Scatter Sunshine: Adriatic South: Can't Have Rainbows without a Little Rain :)

Culture Shocks of the Week:
1. We have a member who has her own little cafe shop so we usually stop in to see how she's going. We stopped in this week and she says, "I want to make you some sausages". She then whips out a pan out of no where and a loaf of bread and cabbage and fries them on this little pan above her portable heater in her shop. It was so random it was awesome!
2. We saw a FULL RAINBOW this week after we had some monster storms! We were trekking through the streets that were literally rivers. It was awesome!
3. We eat a whole lot of Kos (Greek Yogurt) here. It's awesome! We drink it watered down and with byrek

So this last week there was a baptism in our soon-to-be branch and I wanted to share with you his story. He is incredible! So there's a boy-Francesko-and he's about 12 years old. He's read the Bible and has LOVED learning about Christ. As he read and finished, he felt like something was missing like there had to be more. So a few months back we had a baptism here in Pogradec in the lake and he passed by watching from afar and saw that we get baptized the way Christ did! So then some time recently, he saw the missionaries holding ANOTHER book-the Book of Mormon. When a man dropped a pass-along card in the trash, he ran over and grabbed it and found the church himself asking when we had church. Luckily we were there at that time! He then came to church and it so happened that that week I team taught with one of our younger members the "Restoration" in the youth class. Since then, he's been learning and this past week he was baptized and now his family is interested as well. It truly is incredible and I am so excited about our growing soon-to-be branch! These people here are incredible!

This week I have really just seen miracles with our members here. We are continually looking to strengthen them and teach them the doctrine and it is incredible to see their lives change as they continually strive to live the commandments. One shared how her and her husband, before they go out into the fields or off welding a tunnel (yeah-jobs here are intense!) they drink hot cocoa and then kneel down in prayer together every morning! We have just been seeing so many miracles with these people here! I LOVE THE GOSPEL IT IS SO AWESOME!

I also just want to bear my testimony of our living prophet: President Russel M. Nelson. Something I have truly come to see and LOVE is that God is THE SAME yesterday, today and forever. One, that means that He will NEVER love us less. If we make a mistake, or sin, it doesn't mean that it means that we are worthy, but we will never be worth less. The second is that His doctrines, His commandments never change. We have living prophets to direct and clarify the Lord's commandments. We are led by the Lord and not by the ideas and desires of men. This is comforting for me to know that we will always have a living prophet to guide and direct us according to the Lord's will! I testify that President Nelson is the prophet of God and that President Thomas S. Monson was a true prophet of God!

2 Nephi 29:9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

I testify that the Lord LOVES us and will always love us along with our Father in Heaven. They will never change because their love is perfect and they are perfect beings. We are imperfect beings striving to become a little better and to be perfected each and every day through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK! Look for the rainbows throughout the week! ;) hahaha

The drinks are watered down kos (dhallë) Here we have egg byrek and fassule (a bean soup) these are the most common foods we eat here. And fruit of course!