"HEYYYYY YOUUU GUYS!!!" (If you can name the classic movie this phrase is from you get Motra Sutton victory points just sayin) I hope you all are groovy and spending time with your amazing families learning, growing, and playing together. Hopefully you all are safe and happy and loving the long-lasting "inside day". We are safe and happy in Albania. These are definitely times I will remember forever! I am learning so much. This week we had sacrament on Saturday because we are unable to leave our houses on the weekends starting Saturdays at 1pm through Monday. It was absolutely beautiful. I am so thankful for the amazing missionaries in the Adriatic South Mission. They are MIGHTY WARRIORS and they have CHANGED my life forever.
MORE CULTURE SHOCKS?:
1. The Albanian government is goin a little crazy with the whole quarantine thing. A new law has passed notifying us that only 1 person from each household will be allowed outside for 1 hour to buy food. That person has to register by text and will receive a confirmation number (which will be checked by the police) to buy groceries for their family. This means we will need to split from our companions to buy our food. Otherwise, we cannot leave the house. The whole "stay with your companion" thing seems to get pushed aside the more time goes on.
2. I have said this before, but Albanians really LOVE BREAD. Hahah so yes, we are totally good on our toilet paper... but there is no bread. The bakeries are absolutely bare. Whoops. We have been attempting to make bread though.... but we are now praying that the bakers will bake a little quicker!!!;)
3. Albanians don't like any traditional American or other foreign sweets. They are all WAY too sweet for them! That is super funny to me because they totally eat bread just DOUSED in sugar water called baklava...
FUNNIES:
1. Oh my heavens we have the funniest stories from being in our apartment all day but I truly can't think of many of them. Just know that we are a HOOT! There is this traditional Albanian game called Tavlla that you play with these triangle pieces and checkers! I used to get DESTROYED by our branch President in Kosovo haha he is so good. ANYWAYS, he never actually taught me the rules because he said, "There are no written rules. We just grew up with this game." So this week we were cleaning out our cupboards and I FOUND A GAMEBOARD. I begged Sister Long to play with me and we tried playing but we were struggling so hard considering that there are no rules... so we basically made up our own rules and were laughing so hard. The best part was that Sistet Long didn't know I was making up the rules until I won for the 4th time HAHA. I texted some of my Albanian friends to see if they could find any rules and they all said the same thing, "The rules don't exist." How can you have a game with no rules?? Finally, one of my friends found some written rules for us and boy had we been playing SOOO wrong. However, now we are pros and I am calling a rematch with my old branch president:) woot woot!
2. The prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama, is stinkin hilarious. He sends updates on facebook daily and he basically just changes the law everyday which is kinda cool and funny. Anyways, he posted this post that is absolutely hilarious (kind of). He went around the city YELLING at everyone on the streets (especially all the old people) to go home and stay inside! It was interesting too because he didn't have any kind of protection like gloves or a mask or anything haha it was pretty funny. He wrote, " Don't ask me where my mask and gloves are in this picture... I am not sick so I don't need them. I am still social distancing." What a guy. #socialdistancingiscool
3. Creativity is now our passion and our sanity. Lets just say week 4 of quarantine ain't got nothin on us. We decided to make a huge and super ghetto poster and hang it off of our balcony so that we could offer all of our neighbors free Book of Mormons!!! We like to sit on our balcony and sing hymns, talk to our neighbors, throw people Book of Mormons off the balcony, and play games outside. Our conversations typically go like this, "Are you bored? Yeah so are we. Do you want a free book? Cool we have one! Want me to throw it to you? Awesome! It will change your life!" Lets not forget my favorite quote from Sister Long this week..."how far can you throw a Book of Mormon?" HAHA HOW FUN IS THAT.
FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT:
Everyday we have been so extremely blessed. We are so lucky to be able to continue the work of the Lord in this beautiful place and we have constantly been surrounded by miracles. Although our circumstances might have changed the work of the Lord has not. MIRACLES DO NOT STOP. Miracles have resulted from our precious friends beginning to read the Book of Mormon and pray, others have called US to set up appointments, we have taught our friends the power of fasting, we have found a way to contact MANY less actives, our members are preparing for general conference, our spiritual thoughts over social media have brought many to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and we have had the ability to communicate with people through technology. And lets not forget the mighty miracle of us being able to have lessons in our COZY SOCKS. There have been so many miracles! The Lord is so good to us.
One thing that has been on my mind lately has been this... the biggest excuse and complaint we hear from people is, "Skam kohë" or in other words, "I don't have time." However, I look at this trial or challenge that our world is facing and I can't help but thank God for the many prayers he has answered and the many blessings he has given us. We ALL have time now! We have time to read and pray, we have time to spend with our families, we have time to paint and draw and develop our talents, we have time to meditate and reflect on our lives, we have time to write letters and serve one another, we have more time than ever before! TAKE THIS TIME. ENJOY THIS TIME. Be of good cheer, despite the circumstances!!! We are living miracles. Please do not forget that Christ does not "run out" of miracles. When Christ fed the 5000 there was enough food for ALL of them and plenty more to go around. He has an abundant amount of miracles and blessings that are blessing you right this very second. Everything happens for a reason. Remember Him. One way you can remember Him is by heartfully studying his appearance in THIS latter-day dispensation to the prophet, Joseph Smith. Christ truly came and restored his church to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith. Of that I am sure. Do NOT FORGET TO WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE. They have answers to your prayers<33 I love you all!! Be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY.
Love, Motra Sëtën
Adriatic South Mission
P.O. Box 2984
Bulevardi Gjergj Fishta
Qendra ALPAS
Shkalla NR. 5 Apartamenti NR.14
Tirana, Albania
Pics:
1. District council I love them
2. Our awesome poster
3. Sacrament saturday gang
4. Our poster featuring my bob ross slippers
5. I am a bread winner
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