2013 Sep 9 email

It's a boy!  His name is Elder Jorgenson.  I'll send a picture of him in a sec. 

Dang, school started.  It's weird not being in school while everyone else is.

Jake, good luck, Junior year's hard, but you can get through it.

Andrea, glad you like 8th grade.

Wow, Kristen's engaged.  Everyone's thinking about marriage.  On my birthday....?!

So, being in Elbasan is weird, but it was weirder last week.  It's kinda soaked in that I'm back, and that I'm working with the same people again I worked with last year.  It is weird to be training in the same area I was trained.  But, it's good.

Yeah, there's a couple new members.  But, hey, I played the piano in sacrament yesterday in church.

We just met with a member before we got on internet, who just happened to let us know he's a member of 14 years!

We also have a couple investigators already. 

No, I haven't memorized the Articles of faith in Albanian.......yet.

So, yeah, things here are going.  A little slow, but they are going.

So, I have given birth to Elder Jorgenson.  He's good, we've been having fun together.  It's weird training, especially in lessons when the Boydells accompany us as well, and I realize I currently am the the bridge of communication between investigators and members.  But, we have been enjoying Elbasan. 

Well, have a good week this week!  Enjoy school, work, and whatever other thing you are doing this week.  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 Aug 26th email

Geez, y'all start school next week!

No, our district is all Americans.

Yeah, this week has been really hot as well.  Thanks to the heat, I have dropped weight, and members have noticed.  It's awesome!

Oh shoot, Brock's almost a dead Elder!  (A missionary from our ward who returns next month)

1) DANG!  I think I'll be on the computer later today, so I'll try to bring it then.  (not sure...)

2) It's fantastic.  I have no idea what's in it, I've learned over time since being here to not question what's in food, just enjoy the taste.  (Tave Dheu) 

3)  I'm really ready to move on to a different place.  I've been here too long.  But, I don't know what's happening to me still.

4)  Redskins and Cardinals  (NFL)

Well, the big think that happened  this last week is that we found two interesting new investigators.  One of them knows the scriptures better than me.  Yesterday in church in Priesthood he quoted from the book of Abraham..... 

Ok, well enjoy your last week of summer!  Jake and Andrea, enjoy school.  Eric, enjoy college and soccer!

Be safe this week!  Don't do anything stupid!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 July 29th email

Yeah, I got robbed.  So, like in my last email, please cancel my debit card so the guy doesn't take all my money.

So, I was in a bus, and it.  was.  packed.  I didn't even see it happen, but some of the other missionaries saw their backpacks unzipped and lost some menial stuff, so I decided to check to see if I was good.  Apparently not.  I'm kinda ticked right now.  But, I got some awesome pants still.

Last week we went to Kruje, but since our zone is the Tiranan zone and we can't really leave it we can't really go anywhere....

I have backed up pictures.

Yes, I write in my journal.  I am almost done with my big black one actually.

Glad you're all having out west, it sounds like a lot of fun!  wish I could be there.

1)  Really bad.  but, I inherited some dumbbells from a missionary that went home in March, so I have been using them.  Also, I have started doing curl-ups again, and I've realized ab workouts slim me down more than running.  It's weird, but true.

2)  Nope, but this last Thursday marked 20 years of the church in Albania.  2nd Branch said there was an activity, but it ended up being members bearing their testimony of the church for an hour.  Not bad, but I thought there was a party.

3)  The artificial lake where we run is a national park.  As far as other, not really.

 

 

Well, don't got too much to say.  We are still in epic finding mode, so no investigators close to baptism yet.  We found a young man, but he doesn't have a phone.  He's really promising, we just don't know how to contact him.

Well, have a good week this week!  Road tripping, that sounds fun actually.  I just realized I haven't driven a car in over a year.

Be safe this week!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer

2013 Feb 25th email

Hello, how's America doing these days?  Eric, that's another week you bum.  (Brother didn't write....)

Anyway, sorry, I forgot to take any pictures last week, so I'll send you a picture of the bible next week.  I don't know exactly what version it is, (King James?) but it's the best bible in Albanian we have out here.

We do have access to the Ensign, but we're behind as far as getting them, so we don't have March Edition.  (There is a mention of Albanian Easter traditions in the March Ensign-"In Russia people often greet one another on Easter by saying, "Jesus is risen."  The other person replies, "Truly, He is risen."  In Albania the tradition is similar; they click red egg rocks together and say, "Christ is risen.")

Yeah, the Casadys told us there are a ton of new missions formed.  It's kinda cool, I wonder if the not-Albanian-speaking countries will ever separate from us and become its own mission.

Plain yogurt is disgusting.  That's why I stay away.

So, the baptism in Elbasan....  I don't know if I can go because Elbasan is not in the zone I am currently in.  In fact, I really haven't been in contact with Elbasan missionaries for a while, so hopefully by now they're on a baptismal date.

The jumping photographs?  How we did it?  Fantastic timing.

Have fun with the yardwork...

Congrats on those getting into BYU!  (BYU sent out acceptances last weekend.)  It's awesome over there.

Andrea, I wish I was undefeated. (Church ball)

Jake, love Driver's ed.  (Almost done)

Baba:

1) The exchange in Tirana was a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed it.  The language there in Tirana is a little bit different than in Fier.  I don't know, Tirana and Elbasan are a bit similar, so it made me feel at home.  I wouldn't mind at all serving in Tirana next transfer.

2)  The only work I did in 2012 is the mailbox painting I did with Eric before I left, and I think he has a better idea of what I earned.  (tax prep)

Ok, so last week.  On Monday night after P-day, we had a lesson and taught  the Gospel of Christ.

On Tuesday, we went to Lushnje for district meeting.  We spent an hour picking up trash on the road for service, and then we actually went to the church to do district meeting.  Then after that we went back to Fier, we had an activity that night with the youth.  By the way, Elder Christiansen and I are the 'de-facto' YM Presidents, so we had to decide what we were gonna do that night.  We taught them how to dance.  We did 'cotton-eye-Joe,' and 'soulja boy,' and it was a ton of fun.  (To the cousins-can you tell me what dances these are?  Eric, do you know?)

Wednesday, I went with Elder Handerson (Elder Anderson has really big hands, and since there are two elder Andersons we call him 'Handerson.') to Tirana, and we taught some of his investigators.  

Thursday morning I went running for the first time in a while with Handerson.  So, after bruising my arteries for 20 minutes, we went back, showered, did studies and then went right back to Fier.

Friday, we taught a lesson in the morning with Sister Casady helping us, we talked about importance of baptism.  Then we did weekly planning and lunch and then we went to teach English, and taught about Faith after teaching English.  Afterwards we did Branch Council.

Saturday, we played soccer with the youth, as we always do, and then went home and did studies, and then we went and visited some members.

Well, that's it about me.  Enjoy this week, I can't believe this week I hit the year mark on receiving my mission call.  It's ridiculous.  Anyway, take care this week!

Ju dua,

Elder Palmer   

2012 December 24 email

Hey what's up?

So, is it official that we are doing an "alumni quartet" in 2014?  (Middle school band reference)  That would be cool.  Man, y'all didn't really send much this week.  (We are skyping tomorrow) Yes, today is still my P-Day, and tomorrow we are working.  But we are eating at the senior couples' house at 9, 3 and whenever we are done skyping.  And with skype, yes I do plan on calling at like 6 here, which should be 12 noon where you are, but you should probably have it open like an hour before or something, just in case, and if something's jacked up, keep your email up dad and I'll email you the deal.

Anyway, about this past week, so we had an interesting sacrament meeting yesterday, I actually got up and gave a talk about how we Americans celebrate Christmas, and I talked about how we watched "the Nativity" every year to remember the true meaning of Christmas, and I think they understood me with my American accent.  And then we had a little "dramatization" of the nativity with the primary.  Yeah, the language is getting better, but yeah I don't have an Albanian accent still, which I am aware, but Elder Knight has been getting on me about that with the training coming to an end.

Ok, well that's really it, I'll have more to talk about tomorrow, I am pretty excited, see you tomorrow!

Ju dua,

Elder Palmer