank you family for all your love and support.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Frankfurt, Temple, Asplunds, Sunday dinner
June has come and gone and our heads are spinning from how fast it went. It was a very full month with the highlight being able to go to the Frankfurt Temple. The Church has a Temple Patron Fund which basically allows those attending for the first time in nations where temples are not easy to get to, to attend the temple free of charge. They make whatever contribution they can, and the fund covers the rest. This is a great blessing in the lives of struggling nations where attendance at a temple would be an impossibility otherwise. We took ten new endowees and five returns, plus two children. Nineteen in all including us. It was a wonderful experience and will be one of the highlights of our mission. Getting Albanians anywhere is always interesting, but taking them into airports, changing planes, and all that goes with it, was quite stress related. One sister, Prendë, just could not understand that her luggage would be with her when we landed in Frankfurt. She wanted to go back up in the plane and find her luggage. We had to physically pull her along so she wouldn't miss the connection. The Rome airport is a nightmare. We know the Lord was blessing us because we made it from point A to point B. There will be many stories to tell about this. The real blessings came at the Temple.
Many had prepared family names (thanks to Sister Volz) to take, and these were the main focus during the week. Tears came readily when they walked in the first time and saw the beauty of the temple. The temple workers were wonderful to our little group, and the Temple Presidency couldn't have been more patient and loving. Believe me it is always a worry when you take Albanians anywhere, they are a very different breed. But they were on their best behavior and except for a few mishaps, the week went well. Saturday we had a 2 1/2 sealing session with the temple president, where the family names were sealed. It was a very spiritual sealing and many were overcome with emotion.
The Asplunds, a couple over all the Centers in Europe, came and took us siteseeing Thursday. We played hooky (with permission), and it was a wonderful day. We ate ribs and real salad, saw the Rhine River with little villages along it, even shopped in one of the villages. The countryside was beautiful and it was a day to remember. We will be forever grateful to the Asplunds for their kindness that day and the whole time we have been on our mission. They have always encouraged us to find a new Center and have visited Albania four times, so we feel quite close to them.
Today is Fast Sunday and, as always, we have the missionaries in our district over for dinner. Today was a special occasion because one of the Elders (Anderson) will be leaving for home on Tuesday. We also had Elder Holmes (from Woodruff) who is also leaving Tuesday and his companion. That made eight elders to feed. They know how to eat. We had a 4th of July lunch with homemade ice cream and cookies after. They were all holding their stomachs and moaning. Why they eat so much, I don't know, but they do love home cooked meals.
We just had apartment inspections (which we do quarterly before transfers) and in one of the apartments I asked the elders what color their drapes were supposed to be. They said grey. I said I don't think so. We told them how to wash the curtains and hang them back up in case they felt the need to do so. At 10:00 p.m. that night we got a call, telling us "yep, we were right, the curtains were white". These elders are wonderful and we learn to love them. It is always hard because we lose so many, but there is always room to love those who come to us.
Time is going fast. First we wondered how we were going to fill our time, now we are wondering how we are going to get everything done we want to do. But that is how things go. We are still very grateful for the opportunities we are having and can feel the Lord's hand guiding us as we go. We are not enjoying the weather (today real feel 106), but we love those whom we serve and will have great memories when we get home.
Many had prepared family names (thanks to Sister Volz) to take, and these were the main focus during the week. Tears came readily when they walked in the first time and saw the beauty of the temple. The temple workers were wonderful to our little group, and the Temple Presidency couldn't have been more patient and loving. Believe me it is always a worry when you take Albanians anywhere, they are a very different breed. But they were on their best behavior and except for a few mishaps, the week went well. Saturday we had a 2 1/2 sealing session with the temple president, where the family names were sealed. It was a very spiritual sealing and many were overcome with emotion.
The Asplunds, a couple over all the Centers in Europe, came and took us siteseeing Thursday. We played hooky (with permission), and it was a wonderful day. We ate ribs and real salad, saw the Rhine River with little villages along it, even shopped in one of the villages. The countryside was beautiful and it was a day to remember. We will be forever grateful to the Asplunds for their kindness that day and the whole time we have been on our mission. They have always encouraged us to find a new Center and have visited Albania four times, so we feel quite close to them.
Today is Fast Sunday and, as always, we have the missionaries in our district over for dinner. Today was a special occasion because one of the Elders (Anderson) will be leaving for home on Tuesday. We also had Elder Holmes (from Woodruff) who is also leaving Tuesday and his companion. That made eight elders to feed. They know how to eat. We had a 4th of July lunch with homemade ice cream and cookies after. They were all holding their stomachs and moaning. Why they eat so much, I don't know, but they do love home cooked meals.
We just had apartment inspections (which we do quarterly before transfers) and in one of the apartments I asked the elders what color their drapes were supposed to be. They said grey. I said I don't think so. We told them how to wash the curtains and hang them back up in case they felt the need to do so. At 10:00 p.m. that night we got a call, telling us "yep, we were right, the curtains were white". These elders are wonderful and we learn to love them. It is always hard because we lose so many, but there is always room to love those who come to us.
Time is going fast. First we wondered how we were going to fill our time, now we are wondering how we are going to get everything done we want to do. But that is how things go. We are still very grateful for the opportunities we are having and can feel the Lord's hand guiding us as we go. We are not enjoying the weather (today real feel 106), but we love those whom we serve and will have great memories when we get home.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
"50th" Anniversary Trip, Latest News
Well we made it to 50 years. Quite a feat. Since we weren't on a cruise with our kids, we decided to tour some of our mission. We left Thursday, May 24, and drove to Kosovo. The countryside was beautiful, kind of reminded us of Switzerland with little hamlets all over. The weather was rainy and overcast most of the time, but it only added to the beauty of the country. Pristina, (capital) was not all that exciting. We ate at an Irish Pub for a late lunch, then that night had institute with the YA's - we really taught institute since the teacher couldn't come. But it was fun. I had made some cookies for the elders and we shared them with the YA's. The next morning before leaving for Macedonia, we drove to the only attraction in Pristina which is a statute of Bill Clinton. When the Serbs were trying to kill off all the Muslims in Kosovo, Pres. Clinton stepped in and sent help to stop the invasion. He is a top man among the Albanians who live there and even in Albania he is really liked. We loved Macedonia. Skopje just happens to be the birthplace of Mother Teresa and was the headquarters of Alexander the Great. We took the elders to lunch at McDonald's and had a Big Mac, French fries, and a shake. I don't remember the last time we had a Big Mac, but we weren't hungry until breakfast the next morning. The Jonkers (Yonkers) who are the Humanitarian couple there, drove us around for a few hours and showed us sites they loved. It was a great afternoon. The next morning we drove down to a town called Ohrid (pronounced Oakrid) where the Apostle Paul is said to have baptized Llydia. So much history in Macedonia, it was just neat to think of all that happened there. When we finally crossed over the border into Albania, we were so close to Greece, if we had had time, we would have made a little side trip. All in all it was a fun trip.
Before we left on our trip, Pres. Ford called to ask us if we would like to chaperone the group going to the temple in June. When we got back he had received permission from Germany for us to do so. We are excited because we will spend five days in Frankfurt. Of course, most of them will be at the temple, but we will take some time to see the city. We aren't sure if Sister Hanci is going as she tends to create problems wherever she goes. Last time she tried to hug the guard with an automatic rifle. She is full of life and doesn't speak a word of English, but she is a handful. We love her, but will be happy if she doesn't go on this trip.
The last big transfer really fouled up the organist for the 2/4 branches. In the 4th branch (our branch), we have a 15 year old who plays beautifully and he has agreed to play. But the 2nd branch has been singing without a pianist. After the branch president kind of complained that the Spirit was definitely missing, I consented to play. I told him I was better than nothing, just. Anyway last Sunday was my first time, and Sister Kashari, the chorister, told me through sign language (no English) to watch her. Well she doesn't lead, she sings the wrong notes, she slows down, speeds up, anything but what she should do. So I just play how the songs are written, and will start training some choristers who can lead, and hopefully Pres. Gjini will release her. She is ok with a chorus, but not with a congregation.
We had Zone Conference Wednesday, it was good to be with all the missionaries in our Zone. Neti's (one of our YA's ) mission call has arrived, and we will pick it up tomorrow at the Mission Home so he can open it. There are five more getting their papers ready and we are excited for them all. We had a fireside with all the Branch Presidents and their wives last Sunday where they talked about how the gospel has changed their lives. It was a good evening. Everything else is going good. We seem to be very busy; time is going by fast, and we are still waiting to hear when our release date will be. But it will come.
Before we left on our trip, Pres. Ford called to ask us if we would like to chaperone the group going to the temple in June. When we got back he had received permission from Germany for us to do so. We are excited because we will spend five days in Frankfurt. Of course, most of them will be at the temple, but we will take some time to see the city. We aren't sure if Sister Hanci is going as she tends to create problems wherever she goes. Last time she tried to hug the guard with an automatic rifle. She is full of life and doesn't speak a word of English, but she is a handful. We love her, but will be happy if she doesn't go on this trip.
The last big transfer really fouled up the organist for the 2/4 branches. In the 4th branch (our branch), we have a 15 year old who plays beautifully and he has agreed to play. But the 2nd branch has been singing without a pianist. After the branch president kind of complained that the Spirit was definitely missing, I consented to play. I told him I was better than nothing, just. Anyway last Sunday was my first time, and Sister Kashari, the chorister, told me through sign language (no English) to watch her. Well she doesn't lead, she sings the wrong notes, she slows down, speeds up, anything but what she should do. So I just play how the songs are written, and will start training some choristers who can lead, and hopefully Pres. Gjini will release her. She is ok with a chorus, but not with a congregation.
We had Zone Conference Wednesday, it was good to be with all the missionaries in our Zone. Neti's (one of our YA's ) mission call has arrived, and we will pick it up tomorrow at the Mission Home so he can open it. There are five more getting their papers ready and we are excited for them all. We had a fireside with all the Branch Presidents and their wives last Sunday where they talked about how the gospel has changed their lives. It was a good evening. Everything else is going good. We seem to be very busy; time is going by fast, and we are still waiting to hear when our release date will be. But it will come.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Budva, Missionary transfers, Center
On April 18 and 19, we went to Budva, Montenegro for a couples conference. Budva is beautiful. It is right on the Adriatic Sea and it is hard to believe it is the same sea as in Albania. It is amazing how much cleaner things get when you get out of Albania. All the couples from the Adriatic South Mission were there except the Willis'. It was fun to get to know the couples better and exchange ideas. Pres. Ford talked about the goals of the mission and making Albania a stake by the end of the year 2013. When you are with a group like that you know it is going to happen. Then when you get back to reality you hope it will happen. Conferences like this are good for couples because it unites and helps us to be more supportive of each other. We all have our different responsibilities, so we work independently just doing our callings. But we are here as missionaries and we want to see the Lord's work move ahead in this part of His vineyard, and we can help each other when the need arises.
We had seven new missionaries come two weeks ago, and major transfers within the mission. Our 2/4 branches went from 12 missionaries down to four. They are spread so thin, it is going to take a lot of effort to take care of all they need to do. Missionaries were sent to Montenegro and Macedonia, as well as two more to Kosovo. More missionaries were sent to cities outside of Tirana, which has left Tirana with a skeleton force. Two missionaries have been assigned strictly for interviewing and advancing members to the Melchizedek Priesthood so we can become a stake. Two of our favorite missionaries were sent to other cities. One, Elder McBride from Idaho, had been with us for 10 months. Elder Anderson, from Logan area, for seven months. They were hard to lose. But we got two new ones that are here ready to work and excited to be in the mission field. They are going to be wonderful.
The Center is doing great. Our Institute class on Wednesday night is now divided with new teachers. One on mission prep. and the other on Preparing for the Celestial Kingdom. We still have Saturday night together, and our averages are great. We try and leave the Center by 9:00 p.m. at night, and sometimes we have to send the YA's home. They love to be there. We are preparing for the YA Conference this summer and trying to find a place that will be good. With the money situation here, most of the funds have to come from Germany and they are very particular about how they are spent. Now if it was for EFY, money would be no object, but the YA's are different. We have to work around their rules and they aren't always workable. But things will work out, they always do.
Our time is going fast, and we feel we have, in part, accomplished what the Lord wanted us to do by getting the Center. It was a group effort, and we are so thankful it is now a reality. We are still trying to help the YA's understand the gospel and to put Heavenly Father first. We are so sick of hearing, "I am so busy". We just hope someday Heavenly Father doesn't say that to them. We have a wonderful Council President in Ani, and he has great vision. We are thankful for his leadership. They have a word in Albania "avash, avash", which means "slowly, slowly". We see little improvements all the time and it gives us hope. We love the gospel and are so grateful for the bounteous blessings we have been given. It is wonderful to be able to serve the Lord full time.
We had seven new missionaries come two weeks ago, and major transfers within the mission. Our 2/4 branches went from 12 missionaries down to four. They are spread so thin, it is going to take a lot of effort to take care of all they need to do. Missionaries were sent to Montenegro and Macedonia, as well as two more to Kosovo. More missionaries were sent to cities outside of Tirana, which has left Tirana with a skeleton force. Two missionaries have been assigned strictly for interviewing and advancing members to the Melchizedek Priesthood so we can become a stake. Two of our favorite missionaries were sent to other cities. One, Elder McBride from Idaho, had been with us for 10 months. Elder Anderson, from Logan area, for seven months. They were hard to lose. But we got two new ones that are here ready to work and excited to be in the mission field. They are going to be wonderful.
The Center is doing great. Our Institute class on Wednesday night is now divided with new teachers. One on mission prep. and the other on Preparing for the Celestial Kingdom. We still have Saturday night together, and our averages are great. We try and leave the Center by 9:00 p.m. at night, and sometimes we have to send the YA's home. They love to be there. We are preparing for the YA Conference this summer and trying to find a place that will be good. With the money situation here, most of the funds have to come from Germany and they are very particular about how they are spent. Now if it was for EFY, money would be no object, but the YA's are different. We have to work around their rules and they aren't always workable. But things will work out, they always do.
Our time is going fast, and we feel we have, in part, accomplished what the Lord wanted us to do by getting the Center. It was a group effort, and we are so thankful it is now a reality. We are still trying to help the YA's understand the gospel and to put Heavenly Father first. We are so sick of hearing, "I am so busy". We just hope someday Heavenly Father doesn't say that to them. We have a wonderful Council President in Ani, and he has great vision. We are thankful for his leadership. They have a word in Albania "avash, avash", which means "slowly, slowly". We see little improvements all the time and it gives us hope. We love the gospel and are so grateful for the bounteous blessings we have been given. It is wonderful to be able to serve the Lord full time.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Hospital, visits, meals
We had our first encounter with a public hospital. We have been to the Greek Hospital which is private and one you could feel safe in, but last Sunday night we went with the Zone Leaders to Mother Theresa's Hospital to visit an investigator's brother. Margareta said it would mean a lot to her brother if we went to visit him. So we did. There were no lights on the stairs, the hallways were dimly lit and dirty, the rooms weren't much better. It was hard for us to see the conditions the "common" people have to endure. He had a blessing from the Elders before his surgery, and we just had to have faith and trust in the Lord, knowing His will would be done. These are the things that are really hard for us. Most of the people are so poor, they cannot afford the kind of care they need. The medications are almost useless, yet most people when they are sick want to go to the hospital because they think they will be helped there. It is just sad to watch. Luckily he is home now and doing better. We think Margareta will be baptized next week and hopefully the Elders will be able to teach the rest of her family.
We went on an appointment with the Laprakë Elders Thursday night to very humble people. They are Romas, which are a form of gypsies here in Albania. They live on $30.00 a month, eat one meal a day, the kids can't go to school because they can't afford to buy the books, the father is out of work (as are most of the investigators in Laprakë), but you could feel the Spirit and know they really want to learn about the gospel. Because they have no money, it is hard to know how to handle things. The Elders brought the older son to Institute Wednesday night and he enjoyed it very much. It costs 60 cents to take the bus round trip, and of course they can't afford to let him come. Sixty cents!!! It is hard to imagine when we have so much, they struggle with so little. It would be so easy for us to give him the money to come, but sometimes we just don't know what is right. When members and investigators realize they can get help from the Church, it becomes the first thing they go to. Then word spreads and pretty soon more and more are asking. It is a hard life here, but the Church is not to be taken advantage of either.
One of the customs in Albania is when people come to your home, you give them refreshments. This family bought wrapped chocolate candy, and juice to feed us. Of course, they don't eat or drink any of it, but would feel insulted if you refused. Before we left, they asked if we would come back and visit. It is hard to say no, but it is also hard to go when you know their circumstances. After we left them, we went to the Balas' home so Glen could to see if she would accept a calling. Now the Balas do not have money problems, and just kept bringing out food and drinks. You go from one extreme to the other and just accept what is offered. I was glad the Elders were there so I could give some of my treats to them.
We have had a few elders and one sister go home for sickness and other reasons. It is hard to lose anyone because we have so few missionaries. We will be uneven until July which is a long time. Pres. Ford is working on getting some mini missionaries (missionaries called for a short time that live in Albania) to help out until then so the areas won't have to be closed. We will be having major changes in April which we know will affect our District greatly. We have been so spoiled by having the cream of the crop in our District, at least we feel we do. However, if Laprakë Anderson gets transferred, our food bill will decrease dramatically. He knows how to eat. We will have one last meal together next Sunday, celebrating Glen's and Zone Leader Anderson's birthdays, then we will just see what happens. We love the missionaries and they are very good to us.
We are always learning new things in Albania, some good, some not so good. Glen continues to drive like an Albanian. He will have some nasty habits when we return home. We have started to take road trips just to see some more of the country (with the President's approval, of course). We can now go to three other countries which we intend to do in the next few months. The Center is doing great, and the weather is warming up. So life is good and the gospel is true. What more could we ask.
We went on an appointment with the Laprakë Elders Thursday night to very humble people. They are Romas, which are a form of gypsies here in Albania. They live on $30.00 a month, eat one meal a day, the kids can't go to school because they can't afford to buy the books, the father is out of work (as are most of the investigators in Laprakë), but you could feel the Spirit and know they really want to learn about the gospel. Because they have no money, it is hard to know how to handle things. The Elders brought the older son to Institute Wednesday night and he enjoyed it very much. It costs 60 cents to take the bus round trip, and of course they can't afford to let him come. Sixty cents!!! It is hard to imagine when we have so much, they struggle with so little. It would be so easy for us to give him the money to come, but sometimes we just don't know what is right. When members and investigators realize they can get help from the Church, it becomes the first thing they go to. Then word spreads and pretty soon more and more are asking. It is a hard life here, but the Church is not to be taken advantage of either.
One of the customs in Albania is when people come to your home, you give them refreshments. This family bought wrapped chocolate candy, and juice to feed us. Of course, they don't eat or drink any of it, but would feel insulted if you refused. Before we left, they asked if we would come back and visit. It is hard to say no, but it is also hard to go when you know their circumstances. After we left them, we went to the Balas' home so Glen could to see if she would accept a calling. Now the Balas do not have money problems, and just kept bringing out food and drinks. You go from one extreme to the other and just accept what is offered. I was glad the Elders were there so I could give some of my treats to them.
We have had a few elders and one sister go home for sickness and other reasons. It is hard to lose anyone because we have so few missionaries. We will be uneven until July which is a long time. Pres. Ford is working on getting some mini missionaries (missionaries called for a short time that live in Albania) to help out until then so the areas won't have to be closed. We will be having major changes in April which we know will affect our District greatly. We have been so spoiled by having the cream of the crop in our District, at least we feel we do. However, if Laprakë Anderson gets transferred, our food bill will decrease dramatically. He knows how to eat. We will have one last meal together next Sunday, celebrating Glen's and Zone Leader Anderson's birthdays, then we will just see what happens. We love the missionaries and they are very good to us.
We are always learning new things in Albania, some good, some not so good. Glen continues to drive like an Albanian. He will have some nasty habits when we return home. We have started to take road trips just to see some more of the country (with the President's approval, of course). We can now go to three other countries which we intend to do in the next few months. The Center is doing great, and the weather is warming up. So life is good and the gospel is true. What more could we ask.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Pictures
Grand Opening, Zone Conference, District Conference
From the time we first arrived we have been working on finding a new Center. Now that that has become a reality, it is hard to put into words the difference it makes in our YA's. They are so excited to have "their" place, where they don't have to share it with any one else. We had our grand opening Friday, Feb. 17 with a short program, then dinner and dance. We had 85 people there, which was standing room only. Glen spoke and told of Elder Perry's vision, Pres. Kashari (District Pres.) said a few words and Pres. Ford (mission pres.) also. We fed them sloppy joes, Greek salad, rice with corn, and drinks with cookies and brownies for dessert. It always amazes me how much food they can eat. It is fun to have a workable kitchen and rooms for recreation and institute, plus library and computer room. It will take us a few weeks to get the walls with pictures and make things really workable. We have a big screen TV, new ping pong table and a Foosball table. If we could find an air hockey table, we would get that also. All in all we are pleased and excited to see how happy the YA's are with their Center.
It seems for the last few weeks all I have done is cook. We had Zone Conference with Elder Kopechke and the AP's asked for my advice on what to have for lunch and hinted it would be nice if I would cook. Plus Pres. Ford had already asked if I would prepare the lunch for the visitors, mission presidency and the district presidency the next day. I am tired of cooking and hope we don't have any more big events for a while. We were well taught by Elder Kopechke and of all the Area Presidency, he has been the best to lift the missionaries. Because he came, they decided to have District Conference which was a disaster. There were no venues available at such short notice, so Fahti got involved and we rented the Millennium movie theater. Well, the seating was for 250 and we needed at least 400 hundred seats. They brought in chairs from everywhere, the sound system didn't work in the back, very little lighting, and too many speakers. The president of the Frankfurt Temple and his wife came also and they spoke for 20 and 27 minutes. That left Elder Kopechke about 10 minutes. Of course, he blamed it on the Albanians taking too much time (there was one Albanian speaker, Pres. Kashari). It just goes to show you how Germany looks upon Albania. It kind of left the whole weekend on a sour note.
We have been doing a lot of visiting with the Elders to investigators and members. It is always a wake-up call to see how some members have been baptized without really understanding the principles of the gospel. One member we will visit again tonight, has a cross on her wall, believes all churches are true, but likes our Church best because of the Holy Ghost. The missionaries are starting from scratch teaching her and her family the gospel. Glen and I had a picture of Christ framed today to take to her in hopes she understands it is the risen Lord we reverence. We want to get that cross off the wall, out of her ears, and off her neck. We had a great baptism last Saturday of Jenny (15), James (17) and their mother. James was so ready to be baptized and we can see a future missionary in him. Jenny is quiet, but we know she has a testimony also. Their mother is very happy and their father showed up for the baptism. It is hard to convince newly baptized members that our meetings last three hours. This is always a work in progress.
Things are going good. We are now in the Adriatic South Mission which includes Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. The headquarters will still be in Tirana, but it is exciting to see all the Balkins now part of missions. Since we are supposed to stay within our mission boundaries, our boundaries have now been enlarged and we can go a lot further. Of course, I am sure we will still need permission, but it is exciting nonetheless. It is our year mark today and we are looking forward to our next six months and the opportunities we will have with the Center.
It seems for the last few weeks all I have done is cook. We had Zone Conference with Elder Kopechke and the AP's asked for my advice on what to have for lunch and hinted it would be nice if I would cook. Plus Pres. Ford had already asked if I would prepare the lunch for the visitors, mission presidency and the district presidency the next day. I am tired of cooking and hope we don't have any more big events for a while. We were well taught by Elder Kopechke and of all the Area Presidency, he has been the best to lift the missionaries. Because he came, they decided to have District Conference which was a disaster. There were no venues available at such short notice, so Fahti got involved and we rented the Millennium movie theater. Well, the seating was for 250 and we needed at least 400 hundred seats. They brought in chairs from everywhere, the sound system didn't work in the back, very little lighting, and too many speakers. The president of the Frankfurt Temple and his wife came also and they spoke for 20 and 27 minutes. That left Elder Kopechke about 10 minutes. Of course, he blamed it on the Albanians taking too much time (there was one Albanian speaker, Pres. Kashari). It just goes to show you how Germany looks upon Albania. It kind of left the whole weekend on a sour note.
We have been doing a lot of visiting with the Elders to investigators and members. It is always a wake-up call to see how some members have been baptized without really understanding the principles of the gospel. One member we will visit again tonight, has a cross on her wall, believes all churches are true, but likes our Church best because of the Holy Ghost. The missionaries are starting from scratch teaching her and her family the gospel. Glen and I had a picture of Christ framed today to take to her in hopes she understands it is the risen Lord we reverence. We want to get that cross off the wall, out of her ears, and off her neck. We had a great baptism last Saturday of Jenny (15), James (17) and their mother. James was so ready to be baptized and we can see a future missionary in him. Jenny is quiet, but we know she has a testimony also. Their mother is very happy and their father showed up for the baptism. It is hard to convince newly baptized members that our meetings last three hours. This is always a work in progress.
Things are going good. We are now in the Adriatic South Mission which includes Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania. The headquarters will still be in Tirana, but it is exciting to see all the Balkins now part of missions. Since we are supposed to stay within our mission boundaries, our boundaries have now been enlarged and we can go a lot further. Of course, I am sure we will still need permission, but it is exciting nonetheless. It is our year mark today and we are looking forward to our next six months and the opportunities we will have with the Center.
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