Week 5 - May 4
If this month goes as fast as the first month it will be June before you now it! I don't know where April went! Time is flying faster here than the MTC and I thought the MTC was quick! Though here there is a lot of talk about dates, because we talk baptism dates all the time! And a lot of the dates we set keep being changed and moved because they weren't ready, they get too busy to meet with us so we can't continue teaching them or the parents aren't ready for their kids to be baptized. And one Lady had to stay in her house for 40 days, after the death of her husband. It is a Muslin tradition. She was always home during that time so we could count on when we came over she would be there! But down side she couldn't come to church. But this morning period is now over and our appointment with her prished(in Albanian prish- to break; in missionary terms to fall through), but we finally met with her this week and had the best ever Law of Chastity lesson she taught us! And she came to church yesterday loved it and we are going to her house this week so we can teach her how to make American cookies! American cookies are better than Albanian. And we have two girls that have been learning for 3 months and are SO ready the older one we are on chapter 12 in gospel principles. But this next week she said she would come to church and we have members ready to pounce! Anyway I was here when we set a new date for them and that date was May 9th but here we are May 9th is this week it came up so fast, but you understand about May 9th quickly approaching! :) We will continue to work and pray for these girls and their mother!
This has been a crazy week, so we moved churches that is why I sent you a picture of the little orange church because we were moving out of our cute little orange church. And usually we teach our lessons in the church and so most of this week not having a church we were some time lost on what to do. But I'm not even mad because instead of teaching lessons we street contacted, because we usually don't have time to. And we ask if we could come to people's houses instead, we didn't go to many houses but we were doing something we haven't done before a little bit of stretching. This week we started switching who had the phone, so this week I had some responsibility placed on my shoulders, and God has helped me every time! Once I had to talk to a member on the phone while Motra Foller was in an interview I said a little prayer and picked up the phone! It was far far from perfect, but I did it which is more than I thought I could! I asked for help, relied on the Lord and He was there for me. I now am trying to do this more and more, right now He is helping me with little things, but they are pretty important to me, and He knows that and want to help me! I want to completely rely on the Lord and then He will be able to work miracles through me.
Të dua shumë! Can't wait till I can talk to you! This will be such a big week for this family have nothing but fun! Have a great week I think about you all and pray for you!
Motra Henderson
Week 4 - April 27
I can do mighty things through the Lord who strengthens me! I need to remember that I am a human and I am not perfect (even though sometime I feel like I need to be) and things will be hard, and I will make mistakes. Still learning that mistakes are okay, because the Lord doesn't ask us to be perfect. I also need to remember that through God all things are possible! And if I just remember that, then I just need to wait on the Lords timing, and rely on him and allow His to stretch and mold me. But one day we were walking with little girls and I understood a whole conversation. I understand usually when my companion talks, but I also understood the girl! Tender mercies of the Lord, because later that day the same girl was talking and I didn't get it. pak nga pak (little by little).
Summer break, could it be possible? It has been January since I walk in to the MTC! I am thankful for my companion, because we laugh. The last week or two have not been super successful for us, so I needed to remember to have joy in the journey. I think about running the 800 and the fact that I actually enjoy that race, because it is hard, and even a little painful. But the feeling of trying my hardest and giving my all, and every time I do it I know I am improving. So that is the level of service I want to give.
Okay this week we had to deal with a bunch impossible little kids, and I get really frustrated and impatient. I don't really know how to handle kids, especially when I have to tell them what to do in Albanian and even if I do they don't listen anyway. So mom I know you are the best at this. We give them cookie and chocolate, and they (one in particular) asks us for more. And this week we said we would make lunch with them during our lunch break, and it turned into an inefficient use of the Lords time. I love these girls, but when they were not listening to us and wasting the Lords time, I got done. Or service became expected, and I came a long ways to be a unpaid babysitter.
Anyway we have some investigators that are not answering and so this next week we will have to start street contacting. So the thought was scary, but I am just so ready to get out in the field and talk with people practice my language. It will be hard but I think this is what I need to get over my fear of having conversations in Albanian. But I have been reading "The Riccardi Letter" and it talks about the field being white and ready to harvest. This Elder Riccardi hated wasting time because he knew that there was someone out there that was ready to receive the gospel. So no more wasting time and it is time to start harvesting.
We have been watching the Distinct, because trainee go through a 12 week training course. anyways I got really excited about member missionary work and I thought about how I will be a better help to the missionaries in my ward when I get back. But you guys are there now! Here we have just a couple members that can help, because of crazy work and school schedules. but isn't that all of us? I am learning what a help it is to have members in our lessons because me and my trainer aren't perfect with the language. But the most help they can be is in finding, because there are more members than missionaries. So share the gospel invite them to meet with the missionaries. I know that they people you share it with will be blessed and the missionaries will be grateful!
Love you all! you make me happy!
Week 3 - April 20
Ah man this week went faster than the last, I can't believe it is Monday again. We have lots of lessons but I still don't talk in them and I don't know at what point I will start contributing anything to the lesson. Or what the balance is with being patience with myself and working my hardest. Because we do lots of things but I don't feel like I am working my hardest, I not wiped-out at the end of the day because I gave every ounce of energy. But at the same time my companion seems stressed out about things, do I not care enough or do I not understand? With my language level I feel like I am sitting on the sideline. I don't want to be on the side line I want to be up to my elbows in the work , but right now I feel like I am merely helping. If we were a draft horse team I wouldn't be pulling my weight it just seems like my companion is doing it all, and everyone says be patient. But there is a quote that says to get results you have never had, you have to do something you have never done. I feel like I do the same thing every time in the lesson bear my testimony at the end. It makes me feel like I am not growing or becoming better.
Friday we went to Durras for a mini MTC for some Albanian youth wanting to serve missions. So it was exciting to get to leave Triana for my first time. There we went on splits, with mini missionaries, and for the 1st half, we were their trainers. So yes after two weeks in Albania I trained. ha ha. So I was terrified because what was I going to do for them? But they were absolutely great. All of them will be super awesome missionaries and all of them are just baptized themselves. They already go on splits with missionaries and teach primary and things! But with my first two we were to go street contacting, and I haven't gone street contacting with my trainer yet. We (me and my trainer) go hand out flyers for our English course but that's all we have done. So with my mini we talk to this lady and then she was getting mean and loud and my mini had to handle all of it by herself, I was no help. But before we were done we gave a BOM and lots of cards with numbers. The next mini we got two numbers. They were both really cute and very excited for the work, and they did so good they didn't need me. Oh and all my minis spoke English so I could share some of my limited missionary knowledge. But I love working with them And I hope it was an awesome experience for them. I just feel so bad because I have come to Albania and everyone I talk to no matter how bad they think their English is it always seems to be better than my Albanian
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