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!