It is with mixed feelings as we prepare to return home. We are excited to be going home and visiting all our family but at the same time it is difficult to leave many of the people we have come to know and love here. We will miss the mountain view from our apartment but will not miss the walk up to the 5th floor numerous times a day. We will miss the wonderful fruits and veggies at the local market but will not miss the early morning noise on the street. We will miss the excited smile of the man in the wheelchair (we always stop and say hello even though we can't understand each other) but we will not miss the crazy inconsiderate drivers on the street of Tirana. We will always have a special place in our hearts for the 3rd branch members.
A couple of weeks ago with the help of elders in our district we put on a puppet show for the branch. It was about the affects of smoking and was entertaining for children and adults. It turned out to also be a farewell for us with the 3rd branch members. We also gave our farewell talks in our branch.
To took a one day farewell trip with two of the other senior couples to Apollonia for sightseeing and a picnic. It is always so nice to get together with the other couples to visit, laugh together and give each other a boost if spirits are low.
Elders & Sister Clayton of the presidents of the seventy and Elder & Sister Fingerle and area seventy from Frankfurt were in Albania for a couple of days. The mission president was out of the country so we were part of the transportation and also prepared a luncheon for them on the day they left before taking them back to the airport. It went well and was just one of the things on our "to do"list that was nice to check off and concentrate on getting ready to return home.
Last week was also a busy week of farewell. We had a special lunch with our district and went to a members home for dinner. On Friday there was a special meeting for all the missionaries in the mission where we heard Elder Causse of the Area Presidency and Elder Finglerle speak.
Later in the day we had a farewell lunch with the other senior couples and Pres. & Sister Ford.
A new couple arrives tomorrow and an office couple will come later in October but as it stands now there is not another humanitarian couple called to replace us. So we have had to pack up all our office materials and put them in storage with the hope that some one else will come in a few months to take up the humanitarian work again.
About all that is left for us to do is weigh our baggage, take out the garbage and head to the airport. It won't seem reality until the plane takes off for Rome. We fly from Rome to Toronto and then on to Abbotsford.
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