Saturday was Super Saturday for all the seminary students here in Albania. The weather was cold and rainy, so we didn't get everyone out that we wanted, but there were just over 40 seminary students in attendance. Some had to drive over 2 hours to get to Tirana. Mom ran the show with her "Scripture Mastery" program. Everyone was drawing pictures to remind themselves of the 25 New Testament scriptures to be learned this year.
Mom getting into the swing of things, dancing with the seminary students after she had made sure they were up to date on their scripture mastery lessons.
Recently baptized member of the Church, Juli, dancing at the Seminary activity.
While Mom was dancing with the Seminary students I was running across town to get the food. I purchased "byrek" which means pie. We had cheese, meet and spinach pies for lunch with the seminary students. This is picture of small Byrek stand in Tirana. You can tell that it has gotten cold. I'll be wearing a hat from now on (plus a scarf and a sweater and a heavy coat).
Between the Super Saturday activity and the evening Institute class, we visited with the mother of three of our YSA(Young Single Adult) girls. The three of them and one older sister are the only members of the Church in their family. Their parents love the Church and see how it has blessed the lives of their daughters, but they have not been baptized. Their mother must have kissed me 30 times while we were there, thanking us for helping their daughters. Before the visit was over, she had agreed to taking the missionary lessons, being baptized (because she already has a testimony that the Church is true) and invited us to celebrate Christmas with them.
After Institute on Saturday, we're trying to organize a choir. Picture is of Sister Niel practicing "Silent Night" with members of the choir. Sometime in December we'll be singing in Tirana's city center.
Early Sunday Mom and I headed out to Elbasan. A city located southwest of Tirana. Edmond Dukaj and his wife Valentina drove us there.
Street scene in Elbasan.
Its a little hard to see, but this is a huge metallurgical complex called the Steel of the Party. Built in 1974 by the Chinese before Albania's break with China. At one time it employed over 8,000 people. Now, all but a couple of small factories are shut down. Apparently it is almost impossible to bring the complex up to international environmental standards.
This is how they would get the mountain rock to the steal factory in Elbasan. Apparently these gondola buckets don't work much any more.
The winding road to Elbasan is narrow and a bit dangerous.
You never know what you'll meet on the roads of Albania. Anyone want a little goat cheese?
Mountains of Albania have made it difficult for this country to have commerce with itself. The mountain ranges tend to run from the southwest to the northwest. Getting food or products from central or western Albania to the coast requires traversing lots of mountains.
Elbasan was a trading post in the 2nd century B.C. called Scampa. It was at the junction of the Roman Via Egnata which ran from the Albanian coast to Byzantium. The Ottomans built a fortress there and gave the city name, "Elbasani" which means in Turkish, "the place for raiding other people's territory." You've got to love the Turks for their directness. Elbasan can be seen in the background as we were coming into the town.
Edmond Dukaj at fruit stand on way to Elbasan. Mom and Mrs. Dukaj sat in back and Edmond and I were in front. Amazingly, in spite of our lack of Shqip language skills we had a very enjoyable ride over and back. Mom helping Valentina with her English and Valentina helping Mom with Shqip. Edmond makes his living driving a late model Mercedez as a chauffeur
The Church rents a small building just off the main square "quender" in Elbasan. It was here Mom and I spoke in Sacrament meeting. The chapel was warmed by two small electric heaters, but it was not enough. I had on a full sweater under my suit coat, but felt I needed to put on my winter coat and hat even as I spoke. Picture is of Mom and the Dukajs (Edmond & Valentina) in front of church building. You may recall this is the couple whose daughter Kamryn met in an Oceanside, CA bank just before we left for Albania. They live just 2 blocks from us in Tirana and are becoming good friends.
Saturday was Super Saturday for all the seminary students here in Albania. The weather was cold and rainy, so we didn't get everyone out that we wanted, but there were just over 40 seminary students in attendance. Some had to drive over 2 hours to get to Tirana. Mom ran the show with her "Scripture Mastery" program. Everyone was drawing pictures to remind themselves of the 25 New Testament scriptures to be learned this year.
Mom getting into the swing of things, dancing with the seminary students after she had made sure they were up to date on their scripture mastery lessons.
Recently baptized member of the Church, Juli, dancing at the Seminary activity.
While Mom was dancing with the Seminary students I was running across town to get the food. I purchased "byrek" which means pie. We had cheese, meet and spinach pies for lunch with the seminary students. This is picture of small Byrek stand in Tirana. You can tell that it has gotten cold. I'll be wearing a hat from now on (plus a scarf and a sweater and a heavy coat).
Between the Super Saturday activity and the evening Institute class, we visited with the mother of three of our YSA(Young Single Adult) girls. The three of them and one older sister are the only members of the Church in their family. Their parents love the Church and see how it has blessed the lives of their daughters, but they have not been baptized. Their mother must have kissed me 30 times while we were there, thanking us for helping their daughters. Before the visit was over, she had agreed to taking the missionary lessons, being baptized (because she already has a testimony that the Church is true) and invited us to celebrate Christmas with them.
After Institute on Saturday, we're trying to organize a choir. Picture is of Sister Niel practicing "Silent Night" with members of the choir. Sometime in December we'll be singing in Tirana's city center.
Early Sunday Mom and I headed out to Elbasan. A city located southwest of Tirana. Edmond Dukaj and his wife Valentina drove us there. 
Street scene in Elbasan.
Its a little hard to see, but this is a huge metallurgical complex called the Steel of the Party. Built in 1974 by the Chinese before Albania's break with China. At one time it employed over 8,000 people. Now, all but a couple of small factories are shut down. Apparently it is almost impossible to bring the complex up to international environmental standards.
This is how they would get the mountain rock to the steal factory in Elbasan. Apparently these gondola buckets don't work much any more. 
The winding road to Elbasan is narrow and a bit dangerous.
You never know what you'll meet on the roads of Albania. Anyone want a little goat cheese?
Mountains of Albania have made it difficult for this country to have commerce with itself. The mountain ranges tend to run from the southwest to the northwest. Getting food or products from central or western Albania to the coast requires traversing lots of mountains.
Elbasan was a trading post in the 2nd century B.C. called Scampa. It was at the junction of the Roman Via Egnata which ran from the Albanian coast to Byzantium. The Ottomans built a fortress there and gave the city name, "Elbasani" which means in Turkish, "the place for raiding other people's territory." You've got to love the Turks for their directness. Elbasan can be seen in the background as we were coming into the town.
Edmond Dukaj at fruit stand on way to Elbasan. Mom and Mrs. Dukaj sat in back and Edmond and I were in front. Amazingly, in spite of our lack of Shqip language skills we had a very enjoyable ride over and back. Mom helping Valentina with her English and Valentina helping Mom with Shqip. Edmond makes his living driving a late model Mercedez as a chauffeur
The Church rents a small building just off the main square "quender" in Elbasan. It was here Mom and I spoke in Sacrament meeting. The chapel was warmed by two small electric heaters, but it was not enough. I had on a full sweater under my suit coat, but felt I needed to put on my winter coat and hat even as I spoke. Picture is of Mom and the Dukajs (Edmond & Valentina) in front of church building. You may recall this is the couple whose daughter Kamryn met in an Oceanside, CA bank just before we left for Albania. They live just 2 blocks from us in Tirana and are becoming good friends.
1 comment:
cute picture of you in a hat and scarf. getting rain today and finally feel like winter has come, although i am not planning on wearing a hat or scarf anytime soon. kamryn gets in today. we will try to skype you. love you!
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