How to Be a Good Member Oct. 23, 2017

Ina got baptized and confirmed this weekend! And her family came to support her! It was really cool to see the whole family taking up the first row. 

Love works miracles. So I'm learning how to be a good member by Sister Beck. She just moved her (side note: i often drop the e off the end of english words or write the ë if it doesn't make a sound oops), she and her husband work in the american embassy here. Anyway so she doesn't speak albanian right? We took her to visit one of our returned less active members and her daughter. Her daughter is deaf, mute, and can't see very well. So here's the connection. Sister Beck was there with us and she was able to communicate with signing. She said hey listen we are the same. You and I-we can't understand what they are saying, we can't read with them, and we can't speak with them. Do not feel like you are alone. Simple. But she made a connection. I feel so much love from her and see how she shows it to everyone. She loves being here. She loves the people. And they know it. This is how we have to be. Make people feel wanted. Not alone. (side note: she is from Chile!)

MIRACLES! Expect them. Oct. 16, 2017

We had a special conference with Elder Ballard on a broadcast. He basically told us to go get our miracles because they are there. MIRACLES! Expect them.

Ok we had a Relief Society activity that practically describes albanians. we had a spiritual thought and then...ate byrek. kaq. thats it. classic.

We found Americans. Well really albanians. but they had lived in lousiana for 15 years and had gone to our church over there. Bless those cute members over there because this woman lllooooves the church and misses it so much. She started talking about those ladies at church and teared up. aww Well now they have been back in albania for almost 2 years. They are super open and have strong beliefs. We are hoping that now they will be ready to learn more and find out that the church is everywhere; and everywhere it is the same. Excited! ALSO they are the first albanian family that has ever understood that we sacrifice to come here. She was like your families probably are sacrificing a lot to get you here huh? wow Usually people think that because we are american that we are loaded and that we should give them some of our millions. It was a small thing, but just having someone understand that it's a big thing to be here made us feel good :)

DOBBY IS FREEEE!

Wow so I just feel like I'm back to being Motra Hegërd :) So yesterday we were tracting and I just felt soo happy. I didn't feel like I was not-not-happy. But I was really happy :) And it was obvious. Like I was talking to those cute old couples like we were best friends. Probably thought I was crazy but I think they liked it haha. So how did it turn around?

This week after feeling that I needed and was ready to get the fire back, we set some high goals. Higher than we have set and higher than we have accomplished for a long time. But we wanted to work hard and get those goals accomplished. Then when we prayed, we really wanted to get to those goals we had set, so we prayed specifically and earnestly to accomplish those. There is a cool thing that happens here. We have faith that we can set and accomplish high goals, then we actually feel like we have to work to accomplish those. Faith + hard work = HAPPINESS! It's super easy. And you know what? We didn't even accomplish all the goals we had set, but I felt good at the end of the week. 

I've met some people here who don't do much in life. How can you ever be happy if you don't do anything? It is crazy to settle like that. We cannot believe that we can actually be happy if we aren't working. It's why everyone gets tired of summer at the end of it. If you don't have anything productive to do, I'm sure there is someone that you know that has plenty of work that you can help with. Or pick a new hobby. Learn a new thing. Sister Godfrey and I have started cross-stitching. We'll see if we can make the Albanians proud.

Have a good, busy week. And have fun!

Motra Hegërd

Waffles and Ice Cream!

Thanks to a wonderful translating team :) we got to watch general conference morning sessions live! I always feel a little weird watching conference here because it reminds me that we are still connected with the world even though we are far away. Makes me want waffles and ice cream. 

I remember 2 years ago watching conference looking for some good talks about missionary work (because I was preparing to go on a mission) and instead I heard a lot of talks about marriage. I told this to Sister Godfrey last night and she was like well good thing you ignored that prompting. haha.

Miracles across the ocean! So there was a less active member that I love in Gjakova who has her daughter in New York. Well I just heard that the daughter ended up without a place to stay (she is 16) so she was there in New York with nowhere to go. All the way over here in Kosove there were calls made and they located her bishop there that was able to help her get back home. So now she is back in Gjakova and her mom is so grateful. <3 ah I love how we seriously are connected just because there are always members somewhere.There is always a bishop willing to help. That doesn't change where you are. It's a real miracle how the church is organized to help.

Motra Hegerd

BUT... Sep 25, 2017

We made an apple pie today. America. 

We make fërgesë. Albania.

We learned the New Zealand National Anthem. New Zealand.

We listen to Norwiegan songs (thanks to Motra Lyng). Norway.

We eat peanut butter. Greece.

We eat bananas. Ecuador.

Sometimes we speak with a Scottish accent. Scotland.

We celebrated the 4 of July with a British elder in the district... England.

So basically you could say we are pretty culturally rounded. It's cool to think about it. We have people in this mission from like all over. And you don't even know until they speak english and you can't understand what they said...

English Course is a fun service we do as missionaries. Now we have a new program. It's more official and organized. I love it! And so do the people that come! So we start and end with a prayer and then at the end we do a little spiritual thought. We introduced the Book of Mormon and then asked if anyone wanted one. They ALL took a Book of Mormon. Wow. Miracles in English Course.

Jeremiah 20: 7-9

7 ¶ O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

8 For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Wow. That's pretty firey Jeremiah. He was not having any of it anymore. He wanted to quit. It was too hard. Too many people making fun of him. That's it. I'm done. Then there comes the BUT: BUT I've got this burning it my heart. BUT I know this is true. BUT I believe in Christ. And there is no where else or to whom else(?) to go. :)

Motra Hegërd

on our roof! (or not..depends on how you feel about it)

Adelina got baptized!

In the Liahona, Bishop and his son!

rose ice cream.

MIRACLES!! Sep 18, 2017

MIRACLES!! Ok so beginning with my first interview with President Anderson...he asked what I thought about the focus on less actives. K so I've served in wards that have 300 members, 30 active. Like that. I've worked a lot with families that never came back. Never did anything actually. Didn't see a lot of success. BUT we continue to work. So now after many weeks of visiting Sister Dibra we called her Sunday to ask the usual, are you coming like you said you would? annnnd she said ya I'm waiting outside the church....no way. So then we get to church and as we are walking up the stairs she tells us that she has actually never been to this church building...(we moved church buildings 3 years ago) Holy cow. First day back to church! MIRACLE!

Another sister we have been visiting Sister Muriza. So Sister Godfrey went out of the class to call her (we have 2 wards so they come later) and she comes back in and looks depressed! I like kinda asked and she just shook her head. obviously upset. She tells me later so she called her and Sister Muriza said I'm not coming.

why?

hangs up

Sister Godfrey calls her back

are you mad at me?

I'm not coming. That's just how it is.

hangs up again.

Godfrey was so mad. We are never visiting them again. Then she walks into sacrament meeting...and look who's sitting there. "Motra Flipping Muriza" haha surprise :) that little angel woman. haha. 

So two of our beeeautiful members came to church yesterday. It took time. And will still be a lot of time. But it just gave me so much more hope. Nothing gets done with a couple first attempts and never going back. Endure! to the End! Miracles happen along the way :)

Motra Hegërd

Families Lumturinë Sep 11, 2017

Stake Conference. The theme was families and marriage. How applicable. I loved it. Some quotes from it:

it makes more sense in albanian. but a quick albanian lesson for the background...

a really serious goodbye like someone you are never going to see again = lamtumirë

happiness = lumturinë

For our marriages we need to work towards the goodbye...i mean - happiness

nice mistake. it was pretty good. 

The overall message I got from conference is that you can't actually go through this life alone. You literally cannot expect to be saved as an individual. You are born into a family. sealed as a family. and that's how you are going to be in heaven. So I guess we better stop being selfish thinking that- well at least I'm doing what I need to be. Ya great. Do what we are supposed to do. Next. Help someone else I guess. Because salvation can't really be selfish. Gotta do it for someone else. Not like you can make anyone else be saved, but you can help them do it. I don't know if that makes sense. It was just a cool way of thinking about it.

President Anderson when he was little went to Israel for 6 months to study there as a family about the Savior. And with their kids, they did scripture study every morning and family home evening. This is how you have a strong family that loves each other. This is how you don't lose anyone. Is it a surprise to anyone that they did that and now they are a mission president? no. It's nice to want a tight family. It's another thing to do the work for it. And then we can all have beautiful little families one day! :) 

Motra Hegërd

Compassion Sep 4, 2017

So I made a mistake praying to feel more compassion for these people. Because I've kind of gotten used to people making excuses and I've lost that whole feel sorry for them part. Like someone says they are sick...uhuh...andd so I was feeling like ok well I need to actually feel sad and not get annoyed at this. So I prayed to feel more compassion for this people. Answer:

We have been teaching a very poor family. I don't know if I can describe this accurately but they basically live in a cement room...that's under an apartment building. So it's like the foundation of the building. So they just put all their stuff there and covered it with cardboard and blankets for a wall. So the first time we met the mom asked us for money but we can't give out money as missionaries so we have to say no. We have to do this a lot. But we explained that we are here to serve people by teaching them how to follow Christ. She understood and still wanted to meet to learn more about Christ. So now we have been teaching them for a couple weeks. They can't read so we read to them and they sing along with us when we sing even though they can't read. We love them. Then we went back this last Friday. Rita said that the police had been there and told them they have to leave within a week (because it's technically trespassing) Then she told her her whole life story. I don't know what I'm aloud to say...If you could imagine, yeah pretty bad stuff has happened to her. And now she has a 9 year old daughter and a 2 year old son. And she was telling us her story. And her daughter came back from the store for their food that day...and I cried. I can't take this. Ya know we come here and we meet with these people and we cannot help them. Then we go home to our beautiful home and I just felt awful. But they came to church for the first time on Sunday and I've been thinking ok so our message is that if we follow Christ and keep the commandments then we will be blessed both physically and spirtually. Ok so here it is real life. Do I believe that? No WE cannot physically help them, but I have faith that if they will follow and keep the commandments, that they will be ok. Teach them how to fish? well we all know who does that best. We can bring them to Jesus Christ, or rather to invite them to go themselves, then they can learn how to fish. Then they will be set for life. I believe that.

Motra Hegërd

Baby Shower Aug 28, 2017

We threw a baby shower for a young mom in our ward!! It was sooo fun! And holy cow so scary planning a RS activity...the pressure. But ah it was so cool because albanians don't have baby showers so it was a first for all of them. We just had a bunch of typical little games and what not and decorations. Alma (the mom) afterwards told us- I never thought that I would ever have a baby shower. Thank you so much. 

awww it was very nice to be able to share a little bit of our American culture. These are normal things for us but no we don't do activities like this. But we are going to. This month we have a bunch and we are encouraging all the members to join us for this Month of Invitations. It's going to be so good!

Emiliana looking at a picture of the temple in Rome "I will go there someday" she said it almost in a whisper super subtle but ugh the power. Temples are the best places that we can have a goal to go to. I miss it a lot. Some of our members are preparing right now to go to the Temple in Switzerland. it's far. But soooon we will have one in Rome!!! which is wayy close for these members here in Albania. Because of temples we can be families FOREVER. 

And last thing: an Albanian expression

Zoti vonon por nuk harron.

(The Lord is late but doesn't forget)

ah such wisdom. Just because He may not give us an answer or something we expect in the time we want, does not mean that He forgot. He didn't. :)

Motra Haggard