He Has Been There Before.... week 50!!!

Motra Johansen showed Motra Zollinger this and she loves it

Hello hello!! :) 

Gosh. Mission life is just amazing. I love being a missionary more than anything in the entire world! We had a pretty eventful week this past week! haha, lots of hilarious things happened! haha. 

Tower of Terror "Albanian" style

So Albanian elevators. We have a new mission office address and it is on the 6th floor. Elevators are already not my favorite thing because of tower of terror. But, i wasn't about to be healthy and walk up 6 flights of stairs, i mean, who does that? (no offense to anyone who actually does that...) So, we got in the elevator. There were 2 other strangers in the elevator. We were about 2 flights up when it broke. It just stopped and the lights went off. I could start to feel myself start to get really nervous because of thinking "how long are we going to be in here and what about the air?" i didn't know what to do, so I started to laugh. the person I was standing by just looked at me like "you crazy american." but i just kept giggling. Then the elevator started to shake just a little. I felt like it was a perfect oppurtunity so I said "ne jemi motrat misionare..." but, no one heard me. But then the elevator went down a little and opened and the closest level. They hurried out of the elevator. I just started laughing even more out of relief. I was worried that I would get hungry in there or have to go to the bathroom, that could have gotten awkward. haha. When I got out of the elevator I just said "we do not weigh that much! ...maybe we should lay off the suflaqes sister..." haha. but it turns out that the power just went out! Which means we is still gonna eat them suflaqes! So, yeah that was interesting. 

No spider killing this week. ha. they're scared of me. 

This caption/graffiti is made especially for Motra Z

Albanian dairy is not my favorite thing in the world. It just tastes...different. We were at a member's house and she had given us some coca cola to drink and a yogurt to eat. I took one bite of the yogurt and it wasn't that bad. But then as i took the next couple bites, my tastebuds started to scream and cry. I could feel myself start to gag. But, that would have been so impolite to gag in front of her. I had to get the taste to not be as strong, and that is when I saw the cup of cola next to my yogurt. So, I poured some coke in my yogurt and then I stirred it around. The look on the member's face, was so priceless. I can't even begin to describe it. To keep the situation from getting awkward I just looked at her and said "what? you haven't tried this? you should totally try it!" She just looked at me and said "wow. you are so weird sister zollinger." hehe. I only poured coke in the yogurt a couple times and it worked! I was able to successfully eat it. 

Mint ice cream anyone....

I ATE MINT ICE CREAM TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Me and Sister Johansen went to the Stephen's center for lunch. The Stephen's center is like the world in a resteraunt. So, we ordered Mexican food. It was quite delicious. Then we split a slice of apple pie. That was pretty good. As we were eating the food we were talking about how much we miss mint ice cream. BUT as we were walking out of the resteraunt, there was a green ice cream with chocolate chips in it. I just stopped and asked what kind of ice cream it was. He said it was mint chocolate chip ice cream! I wanted to ask him if we could take the whole entire thing of ice cream, but I thought that I would get even more weird looks. But we ordered some ice cream. The lady who was going to dish our ice cream had to go get cones. I guess my eyes were really big and excited because after she got back from getting the cones she just looked at me and said "i'm so sorry. how much do you want?" hehe. I think I might have been bouncing up and down just a little. It was so good!! oh. heaven in my mouth. 

I played the piano for 3rd ward's baptism, and well the piano in our church has seizures. Meaning that sometimes when you hit a note, it comes out super super strong. Well, I was playing I Am A Child of God, and I was really enjoying it and then the piano decided to have a seizure and the note came out really loud and it scared me so bad. My eyes got super big and it scared me so bad that my hands started to shake a little, but then i started to giggle because i just accidentally scared myself. 

General Conference was absolutely amazing! I was able to listen to two sessions in English!! It was so good!! I loved all of the talks, they were so powerful and so profound!!! I just love General Conference was so much! How blessed we are to be living in the days that we are! The world is getting wickeder but the Saints are becoming stronger. I know that President Monson is a prophet of God. The Apostles are truly men of God. I was priveleged to be in the same room with 7 different Apostles during my MTC stay. I can testify that they are men of God. 

" See mom!  I am wearing a coat!"

Attached at the Bottom is a poem that my friend Sisar Elliott sent to me. I love this poem so much. I feel like it is so powerful and it is so true. Enjoy! 

Have a wonderful week! Smile lots serve lots and treasure trials! Love you all and have a most splendid day! 

I love you!

Love,

Motra Zollinger

He's Been There Before

by: Elder Troy Whittle, Texas Houston Mission

The alarm rings at 6:30; I stumble to my feet.

I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheet.

A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?

It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes,

The morning activities follow, study, prayer, and such.

When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel like you haven't accomplished much.

"We have a super day planned," my comp says with a grin.

I lowly utter a faithless breath, "yeah, if anyone lets us in."

With the word of God and in my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street

Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat.

It's 9:30 in the evening, the day almost through,

My companion and I are riding home, not accomplishing what we thought to do.

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot,

Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "Air Box."

We got up to our apartment, the day is now complete.

The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet.

It's past 10:30 p.m., my companion is fast asleep.

Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep.

In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray;

I need to talk to Father, but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh, Father," I begin, "What happened to us today?

I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away.

My hands, my aching hands-worn, hurt and beat;

If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street.

Why on missions are the days so much alike?

The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike.

Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me.

I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes; it's very hard to see.

Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?

People always laugh at me and call me stupid stuff.

Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack;

I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back.

And what about my family?  They don't have much to say,

I'm sick of not hearing from home, day after day.

Oh Father, why am I here, am I just wasting time?

Sometimes, I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind.

My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?

The way he rides his bicycle, i don't think he can see.

Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do;

That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for You."

Sleep starts to overtake me; I seem to drift away,

Then it seems a vision takes me to another time and another day.

I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very nice:

A man walks toward the Savior, total, and complete.

He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to Me,

I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through;

In fact it would be fair to say, I've felt the same as you.

At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do.

I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet,

Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds.

I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's some thing you hate;

I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, oh the agony was great!

I see you don't like your companion-you'd rather have someone else,

I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth.

It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you.

I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me king of the Jews.

So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack,

I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back.

Your hands hurt from tracting, knocking on doors all day.

I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way.

It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see;

I lost my communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast thou forsaken me?"

He embraced me with His arms, His light filled me with His love,

With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above.

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head,

I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed.

My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"

I sat up and siad, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

No matter what we go through, when we feel we can't take more;

Just stop and think about Jesus Christ. He has been there before.