I'm not as kot as they say....

We came to conquer the world and baptize your family.

 This week was interesting to say the least... We got Gjergj baptized IN HIS FSHAT! So much cooler than a font. Rivers are better than fonts... We went up to visit him last week like I told you about and we figured since his family couldn't come to the baptism we'd take the baptism to them and we did and it was awesome. We went up on Friday and took my two favorite members with us. Because the bishop couldn't come we took our ward mission leader Edi who is the rm from Fier and Joni who is the Rm from Lushnje who I've told you about. Without going into too much detail it was probably the most ridiculous ride of my life... They were are DJs and lets just say they like rap more than motab... We had a good time. It was great. We went up and went to his house and his family fed us a big lunch which we were not expecting and then we had a lesson with them about why we baptize people and why in this church and then we went down to the river which was a 5 minute drive outside of their village to the river and dunked him. Edi baptized him. Only his parents came but it was still super great. Little ceremony , baptized him, welcome from Edi and then we ended. The best part is that he came to church on Sunday and got the Holy Ghost and stayed for all three hours and he made some amazing comments in third hour. He has a lot of potential just need to make sure we keep him rolling on the path. 

  

     Speaking of that my last transfer call was received this last Saturday.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. I'm staying here in 4th ward with Elder Holding. He's going to kill me. Weapon of choice... Undecided.  I'm really glad this is how it's ending. I would have liked to make it up to Kosovo but I didn't really want to have to readust to another comp since we are getting along so well and we both know our area and can stay with Gjergj. My group dies on Wednesday so i'm officially in limbo and the oldest missionary in the mission for 6 more weeks. Does it feel like it.. A little. I"m ready to work hard my last transfer. If i'm going to be completely honest i'm not going to die hard in the sense that i'm going to stop working or just stay inside but I don't care about hurrying to get out and do it if we are kenaqing with people. Lost a little bit of my fire but I just like to think i'm a wise old turtle now... A little tired and a little slower but is wise and knows what he's doing. Going to be a good last couple weeks. It's hot, humid, and we don't have any work. What else could i ask for :) 

      Other than my main village man getting dunked not much happened this week... We only had 43 people in church which is awful. Everyone is gone to the beach. but we did help our retention for third hour a little bit. We have a poster of Jesus that is up in the church and we printed out a sign so we had a speech bubble that said "how are you going to stay with me forever if you can't stay in church for 3 hours" ... We think it helped. :) I'm kind of a ridiculous person if you haven't noticed. \

     Oh the other thing that happened this week is that we were pretty upset at the aps for most of the week. Like I said last week they threw us under the bus for that meeting and then at district meeting they told us they were going to be out of town so we had to do everything and they haven't planned anything. They tried to justify it by saying there isn't that much to plan. We were a little upset... So we got put in charge and went and bought everything with the other elders which was ridiculous. People do not bulk buy here so you could say he got a couple stares. Then we figured out the grill so we could cook. WE have our party tonight. It's an american party for the fourth of July so we're having hamburgers and hot dogs and doing some activities. IT should should be a good time. 

Other than that... 6 weeks left. Have a great week. Elder Szabo 

My wish came true and then it punched me in the face.

Hello one and all... I'll try to keep this short as I know you all bore easily at your long lost missionary and his stories and life...... :O 

        It was a slow week again but filled with a lot of good. Gjergj was in town a lot this week so we got to see him three times. We had a lesson and then his interview on Friday. HE PASSED! He is awesome. He is getting baptized this weekend. Make that 3 transfers in a row that i'll end on a baptism. I was thinking the other day that from my first to second baptism I went ten months and then after that i've ended every transfer with a baptism. Hopefully I can end my last one with one as well. Unfortunately Gjergj went back to his fshat after the interview so he's going to be there until the baptism BUUUUUT President gave us the advice to go visit him in his fshat so he'll be ready for baptism so today we drove out there and to Burrel and got to meet his family and see his town and explained to them why we are here. It was really good and his family is super cool. It's a couple hour drive and the road was super fun to drive. MOuntain road with a lot of curves. So you know me I drove really slow and cautious. ( mother don't you roll your eyes at me!) It was one of the most beautiful drives i've been on and we all know how many i've been on... On the way back we stopped at a bridge and had to cross it. Super sketchy but we did it and plus the fshatar we met right before ran across it so.... But it was a really good trip and we are going to go back on Friday right before his baptism so he is ready. He's trying to get work in Tirana so he can be here for church. He has a lot to learn but who doesn't when they are baptized. He is a great kid. So be looking forward to that on Saturday along with my last transfer call ever.... DUN DUN DUN. *Darth vadar walks in the room and does a spit take* 

     Speaking of which. Molly plug your ears and close your eyes. I had to give my dying testimony this week. I don't know if I've ever told you but it's a thing in our mission that before missionaries die they give a final testimony at the big mission conference. We had my last mission conference today BUT since i'm extending the aps weren't going to let me give my testimony and i've been giving them crap for the last couple weeks so I sat there and watched my group get up and bear their testimonies one by one and it caused a lot of reflection and thought... and then after the break we came together and one of them walked over and said you want to give you testimony..... So my chance came and in that moment the reflection deepened and I had to decide what I was going to say. He also told me I had 3 minutes. LUckily I figured out what I was going to say a year ago so I went up and testified about it's not about what you say but you are that will be remembered because no one remembers these testimonies but you remember names and what kind of missionaries they are and talked a little about how the Atonement has changed me and how much i've changed. So..,.. I gave my dying testimony. Didn't expect to but it happened and it blew my mind a little bit. I had to walk up with my walker and adjust my hearing aid but I got through it... I got some really good compliments from missionaries after that made me feel good about it. We all know how much I love inspiring people... #Elderszabosoapbox!!!! 

     Other than that I had weekly planning with Pres this week... It lasted 3 hours and could have gone another three... LEarned a lot and felt like i've been planning terribly and with not enough effort my whole mission. Good thing we have the atonment. 

     Going to end the transfer strong and get us a baptism. Other than that... 

Have a great week! Elder Szabo 

Come on!

Ok family. If you expect me to keep writing you letters you have to at least try to write me! *he says looking awkwardly at his parents*  In your defense I didn't really write last week but I was trying to sign up for classes which I ended up having to do today. It took me about 10 seconds after I got two pieces of info. I had already preplanned my classes so just had to click a couple buttons... I'm going to have to move them around because the way I set them up would be pretty intense and i'd be in class for about 8 hours so might have to change that... Kind of hit me last week that real life is coming and i'm becoming all growned up. Turning 20 means I know everything and my future is perfectly planned out so no worries! :) Wait that's not it at all. I have gone through about 3 career changes over the last 2 months. I'm boxing with life and i'm rocky balboa... 

Ok onto the week.... Met with Gjergj once. Kaq. 

Have a great week!!! 

But really that was about our week. Gjergj is in testing season so he only comes for test right now and he only had one this past week so we had one lesson and he wasn't able to come to church because of financial things. Even though he couldn't make it to church we are confident he's going to be baptized on the date he decided on. July 2 and 3. If he makes it this will be the 3 transfer in a row that I end the last week with a baptism... I counted the other day and realized that from my first baptism to my second there was a 10 month period... and then the last couple months i've had one the last week of the transfer. Luckily we are going to beable to meet with Gjergj three times this week and he's going to have his interview on Friday. So keep him in your prayers. He is super awesome he just needs to come to church and be incorporated intot he ward better. Luckily we're going over to the bishops with him for FHE tonight so that is going to be awesome! It should be a good week. Other than Gjergj we have no one. Lots of street contacting but we have become super chill with each other so we make it fun and joke around a lot. We've stayed up a couple nights talking and last night we stayed up playing cards pretty late.  Oh how things turn around after a couple months and you get comfortable with someone. 

     I learned a very valuable lesson this week. H O N E S T Y. I won't go into the whole thing but just some little things with how missionaries feel about members and they don't tell them but complain when we are with missionaries and then they told me about it and it just made me realize that we need to be more honest with people. A member read something on a blog of a missionary and he denied writing it and just some minor things like that but it made me think of my blog and what i've written and if everything I wrote i'd be ok with everyone reading it.... Hit me really hard I just need to be honest with people. We are need to be honest with everyone. Even if it might cause some problems or contention or confrontation it is the only way to effectively get over problems and it's the Lords way. You didn't see Jesus watch Peter do soemthing and then lean over to John and say Wow... Did you see the way he couldnt' heal that guy because of his lack of faith. No he straight up told him. Of course he had perfect love which we love but we can handle it with the spirit and it will all go over well. This isn't a pointing fingers rant it's a I need to take the beam out of my own eye. It was a big eye opener this week for me. It's amazing how much you can learn in two years especially the last couple months. God has been pouring lesson after lesson on me since I got here. Such a blessing being tutored and guided by my Heavenly Father. He hears my prayers and he hears yours. Council with him and council with others in honesty. It'll change your life and open your mind. Give it a try. 

      Other fun thing this week. After running around second hour to help a member get a video for her lesson for second hour i walked into preisthood and realized we didn't have a teacher so... What do I do go grab the books and start preparing to give the lesson.... So i get the howard w hunter books hand them out and ask what lesson it is... 16 I think someone says so I flip open and what does it say.... Marriage. The missionaries including the senior couple elder had some good jokes and then I proceeded to give an hour lesson on marriage. I don't bring this up to brag I can drop an hour lesson without notice or the fact that marriage is getting close for me i'm reminded enough by the other missionaries. but the point is I want you to ask yourself if you walked in to sunday school, sacrament meeting or any gospel class and they said there is no teacher would you be able to give a lesson? I'm no saying it has to be the most amazing sermon ever given since the one on the mount but just take an honest look at your discipleship and ask yourself if your gospel study and your prayers and your church attendance is being used effectively so you can be used as a tool in God's kingdom. Are you working everyday to build his kingdom and are you working on yourself and your life so that he can use you when he needs you. Physically and spiritually are you in a position to be called to service. What's holding you back? what do you need to improve? Think about it make some goals and improve your discipleship. Don't take a back seat approach to YOUR discipleship. Kick your driver out and start leading your path. Follow Christ with dilligence an be ready when called upon. GO FORWARD. Moral of the story... Are you prepared for whatever comes up in life. If not do something today so you'll be prepared tomorrow. Be progressing not digressing. Do something and act don't be acted upon. Get off your chair and do some push ups put the remote down and read some scriptures. Be useable in the hands our God. 

You kids have a great week. Love Elder Szabo 

School

I don't have any time because I'm been trying to figure out my school thing and don't have information I had no idea I needed. OH the joys of being on a mission and trying to be a real person. Probably going to have to change some insurance stuff... 

This week. Had an exchange with Elder Befus. Went to high school with him. Had service on Saturday in durres with the youth and the sisters had a baptism. Sunday our investigator came to church and we had a barbeque with the bishop. Went to see a castle today. 

Have a great week.

my birthday

 my district

Nature. Caves. Walking.

  On the week not too much to report. We had zone training and we had an exchange with the zone leaders. My first zone training that I didn't have to give in 7 months... It was nice but really weird.  The exchange... All we did was street contact. I hate exchanges. But I talked to this girl in the morning and we had a super good talk. She spoke English and her parents are jdub and she decided a couple years ago that she didn't want to be anymore but hasn't told her parents. She was just interested about what we believe. Some sincere desire it was nice to talk to someone who just wanted to learn. 

    We actually got an investigator this week. We met a kid named Gjergj street contacting and had two lessons with him and have another one planned for tonight. We pushed super hard for a baptism date with him but he wanted to read the book first but he was totally ready for it. Just a shyer kid but super awesome. A student here and his family lives in a village but he understands and it's looking like he'll be my end of transfer baptism! Other than him we have absolutely nothing so we're still finding a lot. 

    We had a special multi stake broadcast for all of Europe. IT was super good. We had 2 and fourth ward together. The broadcast was good but atmosphere was not. The sound was in and out and people were on their phones and kids and noise and talking. It was frustrating but super good. 

    Today we went out to a fshat and on a nature walk up to a cave and then got back and they told us the close bus just left so we went back on the other trail to the river bed and we got a little lost and ended up walking down the river bed because we went off the path and then we had to walk back to the main road to catch a bus... It was a lot of walking but it was really good to out and hiking and outdoors. Exactly what I needed after a long slow week. 

     I love you all. Have a great week. 

The ocean breeze.

Family. I got heavily reprimanded and scolded for being and sounding trunky so I apologize and will not mention the fact I'm going home or that any of you actually exist..... 

       This week. We still haven't found anyone.... but we met some with members so that was nice. We also had district meeting with President Weidmann and interviews after.  

     We met with The topi family which is the girl who served in molly's mission at the same time so that was cool.  We also met with an older couple that elder holding knew before his mission. Their daughter lives in America and lived with him on and off so crazy small world. Other than that nothing really happened this week. Just working hard and trying to find some people. What's new. Church was interesting because sacrament meeting there is this little kid that runs around and kept slamming the door so he went outside and we went out to get him and then just stayed out with him so he wouldn't interrupt. I'm going all out for this kid. I'm getting color books and crayons and the whole thing. We'll see if we can keep him quiet. Third hour was funny because the bishop called me over to translate for the senior couple and he said Elder Dabell I forgot this is the 5th Sunday and we're all together so can you teach the lesson?? haha Albanians.  It was really good. They served a mission in Africa and did self reliance for 2 years so he gave it on that. If he gets a chance to talk he always talks about it. I learned some stuff it was really good. Oh we had a service project. There is this walk way by the church and on both sides it had all this grass and weeds and stuff so we helped a guy clean it all out and make it look nice. It was nice to have some service to do and get out and do some manual labor. Interview with president was good. Weird because it feels like I have nothing to talk about... I asked him about how to not die hard and how to stay active when I go home he told he remember why i'm out here and remember Christ and then that if I would read the scriptures everyday for 30 minutes i'd never fall away. Went to Krye today. It's a tourist spot outside of Tirana. I went this time last year... Weird. It was a good little trip.   Church is true. Have a great week. Elder Szabo