Well I'm in Albania Oct 8th

Well I'm in Albania. Its crazy to really be here. My companions name is Motra Atkin. She is also from Utah and this is her last transfer before she goes home. She is very nice and its been fun to have a companion. My first area is Durrès. Right by the coast just west of Tirana. We have a chapel here, and they say this is the most established ward so that's cool. it has been a little bit of a crazy week with extra meetings and stuff for my companion, but I love it here already. It is a definitely different, but really just what i expected. Besides just being dirty and dumpy basically everywhere its nice.  We have taught a few lessons already and talked to lots of people. I don't really understand people.. like at all. But I just do my best and I am definitely learning a lot everyday. When we went to church yesterday it was really great. The Branch here is so nice and very loving. Albanian people are generally very nice and loving people. You tell them you are from America and they love you no matter what. ha. It was fast Sunday here and they asked me to introduce myself and bare my testimony. I did and they all said I did very well. Only being here for 5 days. ha. This branch is prob the biggest in all of the mission we had a full chapel. It felt just like being at home.

 

The Airplane was super fun, but at times with the air pressure changes I felt like I was scuba diving again. When we would go down only. My ears would really hurt and they still havnt really cleared fully yet. but im sure they will adventually. i JUST remember dad saying that happens to him too. no worries. We live in a little home in the middle of town under a family of Albanians one of the pictures is a treat the lady upstairs brought for us to eat one day. It was delicious. and the other picture is me in front of a store with my name on it! Kristi is a mans name here I think, but they spell it like me. cool. 

 

When you go to teach people, members and nonmembers here they always offer you a drink and a treat after you sit down. This is how it goes... Take your shoes off before you go inside.. say hello and how have you been in a million different ways.. replying with good- mirè. for all the questions. Then you sit down, they go and get you something to eat and drink, then the hellos start all over again. Its my favorite thing ever. Because I can have a whole conversation by just saying hello to people. 

All different parts of the cities are different. Their are nicer homes, and really, really poor homes, but basically eventhough its in Europe its alot more like south America. Very poor. Its sad to see how some people have to live. But they dont know anything different and i still love them anyway so it doesnt matter. We always take our shoes off before entering homes though. no matter where we are. 

Driving in Albania is crazy, but it is SO FUN i think. Its like a roller coaster ride... all the time. Basically everyone just goes everywhere and everyone else just gets out of your way. YOu only worry about the people that are in front of you. Alot of honking, and squeezing between and through little areas... while going fast. It really is fun. We have rode in cars, vans,   with missionaries driving, and busses, and fergons. But we walk mostly everywhere in our area. It is so nice to walk again. I also love that the policeman are so useless and just stand in the middle of the streets waving their little wands.. and doing nothing. The people just cross the streets anywhere and everywhere. No one has accidents or hits people though.. alot of trust. Its great. oH AND  just as my teachers in the MTC said Albanians have really nice cars. Even if they dont have money to buy food they will have a nice car. Not every car is nice, but alot. Most are Mercedes. But their are also alot of BMWs and Volks Wagons. 

The people here are great. Eventhough I cant really speak Albanian and cant really understand anyone either. I love talking to people. Lots of people go on xhiros or walks in the evenings and tons of people walk everywhere too. so their area always lots of people to talk to or at least say hello to. I can do that. I just want to talk to everyone, I dont know if my companion likes that, our first few days she didnt really say hi to everyone only the people we were going to visit, but I like to and shes awesome to help me after I say hello.. ha. I'm sure I will get it someday. 

Our first couple of days in Tirana we first went Tracting and street contacting the second we got there. and we met with the mission president and his wife. They are both so amazing. I love them already. They have some big plans for this mission planning to produce a stake in Albania in Spring of 2014. We are apart of that. and have alot of work to do. Its great though. I found out that I am the first sister actually called to the Adriatic South Mission and not the Albania mission. Pretty cool. The other countries were just opened this spring. Their is one member in Montenegro, But they can proselyte there. Kosovo is has like 8 or something, and in Macedonia they arent allowed to proselyte and their arent any members yet. We only have one companionship in both Montenegro and Macedonia and 2 in Kosovo. The mission President is trying to build it up strong in Albania for the stake and then maybe we will branch out more, further in Albania and in the other countries with more missionaries learning those languages. The elders there just have to learn it while they are there. Crazy. But the work is spreading... so Amazing. 

Anyway.. I love you all. Hope your doing well. You still can write me in Albania. Just mail it. ha. 

Love you!

Motra Kristi Hoover