Motra Anna Munns

December 20, 2021 The last email! I am currently on the plane from Vienna to Chicago which still isn't quite registering. This last week was beautifully hectic as ever.  On Saturday our friend Erik and our friend Miranda got baptized!! President and Sister Burdon were able to Erik's baptism and to church in Vlorë the next day which was so special.  Miranda had a small baptismal service at 9 in the morning. Her husband was able to baptize her!! There was such a special spirit there. It was so adorable, as soon as she came out of the water she started clapping.  It was a privilege to teach Miranda and Krenar. The Lord seriously softened their hearts right before our eyes. Miranda is such a believing woman and Sister Burdon and I think she will be relief society president one day.  Erik's baptism was so great. Lots of members were able to come and participate which was super special. In teaching Erik we involved the Bishopric and the YSA a lot, so it felt like the whole...

December6, 2021 Hi my fav people Another happy and exhausting week in the best city!! It has been chilly and very rainy here so naturally the Albanian people are pretty much hibernating. Megjithate we still had a very busy week!!  It has been humbling seeing Erik and Miranda commit to stop drinking coffee in order to get baptized this week(!!!!!).  It has been fun because we started teaching both of them within the same transfer and they have progressed at really similar rates. While we have used different methods and emphasized different points with both of them, it's been super cool seeing how regardless of the difference in age, financial background, educational level, the gospel is relevant to everyone. Sis Eyre and I have been speculating a lot about how interesting it is that your understanding of the Gospel and of spiritual things doesn't necessarily correlate with your education or intelligence. The Gospel speaks to your soul.  One cool thing about Miranda is that...

November 29, 2021 Hi!!  Lots of miracles and touches of God this week. This week: Miranda accepted the invite to keep the word of wisdom before we could even invite her. Had a magical Thanksgiving with the district!! Ate funfetti cake and celebrated my bday with my favorite people.  Moved literal boulders across a members property for 3 hours in the rain and decided I am not cut out for manual labor. Sorry dad. Had a really cool lesson with a YSA member about questions and finding answers in the gospel. So many good things this week I wish I could share them all! Miranda told us in one of our lessons that we need to be talk about 3 things when finding a husband: physical health, mental health, and if they are involved in any blood fueds.  Sometimes I forget I'm living in a country where family blood fueds are a reality hahaha.  I know God lives and He loves us!! He is engaged in our lives and constantly talking to us. Look for him:) Love you all Motra menz  Pics...

November 22, 2021  Well guys, not too many weekly's left!! :0 I had my last zone conference this week. I am so grateful for the ASM! The trainings we recieved were wonderful. Standing in a room full of missionaries is something super special. I definitely bawled during the mission song!! My mission has changed me in ways I can't explain. This week was full of miracles and blessings. We now have 2 friends working towards baptismal dates in the next few weeks. Please keep Erik and Miranda in your prayers!! Erik is 17 and firm in the faith. He loves studying what we teach him and is a super mature 17 y/o. He is a character and his facial expressions are priceless.  Miranda is an older woman and she is married to a returning member. It has been amazing working with both of them and seeing how they grow together. She is so funny and a superstitious albanian middle aged woman.  She is so loving and really worries about two 20 year olds living alone. She gives us tons of cooking...

November 15, 2021 Hello my people Such a good week in Vlorë.  Erik is going to get baptized on December 4!! Keep him in your prayers, we are really hoping he can make his date. Our new friend Liv asked us for a book before we could even get one to her. She is so great!!! Spent the week in a trio with my old companion and my companion I was supposed to be with!! This next month with sister eyre is about about be a BLAST. Today we dropped Sis Moessing off in Tirana and I got to see my girl Sister Çerepi before she leaves for her original assignment tomorrow. I am so proud of her, she is such a stud and I'm gonna MISS HER.  We spent a morning helping some members pick olives and the view was gorgeous. We got lost and overconfidently mapped ourselves up to the house. One of the cars made it up this insane road but the other car couldn't so we had to leave it behind for a few hours. The roads here are so wild hahah. A lady came up to us on the 4th attempt to get this little Hyundai...

November 8, 2021 Hi!! Another week has gone by, great and busy as ever!! I am seriously so exhausted I crash at like 915 every night. The best type of tired though! The highlight of the week was church for sure. I will give you the run down. Half way through the passing of the sacrament our favorite drunk old man got up and asked with exasperation, "BISHOP, WHEN CAN I SHARE MY TESTIMONY?" The Bishop told him from the other side of the room that he had to wait. He responded by saying that he had JUST read in Alma and loved it and needed to share NOW. A few minutes later he graciously apologized to the congregation and took a seat.  When it was time to share testimonies he walked up to the pulpit and started boldy declaring the truths of the gospel. Unfortunately he forgot his book, but that's ok because he just kept on talking while he walked back to his seat and grabbed the book. He returned with more energy than ever before haha. He had his book in one hand and was raisi...