As always, it's slow going here. We meet with less-active people all the time and see if we can't figure out why they're not coming. It usually results in hours-long talks that ultimately make little progress.
So, we have activities! On Friday we had an Easter celebration, and about 20 people came, most of whom were less-active. We read the story of Christ's resurrection, and had an easter-egg hunt for the kids, then dancing for everyone. Of course, I didn't dance. I told everyone I had a bone in my leg. It seems like everyone had a good time.
Then, on Saturday, 10 of us got together and played soccer. I love playing soccer here because we play on small, enclosed fields, so you don't have to run as much and you don't get tired very quickly. We had a few investigators come, and it was good to just get to know them better in a relaxed, no-pressure setting.
That's about all. I hope stuff is good and things aren't bad.
Elder Weaver
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
another one about patience
I'm here in Fier, and being the small city it is, nothing really exciting is happening.
We did have an interesting experience when a man named Edi (eddy) called us up and wanted to meet with us. We said sure, and it turns out he's been a kind of eternal investigator for over six years. He's come to church a lot and the members know and like him, but he just can't quit smoking. Hopefully we can help him muster up enough willpower to quit so that God can help him do so. He seems like a very humble man and I'm excited to work with him.
We also met with an interesting man in his shop. We call Roni (roney) the crazy commie cobbler. He's a pretty funny guy who's convinced that we're working for the CIA. He's communist, and he repairs shoes in his little shop. It's funny to see him use humor to deflect people who come in and wonder why he's taking so long on the repairs. Whenever a pretty woman comes in he drops what he's doing and grabs the shoes they left and says, "See, I'm almost done!", then when they leave he throws them back on the pile and works on whatever pair he feels like at the moment. Maybe he'll become an investigator someday, but for now we just pay him a short, weekly visit.
That's about all. Best wishes to all!
Elder Weaver
We did have an interesting experience when a man named Edi (eddy) called us up and wanted to meet with us. We said sure, and it turns out he's been a kind of eternal investigator for over six years. He's come to church a lot and the members know and like him, but he just can't quit smoking. Hopefully we can help him muster up enough willpower to quit so that God can help him do so. He seems like a very humble man and I'm excited to work with him.
We also met with an interesting man in his shop. We call Roni (roney) the crazy commie cobbler. He's a pretty funny guy who's convinced that we're working for the CIA. He's communist, and he repairs shoes in his little shop. It's funny to see him use humor to deflect people who come in and wonder why he's taking so long on the repairs. Whenever a pretty woman comes in he drops what he's doing and grabs the shoes they left and says, "See, I'm almost done!", then when they leave he throws them back on the pile and works on whatever pair he feels like at the moment. Maybe he'll become an investigator someday, but for now we just pay him a short, weekly visit.
That's about all. Best wishes to all!
Elder Weaver
Monday, April 11, 2011
the one about returns
I'm back! I never thought I'd be back, but I am! It's both weird and kind of cool. On one hand, I feel like my 7.5 months in third branch were like a really long break, and now I'm back to my second area. On the other hand, I have different fingers. I don't really know what to expect from being branch president, though. It looks like there's a lot of working with members and doing meetings and stuff. I know that the Lord didn't call me here to fail, so if I do my part, I don't need to worry. One thing is for certain: I've never been this tired at the end of the day.
One assignment brought us to the other elders' apartment building before they arrived, to check on the house and regulate some things. The whole building was randomly out of power, which is not uncommon for new buildings (or, come to think of it, any building). Therefore, we had to hike up about 8 flights of stairs. One other negative aspect: The stairwell was very, very dark, so we had to use our cell phones to stumble our way up. On the way we met a lady who was going up and had no light whatsoever, so we escorted her to her place. She invited us in. It was a bit weird. Her and her old mother kept asking us the same questions many times, like they had a short memory. Then the daughter poured us drinks, orange soda for us (yay!) and energy drink for her 80-something year-old mother. That was a bit weird. Anyway, they invited us over for dinner another night, which we might do one of these days. You never know.
My new companion (and currently the branch president) is Elder Anderson, from Roy, Utah. He's pretty dang cool. We're both very relaxed, not getting angry or annoyed easily, which is good for this kind of assignment.
I'm looking forward to helping these people out as much as I can! I think after I leave this area, I'll have a much better appreciation for the leaders in the church. I hope you all realize how much time and true effort they put into their assignments.
As always, I wish you all the best, and remember, Mos e ha sapunin për djath!
Elder Weaver
One assignment brought us to the other elders' apartment building before they arrived, to check on the house and regulate some things. The whole building was randomly out of power, which is not uncommon for new buildings (or, come to think of it, any building). Therefore, we had to hike up about 8 flights of stairs. One other negative aspect: The stairwell was very, very dark, so we had to use our cell phones to stumble our way up. On the way we met a lady who was going up and had no light whatsoever, so we escorted her to her place. She invited us in. It was a bit weird. Her and her old mother kept asking us the same questions many times, like they had a short memory. Then the daughter poured us drinks, orange soda for us (yay!) and energy drink for her 80-something year-old mother. That was a bit weird. Anyway, they invited us over for dinner another night, which we might do one of these days. You never know.
My new companion (and currently the branch president) is Elder Anderson, from Roy, Utah. He's pretty dang cool. We're both very relaxed, not getting angry or annoyed easily, which is good for this kind of assignment.
I'm looking forward to helping these people out as much as I can! I think after I leave this area, I'll have a much better appreciation for the leaders in the church. I hope you all realize how much time and true effort they put into their assignments.
As always, I wish you all the best, and remember, Mos e ha sapunin për djath!
Elder Weaver
Monday, April 4, 2011
the one about curveballs
How I love General Conference! And I was lucky/blessed to be in Tirana this session, because we all got to go to the mission home and watch the Saturday and Sunday morning sessions. We only saw about 68% of the Sunday morning session because of technical difficulties, but it was still a great experience. Watching conference on your mission is much more satisfying, it seems. You're not watching the clock waiting for it to be over, and you soak up every word. I really liked the emphasis on helping out those less fortunate; there really are "opportunities right in our way".
Well, transfer calls were on Saturday night, and elder Seevers and I got a curveball we weren't expecting. We're both being transferred out of Tirana and into Fier. He's going to re-open an area and also train a new missionary, and I'm going to be companions with elder Anderson, the branch president of Fier. I'll get trained on how stuff works, then I'll become the branch president. It's kind of weird, since I was in the same area my second transfer in the country. I look forward to helping these people out as much as I can, and relying on the Lord the whole way, because there's not a snowball's chance in a really hot place that I could do this on my own.
I really hope things are going well back home, and that people are healthy, wealthy and wise!
Elder Weaver
Well, transfer calls were on Saturday night, and elder Seevers and I got a curveball we weren't expecting. We're both being transferred out of Tirana and into Fier. He's going to re-open an area and also train a new missionary, and I'm going to be companions with elder Anderson, the branch president of Fier. I'll get trained on how stuff works, then I'll become the branch president. It's kind of weird, since I was in the same area my second transfer in the country. I look forward to helping these people out as much as I can, and relying on the Lord the whole way, because there's not a snowball's chance in a really hot place that I could do this on my own.
I really hope things are going well back home, and that people are healthy, wealthy and wise!
Elder Weaver
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