Manwaring Mission to Albania

Another month has flown by. June brought warm weather, sunshine, cherries, and watermelons.  Another change that has happened with the warm weather is that people go out walking almost every evening.  The parks here are well used. Recently we went for a walk in the park on a Tuesday evening and we were amazed at how many people were out.  They even block off the street in front of the park because there are so many people!  It was not a holiday or even a weekend – just a cool evening after a hot day. We love walking in the evenings and just wish we could communicate better with everyone we meet. Behind the hotel in Bajram Curri There was one evening, however, when hardly anyone was out walking.  It seemed very strange.  There is a path in the park that goes up by a forested area. It is not lit very well, but there are usually so many people walking there that we don’t feel the least bit in danger.  This night, however, the park was almost empty and we ...

Spring in Korçë has been an interesting experience. We felt like spring had arrived about 5 times with warmth and sunshine, only to revert to cold, wet winter yet again. We haven't put away our winter coats and umbrellas quite yet. However, because of the rain everything is lush and green. It is a beautiful time of year, even though we have to wash the car quite often. We definitely have distinct seasons here and so far we have enjoyed fall, winter, and spring.  We are sure summer will also be beautiful, whenever it arrives... At Lake Ohrid We were blessed to have our two daughters come for a visit near the end of April! While they were here, we were able to visit some roman ruins, a beach on the Ionian Sea, an incredibly beautiful spring called the Blue Eye, a UNESCO World Heritage City called Gjirokastër, our very own Korçë, and some beautiful places in North Macedonia along the shores of Lake Ohrid.  We had delicious Albanian food, gelato, and baklava (lots of baklava!)....

For a while, we were wondering if winter would ever end.  Finally, however, near the end of March the weather started warming up.  Unfortunately, this first Spring only lasted a couple of weeks and the cold, rainy weather returned. Over the past couple of weeks, however, we have had beautiful weather with sunshine and temperatures in the 70’s.  It still gets a little chilly when the sun goes down, but we like that. We hope this second Spring lasts until summer… There are a lot of ice cream shops in Korçë, but all but 2 have been closed since we arrived because most people here don’t eat ice cream when it’s cold.  They think it will make them sick.  A couple of weeks ago that all changed.  We’re not sure what the magic day was, but all of a sudden, all of the ice cream shops opened and everywhere we go people are walking around with ice cream cones! Most soft-serve cones cost just 50 cents, and even the nice gelato cones only cost $1.00, so we have indulged ...

In a communist museum / cafe March is upon us and the weather is gradually getting warmer.  We still have some cold spells now and then, but we are seeing a lot more sunshine lately and we are really enjoying it! On the last Sunday in January, Kathy finally spoke in Sacrament Meeting. Pretty much all of Bardhi’s family came to support her. Kathy was a little nervous, but gave an excellent talk about forgiving others and not holding grudges. When she finished, the young girls were so proud of her that they started clapping! It was so sweet for them to come.  After church, we had them over to our house for lunch.  Kathy gave Klara, the one who helped her the most, a necklace to thank her.  We also gave Bardhi’s wife a flower, and the family a Book of Mormon. The young girls were given copies of the Friend magazine and they loved it! Kathy is also teaching piano lessons to the girls. As we have mentioned before, most people in Korçë heat their homes with wood-burning st...

  Dear Family and Friends, We started another letter weeks ago, but have put it on the back burner for a bit. This will be the most different letter we have ever written. It is real life with no sugar coating or holding back. We have had a month of tears, heartache, and sacrifice—and definitely our hardest and most humbling month here. Yet, we know we are supposed to be here and we are finding peace. When you start to get a little older, you have to say goodbye for a season to friends that you love, although some of our friends were so young. Four dear friends have passed away unexpectedly within the last 6 weeks, and also the young sister of another friend. Two of those friends were very young with young families—they just didn’t wake up one morning. We are so heartbroken for their amazing spouses, and their beautiful children. We are so far away—we feel helpless, and we are unable to serve any of them. In the words of one of the obituaries, “you didn’t know that the last time you...