I am BLACK PLAGUE.

Family, Friends, Citizens, Human beings one and all. I set a new PR. I know you thought it couldn't be done but I only had 1 lesson this week. With a recent convert..... It was honestly a pretty tough week for me. Just a lot of lows and not wanting to go out and work but before I talk about the rain cloud know it ended on a good note (this is a movie you'll enjoy watching mom.) I have been without work for 6 months now. Without work without work. This week it just really wore on me. I just struggled wanting to go out and contact and keep going. Tried to stay positive and give it my all that day but then I'd get out there and it would kind of just hit me again. Not to mention 5 people came to Family Home Evening even though we were expecting way more. It just seemed like everything I do just fails and I don't know what the Lord wants from me. Pushing against the rock and not seeing anything happen. It's been a long 6 months to say the least. I know it's all God's will but on the flip side I should be having success right? I'm being obedient, doing what I'm supposed to, and working hard. Why am I getting nothing. I go out and street contact and no one stops. We go tracting and no one lets us in. I plan activities and no one comes.... That was just the mood of my week... but it got a lot better Sunday. We had one of our area 70s that's over our mission come and speak in our sacrament meeting. He said he felted impressed to share his conversion story and he told the events leading up to the missionaries coming and teaching them.(he ended up being a mission president and is now a 70 so you never know who'll you'll teach on your mission) Then he talked about how we need to open our mouths and the Holy Ghost will do the rest. We don't do the converting we just open our mouths. I don't know what it was but he really lit my fire again and the spirit was just telling me the whole time You need to go out and find those prepared people. I need to give everything I have. Then after the meeting we were walking out and he asked how my mission is going and I said great! but I haven't had any work for a while. He told me about the Greece mission and at one point were averaging 4 lessons a week so they had a conference and only talked about obedience obedience obedience. A companionship after tried to be 100 % obedient and they had 10 lessons then 20 then 30... But said they couldn't keep it up and eventually their lessons fell again. He testified of the blessings of exact obedience then told me that I should only speak Albanian when outside and talk about the gospel to invite the spirit. Don't talk about your family, football, or your girlfriend. The spirit doesn't care about football. (he's British and super funny by the way so do your best accent while you imagine these stories) I feel like I'm pretty obedient but there is always more I can do and I was already speaking Albanian but need to start talking about things that invite the spirit. He really just lit my fire again and got me really excited to go out and just open my mouth. I have an unofficial goal this week to find a new investigator every day or 7 total. I think the black plague is coming to an end. These last 6 months have been extremely hard and long at some points but I think the Lord was just trying to humble me because I might be a little stubborn. I've been asking for my weaknesses so he can strengthen me and to give me everything he's got and I think he did a pretty good job. I"m ready to just tear it up now. I know it's always the will of the Lord but Sunday I just felt this fire and confirmation that it's time that I start getting work done. I need to sacrifice more and be more obedient. I only have 9 more months in this crazy place and I need to give it everything. It's time. So that was my week. The last month it has also been very hot here. it's supposed to cool down this week but we'll see. We had a pretty good storm last night. Next week I hit my year in country mark and I can't really believe a year ago I was being born in Shkodër. So much has happened and so much has been learned in the last year it's amazing. It's amazing what the Lord can do with you when you give it over to him. Also Transfers are next week so be expecting something crazy. We'll see what happens. I still have not been a senior companion and if I go leadership I have a 100% chance of co senioring so I might hold that streak for another transfer. Guess they couldn't trust me to be a senior comp. Being honest after second transfer I've felt like the senior comp with all my companions though... Not trying to be prideful I was just always the one pulling the companionship. S'ka gjë nesër ( direct translation doesn't have a thing tomorrow. it's a saying that means anyways or moving on) ha I totally speak another language! It's super kotë and i'll never use it again but I speak it! I plan on throwing it away and learning Hungarian when I get home so one of our languages can survive! Plus it's my mother tongue so... It's going to be a good week. I love you all. Keep climbing the mountain and make it the best week ever. Elder Szabo

 We have a new address so let everyone know. 

P.O. Box 2984

Blvd. “Gjergj Fishta”, Qendra “Alpas”,

Shk. Nr. 5, Apt. Nr. 14,

Tirana, Tirana, 1000, Albania