This week has been a good one. We worked really hard everyday to be
really busy and use our time wisely, and I feel like it ended in great
success. We found a lot of new investigators and taught a lot of
lessons. I love it. I love it that what I study, learn, and practice
everyday during studies are actually what I get to use during the day.
My language is improving everyday... little by little for sure, but at
least it is improving.
When I was in the MTC I learned something I didn't really
understand clearly before about the difference between faith and
knowledge... and this week I was able to use that knowledge with one of
our investigators. I loved it. I lead the lesson, talked alot and felt
really good. His name is Irvi. I asked Him first to share his testimony.
Then when we talked about Baptism and He wasn't sure that he was ready
cause he wanted to read all the books first. I did what Vallait Hoxha
taught me in the MTC.. I pulled out my planner with the questions of
baptism. I had him read them out loud and answer them. He said he agreed
with them all. So them I explained that we only have to Believe we
don't have to Know everything. As we act on our faith our belief..
slowly but surely (avash, avash) through experiences and the Holy Ghost
we come to know. That's how we gain knowledge and why knowledge is so
powerful. Acting on our faith and following the gospel. I love this and
love that the things we learn daily we get to testify of even more
powerfully the next day. It's amazing.
I'm also grateful for the wonderful blessing it was to have 2
Albanians as Teachers in the MTC. The love I have for them helps me to
love all these people even more here. This is their home, their families
and I love it here even more because of that. I have an even greater
desire to serve them because I already have a love for them. It's the
best. I can absolutely see them both living here. This is definitely
their culture. I love it.
We have also been visiting the members alot this week and teaching
about missionary work and getting refferals for us to teach and for them
to come with us to help us teach. Every member a missionary. This is
something we don't do half as much as we should in America I think.
Church is never really talked about and I didn't even know who the
missionaries were in any place that I lived really. We read MOsiah 28:3 I
think and then eveyone practiced inviting someone else to church. This
is something we do alot as missionaries. When you practice in a safe
environment it makes it alot easier to do it in real life. YOu should
all do this in you families and be ALOT more open to sharing the gospel
in more oppertunities that you have daily. This same family wanted to
feed us dinner. My first dinner appointment. Fish for dinner! ha. Motra
Atkin my companion said she's never eaten anything like that yet on her
mission and this is her last transfer. The dad had caught the fish in
the River with his bare hands!! haha Remember the time we did that when
we went camping... Well these fish were pretty much that same size,
maybe a little smaller and looked just the same. I had fish with
everything still attached, head, skin, guts, ya everything it was just
cooked, seasoned, and cut open. along with some onion and pepper stuff.
We picked the fish up and ate it. It really didn't taste bad. It was
actually really kinda good except I don't like to eat bones like the
whole family basically did so it was kinda difficult to eat. ha. and
eventhough I didn't eat the head I just kept imagining that whole fish
that I saw in my body..yuck. haha. It was a fun experience.
This last Friday also we did a service project
moving dirt!! ya. This family's whole yard basically was a garden so we
helped them move this huge pile of dirt all of their yard. I actually
loved it. It was just like being at home and I loved being able to do
some real manual labor again. I needed that.
It has started to rain here the last couple of days
and WOW it rains. The thunder and lightning are my favorite so BIG and
so LOUD! I attached a picture of my first day in my raincoat (see photo at the top of this post). I also a
picture of pomegranets! They are all over right now on the trees. It is
like Christmas everywhere! I love it when Dad brings home Pomegranets
for us to eat. My favorite.
Already being here I
have been asked to play the piano and lead the music alot. It really is
so important and I'm so thankful for this gift.. thanks mom! I love
you!
I have started to write down fun things about
Albania that I notice are funny or different and I will tell you a
couple each week but I am totally out of time so next week I'll write a
bunch.
I'm doing great. The mission is crazy, but I love it. Serving all
the day and always remembering my savior and my purpose on this earth.
What more could I ever ask for.
We visited this old Amphitheater today. Really cool! It was really neat.
Motra Hoover
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