Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: 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.