Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: 25 Vjetor!!!!!

Gëzuar 25 Vjetor!!!!! This past weekend was a crazy weekend as we celebrated 25 years of missionaries being in Albania! The members in the stake put on this event and it was HUGE! People from all over came to this event Saturday night, including one of the first missionaries that opened up the country 25 years ago! He shared how he was serving in Germany, and then he received the call and within 5 days was into Albania trying to learn the language and bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in Albania! It is such a blessing to see how much it has grown since then! Some of the people that were included that came to see the big event was KORCA!!!! I got to see my family again!! I honestly cried. I love them so much! We as missionaries sang at the event along with having other musical numbers, a talk from the first missionary, talks from the Stake president and our mission president, and a photo montage. It was a fun event and so special to see all these people gathered here! I am just so thankful to be here in Albania and to be apart of this!!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. One of my favorite things to see are that everybody has little personal fans everywhere due to the heat. They are the Asian fans that open up that have beautiful designs. Also, every woman has a pair of in the house slippers, and out of the house slippers. There are slippers sold everywhere!

2, Religion here is like ethnicity. You're borne into it and people are pretty proud of their ethnic religion. I meet people who say, "I'm half Muslim, half Christian because my mom is Catholic and my dad is Muslim".

3. We went over to a lady's home this week who recently had her husband pass away. It was interesting experiencing the culture as we approached the home and the door was wide open. Usually if the family loses a close member, they stay in their home for about a month to 40 days with their door open and welcome any and all guests. The guests are then served a treat or drink and before we take a drink or bite, we say something to the family member.

Funny Moment: As we were walking through a park here, the benches are just filled with old men resting there and one had this portable music player jamming out to traditional Albanian music. He saw us and then just starting dancing and rocking out to his little music player in the middle of the park. It was the best!

So this past week was just a crazy one helping to prepare for this event, and doing singing contacting to invite people to come! We had a big turnout! We also were able to go and do a service project out in Durres with a bunch of missionaries helping to clean up and set up a park for a hospital. There were missionaries there, members, missionaries that has served here in the past including MOTRA KOKUL! My MTC teacher! It was crazy seeing her again, and now in Albania!

Some special moments from this past week was that as we were meeting with the one lady who recently lost her husband, she told us how she would read the Book of Mormon with him every night. She said she was sad that he never got the chance to be baptized. We then were able to testify to her about the temple and she was just beaming and saying, "I didn't know!". Another moment was we are helping a lady learn English as she is a midwife and wants to help her English speaking patients more. As we were teaching her about the gospel, she had all these questions. One being, "What do you do when people are sick?" I had a special moment of immediately thinking of 3 Nephi 17:7 in the Book of Mormon.

"7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy."

As we testified that as Christ invited all to come unto Him to be healed, it was such a blessing to share with her the love that Christ has for her! Everything we strive to do is to follow Christ, to become more like Him. Christ is perfect. He is perfect in example, in joy, and in love. When we come unto to Him, and become more like Him, we obtain more joy and more love because we are progressing more and more to obtain the fullness of this joy that is Christ.

As I have been on my mission, I have been growing closer and closer to my Savior. When I entered into the mission field, I was so ready to go out and tell everyone about this joy that is Christ! I thought I knew enough to go out and have the strength to talk to everyone and share this message. I then was humbled to realize how real my weaknesses are. How real my fears are. As I have turned more and more to my Savior, I have found a strength I have never felt before. When I remember Him and think of Him in all things, I am strengthened and I come to know Him a little more. I realize that it's not the mission that's changing me, it's Christ. I know that to be true that Christ truly loves us with a love we cannot even comprehend. We have the ability to taste of that sweet, perfect love when we come unto Him. I testify of that and say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!!