Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: March 2017

Monday, March 27, 2017

Afër Detit Afër Mbretit

This past week was so awesome! So in my zone of missionaries, I am a Sister Training Leader so I get to serve and help the sisters in the zone. In addition to that, we go on exchanges for a day so I went to Durres for a day this past week. Exchanges means that I go to another area with another companion (Motra Holt) and spent a day doing missionary work there! It was so awesome street contacting by the sea. Let's just say Durres has a saying "Afër detit afër mbretit" which basically means when you're by the beach, you're in heaven. That is exactly how I felt haha

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. The traffic here in Tirana is so crazy that people come out and sell things to you on the highway because everyone is so backed up haha that's the way to go

2. Something really cool is everywhere I go they have their menus in like 5 different languages. What's difficult though is that I can't really read all of the back of the boxes of cereal and sometimes I don't really know what I'm purchasing at the store....even our washing machine is in German so we're just hoping our close are getting cleaned :)

3. I love the random festivals here. One day, people were yelling out to us "Gëzuar!" which is like a way of celebrating! We asked what they were celebrating and to be honest, I still don't know. What I do know is that they make byrek with their families and hide lekë (a dollar bill) in the byrek and whoever gets the slice with the lekë is lucky for a year.

I truly just love this work! I love the members here in Tirana and their willingness to help us in lessons and in everything!. We have all these plans to go out with members and find people's homes and bring the light of Christ back into their lives! There's is so much happening here I love it. I truly have seen the Lord's hand in all things. Just through impressions with talking to people on the streets, taking people's bags and carrying it for them, and the littlest things have brought us to the people that are searching for this truth and the light of Christ in their lives.

This past week I have learned more about the happiness that comes from serving the Lord. I was reading a talk talking about missionary work and one quote that stood out to me was, "When you lose, you win". This is referring to losing yourself in the work. To me, I have learned that losing yourself in the work reaches the point of when the Lord's desires becomes your desires. I have seen the joy that comes from serving my Savior and if I love Him, then I desire to spend every moment searching for those people and serving those people searching for this truth of the gospel of Christ in their lives. Yes, there are moments when every lesson and every plan falls through or I've experienced countless rejections with moments of discouragement but the difference is that through everything, if I love my Savior, I keep going. I continue to desire to serve Him through serving these people. I love my Savior and I know how much He loves us and understands us individually. I can testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a wonderful week and Gëzuar!! For what? I don't know :)

On that random holiday they were giving out hashure (a traditional dessert)

Check out this toilet!! When the horse kicks, it flushes haha

I ate out at that restaurant! The Sea food though....so good!

Lunch in Durres.

A day in Durres.

The back of a cereal box :)

I FOUND CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH!

Spring in Tirana!

We find the coolest things is Tirana haha

Woodrow Wilson! Woooo!

Disneyland 2 in Albania :)

Tirana under the Tirana Lake with a random setting on my camera :)

We ate out at a place called the "Stephen Center" that has American food! They have burgers, fries, waffles, and pancakes, and milkshakes! It may not be the same but it was exciting to have a little taste of America.

One way to street contact....

We stopped by 7 Xhuxhat haha

A Market place here in Tirana.

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)

Email: natalie.olsen@myldsmail.net

mormon.org

Monday, March 20, 2017

Gëzuar Ditë e Verës!

Pershëndetje from Tirana! This city is HUGE! I never knew what it would be like to be a city girl. There are plenty of people to talk to in the streets, just not quite as many so open to hear our message :) My companion is Motra DeCoursey! She's played volleyball, she's super tall, and she was a 2nd grade teacher before she decided to drop everything and serve a mission. That truly is so awesome!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. GEZUAR DITE E VERES! This holiday is HUGE here in Albania! It is "Summer's Day" and there are open fires everywhere symbolizing burning the old and starting with the new as Spring is approaching. People eat these giant cookies here called Ballokume and have little traditions with sleeping with twigs under their pillows and throwing it out the next day to have their dreams come true.

2. Here in Tirana I feel like I'm at a carnival everywhere I go with all kinds of vendors in the streets selling all kinds of fruits with popcorn stands and cotton candy.

3. Due to Albania's history with it being under a communist dictatorship, there are bunkers all over Albania for protection just in case they were attacked during that time. They are concrete domes and you find them in people's back yards. The intent was to have a bunker for every 11 people. For P-Day, we went to the massive 4 story bunker 4 underground! It took about 5 years to be built-and it was never used. hahaIt's now a pretty cool museum though!

So this past week has been filled with a lot of street contacting and finding. We are now starting up a lot of things like English course, sport activities, and Family Home Evening here to really find and meet people here in Tirana! There are SO MANY people here from all over Albania so it's fun to hear the different accents from everyone.

Because we are the sisters over 2 wards (2 areas) we are walking a lot-all over Tirana back and forth! Lessons are different here as we have them on park benches, walking down the streets, and even in local cafes. Right now we are really working on finding people so we will see how this next week goes!

I LOVE CHURCH! Oh my goodness it is so peaceful! I have about 5 hours of church every week because we are over 2 wards and I am just at peace singing hymns, partaking of the Sacrament to remember my Savior, and learning more about my Savior. One thing that really stood out to me was someone in the ward was sharing about the story of Lot's wife in the Bible who looked back longing in the past. He is now a returned missionary and he said as he was thinking about the story, he realized how much he had been looking back at the joys of his mission and not looking to the future. This has impacted me. It's a lot going through change right now and as much as I can look back and think back to the joys and memories I have had in the past, that shouldn't be effecting what I am experiencing now. Instead of looking back longing for the joys in the past, let us look forward to a joyous future. As we always look to improve, to overcome this next trial, and to continue to impact those around us-therein lies everlasting happiness. As we always look forward to the Lord and look to Christ, striving to improve everyday, we will find peace and joy. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Here's an amazing talk from Elder Holland titled, "The Best is Yet to Be" https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/01/the-best-is-yet-to-be?lang=engtalking about looking forward with faith! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Saying goodbye to my Korcë family!

The people here are so giving and so nice! As I was leaving Korcë, the people gave me all kinds of gifts ranging from homemade food to a potted flower :)