Always Something New

There is always something interesting or new going on in the mission, and it definitely keeps us hopping. This last week was no exception.

On Tuesday, Ian and Sue Preston from Eden, Utah (Ogden area), arrived to serve with Seminaries and Institutes (CES) in Albania. The Prestons are originally from New Zealand and still have their wonderful accents. Marty has asked them to serve in Elbasan, where there has not been a couple for a few years. That was a change from what they had been told by the CES people in Salt Lake, but after being in Elbasan for an afternoon, they came to feel that this was the place for them. They will strengthen the branch, and especially the Seminary program there and start up Institute classes as well. They are enthusiastic and friendly, and before even putting the key in their new apartment had invited three young women in their neighborhood to a Family Home Evening the following Monday!

We learned last week that Elder Taylor Allen, one of Marty's Assistants who had gone home three months ago for medical evaluation after suffering from severe headaches, was doing better had been cleared to return to Albania! We feel really blessed, because missionaries who go home on medical release usually are reassigned somewhere in the United States. We picked him up Thursday and he's right back into the work!

Two weeks ago we received a large packet from the Missionary Department detailing some new training for the missionaries, with a focus on improved teaching. It's an eight-lesson course with an accompanying DVD showing actual missionaries from the San Diego mission applying the principles in the lessons. The instructions were for Marty to begin the training of mission leaders in July. As it was already the middle of July, that gave Marty one week to plan eight lessons. He gave the training all day Thursday and Friday, 9AM to 6PM, with a one-hour break for lunch each day. I sat in on some of the lessons, and Marty did a wonderful job. We think these are inspired lessons and should really help the missionaries. They were very receptive to the training, and two missionaries who tried it out during tracting on Friday night reported back to Marty that they were very excited about what they had learned. They found a woman willing to come back to the church for a short "zero" lesson. In that lesson they tried listening to the spirit in asking questions, and being directed in the way the lesson should go by the investigator's answers, and they were pleasantly surprised at the results.

The training packet also had a new calendar based on the month, rather than the six-week transfer schedule we've been using. Zone Conferences are to be once every three months, instead of every six or seven weeks, and interviews will also be every three months. The training is to be repeated every two months, until the missionaries are very well-versed in the methods. By May 2011, the incoming missionaries will have been trained while at the MTC. We're not sure if the Zone Conference schedule will revert back to be more frequent. The missionaries really look forward to Zone Conferences and will miss being together as often.

I provided lunch on Friday: Teriyaki Chicken/Rice/Veggie bowls with cut melons as a salad. The best compliment I received was (obviously from a Utahn) "This was better than Rhumbi's!"

Interviews begin this week. Marty is one of the few mission presidents who gives interviews by traveling to each district. Since we have only 40 missionaries, he can really spend some time with each one. Mission Presidents with 150 or more missionaries give very short interviews after zone conferences when the elders and sisters are all in one place.

The Church in Albania 1992-1999

I recently read (online) "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Enters Albania, 1992-1999," a 2008 master's degree thesis by Nathan Pali, whose grandfather was an Albanian immigrant to the U.S. and later joined the Church. The paper helped me appreciate the difficulties of the early missionary couples, the first members in the country, and the first young missionaries who were sent from the Austrian Mission and had to learn a new language. It also includes fascinating details of the two, harrowing missionary evacuations in '97 and '98. The first evacuation was by helicopter from the embassy compound to the aircraft carrier USS Nassau. I loved this excerpt in the thesis, from an article in The Boston Herald about that evacuation of U.S. citizens:

There are some things that you can always count on, even in the midst of anarchy and chaos in Albania. Like the neatness of Mormon missionaries. U.S. Navy Commander Gary Burchill, supply officer aboard the USS Nassau, helped take care of Albanian evacuees. He describes the people that came on the boat. "The first group included 60 or 70 Peace Corps workers. They were haggard and dirty, carrying backpacks. Then there were about five families with children, who were very distressed and tired. Then they brought in 30 to 40 freshly minted Mormon missionaries. It was the damndest thing. They were as brightly dressed and chipper as you would expect in your own neighborhood. They were wearing white shirts, ties, and pressed suits, like they were walking through downtown Arlington."

Busiest Week of our Mission!

On July 1st we passed our two-year mark! We've been praying for the new mission presidents, since we remember the fear and trepidation of coming to a new country and not having a clue about what we were going to be doing. We still wonder if we're clueless, but hope the missionaries don't notice.

This last week, July 4-11, and the two weeks prior, were some of the busiest weeks of our mission. We were preparing for our "big transfer," Tues. and Wed., July 6-7, when we said goodbye to "dying" missionaries and welcomed in new ones from the MTC. Leaving are (L to R) Elder Joshua McGlothin, Elder Evan Monson, Sister Brooke Larson, and Elder Tim Rispoli. All but Elder Rispoli left at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. Elder Rispoli went home to Australia, so left on a flight later in the day.

The beautiful new missionaries (L to R): Sister Rachel Halabuk, Elder Trevor Miller, Elder James Norris, Elder Zach Platt, Elder Tyson Knowles, and Sister and Elder Wilson, our Humanitarian Aid Couple, who arrived in May, and joined us on this trip to the monument.

Thursday, after breakfast, the trip to the monument, and mission-specific training, Marty announced the trainers for each new missionary and we quickly left for the airport to pick up Elder Causse, the first counselor in our Area Presidency, and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, who came to do a mission tour, mission conference, and District Conference. Friday we held a conference for the entire mission, and I cooked lunch for all 50--Mexican rice/black bean/chicken bowls with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. I made 100 large peanut butter cookies, and served them with Rudi's ice cream for dessert. This is what I meant about being very busy in the weeks prior to this one. I cooked and froze chicken and beans, thawing them and putting the ingredients together in big pots the night before. Sister Ahlborn cooked all the rice ahead, froze it in zip-loc bags, and reheated it in the microwave an hour before the lunch. We kept the rice hot in their bags in an ice chest. Worked great--a great tip for long-grain rice that has to be made ahead of the meal because you lack stovetop space and pots. Our wonderful couples helped me so it all went smoothly.

Elder Causse had some wonderful instruction for the missionaries and for us. The most valuable thing he told us is that while missionary skills are important, even more important is the culture of the mission, and we should do everything we can to foster a positive culture, and a "culture of success." We do have quite a bit of success, and Marty calls and praises the missionaries once a week for the progress they've made, but the missionaries get discouraged because they see new members lapsing into inactivity, and have difficulty establishing the culture of the church as we know it in the States. He reminded us that Albania is in the early stages of establishing the Church, and we should not expect instant change. He reminded us to keep things simple and to encourage the members to do the work, instead of the missionaries, so they can learn to lead.

Just today, Marty received a packet of new instructions from the Missionary Dept., regarding a new focus on teaching skills, which will involve extensive training of our mission leaders, who will then teach the missionaries. There will be a new mission schedule--no longer based on the six-week transfers--but a monthly calendar. Zone Conferences will be four times a year, as well as missionary interviews. Missionaries in the MTC will receive the new training, starting with the group that arrives in the field May 2011. By then, all the missionaries in the field will have been trained with the new materials. We're excited to be part of the changes!

Our new District Presidency are L. to R: Besmir Desnica, 2nd Counselor; Sparti Kashari, President; (Elder Causse); and Agim Grimci, 1st Counselor.

Saturday and Sunday were filled with back-to-back District Conference meetings. Somewhere during the week, Elder Causse and Marty found time to interview men for a new District Presidency, as Tony Baird and his family are leaving Albania to return to the states for a year to prepare for Tony's new diplomatic post in Azerbeijan. Tony was District President for only nine months, but has managed to fit in an amazing amount of valuable training for our Branch Presidents and other leaders. We will miss the Bairds!

Whew! We collapsed when we returned home from the airport to drop off Elder Causse, and we're still recovering. Since the old and new missionaries stay at the mission home, and Elder Causse also, I was fixing a lot of meals, and we were constantly moving from meeting to meeting, and giving talks also. I also organized a few musical numbers for the meetings. We never quite recovered from our 2:30 a.m. alarm on Wednesday to get the departing missionaries to the airport, and by the end of the week, we were both running on fumes. Now we're out of gas! Elder Causse told us that they usually don't schedule mission tours the same week as transfers, but somehow his tour was scheduled anyway.

We've had some wonderful baptisms this year. Pictured here are Sparti Kashari and Jeta Bejko. The two have worked together for years on our translation committee. Jeta knows so much about the Church from translating lesson materials, but when she finally tried the experiment--to be taught short lessons three times a week by two fine missionaries, and to pray to know if what she learned and studied was true--only then did she receive a witness of the truthfulness of the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And now she's sharing it with her relatives.

Elders Swenson and Monson are teaching Donika, a young Albanian woman in Kosovo, via Skype, as there are no missionaries in Kosovo. She's been attending Sacrament Meetings with a group of LDS members in Pristina at the home of Rich and Wendy Sweeny, and would like to be baptized. Wish we could attend the baptism! Now that Elder Monson has gone home, Elder Foulk, our new Assistant, will continue teaching Donika.

The sign on this car reads "Kujdes! Shoferë e re!" (Warning! New Driver!) The "e re" means it is a woman, as "i ri" would be the masculine way to write it. So basically, this sign says "Warning! New Woman Driver!"

And finally, we were jolted out of bed at 12:15 a.m. early Saturday by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake, centered 15 miles SE of Tirana. It gave a couple of good jerks, and then shook for a few seconds. Those few seconds always seem like an eternity when you're wondering if this is a "big one!" Elder Causse slept through it!

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.

Visit from Greg and John!

We had wonderful visits this last week from our two sons and their wives: Greg and Judy; and John, Hayley, and Grace. John's trip was originally planned for last month, but the Icelandic volcano ash caused a last-minute change of plans. Fortunately, the ash plume cooperated this time, and all arrived safely.

As you read through the blog, you may click on any picture to view it full size, and click on any underlined word if you wish to explore more about that topic.

John and Hayley brought two-year-old Grace with them and we had a great week with her. She walked miles this week because she's TWO and doesn't want to be carried.

We visited the lovely, ancient city and castle of Berat and spent several hours there. The city is thought to have been founded in 600 B.C. At one time there were 46 churches inside the castle walls and the museum workers showed us through the Museum Onufri, even though we arrived at closing time. This museum is in the Church of the Virgin Mary and showcases several ancient icons and ornately carved wooden walls and altars. This is the view of the old town from the castle, but the castle town looks like this also. It's called the town of a thousand windows and people still live in houses within the old fortress.

John, Hayley, Grace, and the view from the Berat castle walls. Their residence is Logan, Utah.

John works in mortgages at Wasatch Mortgage, and Hayley is a designer and stay-at-home mom.

Greg and Judy arrived on Friday, May 14, and John and Hayley came the next day. Sadly, none of the luggage arrived with either couple. Greg and Judy had to wait until Sunday evening to get theirs, but John and Hayley's luggage came the day after they arrived. Greg and Judy left Thursday the 20th, and John, Hayley, and Grace left this morning (the 23rd).

We have a quiet and empty apt. again. It was pretty tough to say goodbye!

We enjoyed the break from the mission routine, and we also enjoyed the vacation from skirts (me) and white shirts (Marty) for a few days. Marty has worn a colored shirt on only four or five days since we started our mission two years ago. I work around the apartment in jeans, but dress up to be with the missionaries or to go out.

May is a wonderful time of year for wildflowers in Albania. These red poppies were blooming everywhere--even in crevices on the castle walls. Greg took the photos in Berat.

We took John and Hayley to the Big Treg, a flea-market kind of place with hundreds of small shops. Hayley is purchasing a package of little girl hair clips. We found a Rrobaqepësi shop (dressmaking, tailor), that had an amazing array of trims, beads, threads, and notions. There are hundreds of tailoring shops in Tirana, and it's fairly inexpensive to have clothing made and mended.

During the visit, we also traveled to Krujë; Durrës to see the Amphitheater and to go to one of our favorite ice cream parlors

by the Adriatic Sea; and Apollonia, with a side trip to Fier just to have Pica Roma (Pizza Roma) for lunch. I posted some pictures of Apollonia in my Dec. 27 post when we visited with the Shupes.

Greg is working for Novatek Inc. in Provo, working on the New Vista project, and Judy works as a designer for an architectural firm in Salt Lake, where they live.

Another flat tire! This is our sixth in two years. This time we had run over a large screw. Marty had the tire fixed for only $2.00 from the repair shop down the street. Happily, this breakdown was right outside my favorite Italian fabric shop, and I purchased two lovely pieces of fabric while I was waiting for the men to change the tire.

April Showers us with Blessings!

We had our two zone conferences at the end of April, and the subject was "Becoming Exceptional Missionaries." They were two of the most spiritual zone conferences we have experienced. The missionaries were brimming over with success stories in finding and teaching, and the testimony meetings were non-stop wonderful. I gave two presentations--one about some practical pointers that I've been thinking would help the missionaries (do they ever listen?), and one on becoming self-directed and disciplined. Marty gave some tips that he found from an article by Wendy Ulrich on what it means to be an adult ("That They May Grow Up in Thee, Feb 2010 Ensign), and also spoke about this world as our proving ground. We hold one zone conference in Tirana, and one in Durrës for missionaries in all the outer cities. It's always a treat to be with the missionaries in large groups. As I had the flu for a week with a lingering bronchial cough, I baked only cinnamon rolls as a snack for both zone conferences, and cookies and chocolate sauce to go with Rudi's ice cream for dessert. They'll live, but I heard from several elders that they really missed my cooking.

We are thrilled to welcome Ruth and Robert Wilson as our new Humanitarian Aid couple. They replace the Snow's who left last week. (As I was ill, Marty took the Snow's to the airport and forgot to get a picture.) For a month, the Wilson's will be in Vlorë, until another couple, the Smith's arrive, and then the Wilsons will join us here in Tirana and live in the apt. above us in our mission building. We're also excited that two other missionary couples will be coming in the next few months. I refuse to call them "senior" couples, as they are as energetic and enthusiastic for the work as the young missionaries!

Also in April, we sent Elder Taylor Allen home with a medical release, to seek treatment for severe headaches. We hope he returns to good health soon, and possibly come back to us, or be re-assigned.