So, Jamie and the kids and I have been doing quite a bit of traveling
lately. As most of you are aware of, Albania is the first or second
poorest country in Europe. But, being here allows us to be right next
to some pretty cool countries. One of those is Italy. In October we
had the opportunity to go there for a family vacation which was
amazing. Then I(Tim) got to go back a week and a half later to
another part of Italy for an OM conference. The conference was
held at an OM base in northwest Italy about 45 minutes outside
of Torino(Turin). The pics and video below tell of my adventures
there which during that 12 day stretch was both beautiful and crazy.

I arrived in Italy at night so I didn't see what our surroundings
looked like until the next day. This is what me and my roomates
saw when we first opened our curtains. The pictures really don't
do it justice for how high and beautiful the mountains really were.

This is right outside the front of the OM base. It was located right
at the end of a valley with the surrounding mountains having peek
fall colors and a fresh covering of snow on the taller ones in back
which happen to be the Alps. During our conference breaks
many of us would come outside here and just stare at God's painting.

I had no idea but this valley we stayed in has a very rich history.
There were a group of people called there called the Valeccians
(probably spelled wrong) who I believe migrated there from
France in the 1100's. They were persecuted for many hundreds
of years by both the Roman Catholic church and army in Italy
for their faith.They were always either in hiding or having to
defend themselves and one statue portrayed them having a
Bible in one hand and a sword in the other. This picture was
taken at a place up the mountain where mainly the men and
boys would go during the Winter for maybe 4 months and they
would just spend time reading, studying, and teaching God's
Word. In some ways it was like one of if not the first seminaries.
This was a small room and whether it was here on in pne of
their churches, they always had a Bible opened. There were a
couple of other small rooms there for eating and also another
for keeping animals nearby to help sustain heat inside.

This was inside a cave where they used to meet for service. It was
also a pretty good walk to get there and you had to crunch way down
under rocks to get down into the cave. They said it could fit around
200 people. We visited it at night when it was late and cold and they
shared a very moving story with us. This cave was also very secretive
but when they met they would place boys outside to guard the area
in case the army would show up. Well, one time the army did come while
they were having service and they silently killed off all the boys who
were keeping watch. Then they threw burning torches from above
through the cracks into the cave. There was only one way out of there
so the people inside either were burned alive or if they came out the
army was waiting for them with swords to take their lives. All of them
died. We have all heard those kind of stories before and they move us
but to be there inside, at night, where it really happened was just an
unforgettable experience for all of us. In the video here we are inside
the cave singing worship songs and praying for the persecuted church.



At the OM base I roomed with two other guys. One was named David,
and he was from Sweden and working in Syria. The two of us got up
around five in the morning one day and hiked up the mountain. It was
dark the whole way up and even at one point we had to hold onto a rope
and lean over and walk across a stream of water flowing down the
mountain that was pretty steep. At this point where the picture above is
I had to stop because the side of the mountain got pretty steep and I
did not want to risk it with my worn shoes. Right above where I am
standing there was a big pointed rock where we were told that they took
the Valleccian women and children one time and through them all off of
the rock. It was called red rock because of all the blood spilled.





After we had been there a week the whole group attending the
conference went to Torino for the weekend for an outreach. Torino
was about 45 minutes away from where we were staying and we
found out is actually one of the most Satanic cities in the world. I
believe it is the fastest growing "religion" in Torino with over 40
thousand registered Satanists. Anyways, we actually didn't have
any run-ins with that and we spent the weekend evangelizing at
a big outdoor market. This place was a big hangout for foreigners,
and especially Arab people. The picture above is my "bed" one
of the nights I spent at a church. I could have slept on the tile
also but it was too cold.




The girl in the blue jacket was German and she worked in
Morocco. She spoke Arabic and was very useful in speaking
with the many Muslims that were there. This little canopy
was where we had our station and gave out books, Bibles,
and literature in many languages.








So theses two pics(above) are from when I took an unexpected
trip. The last day I was in Italy I got a call from our field leader
in Germany asking me to come to Germany and pick up a
vehicle for our team here in Lushnje, Albania. Our van here
has pretty much died and so I rode up to Germany with some people
traveling from Italy and transferred the car documents into my
name and then drove it back to Albania. (See story below)
On the way, I was stoked to stop at a gas station in Germany
and find two food items I miss from the States. I was kind of
a Mountain Dew-a-holic back in the States but in most of
Europe it is nowhere to be found. Subway was also a great
find. I got a turkey and meatball sub and ate them very slowly!

So, my drive back turned out to be quite an adventure. I
started in Southern-Central Germany and drove through
Switzerland and through all of Italy to the Southern most
tip to a city called Bari where I got a ferry to take me over
to Durres Albania. But on the way, I made a very, very wrong
turn. I had been given an atlas in German but I was mainly
using some directions that I printed out. Everything was
going ok until after I passed through Zurich, Switzerland.
By then it was starting to get dark and I was driving by
myself and I knew I had around 2 hours to reach the
Italian-Swiss border. The only problem was when I reached
the border about 2 hours later I passed through and I
noticed the signs did not change into Italian! I got a knot
in my throat as I felt something was really wrong. I pulled
over and asked a guy where I was and he said I was in
Germany!! I did not even know where in Germany as
I had no idea what direction I had headed in. I tried to
go to the next exit and turn around but I couldn't and
that led me going down another road somewhere. Then
I tried again to get off another exit on that road and
the same thing happened again. And to make things
worse, when I was getting more lost on these roads
I entered into France!!! I finally asked someone and
found my way back to (now) the French-Swiss border.
I had a bunch of things inside my car and when I got to
the border they would not let me through. The told me to
pull over and proceeded to search my entire car inside
and out. The took all my bags apart and even had a dog
sniffing the entire vehicle, even the engine! An hour and
a half later they let me go but now it was late and I knew
I needed to drive late into the night to make up for lost
time. This video was me sleeping outside of Milan, Italy
on a rest stop. I got about 3-4 hours sleep and then had to
hit the road again. The humbling thing is that usually I am
very good with directions while driving but not this time!
Thank you God for your provision and protection.

Prayer Makes Such a Difference

What a difference. This second year has certainly been different than our first - which is to be expected. First of all, I would like to say an enormous THANK YOU to all those who have prayed for us. A specific answer to prayer to mention is Kya and school. She struggled all year long last year with not wanting to go or throwing terrible fits when we left her there. We kept taking her there, though, because if she didn't go, she would have almost zero interaction with other kids her age and be around adults 24/7 and we knew it would be the best way to help her learn the language. When the summer was ending, we weren't sure whether or not to put her back in because of the traumatizing first year. We prayed for sure and asked all of you to pray as well. Well, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! She is like a totally new kid! I don't think she has cried once this whole new year. She has so much joy and the teachers tell me how happy she is and well she's doing. She goes on her own and gives everyone (the other kids and teachers) hugs afterwards and tells them, "Mirupafshim!" which is "goodbye" in Albanian. She's also been speaking more Albanian for sure this year in school and out. Initially we heard how they would pick it up so much faster than we would, but that was not the case with Kya. Even by the end of the last school year, we were surprised at how little Albanian she understood and knew. PRAISE GOD! He is ALIVE and answers prayer! All I can say is she really is like a whole new kid. My heart is full when I see her at school so full of joy. THANK YOU prayer partners. THANK YOU, MY GOD!!

This is a happy day at the Center for gypsy kids we have here. It's with the Florida team from summer time. However, what you will read about here is another type of day.

Read on to find out what went on in my (Jamie's) head yesterday when coming home from the Emmanuel Center.

THIS IS NOT WORKING!! Why in the world did we give up our lives for these kids? It was for nothing!! They don't care! They don't respond! They don't respect us one bit! They mock us! Why are we here? I'm so ready to close this down! I am going to those boys' fathers and going to have a word with them about how their boys behaved and what little respect they have showed us! What a waste! We are some of the few people that treat them like human beings, we come and give them food, they get clothes sometimes here, when we see them on the street, we shake their hands and treat them with dignity, we visit their homes. Why in the world did we give up our lives for them?

Then, Jesus whispered in my heart, "You didn't do it for them, you did it for Me."

Yes, that's true. And it did help calm me down. Although, the frustration continued. What a terrible day - actually, the worst yet - there at the center for gypsy kids. I was actually getting somewhere with the younger boy who is 6. He was writing his name, but it was totally backwards, so I was showing him how to write it forwards, and he was really improving. Then, I was teaching an 8 year old girl how to write her 6s the right way and she was also improving. Then, the older teenage boys went out of control. They were so incredibly rude and disrespectful, when I went home, I was ready to call it quits. The Albanian woman who helps us wasn't able to make it that day, so it was just me and Jess (the Aussie lady who's on my team). It was a joke. They were stealing keys and trying to break into other rooms. They were climbing out the window (we're on the 2nd floor), making fun of our accents, physically pushing me out of a room where they weren't supposed to be, knocking over chairs, being extremely loud yelling and knocking things over (which we're in an apartment building and other people can hear us easily). I was demanding that they leave, but they wouldn't. I felt powerless. Finally, we had to call our pastor to come over to help us. Then, when they heard he was coming, they left, making an enormous ruckus as they went. That was a bad enough nightmare and it took a while for me to calm down. Then, after the meeting, I asked a couple of the older girls who are 13 and 14 to come with me to show them something. I wanted to show them a painting I did and ask them to paint with me sometime (the 14 year old is always painting and coloring at the center and I know she loves to). The 14 year old's mother and sister are prostitutes and she hasn't come for months. Suddenly, she's coming again and I want to really form a relationship with her. I really don't want her going down that path. Well, after I showed them, we were trying to make plans for when to paint together, then a couple other kids from the center saw us and asked what we were doing. When they found out, they were all jealous and mad and called me stupid and yelling at me and wouldn't listen to a word I said. I was mad, then too. I had already been telling one of them that I would go to her house and do something special with her and she was happy about it. I asked them why I couldn't do something special with them and these 2 girls, but they wouldn't hear it. I was fuming by the time I got home. I was just thinking, Why in the world do we do this? These kids don't care one bit. All they want to do is take and misbehave.

I hate to say that that's the end of this blog post. There is no resolution... yet. The truth is, sometimes I have no idea what to do. I feel completely inadequate, like my language isn't good enough yet, just powerless. I have sought God about what to do with these kids, but when I feel I have a clear direction, it seems to shut down or the doors close. I don't know. I feel confused sometimes. If you remember, please, please, pray with us for this ministry. It is the most difficult by far. I know that God loves these kids by Jesus' example. Looking at His life here on earth, He loved the most rejected, the most looked down upon. It's one of the things I REALLY love about Him! This ministry also defies society's thinking in that way. Anyways, it's not like I expected this to be a piece of cake, but it reminds me of labor. I knew going into it, it would be extremely painful... and it was! But, knowing it would be so painful didn't make it any less painful if you know what I mean. Knowing this would be so difficult, doesn't make it any easier. That's all. I love you all and thank you for reading. It feels good getting my true feelings out there sometimes. -Jamie

In the beginning of October we went to Montenegro for MTS2 which
stands for missionary training school part 2. It was held for all of the OM
missionaries around our general area. They came from Bosnia, Moldova,
Romania, Albania, and Kosovo. It was a great time of learning and
growing as well as getting to meet and make new friends.
We drove there since it was only around 4 hours from our flat and
we stayed there for 10 days. This is a picture of what the
surrounding area looked like.




This was a boy named Ilir who Kya really bonded with while we
were at MTS. She enjoyed being around him so much that each
morning and after every nap she would wake up asking to go
and play with him right away. Fortunately, he lives in Albania in
a city 2 hours from ours and she will get to see him again during
Christmas as the 3 OM Albanian teams meet for the holidays.




This is right outside the room in our hotel where we would come
together everyday to worship, pray, teach, share, and interact
with one another. The room was a little tight and the food the hotel
served was not so good, but it didn't matter much because the time
we spent there with each other in fellowship and learning and
growing was special.

This water source was right outside the hotel room where
we met (see above) and you could get fresh water from it
whenever you wanted. I think the kids used it much more
than we did.


I put this picture in because it says a lot about who Kya is. After
taking her to go potty at the hotel I ripped off some toilet paper
and it came out uneven. She didn't like that so I tore the rest that
was hanging to make an even cut but I left this one little part on
purpose to see if she would notice. Well, she did. It still was bothering
her. She showed signs of this when she was very little. When she was
around 1 and couldn't talk yet, she woke up one morning in her crib
and was whining about something and pointing over to the corner of
her room. When I took her out and put her on the floor she walked
over to her closet door that was open just a little and pushed it closed
because it was bothering her. At least we shouldn't have to worry a
whole lot about her keeping her room clean but we'll have to see how
extreme she goes with it.



While in Montenegro Jamie and I celebrated our 9th wedding
anniversary. This was a pretty nice restaurant in town that
we went to and the food and service was really good.




These were mozzarella sticks that we ate there. We have not
eaten or even thought of them since we left the States. They
were a pleasant surprise.




When we were driving to Montenegro we ofcourse had to go
across the border of Albania/Montenegro. When you drive
over you need a green card and another document for your
car as well(only in certain countries). Well some of the cars
driving over from Albania didn't know this and they had to
leave their vehicles at the border for 10 days. They took a
taxi to get to the hotel which is about an hour drive but could
not fit all their bags. So I offered to drive back to the border
that first night with an English guy named Neil to retrieve
the bags that were left. We left around 8 or so and the drive
back to the border was a little hairy because the road was
super narrow in many spots and very dark and in the
mountains as well. And there was not much of a shoulder or
none at all sometimes so when someone is coming at you with
their brights on it was quite challenging sometimes to stay on
the road. I should tell you that neither Neil or I had been with
them when they were driving so we only knew where to find the cars
from what they told us. Anyways, after searching for like an hour
we could not find them. We left after some guy started yelling
something at us from inside this van. I walked over to it and around
the back and to my surprise he was holding a semi-automatic gun
and telling me (in Albanian) not to come any closer. I am still not sure
whether he was a guard in that area or if he was just living there by
himself. Anyways, that was our cue to go. We never did find the cars
that night and got back after midnight. Thankfully, they were still
where the guys left them 10 days later after the MTS ended.

We have not blogged for a while because we were gone almost the whole
month of October. We went to Montenegro for what they call MTS2 which
means missionary training school and then we were off to Italy for a family
vacation. Well, I have waited over a year to get this picture but it was well
worth it. It is a picture of Jamie eating at McDonalds. The reason why I
say this is because in the States she ragged on anyone of our friends who
would eat there (including our pastor) and she said that even if she was
starving she would not never eat there. I told them before I left that when
we are overseas as missionaries there will come a day where my wife will
eat there and when it does I am spreading the news and letting everyone
back home know about it! So, here it is. The proof is in the....cheesburger!
One reason it took so long is because there is no Micky D's in Albania.
Sorry Honey. I love you, but you knew this day would come if you ate there.

Believe it or not, this was actually the first time that either of our girls
have been there. Needless to say, they liked it.

We had the opportunity to attend a Retreat at the beginning of
September that was especially for missionaries that live and serve
here in Albania. This was the last night and since we were close
to the beach we made a little bonfire and roasted some
marshmallows. They were a special treat brought from the
States and Kya (in the yellow) was very exited about eating them.

Since we were right by the sea there were turtles hanging
around the property. Kadence was taking a liking to them and she
would have taken him home with us if it was up to her.
Now, a pet turtle, that would be something here in Albania!

This is Kya, well, being.....Kya. If you have kids or you are around
them you know they can get very silly at times. Kya can be
very funny and she was cracking us up here with her facial expressions.
Who does she take after?

We just had two new girls join our O.M. Lushnje team. Tracy is
an Aussie and Lynette is from Canada, eh? One of the first
nights they were here we all got together and did a B-B-Q
and had them initiated. This is a grill that we bought in the
summer with chicken and pork sizzling on top. The coal is much
different and much harder than in the States. In the States,
you can just throw some lighter fluid on the charcoal and poof!
you have a B-B-Q. Here, they come in big chunks that you
need to break up and put pieces of wood or fire starters throughout
the coal and keep working and fanning it until it turns white,
which usually takes a good 20-25 minutes of work. Anyways,
after doing it 3-4 times I thinks I have it down now.

During Tracy and Lynette's "initiation" that night, one of the things
we had them do was that we blindfolded them and gave them a few
of the traditional Albanian drinks. Lynette, the one on the right, had
the worse of the two drinks. It is called raki, and it is a very strong
alcoholic drink they make here. It will definitely clear your sinuses
right up!! Tracy, on the left, had something called thalle. It is a drink
made from yogurt and many Albanians love it but we could do without
it. And yes, both of those drinks taste terrible,
at least to most foreigners.

We will always be posting pics and videos of our kids because
the grandparents and family want to see them.
As we have said before, Kya and Kadence love to look at books
and many times they do it together.
Kya is usually the "teacher" and Kadence the "pupil".

Little girls growing up

Hello all...
Here's a little snidbit into the girls growing up.
Kadence is "reading" her latest favorite book here "Goodnight Moon".
I thought I'd translate what she's saying. : )

"Goodnight jumping over...
Goodnight light and red balloon
Goodnight bears, goodnight chairs
Goodnight mittens...
Goodnight clocks, goodnight socks
Goodnight house, goodnight mouse"

We love it when she reads like this!!

Kya just had her first swimming lesson! We have a friend who is another missionary in a city called Durres that's about 45 minutes away. She is trained to give lessons and was so kind to volunteer her services. There is an open pool there, but it does cost money, so we don't know how often we'll do it. It was the first time we went to a pool here in Albania. So so nice. Here's a few short videos of our time there.

And at last, her reward for her cooperation - ice cream (as she yells)! : )

We had fast food afterwards and I ordered a "hamburger". I'm sure you're asking the same thing I did. Where's the meat? It's in there. It's just about a 2 1/2 inch skinny circle. It's hiding under the fries, cucumber and tomato.

Until next time, wonderful friends and family...

This is a picture of the Korean team with some of us OMers as
well. They came here for a week, all 32 of them, and we had
a jam packed schedule that was tiring but very exiting.

Here they are performing some taekwondo on the streets of
of our city Lushnje. We are at Luna park, a park that is in
the center of Lushnje and a very popular hangout spot,
especially during the Summer months.

They also brought over an interpretive dance. As you can see,
they were a very talented group of youth. South Koreans seem
to put a lot into whatever they do and it shows.

This is at the Emmanuel Center with the kids. Both the Florida
and Korean team brought over fun things like face painting and
animal balloons. The kids loved it and the people on the teams
really enjoyed the time together with them.

This is in a village called Grabian. A new Bible study had just
been started here a week before we did this street evangelism.
Steve Shapiro, the fearless leader of the Florida team is laying
out the Gospel message. You go boy!!

Steve, the multitalented Florida team leader, also took part
in doing a drama with the rest of the guys and gals from
the team. It was a powerful one and I believe God really
used it to help plant spiritual seeds in the hearts of many.
(a clip of the drama below)

Winter vs. Summer

So, I thought it would be fun to examine
the
differences
between
winter
and
summer here.
From silly things you don't think about to other things you wouldn't think you could "live" without. : )

S = Summer W = Winter

*Remember, in winter, it has gotten as low as 42 degrees and in summer,
as high as 100 degrees inside our flat.

Concerning food:

BUTTER in S if left out of the fridge, will melt. To soften it, after being in the fridge, just put it out in the sun for 5 minutes. In W, even when left out on the countertop every day, it will never get to spreading consistency.

CHOCOLATE in S will also melt, so you have to keep it in the fridge always. In W, it's good, but just kinda hard.

PRODUCE in S goes bad very fast! Like, within a day or two if not kept in the fridge. In W, fruits and veggies stay good for a week or two at least when left out. It's great!

WATER in S = never enough! At times, I find it necessary to keep a big bottle of water in the freezer, (no ice makers, just trays) because at the rate we drink it, it hardly gets cold if we keep it in the fridge. It's just not in there long enough. In W, we could probably go a whole day without drinking and not even notice.

COOKING in S means making the kitchen even hotter than it already is! Food takes a good while to cool down to eat it sometimes. In W, the food cools down almost immediately. It's impossible to keep even warm for more than a few minutes.

ICE CREAM in S is a must (and very cultural). In W, nobody eats it... except us foreigners on a special occasion!

Concerning household duties:

LAUNDRY in S is easy. Many items dry within a couple hours (we hang it outside to dry). The only thing is because the sun is intense, it can fade the clothes pretty fast. In W, I have literally felt my hands go numb when taking it down and folding it when it's gotten really cold. Plus, it's usually hard to tell when it's dry (because the coldness can make it still feel wet). It can take days to dry many times.

CLEANING the ceilings are for different reasons. In S, it's dust cobwebs that form where the walls meet the ceiling from the dust that comes in the windows and doors (which are always open of course). In W, it's mold that grows on our bedroom and bathroom ceiling from the humidity.

Concerning comforts:

BATHING is refreshing in S and necessary very often due to the amount you sweat. In W, it's almost traumatizing : ). It means putting a space heater in the bathroom for 10-20 minutes to warm it up. You are cold the entire time, but with the heater, it's bearable, just something you definitely do not look forward to!

SLEEPING in S is difficult! We have fans (portable ones, I've seen maybe only 2 ceiling fans my whole time here) going on all of us throughout the night, but still very uncomfortable. In W, it means 3 blankets and your regular winter clothes (which can consist of 3 layers) - sometimes with even your winter coat and gloves. It usually takes 15 minutes under all that to stop being cold. And some mornings you wake up to see your breath. Also, I remain in a very tight fetal position all night long.

POWER OUTAGES in S means, "Oh no! No fans!" In W, it means, "Oh no! No space heaters!"

BUGS in S are plentiful! I don't think there's a day goes by without a bee coming inside along with many flies and mosquitoes (no screens here). Sometimes bees can almost cover some produce as well when you go to buy it at the market - especially grapes. We have also seen some really weird looking and BIG bugs here! In W, this is one very good thing! No bugs at all!

WEATHER in S means blue skies and more blue skies. It's very dry and sunny and won't rain for many weeks in a row, sometimes all summer. In W, it's gray skies every day for months seemingly. Much raining and humidity, which means a lot of mud! We've also experienced hail many times here already (not necessarily in just one season, though).

So, those are some interesting extreme differences in our last year we've experienced concerning W and S. For me (Jamie) it was my first winter ever having grown up in S. Florida and lived there my whole life. Very interesting...

Again, we apologize for not updating the blog regularly lately. Our Summer was extremely busy with teams visiting but we promise it will get better now. I just put a couple things up right now
to get something up but there will be lots more to come in the coming weeks. We will also try and share some personal stories with what God was doing in and through the teams. Thanks so much for your patience.

This is a village called Grabian, where we did street evangilism
with the team from Florida. Many people were interested in
was going on. Some of you have either seen or done this drama
in the past. It is called The Chair and is one of my favorite dramas
to see and perform. Here, Annette and J.D. are performing it in
front of a very large crowd. The Lord used this along with music,
testimonies, and preaching to lead individuals to Christ that day!

The Florida team also brought face painting for the kids. That was
always a big hit and sometimes pure chaos!!!

This video was taken just before the teams got here around the
middle of June. This was outside our flat and the many people are
gathered because voting was just about to take place in a couple
days for a new leader in Albania. In the weeks before the elections
took place it was common to see people driving by with VERY loud
music playing promoting whatever party or candidate they were
for. This would happen multiple times during each day or night.
This was sort of a rally just gathered in the middle of the street.
People left there cars in the middle of the street everywhere just
blocking the road. But no one seemed to mind that much. It is just
a part of what goes on here and is what normal.

A Movie Experience

Hello...

So, Tim and I went to the movies today for the first time in a year. Exciting stuff! : ) We had actually tried to go on his birthday back in March and went to the place, but they didn't show the movie because there weren't enough people that bought tickets. Remember that we live in Lushnje, and the closest theater is in Tirana, the capitol which is 1 1/2 hours away about. (There are 4 or 5 theaters in all of Albania.) So, I was pretty bummed and we had to drive back for nothing. It's silly, I know. Just a little piece of something familiar. And you can't just say, oh let's see something else. Some of the theaters show only one movie. Which is another reason we had to wait months to try again, because if that one movie is yucky or old (they are currently showing Kung Fu Panda at a theater... we own that movie) then you have to wait until they show a new one. So, everything finally worked out today and we saw Night at the Museum 2. We liked it.

Funny little differences: at the time we bought our tickets, we had to choose our seats, which was even funnier because we were the only people in the theater (thank you, Kristal Kinema for still showing it anyways!). The tickets were about 3 US $ each. Then we went all out and got snacks. Popcorn which would equate to a small size probably in the States (only one size available) and a coke. The only kind were the good ol' glass bottles... tiny. Snacks: $1.70. Walking in it was really nice because it's a brand new theater. Nice seats and everything. The screen was probably about half the size as one in America, but it was big enough. Albanian subtitles, of course, throughout the film. Halfway through the movie, there was a 5 minute interruption. Oh yeah, also their internet site said there was a showing at 10:30, but there wasn't until 12:15, so we sat at a cafe nearby and played travel Scrabble while we waited. It was a really nice time for just the two of us.

We really needed it from being so busy with the team that recently came from Florida. They were here for 2 weeks and it was an awesome experience. God used them and worked in them in many ways and blessed us through them. It is cool hearing things from their perspective. If you want to hear about their trip here, they kept a blog the whole time, with pictures too. The blogsite is in the post right under this one. It was super busy! We were almost never home and pretty much collapsed after they left. Now, we're planning for a team coming from Korea with 32 people! They'll be here on Thursday! You can pray for us and the team!!

So, our official date day ended with a really yummy lunch at the Stephen Center - a restaurant/cafe started by an American missionary in Tirana. So, so good. The only place we've been that has things like Mexican food and BBQ chicken, teriyaki, etc. Chimichanga... that's all I have to say. : )

That's the end of that story. Sorry for lack of details about the Fla team, it's just, how do you even begin to talk about a whole 2 weeks of continuous experience? Perhaps we'll try to muster up some details and stories for you in the next blog. For now, I'm ready for bed. Good night. I'm sure you're all getting ready for dinner in a couple hours and your own fun Sat night plans.

Hello, everyone. So sorry it's been so long. We've had a team here for the past 2 weeks and have not even been home just about the whole time! It was an amazing time. The best way to express it, though is through the team's blog. They kept one the whole time they were here, so you also get a perspective on their side of coming here for the first time. Here's their link. They were a team of 11 Americans from good ol' south Florida. Thanks for your patience!!

http://albaniateam2009.blogspot.com/

Well, dear friends and loved ones...
Here's a pic of some precious friends of mine.
It is really a strange transition, living in another culture.
In the beginning, everything's new and different. You're always learning,
always making mistakes (we're still learning and making mistakes!).
Gradually, over time, things become more and more normal.
You feel more and more at home. You even start to forget what was
considered "normal" in your home country vs. your new one.
I was however, recently feeling less like an "American" in a couple
situations. Once was while going to the second hand market.
There is a family of stronger Muslims on our street. I stop to say hi
when the mom is outside. I really want to try to develop a relationship
with her. I know she sells clothes at the second hand market. So, I
needed something for Kya and went there to her spot specifically.
After telling her what I needed and watching them dump out a pile of
used clothes on a tarp on the ground, I then began picking through it
to find something suitable for Kya. I just kinda laughed inside at the
feeling inside of me saying, "What are you doing? You're buying used
clothes from a gypsy Muslim on the dirty ground for your daughter!!"
As I shook the feeling off, I reminded myself of this woman's state.
Knowing the reality of heaven and hell is enough to go through things
much more extreme than just this. All that matters is her soul.
Another time was when I stopped to visit these friends in the picture.
They were eating lunch and invited me in to eat with them.
They don't know God personally yet. While sitting with them in this shop,
they forcibly said again and again, "Eat! Eat!" which of course I did
and enjoyed the moment very much. Their lunch was bread,
peppers cooked in oil, cucumbers and a few chunks of cheese.
Once again, this feeling came over me that I've described.
They were so happy to have more than enough for me.
They even gave me some for Tim.
This is an ordinary poor person's meal here.

Kya's growing up! She got this certificate since it is the end
of her little school year. She still struggles with going sometimes.
I think it's hard because she still doesn't know the language well,
but it actually is the best source for her learning it well.
Also, without it, she would have almost no other "kid" time.
She has made her friends here.

Along with "graduating" her first year of any kind of school,
she just turned 4. We went to a little local zoo for her birthday.
It was really small, but fun. Here's Kya face to face with a monkey.

Here's a little unsettling visit with a lion. It was "unsettling"
because there was just this little wire cage between us and it.
I've never been so close to one before and was actually really
surprised by how powerful it looked. Also, you can hear it growl
at us in the video suddenly.

The girls racing a bear. : )

Lately, Kya's been into sharks. I have no idea why,
but that's what she asked for for her birthday, so that's what she got!

homemade paper wall decor

4 years old!

Ministry Reality

Well, no pics with this post. Hope it's OK if I just show some humanness if you will and relay a hardship of our ministry here.

Yeah, it's hard sometimes. I will admit the emmanuel center for gypsy children is one of the most difficult ministries I've ever been a part of. How are you supposed to fight against a mindset that has been ingrained in people for centuries? - that you are a beggar and that's all you'll ever be, so may as well be good at it. Don't try, don't go to school (cause then you won't be on the street making money), don't wash up (cause then you don't look pathetic enough to get money when you beg), have lots of babies and start when you're young (because it looks more pathetic and you get more sympathy when you have a dirty little precious baby at your feet or say "I have 8 kids to feed"). I will say how I feel. Just when I think I'm getting somewhere and connecting with them, they do something to remind me what a stronghold they're trapped in and can't get out of. Just when I was really feeling good about the day we had with them last week, they work as a team to distract me to get into my purse. ohhhh. Why? I honestly can't blame them. They are children. Children do as they're taught. The one girl that I really had hope for that stood out as different, has turned "bad" (as our Albanian co-worker put it) and stopped coming. Her mother and older sister are prostitutes. What is her hope? Whew. I know sometimes we like to post happier things, but I hope it's OK to show you the not so fun side. For me, the really difficult side. What makes you go on when you see absolutely no fruit and hardly anyone else wants to join with you in the ministry? When you feel like it's an absolute waste of time because there is no change or visible hope. The thing that keeps me going is this - because Jesus told us to. This is what Jesus taught us to do in word AND action, so we'll do it. We can't give up on these kids like everyone else does every day. Also, we serve the God of impossibility and hope in seemingly hopeless situations. I am so grateful for that. We can go on and perservere because of who God is. Praise Your glorious name, Jesus. Thank You for loving these kids more than anyone ever could.

Good times

We wanted to apologize to any of our blog readers who might have
read a comment on here about a week or two that was very vulgar.
We don't know this person personally and we are screening the comments
from now on.

And if the person who made that comment ever reads this, we just want
to let you know that we are not mad at you. If that is the way you feel,
then you are entitled to your own opinions. We also want you to know
how much Jesus loves you and that if you have a lot of bitterness
and anger stored up inside that He can take these feelings away
from you and replace them with love, joy, and a peace that only God
can give to you. We hope and pray that God will work in your life and
one day you can give your heart to Him. God Bless you!

Also, we apologize for posting Albanians as a "forgotten people". You're right. Albanians aren't forgotten by God in any sense. I think the reason we posted that was because this country was so closed off for so many years under Enver Hoxha's rule, and no other countries had access to it, it became in a sense, forgotten, because of it's inaccessability. Please, forgive us. We have removed that from this blog.

So at the end of April, we had a 4 day retreat in Macedonia. These
pics and video are from the beautiful ride through Albania while traveling.
(You will hear more about the retreat in our newsletter)

While we were there, we had some free time each afternoon. We decided to see
how good of drivers our girls really are. I think they need some practice :)

The city Ohrid that we stayed in bordered a big, beautiful lake that
separated Albania and Macedonia. We were told that back in the day it
was like the "Jerusalem" of the Balkans because of the amount of churches
and Christian history that came out of here. This was a castle at the top of
the hill that we walked to one day.


This was the view outside our hotel.
Definitely a refreshing change from our dusty city!



Got to get them trained early!!



Ahoy ye pirates! This pic and the ones below are from a pirate themed
birthday party we went to for an American missionary who lives here.
It was a lot of fun and also challenging to find pirate clothes here in Albania.



Even as a pirate she is cute!


Yeah, yeah. Don't laugh. We are on the mission field,
so this is the best that we could do. : )

So, I think we have a natural here. Watch how she goes to
play and puts her hand on the strings to play a chord. We
never showed her this, she just did it. Watching her try to
play and sing at the same time makes us think that she
might be a future worship leader! You never know, but
if God wills, that would be awesome!