Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South

Monday, June 11, 2018

We are His Sheep

Well-This is it!! I really don't have much to say other than I love my mission. I love my Savior. I love being a missionary. This is my final email from Albania. I had such a wonderful opportunity to say goodbye to everyone in Gjakova and then make it down to POGRADEC for my last P-Day. I am so happy to be among everyone I love. I am so thankful for everyone I have come to know and for everyone I have come to love. My last week was just full of living every moment-even if it includes days and days of tracting. What's new? haha but I just remember one moment tracting into the old man who was just going on and on about his time in a band because he was so thankful to have someone to talk to-I just stood there beaming just knowing I was in that moment, in Kosovo, being here for this lonely old man. I truly love the people here. I love everything about them and I just know how much the Lord loves them.

I am so thankful for the Lord and that He has given me these past 18 months to serve Him and to come to know His children. I will never be able to repay Him-especially as He has given ME this time to serve Him. All of the people here in Gjakova are wonderful. They are strong as they go through SO MUCH. Yet-in Christ they find peace. We can only find true, lasting peace in Christ. I was definitely going through a lot this last week so I just opened up the Book of Mormon and just feasted upon the words. The Book of Mormon TRULY is the Word of God. We can only know if we ask the Lord ourselves. I can read countless passages that Jesus is the Christ or that Christ is the Son of God-however how will I ever truly know unless God tells me Himself? This is why prayer is so powerful. We are teaching a woman here who said she has all these things-money, a beautiful family, and everything she could ever want, yet she still feels like something is missing. We just testified and told her to find out what it is that she is missing through reading the Book of Mormon. We can only truly know from the Lord through His Spirit. His Spirit has guided and directed me throughout my entire mission. It is Christ that I have come to know and have relied on throughout each and every day. Without Christ I am nothing. Without Christ, I am weak. I testify of His power, His love, and His peace. I love my Savior with all of my heart. He has given me so much and I am eternally grateful and am determined to serve Him continually throughout the rest of my life.

I love these people. They truly are children of God. They have a place in my heart forever. I'll see you all soon! I love you all so much!

I gotta end with my Culture Shocks:

1. We got invited over for MANY meal appointments-these Albanians just love to give us food. We went over into this family's village. Their kids are from our English Course!! As we sat around to have the meal, they give us fresh lamb and say, "We just killed it this morning!" When will I ever have that in my life?

2. In addition to that meal-we taught the family. The father's a SHEPHERD!!! We taught a shepherd and his family!! We tied it all around Christ and that He is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. It was wonderful!!! He also showed us all his sheep :)

3. I had my final transfer call and am called to the USA......I'm going to have many more culture shocks haha

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

This is water from the font we drained. The font is in the basement. We had a nice man that was taught by the Elders and baptized this last week.

I LOVE KOSOVO!! SO GREEN!!

Our Shepherd family.

We teach the youth class at church so I said goodbye to all the youth. I LOVE THEM!!!

Me and Eda. I LOVE HER!!!!

This is Zenia that we teach how to read.

Me and my girls :)

End of the mission.....I think they're a little worn out.

My last Albanian treat-Creme Bugace (It was also my first the day I arrived in the country!)

WE CAME TO POGRADEC! (Im here not)

Saying goodbye to Bruna :)

Mirupafshim! Të dua!

Motra Olsen

Monday, April 30, 2018

The Last Lap

Wow a lot has happened this last week!! It's been yet ANOTHER week of miracles!!! I am LOVING Gjakova and how beautiful it is here!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. WE GOT OUR FIRST EVER DINNER APPOINTMENT IN KOSOVO!! We had a miracle moment where the members called US to come over to eat a special Kosovaren dish they made-Fli. This is a big deal because we are not invited to anything here haha so we're are developing great relationships!

2. Perks about living in a Muslim culture-there are always modest clothes :) The dresses are LONG!!!

3. Along with the culture....there is a lack of pork here. (I hope someone gets that)

SERVICE!!! That has to be the theme of this last week!! Motra Ahlstrom and I have been looking to find a lot of ways to serve here and it's been a major blessing!! Service allows you to be more aware of those around you and we truly were led to so many people! We've helped a woman clean her rug (The Albanian way: With a hose, scrub brushes, and soap. I'm thankful that wasn't my weekly chore growing up haha), we helped a member paint her house, and we went around with the members to pick up trash at a nearby park we play futbol at (or soccer for you Americans :)) SERVICE IS SO AWESOME!! A major service opportunity we have every week is helping to teach a member here how to read. It truly is a miracle. We've started reading the Book of Mormon with her and we give her certain words to look for so as we read aloud, she then reads her assigned words. It's been incredible because there is truly POWER in reading the Book of Mormon. She is picking up a lot faster and has a great confidence knowing that the Lord is helping her and wanting to help her read. She just so badly wants to read from the Book of Mormon. It has been a major miracle!!

Other moments from this last week! We met this family on the street who actually wanted us to come over and teach them!! When we did, they invited us back the next day so that they could feed us fli.....but also to hear more. They invited their family and their friends. We then taught the Plan of Salvation to everyone there all gathered around and it was AWESOME!! Then to top it off-they all came to CHURCH!!! We are so excited to be seeing the Lord truly leading us to those that are searching and prepared for this gospel!! I love this work!! We were also able to meet with and teach many other families. That has been our focus and I am just so thankful for the Lord and this opportunity we have to have so many more families apart of our lives. I love this work and I love this gospel!!!

Jacob 5: 75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

I have just loved reading the Book of Mormon everyday and Motra Ahlstrom pointed out this scripture to me this last week. I just want to testify of the JOY it is to serve the Lord. As we have been serving so many this week and teaching so many and as I am reflecting back on my mission, I truly have found JOY in this work. I love that the Lord says that we will have JOY WITH Him. That is His joy-WE are His joy!! He just wants us in His arms. He just wants us to return home to Him. He truly does love us. I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

This will be my last week! It's crazy but I am so thankful to live every moment to the end. I am eternally grateful for this time that I've had to serve my Savior and my Heavenly Father. Words cannot even begin to express my gratitude. I'll be seeing you all next week.

WE WENT ON A GORGEOUS PDAY TRIP TO VALBONA!!! It is SO BEAUTIFUL HERE!! I cried. When do I not?

I love nature so much!

Gjakova!! Isn't it so CUTE? It's my cute little city :)

We celebrated one of our English Course kid's birthday this last week! I made some Albanian chocolate cake :) This is our class!! I love them!!! They get SO PUMPED to read the Book of Mormon at the end of the class it's so funny to watch kids fight over reading and responding to the passages haha

Just chilling with the cow :) I love this family!

More Valbona :)

I LITERALLY HAVE THE COOLEST MISSION!!

The best cooler I've ever seen! This is coming from the river.

Our Dinner Appt

In Prishtina

Mirupafshim! Të dua!

Motra Olsen

Letters:

Adriatic South Mission
Sister Natalie Olsen
POB 2984
Bulevardi "Gjergj Fishta"
Qendra "Alpas", Shkalla #5, Apt #14
Tirana
Albania

(If you can't send it with the POB box number, you can just send it without it. I'll still get it)

Email: natalie.olsen@myldsmail.net

mormon.org

18 Months in Paradise!!

So this week-I've officially hit 18 MONTHS!!!! But guess what? I've still got a few weeks more so I am savoring every moment to the end! I had to celebrate it with ice cream though :) I also hiked THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CANYON EVER-Rugova canyon! It's near Montenegro so pretty cool!

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. Cleaning dishes over a toilet......this last week we went and helped this family clean their entire home after months and months of neglect. It was a special moment because it was a member's desire to serve and we had the opportunity to serve with her. I've done a lot of things I never thought I'd ever do but hey-it's an experience I'll never forget :)

2. Usually, we randomly lose power. It's just a thing. You can't live in Albania or Kosovo without losing power and water constantly haha

3. This last week was my LAST mission conference :(

Man time is flying by!! It's scary! But this last week was a special one! We got to go into Tirana because we had Sister's Conference! It was honestly so fun to be with all the sisters from the whole mission. There are only 20 of us-Motra Anderson (our mission mom) gave us each little jars of homemade jam :) She's so cute!! Motra Ahlstrom and I gave a training along with the other 2 sets of Sister Training Leaders. I got to sing with my sweet MTC companion-Motra Jones. We sang "Come Thou Fount". And Motra Jones and I had to give departing testimonies! Dang it!!! Why is this a thing? I never thought that day would come. I literally said, "I've been waiting all my life to be here on my mission....and now it's over." haha we actually got to do valle (Albanian traditional dancing) as well and Motra Hysa led us! It was a wonderful time to be with these sisters. They are INCREDIBLE! I just looked at all of them and said, "I am so pumped for you sisters! The Adriatic South Mission is in good hands." I truly mean that. I am so excited for all of them! They are already bringing about INCREDIBLE miracles here.

This week we have been finding and meeting with a ton of people which has been a miracle! One of the coolest moments of my mission happened on Thursday. We met this lady in the street and went over to her home. Little did we know that she invited her neighbors and we had about 13 people gathered around us in her home. We shared our message and used our object lessons to interact all the kids. It was so special to have so many there gathered. When we finished our lesson, I asked if we could all kneel as my family would kneel and pray together every night. EVERYONE kneeled and I offered a prayer. It was so powerful to be among these people and to pray for them and their families. There is a POWER in prayer!! We truly speak to our Heavenly Father and it was so special to feel of His love. Our Heavenly Father loves us IMMENSELY I don't even know how to begin to express that. All I can say is just pray and ask Him how much He truly does love you. He gives unto all that ask Him with a sincere heart. He loves you!

I just want to share a scripture that has impacted me this last week-in the Book of Mormon Alma 26: 5 Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted.

6 Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.

7 But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.

Every day we recite Doctrine and Covenants 4. This scripture in Alma truly impacted me because as I am reaching the end of my mission, I am comforted in knowing that I have been able to do all I can do. I care so much about these people and it's so hard to think about leaving them. However, I am comforted in knowing that they are in HIS HANDS. How powerful is that? Whenever I've messed up, whenever I've struggled or made a mistake, I am reminded that this is HIS work. They are in His hands. All of those that I have come to LOVE are in His hands and there are no better hands than His. I always am reminded to just get back up and keep going, keep improving, keep changing-and through doing so, He has shaped me. He has led me and I am thankful to be an instrument in His hands. I LOVE MY SAVIOR with all of my heart and through loving Him, He has helped me learn to LOVE!! I testify of His divine love. His perfect love! We are in His hands. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

More pics to come! And a bonus video :) haha Motra Ahlstrom and I made it for Sister's conference. We have a mission thing of using NutriBullets.