“Are you hosting a clothing drive?”
My team had hung their laundry outside of our Albanian home and now a local misunderstood our laundry with a donation collection.
“No, but we would still love your clothing donations!” Our home was in the poorest area of Tirana and there were plenty of people who could use clothing.
The next day Tea, the girl who asked if we were hosting a drive, came over with a big bag of clothes. I went back to her apartment twice to bring all the bags she wanted to give away. By the time the last of the bags were in our home (shoved in a small hallway that blocked the way to the boy’s room) I was in disbelief at the blessing Tea and her family gave to the community.
I called the church excitedly, and they asked us to wait for more direction on what to do with the clothes.
I waited. Eventually, I asked a contact if there were any plans in motion. Unfortunately, the church had no way to store the clothes and there were many projects going on that bumped the clothes to the bottom of the to-do list. It was even suggested to just throw the clothes away.
No. I truly believe that Tea and her family wanted to give clothes away at just the right time and happened to come in contact with our World Race group because God wanted to use these clothes to bless the community. I am a passionate person and I felt such a fight to donate the blessing to just the right people.
I prayed my passionate spirit wouldn’t be disappointed.
A few days later, Paige came up with the option to give clothes away to women who attended the Beauty for Ashes retreat. We grabbed the bags from the hallway and started sorting through them when members of the community came up and looked through the clothing.
There are many pop-up stores in the area we lived, so people may have confused our sorting with a store. Jenna Google translated the word “free” into Albanian for clarification. When we told people “free”, some looked at us like we had three heads (I was also wearing a silk salsa dress from the donation stack- but I think it was “falas” that really shocked them).
We watched as pile after pile was taken away for free by smiling people in our community. Even the salsa dress was eventually taken. As the clothes were going, I was overjoyed at an answered prayer. The Lord had a plan for these clothes, and he found just the right way to deliver them to the right people.
Our pastor and contacts were even able to see how the donation blessed those in the poorest part of Tirana.
Our impromptu clothing give-away will stay one of the best days on The World Race. I leaned on God to provide and He answered this prayer. I was reminded that He sees the needs of people, and He is a God who provides.
I was also given the gift of a friendship with Tea, who has one of the most generous and passionate hearts. Please pray for her as she travels to the US and then to Vietnam to volunteer to teach English. Pray blessings for her family for the way they impacted our little home in Tirana.
*Update on my computer fundraising: I am excited that $250/$1000 has been donated! Thank you SO much to everyone who has donated. I am still needing $750 in order to funded. Please check out the “I Am Needy” blog for more information and a way to donate.
