SHQIPERIA ♥ FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER

Every week gets crazier and more awesome here in Albania:) Ive decided that you just cant describe what a mission is like in words and do it justice. You just have to be there and experience for yourself what it is really like.  I remember before my mission I thought I had an idea of what it would be like. I thought I knew what "great experiences" were ahead of me, but BOY WAS I WRONG.  Missions are SO much better than I had ever imagined.  I've learned so much about myself and who I want to be. I'm closer with my Heavenly Father than I ever have been before. I have the best job in the world and it's not even a job. They say that if you find a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life and its so true. Its hard, but hard is not bad, it's just hard:)

     So, like my heading says, my week was basically centered on families. Which is awesome because families are the important part of the Gospel. As you know, I am in Tirana still, but in a different area/ward (first ward) and so I have all new investigators and people to work with.  It has been so fun getting to meet new people.  My trio was split up and Sister White went back to Tirana fourth ward, but I'm still here with Sister Peters for another week at least. (transfers are this Saturday so I'll let you know how that goes) Anyways, back to families. We are teaching this family here that I already have such a deep love for. They are the Keqja family (fun fact: Keqja means "the bad one" in Albanian) but they are some of the greatest people ever. Their family has such a strong relationship. They are a family of 7 which is a GIANT family in Albania. We had a cool lesson this week with them. Let me tell you a little bit about this family though. Their dad does NOT stop talking and he argues ALL THE TIME (they say it's just conversing in Albania but it's arguing haha) Nese, we haven't really  been able to get more than a few words in and really connect with him in the lessons. The rest of the family is GOLDEN and ready, but we want to help them all get to that point. So we talked about something that we know means a lot to him... HIS family. When we started talking about families he lit up. He cut us off as usual, but then he paused and said with the biggest smile I have ever seen and he said "Did you know that I am a millionaire?" He said this as we are sitting in a tiny house we all barely fit in, with broken tile and old furniture. He went on to say "I'm a millionaire because I have five healthy children." "The richest person in the world can say that he is rich because he has nice things and a nice house and a nice car, but hes not rich. I'M rich and I'm the luckiest man in the world with my family!" I've never seen a man in Albania talk about his family with such love before and the spirit rushed in and the room was filled with the spirit testifying to us all, and for the first time in a lesson I've been in with him, he listened to us talk about families and the importance of families in Heavenly Fathers eyes and he said "You know why i like your Church? its centered on families and their importance. I've been to many churches and when I came to your church it was the first time I heard someone talk about families like that". Skender may still be a little hard headed in his opinions, but in that lesson I think his testimony grew at least a little  bit as we talked about eternal families and that was a miracle and success in my opinion. :)

     I had en exchange in Shkoder this week with my Sister Training leader Sister Kelly. I learned so much in just a few hours of being there. Since all the lessons we had fell through we decided to go tracting.  Before we went, we said a prayer and then went outside. We sat there for a minute and then Sister Kelly said "okay, on the count of three, point where you feel we should go" and on the count of three we both pointed in the same direction knowing that that was where we were supposed to go and so of course we did. We knocked on door after door.  Nobody seemed interested. I think in this case I usually would have gotten a little bit frustrated and discouraged, but I was so sure that we were supposed to be here in this area.   We kept going with Faith that someone would open their door to us and then finally, we knock on the last door and out comes a little girl who goes to get her mom. The mom comes out and immediately lets us in. We explained who we were as soon as we got in and she continued to listen as we taught her the restoration. A few minutes after we began, in came their grandma and she sat and listened, and then after awhile, their dad came in and sat and listened. We taught the whole family about the amazing plan that Heavenly Father has for them and they loved it and said they wanted to continue learning and come to church. As we were teaching I was so sure that this is the family we were supposed to teach that night and because we listened to the Spirit, we were able to find them. 

     This week my testimony of eternal families has grown as I have testified to other families of this truth.  I'm so grateful that I get to be with my family for eternity, that we get to learn and grow together as part of Heavenly Fathers perfect plan. This week happened to be my awesome parents 24th Anniversary and Fathers day and I was able to reflect on how blessed I have been to have two amazing examples as parents and two best friends as brothers. I love this Gospel. I love my family. I love my Heavenly Father and I am forever grateful for his plan for us and for the opportunity that I have to teach families about this plan. 

I love you all. Me shume dashuri- Your Motra. CHOW

"Companionship inventory TRUST EXERCISE. #haircut :O"
I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN HOW HARD I LAUGHED WHEN I SAW THIS PICTURE!
TASIA IS VERY VERY PROTECTIVE OF HER HAIR. HAHAHAHA

"I got to see Motra Shehu yesterday and she yelled at me and got
mad at me for leaving and not saying goodbye.  I love this crazy nene. :) 
You can't see her but shes there hahaha"

"Relief Society activity at the lake.  These women
are amazing.  I love them already ♥"



"On the way to Shkoder and I couldn't help but take a picture of all the GREEN. 
I don't get to see much grass in the city so it was awesome for me.  #thelittlethings"

"Lunch with the sistaaas"

"More of beautiful Shkoder and Happy Sister Cheshire :)"