Guess where I got to go this week? The US army base in Kosovo!!!! We were already in Prishtina for another Zone training, and then our mission president approved us to go with two of the senior couples to the army base. We went with the Nelsons and the Tooele's, the couple serving in Gjakova. For some reason or another President Weidmann made a new rule that a senior couple must always be accompanied by a young proselyting companionship every time they go to the base. No idea why, not complaining. The main reason to go to the base is to get American products!!! I Guess they're friends with Sergeant Bunjes, who's a member of the church and helps us get in. Anyway, he met us at the gate and we all got passes to wear around our necks and our car was searched. I hadn't heard a southern accent in a long time. We went with him to the little store they have there. Walking in was just like walking into an American store! It was awesome. I got some teeth whitening strips, salsa and dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds. Everyone was speaking American English so I understood everyone for a nice change. Sister Schofield was excited to see black people. I used the bathroom there that was super clean. They had a few American restaurants there but we decided to go to the chow hall. Along the way we kept running into more LDS soldiers who ended up eating with us. One of them had the last name Whitney and he told me about how he served his mission in Panama and once served for a little bit to these islands that are to the north of it, and while there he and his companion killed and ate a Toucan. His companion kept the beak. "They don't really like to send missionaries there though, because they come back...different."
We all had to wash our hands before we were allowed to go in to eat. I just got a regular hamburger, onion rings, and chocolate milk. A lot of the soldiers in there were younger than me, which was weird. I'm still used to always being the youngest. I got "ma'am"-ed a lot. Anyway, it was just so so nice to kind of be at home for a little bit. Sister Schofield said it was the best day of her mission so far, and I have to agree. America is great. (And I wasn't even there.)
The next night the sisters from Kosovo came down for an exchange. Not much really happened other than Sister White getting Sister Schofield sick. We've been inside for the past few days and I've been reading Jesus the Christ, which by the way is a great book.
On Saturday Yacin got baptized. His dad was able to baptize him, even though he's afraid of the water, which was great. I made the comment to Sister Schofield that his mom Metia looks more like a Mormon every time I see her.
"Just as earthly seeds require effort and patience, so do many of the blessings of heaven. We cannot put our religion on a shelf and expect to harvest spiritual blessings. But if we plant and nurture gospel standards in the daily life of our family, there is a high probability that our children will grow up to produce spiritual fruit of great value to them and to future generations.
God’s answers to our prayers do not always come immediately—sometimes they do not appear to come at all—but God knows what is best for His children. Assuredly, one day we will see more clearly; and on that day we will recognize the goodness and generosity of heaven.
In the meantime, our goal and great joy is to walk in the footsteps of our Master and Savior and to live good and refined lives so that the promised and precious harvest of God’s priceless blessings can be ours." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Love,
Sister Riddle
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