Gëzuar Krishtlinje!!!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I had a wonderful Christmas here in Albania with my Albanian family! Christmas really isn't that huge in Albania however News Years on the other hand apparently is insane here in Albania. We have to be in our residence at 4pm this Saturdayinstead of the usual 9pm so it'll be super fun to experience an Albanian Vitë të Ri (New Years) this year!
So here are some Culture Shocks of the Week:
1. You know you're not in America when you're driving on the road next to a man riding on his donkey. Him along with the goat herder across the street :)
2. A lot of our lessons are taught either in people's homes next to their portable fireplace or gathered around portable heaters.
3. I have never had food so FRESH! You buy all your fresh fruits and vegetables at this farmer's market called Treg, or heaven ;) Also everything is so cheap I could get 5 apples for 50 cents! Also, I had a popular drink called Dhallë which is basically greek yogurt mixed with water and salt. It's as bad as it sounds.
4. Being an American qualifies me for instant arranged marriage. I went to the store this week and met one of the workers. She found out I was American and was like, "Oh I have a son! You can marry him and take him to America!" Good thing I didn't really understand what she said until my companion told me afterwards. I would've been and was speechless anyway.
I love it here and have seen so many miracles here on my mission. Just through all my experiences, I can just see how much our Heavenly Father loves us and blesses others to have His gospel and His love in their lives. This past Saturday Aleksia got baptized. She was hesitant this week because she wasn't sure if she was ready to commit her life to live the gospel, but after we shared a lesson on our purpose here on earth, she right in the middle said, "I'm ready. I want this. Can I still be baptized tomorrow?" Just seeing her light and her happiness after she was baptized was unforgettable. She said she knew she did the right thing!
Another friend of ours that we are teaching named Enkeleda has been such a miracle this week! She said that she had school and then she has a course later. She lives in a village so she is here in Korcë in between school and this course. Usually she goes to the bus to meet up with some friends but she felt that she should walk down the Boulevard that day. That is the day that she ran into us and we had a lesson with her right then! The lesson was so powerful and she shared her desire to read the Book of Mormon and the spirit that she feels when she prays. She said she felt such a happiness when she was with us. We shared with her that the impression for her to walk down the Boulevard is the Spirit. God loves us so much to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ on this earth and I am here to share that. I have truly seen our message, the gospel of Jesus Christ, change lives.
One last story: we had this activity on Christmas Eve where we did the White Elephant gift exchange. According to the number you draw, is when it's your turn to either take the gift from a previous person or pick a new one. There were 3 little kids there. So one of the gifts wrapped was a Book of Mormon and this little girl, about 11 years old, went to open up the Book of Mormon and when she opened it, her eyes lit up and she hugged it and loved it! Then the 2 other children there were jealous. The next boy, about 13 years, when it was his turn, out of all the toys and all the gifts, he went for the Book of Mormon. The little girl, his cousin, was like, "I'll give up all my gifts and my toys to have the Book of Mormon!" It was such a powerful experience to watch that desire to have the Book of Mormon. Are we willing to give up all that we have to seek the Word of God? To seek the Kingdom of God?
I just want to leave with you how much I know the Book of Mormon is true. It brings happiness, joy, and the love of God into your life. The only way to discover that is to read it. It truly is the word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ in addition to the Bible. When you read it and feel something within you whether that be peace or happiness, that is the spirit testifying that it is true. I have come to know of it's truth myself and have felt the most happiness and the most peace as I read it.
Moroni 10:3-5 (Book of Mormon)
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
I know this to be true. I invite you to read it everyday! Whether that be a chapter a day or 5 minutes a day and you will come to feel of the love of God and come to know of the fullness of His gospel. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Have a wonderful week and a Happy New Year! Tell me all about your Christmas adventures! I love you tons!
P.S. I'll be sending pictures later today.
Christmas outfit from family
Albania :)
I tried byrek and DHALLE!!
Familja ime në Shqiperi :)
We had some trouble setting up the baptismal font...
Aleksia and my companion, Motra Cajupi :)
Aleksia got baptized!
Christmas morning
Christmas Dinner with Endri and Sonila
Motra Cajupis grandma knit us wool ocks. She's the best!
Merry Christmas. This won't last long....
Zhaneta made us delicious byrek for lunch today!!
This is the conversion story of Natalie's companion she is serving with in Albania. It was published in the April 2016 Liahona.
It was an early morning in 2008 when my mother woke me up to go to school. I was really happy that morning, but I didn’t know that it would turn into the worst day of my life or the last time I would be with her. I didn’t finish all my classes that day because a friend of our family had to pick me up and tell me that my mom had killed herself. I was only 12 years old.
I thought, “How can I live without my mother?” She was my best friend.
I cried for months. I didn’t like going to school because the other children treated me differently and felt sorry for me. I had no clue what I was supposed to do; I only knew I had to be strong for everyone else.
One day, five or six months after my mom’s death, I was alone in my room by the window, crying, trying to understand what I was here for. Suddenly I heard a voice in my head: “You are my daughter; I won’t let you suffer.” I knew it was God. But it surprised me because I didn’t believe in Him anymore, especially since I felt that it was God who had taken my mother from me. Even though I didn’t know what He meant, I felt safe.
Three years later I went to Rome, Italy, to visit my uncle. He kept telling me about this church he went to. One Sunday, he took me with him. I will always remember walking toward the church’s doors for the first time and feeling the love of Heavenly Father when I went in. It felt like home.
I started going to church every single Sunday and to every activity during the week. I loved being with the youth of the Church. They made me happier. They thought and believed in the same things that I did. Then, after three months, my summer holiday finished and I had to go back to Albania.
When I returned home, I told my dad about the feelings I had had and how happy I had felt during all that time. He didn’t like it. He told me he wouldn’t allow me to continue to go to church or learn more about it. So I would have to be patient for the next three years until I turned 18 years old. Then I could decide for myself and get baptized.
During this time I was blessed with so many people who would tell me about what they learned each Sunday at church. One of those people was Stephanie. She had been living in Italy when my uncle joined the Church, but she had returned to her home in the United States. My uncle thought it would be good for us to write to each other, so I added her as a friend on Facebook.
Even though we had never met in person, I will always be grateful to her for helping me build my faith and learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. She wrote to me almost every Sunday and told me everything she learned in church and then would answer my questions. She was a great friend to me.
Finally, after years of being patient, I was baptized just two days after my 18th birthday. And soon I will share with my mother the happiness I felt that day, because I will be baptized for her. I know she will be proud of the life I have chosen.
I feel blessed by Heavenly Father because He was with me during my entire journey in so many ways. I just had to wait and be patient because He had a plan for me. He’s the one who gave me strength to go through all the challenges I faced. He was always there, helping me be happier.
Mirupafshim! Të dua!
Motra Olsen
Letters:
Adriatic South Mission
Sister Natalie Olsen
POB 2984
Bulevardi "Gjergj Fishta"
Qendra "Alpas", Shkalla #5, Apt #14
Tirana
Albania
(If you can't send it with the POB box number, you can just send it without it. I'll still get it)
