'Z Mission Life: I Love My Mission ....... week 61

Hello hello!!! :)

MTC district one year to date in country

MTC district June 2014 day before leaving for Albania

Wow. What a week. So many adventures happened this week! Mission life is never boring. Never boring my friends. :)

Sister Z's, Motra Riley, Motra Johansen, Motra Ariza

Let's see. Let's see. Where to begin. The thing is is that all these things happen, and then once I start to write what happens my brain takes a break and I can't remember things...haha.

Missonary conference gathering!

This week we had mission conference, which is always so exciting!! :) It was extra exciting because Sisters Ariza and Riley came down a day early from Kosovo and stayed with us over night. So we did so many splits that night with one another so that we could still do the lessons and everything. It was so much fun though!!! :) So much fun! It was a lot of fun to be with Sister Riley again (we did splits together) and to talk about old and good times with one another. Mission conference itself went super super well! There were 8 elders that gave their dying testimonies. That was so ridiculously bitter sweet. But it was so uplifting, because their testimonies are so strong and I learned so much from each and every single one of them! It was really cool too, because I had the privilege to serve with or around about 3/4 of the group of those elders going home. So to see where they were at when I served with them and then to see how much they have changed, it was amazing. We had a Q&A session with President Weidmann, that was a lot of fun! I just love mission conferences so much! They are always the highlights of so many things for me!

Motra Zollinger and Motra Beza

The day of mission conference it was my year mark in country! An entire year here in the wonderful land of Albania!! It was amazing and it went by quite quickly. So we took a photo as a district from the MTC. All of them are doing so well! I also learned that day how I can be super photogenic with photos...but that doesn't mean that I like to smile in all of my photos. hehe. :) Missionaries are awesome too, I love being able to spend all day with missionaries.

Elder Acheason photo bombing

So, Wednesday night. That was an adventure. I accidentally drugged myself (it isn't as bad as the word 'drugged' sounds)... i just didn't remember benadryl being that strong, and it eventually knocked me out. I'll explain though. Wednesday night we had gotten to a recent converts house to do a lesson. My leg start to itch super super bad from some mosquitos that just bit me. So I scratched them. But then it made it worse. My leg was turning red and I could feel it start to spread, but I have some medicine in my bag and so I took HALF OF A BENADRYL. Only a half. A half. Gosh. haha. I thought I'd be fine until we got home in a few hours. That lesson I was totally fine. I was awake and alert and normal. But then the next lesson came. I was doing okay at the beginning and then I got super super tired. Long story short it was really really interesting night. My reactions got delayed so bad. I almost got seperated from my companion Sister White (we were on splits) getting off of the bus. She was off, but I had waited to let people come on and then I was too tired to tell her to wait a little. But then the doors to the bus shut before I could get off and it started to drive off slowly, so I yelled "hapi deren" (open the door) and then I just got off the bus and looked at sister white and said "don't ever let me take benadryl at 7 pm again." I was out by 9:45 that night...and ever since that night this week has been exhausting. But the medicine worked really well. I wasn't itchy anymore. But I learned my lesson.

So my geographical skills are still absolutely awful. I told Sister White yesterday that I had a friend serving in the Taiwan Japan mission. and then I looked at her and was like "oh wait. Taiwan isn't in Japan is it?" haha. that was embarassing. But hey, Alaska is a state. :)

Saturday night we got our transfer calls. I am going to be staying in Tirana 2nd ward and I will be having a mini missionary from Vlore! :) I am super super excited!! I hope that she doesn't speak any english because I want my Albanian to get a lot better! :) My district this transfer is going to be so amazing and I cannot wait for everything!! This district is going to be a blast!

Today for p-day we got together as missionaries and just played games. Ping pong and Jenga got a little serious. I found out a way to cheat in Jenga. Whenever Elder Greener tried to pull out a jenga brick, I would hurry and push it back in before he could pull it out. hehe. They also played a game called Phase 10. But the Zollinger spin off of that, GO, is so much better and so much more fun. I lost at that game because they wouldn't let me play it the Zollinger way. blah. haha.

Motra Z, Elder Stuart, Elder Bangerter, Motra Johanson, Motra White

So, sunday we went and sang in Durres. On the way home the car that we were driving broke down. There was a weird sound and then smoke started coming out of the back of the car, thankfully we were able to pull to the side of the freeway by a gas station...because as soon as we pulled off the Elder lost power of the steering well and the gas pedals. But we were safe and everything! So we just sat by the side of the road and waiting for some others to come and pick us up and to take us to church. Never a normal or boring day as a missionary. hehe. :)

The day that I have been trying to avoid and thought would never come has come. I am starting my last transfer. As terrifying and intimidating as that is, I am so excited! Because everything that has happened thus far in my mission has led up to these last 3 months. Everything has been preparing me for the last 3 months of my mission so that I could give it my all. I am towards the last stretch of the race that I am in against my natural man. I have jumped over every hurdle thus far. I have gotten back up after a hurdle attacked me or gravity played a joke on me, but I always got up because of the Atonement.. I am going to make it to the end better and stronger than when I started. This is not the end, this is just only the beginning to my life full of service and giving my life to the Savoir and to His Gospel. I am so grateful that I made the decision to come on a mission. It has been the best decision that I have ever made, and has forever changed my life. I am so grateful for this gospel and for the knowledge of the Savoir and our Heavenly Father. I know that God loves each and every one of us. I know that they are always there for us. They love us. They know us. And it is because of Them that we can be who we are.

I love you all so much!!! Have an amazing week! Smile lots serve lots and treasure trials!!!

Love,

Motra Zollinger

ps. Happy Birthday to America this week!!

pps i think i forgot to say something. so just remind me if i forgot anything and I'll put it in

next week.