Greetings from Kosovo!!!
So, stake conference is not until
this Saturday.
Actually, it's a General Priesthood Meeting. So, this week was
supposed to be my last week in Special Assignment, but, the fact is that
we finished all the lessons, and we got everyone interviewed and the
final interviews with the Stake President. So, we told the Assistants
to tell President Ford that since we will have absolutely nothing to do
this week, he needs to take us out of special assignment and put us
somewhere for our last 3 weeks.
So, when Elder Tanner and I started special assignment, I
was talking with Elder Foster about what President should do with us
our last 3 weeks. He jokingly said, "We should try to convince
President Ford to take us up to Kosovo and blitz the city of Prizren."
Well, we told the AP's, who liked the idea, and the idea came to
President Ford, and I guess, after weeks of discussion, he decided that
would be the best thing for us to do. So, Friday
night, we got a call from President, and he said that for the next 3
weeks we would be finishing our missions in Kosovo, blitzing the city of
Prizren! I honestly thought it was good to be true. What I thought
would never happen actually happened! I was bummed out at the beginning
of transfer because I was the only one in my MTC group that never
served/stepped foot in Kosovo. But, I have 3 weeks! The best part was
that all 6 of us from my MTC group went to church together in the city
of Gjakova!
So, the city of Prizren has only been open to
missionary work for 9 weeks. Right now, Prizren still doesn't have any
members. President Ford told me that our final assignment is to do what
we can to get a group created here before I go home. Obviously, that
can be tough at this point. But, that is one of his final goals as
Mission President, so I will try to do my best to do what I can.
However, for the moment, Prizren still doesn't have any progressing
investigators. However, yesterday I went tracting with Elder Foster,
and there was this family that immediately let us in. They were
extremely open to everything we had to say, and they had already learned
a little bit about the church. They accepted the Book of Mormon and we
will meet with them again tonight. The best part: the oldest son loves
basketball and wants to play with us sometime! After being used to
everyone only knowing soccer, this was a pleasant surprise. Kosovars
love basketball, and they'll probably be able to update me on the finals
every week if I asked.
Also, the dialect in Kosovo is way different that
the dialect in Albania, and I'm excited to be here because I have a goal
of being able to speak more Kosovar by the time I get home.
So , I will miss the General Priesthood Meeting
unfortunately, but honestly I couldn't have asked for a better ending to
my mission that to work in a city that is brand new to the Gospel.
What's coolest is that all my MTC group is in Kosovo: 2 in Gjakova, 2
in Peja, and now 2 in Prizren. The missionaries in Peja and Prizren go
to church in the Branch in Gjakova because Peja and Prizren didn't have
groups because Peja was also just opened as well. But, Peja actually
just became a group last week, but since yesterday was fast &
testimony meeting they came to Gjakova one last time.
I just realized that this might be the longest letter I've written in a long time.
1) I think I'm an 11.5. I don't know still, I didn't have time to check.
2) His foot is doing a lot better. He's off crutches and can walk now. I haven't run in 6 days. Tomorrow I will start again.
3) I don't know, we'll see if I can.
4) See above.
So, yeah, I am now in my final city. 6 areas. 5 cities. 2 countries.
9 companions. It's gonna be a ton of street contacting and tracting,
but I think that will keep the desire going to stay focused until the
end.
Jake, nice job! So, do you need to play the drums? (Jake is Drum Major for the marching band)
Andrea, nice job at you recital!
Eric, that would be weird if you were in Innsbrook as a married man.
Have a great week! Be safe! Don't do anything stupid!
Ju du shumë!
Elder Palmer
PS:
That city in the last picture I sent you. Does that name look
familiar? Like in some movie about Albanian kidnappers and Liam Neeson?
