August 22nd Email

Përshëndetje familja! Ju dus!

So lets see, this has been a crazy week. So it was our first week as Zone Leaders and that has been crazy. So as ZL our job is to basically be the eyes and ears of President Allen and to do any assignments he gives us to help the branch/zone. We interview all the district leaders every week after they interview the senior companions in their district, and that lets us know any challenges or goals all the missionaries have. Also we are in charge of the welcoming meeting for all the new missionaries that come into our zone and after we do that we have to just do our best to help them feel welcomed. We're in charge of making sure that everyone is being obedient and if we notice any problems we are supposed to correct it. It's a lot of fun but it's also a lot of work. So all in all our job is just to be a friend to everyone and answer any questions they have. Currently our zone is made up of 8 districts: 3 Dutch, 2 Albanians, 2 Hungarians, and 1 Turkish. However our three Dutch districts are leaving today and tomorrow. But we are getting a new Dutch district this Wednesday so we'll do our best to make them feel welcome too. It's been fun being the Zone Leaders though because we've gotten to know all the other missionaries so much better.

I did get grandma's package and it was awesome! We've hardly even made a dent so far but it's awesome having treats to help us just wind down at the end of the day. I swear she sent like a thousand boxes of candy it was so great!

It would be awesome if you could get me an Albanian Hymn book but I'm not sure where you can actually get those. Other than that I think I'm pretty good on things. I asked a little bit about winter things and I think all of us are planning on just buying them there.

That's awesome that Adam's finally coming in. It totally doesn't feel like it's already the end of August. I'm excited to hopefully see him around and I might even be hosting next week so maybe I'll even see him right off the curb.

So now for the rest of the letter. The language is still coming, but it's also still really hard. We're definitely improving and working hard and we are starting to get a lot better at the basics so for now we'll just do our best to learn the rest. 

Also this week my companion, Elder Schneider has been really sick so we had to miss a few things but I did my best to just study while he worked on getting better. We gave him a blessing last night and he's doing a lot better today though which is a great sign.

We got the new Hungarian district this week and they are so awesome. We've already become really good friends with them and they are working really hard. One of them is actually from Cedar Hills and he lived right by Lone Peak so I wonder if you know his family, his name is Pulsipher Elder.

We got to go to the temple again this morning and it was so amazing. I feel like it was extra good today because we had to miss last week for a doctors appointment. Mom, you should make a goal to go with Mason, Jordan, and Dad like once a month. It's such an amazing place and I know that it would bless you so much in your lives.

I've loved having the opportunity to run into Elder Mickelson all the time! It's been awesome seeing him around everywhere and it's going to be weird having him gone. Luckily we got a picture together last week that he sent in his email. I can't wait to hear how well he does out in the field and I'm so excited for him.

So I have pictures of things, I think there are some at the temple, as well as us with the old Hungarians. However my camera just died. So I will charge that and then send those later today.

If there are any more questions for me please send those and I will do my best to answer them.

Mirupafshim!

So we're all continuing to have a great time here! we all get along so well and it's crazy learning about everyone's lives before the mission. For example, my companion used to have the craziest afro! If you saw a picture you totally wouldn't even recognize him. Also Elder Taylor who is the quietest of us Albanians used to have shoulder length hair and was the student body president of his High School. Then there's Elder Draper from Oklahoma, he's the only one of us who went to a year of college first, and one cool thing about him is that his girlfriend before he came actually converted to the church and now she's planning on serving a mission. But all in all we get along so well and we feel like just one big family. It's so awesome knowing that if I ever need anything from any of them they'd be totally willing to help. Also they're all so funny in their own way, and that definitely makes everything a lot less boring and stressful. Also Elder Mazzei who is from Argentina and spoke almost no English before he came is so funny. I was talking with him, and Elder McDivitt and Elder Hunter (who are going to the Netherlands speaking Spanish, but for some reason learned Dutch in the MTC) and it was so much fun. 

This is a picture of Fisher Elder, Elder Schneider, me, and Ballard Elder. They were the Zone Leaders when we came in and we became really good friends with them. Now they're in Hungary!  there are more pictures but that will have to wait until next week. Also, I got a haircut today.