The past two weeks have been a whirlwind! But I want to just give you a semi-brief rundown/update on my life.
First, I love Albania! It is gorgeous and I love the friendly people here.
Also, my team this month is also partnering with another team from our squad called Relentless. We do life together, live together (all 16 of us in three rooms), and do ministry together.
And what kind of ministry are we doing, you may ask?
Well, more like what kind of ministry we are NOT doing! This may literally be one of the busiest months on the Race I have experienced. There is a lot of ministry given to us and also a lot of ministry opportunities that God brings to us.
Here is what we have been doing: (And note: We aren’t ALL doing everything, to a point. Some people are working on different things due to the gifts God has given them).
Week 1:
Some of us have individuals we teach English to. Some of our students are young and others are older.
There is soccer ministry three nights a week.
In the morning, 4 of my teammates helped with an English class with kiddos.
The rest of us during this time helped clean and prepare a building for construction where there will be a kindergarten.
Week 2:
We are still teaching English to our individuals.
There is still soccer ministry.
We are currently putting on a VBS for about 30 to 40 children.
We are continuing construction/painting. Soon there will also be murals put up.
Two or three of our girls are helping design a website and doing other artsy thing.
A general update on me though:
I currently have bronchitis according to a Christian, Albanian doctor. I think it’s getting better, but I’ve had it now for a long time.
I currently have lice. Thankfully I’ve never had more than 21 eggs, but my hair is not liking the fact I’m putting pesticides in my hair. However, my praise for having them right now is it makes it a lot easier for me to love on the children here who have lice because I already have them. As much as I would like to say it would be easy for me to hug those with lice while I was lice free, I think I would really struggle with it. So God just made it easier for me.
Mentally, I am wrestling with a lot and I am feeling overwhelmed. There is much God has shown me to work on, but I don’t necessarily know what to do about it. My humanity is showing and I sometimes just don’t feel like myself.
So I would definitely love prayers that my bronchitis would go away (and for good! I do not want to get this again on the Race), that my lice would go away (preferably before leaving for Macedonia), and God gives me mental clarity and resilience as He brings me deeper into Him. And through it all, He teaches me to find peace and joy in Him no matter what is going on or how I’m feeling.
