Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: Gëzuar Pashket!!

Gëzuar Pashket!! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! This past week was very eventful and only really pictures can explain haha

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. Easter is not as big of a holiday here however when people do celebrate, tons of people give out hard boiled eggs died red.

2. It is possible to walk into America in Albania. We went into an American Embassy neighborhood as one of our members invited us over for Easter dinner. Literally we walked in and saw lawns, trampolines, garages-it was crazy how much it felt like being back home! Then to top it off, we had mash potatoes, ham, and a lot of food you can't really find in the streets of Albania :)

3. The older men here in Albania are called xhaxhis (jaw-jee) and we have parks we like to call xhaxhi parks here in Tirana. Literally you passed by a park, and it is filled with old men and they spend their days sitting on cardboard boxes playing dominoes or cards. It is my favorite things. Sometimes I think parks are built just for them.

So this week was filled with a ton of activities! One of my wards had an activity where we had an Easter egg hunt. The difference is we aren't searching for plastic eggs filled with candy and the sadly nonexistent Reese's, but for hard-boiled eggs died red. At church everyone was handing out these eggs died red. It's a thing. :) We also had a beautiful evening this past week for Easter as we shared the #PRINCEofPEACE (#PRINCiPAQES) video along with having musical numbers like a missionary choir and some people playing violin or playing the piano. It was absolutely beautiful and so peaceful to focus on this beautiful holiday centered around Christ! He truly is the Prince of Peace.

This past week I went on another exchange with another set of sisters in Tirana! I got to spend a day with Motra Suko-literally the sweetest thing! She is from Utah but has lived in Austria for some time as her dad is German. I love getting to know so many sisters and learning from them as I go on exchanges! Also it was her birthday this weekend so we all went out to get Mexican Food in Albania! And not going to lie...it was really good :)

So a few stories about the people we are teaching: we were having a lesson on the joy and the gospel that we need to follow to return back to our Father in Heaven and to find eternal happiness through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End. (2 Nephi 31) It truly is so special to share that this is Christ's gospel that we follow to obtain eternal happiness. As we were sharing that with someone we were teaching and we were extending the invitation to baptism, she interrupted us mid-sentence saying, "Yes I would love to!" We are so excited for her desire and to continue helping her along this path!

Another lady we've been teaching, we teach her and then leave her with the Book of Mormon and pamphlets with more information on what we've shared with her that day. The next visits we have we ask what she has read and understood from the last lesson and she then proceeds to literally reteach what we've shared with her last time! We are in awe as she just shares all of these details, some I've never realized before. She is an example to me of truly feasting on the words of Christ. She's always searching to learn it is incredible! As she came with us to church, she was just soaking everything in and asking to take all the books home so she can read and understand the things taught at church more! She is incredible and I am truly seeing her find more hope and more happiness in her life as she instead shares with us the blessings she's seen in her life than the hardships she's faced. One day we passed her in the street and she shared, "I was reading and I was realizing that I am not worthy to enter into God's presence! I need to be clean! Of course I need to get baptized!" What? We are SO excited for her! It is through baptism that we are truly cleansed and we take that first big step following Christ!

I just think of the verse in 2 Nephi 32:3 "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

As we feast upon the words of Christ: The Bible, the Book of Mormon, words from our living prophets, we will know all things that we should do! Another verse stood out to me in 2 Nephi 33:10 "And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good."

Whatever testifies of Christ, is true! If we truly believe in Christ, then whatever testifies of Christ is true! Living prophets testify of Christ; the Book of Mormon testifies; and the Bible testifies! Then through the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, we can feel of that truth and that peace that we have a Savior. Through the words of Christ and through the Holy Ghost, we truly have guidance in our life. I have seen that with this friend that we are teaching. As she feasted on the words of Christ, she has come to know the truth of this message and she has that desire to follow Christ through baptism! This is true happiness and true joy: to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the light and the Way. I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a wonderful week! I love you all so so much!