Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: PLOT TWIST: In a world of snow back in Kosovo!

I know that this will probably come as shock to you but I am currently in the snowy, cold country of KOSOVO! A LOT has happened this last week. My sweet companion had to actually go home this past week and I was called to go BACK up to Gjakova in Kosovo!! I never thought I'd go back to that sweet place! I was only there for 6 weeks and now I get to finish my mission there! It definitely was a surprise. We are also very short of sisters here in the mission so I am in a trio actually with Motra Hysa! I helped train her over 6 months ago IN Gjakova-yes she's still there haha and then my other companion in Motra Alstrem from Texas! We are the Sister Training Leaders here up in the North Zone. They are such hard workers and I am honestly so excited to work with them until the end! This drive and their desire to serve just makes me feel so excited to push until the end! I am so happy to be back up in Gjakova :)

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. Going to Elbasan is warm but then when I went up to Gjakova, we entered a major snowstorm and now I'm in a world of SNOW!! We tried making snowmen-Motra Alstrem's first!

2. I forgot how DIFFERENT Kosovo is, it's not really anything like Albania, not even the language is exactly the same but I still understand the people so that's a major perk!

So this past week was kinda all over the place-I had some major miracles throughout the week though! In Elbasan we met with a lot of people and members struggling. We have been having Family Home Evening with a lot of members and doing all we could do. I feel that although my time was very short in Elbasan, we needed to be there at that time and it was a blessing. I actually got to even see Motra Mcguire at zone conference this week! I am just so thankful for her! Then I actually got to serve with Motra Jones again with the sister she is training in Tirana for a couple of days until I could get up to Kosovo. During that time it was a major blessing because I got to work with Motra Jones and they had a few baptisms on Saturday! We made a hunka ton of cookies and were able to even put together a musical number for one of the baptisms. It was a blessing because I actually got to see a bunch of members that I served with in Tirana! My bishop in Tirana even was like "Come back!" haha I just love them.

Then I was able to come up to Gjakova and wow there are so many other new members! Some incredible miracles have been going on here that I cannot wait to continue to work until the end!

I just wanted to share something that impacted me this last week. So my previous companion, Motra Cela, told me that being away from her family has helped her to realize something. It hurts that she is away from her family right now and she doesn't even want to think about being away from them in the next life. Right now we are focusing on ETERNAL FAMILIES throughout the whole mission and helping others to realize this. It has truly stood out to me that the purpose of the Plan of Salvation (our purpose on earth) is so that we can be with our families forever. Then the PLAN itself is Christ. It's as simple as that! That's why we are here! We can have a family, find joy, and as we follow Christ, we will with them for eternity. But we HAVE to FOLLOW the only true source of JOY and the ONLY way for our families to be together forever. I testify of that with all of my heart, in the names of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a wonderful week!