Zone Conference & Kosova

All the Elders and some of the Sisters wore purple ties because they are President Neal's favorite.  This next letter came from President Neil, we are opening up the country of Kosova for missionary work.

Dear Elders & Sisters,

Thank you for the wonderful Zone Conferences last week!  Attached are photos taken at each conference.  I’d also like to remind you of what I invited you to do:   (Remember, we’re going to feed the sheep dog, and starve the wolf until President & Sister Ford arrive---and by then you should have some new habits, and hopefully, you’ll continue on this path for the rest of your missions.)

1.        Fast this Sunday (yesterday) to decide on the 2 or 3 things you’ll stop doing, and the 2 or 3 things you’ll start doing, that will have the biggest positive effect on your ability to be led by the Spirit, and fill the measure of your calling.  I invite you to share these with me in your Dear President letters (when you make a commitment known to another person, it helps you keep it).   Do this for the next 30 days (until President & Sister Ford arrive!)

2.       Read the Book of Mormon with a focus on 1) Christ and/or 2) liken the scriptures to yourself, and keep notes in your study journal of what the book says to you at this time of your life. 

KOSOVA

On another topic, last week the Area Presidency in Frankfurt received permission to send young missionaries into Kosova (only two at this point).  I’ve asked Elder Klein and Elder Norris to be reassigned to Prishtina, with Elder Klein serving as District Leader.  I can’t tell you why Elder Klein and Elder Norris were chosen for this assignment, other than they are the ones who came powerfully into  my mind as I read the Area Presidency’s message, with further confirmation thru prayer.  Given that the church is not legally recognized in Kosova, our missionaries will have to go in on tourist visas, which means that a missionary can only be in the country for 90 days (2 transfers) out of every 180 days.  So, every transfer, we’ll be sending someone into Kosova, and bringing someone else home.  Our young Elders in Prishtina will be working very closely with the Preston’s, who have been asked to take a leadership role in establishing the church in Kosova, and will be splitting their time between Kosova and here in Albania with their responsibilities for CES and supporting the EFY program. 

Elder Wondra, based in Vienna, who has been asked by the Area Presidency to oversee the establishment of the church in the Balkans, will be responsible for day-to-day direction of the work, and will conduct baptismal interviews.  He will also conduct Specialized Training in Prishtina every 4 to 6 weeks.  Otherwise, the Elders in Prishtina will operate pretty much like any other missionaries:  weekly District Meetings (with the senior couples), nightly call-ins to the Outside Zone Leaders, weekly key indicator reporting (which will be reported as part of the Albania Tirana Mission), Zone Conference attendance, and exchanges once per transfer with the Outside Zone Leaders.

Please join me with well wishes and prayers for much success in this new field of labor for Elders Klein and Norris and the Prestons!

Much love!

President Neil

Baptism Besnik Maska

This past Saturday Besnik was finally baptized and Sunday was confirmed and given the holy ghost.  He was baptized by Rinald Zeqirit a priest and confirmed by Eris Mustafaraj and Elder, both of which are Albanian.

This is a picture taken at the first YSA meeting ever held in Vlorë almost one year ago.

Besnik has been very faithful in attending YSA, Church and having the discussions since we arrived in Vlorë in June 2010.

Baptism Redrije Gega

When we were in Germany at the Frankfurt Temple the Branch had the baptism of Redrije.  Her husband was totally opposed to her baptism but you can see that when the spirit touches you then anything can happen.  He not only gave his permission he attended the baptism.  We were there Sunday for her confirmation and she bore her testimony. 

Vlorȅ Branch Presidency May 2011

Today 29 May 2011 is another historical day for Vlorȅ Albania, we have two Albanians as councilors in the Vlorȅ Branch Presidency.  Mehmet Hodaj, Second Councilor, President Smith and Kacandon Lusho, First Councilor.

This is Apostol Apostoli, Second Councilor in the District Presidency, Sparti Kashari, District President, Vlorȅ Branch President Smith, Mehmet Hodaj, Second Councilor and Kacandon Lusho, First Councilor.

This was also the Vlorȅ Branch Conference.  The speakers in conference was Gerald Sadiku one of our youth, Motra Gjikaj the Relief Society President, President Smith and President Kashari.  It was a very good and spiritual meeting.  We had 61 in attendance.

President Goates Request

Elder and Sister Smith,

In the Adult Session of our upcoming Stake Conference I want to have a straight forward talk with the saints about preparing for and serving senior missions.

Would you please share with me your thoughts about the blessings of serving a mission, overcoming obstacles, and acting in faith?  I would like to pass your first hand perspectives on to the saints.

Thank you very much.

President Goates

Our Reply:

We have been seriously preparing to serve a mission for well over 10 years prior to filling out our paper work.  We’ve had a desire to serve a mission since we sent our first son to Japan to serve the Lord in 1994. 

We worked hard to save enough money, pay off our house and land, retired when the opportunity came (we retired early) after we received an answer to our prayers.  Most of those not of our faith thought we were crazy to retire and nuts to go on a mission where it costs us and we do not get paid.  But what shocked me was those members of the church who told us we were crazy for giving up a much larger retirement check just to be able to serve a mission.  We decided to follow the spirit and not the world.

President you probably remember that we wanted to serve in the temple and that you had encouraged us to let the Lord decide.  Our first reaction was no, we have already decided and that it was our decision because we were a senior couple and senior couples decide for themselves.  But the Lord confirmed to our soles that what you said was what we should do.  I know that serving in the temple would be great because we had already had that wonderful experience but we would’ve not been able to love the Albanian’s as we do now.  What a blessing we could have missed. 

Serving a mission is 95% hard work with 5% rewards for your diligent efforts.  But oh how sweet are those rewards.  We have been working with a family, the Hodaj’s (sounds like Hoe-Die) now for almost a year to get them ready to be sealed in the temple.  On the 18^th of May we will be privileged to be in the Frankfurt temple with them and their two boys and witness their sealing as a family.  During this temple trip we will also witness the sealing of two of our young single adults who we have also been working with since we arrived in Vlorë, Albania.

What we have found is that you can only go so far and then you need to leave it to the Lord and have faith it will work.  We were not provided a makinë (Car) for the first 3+ months we were in Albania.  This became very difficult because we wanted to visit all the branch members and help the missionaries with investigators.  At first we both went and were walking between five and ten miles a day.  Motra (Sister) Smith had to stop because she could not physically do it anymore.  After some more time it began to take a toll on me and I figured I was putting in 15+ miles a day with the missionaries and by myself.  We called the Mission President and he said that there was no vehicle he could provide us but that he would put in a request.  He also said it would probably take 6 months to a year.  We were ready to come home but knew we wanted to endure to the end.  We left it with the Lord and during our prayer we felt everything would be OK.  Within a week President Neil called and said we could have one of the mission makinë’s while the request was being processed.  This was an answer to prayer and having faith in Jesus Christ.

When we attend our first two Sacrament meetings in Vlor we were appalled at the lack of reverence during the Sacrament.  The members were openly making comments to the speakers, talking loudly with each other, walking in and out of the chapel area, and cell phones ringing just to give you an example.  Mike was so upset that he wanted to just tell them how terrible they were acting during this sacred time.   

We need to give you a little background, our average Sacrament meeting attendance is 50 with the average age of those attending being 14.  Vlorë, Albania was opened up for missionary work in 2006 so they are also very young in the gospel.  We meet in a rented three story, not well lighted; cement constructed communist building, so every sound is magnified.  Through prayer and fasting we came up with a talk, that the Branch President would give (Mike), on the importance of the sacrament and why it is important to be reverent.  This talk was given with the spirit and through Christ’s love it was understood.  The meetings are still nosy at times but during the Sacrament they are mostly reverent.  The Mission President and Sister Neil commented on how much better the Vlorë Sacrament meeting is when they visited this past Sunday.

We could tell you how much senior couples are needed and are able to contribute.  I know that every Mission President would love to have another senior couple or two.  The Albania Tirana Mission has had up to seven senior couples serving and before we came there were only two.  The young branches here in Albania thrive when they have senior couples and don’t when there is not.  We had one senior couple who had to leave due to an illness and the mission suffered with only three couples for 5 months until another couple was sent.  The young missionaries do much better when there is a senior couple and that helps the mission and the Lord.  We have four Elders and 2 Sister missionaries serving in the Vlorë Branch and they are always busy serving the Lord.

The bottom line is the Lord needs senior couples and their abilities to carry forth in spreading his gospel throughout the world.

Frankfurt Temple Trip

This is the Hodaj Family who we have worked with since we have been in Albania and were privileged to accompany to the temple for their sealing.  Artion, Edison, Irida, Motra Smith and Mehmet Hodaj.

We started our trip to the Temple from Vlorë at 1 AM 17 May 2011!  We had gotten just out of the city when the Hodaj's realized that they had forgotten their family group sheets.  We turned around and went back so we ended up leaving Vlorë at 0145 AM.

 Loading the Furgon.

 Our wonderful and friendly Furgon driver Lazar.

Artion and Irida climbing back in the Furgon after having to turn around for the paperwork.

After driving for about 2 hours from Vlorë, thru Fier and Lushnjë then we stopped in Durrës and picked up Arjona Koҫillari.  Arjona was going through the temple for her first time.

 This is Redian and Kesiana ҫelaj, two our our former Young Single Adults who went to the temple to be sealed.  When Redian was serving his mission in Albania he tracked into the Hodaj family and was the one who baptized them.  Not a coincidence that they went to the temple at the same time to be sealed.  They also were the couple who were not able to go to the temple with us last year due to Visa problems.  "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

 This is the full group at the Tirana, Albania airport just before we left on the temple trip. 

(Back Row) Mehmet Hodaj—Vlorë, Artjon Hodaj—Vlorë, Irida Hodaj—Vlorë, Besmir Gjoni—Tirana 4^th,   Redian Çelaj—Vlorë, Kesiana Bitaj (Çelaj)—Vlorë, Manushqe Osmëni Trana 1^st, Çlirimtare Deda—Tirana 1^st, Agim Deda—Tirana 1^st, Ajvi Deda—Tirana 1^st, Ansa Deda—Tirana 1^st, Sparti Kashari—Tirana 2^nd, Artan Dervishi—Tirana 1^st, Zef Sokoli—Shkodër, Lozjana Dervishi—Tirana 1^st, Hanze Topalli—Tirana 4^th, President & Motra Smith

(Front Row) Edison Hodaj—Vlorë, Arjona Koçillari—Durrës, Eriseld Dervishi—Tirana 1^st, Ruzhena Dervishi—Tirana 1^st and Izaura Bardhi—Tirana 1^st

 Sixteen of the twenty three who went to the temple had never been on an airplane or even been out of Albania.

 ^{They were so excited and wanted to see and point out everything.  They were acting like excited little children, we loved it.}

 ^{We then took a bus from the airport to the temple.  I arranged for the bus because taking the trains would have taken much more time and a lot of aggravation and almost as much money.   This way we were picked up at the terminal and dropped off at the temple.  If we would have taken the train we would have had to walk and carry our luggage many blocks and up hill to get to the temple.}

 After the first temple ordinances and the session which was in Albanian we decided to take some pictures.

 The Çelaj's with President and Motra Smith.

The Hodaj's.  Last year Mehmet Hodaj was not able to attend church due to his employment.  He worked every Sunday, and every other day also, with no days off except for when he was sick.  We fasted and prayed several times for there to be some way he could get of and come to church so he could become an Elder and take his family to the temple.  The prayers were answered but not in a way any were expecting, Mehmet lost his job due to a slow down in business.  That is not what we wanted but it has been a blessing to the family.  Mehmet was true to his word and never missed a Sunday, and fulfilled his calling as the Institute teacher for the Young Single Adults.  He was made an Elder and we were able to witness their and their family's sealing.

 The Deda's.

 The happy group from Vlorë.

 Last September Redian and Kesiana Çelaj were supposed to be married and sealed during the Albanian temple trip the Smith's also lead.  Due to visa problems they were not able to go.  So this was their big day and this is some of the pictures.

We wish we could express in words the true joy it was for us to be with these two families in the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity.  If this was all we did was to take these families to the temple our mission would have been worth everything.

 They are a beautiful and spiritual couple and we were delighted to be able to share this wonderful experience with them.

 Motra Muller and Motra Smith decided to buy and prepare a meal for all of the Albanians (23).  Brother's Muller and Smith were there to do the heavy lifting, pealing potatoes and carrots, slicing them and onions.

 This is one of the three pots of soup that was made.

 When we started seating down and serving the food.

 You can see that we also had desert and many more that the Albanians came to eat.

 This is Sister Wood and her husband Michael.  Sister Wood is Albanian and a temple worker so she was a great help for the Albanians.  Her husband works for the US military in Stuttgart and drove up to Frankfurt after work on Thursday night and arrived in time to eat.

 After the temple work had been completed many of the Albanian saints wanted to take the train downtown Frankfurt.  This is the Deda's with President and Motra Smith.

Zef  Sokoli was just fun to be around and it is not easy finding someone older than the Senior Missionaries.

We went on top of one of the buildings to see the city and we had some Germans take this picture.

They had all heard about McDonald's from the missionaries and when we seen one they all just had to go.  They were like little children having the best treat in the world.

Motra Smith just had to get something so for 1 Euro she had an ice cream cone.

Bruna's Rental

This is the rental house in Vlorë that we will have when Brian, Amy and their children will move into for six days in July.

 This is the front of the house which is very close to the beach.

 This is the view from the top of the stairs going into the four rooms.

 This is the hallway to the four rooms.

 This is off the balcony looking at the sea and port.

 The kitchen and small view of the bathroom.

 This is a picture of Motra Leit, Bruna and Motra Smith talking.

More views off the balcony.

Bruna served us mountain herbal tea and this is the Motra's posing for a picture, Motra Leit and Motra Read.