Dear Family.
Well, it happened, I got transferred. I loved serving in Vlore. On Monday night we had a Vitin e Ri party (new years) and a few of the 10yr old recent converts came up to me and hugged my legs and said, “don’t go!” I really didn’t expect to have such an effect on these people, but I am grateful that Heavenly Father was able to show his love to me through those kids. A few tears may have been shed. But, I am excited for my new assignment.
On Sunday we had a massive rain storm. Determined to keep on meeting with our lessons, and realizing that no one was going to come to us, we hit the streets; or more accurately, we hit the rivers. At one point we were grateful for a kind soul that had placed cinder-blocks as a dry path across the road. When we got to one area of apartments, each building was like an island. Sadly, our cinder-block friend did not go before our face and we were stuck in a dilemma. Elder Fowles went first and tried to jump and eventually ran really, really fast through the water and got really, really wet! I then took one jump, landed, and, realizing it was hopeless, sloshed through the shin-deep water. When we finished our lesson inside, we felt bad as we left to puddles on their tile floor. I felt like the mail man who wouldn’t let rain or snow or sleet stop him from coming. And the package we deliver has an eternal-lifetime guarantee.
We saw a lot of success in our transfer together. Many recent converts are now active, many people are closer to God. And even Tomi came back from Italy! The work will progress very well in Vlore as I leave. Vlore will especially increase in efficiency because they are bringing in another set of Elders! I guess they had to bring in 3 elders in when I left! Just kidding.
Right now I’m serving in Tirana; the capital city of Albania!
There are four wards in the city and I am serving in the 1st ward. My new companion is Elder Linderman! This was a big surprise because he trained me! I guess we didn’t learn something the first time around. It actually is a really big blessing, and we were both super excited to hear about serving with each other again.
Last night we had new years. And if you remember my last few letters, they don’t celebrate Christmas, but they do celebrate new years! We had to go into our apartments at sundown (4:00) to avoid all the fireworks. Elder Linderman and I passed the time by planning out our new transfer together—it is going to be one awesome transfer—and then watching endless amounts of the churches Bible videos.
We were awoken at 11:30 by many fireworks which continuously grew larger until midnight. On our balcony we saw thousands upon thousands of fireworks lighting up the whole city! We were glad to be in our safe, warm apartment.
When we went to the airport to pick up the new missionaries, we welcomed 6 new sisters and 1 new elder from Hungary. I was able to ride with him back into Tirana. All 7 of them are so ready to contribute to the mission. I loved seeing their Fire for the work that comes with them from the MTC.
I know that God puts us where he wants us to be. He directed the mind of an apostle to place me east of Italy, and then directed the mind of an inspired mission president to put me here in Tirana. President Weidmann always says, “This is what makes our church different. We do EVERYTHING by the Spirit. That is why we call the ASM an Always Spiritual Mission.
I love you all! I loved talking to all of you last week. I wish you all a happy new year. Think of how much you did since last January. Now think of all you can do till next January! Life is packed; more like a candy jar than a suitcase (if that makes sense). I hope that you enjoy each day of 2015, because each time you see those four numbers you can remember that two-thousand-and-fifteen years ago, a child was born. And that one-thousand-nine-hundred-and-
Love,
Elder Bangerter of Tirana!
PS-P day was today because it was new years, but it will continue to be on monday
FROM ELDER LINDERMAN
Well Everyone Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great new year and had lots of fun!! This week was a an amazing week!
Well first things first it was transfer week and after five months with elder Davis he was transferred to a new area. It was awesome to serve with Elder Davis adn to learn from him. He is an awesome missionary and a really great friend. We got a long very well and well that is kind of important when you spend every minute of the day with that person for five months! It really was great and I am really going to miss him. He was transferred to Vlorë and will be training the new missionary from Hungary that just came in, so needless t say he is pretty excited about that. He loved Vlorë and training is AWESOME!! so that will be good for him! As for me... Any guesses? I am staying in Tirana First ward, I will continue to serve as an assistant ans my new companion will be Elder Bangerter!! So for those of you who don't remember or who don't know I served with elder Bangerter as a trainer in Pristinë for three months at the beginning of last year! It wasn't exactly a surprise to me since I have know for about a month who my next companion would be but Elder Bangerter was very surprised! I am really excited to serve with him again. He was one of my favorite companions that I have had I and he is just really awesome, so this transfer will be pretty awesome!
Anyways other than that the week was really good. we spent the end of last week preparing fro transfer and then on Tuesday and yesterday we had transfers. It was pretty stressful being in charge of everything and having a companion that didn't know a ton about what was supposed to be done but we made it through. It is defiantly a little stressful being the one in charge of a lot of these things and having a companion that hasn't learned it all yet but I'm sure that Elder Bangerter will get it all very soon and then things will start to be a lot smoother... or at least as smooth as they can get!
Well by far the highlight of the week was the past three days. First was on Monday night I got to go to the last dinner with President Weidmann and the sisters that I came into the M.T.C. with. It was really weird to think that they were going home because they had been in the M.T.C. with me. It seems like not that long ago at all that we all just got here and then they left! Anyways we got to go to a really fancy restaurant and I ordered Octopus!!.... It wasn't good so I wouldn't try it. The next morning we had to wake up early and take the sisters to the airport. That morning almost all of the mission was at the mission home for transfers! That is always very chaotic and stressful! That afternoon we had the awesome opportunity to go to the airport with President Weidmann and to pick up the new missionaries. They seem like a really awesome group and actually speak the language really well but like all groups of greenies they seemed pretty wide eyed for the first two days! That night we got to get to know the trainees, got to work with them for a little bit, had dinner at the mission home and then got to have a short testimony meeting with all of them! It is really awesome to get to hear both the new missionaries testimonies and the missionaries going home testimonies to see how much people really grow on their mission. The next day we had the trainer/trainee training. We took the new missionaries up to the place were Albania was dedicated... It was FREEZING!! it was 0 degrees outside with wind.. so it really was freezing! It has been really cold here lately I think the coldest it has been on my mission so far! I am not enjoying it! Anyways then we went to the mission offices to have a training with the trainers and the trainees together. Then we got them some Byrek and Dhallë for a snack and we went to presidents office to put the companionship together for the trainers adn the trainees. (For those of you who don't know Byrek is the word for pie but that is not what it is at all. It is essentially a bunch of Phillo dough with something called gjizë or tomatoes or meat and sometimes other things in it. And dhallë is a milk product that is essentially sour milk that is super saturated with salt... so all the trainees really liked that! just kidding dhallë may be one of the worst drinks ever.) Anyways Meeting with president and talking about the transfer was an awesome experience It is always nice to work with President and to get "practice" seeking the Lords will. It always amazes me how truly inspired this church is. That because of the restoration of the priesthood, God, through his servants calls us to these offices. In the words of Presidenty Weidmann, "as long as we are seeking to do the Lord's will He will not let us fail." it is a continual testimony to me that this is the Lord's church guided by His prophet and run by His hand.
Then, that night because of New Years and the ridiculousness of the celebrations we had to be home by sunset. So we had a really great transfer planning session and then we watched the Bible videos, ate Cheerios, and drank hot chocolate to celebrate the new year. The fireworks at midnight were AWESOME! it is literally just everyone in the whole city buying the firework show fire works and they shoot them off their balcony. Its very chaotic... and I'm sure very dangerous as the fireworks blow up at eye lever sometimes but it is like nothing you have ever seen before! The entire city is lite up with fire works.
So that was pretty much it for my week it was a really good week! Im rewally excited for this transfer. Anyways well after watching the Bible videos I got to read through some of the stories that we had watched and it really opened my eyes to some of the meanings, so I have an invitation for you all! Pick any Bible Video watch the video and then study the sctriptures that go along with it and see if you learn anything new! It really is awesome they are really well made by the church! And if you should tell me what you learned when you did it, so I look forward to hearing from you all! (Ill add the link to the videos to this email so you can go to them!)
Anyways I miss you all and love you all! Happy New Year! Have a great week!
Me Dashuri,
Elder Daniel Bruce Linderman
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