6 July 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

The Albanian missionaries here, Elder Cani and Elder Sadiku, were called to the Adriatic South Mission. There weren't any branch activities for the 4th of July in Gjakova, but we did celebrate together as a district. Sunday afternoon we closed our fast with an American 4th of July meal. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon, and the like. It was awesome! It tasted like liberty and justice, with a nice aftertaste of freedom. Dad, how did the Encampment go? Was there anything that was a big hit with the kids? Was there anything that you liked in particular? That's cool that they made a video of the camp with interviews and stuff. I really liked watching the video they made when I was there! It was a ton of fun! I wish I had a copy of that! Woah, Rachel, I didn't know you were practicing your pyro skills. I'm impressed. Nice work! That's super awesome that Josh {Braman, who just returned from his mission} got called as the ward mission leader! Having a good one of those is super helpful for missionaries!! Josh will do a great job! He's super awesome!

This week was pretty awesome! Elder Cani and I are doing awesome together! We've been working hard together! Elder Cani is super awesome. Because he's from Durrës and I've served there for such a long time, we talk a ton about fun things to do in Durrës. This week we were also blessed with the ability to have an investigator accept a baptismal date! It was awesome to see him make the decision to come closer to Christ by doing something. At the end of our lesson together, he told us that he would like us to go and teach the rest of his family. It was an awesome lesson where I could see that he understood the importance of Priesthood Authority. So almost a year ago when Elder Roberts (hereafter referred to as Berti) gave his dying testimony at Zone Conference, he said something that really stuck with me and with some others. Berti was talking about those individuals that sometimes we don't like being around. Sometimes there's a member that gets on our nerves or some things like that, but Berti said that we have to remember that "someone loved them first." Berti went on to talk about how there was that first person, maybe a missionary or a friend, that introduced them to the Gospel. Someone cared about them first to help them come closer to Christ and to enter into a covenant with Him. That really stuck with me. It was reinforced last week when we had mission conference. Elder Price quoted Berti and gave an awesome testimony. This week this phrase has been coming back to me. This last week I had a lot of work to do for the Gjakova Branch, and I found myself starting to get a little frustrated with some people. However, this phrase came back to me and from that moment onward I could feel myself being more patient. I felt as if the Lord was telling me about how much patience He has when He works with me and I don't do things right. All of us, as imperfect human beings, make mistakes and are in our own stage of progression. However, the Lord is patient with us and keeps giving us extra chances. So why, then, are we so impatient with others? This really hit me this week, and I know that all of us can work on the Christ-like attribute of Patience. I know that it takes a while to develop it, but I know that the Lord wants us to develop this attribute. I'm so grateful that our Loving Heavenly Father loves us so much to give us extra chances and restarts!

Thank you so much for the love and support you give to me! I couldn't do this without you! Zoti ju bekoftë! Javë të mbarë. Rakela, luaj me shkrepës, do të përmirësohesh! ;)

Me dashuri,

Elder Watson

4th of July meal.

Elder Watson and Elder Cani a couple of months ago at a zone
conference in Tirana.  "Our appearance hasn't changed that much."

On the 4th of July, Elder Cani and I were street contacting.  Across the street there was a guy who
ripped down a flag of a political party here in Kosovo and replaced it with an American flag.  This
guy really wanted to rip down that other flag.  It took him about half an hour to do it all.  He used a
pole and rope to pull himself up and plant the flag up there.