Singing in the Qender Christmas Eve

Motra Neil organized a wonderful Christmas eve activity with all the Tirana missionaries, young adults, and other branch members. There must have been 50 of us all together. We drove into the center of the city, beneath the giant statue of Skanderbeu, and after meeting up with everyone else who walked, we set up with several tables (nicely draped with red tableclothes), tracts and Books of Mormon, and a large picture of the Savior. We also brought a guitar and a small battery operated keyboard. After handing out Liz's homemade collection of all the translated Albanian Christmas carols (eight of them), we started singing, as loud as we could, because in the open air, and without amplification, the sound doesn't carry very far. As we sang hymns, missionaries did street contacting and wished passers-by a Merry Christmas.


I don't know that we sounded very great, but it was wonderful fun! We did have to take a few minute break, when the mosque right behind us began broadcasting the call to prayer (adhan)---they had major amplification!

The center has a very large, decorated Christmas tree, not too far from where we were singing...in fact, Christmas decorations are eveywhere! But, to our surprise, we learned that it's all about New Year's here. (It's not a Christmas tree....it's a New Year's tree!) They give gifts on New Year's as well. And, they do fireworks! So much so, that we instruct the missionaries to be in their apartments by 5 PM New Year's eve, and not to come back out until the next day----it's dangerous to be on the streets. (By Pres. Neil)