I have less than 2 weeks left in Albania. I have been away from home- from everything I have ever known- for over 2 and a half months now and that blows my mind. The time I have spent here in Tirana has been some of the hardest moments I have ever faced, but also some of the best days of my life. I have been asked more times than I can count if I miss home or want to be back in America but my answer of “no” has shocked people the most. Of course I miss my family, my own space, and even the rest of the clothes I left behind, but I never want to leave Albania and I’ll tell you a little bit why…
I came on this trip expecting to be ready to leave the country I have lived in for the 3 months; excited for our next destination. I came on this trip expecting to be ready for a team change because being with 6 other girls literally 24/7 is A LOT! It’s funny because those 2 things are the top 2 things that I feel the most weary about.
Albania has become my new “home sweet home”. This church has taken us in and called us their own.
Our ministry for the past 2 and a half months has looked a lot like this: coffee ministry, outreaching to the city, planning for youth group & Sunday school, getting the amazing opportunity to partner with an organization that helps at-risk teenage girls, going to the Roma Camp every week to give them food & pray for them, and even more. The Lord has given us so many opportunities to further His kingdom here in Albania which I am so grateful for. My favorite ministry so far has been able to pour out to the Roma community. They are a group of people so upheld by the chains of society and the enemy that it is nearly impossible for them to break down those walls-therefore continuing the circle they are in. Being able to just hangout with the kids and plant seeds in them feels so important to me & I hope I am able to make a difference in their lives.
I am strong in my brokenness. I feel broken thinking about leaving this place which we have been able to call our new home. Such sweet, deep relationships have been rooted & thinking about saying goodbye is such a feeling that I can’t even describe. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it was possible for me to fall so in love with a country, a church, and group of people. During this time the Lord has really revealed to me just how deep we are able to love others because how He loved us first. The strength that I feel during this time of my brokenness comes from the insanely sovereign King who has allowed me to fully invest myself in the relationships and ministry planted before us. I have learned that even on my hardest days & even in my doubts, the Lord is literally always right there next to me reminding me that my thoughts and actions are not my own- this life is not my own & i feel an immense amount of peace when I say I want to spend the rest of my days serving my King.
