This week seemed super long...Next week will probably go by super fast though because I am dreading transfers in 2 weeks. I am terrified that I'm going to be transferred.
We had district meeting Tuesday morning and we are doing our goals a different way. We make monthly goals, then average out each week's goals from that. We are teaching a more advanced English class and I teach them grammar. I actually showed them how to diagram sentences and I taught them the 8 parts of speech. I wrote out the first sentence of the Gettysburg address on the board and had them label the parts of speech on it. It was super fun. Then we had ward correlation meeting. Anthony helped us with language study, he talked only in Albanian and I could actually somewhat understand.
Wednesday we spent the whole day finding after we had interviews with President Weidmann. I got to the mission office and I didn't have my planner. President asked for it and I didn't have it...I always have it, but ugh...I totally left it on the couch when we left.
On Thursday we had a few lessons and did a lot of finding and taught English. After our lesson with Sonia we went to get crepes. I was struggling because I kept spilling chocolate. They were making fun of me (of course) and Sis Z said I was being super sassy. (Not a bad thing...as she keeps telling me...I never thought I was that sassy, but more than one person has said that to me this week).
Friday while we were waiting at the church, I started playing Only Hope on the piano. I was really focused while I was playing, people kept asking me if I was merzit (upset), but I was fine, just focused. We went to Stephen's center and got some food to share. Then we went to qender because Sis Z wanted more manna from the trees there. When we did finding that day, we found someone who is Iranian and only speaks Farsi and Arabic and a little English. The elders are teaching him and his friend now. Later, while we were with Amy, I remembered that it was one of our recent convert's birthdays. He's a ten (now 11) year old boy. We went straight out to Kombinat and sang for him at the restaurant where he was eating. It was super fun. I realized that I have no shame. Amy and Sis Z were super embarrassed and I was totally fine to be singing in front of everyone.
Saturday we played soccer in the morning and then we had our special missionary choir, then choir with everyone. I was talking to Aaron in English class and someone asked what we were doing. He said, "Oh you know Sister Johansen is just sassing me." I was confused and said "I was just standing here...I wasn't doing anything. So apparently I'm sassy and I didn't even know it. On the way out to Kombinat to do a lesson we heard a huge crash and saw a car accident. It was quite terrifying. Everyone was ok though. We had two lessons and then we walked back to the bus stop where we found Anthony playing chess with some grandpas and waiting for us. He just wanted to make sure that we were safe.
Sunday morning we woke up early to be at the church by 6 am to go to Vlore. I made muffins Saturday night and left some in the church for Amy and other people because they were sad we weren't going to be at church in Tirana. The building in Vlore is absolutely gorgeous, we sang and it went really well. On the way to Vlore a bunch of goats crossed the road in front of us. Of course...it happens all the time here I just find it funny every time. We didn't get back to Tirana until about 2 pm. We heard that while we were gone our T2 ward sang all the songs acapella because they didn't have a pianist and it didn’t sound good.
Today we went to Citypark. It's basically just a giant American mall and we rode the mechanical bull. The video I took of Acheson is flipping hilarious...Hopefully we will get to go to FHE tonight with the girl we invited.
I love you all to Gallifrey and back!! Don't forget that God loves you more than you can imagine. A talk you all should read is by Geral Causse (he came and spoke when I was in the MTC) in the November 2012 ensign. It's super good. It's called: “Is It Still Wonderful to You”? I challenge you all to ask yourself that question this week. Are the simple truths of the gospel wonderful to you? Do you consider feeling the spirit a miracle? Because it is and I challenge you all to change the way you are looking at your life if you don't consider the gospel a miracle. Have an amazing week!
Love,
Motra Xhohansen
We had district meeting Tuesday morning and we are doing our goals a different way. We make monthly goals, then average out each week's goals from that. We are teaching a more advanced English class and I teach them grammar. I actually showed them how to diagram sentences and I taught them the 8 parts of speech. I wrote out the first sentence of the Gettysburg address on the board and had them label the parts of speech on it. It was super fun. Then we had ward correlation meeting. Anthony helped us with language study, he talked only in Albanian and I could actually somewhat understand.
Wednesday we spent the whole day finding after we had interviews with President Weidmann. I got to the mission office and I didn't have my planner. President asked for it and I didn't have it...I always have it, but ugh...I totally left it on the couch when we left.
On Thursday we had a few lessons and did a lot of finding and taught English. After our lesson with Sonia we went to get crepes. I was struggling because I kept spilling chocolate. They were making fun of me (of course) and Sis Z said I was being super sassy. (Not a bad thing...as she keeps telling me...I never thought I was that sassy, but more than one person has said that to me this week).
Friday while we were waiting at the church, I started playing Only Hope on the piano. I was really focused while I was playing, people kept asking me if I was merzit (upset), but I was fine, just focused. We went to Stephen's center and got some food to share. Then we went to qender because Sis Z wanted more manna from the trees there. When we did finding that day, we found someone who is Iranian and only speaks Farsi and Arabic and a little English. The elders are teaching him and his friend now. Later, while we were with Amy, I remembered that it was one of our recent convert's birthdays. He's a ten (now 11) year old boy. We went straight out to Kombinat and sang for him at the restaurant where he was eating. It was super fun. I realized that I have no shame. Amy and Sis Z were super embarrassed and I was totally fine to be singing in front of everyone.
Saturday we played soccer in the morning and then we had our special missionary choir, then choir with everyone. I was talking to Aaron in English class and someone asked what we were doing. He said, "Oh you know Sister Johansen is just sassing me." I was confused and said "I was just standing here...I wasn't doing anything. So apparently I'm sassy and I didn't even know it. On the way out to Kombinat to do a lesson we heard a huge crash and saw a car accident. It was quite terrifying. Everyone was ok though. We had two lessons and then we walked back to the bus stop where we found Anthony playing chess with some grandpas and waiting for us. He just wanted to make sure that we were safe.
Sunday morning we woke up early to be at the church by 6 am to go to Vlore. I made muffins Saturday night and left some in the church for Amy and other people because they were sad we weren't going to be at church in Tirana. The building in Vlore is absolutely gorgeous, we sang and it went really well. On the way to Vlore a bunch of goats crossed the road in front of us. Of course...it happens all the time here I just find it funny every time. We didn't get back to Tirana until about 2 pm. We heard that while we were gone our T2 ward sang all the songs acapella because they didn't have a pianist and it didn’t sound good.
Today we went to Citypark. It's basically just a giant American mall and we rode the mechanical bull. The video I took of Acheson is flipping hilarious...Hopefully we will get to go to FHE tonight with the girl we invited.
I love you all to Gallifrey and back!! Don't forget that God loves you more than you can imagine. A talk you all should read is by Geral Causse (he came and spoke when I was in the MTC) in the November 2012 ensign. It's super good. It's called: “Is It Still Wonderful to You”? I challenge you all to ask yourself that question this week. Are the simple truths of the gospel wonderful to you? Do you consider feeling the spirit a miracle? Because it is and I challenge you all to change the way you are looking at your life if you don't consider the gospel a miracle. Have an amazing week!
Love,
Motra Xhohansen