2013 Nov 25th email

Hey family, how goes everything?  I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week....

Yes, I opened the box.  Thanks you so much for the Skittles, they haven't been eaten yet.  Because I'm trying to be careful eating, I'm hoping they will last a few weeks this time.

 

 

Dang, new 2nd Counselor..

Yeah, I read dad's talk actually, nothing surprising, but kinda ridiculous that parents would suggest living together first.  Where are people's common sense these days?

Yep, Thanksgiving, like last year, is Mission Conference, and the couples will make us Thanksgiving dinner, and there's gonna be a talent show again.  We're kinda nervous because last year's talent show went so well, we're curious if we can top it this year.....

1)  You know, maybe.  I definitely plan on running regularly when I get home.  Running is the only thing I'm too tired to do in the morning here.  I'm getting nervous though, members in 3rd Branch have fed me more than I have been fed in my entire mission probably......I've done so well...(Dad asking if Scott will run a 1/2 marathon when he returns...)

2)  We don't drink soda.  I'm off the stuff.

3)  We set up a table with pamphlets and Books of Mormon and a visual and try to talk to people walking past us.

4)  Never.  (Don't know.)

So, yeah, other than Mission Conference, we actually have a baptism Saturday.  Just before I got to 3rd Branch, Elder Pierce and his last companion had a baptism.  We started teaching her sister right when I got here, and she has been golden.  Unfortunately, once she's baptized, we don't really have any progressing investigators.

Well, enjoy your Thanksgiving!  Be safe this week!  Don't do anything stupid!  

 

 

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 Nov 18th email

Hey, how's it going?

a "Hobbit" door found tracting

Things have been going really well for Elder Pierce and I, we had a really good week!

Dad, nice job on the marathon!  More than I could probably do.

Dang, Spencer's gonna be married......

Jake and Andrea, don't have too much fun with life.

1)  K, I'll get you a picture for next week.  I need to wear one of Elder Pierce's shirts since my shirts are HUGE on me at this point, and also I am gonna get a haircut soon.  No tux, just shirt and tie.

2)  We're going strong with 'no-shave November,' and by that I mean that since we have to shave every day, during the day we focus all our concentration on trying to make our face hairs grow at a faster rate.  It's pretty difficult, and we usually go home with pretty good head-aches and a bunch of popped brain cells, but it's worth it.

So, yeah, there was a protest it Tirana about the whole Americans and Syrians placing chemical weapons in Albania.  We were actually doing a table in the center of Tirana when the protest happened, one of the sisters when she saw it immediately yelled, 'we gotta go, now!'  So, in about 30 seconds we packed up our table (got all our pamphlets and Books of Mormon in a box)  and got out of the crowd.  It was intense.  Also, while tabling, one of the missionaries took pictures of us while talking to people, and there's one of me that looks really cool and that's probably Ensign-worthy, so if I get the picture from him today I'll send it today, otherwise probably next week.

Also, our investigator is awesome!  She was able to come to church yesterday for sacrament meeting before having to leave for school.  She's progressing really well, and she should be set for a baptism next week!

Anyway, that's about it.  Have a good week!  Be safe!  Don't do stupid stuff!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 Nov 11th email

Ok, so I wanted to send the pictures, but the thing is that this computer I am using is being stupid and won't connect my camera to it, so I can't upload jack right now.

Um, Elder Bilodeau and Elder Harvey are both from Boston, so maybe it's one of them?  (Someone who has visited the blog....)

So, I played basketball today with Tirana missionaries.  Man, I stink at sports these days.....

1)  I don't know car models at all.  It looked nice, though...

2)  I didn't really have time to tell them. 

3)  We walk like champs.  Gotta keep my figure at this point.

So, all we got right now as far as work is one girl, who is awesome!  Her sister got baptized the Sunday before I was transferred here, and she's doing good.  The problem is, in the school she signed up for, she has school Sundays, so church can be difficult.  However, she did come yesterday for all 3 hours, and she really enjoyed it, so we'll see where things go from there.

Other than that, everyone else pretty much told us they are either too busy to meet anymore and that they'll call us, or they lost interest, so we're in finding mode these days, but Elder Pierce and I are having fun and working hard.

Have a good week!  Don't be stupid!  Be safe!  Good luck on your race dad!

Ju dua!

2013 Nov 4th email

Yes!  I went to the baptism!  It was awesome!  I got to baptize her!  I'll try to send a picture, if not today next week.

So, a zone leader's job pretty much is to get numbers for the APs, and then hold training sessions on why they need to have more numbers.  Numbers numbers numbers numbers numbers.....  Also, zone leaders usually have a car, but since my zone is only the city of Tirana, we don't get one, which is ridiculous, we're the laughing stock of leadership because of it.  But, it is fun.  Elder Pierce and I actually were able to drive the AP's car to Elbasan.  That was the first time I ever drove somewhere hoping my memory would get me to my destination, and it was in Albania.

Zone conference?  I don't know, but Thanksgiving is mission conference.  Our district still doesn't know what to do for our talent show.....

Andrea, think of something to do.

Jake, don't die from AP chemistry.

Dad:

1)  Yes, I went.  A few Elbasan members came and asked why I didn't tell any of them I left.

2)  Like I said, don't have one....yet.

3)  Yeah, we actually started daylight savings a week earlier than you Americans.  Sunset starts at like 3:30 here.....

So, yeah, being back in Tirana is weird, but I'm in like a completely different area that I'm not used to at all.  It takes forever for me to figure out how to get around my areas, so we'll see how this goes.

But, right now our best investigator is a girl who is a friend of a woman who just got baptized recently.  She reads, prays, and everything she needs to do, but the school she's in makes her go to school on Sundays, so we're working on that, but she has a baptismal date for November 30th, so cross your fingers.  But, that's pretty much all we got right now as far as investigator work.

Have a good week!  Be safe!  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 Oct 28th email

Well, I guess I'm not destined to hang around Elbasan for a long period of time.  Because, I got transferred to 3rd Branch in Tirana, as a Zone Leader!  I will be with Elder Pierce, who's in my MTC group, so I am co-senioring!  I'm stoked!  So, Elder Knight is going to take my place and finishing training Elder Jorgenson, which happens to be his grandson.  So that's kinda cool.

There are 4 missionaries in Elbasan.  Probably 6 by January when sisters finally come to Elbasan.

Jake, you're old.

Andrea, so are you.

Eric, I'm working on my interview questions for Kristen.

(Do you ever get referral from the website?) Rerrals?  Here?  Actually, last year Elder Knight and I got a mormon.org referral.  Unfortunately, she didn't worked out.  Otherwise, not really any media referrals...

Family history records are here, but they are jumbled and disorganized like nobody's business.  We are working on it, though.

1)  (What do you eat to lose so much weight?)  eggs and cereal.  and sufflaqes.

2)  (How is running?)  Yeah, running is still hard.  We run to the church and back.  My arms aren't that big, I still take breaks when doing the pushups.  I just wanna start doing pull-ups, but there's nowhere to do them.

3) (Mark has an assignment to give a talk in Stake Conference and asked for a topic) Topic: Doubt your doubts; not your faith

So our investigator is getting baptized on Saturday!  And I'm gonna beg President to let me come back for the baptism on Saturday.  So, rumor had it that I would be transferred yesterday because of leadership changes, and I decided that if President called me I would immediately ask him if I could come Saturday.  But, I forgot....

So, yeah, things are good.  Sad to leave Elbasan again, but excited to work with Elder Pierce.  I'm thinking what weirds me out is the fact that I will be a zone leader until my final 6 weeks as a missionary.....

Have a good week!  Be safe!  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 Oct 21 email

ummmm, hi.....

Andrea, you are not allowed to get older..... (14th birthday)

Jake, you too.....(17th birthday)

But, Happy Birthday!

Eric, I've decided you're not allowed to get married.  Don't worry, I already emailed Kristen, and she reluctantly accepted it.  Don't ask how I got her email.

Don't worry, I'm in a good mood, just good ol' sarcasm, get ready for it.

So, I finally had the stones to weigh myself this last week, and I saw that I was 83 kilos!  or just under 183 pounds, which I think is the lightest I've weighed since Junior year.  I guess 300 push ups a day, as well as running 3 days a week helps.  I initially had a goal of 165 by the time I get home, but earlier I didn't think it was realistic, but I think it is now, so I'm gonna do it.  I have taken a lot of stuff out of my diet now, mostly anything bread.  And, plus, everyone talks about how much thinner I am, so, yeah, motivation.

1)  (How did you break the mirror?) So, I was just being me, you know, the whole lack of common sense thing kicks in, I was shaving, and there was a little shelf on the mirror, and I leaned on it, and it just breaks off.  

2)  (Christmas phone call?) Skype, no doubt.  But, that's over 2 months away, I don't want to think about Christmas just yet, mostly because Christmas Day kicks off the last 6 months of my mission....

3)  I'm not really sure.  I don't think it was celebrated by the people.  But, there is a YSA Halloween dance in Durres for members.  And, a Halloween dance for the youth in Tirana.

So, yeah, we got this awesome lady who went to church yesterday for all 3 hours!  It was awesome! She has a baptismal date for a week from Saturday, and if she comes to church on Sunday again for all 3 hours, she should be good.  So, I'm excited for her.  Her friend showed up to church yesterday and stayed for all of it, and he said he liked it.  We will hopefully meet with him tonight.

So, Eric, before you start dialing Kristen's number freaking out, asking what I said to her, relax, it was all a joke.  Still kinda annoyed that you can't wait for your brother to see something good happen in your life, but it's ok, I'm not mad.

(2 Peter 1:6, Titus 2:2, D&C 101:38, 2 Corinthians 6:4, Hebrews 6:12.  Find the common word)  (The word is Patience)

Also, I'm gonna need to take a picture for the cut-out, mostly because the people at the wedding need to see that I'm no longer Fat-Albert, I'm Hot-Guy, so all of Kristen's attractive friends can fight over taking pictures of my cut-out.

Have a great week!  Be safe!  Don't be stupid!

 

2013 Oct 14th email

Korça was the best p-day because there isn't really much to do for P-day in Elbasan.

Sorry Eric, your team lost.  (Soccer)

Can Kristen handle sarcasm?  (Yes)

I'm currently making a list of very important questions that I will ask her on Christmas.  My sister-in-law needs to pass my test.  So, if she fails, well, then it's over.  That's what happens when you blow me off on my brother's wedding.  Just kidding.  But I still got questions for her on Christmas.  Also, I think that you need to make a life-size cut-out of me for the wedding, my presence must be there. The feeling of dry humor and awesome sarcasm must be felt at the reception.

Dad:

1)  I have absolutely no idea, but apparently Albania is one of the most original countries in Europe.

2)  Yep, the tress are changing colors.  However, it's been very hot this week, and we are wearing suits now.....

3)  Um, I broke a mirror in the house, so I needed money to pay for a new one.  So, I just took a bigger amount out because of the fee....

So, things are going good.  We are teaching a family, but the mom is the main focus because the kids are all under 8, and the dad works ridiculous hours so church is difficult for him to come, so hopefully in the future.  But, the mom is doing great, but she couldn't come to church yesterday because one of the kids was sick.  But, things are going good.

Well, I just realized that I have been in Albania for over a year now.  I always thought it'd be weird to live outside the states for a year.  I remember how I thought this would go so slow.  Yeah right....

Well, that's about it.  Have a good week!  Don't do stupid stuff!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer