Adriatic South Mission

If you are serving in Albania or Kosovo, you will come across a ton of Muslims and they will vary in how seriously they practice the religion of Islam, but if you've got like Islamophobia or anything just get over it because you are going to meet some really incredible people and I would recommend try reading up a little bit on Islam and be prepared to build common ground because you're going to meet tons of amazing people. It's definitely the predominant religion in Albania and Kosovo and the more you know about it and the more open you are to having those discussions, the better prepared you'll be.

Macedonians, as well as most Europeans, tend to dress a lot nicer than Americans, so I noticed when I showed up, like, all the women always just looked very sleek, their hair was always, like, sleekly done back in these tight ponytails, and they were always dressed, like, very business-like, and we as Americans were into, like, oh, like, thrift shop culture, like, comfy casual. We stood out a lot, and when I would see other people from, like, America or different parts of Europe that dress like that, they stuck out a lot too, and so you can choose to fit in or not. Either way, that's just kind of a dressing tip. Additionally, Macedonians are very hospitable, so it's not unlike them to invite them in your home after you just met them, like, five seconds ago on the street, which is not something we see much in America.

So my culture tip for you is the fact that you're going to fall in love with Albania, I'm not kidding. I know it's Adriatic South Mission so there's lots of parts like Greece and Macedonia but I was in Albania and you will love the people and my tip is just learn to love it from the beginning. It's so fun, they have traditional dances and traditional foods and make sure you respect and make sure you eat the food that people give you in their home because actually they're offended if you don't accept what they give you. They feel like it's like a treasure that they're giving it, they're giving a foreigner something that they created and they made and so it's an honor to them. So I would say eat the food and it's good and then the other culture tip is just have so much fun with the language. Just learn it and love it and start cracking jokes with it and then you will connect to the people in a special way maybe no one else can.

Okay, so a culture tip that I have is this is actually something that I didn't learn until a lot later in my mission And I wish I'd learned it earlier so I could have practiced it throughout my mission But Albanians really really love when you learn their idioms and their phrases and those things like those at old adages that they have in Albania, they really really love to hear Americans saying those they just go crazy So learn as many many of those as you can and use them

The Albanian people are super open and super loving, and they appreciate if you're the same. A lot of them will listen to you if you're talking about the gospel, but they want you to listen to them too. They like to talk a lot, and it's good to let them talk, but if you have a message to get in, it's a really great skill to learn how to cut them off, but still being nice about it, because they'll keep going on and on, but they're just kind of crazy, and you just embrace it, and you love it, and you become crazy too, and they just really appreciate if you're yourself and you're unique. I make really weird sounds and noises and faces, and they thought it was hilarious just because they didn't have anybody like that, and so just be yourself, and they'll love you for it.

One thing amazing about serving in Albania is every time you go to someone's house there's a custom where they give you like candy and soda or a treat or maybe they've made some burek and so they give you some of that and it's like every time you go they give you food. The problem with that is that if you have a lot of lessons a day you're getting a lot of soda and candy every day. So a trick I learned was you can take the candy and you can put it in your purse or your bag and you can eat it later and then you can have a sip of the soda or they have this really cool drink that tastes like a liquefied Green Jolly Rancher. It's super good. If you finish the drink then they pour you more but if you only drink half of it and then you finish talking and then you drink the rest right before you go then they don't refill it. It's such an amazing cultural thing and they're so welcoming and so nice.

Most Macedonians are pretty laid back. I think that's part of the culture, in a way. Not true for everybody, but for some people. They are also very honest and blunt, which could come across kind of weird, because I think Americans, like, we're pretty, like, polite. We'll, like, talk around things, but Macedonians, we're going to say it how it is, and that's okay. So that's how you can, like, also talk to them. If you try and, like, sugar things up, or beat around the bush, or something like that, it's kind of weird to them. It might get confusing, and it's harder for you. So you can just be as blunt as they are to you. And I think another thing that really caught me off guard is they will talk really loudly, and it sounds like they're arguing with each other, but they actually will just talk very passionately sometimes, and they're not mad.

I'm going to talk to you about the word kismet. Kismet is both a wonderful word and a horrible word as a missionary. So if you ever hear someone tell you the word kismet, it's basically the equivalent of saying maybe. You know, hey, do you want to come do a lesson with us? Kismet, maybe, and probably no. But it can also be so much fun too, just because I remember this experience whenever, you know, there was this lady, this old grandma asking one of my companions, hey, whenever you're like, whenever you're older, are you going to marry an Albanian woman? And he's like, kismet. And she just cracked up so hard because he learned how to use, you know, the Albanian culture properly saying kismet, you know, maybe, but probably not. So, but yeah, then in Kosovo too, though, you're probably a little better if someone says kismet, they'll probably do it, but it's not a priority. And so it might take them, you know, four hours to show up to a lesson or something like that. So yeah, remember the word kismet.

So my first culture tip is maybe more clearing up like a cultural misconception. One of the first things I heard when I got called to Albania was that people shake their heads when they are trying to say yes and that they nod their heads when they're trying to say no. This is only half true. People definitely shake their heads for yes, but it's just kind of more like a head bobble. Like they'll just like look at you and be like, hmm. And it looks like they're saying no, no, but really what they're basically doing is the American equivalent of like, yeah, yeah, I get it. Awesome. So don't be confused. However, people don't shake their heads for no. So don't worry about that, but be prepared for, um, or sorry, nod their heads for no. Be prepared for them to shake their heads and be agreeing with you.

One of my favorite things about Albania is that you call all the women nanas and which means mom and you call all the men jaji, which means uncle and it's a perfect representation of the culture because all the moms or all the women are like your moms They're super compassionate and nice and then all the men are like your crazy uncles And so it's like fun to recognize and realize that you're gonna meet some crazy people Especially the men but that you can love them and they're awesome. So it's good good place to be

One of the last things that my dad said to me as my family dropped me off at the MTC in Provo, he told me, son, see you later. I don't want to see you in two years. And then the last thing he said was, become an Albanian. And that stuck with me the whole mission in my head. Just what did he mean, become an Albanian? And I had many experiences where something kind of like that happened. I mean, there came a point where people asked me, oh, what part of Albania are you from? Because I worked at it so hard to try to become like an Albanian. I served with native companions. It meant a lot to members when I told them this story. And they said, wow, like, you wanted to become an Albanian. Like, that shows that you really, you know, love the place and and love us.

One of the other things I want to say for new missionaries is they don't need to get scared to come into Albania even they don't know nothing about this country. People here are warm and they welcome you super good no matter if there are members or no members and for the languages if they don't know very good it's no matter they need to keep practicing daily and people here help you with the language so that you can understand more good people here are very nice so it's very good

This is actually a fun topic for me to talk about because my family is Greek and so I know a lot about the culture and the way that these people act and the way that they think. So some culture tips are be bold. These people are very stubborn and they respect you when you stand up for what you believe in. They might not agree with you but they will respect you. It's rude to not accept something that's offered at their home. So they will always always offer you something whether it's water or something to eat and it's really rude to not accept it. So eat what they give you.