HELLO HELLO. It has been an AMAZING WEEK. We have seen CRAZY
miracles and had the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER. This week we were able to participate
in tons of different service opportunities. We helped orphans, people affected
by the earthquake, disabled persons, and abused women and children. As we
helped all of these different people in different situations the true spirit of
Christmas FILLED our hearts and it was the most unforgettable day. We caroled
to members, ate lots of food, and enjoyed a make-shift Albanian Christmas.
Jenny Oaks Baker also came and performed at a few locations in our mission and
we were able to attend her concert and bring our cute Albanian friends with us.
WHAT A GOOD WEEK. However, the festivities have just begun. New Years is
absolutely PSYCHO IN ALBANIA. We are excited to celebrate this coming
week:)
CULTURE SHOCKS:
1. Christmas does not exist in Albania. Haha there are not
many people that celebrate, and if they do, they celebrate very differently
than us! They get ready for the day and then they walk outside for hours
hehe
2. If you knock on an Albanian's door they absolutely will
not let you leave without food. They usually stuff mandarins or apples or
cashews into my pockets hehe.
3. Christmas trees are known as New Years trees here woot
woot it is going to be a crazy week celebrating New Years! THEY GO CRAZY FOR
NEW YEARS!
KNEE SLAPPERS:
1. So we got to help with the Jenny Oaks Baker concert
in Tirana! We offered free tickets to everyone and it was a good experience for
people to be introduced to our church! We were also instructed to set up a VIP
room for people after the concert! Well funny story- they told us to
prepare a VIP room for people with food and stuff but we were unaware who was
vip, how many people there would be, or where to put the room. The day of the
concert we found out that around 50-70 people would come to the VIP room. So we
went to the venue thing to give it a look and they told us we didn't have a
room and had to pay for it and we were so confused. It was kind of hilarious
though because we had already bought like 200 oranges, 70 things of baklava, a
whole bunch of nuts, and a bunch of drinks and then they told us food wasn't
allowed lol. We had also carried the HEAVIEST tables all the way there HAHA it
was a mess. The missionaries that had brought the baklava spilled it ALL OVER
THEMSELVES TOO HAHAH. That was a literal mess. It seriously looked like they
took showers in sugar water. I cannot explain how funny this whole thing was.
They looked destroyed HAHA. It ended up working out fine though and we found a
room lol but it was all last minute. Then we asked some other missionaries to
help us by bringing a tablecloth and they showed up with a freaking picnic
blanket HAHHAHAHA. So it was this really nice and elegant room with people all
dressed up drinking from a punch bowl HAHA. IT WAS SO GHETTO. It looked
like we were having a barbeque oh my gosh it was so bad. Right before the
concert ended we went to go help set up the VIP room (keep in mind we had no
idea who was even VIP) and we were waiting and waiting and still no one came.
Well we came to find out that apparently the VIPs didn't even know they were
VIP HAHAHA SO HALF OF THEM LEFT. So we ended up having like 2000 mandarins for
maybe 20 people! Sister Anderson (the mission president's wife) and I had a
good laugh especially because a bunch of random Albanians saw the room and just
walked in and started eating the food hahahaa. Also another funny thing was
that there is only about 600 seats at the place but we were told to give out
tickets up until the concert started basically. So we ended up having over 800
people total sign up for 600 seats which was CRAZY. So everyone left at the end
and we had to clean up everything but at this point it was already 10:15 pm and
we were stuck with probably 150 oranges left, 30 liters of drinks, and a case
and a half left of baklava and we live 45 min away. BUT WE MADE IT ALIVE AND
WELL.
2. We have been trying to make good impressions in our new
ward/ group since the transfer! Well, I sure made an impression this week. We
were talking to some people in the bishopric and I was sitting on the stairs
and I put my feet on the railing thing and then this part just popped off! As I
was trying to fix it I hit another one and that one popped off too hahahaha.
After I had broken 4 of them they made me take a step back and now won't let me
touch anything. Hahahah good reputation I have got goin on here.
3. I am not quite sure why.. but there is a major
problem with the electricity in Albania. This week our electricity went out for
3 nights and we were left without light or heat! It didn't help that we were
also making cookies at the same time during one of the outages... Sister Long
and I became very creative and made makeshift lamps and other fun things using
our flashlights. We felt like spies. It was awesome.
SPIRITUAL GOODIES:
I absolutely love EVERY single day of my mission. I am
learning so much from these amazing people and from these amazing experiences.
One of the most important things we can do in this world is to LISTEN. It is
really easy to go go go all of the time and to forget to LISTEN. There are so
many situations in which we can listen, and learn. First, probably the most
important, is listening to our Heavenly Father. He has so much direction for us
that we can receive when we LISTEN after we pray! Second, we need to listen to
the promptings of the Holy Ghost. He wants to lead us and inspire us but we
must LISTEN for him in everything we do. Third, we must listen to those around
us. We must listen to our families, spouses, companions, friends, neighbors,
and coworkers. Without listening we cannot understand! I encourage you all this
week to pray your guts out and listen afterwards for the direction that the Lord
has for you in your lives. He loves you and wants you to talk with him. PRAY
PRAY PRAY. I LOVE YOU ALL! Have a wonderful week and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Love,
Motra Sëtën
Adriatic
South Mission
P.O.
Box 2984
Bulevardi
Gjergj Fishta
Qendra
ALPAS
Shkalla
NR. 5 Apartamenti NR.14
Tirana,
Albania
Pics: me and Elder Deda (he leaves to England next week),
burnt cookies, VIP PARTY, christmas selfie, fun christmas eve tradition with
pinecones:)
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