Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: Baklava filled to the Brim

I really don't know how I'd say it in Albanian, but this week we were blessed to be FILLED to the brim with SO MUCH BAKLAVA!! The New Years celebration still has been going on all week but has finally died down :) Now my comp and I have made some major goals to burn off all that we have gained in this last week.....haha

Culture Shocks of the Week:

1. We managed to hit 15 baklavas this week!!!! *Famous last words*-"Have you ever had baklava before?" We really don't know how to respond at this point.....

2. IT SNOWED!! We actually went up to Tirana for a conference and what's beautiful about Albania is that every city is COMPLETELY different than from another city. That's including climates! So we drove from our freezing snowy Pogradec, through some cities still experiencing Fall, and into Tirana that is as warm as Spring. It was crazy to experience all of that in just 2 hours!

3. We met this woman who has an autistic son and 10 years ago when she had him, she has never heard of autism because the Internet and technology here is still pretty behind from the rest of the world. She's raised him for 10 years now just trying to figure out how to help him on her own. These people here are just incredible! It truly helps you to realize how much we have to be grateful for. I love these Albanian people. They are the most loving people ever :)

So there are always miracles that can occur when there is faith and I am happy to say that we had yet ANOTHER miracle this week!! Motra McGuire and I only had this short amount of time to go out contacting and to go tracting, She told me, "You have one chance, pick the building." We picked this one and yes, every door rejected us but once we reached the LAST door, this man opened up the door and we didn't even say much but he told us to come right back the next day. As we returned the next day, the whole FAMILY welcomed us RIGHT in and we shared with them the message of the Restoration. They just sat in awe, We felt to mention a little bit about the Plan of Salvation. They then asked, "Then, when are you coming back to teach us about this plan? Tomorrow maybe?" We were in awe. This is very rare by the way to have people pleading for us to come back haha so we came back and we are continuing to teach this beautiful family! It's INCREDIBLE!

SUPER funny story from one of the little boys in our group here. We went over for a little New Years celebration to a member's home and we shared with them the importance of Christ Atonement in regards to the Fall of Adam and Eve and how Christ was CHOSEN before the world was even created to come to earth and save us from the Fall so that we may be lifted up and be brought BACK into the presence of God. We shared the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit. At the end of the lesson, the member and her husband after giving us all this food, asked us, "Why haven't you eaten the fruit?" Then the 6 year old little boy calls out-"Because it's forbidden!" Well at least he listened :)

Another quote of the week, "After receiving the Holy Ghost, it has helped me make a mistake 5 seconds slower than I would've before" Progress am I right? We're working on it :) hahaha

I honestly just love these people. I cannot even begin to express it. It helps me to understand a little bit more WHY Christ did what He did. The Fall of Adam and Eve was in God's plan! He knew it would happen and without the Fall of Adam of Eve, we would NOT be here.

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 2:22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever,and had no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they

would have remained in a state of innocence, having no

joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they

knew no sin.

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom ofhim who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that theymight have joy.

26 And the Messiah

(Christ)

cometh in the fulness of time, that he

may redeem the children of men from the fall. And

because that they are redeemed from the fall they have

become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for

themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the

punishment of the law at the great and last day, according

to the commandments which God hath given

Christ truly came in the fulness of time to REDEEM us from the Fall. That includes His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His suffering on the cross, and His resurrection. This is Christ's INFINITE Atonement. While through the Fall, we have fallen, but through Christ, He lifts us UP. He descended BELOW all things, so that we may be lifted up! Christ suffered so much and WHY? Because of love. He could fulfill the will of the Father BECAUSE He has perfect love. He HAD to live a perfect life in order to fulfill His Atonement. That's why He CHOSE to be perfect because He had PERFECT love for us! Imagine the power of love! And I mean charity-the PURE love of Christ. Without it, we are nothing because if you think about it, charity is EVERYTHING! The plan was created, Christ came, we have families, all because of love. The fruit of the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8 represents the LOVE of God which represents Christ's Atonement. We must choose to come unto Him as we are free to choose! As we come unto Him and partake of His love, meaning APPLY His Atonement in our lives, we will be LIFTED up. We WILL find true, pure, and infinite JOY that is "whiter above anything that is white and purer above anything that is pure". And we will be FILLED with this love that we then can share with those around us. I can testify of that. If we all would just love and Christ did, then there would be world peace. If we would just love as Christ did, we would all be healed. I can testify of that with all of my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I hope you have a wonderful week!! LOVE YOU!!!