This week was a really busy week.

What up?

This week was a really busy week. Not a ton of people here in Albania have cars so we were basically the youth camp transport. Girls camp and boys camp both happened this week and I think we made at least five trips up there. We also took our entire Wednesday night and did shopping with Sister Veliu for girls camp food. I’ll tell you what, we bought a lot of food. I think I got a little insight into what it takes to prepare for a youth camp in America cause that would probably be even more work than we did. But apparently the camps went well which is really great. The youth had a really good time.

I don’t know if I told you last week, but we found a new investigator named Azgan who now has a baptismal date. He’s really weird, but he’s moving along. He looks and acts exactly like Igor from Young Frankenstein. He is a Muslim and actually knows quite a bit about Islam. He is very smart and understands everything we teach, but somehow thinks that it all ties right along in there with Islam which is not really true. . . . .so we’re going to have to work on that one. But he’s got a baptismal date for the 19th! We’ve got some time. We’re gonna work on the Word of Wisdom with him this week which is always a significant point in the teaching process.

Vasil is still doing well. Just kind of frustrating cause he talks so dang much. We’re actually not sure if the stuff we’re teaching him is getting into his brain. Like, he understands it, but he still tells us tons of super random stories that have nothing to do with anything and that are just based on completely fabricated lies by preachers in his village. It’s really really frustrating. I don’t really know how to explain it, but we’re really trying to overcome this and we haven’t found anything yet. So hopefully we can get this soon. We’re thinking that this week we’re going to do some sort of lesson that’s just really straight forward about how there is only one true church and all the others are false. And the true one is not in his village so he needs to stop talking about it. But we’re hopefully going to say that with a little more tact. ;) We might have to do the same thing for Azgan as well. We’ll see.

Oh, kind of a cool story. There is a member here in first branch named Grisi (greasy). He is pretty much the most legit person ever. Well, Thursday he left for the Preston, England MTC to get ready to come back here for his mission. About a week and a half ago we let him know that this was his last chance to bring any of his friends that he hadn’t talked to already to learn about the church. And what do you know, Wednesday morning we had a meeting with a guy that he always says hi to on his way to the church. Did it go anywhere? Not really, but Grisi is legit. End of story. We can’t wait to have him as a missionary here. My dying wish is to have Kosovo open and serve together there with Grisi. We’ll see. ;)

Yes I know I only have 8 more months left. That’s so weird. That means Tim only has four. Crazy sauce. Motra Bentley does come home at the same time as Elder Foulk. They’re both getting home in early October. I honestly cannot believe that she is going home. But I guess that’s how these things go. You’ll have to say hi to her for me when she gets back.

Hey mom, thanks for the e-mail! I love you and I am praying for you all every day. I hope you have a great week!

-Elder Swenson