12-21-09

"I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas!! I’m beyond excited to be able to finally talk to you again. I know its only been about 2 ½ months since the last time we talked but I’m still excited. I think I might be more excited to talk to you on skype and be able to see all of you. Melissa said that you did a little test run and it worked so hopefully there wont be any problems. She also sent me a short email because she had to hurry and get ready to leave for California. It sounds like you’re excited for Christmas as well. Is it getting down to those last stressful shopping hours? =). At least you didn’t have to worry about mine since you had to get mine to me early. I haven’t received the card yet but im sure it will be here soon. I received grandmas package and Melissa’s so that was good seeing they made it here safely. So I don’t really know how much to type because im excited to talk to you in 4 days. All the internet cafes we go to have Skype so as far as I know they work. What I might do is after this email try signing on and just checking.
Missionary work continues to be good. We get in a lot but lots of times it’s just out of respect. It’s really hard because for so long these people have been kept from religion. Lots of people here have a hard time expressing their religious views because for so long communism wouldn’t allow them to so we have taught anywhere from 30 years olds people or even a 75 year old man who prayed for the first time when we were in his house. Before us he had never heard a real prayer out loud in his life and it breaks my heart sometimes. They have such a hard time excepting. The church is growing really big here in Albania but I think it’s because of a lot of the younger youth that is joining the church. Which isn’t a bad thing but it stinks when you see middle aged people who could really use the gospel but they just aren’t willing to listen. But I know not everyone will except my message and that’s why I just pray for them and do the best I can to serve them in any way. I think my biggest thing so far here is putting up with some of the other elders. A lot of them are really narrowed minded. I know I shouldn’t write anything bad about them because I should only look at the positive but it has been very difficult putting up with them lately =). They think everyone should automatically want to listen to our message and let us in and when they don’t let us in or turn us away they just talk so badly about the people and it frustrates me. I told a few elders to pretty much shut their mouths because I didn’t want to here it. I did it in a nice way but they with enough force that even though im a trainee they weren’t going to tell me to be quiet. Lots of them usually don’t say anything back to me because they usually know they were wrong or they are to afraid to I think. Even though that part of the work is hard I still have fun and am slowly but surely learning the language. I think usually by 6 months most edlers can get by just fine and understand and talk pretty well. So I have been here almost 3 so im half way there. When I get home I should hopefully have a lot more patience because it has been hard so far and I know even when I do know the language I will still need patience when I get turned away 100 times in a day =).
I sent some photos last week off my companions camera because he took some good photos of Shkoder were you able to get them? Im also sending a few more from his camera so hopefully you will get them. One day when I get enough photos on my camera I will make a CD and send them to you. I don’t take a lot of photos just because I never think about carrying with me everywhere I go."