June 10-11 Zone Conferences

We held our June Zone Conferences on the 10th and 11th, and as always were a highlight of our six-week routine. The missionaries love getting together to receive training and see old companions and MTC class members. I made taco salad for both zones, which turned out to be a bigger effort than I imagined it would be.

I had to haul a good portion of my kitchen equipment, as well as three ice chests of food, to Durrës for the "outside" conference. Pizza next time!

Tirana, or "Inside" Zone, is comprised of missionaries from the four districts in Tirana. The Ahlborns (YSA-Outreach) and the Wilsons (Humanitarian) are with the Tirana group. It's a mission tradition that the "dying" elders who leave for home July 7, sit or stand on the front row. Above are( l. to r.) Elders Monson and Rispoli, who are assuming a xhaxhi pose. ("Xhaxhi" means "uncle" or "older man".)

The "Outside" zone is comprised of the missionaries from the districts of Vlorë, Elbasan, Fier, Durrës, and Shkodër. Outgoing missionaries are (l. to r.) Elder Monson, Sister Larson, and Elder McGlothin.

Elder and Sister Smith arrived on May 28, after spending several days at the Provo MTC. They're going to help us prepare to set up a Young Single Adult Center in Vlorë and Elder Smith will be the Branch President. Because of Memorial Day, their registration at the U.S. Embassy was delayed, but they we were finally able to take them to Vlorë on the evening of June 1. As it was late when we arrived, Marty and I spent the night at the New York Hotel and returned to Tirana the next day.

June Newsletter Article

Becoming as He Is

Brother Arben Vogli (Tirana 3^rd branch) is a master of sculpting (wood, alabaster, marble), and early in our mission, he presented us with a beautiful marble bust of the Savior. It will always remind us not only of Velai Vogli’s generosity and skill, but also of how our experience in mortality gives us the possibility of shaping our character, our soul into becoming ever more Christ-like. Michelangelo said that he saw in his imagination that the figure he was sculpting was actually being held “captive” inside the marble, and that his job was to free the captive--to slowly chip away at the useless marble binding his figure inside it. So it is with us. Our spirit, with God-like potential, is held “captive” in our mortal body, subject to all the temptations and passions of the flesh. As we “starve the wolf”, and “feed the Shepherd dog,” we chip away the unworthy desires, and strengthen our righteous desires to serve God, and in so doing, we become more and more like the Savior.

I spent a little time with Vellai Vogli at his workshop one day and watched him work. I learned that the sculptor needs to soften the marble as he works---Vellai Vogli would spray the marble with a fine mist of water before taking his hammer and chisel to slowly cut away at the marble that didn’t belong. In matters of the soul and the Spirit, we also must be softened. Our hearts must be softened and be open to the influence of the Holy Ghost. (Alma 24:8 “I thank my great God that he has given us a portion of his Spirit to soften our hearts....”) Unless we are softened in this way, we can never reach our divine potential.

Heavenly Father sees in us far more than others see, or, for that matter, than what we ourselves see. He sees in us (this “chunk of marble”) His child, inheritor of great possibilities and the offspring of deity. But to get to the point where “we have the Savior’s image engraven on our countenance”, and we are like Him, there is much material that must be chipped away, to free the captive held inside. We hope your “40 day fast” is blessing each of you with an increased measure of the Spirit, softened hearts open to the loving tutoring of this wonderful missionary experience, and the greater joy that comes living closer to Him.

Much love!

President & Sister Neil

At our last zone conference where we introduced the fast, Marty spoke metaphorically of having within us a "good" shepherd dog, and a "bad" wolf, and said that if we feed the good within us, and starve the bad (as in our "40-Day Fast"), we will better overcome the temptations that come to us. The picture (below) is of an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, used in Turkey and other Balkan nations like Albania, to protect flocks of sheep should a grey wolf attack.