Mom and I were walking down Myslim Shyri this week when we passed this little girl who was walking with her mother. We both commented on how cute the little girl was. Surprising me, she ran to us and gave me a big hug. It was all very spontaneous and Mom got her hug too. The Albanian people are very loving and as you can see their children are just adorable. 

Here are a couple of more pictures from Vlore. This is the Amerikan Hotel where we may hold a YSA Conference this coming September. We have a budget and we're looking at other places, but I do like the blue water. Wherever we go Mom makes friends. This lady just happened to be named Suzanna.
The area where both the Liro and Amerikan hotels are located is called uji ftohtë "cold water".  You might think this has to do with the temperature of the Adriatic Sea at this location, but actually the name comes from a natural spring which pours out of the side of a cliff at the edge of the Adriatic. The photograph shows a man collecting some of this spring water.
Above photograph shows uji ftothë. In back ground men have been collecting water from the spring in plastic bottles. The road leading south from Vlore actually goes right though the cliff here. 
Monday, March 23, 2009, Mom and I did some walking south of Vlore. In the background is the city of Vlore, Albania. It is the 2nd largest port in Albania.  The Church has been organized here for just 3 years. There are approximately 50 members of the Church in Vlore.
These are our Beleshi girls waving good-bye to us as we left their home. The four daughters are members of the Church, and we are trying to teach their parents the lessons. The mother has adopted us, and the girls call us "Aunt" and "Uncle." Whenever we arrive, the mother smothers Susan with Albanian hugs and kisses. Shume dashuri!

Sunday, March 22, 2009, Mom and I took an early morning furgon (van) to Vlore. It was a 3 hour drive there on a pretty terrible road. We left Tirana at 7:00 A.M. and were a little late getting to the Vlore Branch Sacrament meeting at 10:00 A.M. We decided to spend the day in Vlore and after eating a late afternoon meal with Elder and Sister Chatfield, the senior couple assigned there, we went looking for a hotel. Mom and I decided we didn't want to have to a face another 3 hour ride to get back to Tirana. The above photograph is the Sunday evening sunset from the Liro Hotel, Vlore, Albania where we spent the night. View is from our balcony. 
The Liro Hotel is built right into a cliff over looking the Adriatic Sea. Its about 10 minutes south of downtown Vlore.  Our room was located under the tile roof at the top middle of the above photograph.  I had found this hotel while looking online.
Liro means "free" in Albanian. The sign says Tourist Sport Complex Liro. 
Right after church, where Mom and I both spoke at Sacrament Meeting and gave individual lessons to the young men and young women, there was a baptism of two brothers. Their mother and father have also been receiving the missionary lessons, but because of work schedules they will probably be baptized together later. The two brothers are in the center, on left is Edison and on right center is Antonio.
The furgon ride down would not have been complete without a young 6 year old boy throwing up. He's in the yellow sweatshirt and his dad is helping him clean up. He was sitting right behind Mom when the event transpired. It was great fun! Everyone, 16 adults in a 14 seat van, were concerned about this little guy. After the furgon stopped and the boy got cleaned up, we were on our way again. 

Last week was a pretty bad week for sickness in the Mission. Lots of elders got sick from a "Bad Balkan Bug". From the above picture can you tell who is the sick elder. Actually all three of us are sick. From left to right, Elder McGlothin is 24 hours into it, Elder Maddox is 4 days into it and Elder Shupe is happy to be on his 9th day of sickness and starting to feel better. 
A vegetable stand in an alley off Rrugge Duresi. Lots of village farmers come in to Tirana every day to sell their vegetables. If I can peal it, I'll try and eat it. Sorry, tomatoes can't be pealed. So they remain on the "Don't eat" list.
This is George and Rosa our landlords. They live right next door to us and are great neighbors. We had them over to dinner last weekend. George is a manager at a new hotel in Durres and Rosa is a chief economist for the Albanian government in its Fiance Department. A couple of weeks ago Mom mentioned to Rosa that our oven was not working and was pretty old. George went out the next day and got a new oven for Mom.  

This week was Zone Conference. There are two zones in the Tirana, Albania mission. The inside zone, meaning the Tirana Zone and the outside zone, meaning everything outside the city of Tirana. The above photograph was taken just before the "official" photograph was taken of the Tirana Zone. Three missionaries up front: from left to right Elder Lindsay, Sister Rose and Elder Smith will be heading home in a month. Couple on the right is Sister and Elder Newhouse. They are the office couple. Can you find Mom?  She looks like a young sister missionary.
Normally I would not post a picture of food, but we had Mexican food after the Zone Conference. It was the first Mexican food I've eaten in 6 months. What a treat! The only thing which would have made it better was if I had brought some of my secret stash of Del Taco sauce packets. I've limited my use of the sauce packets to 2 a week.  I've got to make them last. I may have found a Mexican restaurant here in Tirana. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, March 14, 2009 was "Summer Day" here in Tirana. Its actually the start of Spring, but they call it "Summer Day". Everyone was out walking around town. Notice the kids up on the Skenderbeg statue?
A local treat is sold on this day. Its called Ballokue and it tastes like dried corn meal with a little sweetener. Every vendor was selling Ballokue. I tasted one and decided that it wasn't that good. Based on my experience this lady is going to have a long afternoon trying to get rid of her Ballokue.
They closed some of the streets around Tirana for the afternoon. Everyone was out for a walk. In the far distance is the University of Tirana.

Because there are so few addresses written on any of the buildings in Tirana, it makes it very difficult to find anyone. If you're trying to find someone and they don't know you're coming, its just about impossible to discover where they live. Usually, Mom and I will make arrangements to meet members on the street somewhere near their home. They then will take us the rest of the way. A couple of years ago some enterprising missionaries took it upon themselves to start stencilling numbers on some of the old communist era apartments. Above "Sh 6" means "shkallë 6" or stairway 6.  Below "P.2" refers to "Paladi 2" or "apartment building 2."

There are not a lot of addresses in Tirana, Albania. Apparently, some of the very old homes have addresses. Mom and I found this green door beauty on Rrugge Kavajës not far from where we live. If you look over the wall you can just see an old Italian looking home. During the 1930's the Italians ran Albania. Besides some wonderful homes they also built some beautiful government buildings. 117 obviously reminds us of home, 117 Eaton Street.