During his first sabbatical, Mark Nygren, a business management professor, wanted to do something out of the ordinary.

He decided that traveling to 25 different countries with his family and then teaching in Albania would be a great opportunity.

Nygren and his family toured several countries before he began his teaching.

They ate chocolate and waffles in Belgium, played chess in the Hungarian Bathes and spent Christmas Eve overlooking Bethlehem.

“You realize the world is a big place,” Nygren said. “In many ways we are different, but in many ways we are the same.”

After several months of traveling, it was off to Albania.

Nygren was selected as a Fulbright Scholar only after extensive paperwork and approval by United States and many country representatives.

He then received the opportunity to teach and lecture at the University of Tirana in Albania. He taught two night classes as part of the Masters in Business Administration program.

Nygren chose Albania because of the need there for a business management teacher and for the service he felt he could offer; he described his experience as a three-fold mission.

The first fold of his mission was to spread the spirit of entrepreneurship.

“I not only wanted to teach the students but to share the spirit of free enterprise,” Nygren said.

He also sought to implement different teaching methods.

Rather than using what he calls the “Russian method,” which consists of reading and memorizing facts, Nygren encouraged more active participation.

Secondly, he sought to engage in humanitarian efforts.

His wife and four children, who traveled with him, participated greatly in humanitarian work.

Nygren explained that Albania, the poorest country in Europe, has only been free from communist rule for 15 years, so it provided many opportunities.

They helped a Christian organization put together a library, volunteered at the orphanage for abandoned children in Roma and helped construct dormitories for youth camps with an organization called ‘Help for Albania.’

Despite the Albanians’ hardships, Nygren was impressed with their work ethic.

“They’ve made great strides and accomplished so much with so little,” Nygren said.

Spreading the gospel was the last purpose of his three-fold mission. He and his family gave out over 500 pass-along cards.

Nygren and his family also had the opportunity to participate with 400 Albanians of mixed faiths in a musical commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith.

“My testimony was strengthened as we sang songs of praise to Joseph Smith with the Albanian saints and to see that the gospel really is spreading forth to all nations,” said Diana, Nygren’s daughter.

Nygren was able to see the Fulbright program’s purpose, building mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, come to light.

“I loved meeting the Albanian people...” Diana said, “You can be happy no matter where you are.”