Festive Feast!

The missionaries all came together on Thursday for our first zone conference in three months, and to have a Thanksgiving feast and movie--something that has been our tradition since we arrived in 2008. They all look forward to the day, and wonder what movie will be shown. Previous years we have watched "Remember the Titans" and "UP!". This year's selection was "Toy Story 3" which was released on DVD just a week or two before Thanksgiving.

We were not able to get frozen turkeys from the U.S. Embassy this year as we currently do not have a member of the church stationed there, and I was not about to purchase live turkeys at the outdoor markets--although I know a few missionaries who would have been willing to handle the slaughtering duties. Marty and I had lunch at the Stephen's Center Cafe two weeks ago and noticed they were advertising a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving day. We asked the manager where he was getting the turkeys, and he said they had been ordered from Conad, the Italian supermarket. We called the number he gave us, and the meat buyer said there were three turkeys left. We reserved two of them--33 lb. each from Italy. Too big for my oven, the turkeys had to be cut in parts by the butcher.

My sister Virginia generously sent me the other fixin's I needed from the states, so we were able to cook and bake up a wonderful, traditional Thanksgiving Feast for 50 people. The Wilsons, Humanitarian Aide Missionaries who live upstairs from us, helped out considerably, as did the Prestons and Smiths, our other couples.

I have only one oven, so we had to utilize the two ovens in the apts. upstairs. Even so, we didn't have enough space to keep everything warm at once, so I baked up the stuffing/dressing and placed the hot pans surrounded by a towel in a large cooler. It kept the dishes really hot! Having all the ovens going at once overloaded the electrical system upstairs, and those two ovens and stoves went out for the last 45 minutes. Fortunately, the mashed potatoes were done and warming in a large electric roaster in the basement, and Sister Wilson was able to use the small basement oven to toast the marshmallows on the sweet potato casserole.

The office elders and Assistants set up the tables and chairs, the Tirana sister missionaries decorated the room and tables, and all the missionaries supplied the desserts. As part of the decorations, the sisters made a really cute turkey pinata. The desserts were excellent this year. One companionship went to a member's home and made four pies!

After dinner we watched the movie which had been purchased from iTunes and downloaded to my computer. We showed it using a multi-media projector. We had recently purchased some nice speakers for my computer, and they sounded great!

I was too busy to take photos, but if I am able to get some from a missionary, I'll post them. It was a grand event! Unfortunately, our mission photo (above) came out blurry.

Despite being very occupied with food preparation, I found time to spend several hours on three days last week at the new Hygeia Hospital where I saw an orthopedic surgeon and had an MRI on my left foot which is still inflamed and painful for walking, even though the injury was two months ago. The MRI machine quit halfway through the test on Monday so I had to come back Tuesday to finish it. Then I went back Wednesday to get the results. Marty was a sweetie and drove me there and waited during the very long tests. The MRI showed that there were no fractures, only lots of inflammation, but the CD digital files have been sent to a doctor in Salt Lake for final diagnosis. The doctor I saw in Tirana said that I must go on crutches and stay off the foot for at least two weeks. Because of pain and swelling, the only shoes that fit me are a pair of men's athletic shoes we purchased. Very stylish with my skirts!

After the MRI quit on Monday afternoon, we decided to go out to the CityPark Mall to purchase some groceries at the Mercator Store. It had been raining heavily, and when we came out of the mall, we found a completely flooded parking lot. Security men were directing people to move their cars to dry ground on the other side of the mall. Marty took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants, and waded out into the foot-high water to rescue the car. Because it was the river that overflowed into the lot, and because Albania doesn't have sewage treatment yet, he was not really excited about the wading, but he got the car, picked me and the groceries up from the sidewalk, and we went on our way. Ten minutes later, we arrived at a traffic jam on the overpass that leads into town. This is a common experience so we didn't think too much of it, until fifteen or twenty minutes later when traffic hadn't budged. Marty said to me, "Well, honey, there's nobody else I'd rather be stuck with!" Was that a compliment? Three hours later (it should have been a 20 minute drive), we finally arrived at home. Marty didn't waste any time hopping into the shower. The next day we read that this had been the worst traffic jam ever in Tirana. All the city streets had been horribly flooded and congested, and officials attributed it to the extreme weather and multiple road construction projects. The city is rebuilding the center plaza and has permanently closed off some of the big circle road around it. This has made a mess of traffic--even in good weather. We wonder about the wisdom of this project. It will be a grand plaza, but will also be a grand traffic mess.

Motra Hanci

The Church News published an article about Sister Topalli Hanci (pronounced Hantsee), written by one of our former missionaries, Brooke Larson who returned home in April. After hearing of Sister Hanci's conversion and faithfulness, we knew it would make a good feature article for the Church News, and knowing Sister Larson's writing abilities, Marty asked if she would interview Sister Hanci and write up an article for submission. It was finally published this week. Click on the underlined words to find the link.

Dresden, Germany

The morning view from our hotel!

We were in Dresden Germany from Oct. 18-23 for our final annual Mission President's Seminar and had an inspiring four days of instruction and fellowship with other mission presidents and wives. Elder Kevin Pearson, from the 1st Quorum of Seventy, was there to instruct us for one entire day. He spoke extensively of the Doctrine of Christ (from 2 Nephi 31) and other topics to help us teach our missionaries. Throughout the week, Elder Kopishke, our Area President, spoke about the church in East Germany when it was behind the "iron curtain." He told wonderful stories of President Monson's visits there and the blessings that were pronounced when as an apostle, he dedicated the land. On Thursday afternoon we took a bus ride out to the hill where the dedication took place and we gathered in close together under umbrellas and read the dedicatory prayer. Elder Manfred Schütze, the Area Seventy for Germany, told us many stories about the saints during that time as he served as a Stake President in East Germany for many years. He said it was difficult for the members who were living in very difficult conditions, to believe that the blessings promised in that prayer would ever come to pass. But all of the promised blessings have been fulfilled, and the Freiberg Temple was built even before the Berlin Wall and communism fell!

There was a joke among the saints at that time that if a woman left her purse on a church bench, it would still be there the next week. But if a person left his scriptures, they would be gone. Scriptures were next to impossible to obtain, and an older person might even be asked that if they died, they would get his or her scriptures.

Dresden was bombed at the end of World War II, and the old town is being reconstructed. The famous Lutheran Frauenkirche is beautifully rebuilt. The black stones in the walls are some of the original stones that were blackened by the fire bombing.

The Dresden Frauenkirche, (Church of Our Lady)

and the statue of Martin Luther that survived the 1945 bombing.

The Class of 2008, Europe Area

Top to bottom and l to r: Sally and Larry Anderson, Sweden Stockholm Mission;

David and Susan Brown, Finland Helsinki; Liz and Marty Neil, Albania Tirana;

David and Dana Hill, Slovenia/Croatia; Lisa & Kevin Ninow (partially hidden), Germany Frankfurt; (in front of the Ninows) David and Kathleen Bullock, England Manchester;

Front l to r: Don & Cynthia Staheli, France Paris; Linda & Robert Condie, Alpine German-Speaking;

Laurie and James Lundberg, Romania Bucharest.

Missing, because they had to leave earlier, were Michel and Danielle Carter, France Toulouse; and Joselito and Mafalda Neves, Cape Verde Praia Mission.

We arrived the evening before the Tuesday 3 PM start of the conference, so were able to walk around the Old Town and eat at McDonald's, which was quite a treat for us. Two Filet o' Fish Meals! Never thought I'd be happy to see a McDonald's! Our plane left the morning after everyone else's flights, so we had all of Friday afternoon to walk around and shop. I found Yankee Candles in a Body Shop, we had Starbuck's Hot Chocolate and a doughnut, purchased two suit jackets for me, and picked up a Dresden Christmas ornament.

Our new Chevrolet Captiva--a compact SUV. We are grateful to have a sturdier car for Albania's rough roads.

Oct. Transfers

We hate losing missionaries, but our consolation is that the very same day, new missionaries arrive from the Provo MTC. Fun for both groups is that they meet up in the Vienna Airport during the change of planes.

Departing Missionaries

Elder Geoffrey Foulk, New Jersey; Sister Evette Bentley, Utah; and Elder Troy Shields; California

Arriving Missionaries

Back row l to r: Elders Bradley Holmes, Randolf, UT; Paul Eckel, Perrysburg, OH; Ian Anderson, Riverton, UT; Tyler Owens. Harwood, TX.

Front: Myself, Sister Marsida Korita, Tirana, Albania; Sister Sarah Leit, Copenhagen, Denmark; Marty.

Wednesday, Oct. 13, Marty set apart Sister Elona Sulollari (center) as a full-time missionary. She has been called to the Salt Lake Temple Square Mission, and was scheduled to arrive at the Provo MTC in September. She was delayed awaiting Visa approval, and finally has it, but now has to wait until Nov. to go to Provo. Not wanting to wait any longer, she volunteered to enter full-time missionary work in Tirana. Here she is with Sisters Halabuk and Hiland, with whom she will serve for a month. Elona's home town is Pogradec.

Oh my aching foot!

To have a sore foot here is a nightmare! We are surrounded by tile, concrete, marble ,and granite floors, rocky roads without sidewalks, and other hazards to feet, knees, and hips. No wall-to-wall carpet here.

Actually, the hazard that attacked me was not any of those, but a metal file cabinet in the office near the copy machine. The bottom drawer was stuck in the open position for about five inches. I noticed it one day and thought it might be dangerous, and asked an office elder to take care of it. That was my first mistake. I should have investigated it and fixed it myself. A few weeks later, I was in the office with Marty, and he called me over to the copy machine to help him, and I jammed my left foot really hard under the corner of the file cabinet. I didn't utter a single @*&#!!! Thought one, though.

It broke the skin slightly, and caused a big bruise, but I could still wear my shoes and Marty and I continued with our walks around town and at the park. Second mistake! The skin healed, but the pain has worsened, and the inflammation has increased to where I can't put on my normal shoes. I can only wear a pair of Merrill flip-flops I have--and the weather is getting colder.

We went to an Albanian orthopedist today and, after looking at my X-rays and manipulating various places of my foot, he decided I may have Morton's Neuroma, which is an inflammation of the nerve between the toes and often has to be corrected with surgery. An MRI would confirm that diagnosis. Doctor Dahl, our missionary doctor in Germany, thinks it is more likely to be bruising and inflamation caused by the trauma of being attacked by the file cabinet and not taking care of it properly at first. I hope that's all it is. In the meantime he wants me to take anti-inflammatory pills (Celebrex) and do hot soaks several times a day to increase circulation to the area and also stay off the foot as much as possible. That should be a challenge. Next week we have our BIG TRANSFER--old missionaries leave and new ones arrive. Guess we'll be eating out with them next week. On the 18th, we are going to Dresden, Germany for our last Mission Presidents' Seminar. Hope the foot is well by then!

Dr. Dahl was a missionary in Italy when Marty was there, and it will be nice for them to meet when we go to Dresden.

Wonderful Weekend!

This weekend was a record weekend for baptisms. We held four services for seven persons in Tirana, and the really terrific thing is that there were two families baptized! We have 25 baptismal dates through the 9th of October. Of course, it's not really about the numbers, but about the happiness and joy of those new members who have taken upon themselves the gospel of Jesus Christ and His church. We rejoice with them! Urime to Elona, Sonja, Erodita, Bona, Xhesi, Sara, and Maksim. Maksim's wife will be taking the lessons now.

Little Sara bore her testimony in Albanian--no easy task for her, since she was born in the United States where her family spent ten years before returning to Albania. Now she's having to learn the language of her mother and father. I was astonished when I heard her speaking English with the sisters.

Last week we took the office missionaries and the assistants to the Rogner Hotel for a nice lunch, to thank them for their outstanding service. L.to R.: Elder Smith (Office), Elder Foulk (Asst.), Elder Klein (Office), me and the Prez, and Elder Swenson (Asst.) Elder Klein has served six months in the office and will be leaving us the first week in Oct. when we have transfers, and Elder Foulk is returning home after serving his two-year mission. The Rogner is, perhaps, the nicest place to dine in Tirana. Definitely the nicest hotel! The missionaries don't like to think that they'll have to spend six months of their missions in the office, but they do find that it has it perks, not the least of which are my cookies/cinnamon rolls and occasional meals, and the same from the Wilson's who live upstairs and do their part to keep the office elders happy. The office elders also have a car to drive, something no other missionaries in our mission currently have, as the four couples have the four cars other than our office van.

SEVENTH flat tire! Monday, September 6, we were headed away from the mission home to Durrës to spend FHE at the YSA Conference. The traffic was very bad, and we were stopped less than three blocks from home. When we started moving again, we heard a terrible noise and Marty pulled over to investigate. He found the left rear tire completely flat. We looked up to see a man motioning for us to pull slightly forward into his shop area. We had discovered the flat right in front of a Gomisteri--a tire shop! The tire was shredded and unfixable, so he sold us a reconditioned tire, installed it, filled the other tires with air, and we were back on our way in 20 minutes. We were so grateful that we were not out on the main highway when it happened! As my sister Charlotte said, there were "angels on board!"

The good news is that we've been approved (after Marty's very fine appeal) for an SUV, a Chevy Captiva, which we hope will be a sturdier vehicle for the tough roads in Albania. Once you're off the main roads in Tirana or other cities, the roads are unpaved and rough. The extra road clearance of the Captiva will be good, and we hope we'll have fewer flats, too.

August Zone Conferences

Inside Zone

Outside Zone

Thursday and Friday were our "Inside" and "Outside" Zone Conferences--"Inside" meaning all of Tirana and "Outside" being Durrës, Fier/Lushjnë, Elbasan, Shkodër, and Vlorë. It evenly divides up the missionaries--20 each zone, not including couples.

The focus this conference was the new training that has been sent from the Missionary Department, which emphasizes increasing each missionary's ability to teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ more effectively.

In addition to the introduction of the training which will go on through next Spring, Marty spoke about what it means to have an organizational culture. He asked the missionaries, by district, to share the positive aspects of our mission culture, and come up with three ways we can improve it. These are the goals we decided upon:

1. Raise our language ability--more daily SYL (Speak Your Language 4-7 PM if you're here less than three months, and 4-9PM for all others.)

2. Have a shared vision for the future of the Church in Albania--that the Church is still very young here, but will grow large and have stakes and possibly a temple in the years to come. Do not get discouraged, and "be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." (D&C 64:32)

3. Be always finding when you're out of the apartment.

4. Speak positively about one another and halt the gossip.

I gave a thirty minute presentation on the power of positive thinking, as we're trying to help the missionaries stay positive and confident as they live in difficult circumstances and face rejection in their teaching. Elder Taylor, who is our Area Psychologist, sends the mission presidents a monthly "Mental Health Memo" with excellent ideas about how to identify negative thoughts and change them, and I used some of his notes.

I cooked lunch for the inside zone: sloppy Joes, potato salad, and chocolate cake and ice cream. The outside zone leaders made salsa with tortilla chips for the snack, and ordered roasted chicken and potatoes for the meal.

Though we crash after several days of preparation and two day's execution, we love zone conferences. It is always wonderful to come together as a large group of missionaries, sing and learn together, hear success stories, and bear testimony. Under the new directions from Salt Lake, we will be having four conferences per year instead of eight.