Come What May

Howdy! 

So, another pretty busy week as we had another baptism to prepare for. It was a really good week though!

Fiqeret's baptism!!!

So our investigator Fiqeret is one who was baptized on Friday. She is the mother of one of our recent converts, Rozalinda who is 14 and was baptized in August. It was so special.. Rozalinda gave a talk at Fiqeret's baptism and the bishop and everyone just gave such amazing remarks about how amazing it is that they are together in the gospel. It was just such a great thing to be a part of.. It was so special! 

We have been blessed to meet some really great people.. But one of them is a referral that we received from a person I used to work with in Vlore! Her name is Paola and she's actually at BYU right now.. But she e-mailed me and told me that her friend Sara wanted to meet and was interested in learning.. So, we met with Sara (good name, right?) and she is INCREDIBLE. She is seriously so prepared. We have her on a baptismal date for the beginning of December. We've met with her a few times.. and the first time she was like.. "Yeah, I read to 1 Ne chapter 4. I like this book.. time just passes when you read it." and then we met with her a few days later and she was like, "I am now in the 2nd book of Nephi." and then she goes on to say.. "when you read it you just know that it is true." She's incredible. I'm so excited about her. 

So, at the beginning of this past week Sister Coleman decided that this week was going to be a kind of "come what may" week.. And that's exactly what it was. All week we tried to set up appointments with potential investigators and things like that to find some new investigators and meet our goal of 3 new investigators. So, for Saturday we had 2 appointments set up with potential investigators, one couple and one girl.. and they both fell through. I was like.. dang it!! Haha, why! We couldn't get any other ones set up either. So, Sunday comes and Sunday's are stressful days.. you just want every one of your investigators to keep their commitments and come to church. Unfortunately, only 2 of our investigators showed up.. To be quite honest, I was real disappointed! I was like.. We set our goals with you Heavenly Father. We felt that we received confirmation.. What. But then, of course.. I was humbled very quickly. 

Halfway through Sacrament meeting our bishop's wife walks in with a woman and a teenage girl. After the meeting she was like, "this is my cousin and her daughter.. they will be taught by you." So, we had a lesson right after church. Then we came to find out that in their family they have a few sons and the dad too. I cannot tell you how much I've yearned and prayed to find a complete family to teach. I was so humbled to again re-learn that the Lord has His plans and they are always greater and always more rewarding than our own. 

Xhesi and Sara came to visit me at the baptism. I miss them so much

I love 3rd ward so much. Seriously, the people here are truly my friends. We have activities and things that we go to and they always come and every night as we're walking home Sister Coleman and I just cannot get over how much we love them and how we just want to be with them all the time! One of them is Trashegim.. He's so awesome and he just submitted his mission papers.. But, his sister Illirjana is one of our investigators too and she's just pretty hard headed and stubborn so it takes her a while to let our message reach her heart. We've been praying that something will help her desire. But we love her to death and she loves hanging out with us. She's always like hugging me and if we walk anywhere it's arm in arm and I just.. I love these people SO much. I cannot even articulate it. Anyway, we took her to an amazing fireside that we had where President Weidmann gave a talk and an Albanian translated for him.. and in the beginning of President's talk he asked if all of the investigators would stand.

We were in the 2nd row and Illirjana stood up and President Weidmann looks at her as he says, "Will you have a prayer in your heart that you will have a greater desire to understand this message?" And you just KNEW that it reached her. I saw it, I felt it! I seriously got goosebumps on my arms. You guys, Heavenly Father loves us. He answers our prayers. He answers our prayers for other people. He knows when to provide us with those answers and in what ways. It was such a great moment. President Weidmann gave such an amazing talk about how we are children of God and He will never forsake us. He will never abandon us. It was so good. President Weidmann is seriously one of the greatest examples I've ever had in my life.

This is Mirela Tafili. She is recent convert from 4th ward. I love her so much. Everytime i see her she  gives me the biggest hug and just kisses my cheeks like a thousand times.

WARZONE…. sorry I took this while walking!

Okay, so crazy Albanian thing... This past week our area turned into like a war-zone. Not actually.. But, the Albanian government decided to finally crack down on businesses having legal permits.. So, ALL of these bars and restaurants and stores have been just been demolished. It's been going around Albania for the past little month or so. But apparently, the owners would just get a notice 24-hours before and get told that the government will be coming to tear down the establishment. WHAT. So, seriously.. one day we walked down the street having all of these businesses and fruit stands and literally the next day there were diggers tearing up EVERYTHING. So sad..

Well family, I think that's all for today! I wish you all a very happy Halloween and I hope that I get to see some awesome pictures of costumes and what not. Ju më mungoni! 

With love, 

Motra Vermunt

Tallin!!!