Culture Shocks:
1. Albanians will not start a conversation with you in person or through text without saying, "how are you". That always makes me feel good;)
2. Albanian elevators can only fit about 3 people in them! They are so small!
3. Albanians label their floor levels differently than in America! The ground floor is "level 0" and then they go up!
INTERESTING FACTS/FUNNIES:
1. Well this week we got this emergency email from our mission president saying that the corona virus has officially been diagnosed in Italy, Greece, and now Albania! So we had to take immediate action to prepare for quarantine if it becomes a further problem. We are safe and happy the problem is that we have been instructed to avoid any physical contact with people in the MOST TOUCHY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD (I think). Between stocking our apartments with food and buying those breathing masks things we have been busy busy!! Pray that we don't get corona!!!
2. So on Friday we headed over to a member's house and we forgot what floor they lived on so we went up to the fourth floor and realized they lived on the third floor. Well as we were walking down I totally slipped down the stairs. Keep in mind, that it did NOT stop pouring rain ALL day and it was SO muddy and slippery everywhere. I flew down a flight of concrete stairs and ate is so hard! My leg was behind me in the most uncomfortable position (I didn't even know it could bend like that HAHA) and all I could smell was concrete WHOOPS. Everything I was holding flew out of my hands and down the stairs coating the entire staircase with english course flyers and pamphlets hahahah and it hurt so freaking bad!! I was just sitting in that horrible position just hoping that I didn't break anything HAHAH. After a few minutes I got up and was groovy. My legs and face are extremely sore and my ankle is crankled but other than that I'm doing fantastic. I may or may not have an ankle the size of a small child. My advice for Albania: fix the cracked and slippery stairs. My advice for you: kujdes.
3. One day this week we decided to plan a bunch of different activities thinking, "Oh yes we have plenty of time!" Well about halfway through the day we came to find out that we did NOT in fact have plenty of time and we were going to be late to basically every appointment we had planned. So what did we do?? We turned on our speed gears and we went full blast Tokyo drift mode-running style. We sprinted from one side of town to the other and probably sprinted a total of 6 miles and we totally made it to everything on time. Were we panting? Yes. Did we leave a trail of cards, flyers, and pamphlets? Of course. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. Hahaha no just kidding. We taught the coolest people and I sure got in a hefty amount of exercise woot woot.
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:
In Albania and Kosovo almost everyone is Muslim! This makes it hard sometimes for Christians to fit in or feel like they belong. Well this week we were getting ready to start English course when a new student (maybe late 20s) came! He came in and immediately began telling us how much he loved Jesus. Then a member of our church that is in our course (maybe in his 70s) said, "Yeah.. I used to be Muslim but then I became a Christian". Then our new friend leaned over to him said, "Amen Brother" (in English) and gave him knuckles. It was so cute and precious. Then another girl spoke up and said, "I am a Christian too!" He turned and gave her a big high five as well!
This was a simple and small experience but it spoke very deeply to me. We cannot be ashamed of Jesus Christ! Alma 46:15 says, "And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come." My friend was so proud of his faith in Christ and he should be! Jesus Christ is our Savior! We should ALWAYS be proud to represent Him and to share His gospel! I am so thankful for the example of our dear friend who made Jesus Christ the center of his life and conversation and the source of his happiness!! His faith was abundant! May we all have enough faith to represent Christ at ALL times, in ALL things, and in ALL places! I love you all!!!! <3 Have a magical and miracle filled week!!!
Love, Motra Sëtën
Adriatic South Mission
P.O. Box 2984
Bulevardi Gjergj Fishta
Qendra ALPAS
Shkalla NR. 5 Apartamenti NR.14
Tirana, Albania
Pics: service project, clouds, corona, castle :)
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