"mirë"

Albania! It's amazing! When you talk to people you say "How are you?" 5 different ways and they say, "mirë" (good) every single time and then you continue.  They also don't have shower curtains! haha! but they do shower! ;)

This week has been good! For the past week we have been waking up at 6:00 to go running with a less active member in hopes he will come to church.

We had so many prayers answered this week! 3 times someone cancelled on us, so we prayed and then someone else would:

1. call us as we were walking and said they wanted us to teach them
2. someone saw us praying and we talked to him and taught him real quick
3. (this is my favorite one) we felt inspired to meet with this one guy, a less active guy. We called him and he said he could go to the center (where we meet everyone) and 4 of his friends were there! (all about 22 years old). We started the lesson and asked if we could start with a prayer. The 4 friends didn't know how to pray. Needless to say we taught them the Restoration and asked them all to be baptized! We are meeting with them again today! It was super cool and the less active guy was super cool and was like "yeah, this is true guys" and I bore testimony! It was awesome! After the lesson he said, wow your Albanian has really improved! You speak like an Albanian now! #GiftOfTongues! It was such a blessing!

We had a baptism this week.  He said he didn't think he would feel the Spirit but when he heard the words of the baptismal prayer and was baptized he did! Super cool!  On Sunday he was confirmed.

Spiritually thought:
Charity! People won't care about what you know until after they know about how much you care! I always thought there was a certain way to be a good missionary, by saying something just to get them into the font, but I learned that the best missionary is one that is charitable and obedient! Everyone is different and you have to care about them before you can help them! Charity is amazing!!

I love you all!!
Love Elder Michael Uestën

Some kind of Albania food

This is my Kind of Place!

Albanian Culture:

1. They drive like crazy! No rules! People here can walk right through it because cars will go around you! #ThisIsMyKindOfPlace
2. They have a sink by the toilet.... It not for washing your hands... . (If you know what I mean, but in our apartment we have toilet paper.)
3. Everything is super Cheep (I love it)
4. Everyone walks everywhere!
5. Everyone smokes
6. Everyone says "Hello my friend" or complain about Albania and says that America is amazing!


I flew to Chicago, Germany with no problem. At the airport in Germany we got on the plane and people either spoke Albania, English, or German, so they gave the instructions for the flight in all 3 languages. After that we had a problem with luggage. We all got off the plane and went and found our luggage, I could only find one of my checked bags I told a guy this and he said, in his German accent "It doesn't matter!" so yep, it didn't matter and I got back on the plane and eventually we took off! When we got to Albania, I still couldn't find my second bag. We told the airport and filed a report. I still don't have that bag but the airport called and said they found it. It's with the mission president in Tirana right now! So don't worry there is a happy ending! #GodProtectsHisMissionaries

My companion is Elder Divkoviç. He is from Germany and he is amazing! He is the funniest guy! We hitch-hiked to Elbasan! That was cool! We taught them the gospel and when I say we, I mean my trainer talked to them mainly, and I bore my testimony! I nailed my testimony, no worries! haha

Then normal mission stuff. I was super tired the first couple days. My apartment is really nice (don't worry mom). We watched Gen.Conf in Albanian. I didn't understand anything, so I read scriptures and caught up on my sleep a little bit! ;) I found a McDonalds! It really isn't one. They just have the sign. They only sell baked chicken. Super cool! Albanian is coming! They have amazing food! I'll talk more about that next week! In the center of Elbasan they have a dope castle it's super sweet!! We also have a baptism this week.

Spiritual thought:
Whatever happens is Gods will. We don't need to worry about saying the right thing because God's will will be done. If you talk to someone and they are offended, we don't need to worry, because it will all work out in the end! Mos Ke marak (no worries) we are in God's hands. :)

Love 
Elder Michael Uestën

Elbasan, Albania

Elder Weston is in Albania

Dear Sister and Brother Weston,

We warmly welcome Elder Weston to the Adriatic South Mission. After a long flight he arrived in Tirana. He and a temporary, experienced companion tried a little street contacting. Then he had an interview with President Weidmann.

Today has been a very busy day for your son. It started with breakfast at the mission home with the Weidman’s.

Then we took them up to the place where the dedicatory prayer was offered for the proselyting of the gospel in Albania. This is a very spiritual experience. They read the dedicatory prayer offered by Elder Dallin H. Oaks in 1993. They read it together as a group and then separated to study and ponder it, then pray about it. Our missionaries come out of that experience loving Albania and its people.

You have a very special son who is strong and he will do a great work here. Thank you for sharing him with us. President Weidmann takes very good care of his missionaries. He loves them and they have no doubt that does. He sends them an uplifting text every morning and always signs it ‘Love President Weidmann’. They know they can call him anytime even if it is just to talk. Sister Weidmann is there making sure they have everything they need and that they are happy.

After the dedicatory experience it is back to the mission office for training, lunch, and to see who their companion will be. Your son’s companion is Elder Divkovic. They have been assigned to labor in Elbasan, Albania.

Here are a few pictures that were taken today.

Regards,

Sister DaBell
Adriatic South
Mission Secretary
+ 355 069 700 3461

Elder Weston's trainer Elder Divkovic

Sister & President Weidmann, Elder Divkovic

LAST WEEK IN THE MTC #BestWeekThusFar

The reason why this week was the best week was because:

1. I got to leave the MTC grounds! (I went to the doctor) my eye had a sty (Don't worry mom I'm okay)

2. Our District taught the new missionaries how to be good missionaries. We taught an investigator (in English :/ lame huh?) for 5 mins we just talked to the investigator and got to know them, then left.

3. I got a new name tag!! And this is how they spell it Elder Ueston, But when I get there I am going to have it say Elder Uestën.

4. Grandma Jane sent me cinnamon rolls! they are delicious!!! #G-MA_JANE.2016

5. I got my flight plans! We will leave to Chicago at 12:30PM-4:39PM, to Germany at 6:00PM-9:45AM, and to ALBANIA at 10:50 AM-1:05AM.(all different time zones) I'm excited!

6. The temple dedication! I loved it. It was glorious and beautiful!! The song "The Spirit of God" was amazing!! In that song is says "The vail is beginning to burst" and it was!! Hearing all the missionaries singing that song was AMAZING!!!

Spiritual Thought:
In the BoM BIBLE AND D&C they all say that if you testify of Christ you will have the spirit. As missionaries and members of church every message we share should focus on Christ. "We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, and we prophesy of Christ." When I was teaching a lesson the investigator asked "why we teach about Joseph Smith, Isn't your Church about Christ?" and we said "Through Joseph Smith, Christ restored his Church. We are here to Testify of Him" and after that we could feel the spirit so much!

Love
Elder Weston

Grandma Jane cinnamon rolls

Skype

This week we Skype'd someone from Albania! It was so much fun! We taught about Faith. It was very difficult to understand her because she spoke fast and the microphones weren't the best. It was so crazy we could still teach her and she could kinda understand us! So I'm excited to go to Albania!

Tuesday! Rafael E Pino spoke in English, at first, but then he spoke in his native tongue. He had a translator and spoke Spanish for half the time! That was sweet!

On Sunday, Stephan B Allen spoke about how God loves us! After we watched the Joseph Smith movie, from 2002. God has a hand in everything!!

Spiritual Thought:
Everyone should share the gospel with as many people as they can. The gospel will bring people peace and happiness! The gospel is similar to having a pot of gold, don't worry if you think people won't want some gold, because everyone wants it, everyone wants happiness! Share the gospel with as many people as you can. This week I realized I should have shared the Gospel more and I know it would have blessed their lives!

Also if you think about the MTC, people come here, we all learn the same gospel, go all across the world, this same gospel can affect so many people! Everyone has different problems and the gospel can solve all of them! 1 password to unlock the hearts of many!

Vini re, unë jam një deshepull e Jezu Kristit, Birit të Perëndisë, unë u thirra prej tij të njoftoj fjalën e tij mes popullit të tij, që ata të mund të kenë jetë të përjetshme. 3 nefi 5:15


I love you all!
Elder Michael Weston

Thought

Spiritual Thought:

I can feel the spirit so strong here!! And I know a lot of people feel the spirit in different ways and if you figure out how you feel the spirit it will help you so much!!!! also if you want to know different ways to feel it, PMG the chapter about how to recognize the spirit!

I love you all!!

Love Elder Michael Weston

MTC group