Pershendetje!
Another week has come and gone and it is so crazy to think
that I am almost halfway through my MTC experience...WHAAAT?!! I don't know
shqip!! This time next month I'll be packing for Albania...ok, so yeah I still
have a month left but it's gonna go fast! Well actually, riddle me this, my
departure date is set for June 11 but I leave the MTC on May 28..what's
happening?? I'll tell you what, the MTC is being filled to its MAX capacity and
they are having to find new places to put us. I mentioned before that they were
talking about moving us to Raintree but actually they checked out Raintree and
decided to update it a little to put it up to missionary standard (they are
pretty old complexes) before moving missionaries there. So they are instead going
to move us to Wyview. Which is CRAZY that was my freshman year. If I'm in the
same building I will probably freak out. Our branch president told us it was
official this past Sunday. Out of the 70 branches in the MTC (each zone is a
branch) we are one of 6 that are moving to Wyview. We don't know all the
details (like how they are going to feed us!) but we'll have our classrooms and
everything there. In fact they are getting so many new missionaries (especially
since school is out) that we are moving Tuesday devotionals to the Marriott Center West
MTC campus. I guess they are just 18-month contracts (kinda like
mine, huh?) and they are still looking into more permanent options. We shall
see. But it’s exciting. Being a missionary is exciting!
I remember before I came it seemed everyone told me I would
get sick of the food or it would make me sick. I am here to tell you that I
still love the food (no shame!). The hardest part is being able to eat so much
all the time. Sometimes my self-control when it comes to food is not so great
so I just eat all the time. I guess in that regard, maybe its not so healthy.
But they have DELCIOUS salads and fruit all the time. And even though I don't
love eating dinner at 4:20, the nice part is that we usually get the food
before it runs out. (I'm pretty sure they've had strawberries the whole
time-they just ran out by the time they got to our shift. Whaat?! so that’s
pretty scrumptious)
So just to update you on my birthday since I e-mailed in the
first part. The sweet elders in my districts (there are 2 Albanian districts)
got me candy and one of them made me a SYL flag tag (SYL = Speak Your
Language). The motrat (sisters plural) got me cookies and Motra Wait got me
this sweet "Return with Honor" t-shirt. I love it! I also got a
dearelder birthday package from my dear friend Sister Diane Standifird, love
that woman! I got a fun package from my work/brother/friends! Didn't see that one
coming (just kidding) but I still love it. Also another sweet friend Adrianna
Hill sent me the Plan of Salvation visual set thing- in ALBANIAN! How cool is
that?! And letters from home. It was a most joyous birthday and I felt much
loved!
Then the next day VEDEKJA!! (Vedekja=albanain word for
"death", we may or may not say this word on a daily basis). Basically
I got sick the next day. I had a headache and felt feverish and my body ached.
We went to the doctor and he said I didn't have a fever but gave me medicine
for chills and told me to manage it. I tried to tough it out for a couple days
because I did not want to miss class. But it got bad enough that on Monday I
stayed at the residence and slept ALL DAY. There was another sister in our zone
who wasn't feeling well so she was my "companion" and I literally
slept all day, waking only when the other motrat came to check on me, when they
brought me food, and to pee. I tried to drink water as often as I could. Motra
Robertson charged me to drink as much as I could and filled up all my water
bottles. So each time I drank "for Motra Robertsoooooon!" aka
"for Narniaaaaa". That night the elders came to give me a blessing. I
thought it was just going to be the elders in our district but all 6 of them
came. It was cool to be surrounded by so much priesthood. They have a great
opportunity to literally bless the lives of those Albanians we are going to
teach. I felt better the next day and went to class but I still didn't feel
well. My poor companion was basically teaching solo and I zoned out trying to
understand. It was a rough lesson. However the NEXT day I felt much better and
I continue to improve. No vedekja for me.
Yesterday we had our first SYL day where we tried to speak
Albanain all day. It was hard! I learned a lot and I really think it helped me
improve but boy does it make my head hurt! Alright I am running out of time and
I wanted to save the best for last.
For our Tuesday devotional we had Elder and Sister Gavaret
(sp?) come speak to us. It was wonderful but the part I want to share with you
was as Sister Gavaret was speaking about halfway through she started speaking
in Spanish (her native language) and even though I could only understand a
little, what I felt was the spirit. What came to my mind was that prophesy that
everyone will be able to hear the gospel in their native tongue. That's why I'm
learning Albanian. Not because I thought it would be cool (Albanian is probably
the last language I would have learned). But it is important to Heavenly Father
that His children hear about His gospel in a language they understand (well,
that they can hopefully understand if it’s coming from me). That why he calls
us Americans that have never heard a lick of shqip to come to the MTC and gives
us 9 weeks to learn this language that is unlike any other language. And that’s
when miracles happen. That's the only way I'm learning this language. It’s hard
and crazy but I am so grateful for this opportunity to stretch like I've never
been stretched before. I love being a missionary. It’s the hardes,t best thing
I've ever done.
I love you all. This church is true. Say your prayers, read
your scriptures. Be a [member] missionary.
Peace and blessings!
Motra Kertis
P.S. Sorry no pictures this week, how about YOU send me some
for a change :)
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