On U.S. Soil!

Late in the night on June 29, we were welcomed back to the U.S. in San Diego by Emily's family and RQ and Susan Shupe. It was a wonderful three years, but we're happy to be back in the U.S. with family and friends!

Last Month of Mission

This is the last entry of the blog of our mission to Albania. It's a month late, but we have been a little busy. It has been an eventful three years, and I have not even written about all that has happened. We're very glad we had the opportunity to do our part to help the God's kingdom grow in this tiny country. We loved the people there, the young missionaries, the missionary couples, and all others we served with. We're so grateful to the Area Presidency: Elder Kopischke, Elder Caussé, and Elder Teixeira for their guidance. We're grateful for all the support people in Frankfurt, Germany, and in the U.S. who make running a mission so much easier. We appreciated having medical advisers and mental health advisers, who volunteered their time to help the missionaries with their health problems. We have so many new friends and feel it a privilege to have been asked to serve.

Sue and Ian Preston planned a couple's retreat for two nights, in Durrës. The Junckers, humanitarian couple in Kosovo, were able to come down and join the five of us couples in Albania. We had a great time together. On our "P-Day" we toured the museum and amphitheatre in Durrës and had ice cream at our favorite gelateria on the beach. This picture was snapped while we were waiting for our lunch at the Fast Food restaurant--no really, that's what it's called. Around the table from the left: Mike and Sue Smith who serve in Vlorë as Branch President and Center for Young Adult directors; Bruce and Ruth Wilson, Humanitarian; Glen and Virginia Stacey, Center for Young Adults in Tirana; the Junkers; The Prestons; and Marty. I took the picture.

June 13-17, we moved for five nights to the Rogner Hotel, so the apt. could be entirely painted and cleaned. Things looked great for the Ford's arrival.

June 2-9, we had a visit from the RQ and Susan Shupe, former missionary couple and good friends. They spoke at a fireside and visited with many of their Albanian friends. As they walked down the Rr. Myslym Shyri, shopkeepers would call out to them to say hello. They are remembered fondly in Albania!

We visited with Elida and Edi Çuçi, and Mira Xhaferaj to wish them goodbye. Unfortunately, Edi is taking this picture, so is not in it.

June 5, Sunday, Elbasan for Sacrament Meeting and the saints there held a "Linger-Longer" in our honor. The Young Women's group sang "God Be With You, 'Til We Meet Again" for us. The Shupes were able to see Elder Grisi Merepeza again and we were able to say goodbye to the missionaries in Elbasan.

June 6-Sister Sue Preston had not been well for a few days with abdominal pain and nausea. Because she missed church in Elbasan, Elder Preston asked Susan Shupe and I to come and see her during the second hour. After visiting and speaking with Sue, I felt it was very important for her to see a doctor and called Dr. Dahl, our Area Medical Adviser. He did not answer, as his phone was off during Church, but he called me right after the meeting, and then called Sister Preston. He advised her to go right to the hospital, suggesting the American Hospital. Marty and I felt impressed she should instead go to the emergency entrance of the Greek Hospital, which she did, after taking the hour-and-a-half trip over the mountain from Elbasan. After a few tests, the doctors determined that she had an infected appendix, and sent her right into surgery. There was a Greek doctor on call, who performed laparoscopic surgery on her--the only doctor and hospital in Albania that offered that minimally invasive kind of surgery. The doctor said that her appendix was possibly only hours away from bursting. We feel that it was a series of miracles that led to the positive outcome from Sue's emergency surgery.

June 6, Monday evening, we held a dinner for some young Albanian couples--some married, most not, and played some games together. It was my birthday, also, and we celebrated with cake that Greg and Judy had ordered for me. It was a wonderful chance to say goodbye to some of our favorite people.

June 9-Thursday, and the very day the Shupes left, Elder Causse arrived to interview and "release" us from our mission. It was a wonderful visit and we were grateful he took the time to come and thank us for our service. He stayed two nights, and held a two-hour meeting with the missionary leaders Friday morning.

June 20-21, Marty and the group of soon-to-depart missionaries, took their "death trip" to the Valbona region of northern Albania. Missionaries who complete the Progression Program in one year, are able to take an extra P-day to see a part of Albania they would not ordinarily be able to visit during their mission. I stayed behind for this "adventure" trip. They saw some beautiful scenery, but had to spend the next day driving home over bumpy mountain roads, and Marty arrived home with a bad cold. You can see the pictures here.

While Marty and the departing elders were on their trip to Valbona, I had all the sisters in to the apartment to have a Motras' Baking P-Day. The sisters had been asking me for months if I could teach them how to make cinnamon rolls, and I finally was able to find the time to do it. Fun, and Yummy! Back to Front and L. to R., Motras Reed, mini-missionary from Vlorë whose name escapes me, Leit, Hoxsie, me, Reynolds, and Halabuk.

The very next day, June 22, Elder Fingerle, our Area Seventy, and President Charles, of the Greece Athens Mission, arrived for a CCM meeting. Marty soldiered through, despite feeling pretty sick.

June 26, Sunday, we spoke in the Third Branch, and said our goodbyes to those good people. We came home and packed the last of our belongings, because Monday morning we were moving back to the Rogner for the last two nights in Albania. Monday, the apartment was given one last cleaning by Motra Çoka, our wonderful housekeeper.
June 28, Tuesday, Sister Juliet Ford and President Andrew M. Ford, from Leicester, England, arrived in Tirana to replace us. Our "release" happened as they stepped off the plane. We drove back to the mission office and home, and spent a few hours with them, showing them around, explaining how things worked, answering any questions they had, and then the Fords drove us to the hotel for our last night in Albania. That was a bittersweet moment, leaving behind a three-year calling. I very much regret that we did not have a picture taken with the Fords on that last day.

June 29, Wednesday, we flew to the U.S. via Munich and Chicago to San Diego. We went to Emily and Peter's home in San Marcos because our grandson Andrew had waited a month so we could be at his baptism. Our daughter Erin, with her son Joshua, flew in from Kentucky so she could be with us as well. We had a wonderful reunion with our daughters, and on July 4th we drove home to Los Altos in a car that we had loaned to Peter for three years. Two weeks later, we visited with Greg and John in Utah, and had a family reunion with all my brothers and sisters in Provo. It's been a wonderful homecoming!

Kosova!

The Quorum of 12 Apostles approved the entry of two young missionaries into Kosova, and this morning we sent Elder Norris (kneeling left) and Elder Klein, who will be the first young missionaries to preach the gospel in Prishtinë. Accompanying them are Ian and Sue Preston (center back), who have been asked to divide their time between Albania and Kosova. Sam and Andrea Juncker have already been there as Humanitarian missionaries, and spend half their time in Macedonia. There is a small group of people who meet in the couple's home for Sacrament Meeting. The LDS Church is not yet officially recognized in Kosova, so the missionaries have to be in the country on a tourist visa and will only be able to stay for 90 days. Elder Klein returns home from his mission July 13.

Winding Down, but not Slowing Down!

I haven't had much time for blogging lately. We've been sorting and packing our belongings, getting the apartment ready for the new mission president, and, of course, we still have our missionary duties to fulfill. We've had a month of lasts: the last zone conferences, visits to branches, interviews, transfers, etc. It's a bittersweet time. After three years, we're anxious to go home, but know we will miss the work, the missionaries, the members, and Albania.

This week, in particular, has been very full. Monday, the movers came and took away our belongings. After giving away much of our clothing, donating some of the things we brought to the apartment (because it really needs these things and they can't be purchased here--Kitchen Aid Mixer, for example), and selling our Yamaha Clavinova to the church for the apt., we're going home much lighter than we came. We kept out enough clothing for our last month, and hope to get it all into two large suitcases, two carry-on suitcases, and a computer bag for our flight home June 29.

We've been choosing new drapes and rugs (which arrived this week), and a new oven was installed in the kitchen on Wednesday.

Our son Greg and his wife Judy had their first baby, a girl, Tuesday afternoon, May 24, and because we received an email Monday night that they had gone to the hospital, we were waiting until well into the next night--actually early Wednesday morning Albania time--to hear the news that she was finally born by C-section. Judy and baby are doing well, considering the long and difficult labor and delivery. Happy, happy news, and I can't wait to hold the little sweetie.

Two of our Albanian youth received their mission calls in the last two weeks: Elba Kapllani, from Tirana, received a call to the Germany Frankfurt Mission; and Helios Zgjani, from Tirana, received a call to the Italy Rome Mission. Elba attended a rigorous language high school, and can speak English, French, and Spanish in addition to her native tongue. She once told me she wanted to learn more languages, but never wanted to learn German. The Lord works in mysterious ways! Elba graciously accepted her mission call and is excited to serve.

Elba

Helios

Thursday and Friday were our last Zone Conferences. They were wonderfully uplifting, and sad. For the last time we sang our mission hymn, "Take My Life" (and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.), and bore our testimonies with the other missionaries who are departing the mission shortly after we leave. I was not able to cook lunch for either conference because we've been too busy, but I did get up early those mornings to make chocolate chip/Craisin Rice Krispie Treats for the desserts, with marshmallows I had purchased from a new American store here in Tirana.

The missionaries wore purple ties to the zone conferences in honor of Marty, because he has particularly liked purple ties while he's been here. Elder Miller, who just finished serving in the office, left one of his own purple ties in Marty's box along with a thank-you note, because Marty had admired it so much.

22 Albanian members went to the Frankfurt, Germany Temple last week to take out their own endowments, to do work for their family dead, and to be sealed as families. Three families that have been baptized while we have been here in Albania were sealed together: the Hodajs from Vlorë, the Dervishis from Tirana, and the Deda family, from Tirana. Rejdian and Kesi Çelaj were sealed together as a couple.

May 7, we celebrated the marriage of Marko and Sonja Buterac with a reception at the Durrës building. They had previously been sealed together in the Frankfurt Temple. Marko and Sonja met at a YSA conference in Prague two years ago, and courted long-distance because Marko is from Croatia.
I guess that post title makes no sense.

Visit from the Bylunds!

April 17-24 we had a wonderful visit from Erin, who came with her husband Jason and two oldest children, Maren (8), and Joshua (6). Here are a few pictures from their visit.


On our evening xhiro (walk) near the mission home

The castle at Krujë

At the Monument to the Martyrs in Tirana

We explored three castles: Krujë, Berat, and Gjirokaster. We also explored the ancient Roman city of Butrint, a UNESCO Heritage Site that has been partially excavated. The kids were great explorers!Enjoying Maren and Joshua at the seaside in Sarandë.

Albanian Folk Ensemble

Marty and I went to the Opera Theater Saturday evening for a "gala concert" given by the Albanian Folk Ensemble. It featured traditional (historic) songs and dances from various regions of Albania. The traditional costumes were spectacular and the dancing excellent. The singing was unusual to me but very interesting. There was an excellent band which included 2 clarinets, 3 guitar-like instruments, 1 oboe, 2 violins, a large hand-held tamborine-like drum, and the man who played the accordian was the director. The band stood and played without a break for the entire 1 1/2 hour performance.

I took some short videos with my iPhone (no one objected--I'd never try it in the states). Monday evening we visited with the Beleshi family who showed us a cifteli they had, and I showed Mr. Beleshi my videos. He immediately knew where the songs and dances originated. He said his uncle and cousin were singers and sang in such ensembles.

Our Little Corner

The fruit and vegetable treg at the corner of our street is an interesting visual as we enter the neighborhood. Amazing the roof doesn't collapse. (Double click on the picture to enlarge it and get the full effect.) We have a street marker now, and we live on the Rruga Kujtim Laro, but even though more street signs are going up around Tirana, new addresses have not yet been assigned. Our address still reflects that we live in the Villa #1, near the Qemal Stafa street, across from the Post Office #22. Mail and packages come just fine. Kujtim Laro was a composer of Albanian film and popular music.

Our Last "BIG" Transfer

We have missionaries arrive from the MTC four times a year in January, April, July, and October. The Fords arrive to replace us June 28, so we will not see the July missionaries arrive. On July 13, after being in Albania less than two weeks, the Fords will face the task of saying goodbye to 13 missionaries they've barely met, with interviews, open house, dinner, and next day early morning trip to the airport. The same day, eight missionaries will arrive from the MTC needing interviews, dinner, next-day training and companion assignments. It can be a crazy, busy week.

We just had our last "big" transfer this week, saying goodbye to three missionaries, and welcoming nine new ones. Motra Hall came in for the departing festivities, but will stay on for one more transfer to help the mission, because one of our sisters at the MTC was reassigned to a mission in the states for health reasons.
Four we will miss: Sisters Katherine Yourstone, Kelsey Hall, Stephanie Peatross, and Elder Erik Swenson.

Arriving: Elders Justin Roberts, Spencer Knaras, John Marett, Nick Ireland, Ryan McBride, Ryan Olsen; and Sisters Amy Read and Shannon Reynolds.

Elder McCullam stayed at the MTC an extra day to have some medical tests (pulled muscle) and arrived after the training, but in time for the companionship announcements. Marty announced the new companionships. Here are Sisters Halabuk andReynolds in Tirana 4th District. Roger Ian and Susan Matthews arrived with the nine new missionaries. Because they arrived a week later than originally planned, and we were busy with the new missionaries, we had to put them up for two nights in the International Tirana Hotel. Two of our couples, the Wilsons and Prestons, kindly took the Matthews into their care and helped them with meals and some CES training. The Matthews took off for Pristina, Kosovo this morning (Friday), where they'll be pioneers, along with the Junkers who are already there. They will help the little branch group that is meeting in Pristina, and our hope is that soon some young missionaries will be assigned there. Currently, Kosovo is not part of the Albania Tirana mission, but we hope it will be some day, as 80% of the citizens there are ethnic Albanians.

More Spring Break Training Pics

Districts Tirana 2 and Tirana 3

Districts Durrës, Elbasan, and Shkodër

Spring Break Training

We finished up this month's training in Vlore on March 25. It was a beautiful, sunny day, temperatures in the low 70's, and the after-the-training activity for the districts of Vlore and Fier-Lushnjë was playing Ultimate Frisbee on the beach. Then we went to the Sunset restaurant to eat lunch.

Just Lot o' Pictures

The George W. Bush Cafe, named in honor of our former U.S. President who visited Albania, and met with some U.S. Aid people here in this very cafe in Fushë Krujë (Krujë on the Plain).
Ruins of Skandërbeg's fortress at Krujë. I think the sheep are allowed in to keep the grass low.
Elder and Sister Cutler, Area Church Public Relations specialists, came to visit the mission for a few days. We had a free day and took them to Krujë--probably our fifth visit there--and we had a good time. We don't tire of the place, because it has a nifty old Turkish bazaar with nice souvenir shops, and the site is high on a mountain with beautiful views. This photo is taken inside the Skandërbeg Museum there. Skandërbeg is the national hero because he fought off the Turks for 25 years in the 15th century. When he died of malaria, Albania finally fell to the Ottoman Empire.

U.S. Holidays have kind of slipped by while we've been in Albania. There are a few big holidays here: Mother's Day (celebrated on International Women's Day, March 8), Ditë e Verës (Day of Summer, March 14), New Year's Day, and a few big Muslim holidays.

Women here really look forward to Mother's Day because they get to spend the day with other women and they can relax from all their work and waiting on their husbands and children. It is always on March 8, regardless of the day of the week. We forgot it was Mother's Day and went to lunch at the Tajvani Italian restaurant, but found every table crowded with ladies, dressed in their finest and eating in large groups. We went upstairs to the other restaurant, and it was full, also. As we came back downstairs, the waiters at the Italian restaurant waved for us to come in as they had freed up a reserved table for us. We're big tippers (10%) and very nice to the waiters, so they treat us well. We love eating there because it overlooks a Rinia Park and in nice weather we can eat outdoors on the terrace and watch children playing and people enjoying the day. Children give their mothers flowers that day, and some lucky mother received a bouquet of daffodils--taken from my pots that were in front of our mission home building! Grrrr....

I'm standing by the gorgeous balloon display at CitiPark Mall celebrating Day of Summer, and the other photo was quickly snapped out of the car window as we drove by Rinia Park. When we arrived home, we changed into casual clothes and walked back down to the park to enjoy some of the fun. We purchased a large cornmeal cookie, called Ballokume, that is traditional for this holiday. There were many people selling cookies, and it didn't look like many of them came from bakeries. No FDA in this country. (You can see cookies being sold on the sidewalk.)
We took Sparti Kashari and Izaura Bardhe to CitiPark to get them bicycle helmets. This was the Shupe's idea and since they're back home in California, they asked us to implement it. They have been worried about safety as Sparti rides Izaura around town on his bicycle handlebars. Now, if they'll just wear the helmets and not worry about the taunts from friends.... I think they look cute.

First and Fourth Districts bowling and having lunch.

Marty has been doing training every month, and he surprised the missionaries with a little diversion this time. After a morning of training and practice with two districts at a time, we took them bowling and then to lunch at the Tajvani. Marty had invited the missionaries to come to training in their P-day clothing, but had not told them why. Tomorrow, we're headed to Vlorë where we'll play frisbee and have lunch on the beach after training there. Weather's supposed to be nice!
I designed a jingle bell door hanger for the Tirana Women's Internation Group's holiday bazaar table--even though I won't be here then. We're already making things for Christmas, and I had the bells and other supplies, and came up with this. I'll make a dozen or so to donate.
March 20 was District Conference--our last conference here. Marty and I spoke, and everyone assembled for a large group picture afterward. We counted about 350 people in attendance. We're kneeling in the middle--I'm in the royal blue suit jacket. It was held at the Arts Academy in Tirana and the branches came into Tirana by bus. It was a lovely day, and when the conference ended, everyone poured out onto the large plaza in front of the building, and milled around chatting and taking photos for a very long time.
The office elders found this candy bar, and thought it would be funny to give it to us. They think we're "trunky," see. Is that a Mormon word?

February Zone Conferences

Inside Zone, consisting of all the missionaries serving in Tirana, and Shkodra.

The "Outside" zone of missionaries serving in Durrës, Fier, Lushjnë, and Vlora. Missionaries on the front, Elder Swenson, and Sisters Peatross, Hall, and Yourstone will be returning home in April, so this will be their last zone conference with the mission.

Time seems to be flying by now that we have only four months of our mission left. The new mission president assignments have been announced, and our replacement will be Elder Andrew Ford and his wife Julie. They visited us a year ago, as Elder Ford is an Area Seventy from Leicester, England, and was assigned to our March 2010 District Conference. We had a delightful visit with them, and took them, along with Tony and Heidi Baird, to the Oda Restaurant, so they could experience some authentic Albanian food. The missionaries will love the Fords!

Marty attended an "Interim Mission President's Seminar in Frankfurt Feb. 3-5 . Although wives were not invited, I went along this time so I could have some medical tests for some bad indigestion I have been experience since October. Dr. Steven Dahl is serving as a missionary Area Medical Adviser and he and his wife Paula kindly spent the day with me, driving me to Heidelberg where I met an LDS internest, Dr. Frank Heckman who administered some tests. He discovered I have a hiatal hernia, and some problems with bile backing up into my stomach, more common among people like me who have had their gall bladder removed, and prescribed some medications to relieve the symptoms. I was feeling better after only two days on the medications. I'm so grateful to the Dahls and Dr. Heckman for taking such good care of me while we were in Germany.

Incidentally, Elder Causse told me that from now on, mission presidents' wives are to be invited to the winter seminar. Sister Ford will enjoy going and meeting with the other wives.

Feb. 18-19, Marty attended a meeting in Athens with Elder Fingerle and President Charles of the Greece Athens mission.

Lots of cooking this month! We had two zone conferences on Feb. 24 & 25. We do not have zone conferences again until May, by which time my kitchen equipment and pots and pans will have been shipped home, so I wanted to bake cinnamon rolls for both zone's morning break, and the entire meal of chili, corn bread, fruit salad, and chocolate cake, for the inside zone. I made the cake for the outside zone as well, and a very generous sister in Fier cooked the meal for the missionaries there. There is no corn meal available in Albania, but I have found an instant polenta mix that makes a fine substitute.

To eat, we push aside our furniture and bring in three tables. Using our large table as well, we had 30 for lunch. When the mission was larger, I would often have 38 missionaries for lunch. It was crowded!

I usually speak at zone conferences, sometimes giving a spiritual talk, but more often give practical tips for better living as missionaries. Somebody's got to do it! It can be an eye-opener to see how these young elders live and eat, so I try my best to encourage them to eat well, clean their apartments, and take care of their clothing and appearance. I also have dealt with safety issues, making sure all apartments have working CO detectors, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. I continually train on the emergency plan of the mission: what to do and where to go in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. I teach about food safety and remind them to change the water filters in their apartments, as scheduled. The flu is going around the mission, and I reminded them to wash their hands frequently, keep their hands away from their eyes, nose, and mouth, and especially to stay indoors if they become ill. I frequently get the "I'm so sick" call from a missionary a few hour after they have attended district meeting, district lunch, or church. They hate staying in, and don't understand how easily a serious illness can be passed along to others.

We threw in a team building activity in this conference. We handed out a roll of masking tape, and 60 4x6 cards I had cut out of colored cardstock (we couldn't find index cards anywhere in Tirana). We gave the teams (organized by district) 10 minutes to decide how they were going to work together to build a tower in two minutes with a goal to be the team with the tallest standing structure. After the activity, Marty asked each team to share how well they worked together and how they came up with their plan.

The elders of Fier, including Elders Anderson, Castro-Guzman, Mugleston, and Dittmer,

built the tallest tower of either zone, and it used no tape at all. Brilliant!

Spring is in the air now, the grass is green and plum trees are blossoming. We've been able to get outside and walk a few days, and it feels good! If it's raining, we exercise on a treadmill and exercise bicycle.

Some additional tower designs from the Outside Zone:

Albanian Costumes

We asked Zef, a member of the church in Shkodra, to make us some Albanian costumes. These would be typical of the villages in the mountain region of the Shala Valley. Zef worked extra hard to make them very ornate, as "befitting noblemen" he said. Mine is made of heavy fabrics and has many layers so it makes me look 25 pounds heavier, but it is amazingly detailed. The double-headed eagle is the symbol of Albania and is on the red flag.