Holy cow this is like one of this most packed weeks of writable stuff I've had so I'll try to fit it all in but we'll see! It seems like the week went by super fast but I can't even remember Tuesday it seems so long ago!!
So to start off we finally did service this week! We went out to a real village not just those sort of villages that are more just suburbs of the city and we were planning on picking a bunch of tomatoes but then they found out Verushi used to work with AC units and we ended up rigging together an AC from parts they had it was actually a pretty dope service project! I learned a ton and they were suuuupperrr grateful because they didn't have one before! We had lunch over there and in their salad they used Squash Flowers, like the buds before they become the squash. Super weird but they were pretty good so I'm not complaining!
Then we had mission conference which was pretty sweet! We got the whole gang back together from the mtc buttt.... I forgot to bring my camera soooo whoops next time though! Anyways listening to all the missionaries who were leaving and their testimonies was awesome like these guys have had their lives changed I just hope I can become like them!!
One of the major themes they talked about was just how they have seen the gospel change lives whether it was theirs or other peoples and it was just awesome. Then President did a little question and answer and it was pretty awesome but we didn't have much time and so there were only 3 questions which was kinda a bummer but I'm going to start asking questions in my emails! I also got to meet all my family which is pretty funny! Finally got to meet my brother the infamous Elder Temple. He is the best missionary in the mission with Albanian and is supposed to just be an absolute blast, he seemed like a pretty awesome guy but didn't have a lot of chances to talk!
On Wednesday I did an exchange with Elder Greener and holy cow! It just opened my eyes to how awesome missionary work can truly get! I had sooooo much fun with him and the thing is we had a better than average work day than what Verushi and I usually have. Like idk I just think Elder Greener is an amazing missionary it looks to me like he has found a great balance between fun and work and hey now he is going AP so I'd say he is pretty good! For real though I would love to serve with him at some point but it's unlikely.
We also had some really awesome talks about how to be the best missionary possible and a lot about desire. Like how sometimes we know commandments are true and we keep them but we reeaaalllyyy don't want to, like it's really hard. And how if we could just change our desire our lives would become so much easier, and that is where prayer comes in! We don't always have to pray and act like everything is all peachy when it's not! This is our Heavenly Father, this is God! He isn't stupid, and we don't need to lie to Him. If something really sucks for us talk to Him about it and I guarantee that if you keep doing the right thing He will make it easier for you.
I really wish I knew this stuff before my mission. Like some commandments really really sucked for me to keep sometimes and I really had no desire to keep them EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THAT THEY WERE COMMANDMENTS FROM GOD! I know right it sounds dumb but it happens to all of us! And I just wish that I had really gotten on my knees and pleaded to God to help me change my desire because life would be so much easier!! It's the same on the mission too like sometimes I don't want to wake up at 6:30am but if I can have my desire changed it's so much easier!!
After our exchange we always do a little "what did you learn/ how can I improve" kinda thing and it was really awesome! Greener really complimented me and pretty much said in any aspect of the work whether its language, teaching, studying, or contacting that he would set me up as one of the better missionaries in this mission which was a huge compliment coming from him! He also said my language is set up so I'll probably end up being like Elder Temple who is practically a special assignment Elder and gets sent around to do translations all the time. It was just really nice talking to him and getting those compliments not because it makes me have a big head or anything but if I'm going to be straight honest I don't think I've ever gotten a compliment or any positive feedback from Verushi, which might be part of the reason it's been so hard.
Also this week I got a gift from Koci! He really likes me and I really love him but it was so random he just bought me an awesome gift and it meant a lot because I know he is not super wealthy! It also made me feel really good because I know that I made a difference to him! I also know that I really need to work on accepting gifts, idk I just feel super awkward about it.
Then we went to dinner at the Osmani's house and man I just felt a really special spirit there. So the mom was baptized in the church and her husband had a lot of health problems but had a testimony of the church, never was baptized though, and now both her daughters have served missions and her son is currently serving. Like that family is one of the big bases of the church here in Albania and it's amazing what they are doing!
The day of the baptism was an awesome day! We really got to build up Eljons confidence just cause he is a such a soft spoken guy but when he speaks it like hits you deep! He kept talking about how he wished he had had the Book of Mormon earlier in his life which is awesome! Also I gave the Holy Ghost to him which was my first time and man that was an awesome experience! Priesthood Ordinances are so amazing! There is just a crazy spirit when doing that! Its amazing!
So Saturday Aaron and I were a little later than everyone else for Futbol and when we showed up all the little kids ran over and were like PALLATI AND MEXICAN!!! It made me feel so awesome - I'm not going to lie those little kids really love me and it's awesome! I really am going to miss some of them holy cow!
Something pretty funny this week is that our sisters have a car right now and they have had it for 3 days and have gotten 4 tickets!!! HAHA all parking tickets! It's hilarious and I think a record. At the same time though I don't really want a car on my mission because everyone ends up getting tickets for random things that we don't understand and we have to pay for it ourselves.
So finally the moment you have all been waiting for - transfers were this week!!! Holy cow Saturday it was in the back of my head all day! Finally at like 10pm we get a call from President and he told Verushi he would be staying in Tirana so that he could learn English and do Pathways and stuff then I get on the phone and he says I'm going to PRISHTINA (Kosovo) that one kinda came out of no where holy cow! I am going with Elder Holm!! Literally I was talking to Greener before transfers and I was like ya if I were to name a missionary I would want to serve with it would be Elder Holm! Greener said he is probably the funnest missionary in the mission! I've talked to him a bit and he just seems really awesome!
So what I know about Prishtina is that it is suuuppperrrr Muslim and there are actually a good number of people in ISIS up in that area! I guess if people say no I'm Muslim we are just supposed to respect that and leave. The work is pretty hard and not a ton of success. There are about 20 active members and the members there are supposed to be pretty strong because they have been through a lot of persecution from family and stuff to convert and some of there families still don't know!! We also will be using the Euro up there and it's supposed to be a nicer area than Albania is. Also here is a surprise for everyone I will be DL up there! I know right it's my second transfer for petes sake! I thought the AP's were kidding at first when they told me but we'll see how it goes!!
Literally these last couple days idk maybe it's because I know that I will be leaving now but it's been even harder around my companion but I've just been like well just 2 more days and then I'm out of here.
Anyway I hope you all are doing amazing and have had a great week! Next week I'll be writing you from up north in Kosovo which will be quite interesting!
I love you all and definitely have learned a ton from this transfer but also really have just learned how much I have to learn still!! Maybe one day I'll catch up!
Kalofshi bukur!!
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| Kurt Koci |
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| Gift from Kurt |
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| Eljon's Baptism |
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