Motra Kokol!!! --- June 24th

 Si jeni? A jeni mirë? Si keni kaluar? Shpresoj shumë mirë!  I am already speaking, and understand the cleaner Albanian better and so that is a good thing. ha.


Our Water pump. We walk down 3 sets of stairs and plug this little white plug/pump in the wall. Always hoping someone else's isn't already in... which it often seems to be the case. ha. It has been fine really. and kinda fun. Definitely a time I will never forget. 

Motra Kokol has arrived!!

It really has been a great week. Motra Kokol arrived on Wednesday. My mini Motra Sejati was so sad that it was so short, and me too, but it was so good to have her here also! It was a wonderful experience to be companions with Motra Sejati. I wish it was a little longer actually. I know that everything that happens in life is absolutely meant to be. It was meant for me, opening this new area. It was meant for Motra Kokol to have the experiences in the MTC by herself and to come here a little late allowing me to know at least a little bit of where we are and what we are doing. and it was definitely meant for Motra Sejati getting ready to leave to the London, France mission the first of August. She had a lot of questions for me and it was so good to have her be with me.

Motra Kokol and I out and about! Sharing the gospel.

Motra Kokol is so great Already! She is from American Fork and has the funnest personality. It has been a little bit rough getting lessons and finding people to teach this last week, but she is such a good sport and has just jumped right in to help me with the work and is loving the opening adventure with me! This week was definitely better than the last week and I just know the next week will be even better the same. It's fun to see how the work.. .works. I have really striven to always be busy, have good plans for my everyday and really strive to listen to the spirit. I have felt so full of love and charity for the people here this week and so accomplished everyday, even if we didn't even get to teach anyone. It's amazing the way the Lord works. I'm really trying to do it His way and I couldn't be happier!

This transfer I really want to work on working with even more diligence and really striving to listen and follow the spirit even more as a missionary here. I already have felt a difference in my thoughts and love for the people here as I have worked on these specific traits.

It is amazing how Heavenly Father helps us recognize our weaknesses and also helps us to change our weaknesses (even just one at a time) into our greatest strengths. Either 12:27. This is something I have seen in myself a lot as I've been a missionary, and that I just read about in the Bible finishing Micah. I love that weak things really can become strong as we work with the Lord to improve ourselves and become our very best selves. Some of my qualities at the beginning of my mission that were told to me as my weaknesses are now being told to me as my strengths. It is truly amazing how the Lord can work through us. It feels so great to know I can accomplish anything. I can become strong in all things as I work to continually strengthen all my weakness.

I also love that even though we are all striving to become perfect like our Father in Heaven and Savior we still are all very different people with different backgrounds, experiences, and personalities. We are all here to improve ourselves to reach OUR greatest potential, not anyone else's potential. This is something I have learned being a missionary, working with lots of different people. I have learned to accept the differences in others and have learned to help them to improve themselves as I improve myself, but not change who they are, to be like me, or change myself, to be like anyone else. It makes me very happy and I'm so grateful for this understanding.

I'm so grateful for my family! I love you all very much and I hope you have a super week this week!

me dashuri,

Motra Kristi Hoover

ps. A little about Tirana...

The people here drive very aggressively... no they don't stop, so you have to run fast to cross the roads. You often get really close to the cars... or they get really close to you. ha.

 It is CRAZY HOT, sticky, and dusty and I know it will only get hotter in July and August. But... I love it right!?? I feel like I am baking in lake Powell after a nap in the sun, about to die cause your just getting so hot.. so you jump in the water, but here we don't jump in the water. ha. It's crazy. A lot of sweat and even more stinky, sweaty Albanian. mmm.. ha.

This is a photo of my first way sweaty hot day... ha. We were outside, walking a lot this day... grateful we didn't have a lesson because obviously I wore the WRONG dress... haha.

The Skenderbeju (not sure about the spelling) Statue in the Center of Tirana. I've always wanted a good picture of this and so finally today I got one.

 I love that everywhere you go here there are people selling anything and everything all over the sidewalks and streets. I need to take more pictures and videos of the just everyday life. It really is a different world even from Kosovo, but I really am happy and I love it.

Something that is fun is their lifestyle. In the winter the people would sleep A LOT, basically to hibernate and survive the cold and poor housing. Now in the summer they sleep A LOT basically to survive the hot weather and no air conditioning. ha. I'm thankful we have it in our apartment. They wake up early here and work all morning then take a break in the middle of the day...kinda like a siesta I guess. From around 12-4. or later. then in the evening everything is open again and  the people are out! I love that the Albanian people for an outing daily they just go for walks. There are families and baby strollers... EVERYWHERE! Now we just got to get them to let us teach them. A LOT of ice-cream being eaten and a lot of people that have thought I am Albanian. YES!!

The Lana ..aka Poop river... literally. ja.

I got my birthday package from Mom this week. After some crazy, minor delays. But I love it! and I'm so happy it is here! Thank you mom! I love you!