Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: Mirë se Vini Vera!!

Wow this week has been a crazy one! And a hot one! Vera is here! (Summer) Crazy as in one of the most stressful but it has been so rewarding! I have a new companion: Motra Haggard! I love her!! She is from California and she played lacrosse at BYU! I realized how big Tirana was when I lost my previous companion and realized that I was the only one that knows all the people, the stories, the roads, the bus routes, the schedule, everything! It was a crazy week but I have found so much strength turning to the Lord through prayer!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. As summer is here, all the ladies wear dresses here! I love it! We fit right in with our skirts and dresses!

2. Something I love about Albanian here is how polite and courteous they are in everything! Whenever we are on the bus, people give up their seats for those that are older getting onto the bus. I love it!

3. As we were trying to plan to meet with people this weekend, everyone goes to the beach! It has been crazy! We now actually have a build in nap-time during the day so that we can sleep while everyone else is sleeping and then be out at night lighter while people are out.

So many blessings happened this past week! First news, my Albanian mom from Korca got baptized this last weekend and I am BEYOND happy for her and hearing about her experience! I love her so much and am so happy to hear their family now preparing to go to the temple!! I wanted to share about something that became real to me this past week. Families are eternal! I have been sharing that message time and time again on my mission but as I was sharing that and seeing so many families preparing to go to the temple to be sealed, I realized how real eternal families are! Then as I thought about my family, I was just filled with joy and tears as I am so thankful that I can be with my family for eternity! I love my family with all my heart and knowing that, I have more of a desire to bring that to families here in Albania! Families are eternal and as we follow Christ, we truly will receive that blessing!

Some other blessings: I found a new way of street contacting: STICKERS! There are the BEST! Thanks to stickers, we have had so many opportunities to talk to families as we give them out to the kids. So hey-if you have the opportunity to send any stickers over this way, I'm up for that! :) Also something fun we do is every Sunday for after church, we have lunch. I try to make an Albanian dish every Sunday so all the workers along the road to the church know us really well and ask what we made that week! This past week I said, "2 American girls cooking like Albanians!" Then I received the greatest compliment-"You are Albanians!" I love our friends that we have from all the people in the shops along the road! I truly love these people!!

I just want to share how much I know that this gospel is true! I wanted to share of an experience I had this week. It was late one evening and we were headed home. It was already late and as I had my mind set on getting home. I saw a family walking in front of us and felt that I should talk to them. I then felt that it was late and didn't act on that. I realized later that I missed an opportunity to share the gospel and realized that I needed to listen more carefully to the Spirit. The next day, I looked for every opportunity to talk to every family we could with the faith to find one to teach. Through prayers and diligent search, we met a family right before we had to head home. Something I learned from that experience is while I made a mistake and missed an opportunity, it's what I do with that mistake that changes me. I definitely have missed many opportunities and have made many mistakes, but one thing I do know that as I continue to look to improve, to show my Savior that I want to serve Him and desire to change, He truly is there to always strengthen us! It's in these moments where we learn how much we need our Savior and His atoning sacrifice. It is through Him that we are strengthened and through Him that we are changed for good. I know that to be true and that the gospel blesses families! I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Random pitchers placed around the city. I love it.

Monday night with Bishop and his family.

I love this puppy!!

We had an activity this last week at the American Embassy community here with the lady from one of the wards. You have no idea how much I missed lasagna and crystal light and salad dressing! Things you cannot find in Albania haha We had a nice meal and it was fun to get to know each other!

BONUS PICS from Mission Conference!