Elder Tyler Allgaier's Mission Blog: Just Another Week

Hey Guys -

I have decided to try a different method to writing these weekly emails. As I'm sure many of you experience weekly disappointment at the shortness of my emails and have an unquenchable desire to know more about me and what fun things I do, I will begin recalling my weekly events by using my journal. Yes, I know. My very own personal journal. So buckle your seat-belts and prepare yourselves for one of the most barely above average emails you have ever read in your life.

Let's take it all the way back to October 1st, or last Tuesday. Apparently the Adriatic South Mission is pretty notorious for the weight-loss "program" that all the missionaries go on during their 18 or 24 month stay. I have begun that journey. If any of you want to join this program, it starts with camping out in the bathroom and is similar to preparing for a colonoscopy. So, that being said, I have lost a record 11 pounds since entering the MTC and now I weigh 185.6 pounds! Woot Woot!

On that same day I also went on an exchange with one of the Zone Leaders (ZL) to Prishtinë. We had 4 lessons planned within a 2 hour time block and only one of them dropped! I'd say that is a huge success. All 3 of the lessons went really well and the investigators are really cool people. The next morning in Prishtinë we taught the owner of the local bus station and that was a very interesting lesson. We walked into his office and were greeted by a healthy dose of smoke. Probably enough to kill an elephant or 2. Anyway, he had two of his buddies there and we tried to get a lesson going. It didn't start very well and it was looking like we should just leave, but one of the boss's workers leans over to us and starts asking us questions about the Church while the boss kept chatting away with the other guy in the room. We had a relatively successful lesson and gave him our number and asked to meet him again. Hopefully the ZL's will have a chance to teach him more.

After the lesson in the bus station we went to buy a suit and eat lunch before heading back. The food was amazing, but the suit makes me look irresistible (Pictures to follow next week).

Wednesday, not much happened but I did get my haircut and my face shaved with a straight razor. I have never looked so European in my life. Look out ladies! (Just kidding, I love you Hollie!)

Friday was a fun day. Every week we try to get out to play either basketball or soccer at the local high school to talk with the kids about the English class we are getting ready to start up. We (mostly me) played soccer with the kids and I had a really good time. It's so cool to see how good basically everyone is at soccer here. Whenever we walk around the city with a soccer ball, random kids ask for it and start juggling it. You would never see that in America.

Saturday was probably the best day of the week. My companion and one of the other elders weren't feeling to good so the other elder and I went on an exchange to Prizren while they stayed home and rested (Aren't we so caring?). Prizren is a city about an hour south-east of Gjakovë and in my opinion, is a lot more gorgeous. According to the other elder, it is a lot more tourist friendly, too. If you have a chance to look at the pictures, Prizren is a lot bigger than Gjakovë and the people there seem to be so much happier. Sadly, it's not an official area of the mission yet but hopefully if we can get a couple members there, it will open up sometime next year! I would love to work there. So, back to the missionary aspect of Prizren. The other elder had a couple lessons planned out. One of which was a young couple (20 and 24) that seemed really awesome. We waited on a bench by the canal that ran through the city and they never showed up. Bummer. Why let something like that ruin a good day? We went suit shopping for the other elder and I got a new pair of shoes and a belt at a store. The ladies that worked there were flirting like crazy. I had to use my best defenses to lure them away. "Sorry, I am a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ). It works wonders, let me tell you.

And now for the highlight of the Prizren trip. We visited the castle that was there and it was awesome! The castle was pretty beat up from the Serbian and Kosovo war, but it was still really cool to see. If I go back there in 10 years or so, I signed my name on a rock and I can tell my kid(s) how cool I was. He will totally believe me.

It was a pretty good week and I had many adventures. The work in Gjakovë is still moving along and we are starting to bundle up for the chilly weather that has come. Its been down to about 7 degrees Celsius (no idea what that is in Fahrenheit) and its only the beginning of October.

I love you all so much and thank you for the support and love you give me and my family. Stay safe!

Love,

Elder Allgaier