Thanksgivi​ng? Sa shpejt!

It has been pretty rainy here in Lushnje. But lucky for me, I got to see a rainbow...3 days in a row! The first one disappeared so fast I barely got a picture, the the next morning when I saw another one I grabbed a bowl of cereal and just sat there and watched it appear. The next day it was a double rainbow! I love little happy tender mercies of the Lord!

This past week (Friday) was clean Albania day! Kids got out of school for the day, or part of the day and went around picking up trash. It was fun to see groups holding slightly soiled napkins and taking pictures.

Round is the new square when it comes to baking pans in Albania. Round pans are used in making byrek, therefore they seem to be the pan of choice for everything. Fun stuff. 

I love having fresh bread here in Albania. Its something I know I will miss (our teachers in the MTC talked about missing it). The funny thing is when Motra Tengu got here and she saw some packaged bread in the store (you don't see it often). She asked if we could get it even though it was kind of expensive. We did and it tastes like packaged bread back home (pretty much). She loves it. I'll continue to enjoy bakery bread for as long as I can. It always seems like you want what you don't have. Haha.

Albania has their Independence day the same day we have Thanksgiving. A day to celebrate for sure! Can't wait!

I always thought it was funny how missionaries referred to the trainer/trainee relationship as parent/child... but since becoming a trainer, it feels like being a parent more than I thought it would. When I compliment or thank her for doing something she absolutely beams. We do things slowly to allow her to learn. I rejoice in her success. I feel pain when she feels pain. I often want to protect her from things, but realize she has to learn from certain experiences. She follows closely behind me and often imitates the things that I do (It is so important to be a good example) But most of all, I just love her lots!

But also as a "parent" I feel like you are so much more aware of your own weaknesses. Its just made me so grateful for the Atonement and the ability we have to change. I'm not perfect, but having someone learning from everything I do makes me re-evaluate what I'm doing even more and think about how I could be better. 

I noticed last week. I'm not sure exactly when it happened but Albanian has seemed to click for me. Më në fund!  I understand what people are saying and I'm able to express myself. It was as if one day the light just turned on. Not that I understand everything (I don't) or can say everything I want correctly (I don't)...but I'm finally feeling like I can follow conversations and contribute to them. I know you're probably thinking 'after speaking and listening in only Albanian for 2 months it just NOW clicked?'. But yeah. Më në fund! I'm sure grateful it did. Maybe I'm a late bloomer, but better late than never!

Anyways, happy Thanksgiving! How grateful I am to be a missionary! 

Ju dua!

Motra Kërtis

Pictures: lots from the rainbows and I've been super bad and having taken pictures with my companion so I've included a couple from when we were in Durrës (a wedding and with her mission call)

Well that was slightly unexpected

C'kemi!

This has been my last week with Motra Guri. It has been such an adventure being companions with her. It has come with unique experiences and lots of learning. I'm so grateful for the time I had with her and all that I learned. It seemed everyone in the branch wanted to feed her before she left so we've eaten quite a bit this past week. As her first companion/trainer we always joked about me being her ma (mission lingo: a missionary's trainer is their "ma") Motra Guri just has the biggest heart and is so outgoing and funny. I'll miss having  her around. She is going home to finish her papers and then will hopefully get her mission call soon!

Guess what? I'm going to be a trainer! I wasn't expecting that until January when the big group of sisters come from the MTC, but Klaudia is coming back from the Madrid MTC Tuesday and I"ll be training her, crazy! I thought President said he was going to wait and train her with the big group. Guess plans changed. I'm nervous but I don't know why because I feel like I got to have a 'trial run training' with my mini. I think that experience is really what is going to enable me to train Motra Tengu. But this time I'll be on the training program with her. My first official daughter. Whaat?!

I remember helping Klaudia finish her mission papers. I took the picture that we attached to her papers. Then she wanted to wait a couple days to open her call when her whole family could be there and asked us to keep it in our apartment. I remember standing by her as she opened her call (literally, she wanted me to stand right next to her). Now I will be her first companion and trainer. What a new experience this will be. 

I'm grateful to be training an Albanian because I don't know that I am currently prepared to train/help someone in the language. I feel like Heavenly Father is just trying to give me all the help He can with the language. I don't know why, but Albanian just seems especially hard for me, I still make so many rookie mistakes. Sometimes I feel like I'll never "really" get in down. But even when we want to give up on ourselves the Lord NEVER gives up on us...even with something like learning a language. Prandaj, He just keeps giving me native companions! Here it goes!

Remember that one time Motra Guri asked this lady if she was ready for the 2nd coming of Christ and then when she answered "yes", raised her eyebrows and asked if she had been baptized....well we've been teaching her and she got baptized this weekend! It was beautiful. The water was cold but she said when she came up she didn't feel cold at all. Her first covenant with God. But it't not the end, I'm excited for her to continue to learn and prepare for the temple. She is amazing. 

Missionary work is full of change. But I'm grateful for every aspect of missionary work. I know that its the Lords work and I love that we get to take part in it. Missionary work is full of growing and stretching. The church is true! God love us! 

Peace and blessings!

Motra Curtis

Pictures:
1. On exchange in Fier we were given the heaviest bags of oranges and mandarins! I think I'm 37.8 % stronger now. 

2. Iliriana and her family at her baptism!

3. People who I love.

Well that was slightly unexpected

This has been my last week with Motra Guri. It has been such an adventure being companions with her. It has come with unique experiences and lots of learning. I'm so grateful for the time I had with her and all that I learned. It seemed everyone in the branch wanted to feed her before we left so we've eaten quite a bit this past week. As her first companion/trainer we always joked about me being her ma (mission lingo: a missionary's trainer is their "ma") Motra Guri just has the biggest heart and is so outgoing and funny. I'll miss having  her around. She is going home to finish her papers and then will hopefully get her mission call soon!

Guess what? I'm going to be a trainer! I wasn't expecting that until January when the big group of sisters come from the MTC, but Klaudia is coming back from the Madrid MTC Tuesday and I"ll be training her, crazy! I thought President said he was going to wait and train her with the big group. Guess plans changed. I'm nervous but I don't know why because I feel like I got to have a 'trial run training' with my mini. I think that experience is really what is going to enable me to train Motra Tengu. But this time I'll be on the training program with her. My first official daughter. Whaat?!

I remember helping Klaudia finish her mission papers. I took the picture that we attached to her papers. Then she wanted to wait a couple days to open her call when her whole family could be there and asked us to keep it in our apartment. I remember standing by her as she opened her call (literally, she wanted me to stand right next to her). Now I will be her first companion and trainer. What a new experience this will be. 

I'm grateful to be training an Albanian because I don't know that I am currently prepared to train/help someone in the language. I feel like Heavenly Father is just trying to give me all the help He can with the language. I don't know why, but Albanian just seems especially hard for me, I still make so many rookie mistakes. Sometimes I feel like I'll never "really" get it down. But even when we want to give up on ourselves the Lord NEVER gives up on us...even with something like learning a language. Prandaj, He just keeps giving me native companions! Here it goes!

Remember that one time Motra Guri asked this lady if she was ready for the 2nd coming of Christ and then when she answered "yes", raised her eyebrows and asked if she had been baptized....well we've been teaching her and she got baptized this weekend! It was beautiful. The water was cold but she said when she came up she didn't feel cold at all. Her first covenant with God. But it't not the end, I'm excited for her to continue to learn and prepare for the temple. She is amazing. 

 

Missionary work is full of change. But I'm grateful for every aspect of missionary work. I know that its the Lords work and I love that we get to take part in it. Missionary work is full of growing and stretching. The church is true! God love us! 

Peace and blessings!

Motra Curtis

Pictures:
1. On exchange in Fier we were given the heaviest bags of oranges and mandarins! I think I'm 37.8 % stronger now. 

2. Iliriana and her family at her baptism!

3. People who I love.

 

I love you, my chocolate!

Don't have much time this week!

Here are the things to know:

It was a rough/awesome week with investigators. We got dropped by a couple people. The hardest was with our investigator that was waiting for her baby to be born before getting baptized. We met with her this week and before we started the lesson she told us that she got an answer to her prayers. To quote Jinx from The District "I got my answer, the Mormons not for me." That was heartbreaking. We have gotten really close with her and she has been such a stellar investigator with a real desire to know. We had one more lesson with her but nothing really changed. She doesn't want us to come back to teach her but is still friendly. I hope one day that answer changes.

On a higher note, our other investigator passes her baptismal interview and is getting baptized this week! Yeah! She is sweet. Her daughter has been sick for the past couple days but hopefully gets feeling better soon.

Fun things to know: 

Motra Guri is on a weight losing kick right now and is always telling me what will make you thin or fat. I guess eating yogurt after meals means you can eat whatever you want and however much you want (is there any kind of proof of that? If you find any I would be interested to know). But she also says that crepes will make you fat but insists that ice cream won't. She also didn't know that exercise would help in losing weight. But I don't blame her for being concerned. I've never been fed so much! I've been fed more in this past week than my entire time in Durres. I don't know if its the area of that people absolutely adore my companion (which they do). All the time they tell her that they love her because she understands them. And its true, she loves giving health advice, singing Albaninan songs, and can talk culture stuff with them.

There is this song she has been singing all week about chocolate and I finally asked her about it, I guess its a real popular pet name that boys will use with there girlfriends: "I love you my chocolate". I think its hilariously awesome but can't take that song seriously anymore.

I didn't really how much Motra Guri and I use sound effects to communicate. I think it started our first week and has just carried over. Plus she is a sound effects kind of talker anyways and I've become more of one being around her. But is makes our conversations more interesting. 

Another thing I love about Albania is that people instead of saying "mommy", "mom" or anything like that they say "oh ma". The little kids, the teenagers, everyone. I not-so-secretly love it and may or may not apply it to my everyday life now. The same goes for dad but its short from babi, prandaj its "oh ba". 

I had my first go at making byrek this week. I'm pretty sure most missionaries learn in the homes of members but I got to make it in a bakery! (yes, the magical bakery). It was way fun. I'm not a natural but I'm sure with practice I could open a business and make millions. Or just make it for friends and family when I get home. Whichever happens first. 

I love being a missionary. I know the church is absolutely and completely true. I know God loves all His children and has given them agency. I'm grateful for that precious gift.

Over and out,

Motra Curtis