2014 Feb 17th email

What's up?  So, yeah, today was a long day.  Not much of a P-day actually, we're more tired than usual.

What's with the Fiala's getting the same mission calls as friends?  When does he leave?  (Friend going to same mission as another member of his ward.)

Uh, yeah, holding children is not suggested, and I haven't.  (Mission rule I had not known about until I talked to missionaries in our area)

So, yeah, the baptism was awesome!  No, the dad still isn't a member yet.  Working on it, though.  

Jake and Andrea and Eric, count your many blessings....(don't know)

1) It's called Big Market, which is a shop in every major city here in Albania.  Fruits, there are fresh fruit stands, and we are starting to use them again.

2)  yeah, we have activities, not many because the branch's budget isn't too big.  Honestly, other than mutual every wednesday, we haven't had one since I've been here.  They could probably benefit from devotionals from Apostles, if only they were translated.

3) We can drive in our zone, which is the cities of Elbasan, Durrës, Lushnjë, Fier, and Vlorë.  That's like half the mission.  We have to travel for baptismal interviews, which we do for the district leaders' investigators.  Yeah, we drove to Elbasan.  President allows missionaries go to baptisms in other cities if they are performing the ordinance.  So, our boundary is our zone, i.e. those five cities, and Tirana when it's for a good reason, like today getting our new car and getting it inspected.  The limit is 2000 kilometers/month, but we have legit reasons to travel a ton.  We don't abuse our privileges.

4)  Paperwork.  I don't know how many action items they did, we just always asked how many left?  (Audit)

5)  Oh yeah. Every store seems to sell flowers on Valentine's Day.  All the women dress their very best on Valentine's Day, with the best red dress they have.   They go all out on Valentine's Day.

Alright, so this week was pretty good.  Honestly it was pretty routine, at least for serving a mission in Albania.  In all honesty, I can't really think of anything special.  Except, we met this guy on the road who is realy cool, and pretty religious. He goes to a church sorta thing every Friday run by this American guy.  So, when we met the kid on the road, he was trying to one up me saying that he's older than me so he knows more about God than me.  He's 20.  I cleared that up quickly.  Age is respected a lot here.  Then he said (and this is in broken english), "I'm with this guy (he points at a picture of Christ on one of our pamphlets), not with this Mormon guy."  So we told him to read the small letters on the title page.  That got him really interested.  So, we met, had a good lesson.  We hope to meet with him this week.  And that's the exciting thing that happened last week.

Ok, have a great week!  Be safe!  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua shumë!

Elder Palmer

2014 Feb 10 email

Holy geez, Dave's a dad.  (Cousin)  definitely not mature enough to be a dad yet.....  Just kidding, that's awesome!  So, uncle-in-law?

I don't think there's a college in Lushnjë, it's so small I don't think it could hold enough people.  I think most Albanians try to go to Tirana for college, it's the capital and there's more job opportunities there.

1)  My cardio has been going well, at least with what i can, I try to do as many jumping jacks and the occasional jump rope.  I've even tried running in place a few times, whatever I can do.  Yeah, I can definitely run a lot more than I used to, at the end though was when I really started to get tired out

2)  No, no one can afford to do it.  (Don't know)

3) I believe so!  (Again, don't know. Sorry)

Ok, well this last week something pretty cool happened.  So, back in October when i was in Elbasan I was teaching this family and eventually baptized the mom.  Well, her son turned 8 this week, so I had the opportunity to go back and baptize him as well!  It was awesome being back in Elbasan, definitely the best city in the mission.  I'll send a picture.  Also, Elder Foster was able to go to Durrës and baptize someone he taught when he was there as well.

So, yeah, other than those two kids, a lot of our work has pretty much disappeared.  It's been interesting.  It's been tough.  

Also, dad, I think I now understand everything you had to do as Bishop.  Yesterday the Lushnjë Branch had the audit, and that was miserable!  Add Clerk to a calling I will not wish for.  It took about 3 hours.....  Everything went fine, just a lot of sitting.  Otherwise, it was a good week.  

Jake, where are you?  (No email sent)

Eric, you too? (No internet now)

Andrea, nice on the basketball!

Well, that's about it.  Have a great week!  Be safe!  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua shumë!

Elder Palmer

2013 Feb 3rd email

Alright, well, Eric is going to grad school?  What the heck?  That's awesome, if I ever figure my life out, hopefully it'll be something of use.

Yea, Seahawks.  (Super Bowl)

So, Elder Foster and I were in Tirana today because we had to get our car checked.  So, we played basketball with Tirana Elders.  I actually did ok today.  So, then we got back to Lushnje after, then we had a couple lessons that were set up a little earlier, so now we're on now.

1) No, I haven't heard anything about the Olympics.  Where is it held this year?  (This is what happens when you don't watch TV, especially Sport Center for 18 months)

2) No (I cannot explain this one.)

3) The Papa Murphy islands (or whatever they're called), Four wheeling, and yeah co-piloting on a plane.  It was a good trip, no doubt. (Recalling his trip to Scotland with his dad.  They are the Papa Westray Islands.  He just really wants some pizza.)

Alright, well, I don't have too much time, but this week we started teaching these two young çuns (young teenage boys, which just sounds weird to say now), and they are incredible!

Anyway, it's been a ton of fun here as a South Zone Leader.  We've seen a lot of success and miracles, and it's just amazing to watch and hear about it every week!

 The kind of traffic Scott encounters

Well, Jake and Andrea, hopefully with all the lack of school (snow days) they won't extend school an hour longer a day for a while like they did 10 years ago (what?!?) after Hurricane Isabel.

Alright, well, have a great week!  Be safe and be wise!  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua shumë!

Elder Palmer