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.
