Mulan

In Albania they like to play this card game called Mulan! It is like the American "Scum" but with some other fun rules! It's a lot of fun! People here also really like dominoes and chess!

I gave a talk in church! It was good! first time in 16 weeks!

Persian guy is doing great I love his accent! "VestOn (a mix of Vest of Stone.) How are yoouuu? Good Tanks" what a champ! He is going to get the Priesthood next week! I am super excited! Also Baj* is going to get the Priesthood!

Had zone conference, at the end there was a ton of rice and chicken left so we grabbed a "plate" (A tray, it was free game) And have been eating that for the last 3 days! #blessed!  Speaking of food, you know how I do the fitness game right? yeah well I lost 10 lbs. Good? I don't know? anyways!

For P day we played soccer and frisbee! Then went to a shopping place! Bought some pants and stuff! It was fun!

Spiritual thought: In my talk, I talked a little about the Atonement. I have always loved this scripture in Isaiah 53:5
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."
I am so grateful for my Savior and though his stripes we can receive forgiveness and be healed and be cleansed of our sins!

Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Michael Ueston

Easter / Baptism

Last Monday Elder Lords (my old companion) and Elder Divkovic (my dad) came and stayed at our house for a night, while they were traveling. While they were at our house they said that I look super good. Maybe all that healthy eating has really helped! #Goals I know spinach doesn't taste good but just eat it! :)

Ba* got baptized this week!
On Tuesday he had his interview. Turns out he had an operation on his teeth, so when he came for the interview he had a bloody cloth in his mouth with about 3 teeth left. #PlotTwist
Then he got baptized on Thursday, right before I went to baptize him I showed him how I would be baptizing him. Then when I told him I would dunk him backwards he said "I will do it." I was kinda confusing and was like "..okay let's go" I said the prayer, then after, like he said, he fell back basically baptizing himself while he was holding my hands like you do. Right after that I pulled him back up! It was awesome!  His testimony was awesome too! TBH I don't know what I was expecting when he was about to give his testimony, but turns out he is an amazing story teller! He said that at first he came to the church just for english course. After we had some lessons. When the missionaries asked me to be baptized I told them that baptism will come like a fruit on a tree, it has to grow first, basically quoting Alma 32.

Then I was telling him how important it is to come to church and he promised me that he would come to church. He said he would come to church even if the dentist ended up cutting off his head. He did come to church with a head no worries!

Last week we baptized the Persian guy and he doesn't speak that good of Albanian, and this week we baptized Ba*. Ba* and Persian Guy are best friends! I don't know how they are such good friends or how they even speak to each other but they are. Ba* saw the Persian Guy's watch and said "I am going to give you a new watch." "why?" "just for fun! I have 3 of them" #BFF

BTW: In Albania they often name they children after people or things. For example Gezim which means Joy. Ba* is sacred Islamic religious celebration where they fast for a month. In one of our lessons Ba* told us that he has never participated in the celebration of Ba*.
I thought that this was super ironic that his name is Ba* but has never participated in Ba*. #Goals

This Saturday we had a ward party for Easter. We hid eggs and had some kids and Motra Hanci found them.

Easter: Church, we ate dinner at the Masefield and learned about Passover, Choir, and a devotional type thing at the mission couples house!


Spiritual Thought:
2 Nephi 2:26 " the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever"
I am so grateful for my savior and that this week we had an opportunity to remember his Eternal sacrifice so that we can "become free forever"
Read the Book of Mormon!!!


Love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Michael Ueston

Puppies

In Albanian the word "Përdorë" (to use) if you directly translate it, it means "For" and "Hand" or "to do something with a hand." Albanian is cool. Përballë (in front of) if you directly translate it, it means "For" and "Forehead" or "to do something with your forehead" Albanian is cool!

The best part of this week was when we were walking down the road when we saw a pet store with puppies inside and of course we played with them! They were so cute!

This week we sang in the road with a lot of other missionaries for the activities we will have for Easter! 

We found a store that sells 20 cookies for 50 cents! #Goals! but I have been eating healthy this week except for that! Made home made pizza. 

Spiritual Thought: 

Easter is coming in less than a week and I would like to share my gratitude for my Savior and all that he has done for me! I know that Jesus is The Christ, he died for us and he overcame the sting of death.

I love this scripture in Isiah 1:18

"...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

I am so grateful that though The Savior and His Atonement we may have our sins turn to white like wool.

Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Michael Ueston

Missionary work is great

Missionary work is great.... Baj* is doing great he loves church and was concerned if we would have baptismal clothes from him and stuff! Cute kid!

Nad* loved learning about prophets especially when he found out that their talks were translated into Persian. He has stopped smoking for 3 days thus far, it is a blessing because he has been smoking for the last 20 years of his life!

Ale* the lawyer, understands everything, is really smart and humble and was going to be a Catholic Priest but he said he didn't want to because he couldn't get married! lol now he is excited to get baptized!

Played basketball, Frisbee (today in the morning), and soccer.

This past week I got into chess but then I beat my companion to much and he quit. Need someone who will play chess with me (need Jason RN)

This member is really good at piano and set up a concert and it was great and we were going to get investigators but then we had to go when it ended so we couldn't meet any of them! LAME! HUH? but it was a great concert!


Spiritual Thought: I felt the spirit really strong this week when I was talking to people about the Atonement of Jesus Christ! I am so grateful for his enabling power and strength we get to overcome any temptation! You all should study the Atonement and try to understand it more!

Have a great week!
LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder Michael Ueston

google translate

Transfers happend: I am with Elder Thomas now!

I went to a District Leader meeting, English course, district meeting, played soccer on Saturday, my companion hurt his foot, ate Chinese, had a ton of people in church (80), I translated a little bit for church!

We met our Persian guy, Nader. "We" (google translate) taught him the Word of Wisdom. He said that it will be hard because he has been smoking for 20 years. He said he will try so he can get baptized! He is so awesome!

This is a typical conversation with him on the phone:
Nader: "Weston, How are you?"
Me: "Good, how are you?"
Nader: "Good thanks."
Me: "what have you done today?"
Nader: "Good thanks."
Me: "Good..."
Nader: "Weston, we meet at the church today?"
Me: "Yeah at 4"
Nader: "yes at 4"
Me: "awesome"
Nader: "Thank you, good bye."
Me: "Thank, see you there."
Nader: "Thanks bye"
Nader=BFF (best friend forever)

Met a lawyer named Alex, he is awesome, his hair is great, he came to church, and he has a baptismal date. He is a big time lawyer. He reminds me of Jeff Winger from Community (just because he is a lawyer, no other reason)

My friend Joe came back to my ward for one last time before he leaves to Italy again! Had a lesson that was super spiritual! He is a great guy!

This American guy named Trevor from Organ came to church, he loves The Bible.

Spiritual Thought:
Corinthians 6:19-20: "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

--
I saw this sign and I thought "Wow! I didn't know that the church puts up advertisements in Albania."
Our bodies are so sacred to our Father in Heaven and he asks that we take care of them. They were bought with a price, the price that Jesus Christ has to pay.
I am so grateful for My Savior Jesus Christ who payed the price for my amazing life!


LOVE YOU ALL! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!
Elder Michael Ueston

Transfers

We got transfer calls!! "Hey Elder Weston, you will be staying in Tirane 4th Ward, and your companion will be Elder Thomas." I was in the MTC with Elder Thomas so I am excited!

This week was dope!
Let me start with a funny story of my companion!

The Whistle
My companion saw this cool car. He was staring at it while we walked by this attractive girl. And then whistles, "whhho hooooo" (the whistle you do when you see a hot girl) it was intending for the car. But I didn't see the car ,but I saw the girl....Then I am like "you savage what are you doing?"
Companion: "did you see that car?"
Me: "no, did you see that girl"
Companion: "OH WHAT?!" **Looks back**
It was super funny! Great kid. I will miss him!

Some random guy picked us up this week, I would say hitch-hiking but he's just helpin a brother out!

This week our Persian friend finished the Book of Mormon, 2 weeks if you were counting! He is so awesome! He came to church and he loved it even though he didn't understand a lot! I am so excited for his baptism! He is going to be awesome! We can't find anybody who knows Persian... But at least he speaks a little English!

For missionaries: If you are finding it hard to get motivated to street contact, tell yourself "If you get 5 (or more) numbers in an hour, You can buy a crepe" I do it all the time and it is very effective!


Spiritual thought:
I have 2 quotes from our stake conference from last week:
1. "If you don't have time to pray, you are busier then God intended you to be"
FIND TIME TO PRAY! ALL THE TIME!

2. "A special part of faith is knowing who God is, and not just knowing about him". If we want to develop a perfect Faith, we have to know God not just know who he is. I am so grateful for my personal relationship with the Savior, and I hope that you all will gain a relationship with him as well!

LOVE YOU! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Elder Michael Ueston

Also this is a cute kid in Pogradec that I saw this week! 

My companion was doing call in's and I was doing dishes when I found all of these bubbles!

Mission Picture in Elbasan!

we took a cute final District picture on a slide! 

An expensive waffle

We did some service this week, Elder Farnsworth and I found a hoe, and I thought, "what should we do with this hoe? maybe take a picture with the hoe." So that is what we did, took a picture with the hoe! :)

I went on 2 exchanges! One with Elder Miller and with Elder Draper, they both are AWESOME! Elder Miller is from England and he thinks he knows english because he is from England, but I had to remind him "I am from The Land of The Free, Home of The Brave!" America! ;) . With Elder Draper, we had a killer time we played some games and ate some cookies dipped in Nutella, Healthy! For his bday we went to a killer waffle place! It was dope! (and missionary work)

We made a fruit salad for district lunch for 3 times in a row! You could say I am really good at making fruit salads now!

At church my friend ,Joe, from Elbasan who moved to Italy came! It was so awesome to see him again!!!

BTW: Important: I will not be able to email next week on Monday, because that is when mission conference will be, so we are going to be emailing on Wednesday!  This week is gunna be crazy!

Spiritual thought:We taught a lesson this week in Sunday school about Truth, and how we can know if something is true! It was awesome! We talking about Jacob 4:13
"for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls"
And 1 Nephi 10:19 "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."

I know that for all of those people who are looking for the truth the best way is through the spirit! I know that The Book of Mormon is true, because every time I read it the spirit testifies of this fact!

Love you all! 

Have a great week!

Elder Michael Ueston

An expensive waffle

Me and Joe

"I ho(p)e they call me on a mission"