November Letters

Monday, November 2, 2009

Dear Family,

I decided to print out all of the e-mails this morning and read them without using internet time so now I have much more time to write.To begin, I’ll try to answer all of the questions. The language…is coming. It is hard, but I am beginning to understand people better, and sometimes I can speak a bit easier. I don’t feel like I have improved much, but my companion says that I am getting better. We are planning on singing an arrangement of “if the Savior stood beside me” in Albanian that I have…If we ever get around to practicing. It is hard to get all of the missionaries and the music in the same room at the same time, but we will be able to do it. Weather is getting cooler. It is a lot like Alabama in the sense that it gets warm then cold then warm then plummets. Right now it is a bit chilly, but who knows if it will stay that way? My kitchen has an oven, a stove, a frying pan, a pot, measuring cups (which are rare), and a glass cooking dish, along with spatulas etc. Laundry is suitable. We have a washing machine, and that is it along with a clothes line and drying rack. I’m starting to learn the area pretty well. We typically don’t go very far. As for interesting people, the active members are fantastic. We have met with a few. We met with President Veliu’s family (branch president) and a couple others. They have so much faith. There are a couple of girls the A.P.’s have been teaching that are going to be baptized into our branch this Saturday. That is exiting! They are great girls and they have a testimony. Last night, we tracted into the house that those people we met my first night lived. The wife was sick, and the husband was not home…and I’m not sure how interested they were…

The other day at English course, something really… “Powerful” is the only way to describe it, happened. After English, it the people want to stay, we teach religion. It is completely optional, but a lot of people stay. We were teaching about faith, and it was Elder Vail, Motra Larson, Motra Korita, and I teaching (mainly Elder Vail). Motra Korita is Albanian and is serving a mini-mission. After the lesson, she shared about how she needed to have faith. She is a convert, and she bore an extremely BOLD and POWERFUL testimony! She said, “I used to be Muslim! I studied for 5 years at Medraseja (a Muslim school)! I went to the masque and prayed 5 times every day! I wore [the head shawl] for 10 years! I know all of the lays of Islam. I speak Arabic! I read the Koran in Arabic! And it is ALL FALSE!” A student in the class is a pretty devout Muslim and has been Muslim for a little more than half a year said, “I don’t believe it.” I spoke forcefully directly at him and said, “You try me, and me anything!” He didn’t do it, because he knew it was true. She testified that the Book of Mormon was true, and another student made a comment about belief. She said, “No. Listen to my words. Not believe. I testify. 100% testify that this book is true.” Everyone was silent. Everyone was stunned. It was very bold and powerful, her testimony. That is the power of a Sister missionary. I told this story to another missionary, and he mentioned that he was with her on another occasion and someone said to her that the Albanian people was a very religious people and these Americans didn’t know what they were talking about. She told him that Albanians are a very faithless people that they hardly believe in God. She said that these Americans believe in God more that you or I ever could. She is bold. She is right in the sense that most Albanians acknowledge there is a Gog, but they don’t do anything about it. But I think she has more faith than she gives the Albanian people credit for. She is a fantastic missionary.Well, the other day, we were handing out flyers for the free English course, when we saw an accident in a major intersection. No cars were damaged, but a truck spilled a lot of heavy metal poles into the middle of the intersection. We saw the man that drove the truck attempt to move the poles himself 2 at a time. I turned to Elder Vail and said, “Do you want to help him?” He gave me a kind of “I don’t really want to, but it is a good thing and I don’t want to say no” kind of look. It is understandable, because I found out afterward that he was in his nice shoes and suit pants. I didn’t know that, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have asked. I asked him again and he responded the same way. Then after watching a couple more minutes I said, “lets go, he needs help.” And I started walking toward him. Elder Vail asked him if he needed help, and he asked him to help him find a contact on his phone so he could make a phone call. Then I started helping with the poles. I didn’t realize how greasy they were. Immediately when I grabbed one my hands were black. I thought, oh well, I guess it is worth it to help this man. Cars were going around us still; even as we were moving these poles (cars in Albania are not patient. They go regardless and just go around you.). By the way, “Car” phonetically speaking is a very bad word in Albanian, so we say the Albanian work “Makin”. We finally were able to move all of the poles, and the man thanked us. We then had to go wash up. I don’t know if anything will come of it, but who knows. As PMG says, “no missionary work is wasted.”

I love you all. Thank you all for your letters. Good Luck Anna on your Competition! Thank you for your prayers. They are helping. Love you all again!

Love,
Elder Xhon Fredrickson


Monday, November 9, 2009

Dear Family,

It has been another week of finding. We have been struggling to find an investigator that will last longer than a week…but not much progress. Transfers are this coming Monday, and transfer calls are Saturday night. I don’t think I want to be transferred, but I will go where I need to go. I feel kind of bad, because I have not written ANYONE by snail mail. I am sure some people are wondering what happened. I’ve been meaning to send some post cards, but time is scarce on P-Day. I’ve been meaning to write Sure Crayton, because I am sure she wonders why I haven’t written. I can hardly believe I have been here in Albania for about 6 weeks…. It is going by, and slipping through my fingers like sand in an hourglass…

I made cinnimin rolls yesterday! I made the dough before church and let it rise while I was at church. They probably lost a lot of their rising power by the time I made them into rolls, but even so, they were a grand triumph! We gave a couple to our neighbors, who are members, and I can’t wait to here what they thought of them. We gave some to the missionaries in our district, and they said they were better than Motra Neil’s! I was SO proud of myself…but then again, I had help from upstairs if you know what I mean. I’ve noticed as missionaries, we get a lot of help from upstairs…

I don’t know what I want in the Christmas package. I thought about it a little bit, but I just don’t know what I need. I can make most of what I want, and some things youv simply couldn’t send (for example: sour cream isn’t available here, and that would definitely go bad before it got here). Also, a rice maker would be kind of hard to transport to here, and from area to area. And seaweed for sushi simply isn’t economical…(besides, I wouldn’t trust eating sushi here anyway…lol). However, something I would like is sheet music. Lots and lots of approaprate and beautiful arrangements. I really wish I had sally deford’s arrangement of “In the silent garden” and also “O Holy Night”. I would a fantastic arrangement for “I Believe in Christ” such as the SSAATTBB arrangemet. Oh how I have missed singing with Anna on the Piano. President Neil is not at all strict about the music here. It simply has to be approapriate, not neccissarily Tabernacle Choir, so your Women at the Well CD that I accidentally borrowed for 2 years is a treasure… that would be awesome sheet music as well. I don’t really care if I can’t play it yet, I have a while to learn. You know, I think it is the smallest things that I miss about home. I miss being able to hear Anna on the Piano all the time. I miss being able to rub my sisters’ back and feet. I understand now why usually a married person that lost his or her spouse usually misses the sound of their voice, or how they held their hand, or the sound of their laughter. I miss being able to give my sisters a big hug, being able to lay my head on my mother’s shoulder, or simply snuggle next to them. Here on a mission, we typically don’t have physical contact with ANYONE more than simply a handshake. That is about as close as you get. I kind of miss that… But anyway, I would love music…just lots and lots of music. Hymns, Christmas songs, Sally Deford’s Music, Arrangements, Women at the Well. Specifically, off the top of my head, a couple songs I really want is the: In the Silent Garden arrangement, Oh Holy Night(I wouldn’t mind multiple arrangements on any songs by the way. The more variety the better), if you could find a pretty arrangement of What Child is this, and aan arrangement of Carol of the Bells, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, I Believe in Christ, High on the Mountain Top, Redeemer of Israel, I Know that my Redeemer Lives, an arrangement of Silent Night…actually, I LOVE Christmas music, so any fantastic arrangements of those… Just anything you think I would like. If you can’t send then, then that’s ok. Its not exceptionally important, and I might not even be able to play them, but I am happy to be able to read music and listen to the choirs in my head at least. Speaking of, we sang in Sacrament meeting yesterday. Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains is what we sang (the arrangement of if the Savior stood beside me was to difficult for the others… another time maybe). The Branch Loved it. I sang tenor. I have found that my voice rang extends from a tenor 1 (low end of tenor 1) to almost a bass 2 (high end of bass 2). I am so proud that my voice is developing like that. Tenor has fantastic parts. The entire branch keeps commenting to my companion and I that I have such a beautiful singing voice. They have said it since the first day in sacrament meeting, but they especially made note of that yesterday. They don’t really sing harmony here…they don’t really know how. So any harmony is a treat for them. They like how I sing though, even in the normal hymns. I love to sing.

We were going to go to an old city named Berat today, but it was pouring outside, so we didn’t go. I was kind of dissappointed but another time we can go.

We did have an invesigator in sacrament meeting yesterday…but I don’t know how well he enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best experience…He was slightly contentious…slightly…but the gospel priciple’s teacher was more contentious, and it got pretty heated. I felt pretty bad for him. He is Muslim, so I was almost surprised that he came, but he was pretty respectful and think he knows deep down that we have something he needs.

The language is hard. Although, part of that is my fault. Many times, we simply aren’t able to have our language study time, because according to our schedule, because so many people are out early morning, we have it right before nightly planning. However, many times we have appointments that go long because Albanians love to “Muhabet” (small talk). It’s a part of their culture. I am able to talk to people, and many people are surprised at how well I speak having been in the country so little time. Well, I simply need to work harder…

I love all of you.

Melisa, thank you for your e-mail. I was thinking about what you said that made you think of me, such as listening to the Tabernacle Choir arrangement of I Believe in Christ and remembering me. I don’t think I could be remembered as a better thing than that, a Believer in Christ. I was so proud, that that was what I am remembered as at home in the ward, as a Believer in Christ. I am happy.

D.D., I thought about what you said about that returning missionary’s talk, and comparing my farewell to that. It is flattering that you saw it that way, but I know that I have a LOT of room to grow. I think my mission has shown me greatly where I need to improve, and also what I should have cherished more back home. I will say, though, I don’t think I regret a single moment of the time I spent preparing for a mission. I kind of wish I could have prepared better than I did. But I did the very best I could to prepare, in Every way I could think of. I did my best to prepare, and I don’t know much more that I could have done…I only hope it made a difference.Mom, I was looking through some of the blessings that I have on record, specifically the blessing given to me when I was set apart as a veil worker. I realized that EVERY blessing so far has been fulfilled. Not to complete fruitition yet, but so far, they have been fulfilled and I am inexpressibly thankful for it, for them. It was a great blessing in my life, an unspeakable blessing that I know I will cherish eternally. I love you so much Mom. I felt a taste of home when I made those cinnimin rolls.

Anna, Congrats on you competition. I know that you didn’t let me down, even though you didn’t make the cut. You are a Hero in my eyes. You are one of my Heroes.

Ammon, go on a mission. Start preparing in any way you can think of. I know you will be fantastic.I love you all!


Love
Elder John D. Fredrickson


Monday, November 16, 2009

Dear Family,

Well, first off, I've been transfered. I am now in Fier with Elder Anderl. I just met him a couple hours ago, so next week I may have more to say about him. He was actually Elder Vail's former companion, he is Branch President in Fier, and before that he was Assistent to the President. I have had good trainers, being so close to the assistants throughout the mission. I will miss the people in Tirana First Branch, but this is now where the Lord wants me to be.

I was able to visit Apollonia Saturday with the Tirana First Branch. It is an old city with lots of structures from the Greecian period. There was a Temple of Hermes I believe there (or maybe it was Apollos...I'm not sure). I took lots of pictures, but I'm not sure of the best way to send them...it is kind of hard to send pictures over this internet. It was BEAUTIFUL there. It might be on the internet, so you might see a bit of what I saw...but pictures could not catch the beauty of that place.

Last Monday evening we had an exciting time. A water pipe exploded under the sink and I felt I was in the kitchen cleaning the floors of Kyoto again...I had to sweep the water into the bathroom because it was flooding our appartment. Luckily, our neighbor (who is a member) helped us fix it. His name is Vellai (brother) CoColi(pronounced cho-cho-lee). He reminds me so much of Brother Bloom that it is crazy. He has the same boyish personality, the same serving heart, and the same adamant will against accepting payment for service rendered. I love Vellai Cocoli. He is a really good guy, just like Brother Bloom in many,many, ways....I would consider him the Brother Bloom of Albania!

Apparently I have had many strokes of begginers luck when it comes to cooking. I think the Lord is looking after me because if what happened the second time I attempted to make both cinimin rolls, and egg yolk sauce, had hapened the first time, I would NOT have tried again. But because it worked the first time, I know it is possible for me to make, and I successfully made (after a 4th attempt) egg yolk sauce, and also an excellent batch of fried rice! it was DELICIOUS!

As for Christmas Traditions in Albania, as far as I have heard, they don't really have any. Communism wasn't very kind to Albania, and New Years is a far more celebrated occasion(especially since so many mulsims live in Albania, Christmas is irrelevent for them)

IT WAS SO AWESOME TO HEAR YOUR VOICES! THAT WAS SO COOL DAD! Maybe you could in fact send Anna playing piano. In January, I believe, the church will be using GMAIL! So then I will more easily be able to send things like audio and video, and I will try to do that then.

As for the Christmas box, Pictures of the family would be nice. Albanians LOVE pictures, so the more the better. It is an excellent topic for conversation. I'm not sure what more than that, pictures, sheet music... There isn't much more that I do want.

OH! There are a few recipes I would like in the next e-mail though. Sister Neil asked me to make a dessert, so if you could send the recipes for:

Apple Crisp
Peach Cobbler (by the way PEACH is a Very bad word also, so I need to learn to say pjeshk)
White Chili
No-bake cookies (Oh those would be SO GOOD, but penut butter, REAL penut Butter is not available except in TIRANA!)
Encheladas
Pot Pies
Various Pies(apple, cherry, and any others you can think of (lots of fresh fruit!))
The terriyaki recipe from my journals
Potato soup
french toast
pankakes
scones
a homemade tomato soup would be AMAZING
strogonoff(spelling)
scalloped potatoes
maccaroni and cheese with ham
agrotten potatoes
frybatter (for breading things)
various homemade soups
shepherds pie
lemon chicken
chicken feticcini alfredo (Oh I wanted that the other day!)
hashbrowns

ANY CHRISTMAS BAKING RECIPES!!!and anything else you think I could make that would last for leftovers for a few days that we could just heat up and eat. We have lots of bread, and soup would be easy to heat up if I had that, but I don't know much about soups

By the way, I had MARVELOUS RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT the other day. OH IT WAS SO DELICIOUS. too bad we don't have them in Fier. We stock up on white grapefruit before we left Tirana this morning though, but Ruby was too far away for us to go get in time...So it will be A LONG time before I get another.

Well, I guess it is time to close. The people in Albania need the gospel. So many people are lost and need direction in thier lives. I know the gospel is true, and I miss the Temple dearly. It was sweet, because yesterday we were at the brach president's house, and his wife told us about her heart's desire to be a Temple worker someday. She was wondering how someone becomes a Temple worker, and she hopes that maybe she could be a Temple Worker when the Temple in Rome is finished. I was slightly surprised at her wish, because at this time it would be such a great distance for her to work, even in Rome was finished. She is a very special woman, with such a sweet and humble Spirit.

Mom, I love you. I Love all of you. Dad's idea to send that audio e-mail was so so cool. I might be able to write while I listen, but keep sending written e-mails too. Mrs. Mendenhall, thank you for your letter and your support. I have seen God's hand in many people's lives here. I know that with God's help, I can make an Eternal difference in people's lives. Anna, I really would like to hear your concerto, but that would be better on a CD or something. I really do miss that music. Ammon I love you. I want you to work hard on your schooling. Melisa, I love you. I have enjoyed the purfumed letters. They smell really good (especially better than the whiffs of the Albanian Sewer that we get walking down the street). I love you all!

Mireupafshim,
Elder John Fredrickson

Monday, November 23, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

I love you all, and thank you for your e-mails (especially the recipies, its good to have a variety in our diet). My companion, Elder Anderl, is great! It is interesting being the companion of the Branch President. I imagine that I can feel how the wife of the Bishop feels…lol! Anyway, he is an excellent missionary, and very charitable branch President. I can see his stress about the Branch and I don’t envy him at all. I went to the Fier branch yesterday. Our pianist was not there so I had to substitute on the spot… it didn’t go to well, but it was better than nothing. I need to practice a bit more, but because I must be outside the door during Branch President interviews, he suggested I practice piano during that time. I think the background noise relieves some of the stress of the interview.I was thinking the other day, while I was walking out of the apartment with my companion. We were having a conversation in Albanian. I thought for a moment and realized, “I hardly knew this language existed 4 and a half months ago, and here I am having a detailed conversation in it!” I may not be pleased with the rate of progress I have been going at, but I must give credit to God, because Miracles have and are happening with the language. There is no doubt in my mind that it is because of God that I am able to speak the language to the extent that I am able to, which is quite extensive compared to what I could speak 4 months ago. I must give glory to God, because it is a miracle.

Fier is a smaller town in Albania. Quite a bit smaller that Tirana, but it is great nonetheless. I am simply happy that I was able to bring some soysauce from Tirana with me as well as some brown sugar. I am also happy that we bought about 4 kg of Grapefruit before we left, but I am going to miss the ruby grapefruit. I think we are going to pick some up when we go up to Tirana for thanksgiving. The whit grapefruit is almost gone though, and again, that is a Tirana item. The branch is WAY smaller than the branch in Tirana. There were 4 members and 1 investigator in church Sunday! Usually there are about 10 more members that come regularly, but yesterday was a strange event. Actually, there have been many strange occurrences since I have arrived…but I will get to that a bit later. Apparently The branch in Fier used to be Booming! There were like 80 members coming regulary, and the church even purchased the land to build the first chapel in Albania! The church still has the land, but no chapel stands on that spot. Apparently about 5 years ago, there was a great apostasy among the members. They called a man named Vellai GJika to be Branch President. Apparently, there was a large group of members that were opposed to this, and I do not know why, nor does my companion, nor is it important. Vellai GJika is a good man, though at the moment he is inactive. He feels he must work on Sunday to pay off a large loan with crazy interest rates…anyway, beyond the point. This group of people went inactive, and from then the church began dwindling until it is where it is now. I heard that group tried to start their own church, but failed miserably very quickly. Anyway, there are no more hard feelings from those members, and I hear several of them feel sorry for what they did, but most are still inactive. It is sad and discouraging for the active members, because they remember the Glory Days of Fier, and it is depressing for active and inactive members alike. Anyway, that’s a little history of Fier.

As for interesting things that randomly began when I came, they are many. The first full day I was in Fier, a SUPERGJARPER that is infamous among missionaries decided to return to the scene. Her name is Morena (the name brings chills!). Apparently she disappeared about 8 weeks ago and they thought she was gone, but she showed up at English course the first full day I was in Fier. Now, the definition of a Gjarper is a beautiful woman that has no interest in the gospel but has interest in the missionaries (or more specifically, the missionaries passport, but that is reached through the missionary). She is Gjarper (Albanian for snake or serpent) in the EXTREME! She actually was Baptized…but she didn’t stay active long enough to get comfirmed. She is pretty, I admit, but she is SCARY for me as a missionary! Right when she walked in the room, accompanied by a member that apparently is a friend of hers, and right when she said, “Hello, I’m Morena” I shuddered and my mind screamed, “IT’S HER! MORENA IS BACK!”. She has been known to attempt to kiss missionaries that she likes, and …well, let’s just say she is scary! She asked me my name, where I am from…etc. She seemed rather interested in meeting the new missionary, and we think according to previous statements she made, that she does NOT like Elder Anderl. While she was talking to me, Elder Anderl was talking to another member. The member looked over his shoulder and saw me with Morena and said to Elder Anderl, “LOOK! You have got to go save Elder Fredrickson!”. He walked over and she left not long after he arrived on the scene. It has only been a week, but we have seen her twice, once from a distance. Elder Vail warned me about her. He was right.

Other strange things have been occurring as well, but slightly less significant.

Thank you so much for the Recipes! I am very excited to try them!

Sister Tate, as for cooking, it is somewhat of a necessity. I do actually keep forgetting that in out apartment, we are actually blessed to have a MICROWAVE! I almost don’t remember how to use it though… We have Albanian fast food, but that can get pricy after a while and it is not very healthy. I do cook a little bit of Albanian. Mainly a dessert recipe I got from the mother of a less active in Tirana. I also got a recipe from the investigator that came to church for an Albanian bean soup. I haven’t tried it out yet, but the times I have had it, it has been good. We don’t have dinner, but we have 2 hours to cook, eat and clean up lunch. Temperature is VERY similar to Alabama in my opinion. Winter gets Cold and Humid…just like Alabama. Everything is in Celcius, so I am not completely sure how cold it gets, but I hear it rarely snows. Just cold and Humid.

The language is a bit purer in Fier. It is also a bit more high pitched. It is a bit easier compared to the Tironc (Tironts is how it sounds) dialect I have been hearing.

Anyway, Thank you for the Christmas package. I look forward to the suprises within!!! I will try to send pictures. Love you all! I am so proud of my family!

Mireupafshim,
Elder John Fredrickson


Monday, November 30, 2009

Dear Family,

Thanksgiving was GREAT! We went to Tirana, and I made no bake cookies (i substituded a hazelnut spead for the penut butter) and they were delicious. I am in the middle now of making cinimin rolls. They are rizing now! They are looking better than they were last time. (last time, they were like the spawn of the bottomless pit rather than the manna from heaven of the first batch) Anyway, back to thanksgiving. We ate turkey, mashed potates and stuffing, and some icecream and any desserts the missionaries brought. After that, we watched UP! most of the missionaries hadn't seen in. After the movie, Elder Fahey said "Elder Fredrickson!" (because that is the main character's name) It was fun. Then, I went upstairs to get my mail, and lo and behold, I see a package from Mark Fredrickson, and another from Carol Nevins! Iwas also surprised to see how LARGE the package from Mark Fredrickson was... about 14 lbs it said...? Anyway, I figured it was the Christmas Package, and just in case there were any perishable Items, I did open it... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SENT ME A RICE STEAMER!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW SURPRISED I WAS TO SEE THAT! I though there might be a letter that would give me instructions concerning this package, but there was not one included, so the wrapped gifts are still wrapped (except for the CD which I thought was a recording that might give me some clue as to what to do...but, I wasn't sure. I figured you wanted some surprise for Christmas. However....I have enjoyed the Christmas baking. You know those turtles and the rockey road are my favorite! Marshmellows are hard to find here, so they are a TREAT! BUT THE RICE STEAMER! HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT IDEA TO FIND A MINI RICE STEAMER! I have been talking about it with all of the missionaries for the last few day. I am TOTALLY kenaq (pleased)! I actually tried it, but fried 2 converters before I figured out that it is 300W (the steamer is ok though). Now I just need to find a 300w converter, but one of the Zone Leaders said he would give me his that changes from a 50 to a 1600W converter, but I won't get that for 2 weeks. OH I AM SO EXCITED TO TRY IT!!! (My companion is excited too) HOW did you think you could do it! I bet I am the only missionary in the history of the mission with a RICE STEAMER!! (uh huh, you know it!) OH I could talk about it for the entire time, but you ALREADY KNOW because you SENT IT!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!! And Anna, you concerto was FANTASTIC! I am SO PROUD OF YOU! I showed my companion, and he knew it sounded good too. By the way, MY companion plays the Violin, and he OWNS! a violin! He is very good too. I asked him if he could give me a violin lesson today, and I hope we can because we are running out of time because of the cinnimmin rolls (THEY ARE HARD TO MAKE!) BUT I'VE GOT A RICE STEAMER!!! You Must tell sister Nevins thank you for the sweater vest! It is PERFECT! It has been getting cold lately, and I know it was for Christmas, but I have used it several times out of neccessity. And the tie, it is the first stripe tie I own and I LOVE IT! It is one of the best stipe ties I have EVER SEEN! But the sweater is a great blessing. I was thinking about buying something like it because I didn't have anything like it, so it is a MIRACLE in my eyes. I also like the hand sanatizer. Perfect size. Perfect. I LOVE YOU ALL! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCHH! I haven't listened to the christmas messages though. Those are for Christmas. And also, tell grandma nevins thank you for the ornaments, we do have a tiny christmas tree we should set up soon. ok, now on to my life.

We have a fantastic investigator named Algida. She was a referral from her cousin who is on a mission. When the missionaries first met her, they of course gave her a book of mormon. She is 17 by the way. She said she would call them when she wanted to meet again (that usually means you will never see them again). However, 6 days later she called them and wanted to meet. They asked her about the Book of Mormon, and she said that she finished it. IN ^ DAYS! She then procceeded to give a 30 minuit book by book summary of the Book of Mormon. She had LOTS of questions. She knew nothing about religion before, but now knows more than most of the Christian world! He questions are DEEP for Albanians. They are questions thatI could easily have gotten in Alabama, which is NOT normal in Albania. I met her the first time a week from saturday. She memorizes the passages she wants to talk about. She then after an hour of her firing off questions, she asked if she could borrow the Bible because she has never read it before...by the way, she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon. She took the Bible, and I was slightly worried because of a lot of stuff in the Old Testament, but then realized that she read the Book of Mormon first so the Bible will be SO much easier to understand. Well, Elder Anderl and I guessed at how long it would take her to finish the Bible. I said 2 weeks old testament, 1/2 week new. He said 2 weeks whole thing....we were both wrong. SHE READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE IN 8 DAYS!!!! She came to church and she said that she had finished it the night before. She was at church 30 minutes early. She then proceeded to give us a book by book summary of the Bible, and she got halfway through exodos when we had to begin church, and she began 30 minutes before it started. She couldn't stay to finish after Church, but I can't WAIT to give her the Doctrine and Covenants! That will be some light reading for her. The only problem is that her parents are muslim, and she kind of has to sneak away to get to church and meet with us. But she is FANTASTIC!!!

We have another investigator named Siderella (cinderella in Albanian). Well....her story is interesting. He sister is a member, her parents are Muslim, her Grandmother is Jehovas Witness, and we have a slightly mentally handycapped man that is 47 years old but thinks he is 15 and has a crush on her (and for some reason he in an Elder, which I haven't figured out yet...). The problem is the crush. Everything he says reffers to her or leads to her in some way. He says he will come to her house and solve all her problems, which really scares her! Really, this man is innocent. He doesn't know better, he lives with his 80 year old mother and has to get permission from her to leave the house, and he has a curfew. But she had enough of it Wednesday at mutual, and asked to give her final testimony(which ended up being a talk sharing scriptures and then giving her testimony) and then she handed us her scriptures and walked out. We haven't seen her since, but she just called 20 minutes ago. She is not happy still, but at least she has contact. She is 15 years old.

I LOVE YOU ALL! Please give me instructions on the Christmas Package. By the way I LOVE THE MUSIC! I'm trying to learn "if you could hie to kolob" on piano, so my companion can play the vocal part on his violin. The language is comming slowly, but it is comming. It is hard, really hard, but my companion keeps telling me that whenever I speak, my Testimony comes through powefully. I just need to speak more. I Love you all. Thank you all fort everything! I am so excited about the RICE STEAMER! I am excited to learn violin! I'm excited about our investigators. We had 13 people in Church yesterday!!! Sister Gjika came! We are teaching so much that we hardly find time to find people. My companion is one of the best missionaries I have ever met. I love my companion Elder Anderl. I feel bad because I know that I only have until the beginning of January with him, because He is going home. He has had a great mission. He is from Salt Lake. I Love you All. Thank you Anna for your letter. I'm excited for you and tell Mr. Lee and Amy and everybody hi for me. OH there is never enough time to write everything. A mission is amazing and it is going by soo fast. I have been gone for nealy a 4th of my mission! WHERE IS THE TIME GOING! I love you, and miss you and pray for you all. Happy Thanksgiving and I will write next week!