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?