This has been quite the week.
It all started on Monday night. Every Monday we meet with President
Weidmann, and talk about the mission, and make plans for what we will
do moving forward. He is a great leader, and an awesome guy to talk
to. He is very smart, and can explain many things (Gospel and many
other things) in great detail. Following our meeting we have family
home evening with the office couples, and discuss anything else that
need to be discussed. It was our week for the game. We had about half
an hour. So.. we played the name game. I explained it to every one,
and it was a hit! That was great to see! Everyone was laughing!
Tuesday was our District meeting. Elder Acheson is our District
leader, and he is doing a really great job. The work is going great.
He really likes doing role-plays in district meetings so it keeps us
all on our toes. Our District seems really great. I have been very
blessed in that I have always had great Districts. We have quite the
mix right now. It keeps things really fun! One funny thing that
happened was during his training at the end he had us all write down
the Christlike attribute from PMG that we thought was most important.
He said it was a test. We all did it, and then we had to justify why
we thought that. I wrote charity.. because charity never faileth
right? That was actually what I thought though, and then his training
was on Charity so it all went well! Tuesday afternoon we met with a
new family. It was a Dad, Mom, and their 22 year old son. They were
really nice. The Dad had met us on the road a few days earlier, and
was really quite interested. One of my favourite members of fourth
ward was there, and he was able to help us. The lesson went great, and
the son accepted baptism for the 30th. They are very nice people.
After the lesson we were just going to leave and go contact, but the
member Brother Skuka seemed sad or something so we sat down with him
and talked. It sounds like he has a pretty tough life. Things are
tough with his family. We met him last week and gave him a family
history book. we asked if he had filled it out. He hadn't. For about
half an hour we filled it out with him. We filled out a page for him,
and then we filled out a page for both of his parents. It had a place
for memories, and talents, and hobbies. He was telling us all about
his life, and about his siblings, and about his parents. He was super
happy at the end, so we were really happy that we had the opportunity
to do that.
Wednesday was miraculous. We had three lessons set up in the morning,
and so we went to go teach them. Our ward mission leader Brother Lezo
came to help us as well. The first guy came, and it was a pretty good
lesson. He said he would come back so that was really good. The second
man never showed up so we were contacting right by the church, and a
man came up to us. he had met missionaries 4 or 5 years ago, bu then
he left to England, and was never able to connect with missionaries
over there. We asked if he had time to sit down, and he said he did.
He is super prepared. He remembered a ton, and had done his research.
He knew a lot, and was very accepting. He is GOLDEN. He lives in the
other ward though so they will teach him, but he is fantastic. It was
a miracle that we met him! He accepted baptism now, and is doing
great.
Wednesday at lunch we drove to Durres City. I went on an exchange with
Elder Watson, and Elder Bangerter served in our area with Elder
Roemer. It was great to be back in Durres, and to serve with Elder
Watson. We had a lot of fun there together, and our exchange was
fantastic as well. We were able to do a lot of street contacting. We
got a lot of numbers. I loved being back there. I saw Elders Holm and
Richards there as well. It was just a really great afternoon. In the
evening after planning I got a call from President, and we had to
change the plans. President let us know that the North Mission was out
of Serbian Book of Mormons. In the morning we met back up with Elders
Bangerter and Roemer and Elder Bangerter and I drove to the Montenegro
border to meet a senior couple, and give them the Book of Mormons. The
timing was perfect, and just as we got to the border the senior couple
pulled through. The timing was perfect. We handed off the books, and
were about to leave when we saw a very curious looking police office
looking at us. We gave him a book in Albanian and explained it to him,
and then got his number. It was really cool how it all worked out. On
the way back home we had a number from Church headquarters that was
located in a small town. We stopped in. His phone was off, and we
couldn't get ahold of him. So we asked around. It is funny how small
towns work. the second person that we asked knew him. We weren't able
to meet him, but we left a Book of Mormon for him, and were able to
give one to another man.
Thursday evening we tracted. We prayed and picked a building. The
third door we tracted was a less active. We had no idea that he lived
there. It was amazing to talk with him. I think he really wants to
come back to church. From what i got out of it he had planned in his
head a perfect family, but then his daughter married a Muslim guy and
left for Germany, and went inactive, and his son went inactive, and
the perfect family dream went out the window. He was a very sad man. I
felt bad for him. It was amazing we tracted into him. Definitely lead
by the spirit.
Friday went well. Saturday was quite the day. We played Futboll in the
morning. I love that. We had quite the group of people together. All
of the kids love playing with the missionaries. It was a very hot day
out. It was so much fun! At the end however I grabbed my bag, and I
did not have my cell phone. It was there before the game so I guess
someone needed it more than me. We called it, and it was off. That was
too bad, but I am super grateful because in the same bag was my money,
my drivers license, and my camera. Thank goodness they didn't get the
camera! We ate lunch as a District afterwards. Saturday afternoon we
skype lessoned a couple in france. Elder Bangerter taught them over
skype last transfer, and they were baptized. They were really nice. It
was quite the experience doing a skype lesson.
We met with our main man E. He is very Muslim, but he is open,
and he admits that if he finds something better he will join it and
leave Islam. He is such a great guy. This last lesson he had a ton
more questions. Islam is proved with a lot of facts written about in
the Koran so he wanted us to give him a lot of hard evidence. We just
explained to him that that isn't how faith worked. He is fascinated.
the original reason he met with us was to fin out why 19 year old boys
spend two years teaching. He has come to realize just how unique our
church is. He asked "if you became a prophet or an apostle, and didn't
see an Angel would you deny the faith?" We said no. He was astounded.
He said that if he ever got to a high rank in the Muslim faith and
didn't see an Angel he would leave immediately. He is still moving
forwards, and has read a ton. The main problem I am seeing is that he
refuses to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. To do that or to say
Jesus is the Son of God is equal to excommunication from Islam. I
don't exactly know what to say to him. Any ideas? I pushed him super
hard, but then he got really sincere, and just said "Look Stewart, I
can't". He is really devoted, and I admire his devotion. I can see the
things working inside of his head. He is processing a lot of
information.
Sunday was great! We had 3 investigators in Sacrament meeting. Sister
Bjeshku came. She has been super busy, but is on track to be baptised
on the 16th. She is totally going to make it! She looked so happy, and
the bishops wife sat with her. They both looked maybe a little bit
lonely so it was great for them to have eachother. We also had our two
big security guards there. They are big fellas. They liked it. After
church we ate lunch as a District.
Sunday night we went out finding. We went to the top of an appartment
building to begin tracting down, but Elder Bangerter said it didn't
feel right so we left. As we were leaving to go back down we met a man
at the elevator. He was super interested, and gave us his phone
number, and told us to come back. We rode to the bottom together, and
went separate ways. Following that we went into the street, and a man
was yelling at us. He asked us who we were, and what we were doing. We
let him know, and he wants an appointment as well. He lives in the
other ward, but they will get to go to his house. As soon as we walked
away from him another man called us over. He was 23, and with a couple
of friends. They asked a lot of questions. The one that called us over
seemed pretty sincere, and he said that we can meet him this week at
the church. It was pretty clear pretty fast why we had to leave that
appartment building!
Things are going well here. Elder Bangerter and I got our house
rearranged and cleaned. It is a new missionary house so there were a
lot of things being gathered and moved around and cleaned. It looks
great now though. It is by far the nicest house I have been in while
on my mission. This one has 3 big rooms, and two bathrooms as well as
two balconies. It is quite the contrast to the one I was in in
Gjakova.
We don't teach any English here right now. There are 5 companion-ships
in our meeting house and the other four are already doing 4 classes so
we don't have one. It is good and bad. I have really liked teaching
some of the English courses.
Thank you so much for the Easter package. I loved it. You nailed it on
the Orange, and my favourite cereal, and chocolate, and a much needed
tie!
Have a fantastic week! Take Buddy on some good long walks!
Love you lots! Elder Stewart
It all started on Monday night. Every Monday we meet with President
Weidmann, and talk about the mission, and make plans for what we will
do moving forward. He is a great leader, and an awesome guy to talk
to. He is very smart, and can explain many things (Gospel and many
other things) in great detail. Following our meeting we have family
home evening with the office couples, and discuss anything else that
need to be discussed. It was our week for the game. We had about half
an hour. So.. we played the name game. I explained it to every one,
and it was a hit! That was great to see! Everyone was laughing!
Tuesday was our District meeting. Elder Acheson is our District
leader, and he is doing a really great job. The work is going great.
He really likes doing role-plays in district meetings so it keeps us
all on our toes. Our District seems really great. I have been very
blessed in that I have always had great Districts. We have quite the
mix right now. It keeps things really fun! One funny thing that
happened was during his training at the end he had us all write down
the Christlike attribute from PMG that we thought was most important.
He said it was a test. We all did it, and then we had to justify why
we thought that. I wrote charity.. because charity never faileth
right? That was actually what I thought though, and then his training
was on Charity so it all went well! Tuesday afternoon we met with a
new family. It was a Dad, Mom, and their 22 year old son. They were
really nice. The Dad had met us on the road a few days earlier, and
was really quite interested. One of my favourite members of fourth
ward was there, and he was able to help us. The lesson went great, and
the son accepted baptism for the 30th. They are very nice people.
After the lesson we were just going to leave and go contact, but the
member Brother Skuka seemed sad or something so we sat down with him
and talked. It sounds like he has a pretty tough life. Things are
tough with his family. We met him last week and gave him a family
history book. we asked if he had filled it out. He hadn't. For about
half an hour we filled it out with him. We filled out a page for him,
and then we filled out a page for both of his parents. It had a place
for memories, and talents, and hobbies. He was telling us all about
his life, and about his siblings, and about his parents. He was super
happy at the end, so we were really happy that we had the opportunity
to do that.
Wednesday was miraculous. We had three lessons set up in the morning,
and so we went to go teach them. Our ward mission leader Brother Lezo
came to help us as well. The first guy came, and it was a pretty good
lesson. He said he would come back so that was really good. The second
man never showed up so we were contacting right by the church, and a
man came up to us. he had met missionaries 4 or 5 years ago, bu then
he left to England, and was never able to connect with missionaries
over there. We asked if he had time to sit down, and he said he did.
He is super prepared. He remembered a ton, and had done his research.
He knew a lot, and was very accepting. He is GOLDEN. He lives in the
other ward though so they will teach him, but he is fantastic. It was
a miracle that we met him! He accepted baptism now, and is doing
great.
Wednesday at lunch we drove to Durres City. I went on an exchange with
Elder Watson, and Elder Bangerter served in our area with Elder
Roemer. It was great to be back in Durres, and to serve with Elder
Watson. We had a lot of fun there together, and our exchange was
fantastic as well. We were able to do a lot of street contacting. We
got a lot of numbers. I loved being back there. I saw Elders Holm and
Richards there as well. It was just a really great afternoon. In the
evening after planning I got a call from President, and we had to
change the plans. President let us know that the North Mission was out
of Serbian Book of Mormons. In the morning we met back up with Elders
Bangerter and Roemer and Elder Bangerter and I drove to the Montenegro
border to meet a senior couple, and give them the Book of Mormons. The
timing was perfect, and just as we got to the border the senior couple
pulled through. The timing was perfect. We handed off the books, and
were about to leave when we saw a very curious looking police office
looking at us. We gave him a book in Albanian and explained it to him,
and then got his number. It was really cool how it all worked out. On
the way back home we had a number from Church headquarters that was
located in a small town. We stopped in. His phone was off, and we
couldn't get ahold of him. So we asked around. It is funny how small
towns work. the second person that we asked knew him. We weren't able
to meet him, but we left a Book of Mormon for him, and were able to
give one to another man.
Thursday evening we tracted. We prayed and picked a building. The
third door we tracted was a less active. We had no idea that he lived
there. It was amazing to talk with him. I think he really wants to
come back to church. From what i got out of it he had planned in his
head a perfect family, but then his daughter married a Muslim guy and
left for Germany, and went inactive, and his son went inactive, and
the perfect family dream went out the window. He was a very sad man. I
felt bad for him. It was amazing we tracted into him. Definitely lead
by the spirit.
Friday went well. Saturday was quite the day. We played Futboll in the
morning. I love that. We had quite the group of people together. All
of the kids love playing with the missionaries. It was a very hot day
out. It was so much fun! At the end however I grabbed my bag, and I
did not have my cell phone. It was there before the game so I guess
someone needed it more than me. We called it, and it was off. That was
too bad, but I am super grateful because in the same bag was my money,
my drivers license, and my camera. Thank goodness they didn't get the
camera! We ate lunch as a District afterwards. Saturday afternoon we
skype lessoned a couple in france. Elder Bangerter taught them over
skype last transfer, and they were baptized. They were really nice. It
was quite the experience doing a skype lesson.
We met with our main man E. He is very Muslim, but he is open,
and he admits that if he finds something better he will join it and
leave Islam. He is such a great guy. This last lesson he had a ton
more questions. Islam is proved with a lot of facts written about in
the Koran so he wanted us to give him a lot of hard evidence. We just
explained to him that that isn't how faith worked. He is fascinated.
the original reason he met with us was to fin out why 19 year old boys
spend two years teaching. He has come to realize just how unique our
church is. He asked "if you became a prophet or an apostle, and didn't
see an Angel would you deny the faith?" We said no. He was astounded.
He said that if he ever got to a high rank in the Muslim faith and
didn't see an Angel he would leave immediately. He is still moving
forwards, and has read a ton. The main problem I am seeing is that he
refuses to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. To do that or to say
Jesus is the Son of God is equal to excommunication from Islam. I
don't exactly know what to say to him. Any ideas? I pushed him super
hard, but then he got really sincere, and just said "Look Stewart, I
can't". He is really devoted, and I admire his devotion. I can see the
things working inside of his head. He is processing a lot of
information.
Sunday was great! We had 3 investigators in Sacrament meeting. Sister
Bjeshku came. She has been super busy, but is on track to be baptised
on the 16th. She is totally going to make it! She looked so happy, and
the bishops wife sat with her. They both looked maybe a little bit
lonely so it was great for them to have eachother. We also had our two
big security guards there. They are big fellas. They liked it. After
church we ate lunch as a District.
Sunday night we went out finding. We went to the top of an appartment
building to begin tracting down, but Elder Bangerter said it didn't
feel right so we left. As we were leaving to go back down we met a man
at the elevator. He was super interested, and gave us his phone
number, and told us to come back. We rode to the bottom together, and
went separate ways. Following that we went into the street, and a man
was yelling at us. He asked us who we were, and what we were doing. We
let him know, and he wants an appointment as well. He lives in the
other ward, but they will get to go to his house. As soon as we walked
away from him another man called us over. He was 23, and with a couple
of friends. They asked a lot of questions. The one that called us over
seemed pretty sincere, and he said that we can meet him this week at
the church. It was pretty clear pretty fast why we had to leave that
appartment building!
Things are going well here. Elder Bangerter and I got our house
rearranged and cleaned. It is a new missionary house so there were a
lot of things being gathered and moved around and cleaned. It looks
great now though. It is by far the nicest house I have been in while
on my mission. This one has 3 big rooms, and two bathrooms as well as
two balconies. It is quite the contrast to the one I was in in
Gjakova.
We don't teach any English here right now. There are 5 companion-ships
in our meeting house and the other four are already doing 4 classes so
we don't have one. It is good and bad. I have really liked teaching
some of the English courses.
Thank you so much for the Easter package. I loved it. You nailed it on
the Orange, and my favourite cereal, and chocolate, and a much needed
tie!
Have a fantastic week! Take Buddy on some good long walks!
Love you lots! Elder Stewart
 |
| From last weeks story... Elder Stewart, Elder Rasband and Arber and Etrit. They have family that live near us. |
 |
| P-Day with their District |
 |
| Making a "run" for the border... Montenegro, that is! :) |
 |
| The Border. Looks like it could be here! |
 |
| Elder Stewart. Should have a sign added that says 'Canada 10000 miles' :) |
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