Update from Elder Johnson - November 2016 - Lezhë - Shkodër
7 November 2016
Hello everyone, — A good week, it was! I love my study time. I learn so much each day! This week I have been studying Faith and The Atonement and 2 Nephi. It is so sweet! Elder Samuel and I made a pedigree chart of scriptural characters from Adam down to Christ (See Luke 3) and added a bunch of other scriptural characters too and connected it to the Book of Mormon figures and to me. It was great.
I am so glad to hear that you have been trying to implement a healthier home. I have been studying my patriarchal blessing this last week, and there is a part that specifically mentions that obeying the Word of Wisdom will bless me. I was drawn to this because the blessing promised me in doing this are specific things that I am really striving for right now. At first, I thought I am obeying the word of Wisdom, but then I realized that of course there is more to it than just avoiding alcohol and coffee and other bad things. I read an article in the Ensign about how to eat healthier. I have made a goal to try to apply those things in my life, and I know that I will be blessed. There is always room to improve and do better.
I am loving the mission. (So nothing new, you could say.) I am continually learning, growing, and being guided by the Lord. It is incredible.
We have had many amazing lessons this week with Zef, Elton and Drane, and The Beqiri's. They are all progressing so well. It is amazing to see. We had a great lesson with the Beqiri's parents on Thursday and committed them to baptism on the 10th of December. We are so excited!!!! We are praying for them.
We also teach a Kurs Anglisht (English Course) twice a week in Shkodër and twice a week in Lezhë. It is a great way to find people to teach and is so fun. Albanians come and we teach them English. It is so great. We always end with a scriptural thought, so hopefully they are getting something more important than just English out of it. It is nice, because I can speak English to Albanians, and a good amount of them understand what I am saying. I also learn a lot of Shqip during English Course as we are teaching.
The big news of the week, other than the Beqiri's baptismal date, is that Elder Samuel and I are moving from Lezhë to Shkodër. We will still be working in Shkodër, Lezhë, and Lac, just living in Shkodër. It will be good. We will also be taking over all the other investigators of the Elders who were living in Shkodër. We will be busy as the only Elders in all three cities. Elder Samuel will also be the district leader and he will do a great job. We loved our place in Lezhë, but it will be nice to be closer to everyone in the district (now just a sister trio and senior couple and us.)
I know that our Redeemer lives and loves you personally. It has been such a blessing to see his hand in my life. I love you all and hope you are doing well! We have so much to be happy about in this life, so be happy! I love love love it here. The people are amazing and the work is going great! — Elder Johnson
14 November 2016
Hello, Everybody!
I am loving life! Pa tjetër! (That means "without other!" which is basically like saying 'of course!') This week was pretty productive. We got a lot of great stuff done. We moved to Shkodër on Tuesday. I like our new apartment. I don't think it will change our driving time at all, we drive to Lezhë on Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays, and Sundays (for Kurs Anglisht and Seminary and Church), and when we go to Lac, it will be a much longer drive, so we will see how that goes. The flooding didn't affect us too bad. It got really bad on Tuesday which is when everyone was going through Tiranë for transfers.
Thursday, we had another amazing lesson with the Beqiri's parents, named Adrian and Age Beqiri, their baptism is set for the 10th of December but because of work we won't have time to drive to Tiranë to do it, but the mother, Age, said we should just do it in the ocean, because it is really quick, which would of course be awesome!!! We will see, but that would be so sweet. We also went to have Seminary at their house to help translate and Age was there and participating so that was awesome. She also shared a story about someone else saying it was bad to be baptized and she stood up for baptism, so that was awesome to hear. She also came to church yesterday. Adrian was not there, so we will go over the importance of church with them on Thursday.
We had Zone Training in Tiranë on Thursday and as usual, I learned so much!! It is a great chance to learn and apply new principles and ideas in my work.
After the training, we went on an exchange with the Zone Leaders. I was with Elder Divkuviç (That is how it is spelled in Albanian, but he is actually German) It was sweet to talk to him and learn from him. He is amazing at Shqip and a really good missionary. So, it was a great exchange and we got a lot done. He really loved being in Shkodër because that was where he was born (meaning it was his first area) He was there for one month until they got death threats and had to leave... yup. It was really an inspired transfer and because he was there we met and reconnected with many new investigators.
One person we met was named Ardian and we had a great lesson with him and his brother, Dyell. Though he wasn't able to come to church yesterday, he seems very interested and has the time to meet. We are excited to teach him more. We also have a new investigator -- an old xhaxhi named Gasper.
Church in Lezhë yesterday was amazing, as usual. Elton was there and Age Beqiri. The lesson was really great. We talked about the principle of Obedience and the blessings of being obedient. I loved talking about it and thinking about it. I found a cool connection between the stories of Noah, Jonah, and Christ's baptism, and the principle of obedience. I made a little chart for it. Noah was obedient by building the ark to survive the flood, Jonah was not obedient by getting on a ship to run away from his missionary calling, and Christ was obedient by entering the water to be baptized and fulfill all righteousness. In the story of Noah, the world is symbolically baptized. In the story of Jonah, he is buried under the water similar to baptism and when he comes out, he is changed and willing to be obedient. In the story of Christ, he is baptized to fulfill all righteousness and to follow the commandments of His Father in Heaven, who then said that He was well pleased in His Beloved Son. I know that baptism is so important and even though some of us were baptized a long time ago, we can still ponder its importance during the sacrament and other times. It is such a blessing to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion and I love Him and my Savior and my God! How wise and loving He is! I know that we can return to live with Him in lumturi (Happiness) forever if we follow His commandments! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen! — Elder Xhansën
Pictures are of my new study area, me with my new haircut eating at San Fransisco's and that chart of scriptures for those stories of Noah and Jonah and Christ. I love you all!
21 November 2016
Hey, everybody! — I hope everyone is doing well! I know I am. Today was great! We went to the Lezhë castle. It was beautiful and we got some great pictures. We ate lunch at American Pizza. It is the best!!! I love me some Pica Sallam Pikant! which is Spicy Ham Pizza, which is Pepperoni Pizza. Albanian is great.
We had a slightly disappointing, but mostly successful week. We taught an amazing man named Gjergj many times this week. He is going to get baptized on December 3rd. We didn't find him. He found us. He just showed up to church this week. He says he loves the feeling in our church and all the nice people here. I think he has been before and he is so excited to get baptized and is loving the lessons we have with him.
This week looks like it will be good. We have Thanksgiving Conference on Thursday, which I am looking forward to. I will send home some pictures. We have to do a skit. Hopefully that will go well. And then, on Saturday, we have Alketa's baptism. She is one of the sister's investigators. She is pretty great, loves the gospel, and is already looking forward to serving a mission! She is 16. And she wants me to confirm her. I am sort of nervous, but mostly excited. So I will confirm her next Sunday. Will you pray for me? Because I am actually really nervous.
I know that God is our loving Father in Heaven. I am so happy that I get to testify of that fact every day. I know it is true. I am so grateful that He sent us to Earth to gain experience and build relationships and live and laugh and love. What great blessings we have. I love my life. — Elder Xhansën
28 November 2016
Hello, Everyone!
I hope your week was as good as mine was. It was a busy week, but also a great one, because we had a baptism. Alketa is 16 years olds and so nice. She got baptized on Saturday. We went to Durrës for the baptism, because they have a font and an actual church building there. I confirmed her on Sunday at church, which went well. I loved being able to do that. It was so special. I loved being able to say, "Merre Frymen e Shenjtë" (Receive the Holy Ghost.) Hopefully her family is next.
Thursday we were together for a Thanksgiving Conference and Dinner with the whole mission. It was so great to see Elder Benson and everyone. We got pictures of our entire district together again. It was great.
We had some great lessons with Gjergj this week and are going to have his baptism on the 10th of December to make sure he is ready, but he is awesome and so nice and excited to get baptized. He is really poor and looking for work, but says that coming to church takes away his stress. We want him to read the scriptures more and we are trying to explain that he can have that feeling anywhere through reading the scriptures and praying. I know that is true. The scriptures and prayer brings so much peace in life. I love it.
Yesterday, in church in Lezhë, we watched the Church's Christmas video (which I hope you have all seen, because it is AMAZING!) and talked about light, what it is, and how we can LIGHT the WORLD with our examples, attitudes, kindness, and service. Danjela, our 14-year old, gave an amazing 20-minute talk on Lutja (Prayer). She is awesome.
Today was a good P-Day. We cleaned our place, studied, played some pool, looked around some Christmas stores, and ate American Pizza! Successful day!
This week, we will be having our mid-way training meeting. It is more like a 4/5 done training because we are done being trained on December 14th and have transfers on that day. It is coming up too fast and I don't feel trained yet, but Elder Samuel says I will do fine. I am just sad that I won't get to spend Christmas with Elder Samuel. Oh, well.
I know that our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, was chosen before the world was, and that we all sustained Him as the Messiah. Though we don't remember that event, it happened and as we put our trust in Him and His Atonement, we will be blessed with faith and the ability to endure to the end. I love the Lord and know that He loves us all perfectly. Recently, I have been praying to have Christlike Charity for everyone. I know that Charity is where the power of a missionary comes from. If you are praying for me, please ask that I am blessed with Charity. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. — Elder Johnson
