Never-ending Gift ...... week 62

The new district!  Motra Z loves it!

Hello hello!! :)                

Wow. What a week. To be quite honest, this past week felt like 3 weeks. It was so long. It was for sure a week that I will never forget, but I was excited that a new week was starting today. 

Elder  Verushi and Autsen

First off, my new companion is an absolute Angel!!!!! :D I love her so much! She is from Vlore, and she is 18 years old. She is such a sweet heart! It isn't that weird living with an Albanian... a plus side of it is that we speak Albanian 24/7. I am super excited, because I am going to learn so much more albanian this transfer....haha, but my brain is not use to it! haha. I get tired a lot quicker and easier right now, but I think my brain should get used to it this week. I dreamed in Albanian for the first time last night! hehe. It is an adventure. And just a heads up, if the english in these emails start to get absolutely terrible it is because I now speak albanian more than english. For example, today I said "way more badder" when I was trying to describe something to Sisters Foller and White. haha. yes... :) 

Transfers were bittersweet. I hate saying goodbye to awesome elders. There was an amazing group of elders that went home this week, so many of them! They were all such great examples to me! Oh, and I should tell you mom...i sorta have told all the missionaries that our home is there home for those that are going to BYU. So we might get some visitors for dinners and such. :) 

The Key that "mocked" her

We had an interesting first start of our companionship meaning that we got locked outside of our apartment. The keys to our apartment already hated me, and when the key wasn't turning (it was the right key too) I decided to turn it harder and faster. Well, it broke right off. Like half of the key was still in the lock that mocked me and the rest of the key was in my hands... we just laughed and I was just like "oh dang it...what do we do?" We called the landlord and let him know, and so we just stood outside of our apartment for like 20 minutes waiting... and then we got pittied by an Albanian. hehe, it was a woman and she came over and then she buzzed us in (which we could have done I just didn't think of doing that). It is like an intercom to get buzzed in, so she pushed the button and some of the neighbors asked who it was and the albanian said "your american neighbors" and they let us in. hehe. The landlord came up to our door a couple hours later thinking that we were talking about the door to our actual apartment not the apartment buildling. I smiled and said that it was for the door to the apartment building, he just looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I said "me fal..." and then handed him the half broken key....That was sure an experience. haha. 

No Elder McGrath this is Motra Z's Captain America

As you all know, it was the fourth of july!!! It was so much fun! We had an American lunch on Saturday! we had hamburgers, hotdogs, fruit salad, chips, soda, and apple pie! It was so american! we even had a special guest, called Captain America. :) hehe, we went all out. A sweet soul in Tirana even lit off fireworks as well, so we had the whole shabang. 

Time goes by so fast when writing emails... I don't have any more time. I have more to say though. So I will write more stories next time. 

Grandma Zollinger an angel

This week, I have discovered the power of feeling. Meaning the Atonement. This past week was an emotionally straining week for me because of the death of Grandma... and I was worried as to how it would go. BUT, I discovered a new part of the Atonement, and how truly uplifting the Atonement is. I experienced unexplainable peace this past week. At times where I felt so numb emotionally, I felt so comforted and at peace through the spirit. I know that it was the Spirit that was able to comfort me, and that it was because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and how Christ made it possible for us to find hope even with death occurs. I am grateful that Christ is Risen that He lives, because in turn we all will live again! I know this with all of my heart. I know that Christ is our Savoir and our Redeemer. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real and that Christ has experienced everything that we have or even will experience and it is only through him that we are able to find peace and comfort in this life. The more and more that I live and study about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the more and more grateful I am for the Atonement. It is a never-ending gift from our Heavenly Father. 

Have a wonderful week! Smile lots serve lots and treasure trials!! :) I love you all!! 

Love,

Motra Zallenxher