Dear Family,
Well, hello from paradise! Actually "Parajsë" is the name of our area, which means paradise! I'll tell you, paradise is a wonderful place! As we read from the scriptures, a place of rest, a place of peace, where we can rest from all our troubles and from all care, and sorrow. I know that Grandma Garlick loved here 'pair-of-dice' up in Heber. Who knows, paradise is wherever you make it. I pray that you may all feel the peace of paradise this week. The Plan of Salvation is really true. I am praying for Grandma Marlene.
Down in paradise we have had some amazing miracles.
The members in Albania have an opportunity in a couple weeks to go on their annual Temple Trip to Frankfurt. From Vlore, we have 4 members attending. The senior couple asked me to help a few of them enter in their family names into Family Search. I gladly accepted...even though the time spent didn't add to our 'physical, weekly numbers', it definitely added a lot more people to the lists in heaven. We were very pleasantly surprised when this family, the Metaj family, came to the church with 2 pedigree charts full of their family history. Albanians are very good at keeping their family history. We were able to submit 28 names to the temple system, and I believe over 171 ordinances will be performed...all from this family. I'm grateful to participate in that part of the work, the part that a majority of mankind is participating in, a work that eventually we ALL we be active participants (hopefully, not too soon :)
Meanwhile, Albano and Kristi are progressing well. Albano showed up to church and asked for a white shirt. We gladly provided, seeing that he was about to be ordained a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. It was a nice ordinance, performed by one of the returned missionaries in the ward, Marseille Hoxhaj. Another neat thing was that Klodi, Albano's little brother who will be baptized on the 19th, was able to witness it in his own white shirt and tie. Albano also is going to get a calling soon, maybe the Young Men's 1st councilor.
This week, President Weidmann has asked that we pray for a family, every single day. When I first heard this, I just thought, "Oh, Grandpa Garlick, you were ahead of your time weren't you! How much my mission president would love to have you here to share YOUR vision of ' A Family A Day'". Grandpa, that is the vision of our mission! More specifically, to find a family before the end of the year! We would appreciate your prayers as we seek to fulfill this goal!
Our district down here has been very blessed. One little blessing is we know how to sing. During our district meetings, we kinda just soak in the sound. It is the closest thing I've felt to singing around the piano! We were surprised (yet not, because we know that we all have connections with heaven through revelation) that we were asked by the Zone Leaders to sing, as a district, a musical number at the Zone Conference tomorrow. What did we choose? Hark all ye nations! You all know why we love that song!
Well, I guess I'll just let you know that I love you all. I am so grateful to live in such a faithful family. We have often heard 'chosen generation' and how we were all 'held back' to come forth at this time in history. Well, on that thought, I was just overcome with gratitude when I realized that my family was filled with those 'noble and great ones'. Each one of you really is amazing, and is evidence of Heavenly Father's love for us. Familje janë të Përjetshme. Families are Forever.
I love you all,
Dëgjofshemi! (Literally: May we get heard together!)
Elder Bangerter
P.S. I heard that Sister Nelson just spoke and said the best way to prepare for conference is to do some family history work. Well, I second it! (but new york abstains-1776)
P.P.S. So a Sister Maxwell is in my district. It turns out, her Grandpa was a mission President in Brazil in '78 and her dad went to high school down there with Aunt Duella! Sadly, Dad left to Portugal before they could see each other! But still, it is a small world. Sister Maxwell has a deep love for Brazil, having memories of her dad reading Portuguese scriptures to her at night. (personally, I'm glad dad SANG to us in Portuguese, and read us things that we could understand, like Heidi, Kidnapped, etc.)
1-This is me with one of the Recent Converts, Amarildo Zëqiri! He is a really nice 16 year old, and likes to listen to american music
2-Us and Klodi, Albano's little Brother. He is the one that will be baptized on Friday! He is going to make a great missionary one day!
No comments:
Post a Comment