Why am I not in Elbasan?

When you ask God for a lemon he makes lemonade and dumps it on you like athletes dump it on their coach after a big win. 

Needless to say it was a long week. Just a mixture of a lot of things. I really miss Elbasan and literally everything is happening this month. All the activities are coming back, the service project I planned is going to happen, the youth are just great, I was getting along super well with my companion. I was doing really good and I always forget what a shock it is when you transition so drastically. It's not like I hate my companion he just gets on my nerves and we have a VERY different way of doing a lot of things. I don't like the way he does missionary work for a lot of things and other things just bother me. I guess I can't really complain I asked for God to open the flood gates and give me the things that would test me and make me a better person I guess I just forget that it's hard sometimes. I learned I do not have very much patience or charity. I know I should love my companion and be slow to anger it's just hard. I don't really know what it is either there is just this weird we don't get along vibe in the air all the time. I guess it's mostly my fault because I get frustrated and shut down and I just need to be honest and discuss and communicate things better. I have a lot to learn... You never realize how terrible of person you are until you ask for your weaknesses and God whispers BE THOU HUMBLE!!!! I have really been thinking this week about the acquiring of Christ like attributes and how we get them. We talk about them all the time but how do we get them? have you ever thought about that? It's really not as easy as it seems. Third ward is good. We have absolutely no work again but it's a pretty good ward. I'm going to try to get a mission prep started here and get the youth more active. It went really well in Elbasan so hopefully I can get people here to come. We have stake conference this weekend and a 70 is coming so it should be really good. We're renting out this conference hall thing and everyone from Albania is coming to Tirana. As well as we are having a choir performance on Saturday. It takes a lot of time out of missionaries time. I love singing and being in the choir but it's just a lot of time out of our area. We have a famous singer that's a member doing a solo at the end. He came to the last practice and he has the voice of an angel. It was beautiful. I"m excited and hope both go well. Plus I'll get to see people from Elbasan at stake conference. I really hope I can find some work in this area and do something for the time I'm here. Don't have a lot to say this week. Just one of those tougher periods and hope it will improve. Which is partly up to me. I had a goal this week to try to always smile. Not a huge fake smile just a smile and it's really helped my attitude and everything. You don't really notice how subconsciously you're just not smiling most of the time and it's amazing how much of a difference it makes. I went tracting last night for the first time in 2 months. With the weather and when people were outside in Elbasan it just wasn't ever good to go. I don't really enjoy it. I feel a lot more productive when i'm on the street talking to people. Make it the best week ever. Elder Szabo 

SUPRISE!!!

Wait it's not my birthday.... So I was praying Saturday night about to go to bed and the phone rings and guess who it is....? President Weidmann. I answer he casually asks me about my day then says "Elder Szabo you are getting transferred. You will be serving in Tirana 3rd ward with Elder Shramm....." WHAT! TRANSFERS AREN'T FOR ANOTHER MONTH! I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR TWO MONTHS. WHAT! Turns out I'm getting transferred... So we have three countries in our mission and one of them is Macedonia where they speak Macedonian. They don't have very many missionaries and there is only one city open so they stay in the same place with only a couple different companions their whole mission. So occasionally for legal and these other reasons president pulls them into Albania or Kosovo for a month. The one that was here just left so guess I pulled the straw and will be filling his spot. Because that's how we get transfers... President pulls names out of a hat. Always did have bad luck. So on Tuesday instead of getting our third companion I will be staying in Tirana and OUR! third companion who is now just my companions new companion will be coming to Elbasan. After all this time and the multiple times almost getting companion it's not even happening now. At least for me. I'm honestly not super excited because I've been here so short a time and this month was when everything was supposed to start falling into place and start happening. Plus I was just planning on putting a knife in my companion and killing him at the end of this month. ( if you're worried about me after that last comment please locate your nearest return missionary and ask what "killing" a missionary means.) It was just super unexpected and not really what I had planned at all. Plus I really like it here and have gotten close to the youth and the ward. Two months is such a short time in an area. This is what you get when you ask God to give you everything he's got to make you a better person. He throws a mean curve ball... With all that said I am grateful that i'm going back to Tirana because I love the big city and change always leads to growth so it'll be a good experience. Sometimes you pray for things and get a picture of what they will be in your head and say give me this then God gives you what you asked for just not what you pictured and you end up saying WHAT?! but he knows whats best he leans over to an angel and says who could have possibly seen that coming? Then they both look at either and laugh then they high five and I get back to work overcoming the next thing he gave me. It'll be exciting especially because I don't think I'll be staying in 3rd ward at the next transfer either.  Guess we'll see. Other than that the only exciting thing is that we taught 2nd and 3rd hour of church this week.  We asked to teach second hour because we wanted to give a special lesson on how to give a talk because people are really bad at it here. They just read for 5 minutes then give a testimony and end and it makes a big difference about bringing the spirit when they actually give a good talk. So we planned on that then found out our branch president was going on vacation and it was fifth Sunday which was combined with everyone which he's supposed to teach so guess who gets to teach it instead. You guessed it the missionaries!!! We gave that one on member missionary work and how we need to invite others and how it's all of our responsibility to share not just missionaries. They both went pretty good. I don't think i'll ever be worried about giving a talk or lesson again in church. We get put on the spot so much and are asked to teach so much not to mention it's all in Albanian (a foreign language I've only been learning for a year) when I go home you could ask me to give a talk for 40 minutes 5 minutes before sacrament meeting and I could figure something else and the great thing about serving a mission is people love mission stories so when all else fails you just have to share stories and people love it. I'm set for life! I'll let you know how the whole transfer goes and how Tirana is doing next week. I love you all. Keep reading and praying and going to the temple and keeping the Sabbath day holy and keeping the word of wisdom and law of chastity and becoming more like Christ.... oh and paying your tithing that's an important one! Keep the commandments folks. It's the only way to get happiness! and We all know you want that! Keep climbing the mountain and make it the best week of your entire life. Life is too short not to smile. Plus who's going to tell you you have something in your teeth if you don't smile! :) I love you all. Elder Szabo 

PR!!!!!!!

Well hello there. This was probably the longest week of my mission but I have learned A LOT. Patience, submitting to the will of the Lord, prayer, working through things,.. etc etc. The hardest part was just not knowing what was going on. The mind gets pretty creative and runs through a lot of scenarios when left to think of what actually is going on. This week was a long strain of me forgetting then remembering that my best friend got in a car accident. The thought "my best friend could be dead" ran through my head a lot and I just went through the scenarios over and over again of everything that could have happened. Suffices to say it was an interesting week. I won't bore you with all the details but the main thing I learned this week was that you need to submit your will to the Lords. Even if it's not what you want it will be what's best for you. You need to be obedient and humble yourself before him and then you can know everything he sends at you is for your good. I've hit on this a lot lately but it's been on my mind. Opposition is a vehicle for growth. Why are we here on this circular thing we call Earth? To have Joy and become like our Heavenly Father through following the example of his son Jesus Christ. How is this accomplished? Joy is sought and found through following the commandments of God. Becoming like God is only accomplished through trial and opposition. There is no other way and it's literally the reason we are here! When you come to realize this you want those hardships those trials those oppositions because you understand it's the only way you can grow. If you climb Everest or walk a mile around a track which one made you a better person? One may be easier but you get a lot more out of the hardship. I pray every night God will give me the things that will shape me into the best person I can become. He never said his road would be easy but he did PROMISE it would be worth it. Grab your nearest Book of Mormon and crack it open to 1 nefi 16 IT'S STORY TIME KIDS! GATHER ROUND!  A tale of young lad named Nefi and his family. To summarize they all go through the exact same thing and all complain murmur cry throw a fit but one. They all went through the same hardship but only one of them used it for his benefit. He acted. He didn't take the time to complain or so whoa is me. He ACTED WITH FAITH. He sat down and carved a new bow and arrow and asked the murmuring profet Where should I go? He had full trust in the Lord and his promises. So what are you going to do when hardship comes? Sit on the nearest tree stump until you starve to death or the wild beasts eat you or are you going to do something about it and learn from it!? it's up to you folks. If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off. So roll up your sleeves hike up your book straps and get to work on building yourself in an Optimal Human Being (patent pending!) I'M HUNGRY FOR GREATNESS! Go get up and start climbing the mountain. If you don't hike up to the top how else will you get there? Private helicopter is not an option! Stop looking for excuses and become great. The son of man was so great because he suffered all. So take your little piece of cake and learn from it! Sorry my soapbox was getting a little dusty. At this rate I probably won't have anyone waiting for me at the airport.... 

       I guess I should tell you about how my week went.... I haven't checked the books yet so it's not official but I think I hit a new pr (personal record for your novices out there) on lowest lesson week of my mission. Don't quote me yet but it could be possible! I had 5 lessons 2 of which were amls so basically only three... Just imagine Usain Bolt running crossing the finish line breaking the world record. That is exactly how I feel! Imagine eating a piece of cake while skydiving. (I am in a weird mood. I"m glad to know my family will always love me) haha ok so I still have no work but we realized this week that we are going to try to some different stuff to change it up because we love standing in the road for 4-6 hours everyday but we are going to try to mix it up. we're going to get a stand made so we can table with it and see how that goes and I want to make some improved pass along cards. We are also progressing with our service project. We just have to get it approved from the senior couple so they can finance it then we will be good to go and a member we told about it told us he wants to build swings and all this other stuff for another part of the city so hopefully that can happen. Good news if you need to find a place to find wood in Elbasan, Albania we know where now! We also walked a good 20 minutes out of the city to find it. People kept telling us it was just a little farther and we finally found it. It's going to be a lot cheaper than we thought to get the wood for the benches and the paint shouldn't be too expensive so that should be happening in the next couple weeks. To update you on my tri companionship it hasn't happened yet. We went to Tirana to get him and when we were almost to the mission office we got a call saying go back you're not getting him today you'll get him at the end of the week. Then the end of the week rolled around and they said you'll be getting him next week and then next week rolled around and they said we should get him Tuesday-Thursday this week so we might get him one day. But it hasn't happened yet. I will let you know if he ever shows up. He had to fill a spot for a missionary who had to get surgery for a hernia so that's why we are having the delay. We are restarting English course next week so i get to do my favorite thing in the whole wide world! Pass out English course fliers. It's lost a little bit of it's sparkle but it's still one of my favorite things to do. People take fliers like candy here. Every Sunday we have a district lunch at the senior couples house and this week we were on main dish and there was supposed to be two extra senior couples there that are here doing a humanitarian thing but it ended the one got in super late so we only had two extra people and our companion didn't come so we planned on feeding 11 people only had 8. The reason I tell you this is because we made a giant pan (see pictures for the definition of giant.) of stacked potatoes. We used 10 large potatoes, about a kilo of cheese, over a kilo of Hungarian sausage, 30 eggs and two things of sour cream. It was delightful. We ended up making way too much but making it was a blast because we made it and then realized it wouldn't fit in the couples oven so we ran from there house to the center and we were all over the place but we eventually got it all cooked and it was delightful! The youth had efy this week so we had a lot of members missing but they all came back and bore their testimonies in sacrament meeting and it was really powerful sounds like it was a really good spiritual experience. It feels just like yesterday Dad you were tying me up and dragging me to efy... I think you guys should get a frame with words in it saying I told you so. The amount of times you said it's going to be fun and i resisted and then ended up enjoying it are too many too count. Plus I got a great story from efy. How often do you get to get a ride home with the two most attractive girls in your group? and then take one of them on a date later. We had a long talk last night about how we are going to try to help the ward here and we decided we are going to teach a class on how to give talks and lessons because honestly church is painfully long and it doesn't help I fast every week. People just read their talks and they all only last about five minutes so the branch president usually has to get up and speak every week. The lessons consist of us reading the manual and then telling the person to comment on it. We really just want to help see that it can be so much better and it will bring the spirit a lot better and get people excited about being in church. We only have a month left and we are going to get some work done. Other than that it was a pretty quiet week. Filled with dying jokes and contacting. I love you all. Especially you! Your favorite or better be favorite missionary Elder Szabo 

Some P-day pictures from Drew, plus attending a baptism

Not what I asked for.....

Hello. I guess I can explain my subject line before I tell you about my week. All I can say is God works in mysterious ways. As you know I haven't had very much work for the last 5 months and it's hard but I endure. All about building me into a better person but sometimes it's just hard and frustrating. It's been raining a lot this week and it really stormed one night so we stuck in the center for a while and then we went out and had to buy some things for dinner the next day and it was still raining and it was too late for tracking so we went in an hour early. Being myself I was very frustrated that we weren't outside working and frustrated we didn't have any work so we planned and then I just laid on the floor and was angry for a couple minutes then realized what I always preach without opposition you can't grow into a better person and trials are for your good. So I went back to being happy and prayed really hard that God would open the flood gates and give me everything he had. Give me the trials that will make me the best person I can be when I go home from this mission. Don't hold anything back Lord give me trials and opposition here so I can grow. A scary prayer I know but I was ready at the moment. Unfortunately I forget that the trials and opposition I had in mind aren't always what God has in mind. Often we pray for things expecting one course of action to happen and then God surprises us with one that was outside of our mind. Guess I should be more careful for what I pray for.... Guess I'll have to wait and see how God continues to answer my prayer. Fortunately I'm one of those people that loves not being in control of situations and not being able to do anything...... Oh wait.  I'm grateful for the relationship I've gained with my Father in Heaven since being out here. I've felt his love and even though he can be frustrating sometimes. I'm kind of at a loss for words right now. I'll tell you about my week. The only big thing is we went to lunch with Bill Martin. He's a peace core guy here who's a total hippy older guy. He wanted to take us to a really nice lunch since he knows we live on a budget as missionaries. Found out he's a member who left the church earlier in his life. He's a great guy and it was a great lunch. He has a outgoing loud personality and is an interesting character. Good to talk with him and have lunch. Other than that we've been in a nice little weather cycle it's been pretty warm during the day and then about 5 or 6 a storm rolls in. Good storms. Rain lightning thunder the whole nine yards. I love storms but they really prish missionary work. (not that we really have any but you can't street contact when it's raining) Oh and we had an activity with the youth this week. We went to a mountain close to the city and played soccer and had a little fire and a spiritual thought. It was really good but got cut short by the rain. All in all a success. The sisters had another baptism this week. We have efy this week in Albania which only happens every two years it's a great opportunity for the youth to all get together and you can't go wrong with efy (yes parents you just read that right) It's good but almost all of our youth are gone for the week which means less work and can't do things with them. We're also going to Shkodër on Wednesday for a service project. Going back to my birthplace. I might have a panic attack. I haven't been there for almost six months and that city is my home. Born and raised in that beautiful place. I'll let you know how that goes. I love you all. Have a great week. Maybe even the best one ever. Elder Szabo 

PUNCH SATAN IN THE FACE.

 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Sorry that it's so big I copied it from lds.org to save time and now my font is really exciting and different. This is exciting. We read that during comp study this week and I really like how it says when trials come why are you so surprised that's why we are here and there is nothing better in this life then being persecuted for the name of Chirst (I mean ice cream is pretty good but....) haha I have just come to realize on my mission that the purpose of life if to become like Christ and our Father in Heaven. How is that accomplished? Through opposition and learning to use our agency in the right way. There is no other way to become better. We can't expect to be the best us if we stay inside a shelter but rather when we have to be out on the sea during the storm. Is is hard? You bet it is. Is it worth it?? Nothing more satisfying in the world. We should all be asking for God to give us trials that will shape us into the person we are meant to become.  How can we learn patience if we never have a sitution where it is tested? This life is test where we are learning. We need to constantly be learning and that comes through hard things and gospel study. Gaining knowledge and then applying it in situations that come our way. So the next time a trial comes your way remember it's not because God is punishing you but rather it's  a loving Father testing you so you may become better. So thank him and smile because you're getting closer to him. Humble yourself and be exactly obedient and afterwards you can know everything that comes your way is your good. He does nothing save it be for the benefit of man kind. His road is better. Satan is always ALWAYS trying to bind us. Although God has a list of rules and limitations they always lead to true freedom. Sin always binds us and our free agency. Think about all the commandments and how breaking them binds you... Satan's path binds you and makes you his slave. God's frees you and he invites you to follow him. Imagine you are climbing up an extremely steep mountain i'ts hard you sweat you barely get to the top and wonder why you would ever have done that but when you get to the top and look and the view and realize you became so much better through the hardship. That is God's path. Now imagine you are walking down the mountain. It's easy and it seems like you are getting somewhere but when you get to the bottom all you see is the mountain and you didn't become better. That is Satans path. He makes it seem like we are going somewhere when really we're not. GO FORTH serving Christ and become the human beings you were meant to become through trial and hardship. Welcome it and become better because of it! BECOME GREAT! 

Well hello there. Sorry about that but my soap box was getting a little dusty. Thought i'd pull it out and use it. This week was pretty boring as usual and nothing really happened. Some big news though mini transfers were this week and we were both expecting to stay in Elbasan so Saturday night we realized that if we did get a call that it would be that night and about 2 minutes after discussing it the phone rings.... PRESIDENT WEIDMAN!!!! We both freaked out and then my companion talked to him then handed me the phone where president proceeded to tell me (after asking about my day for 2 minutes) that we were both staying in Elbasan(what?? Then why are you calling president)  and that we are going to be getting a third companion. Elder Rasband is coming down from Kosovo zone leader and we are going to be in a trio for the next 6 weeks.... A couple weeks ago my old companion Elder Asler died because of some sleep problems so there is a missing spot in the mission and the trio got moved to us. First time being in a trio. It's going to be weird and difficult to adjust to but it'll be a blast and it's going to a lot of fun. Luckily we have a third mattress so I am sleeping on that on the floor. The first couple weeks with a new companion is always interesting because you have to adjust to each other and learn who they are and it'll be interesting to see how it rolls when it's a third comp coming into two others.   I can't believe this transfer is already half over though. seems like I just got here and the time is flying by. It's weird to think that next transfer my sisters will be dying. The only big things that happened this week is that we had a zone conference which was combined with the south zone in Durrës. It wasn't the best meeting I've been to but it was good and it's always good to get together with missionaries you haven't seen in a while. Other than that really nothing happened. We contacted a lot and got our monthly house inspection by our senior couple. They are really cracking down on having clean and functioning houses. We have daily weekly monthly and yearly things we are supposed to do and we have to deep clean before transfers. It's really good because a lot of missionaries don't take care of their apartments and other missionaries later have to deal with it. They are training a fleet of future parents and spouses. haha. Hopefully will have more to tell you next week about how the trio is going. I love you all. Have a great week. Maybe the best one ever. Elder Szabo 

1 year. 1. Wait what!?

Hello fellow human being. Honestly feels like just yesterday I was walking into the MTC not knowing what I was doing and wondering who the Mulekites and the Jaredites were. I heard your time starts flying but i'm experiencing it and I have no ideas whats going on. The time is just flying by and I don't know where it's going. Honestly can't remember much that happened this week. President Weidmann and his wife joined us for District Meeting this week and we had interviews after. I love that man. He is such a righteous example and an incredible person. I learn so much from him. We had interviews and I asked President what I should do because I feel like i'm trying to be obedient and I have had no success for the last 4 months. LITERALLY NOTHING. I call myself a plague because I come into areas and they fall apart and we have no work. It happened in 1st ward and now it's happening here. He just told me that God is in charge of the harvest I just have to go out and work. It's exactly what I needed to hear because I will go out and work everyday and have zero success if that's what the Lord wants for me. That said it doesn't make it easier when I go out and contact and no one stops and I can't get peoples numbers or when we can't meet with any of our recent converts and we have a ton of less actives most of which don't want to come back. It's hard and discouraging because I want to be a missionary like the sons of Mosiah. I want to baptize thousands. I want to be a powerful missionary who converts many and has an impact on others but the numbers don't show..... I don't know if it's a good thing or not but numbers really don't matter to me anymore. It's all about how hard I work to achieve them and how much I consecrate myself that matters. Yes the numbers should be a driving force and something to help and push but I have just had such little work the last couple months they mean nothing. A couple talks I've read and what I've come to learn have taught me true success is measured how your personal conversion and commitment to serve the Lord. Kotë missionaries get baptisms but this mission is changing me into a different creature and I've gained a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know who I am and where I'm going. I have the knowledge that there is a plan for me  in this life and something after. A couple months ago I talked about finding your WHY? of the gospel and for some reason I thought about it during sacrament yesterday. The A/C in our BUILDING wasn't working so we got a couple fans out and at the end of sacrament meeting the branch president stands up and says we will only be having two hours of church today because it's so hot. I'm just sitting there amazed because I'm just happy I have a roof and four walls that we can call our own church and these people can't make it through 3 hours when it's a little hot. I stand outside in the sun for 3 hours everyday in that weather and we can't even sit in a building for an extra hour in it! I just hate peoples lack of sacrifice sometimes. There is a quote by Joseph Smith that roughly says " A religion that doesn't ask the sacrifice of all things will never have the power to produce enough faith for salvation" one of if not my favorite quote. I good go off on one of my rants but it will suffice me to say that Church is a crucial part of our week and that there is LITERALLY NOTHING ELSE. LITERALLY. That you could be doing on Sundays. No sacrifice is too big for the Lord. You can never give too much. You can never serve too much. I know it's easy to say from my side because I have nothing else to take my time away from the gospel but God asks the same from all of us. We may have different trials that will shape us into the best human being and person but God's commandments are eternal and universal. No exceptions and no excuses.  When you really stop and think about it what is more important than church on Sunday? nothing. People find your why and afterwards serve God with ALL your heart , might,mind, and strength. See if God will bless you. Go ahead and try it out. 

      Another thing this week was I used my Priesthood more these last couple weeks than I have my entire mission. My companion gave someone a blessing followed by me giving someone a blessing, then another day I ordained someone a priest, then on Sunday I gave someone the Holy Ghost. I love not only using my priesthood but being worthy and knowing I get to use God's power. What an amazing trust he has in me. He gave a 19 year old boy his power and authority and I love using it. I love the Feeling I get after that I can say I was worthy to use that and feeling God's love. AHH. People this gospel so amazing!! Go live it! 

     I am really loving this area. We may be in a low point right now but I really like the youth and the ward and we have a building and I just really like this city. There is a young kid who came from Durrës who is in a center for kids. He's 16. His name is Ersi (air-see) I love him and he is one of the view people I've met here who understand member missionary work. The girl I gave the Holy Ghost too was one of his friends from the center and the sisters are teaching another one right now and he reads the book of mormon with a bunch of the kids there everyday. He is such a stud and such a strong member for how young he is. We have some really good youth and members here. If there is one thing I've learned out here it's that it doesn't matter how long you've been a member to determine how strong you are but how much time and work you've put into growing and nourishin your seed. Daily scripture study and prayer are the best nourishment you can get and will really keep you on the straight and narrow. Those two simple things done daily will bless you more than you will ever know and you can become a powerful member that the Lord can use in more ways. Two transfers ago Elder Ostergaard and I were listening to a talk and at the beginning he talked about learning as much as you can so that God can use you in more ways to build his Kingdom. It's really up to us to go out and become the best we can and learn as much  as we can so that we're not limiting God's use of us. Puts a different spin on it doesn't' it. We had a long talk about doing all we could and learning all we could so that God could use us for whatever he needed and not lacking so that he had to skip over us and use someone else. Be ready for whatever God gives you and be ready to say Here am I. Send me. Grow your testimony everyday and become incredible human beings. Grow, Learn , Become, and keep climbing the mountain of life everyday. Learn from hard things don't complain about them. GO FORTH. Achieving Greatness. I love you all. Have a great week. Maybe even the best week of your life. It's up to you. Elder Szabo