Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: From the Salon to the Vet :)

Mirëdita!! Më bëhet qejfi që ju jeni mirë ;)

Wow summer is coming and you know what that means? CHERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES! And people leaving the city. That's super awesome that they get to go out and travel but a bummer for us to meet and talk to them! What to do! Happy summer!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. I wanted to describe a little bit about what the city Tirana looks like. Basically it is large apartment buildings everywhere with bakeries on every corner selling bread, personal shops and grocery markets, salons everywhere (everybody is always getting their hair cuts) and cafes in between all the markets and salons and bakeries. There are vendors along the streets selling clothes, popcorn, fruits, vegetables, milk from their own goats and cows, and ice cream. The streets are just filled with people. I love Tirana!

2. An interesting cultural thing is that most of the time when we go into people's homes, they have us take off our shoes and then they give up slippers to wear around their home. It's super sweet!

3. When a certain fruit is in season, they are sold EVERYWHERE along the streets! Right now it's strawberry and cherry season and honestly that is all I want to eat!

So lately we've been teaching people where they work because honestly, it is all people do here! If someone owns a business or has their own practice here, they work all day and practically live at their work! So as we've been teaching Val in her salon, we are now teaching a mother and a daughter in a Veterinarian Office! We are so excited to share with them more about how much this gospel truly blesses families!

Lili is the cutest thing! I love her so much! She came to church on Sunday again and I don't know if I've met someone busier than her here but she does all that she to be at church to partake of the Sacrament! It's incredible! She is already sharing in church how the temple is our ultimate goal and we literally have only been able to meet with her just a few times. She is awesome and is preparing for BAPTISM on June 3rd!! We are so so happy!!

Funny story, we were out looking for this member's home out in the middle of nowhere on these abandoned streets outside of the city of Tirana. When we discovered we were probably not going the right way, we were coming back to see a herd of goats along with the goat herder. We were questioning why he was staring at us for so long then we realized-how often do you see 2 American girls in skirts in the outskirts and abandoned streets of Albania? haha

Something I have come to learn and realize this week is truly what it means to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. As I have been talking with people, they have shared with me that their belief is doing good and that's it. A lot of people do not know about Christ here and being able to share with them about Christ is powerful! When we do good, when we serve, when we show our love for someone else, it is because we are following Christ and His example! Everything good comes from God! When we do the little things for others, we feel good because we are doing as Christ did: teaching, serving, and loving as He did! Our purpose here is to become like Christ each and every day! Yes there are plenty of trials and errors but ultimately as we look to Christ every day and strive to walk AS He walked, serve AS He served, and love AS He loved, we will find the greatest joy! As we come to study His life and how He served and apply that in our lives, it is then that we come to understand how much we are truly loved by our Savior and Father in Heaven.

COOL THING! Some of you, or maybe even all of you know about this and I have just been oblivious, but in the back of the Book of Mormon or the back of the Quad in the Topical Guide under the gospel, there is a timeline of Christ's life with all the scriptures in the Bible that maps out Christ's life! You can join me in studying the life of Christ! I love you all so much and I hope you have a wonderful week!