Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: Princ i Paqes

Përshëndetje ju të gjithë! How's your week been? This past week has been such an awesome week and we have so many incredible events coming up I'm so excited!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. Families are huge here in Albania. Families are so important in this culture and my favorite thing is to see mothers walking in the streets with their babies in strollers. Literally, there are strollers everywhere! My favorite thing is getting on a bus and being surrounded by a bunch of ladies and their strollers. I'm just impressed with their skills getting them on the bus!

2. So no joke, Albania has like an unspoken naptime from the hours of 2-4pm. During that time, there are like no one in the streets and when we try to visit people or meet new people, they always say, "don't you know we're sleeping?" It's the best!

3. I think one of the reasons I was sent to this mission is that the Lord knew how much I love ice cream. Oh my goodness is it good and it is everywhere! Funny story, I've been asking for samples at the ice cream shops multiple times and then when I got ice cream with Motra Cajupi this week and asked to try a sample, she laughed at me and told me Albania is not like America. It makes so much sense now that previous ice cream workers were so confused but gave me samples anyways haha woops :)

So this week I got to go on yet another exchange and this time I was so blessed to have Motra Cajupi come here to Tirana with me for a day. It truly was a blessing as we went out and really focused on street contacting and talking with the people. Through this experience, it was an answer to my prayers as my faith grew and my desire to talk to everyone has increased so that I can do all that I can to serve the Lord and share this gospel of joy to everyone here in Tirana.

A cool story we had this week as we were walking to a lesson, a lady stopped us in the apartment complex and told us, "What is that book, the Book of Mormon? Can I have one and can I read it?" we are so excited and are meeting with her this week to share our message about Christ and the Book of Mormon. I have just been seeing so many people placed in our paths and we are meeting with them all this week so I will let you know how it goes next week!

Some other activities we experienced this week to find more people was that we started English course again! We passed out about 5,000 flyers and got a good amount of people that came! It was awesome! I have my own little class and I teach the advanced English course. At the end of each class, we are able to share a little spiritual thought with everyone then invite them to learn more. Another beautiful experience I had this week was all of the Tirana missionaries, we got together to sing hymns to advertise for this beautiful event we are having for Easter. You don't really see a lot of choirs singing in the streets of Tirana, or any, so it was cool to have some people gather around and some people said their child heard us down the street and begged them to come and see.

Something that's been really standing out to me is that for this upcoming Easter, we have a message focusing on Christ and about Him as the Prince of Peace (or Princ i Paqes). In Isaiah 9:6 it says, "...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Christ truly is the Prince of Peace. It is only through Him that we can find peace.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

He can only come unto us and comfort us if we accept him; if we follow Him. He loves us so much that He is giving US the choice to accept Him. If we truly desire peace in this life, then we need to accept Him and come unto Him. Then through doing that, He can come unto us. As I was going through a hard time this week, I was thinking about how I can obtain peace. I then turned to the scriptures and read John 14:18 "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." I then dropped to my knees and poured my heart out to my Heavenly Father and I felt such a peace. I know that ways that we can come unto Him is through prayer and through the scriptures. I have felt the greatest peace and it is only through the Savior that we can obtain this peace. I invite you to see this message https://www.mormon.org/ about #PRINCEofPEACE. You will find peace as you come unto Him. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a wonderful week! You are in my prayers! And tell me a funny story you experienced this week :)

Back together with my mama Motra Cajupi! (first companion/trainer)

I found this run down, small wood shop here in Tirana and this man can carve ANYTHING into wood! I gave him my favorite picture of Christ and this is how it turned out!