Smith's Meeting Place: September 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Apollonia by Fier

20 September 2010, we went to Apollonia today for our District Trip. Apollonia is the oldest Roman runes site in all of Albania and is just outside of Fier a city just north of Vlorȅ. We took our Makinȅ with the Motra’s which is about a 40 kilometer trip but for the winding two lane roads, bumps, and big trucks it takes about 45 minutes to get there. The Elders took a Furgon to Fier.

Apollonia Furgon

We took a furgon out West of Fier to Apollonia and this is a picture of our group packed in the furgon. Left to Right Elders Wallentine, Warburton, Hixson and Thorpe, Motra’s Bentley and Hall. We were in the front seat and this picture is looking back at them.

Apollonia Pictures

Communists’ Bunkers

We walked up to the top of a hill and found about 15 bunkers scatter around with cement tunnels connecting them all together. This is one that had two tunnels and at one time they had cement and dirt covering them all.

Apollonia Pictures

District Line UP

Begging, so sad

This is so sad but a new way to beg for money on the streets. These men are in the middle of the street where cars and big trucks are driving up to 50 km and are on corners where you could hit them if you are not careful. We had seen them as I was driving the missionaries to and from the Fier Zoo.

Fier Zoo

This is how you spell Deer in Albania!

Suflaqe

This is where we went to eat after our District Trip. This is called the Green Door and sells Suflaqe's which is a rap with meat, fries, tomatoes, onions, and sauce wrapped like an ice cream cone. The missionaries say this is the best suflage's in all of Albania. It was good.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Albanian Trip to the Temple

We in the United States of America are so spoiled as far as being able to travel to the Temple with ease. Let me tell you of our experience in taking 14 Albanian Saints to the temple and what they have to go through just to make the trip.

Four months ago the mission home began the process of requesting those who would be attending the temple from each Branch. After they received the requests the process began. The first time the Albanian Saints go to take out their own endowments there is a Church Foundation that provides money for them to go. Each person needs to sacrifice by and providing all the funds they can toward the trip, about 10-20%. If they have attended the Temple before they have to provide the total amount so there are very few that can go more than once.

They do all the normal things like attending Temple Preparation classes and obtaining temple recommends. But there are other things they need to do in order to leave the country. They need to get a passport and apply for a visa to Germany. The temple needs to provide a request for each of the saints coming to the temple. Those requests from the temple along with a 4 page form filled out by each person are then submitted to the German Embassy. Then the German Embassy schedules a date with each person to come for a personal interview. Then after several weeks the German Embassy approves or denies visa’s for each individual.

This temple visit there were 37 people requested to go, out of those 24 names were sent to the temple. These 24 each filled out forms and together with the temple requests they were submitted to the German Embassy. They all went to the German Embassy for their personal interviews the 26th of August and were to find out their visa status on the 2nd of September. The German Embassy delayed this for a week, 2 September, then another week 9 September. The German Embassy was closed on the 9th of September so they did not find out until the 10th of September. We had tickets to fly on the 14 of September which gave very little time between finding out and leaving. Seven were denied visa’s which the mission home appealed but none of them were approved so those seven had to stay home. One of which was a couple from our Vlorȅ Branch who were going to be married and sealed in the temple (Redian ҫelaj and Kesian Bitaj). This was very sad to see this happen.

Trip to the Temple

This is a picture taken at the Frankfurt, Germany Airport on the 14th of September 19, 2010, when we arrived after two flights. Tirana, Albania to Budapest, Hungary then to Frankfurt, Germany. From left to right: Alfred Zekolli, Donika Kashari, Sue, Mike, Feride Tartaraj, Lindita Bodlli, Feride Asllani, Marjeta Lljarja, Engjellushe Xhaferaj, Mirela Isufaj, Bashkim Xhaferaj, Ermira Xhaferaj, Flora Saraҫi, Nebi Saraҫi, Sonja Buturac, Marko Buturac.

Tirana Airport Temple Trip

This is Sonja & Marko Buturac with Sonja's parents the Saraci.

This is the Xhaferaj family and their Daughter Alba was turned down for a visa so the family could not be sealed together and will have to make another trip.

Frankfurt Germany Temple

Wedding Reception

This was at Marko & Sonja Buturac's Reception at a church on the Temple grounds.

Streets of Germany

Our Angel Helpers

Left to right Sister Mueller, Sue, Brother Gjokaj, Mike, Sister Wood. Sister Mueller served with her husband in Elbasan, Albania a few year ago. Brother Gjergji, Gjokaj from Kosovo Gjokaj was such a wonderful help because he is a temple worker and speaks German and Albanian. Sister Wood was born in Albania and her husband is in the US Army and stationed in Germany and is also a temple worker. She speaks English and Albanian.