Transfers !!!

So my training ends tomorrow and I think I know less Albanian then when I got here. Just kidding, but wow it's going to take time, that's for sure. Also going to miss Sister Bringhurst, so grateful for her, can't believe that this transfer is already over, went by really fast.

This week we also picked corn and wow who knew that it took so much strength to pick corn. I really should've been trained a little more for farm work before coming out here, cause wow it's hard and exhausting and it's like the main service we do, so wish I was a little more efficient. But slowly getting better and actually becoming helpful.

Something fun and different this week was we had a sisters conference with all the sisters in the mission, so from all five of the countries. It was really fun to meet a lot of them, that I haven't met yet and I learned a lot of things. Something I learned is how to say my name in Greek! My favorite thing thing that I learned was something Sister Anderson said, "fear not to do good!" I think it's so important to remember that it doesn't take a lot of time to do good, just spend a little time and do something good. Don't be afraid either, even if it takes you outside of your comfort zone a little, just do good. I really am so lucky to be here, and having a lot of fun! You guys are amazing, keep doing good! Love you lots! 

Sister Anderson with the 35 beautiful sister missionaries of the Adriatic South Mission! Wow!

Madi and Sis Bringhurst

Farming!

Cooking like an Albanian

This week went by really fast and honestly not many crazy things happened, but it was good! We learned how to make the classic, traditional, Albanian food, byrek, from this sweet member and it was really good. Funny though cause we wanted a recipe and she's like oh just a little of this, some of this, and a spoonful of this. Haha it doesn't work for me like that, I need like exacts, but the ladies here are professionals and they just know. So who knows if I will be able to make it again, I will for sure try one day, just not going to have high expectations.

Okay also worked on a farm again, really learning the farm life out here, it's good for me, because wow farm life is exhausting and now I have more appreciation for all the farmers.

The man who we just baptized his brother died so that was so sad. But it made me realize how grateful I am for the knowledge that we have that this is not the end and that we can live with our families forever, seriously the biggest blessing ever. This plan is perfect! I love all of you and am grateful for each of you! You are amazing!

Love, sister Butters

I stole this cute picture off of facebook a few days before...

This is the street Madi says they run up every morning.

Weekly News

Weeks are flying by here, so here is to another very good week! but going to start with the bad news, so bad news is we got a flat tire, good news is my dad taught me how to change a flat tire, luckily though, I didn't have to change it, a very nice man came and seriously did everything for us. It was so nice of him, and I am so grateful because odds are, I would've done something very wrong in changing that tire. It was such a good example to me though to see how willing that man was to help and serve and take time out of his day, to help us.

Okay some really good news is Olivera and Vasil got baptized! Vasil is a pretty big guy so we were all a little worried for the baptism, but luckily it went really smooth. They are seriously so amazing and were so ready and prepared to receive the gospel, I am so happy for them! They said they will come visit me in America when I go home, so you can all meet them when they come!

Today we biked to Macedonia, it was really fun! Crazy to be able to bike to another country, the countries are all so close over here, when we were there we met some Americans and it was so nice, I could literally understand every word coming out of their mouth, that's rare for me. Haha the language is coming, but a lot of times I still can't completely understand what they are saying. It is definitely getting easier though, so that is good. I hope all of you had an amazing week!! You are all incredible, love you!

Love, motra butters

Baptism!

This week was a really good week!
First we were in a trio for the whole week, which was fun and very different, grateful to be back to just one companion. We did a service project and fixed up this fence around the school's basketball court, it was just us missionaries and none of us knew what we were doing, but it went a lot better then expected. It might of went faster though if we had some direction, but it was fun and the Albanian news came.

Another thing is we played soccer or I guess they call it futbol here and that's how you know it is really legit. It was fun, but soooo serious, everyone was so good. Haha hopefully I can start picking up some skills, cause as of now, it is a little rough, still fun though.

The best part of this week was Mariana and Shkelqim, two of our amazing investigators got baptized!!! Aw it was so happy, they seriously have different countenances the first time we went over to their house shkelqim, was not interested at all, just smoking a cigarette, ignored us, and now he has this light and bore his testimony in church yesterday. Mariana is the sweetest lady ever, you can feel the love of Christ through her. I am so grateful for them and their examples to me. It was really an incredible experience to get to know them and see them get baptized!

Love you all,
Motra Butters

Happy Monday

Hi everyone!!
Another week in Albania, sometimes I just look around and then realize I am in Albania, like this place I didn't even know existed, but I am really happy to be here. Everyone is so nice and it is so fun to get to know a new culture. The people are amazing. I hope everyone gets the chance to meet them one day!

This week was really fun, we were teaching this lady the restoration and mid sentence she stops me and says you look just like my nephew. So, if you are wondering how I look now after being gone for a few months, you can just picture an Albanian man and you will be pretty close.

Okay another thing, our investigators birthday was this week so we brought over a little cake to her house. Instead of just accepting the cake because it was her birthday she gave us so much Turkish delight (some weird dessert, very popular here) to take home.

It was a good week! Grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here. Just remember to love everyone, you never know what they are going through! I love all of you!

Motra Butters

Qef (fun)

This week was really busy. We had midway training and zone conference. I am halfway through my training transfer, so crazy how fast time goes here. Both were really good!! Got to see everyone from the MTC so that was the best to catch up with them!

Hey, we went to someone's farm again, someone we are teaching they are the best!! I feel like they are my grandparents. We went to do service, but it turned into them giving us gifts and feeding us, so yeah it turned into them serving us. They gave us these huge cement vases we don't really know what to do with them cause there is no way we can take them with us, but they also gave us a cement hand, so I will for sure take that with me!

Albanians are just so nice and giving and they will always give you something little when you are at their house, mostly food. Which is good, until you are so full and each lesson gives you like a full meal. On Friday every single lesson we went to gave us so much food. The first one gave us a bag of fruit and chocolate, the next one cake and byrek (a traditional food here it's like pie dough with tons of layers and spinach and cheese in the center), then the last one gave us pizza, honey, and corn bread. They are so sweet, but it was so much food, haha.

Had a young women's activity and painted our nails, aw it was so fun. The young women here are so cute, there's not very many, but they are all so sweet and it is so fun to get to know them. They all call me Motra gjalpe (Haha gjalpe means butter in Albania and they think it's so funny). So yeah, my last name is taken pretty literally here, haha.

This week was good, I found this scripture when I was reading for come follow me, it's so good and so true!
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Don't forget how much God loves you! Love you all so much!! 

WOW another week

This week was good, went by really fast! I think every week gets a little faster. We taught the word of wisdom to the family and we were explaining, that you cant smoke. The husband smokes so much, but right when we told him that he would have to stop before he got baptized he got all his cigarettes and lighter and stuff and threw them out the window. Haha it was so funny everyone in the house was clapping and cheering. He is really so ready for the gospel and has so much faith.

Okay we went to look for a less active family and we asked a women in the neighborhood where it said she lived, (random fact: Albanians don't have addresses) pretty soon the whole neighborhood was looking for this family with us. Everyone was pointing us places, we didn't end up finding her, but we found some other people who want us to come back, so that's good!

We locked ourselves out of our apartment so that was an experience. Luckily the landlord is really nice so right when we called her, she got the key for us, so it actually turned out fine.

We are teaching this cute couple and they come to every activity and are so interested its incredible. It was so unreal though, in our second lesson we invited them to read and pray about the book of mormon to see if it's true and they were like "oh yeah we already did that and we know it's true" aw made me so happy and it is so true! So grateful for the book of mormon.

The language is good it's getting a lot easier to understand people, but still takes a lot of focus when I am listening to them. My brain feels fried by the end of the conversation. I am so grateful to be here! Such an amazing place! Love all of you, hope your week is amazing!

Love you, sister butters

Here's my apartment:

Madi's Bed is this one on the left side of this picture.