DRIVING IN ALBANIA

This week was definitely an adventure, all the stories I have this week revolve around driving. So side note, driving here is crazy, there are no rules whatsoever, basically just don't hit each other. And there are so many things besides cars on the road, there are cows, people on horses, old men biking and so many other random things. One more thing, no one knows how to use round abouts and they become a 10 lane round about so that doesn't help.
FIRST, I hit an old man biking. So realistically I didn't hit him, he ran into my car. He was really wobbly and crashed straight into the side of our car, I felt so bad, but he was fine and just continued biking.
THEN we were driving home from exchanges headed into one of those 10 lane round abouts, so we were stopped and I pulled out my phone to take a video, and a man, in a truck next to us was holding a gun, soooo sketchy, but don't worry he was laughing, so we are safe here in Albania. Haha let me know if you want the video.
LAST luckily, (read with caution, if you like animals) yesterday Sister Boyce was driving on the freeway and out of nowhere comes a dog and let's just say it didn't make it to the other side of the road.

Albanian tip: car is a bad word here

Thanksgiving is sooo soon! So thought for this week is be grateful! It's easy to not realize all the blessings that we have, but we are seriously so blessed! I love all of you and know that when we look for the blessings we will see how blessed we are, love you all!! (numero bekimet)

Love, sister Butters 

fake it, til you make it

Heyy everyone!!
This week was really good, yesterday some Americans who were visiting came to church and they each wanted their own translator so It was me (not good at Albanian), Sister Boyce (perfect at Albanian), then Elder Baines (really good at english). Haha so I had to do what any good translator would do when they don't understand... fill in the gaps. Then elder Baines just listened to what I said and copied that, so let's hope they didn't talk to much after church because they all definitely heard different talks. Gotta do what you gotta do though.

Something really cool this week is we started teaching this mom and her son. They are soo amazing and they want to get baptized so that is so exciting. The son is 9, and he is so smart he knows all about Christ and he is so ready to learn more.

We went to a members house for dinner and she is the one from America. So that was really fun, we had the lesson in English which is actually weird, but sooo good. Aw she is so amazing, seriously such a good example of putting God first in your life. It's so cool that literally we can turn to God for anything and rely on him through everything. That is definitely something that I have learned from being here, he literally just is waiting to help us and guide us and comfort us we just have to turn to him and ask for help! Awww so grateful for our Heavenly Father! Don't forget he loves you so much and I love youu!!

Durrës

Hii everyone, I got transferred this week to a city called Durrës and it's really pretty a little more city life and you can see the ocean we ran to it the first morning and it is so pretty. My companion is really cute, her name is Sister Boyce, she is from Montana and we are already best friends so that is a plus! On Wednesday we had zone conference which was good I had to give a training which was so intimidating, haha but it went good.

They have a ward here so that is new because where I was before it was just a branch. But the relief society president is from America, but she has lived here for 8 years and she is so cute. It's nice cause she speaks English!! We had a game night with some of the members and that was fun. The members are really nice here.

Had this amazing lesson with this one girl, the spirit was so strong and she started talking about how the book of mormon made her feel and it was so cool. The book of mormon really is so powerful, seriously so grateful for that book. It is so unreal, when someone we are teaching gains the love for the book of mormon themselves, because it really is amazing!! I love the book of mormon, don't forget to read it!! It will make your day sooo much better! Love all of you.

Love, sister Butters

 

SHAKING things up this week

I am getting transferred to a city called Durrës, I was so surprised when I got the call, I thought I would stay here longer, but I am really excited, it will be warmer than here in the winter (no snow!!) so that is a blessing. I leave tomorrow, so I had to say bye to everyone here which was sad, all the members here are amazing and I have learned so much from them!! Way more then I could have taught them, they are all so converted to the gospel and giving, really make me want to be a better person. Aw all the people here are amazing.

We had a Halloween party this week and it was so fun. A lot of people came and everyone was so impressed with the little things that we did. No one really celebrates Halloween here, so a few groups of people saw us dressed up in the street and asked us if they could take pictures with us. Haha it was really funny. It was a different Halloween here for sure, but still was really good.

There was another earthquake here and it was even bigger!! It was scary, it was longer and bigger. We woke up and within like 2 minutes of waking up, it started and I was still like half a sleep, haha it really shook me awake. It was long enough, that I was literally ready to get under a table, haha, but then luckily it ended.

One of the girls we are teaching wants to be baptized!! Aw so happy for her. So cool to be able to be apart of this process! So grateful for this experience! Lots of love for all of you!!

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