Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: Ne Jemi Pema!!!

Hello everyone!! It is finally FALL here!! I say that because we don't have much trees here in Pogradec, but I went to Korcë today again for a P-Day with my companion and WOW was it GORGEOUS! I finally felt like it was Fall :) And it's getting pretty cold so that's been fun! The trees now are just beautiful! This is actually perfect for the title-Ne Jemi Pema! That means "We are trees!" Yeah....I got a little too into a youth activity connected to Alma 32 in the Book of Mormon and referred to us as trees. We're making T-Shirts now about it so it's all good :)

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. October 19th was Nëna Teresa Day! It's huge here because she's claimed to be Albanian. Basically everyone was out of school so that was fun.

2. Something else super special was seeing a parade of people in pink celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness! You don't see things like that a lot around here so it was awesome!

3. So I can now accompany a VIOLIN now?! This is a big deal-before my mission I'd be scared to death to accompany anything with the piano but I've been playing a lot here and for baptisms, me and another missionary have been playing the piano and the violin. No, I have not played the violin haha

So this last weekend Pogradec had yet another baptism!! It is such a blessing to watch Pogradec grow! We are praying to become a branch soon! These people here are so special! It was a man, his mother, and his son that was baptized this last weekend! Another major blessing was that we are now working with a member to work on her MISSION PAPERS!! I am so excited for her! We have been doing mission prep and trying to do all we can to translate the papers haha sometimes I just end up reading the word in English in a super weird accent hoping it will be something in Albanian or acting it out what the questions are haha that's just for the medical section. Speaking of acting out-I also managed to help out in primary acting out the Book of Mormon stories haha I love it!

Funny story, we were having a lesson with a lady in her cafe this week and I saw someone with a plate that had what looked like cottage cheese-I love cottage cheese-but I was so wrong. It still doesn't exist here. However-when I asked the lady what it was, she grabs a giant jar of this thick cheese and gets a massive spoon and shoves it in my mouth. No joke. It was awesome haha the cheese however was not. :)

Something that I came across reading in the Book of Mormon was in Alma 27:

16 And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting.

17 Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

18 Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.

What stood out to me was the part that said, "The humble seeker of happiness". I was thinking about what that meant. Ammon literally was so happy to be reunited with his friend Alma after being out serving missions to the Lamanites to preach the word of God. Ammon was so happy that he PASSED OUT! I just want to note-he fell AGAIN to the earth. This was not a one time occurrence ;) But I loved how then Mormon gives the account of this story saying was this not exceeding joy? He then shared that Ammon truly was a humble seeker of happiness. This joy comes only to the humble seeker of happiness. It then occurred to me that a humble seeker of happiness are those that find joy in the little things. Those that count their blessings from the Lord. Let me tell you-when you count your blessings, it's A LOT. As we find joy in the little things, we are grateful for the little things, and we share our gratitude to the Lord through prayer, we can be this humble seeker of happiness that finds TRUE joy! EXCEEDING joy even! I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you!! COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS! I'll start: First off, you're a blessing to me! :)