Called to Serve: Adriatic South Mission: Week 45: The Big 2-1 and a Big Move!

Ç'kemi!

We are being really blessed this Christmas season! People's hearts are a more softened in December and it makes our work more fun. Everywhere we go Motra Holt and I are handing out passalong cards with the church's address and trying to get as many people to church. As for specifics this week... we hosted a "Missionary Night" Friday and Saturday with great turnouts! Motra Holt and I set up a little room for "Light the World" and presented the church's initiative. Another highlight was a lesson we had with our friend M! We sat down for our second lesson the other day and as soon as she sat down she said she'd been thinking about it and that she really wanted to get baptized! She's amazing. We planned her for January 7th! Also the family we've been teaching, the S's, are so special. None of them know how to read except for the mom so she takes a little piece of glass up to her one eye and they all silently listen as she reads the Book of Mormon. Between two of our lessons last week they read from 1 Nephi 1 to Alma 5 (over 200 pages) as a family. I was astonished. They live in a little cement square of a room as a home with no heating and three pieces of furniture. They have barely anything yet they always go to the store to buy croissants and drinks for Motra Holt and I upon our arrival. I'm always amazed and humbled by their hospitality and selflessness.

My birthday was a really special day! It was actually a holiday here so everyone was off from work. Motra Holt and I had to wake up early to go to the immigration office so I quickly got up to open a package the family sent for my birthday (thank you!!!!). Then we got on the bus and it was soooo crazy packed we were squished like sardines. We got to the immigration office and it was closed (we initially didn't know it was a holiday)... so we did the next best thing and got Cinnabon for breakfast. Then we had a regular day with lessons! In the evening we visited a family, the H's, and they fed us a traditional dinner including fasule, spinach byrek, and dhalle. Then at night I bought a little cake from a bakery and stuck some candles in it! It was a really good day :). Thanks for all of the birthday wishes!

Saturday night we got transfer calls from the mission president and I was called to serve in Berat! It's a little city a few hours south of here. The branch (church) has only been open for about a year there! I'm so excited to get a fresh start on the work in a new area!!

Love you all have a great week!

Motra Fulop