Monday, July 28, 2014

Transfers - Kosovo!

Hey Er'body

So the big news this week, is that I guess we are doing 6 weeks transfers? I'm not sure if it's permanent, but I'm being transferred. I'll be moving to............Peja, Kosovo. Which is going to be awesome! The language is gonna be harder, because they speak a different dialect of Albanian called Geg. And it is pretty different. And here in Fier they speak the clearest Albanian, I guess in the world. So I'm kinda going from the cleanest to almost the dirtiest! haha It's a lot more difficult to understand! Oh well, I guess I'll get the hang of it! hahah I'm excited. I do love Fier though. It is my "birthplace" and I love the people here! Especially the branch, they are amazing, but the missionaries that will be serving here are Awesome so I'm not too worried about it!

We had a really good week! Met some new investigators and had some amazing lessons with others! We have a few people that want to be baptized and I think that the really understand the importance of the step they are making, which is awesome! It is a wonderful thing that we can follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and take His name upon us. It may be hard at times, but that's why we are also given the opportunity to have the Holy Ghost with us all the time. And we are promised that if we do our best to Endure to the end, that He will make up the difference and lift us up!

I don't really know what to talk about now, it's just super weird that I'll actually be leaving Fier! I am super excited though! We didn't do anything to exciting for Pday today, mostly just did absolutely nothing. Yeah, we cleaned a little, for Elder Squire who will be coming down here. Sorry if this weeks post was boring, but stuff happens haha.

Much Love,

Elder Simons


Monday, July 21, 2014

July 21, 2014

ç'kemi shok!

Shok is also plural for those of you that google translate it haha. Another good week here in Fier! A lot better than last week, certainly a lot less dramatic! hahah we were able to do a lot more missionary work! which was good cause that's literally why we're here haha. No but for reals it was a good week!

Our sister missionaries here in Fier had a baptism, and I got to baptize their investigator! I don't know here very well, but she seems like a really nice person and I'm sure she'll be an awesome addition to our branch here in Fier.

We have a couple of awesome investigators who are progressing! Some who are just really accepting what we teach and who are keeping commitment invitations and are really coming closer to Christ. A couple on baptismal dates, and they are just so awesome. We love them and we love teaching them!

My companion, Elder Smoot, is awesome! We are getting along really well, he is a really interesting guy! He has an awesome story too! He is a really good companion and missionary! We are trying really hard, but now that Summer has hit, the entire atmosphere of the city has changed, making it significantly harder to have success. However we are trying to do our best, and after all that's what we need to do. If we do all we can the Lord will take care of the rest, especially since this is His work.

So one thing I forgot to tell you about last week, was our P-day last week! We went to Appolonia and my MTC Vallai (Teacher) Vance was actually visiting Fier, so Vance, his wife, and all of the missionaries went to Appolonia. Now I've been there once before, last transfer. So I know that when you go through the old tunnels from the communist times, that you run into to a few things. Those things being bats...lots and lots of bats. So naturally my first suggestion was to go and scare the crap out of the bats. Needless to say, we succeeded hahah. So we all walked through these tunnels, except for our senior couple, and saw the hundreds of bats haha. I got hit in the face twice, once being in the eye haha so I'd just like to clarify that I am one step closer to being batman, one of many, many steps...But anyways. we also ended us rescuing a bat who got caught in some thorn bushes, it then repayed me by flying back and nailing me in the chest... bats man, now I know why Bruce Wayne was so scared of them!

Well I hope you all have an awesome week and that you are able to help someone!

Elder J. Sajmëns

(Elder Simons bough a new camera this week - so we'll hope for some pictures next week :))

Monday, July 14, 2014

July 14, 2014

Hey Everyone,

So I really don't have a lot of time this week! Last week was crazy anyway hahah and not really in an interesting way. It was just busy with stuff that was essential but sorta got in the way of teaching people. Hopefully it'll help the branch though. We have been having some problems with a couple young men. They are super unbelievably disrespectful and we have been trying really really hard to keep it at bay, and it's come to the point where they are not allowed back until they talk to our Stake President.

In other news haha we had a baptism this weekend. A few weeks ago we baptized a girl named Ema, well this weekend we baptized her twin sister, Eda. They are seriously so awesome! and they are gonna be awesome members! Hopefully eventually their family will start to develop interest, but for now they are really good examples to them!

We have some other awesome investigators that we will keep meeting with and hopefully they will find the truthfulness in what we teach! This last week was pretty trying, but we are excited for this week, and even if it's worse I know that the Lord is on my our side and is always there to help us, as He is for all of His children! Always remember, no matter how hard you fall, His hand is always extended to pull us back up, we just have to reach up and grab it. I'm not sure who really said that, but I know I didn't think of it on my own haha, so yeah.

Anywho, Peace out!

Elder Sajmëns

(Still no pictures-Elder Simons camera is broken.  Hopefully he will buy a new one soon).

Monday, July 7, 2014

July 7, 2014

Hey!

Not much to talk about this week I'm afraid. It might be super short haha. We had a good week. The work in Fier and I guess in a lot of the mission has slowed down because it is Summer and everyone is gone for vacation and it's just a really different atmosphere! We are just doing our best though to try and do work the most effective we can.

We have some exciting news though. So a few weeks ago I mentioned and investigator that got baptized whose name is Ema, and she is a twin. Well this last week in a lesson with her and her twin sister who has also been meeting with us, has decided that she is ready to be baptized! AH! It's so exciting. I have seriously seen such a change in her as she has learned more about the gospel and the restored church of Jesus Christ. And we are so excited for her to take that step closer to God and His Son Jesus Christ.

We also met a new investigator who is just ballin' (awesome)! She like finished the Book of Mormon in a few days...what? who does that? haha just kidding, its awesome, but like dang. She has a lot of faith in Christ! and She is going through a lot of what Joseph Smith was going through, before he took those fateful steps into that sacred grove. She has been searching for the true church. And now she is learning about the restored church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and about the Book of Mormon and I think she is recognizing the truth in the things that we are testifying about. The Lord really does prepare some people.

And we have another investigator, and her and her husband and son are going through a tough time, because they don't have work. Unfortunately that is a huge problem in Albania. But she has so much faith in Jesus Christ and she is also learning about the church and she recognizes the Spirit testifying of the truthfulness of this the Church.

I think that's it for the week. I love you all, and I love being a missionary! I am learning so much about life and about our Savior. My testimony has grown so much, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve Him. You guys are all awesome and I love you and I hope you have an awesome week!

Elder Sajmëns