We Walked Home Victorious!

HELLO MY FAM!!!!

So we had a pretty awesome week. Last Monday was actually Elder Foster's birthday and we only had one lesson planned that night. It was with the Pjetri family. They are all members except for the dad and the youngest daughter but thats because she's six. Anyways we went to their home and gave a lesson and then out of nowhere they turned out the lights and brought out this huge birthday cake! We all sat and talked about life and what not and we just had a good time. 

Family that Jed and Elder F are teaching.  Beautiful:)

Well that was my cool thing at the beginning of the week. For the majority of the week it was basically the same. On Wednesday I went on an exchange with Elder Richards. Yeah I went on an exchange with another trainee. We had a whole day planned with lessons and what not but we got dropped by all of them except one. The lesson we did teach was with a recent convert named Armando. He's a way cool kid. He was the young mens 2 counselor I believe and then he started going inactive so we've been starting back up with him. He enjoyed the lesson with us and now he's actually helped Elder Foster and I with some other lessons with Zef in the mornings. 

So we had a lot of finding that night since all of our lessons had fallen through. We street contacted for about 3 hours before we had to go back home and we got 4 new numbers which is amazing for finding here!! So at least that day ended on a really high note which was nice and Elder Richards was fun to be with for the day. We taught Zef some awesome lessons this week too and I know it's definitely been because he's been reading faithfully and been keeping his commitments on everything. We had a lesson with him on Thursday and we ended by asking him to be baptized. His response was just a simple "do pagëzohem" which is basically just "I will be baptized." So yeah we were super happy about that. \

Elder Clawson and Elder F with an investigator. Handsome missionaries!

It's funny you should ask about J girlfriend because we've been meeting with her since J got baptized actually. I thought I had said something about her but I guess I hadn't. She has been taking the lessons very well and Julian has been helping her a ton with everything. But we had a lesson with her the same day that we had that good one with Zef and we talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and at the end we invited her to be baptized and she said yes too!! She had a date in mind already too.  So yeah we were pretty stoked on all of that success and I know it's been the Spirit really working on these great people. So nothing else really interesting happened for the week........ UNTIL YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!

So we woke up at 6 because the night previous we had talked with the Pjetri family about coming to their house before church started and getting their dad to come to church. The story with their dad is that Motra Atkin and Motra Hoover were teaching them about a year ago and he didn't have anything against the church or against his family hearing about the gospel, but he just didn't have any interest in it for himself. So they were all baptized and he has just been floating off on the side. So we hopped on a bus and got out to their house and there he was!!! All ready and revving to go with his kids. It was awesome. We went to church and the Ford's were there and that was nice to learn from them. In priesthood session, Julian received the Aaronic Priesthood which was fantastic. So church was nice and afterwards J and A took us outside next to a sister in our ward and a couple friends that she had brought to church. 

This sister is a pretty well off member and she has some very well off friends. The friend she introduced us to was a large bald man. He had a way nice Range Rover, and had adorned his fingers and wrist with golden rings and a golden watch. He asked us if we could meet with him sometime during the week and of course we just said heck yeah. He was impressed with my Albanian for only being here 2 months and that made me feel like a superstar. After we talked for a little longer, the sister in our ward asked us if we could join them for lunch. I was kinda skeptical about this guy still so I was gonna say no but Elder Foster was just like OK!! So we got into this man's Range Rover, ya I rode in a Range Rover, and drove off with him, his five year old son, and J. 

I loved this comment from Jed, "It was like the Lion King, but I wasn't going to inherit this land at anytime."

Elder Clawson in the elevator up to the tower.

Pet tigers.

Once we had all finished eating, Julian asked if we wanted to go for a little walk. He guided us down the road and then down another little path that led towards these boxes. I was shocked as I rounded the corner and saw two massive tigers, 5 full grown bears, 1 bear cub, and 2 coyotes. Yeah this guy had tigers, bears and coyotes as pets. WHAT IS THIS!? Elder Foster and I were having a hay day! We took tons of pics and what not and we were seriously freaking out. We looked at the animals for a while and then we had to go. Iljaz drove us all the way back home and told us that he wanted to do this every single Sunday. I don't know if that's gonna happen but I wouldn't complain if it did. 

So we had a lesson with the Pjetri family right after we got home so we went out to their house and we watched the Restoration video with the family and their dad. The Spirit was so strong during the whole lesson and at the end of the video it shows Joseph Smiths dad being baptized. So at the end of the video we asked how the dad felt about all the things he had seen. His name is Ndue by the way. Not to be mixed up with NUDE. But he said he felt really good. Therefore, we invited him to be baptized and he said YES!! Holy cow! Everyone was so excited! The daughters were fist pumping and smiling from ear to ear and it was just a fantastic thing. So we ended the night with that and walked home victorious. 

Give Jane a big kiss for me right on the face. She is getting big from the pics that I've seen. And her hair is so crazy. I love you all and I miss you. The church is true and it does change lives!! YOU ARE ALL SO AWESOME!!

Love, Jed


Dear Mother, 
If you haven't sent that package yet, I would like you to send a ped-egg in it. My heels are disgusting. I've been ripping my sheets like no one' s business. I hope you loved SLC and Bruge's. Me and Kirsten loved it. I hope everything is okay at home. I love you and thanks so much for writing me every week. LOVE YA!!

Love, Jed