Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: PAGEZIMET!

Hello everyone!! I love you all so much!! This last week we were blessed to have Nera's BAPTISM!! She is a younger girl here in Gjakova and it was such a blessing! After she was baptized, she just had the biggest smile saying, "I feel different!" I could just see a change in her as she was happier and more at peace! And in other news, I forgot to mention but 2 weeks ago Lili that I taught in Tirana was BAPTIZED!! I'm telling you, this brings me such joy to see these people FILLED with joy as they continue to work to follow the example of Jesus Christ. WOOHOO!!! :)

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. So in the culture, whenever I greet a female or say a goodbye, we always hug twice hugging from one shoulder to the other. However, in Kosovo they like to switch things up and hug 3 times. That definitely throws you off! I'm like, "oh here's another one" haha you can't hug enough :)

2. So here in Gjakova there are clothing shops everywhere along the streets meaning that you turn a corner and while you think you're approaching a person BAM it's a hunk-a-ton of mannequins. It is quite frightening actually especially because most of them are greatly maimed but it surprises you throughout the day.

3. For P-Day we went to visit this beautiful city of Prizren that is GREATLY Muslim. I have never seen so many mosques in my life but it was a gorgeous city!

So this week we had a zone conference (conference with all the missionaries in Kosovo and Macedonia) up in Prishtina and it was absolutely wonderful to hear from our President: President Anderson and we have a lot happening and starting up here in the Adriatic South Mission. We are excited and we are making a plan to do a creative finding activity every day this week! I'll update you how it goes next week!

This past week was basically lots of contacting, inviting, and tracting door to door and meeting so many wonderful people! We also prepared to have such a special church meeting as our President came up to visit here in Gjakova. It was such a wonderful meeting and all I can say is that I have not have church meetings like we have here in Gjakova. All I can say is there are SO MANY KIDS! It is a very active meeting haha but it is special!

Finally I wanted to share a quote that really stood out to me this week from President Eyring, "If we find that we don't choose to move toward Christ, we will find that we are moving away." This impacted me as I thought back to before my mission and even sometimes on my mission. I definitely have gone through the motions at some points of time in my life where I go to church, pray, read a page in the Book of Mormon but I felt it didn't impact me that much. I definitely question now, did I choose to pray because I wanted to pray or just because I thought I should? It is through CHOOSING Christ that we grow closer to Him. It is through choosing obedience that we grow to be happier. It requires effort on our part but we grow to be happier and we grow closer to our Father in Heaven as WE choose to. We choose happiness and that is choosing Christ. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH! Have a fantastic week and GOOD LUCK on your first days of school! Let me know how it goes! :)