28 September 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for writing to me this last week. I really appreciate hearing about how your week has gone. Mom, I want you to know that I didn't forget that it was your birthday this last week, when you're emailing as a missionary you just don't have enough time to type everything that you want to type. I hope that you had a wonderful birthday! I hope that you really enjoyed it! Your birthday here in Gjakova was pretty interesting. It was the Muslim holiday Kurban Bajram and everyone was celebrating. I guess it's the equivalent to Christmas for us. It was a slower day. It was a little harder to meet with people or to do missionary work, but it was still a pretty good day. 

Rachel, that's awesome that you might be able to get your braces off this year! That'll be exciting! I hope that everything goes well so that it can happen! Wow, I bet you are really sore with all that swimming! {Two swim meets in one week.} This last week we played soccer with some of the members and man was I sore afterwards! I feel your pain, literally. That's cool that you had the Primary program this week. Those are always fun to watch. They had one when I was in Durrës, so that was fun to see.

It is so awesome working with Dardan! He is the most prepared person I've ever had the chance to work with on my mission! This last week we talked about the Temple and he loved it to say the least. He's so excited to learn anything he can about the Gospel. It's awesome because he doesn't just have a focus on baptism, but he sees wonderful things that will come to him after baptism. He sees the Priesthood, and he sees the Temple. It's so awesome that he has the eternal perspective! I don't think I've ever had another investigator where I feel the Spirit so strong as I do with Dardan. He is super awesome! He is a "new creature" as the scriptures would put it because of the Gospel. I can't even begin to express how awesome he is.

This week was also transfers. I kinda' already knew that I was staying in Gjakova so I wasn't really surprised to hear that. However, my new companion will be a mini-missionary named Elder Froku from somewhere in Albania. A mini-missionary doesn't mean that he's a midget, but it means that he's only serving for a temporary time here in this mission. I don't know who he is, and neither does anyone else that I've talked to. So I'm excited to meet him. Elder Cani will be leaving to 4th Ward in Tirana. It will be sad to say goodbye to Elder Cani. I've really enjoyed my time with him. I've really enjoyed being able to serve with him. I've learned a ton from him! He's an awesome missionary!

As with nearly every other week, I'm out of time. Sorry I can't type faster. Thank you for all of the love and guidance that you give to me! I really appreciate all of your prayers and thoughts. Ju dua shumë. Kalofshi bukur. Javë të mbarë.

Me dashuri,

Elder Watson