shumë sjellshëm

Happy Halloween this week!!! Hope it's amazing!!

Went to the city Pogradec again on exchanges and that was really fun, went to this members house for dinner and let's just say it was one of those meals you wish you only had to eat one bite. But the people are really nice and giving, like too giving, haha, like when you eat at their house which is usually unexpected, they give you soooo much food!! Okay another story about how giving the people are here. I met this nice girl in the street and I complimented her earrings and right then she takes them out of her ears and hands them to me. No matter what I said she wouldn't let me give them back to her. So now I have a nice new pair of earrings. Haha I felt so bad, people are just too nice here.

So something really cool that happened this week is we went over to this women's house and she had her 30 year old daughter living with her. So we taught both of them the restoration and it was really good and then at the end the daughter, Monika, said to me "I have met you in the road before, a while ago, but I told you I didn't have time to meet, but I really like this and I want to meet more!" It was sooo cool, God's timing is really perfect and it's so important to always remember that. We don't always see the full picture, but it really is always best for us! I love you and appreciate you guys so much!!

Miracles :))

So many little miracle things happened this week! So one I got to go on an exchange with sister mann, we were together in the MTC, so it was so fun. We went to meet up with this girl and she wasn't there so one of the elders said a prayer and within two minutes we found her!! It was crazy! So, she thought she lived closer and when she realized how long it was taking she started to run because she didnt want us to leave. Then we had a lesson with her and it was in English, because she is from Uganda!! It was really cool, she was just so amazing! 

Another is we contacted this girl in the road and she was really interested, but didnt have a number or anyway to contact her, so we told her about church. The miracle is she actually showed up at church on Sunday. We walked into the sacrament room and there she was just sitting with her baby. So that was such a miracle! She remembered and found our church. 

The last one is our neighbors invited us over and they are really cool, you aren't really supposed to teach your neighbors unless they ask you about the gospel and luckily that is exactly what happened. They seriously asked us every question, that we have an answer to because of our knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a really amazing experience. 

Just a few of the little miracles that happened this week! I know that there are a lot of miracles everyday, we just have to look for them in our lives! So just keep looking for those miracles and blessings. You are all one for me, love you! 

Love, sister Butters

 

Ju Dua!!

Hi everyone! This week went to a city called Pogradec for exchanges and it was fun, I have been there a few times for exchanges so I know a few of the members there and it is always a good time to see them again and talk to them.

Okay I got the most amazing hot chocolate ever!! Seriously I wouldn't even call it hot chocolate, it was like the thickness of fudge and warm and tasted like a brownie. It was soo good, holy cow, we need it in America.

On Friday we made tons of cookies for members and for a few people that we are teaching. They didn't turn out amazing because we don't have measuring cups so it is really just a guessing game of yeah that looks like a cup, yeah, that looks like a teaspoon. But everyone was really happy. They always give us so many things so it was fun to be able to have something to give them.

Something else from this week is we were tracting and we knocked on this this one cute ladies door and literally she was so nice to us. After we had talked to her for a while, we left and then we continued to tract the apartment building, then she ran out of her house and gave us apples and some leftovers from her lunch. Haha and then she invited us to lunch, the next day. Some of the people here are seriously so nice and giving it's crazy, like she didn't even know us and still was that nice. A really good example for me that we need to love everyone and do what we can to make others feel good and happy, whether we know them or not. Aw I love you all and I am grateful for how much you have done for me thank you! Have an amazing day!

Love, motra Butters

 

conference weekend

Happy October!!
So this week was good, aw we got to watch one session of conference at the senior couple's house and it was so much fun. She made us so many little snacks and it reminded me of home so that was really nice. They are the cutest couple ever, as so grateful for them! Hope all of you got to watch conference, so fun to be able to hear from the prophet and apostles.

We found some amazing people this week. One lady we started talking to in the road, told us we could come over. She was so nice. People are crazy nice here, like everyone will talk to you, and they are all so happy to talk, sometimes too happy and they don't stop talking, but it is for sure a blessing. Also met with some girl who I contacted on Facebook (pretty much Facebook contacting is just messaging tons of random people) she was way nice though, kept calling me Madi, it was so funny, weird to hear my name.

We biked to Macedonia again today and it was good went to the monastery and it's so pretty over there. There are so many pretty mountains, its gorgeous. The air honestly feels fresher over there.

Aw love you guys. Make this week the best! So grateful for all of you.

Some good stuff from the week!

Hey! Exciting and crazy week! I got a new companion, her name is sister Wilson, she is so cute, she was born in America, but has lived in Italy since she was 7 so that's really cool. She's almost been to every country in Europe which I am so jealous of! 

This week this couple we met in the road took us to a cafe haha it was really funny we just got in a taxi with them and went to a cafe. I tried some Turkish drink called salep it's really good, I would recommend it, I don't know if they have it in America, but it's way good. They are really nice people and love us and told us we can come to their house anytime. People are just so friendly here it's crazy!

Something really fun this week is went on a mini exchange with Sister Mann, she was with me in the MTC and I love her so much, and it was so fun, honestly surprised ourselves with what we knew.

Also had a branch activity on Saturday we went on a little hike and then played soccer in some weeds, it was fun, but a little risky cause the ground wasn't flat and there were so many holes. Albanians take soccer very seriously, so it was a good time. Then we ate a little picnic up there and the members here are all so amazing, love them so much.

We so had zone conference this week, so got to see a lot of the other missionaries. Something I learned from zone conference, is when something goes wrong don't get upset, but instead look for reasons why it needed to go that way. Look for the positive! When we look for the positive side of things we will find the good in the hard things! Aw love you all keep staying happy!!

Love you all!!

Sister Butters

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.