This month is month number 2 and it is all squad month! This means that for the entire month, the whole squad of 50 people are here serving together in Lezhe, Albania. We are staying at a camp called Light Force International and I am staying in a room full of bunk beds with about 16 other girls. There is no air conditioning so it gets quite warm and I have never seen so many flies in my life. Me and three others killed over 500 flies in a few hours and completely destroyed the fly swatter (pictures to come soon). Right behind our room are the pigpens. We often hear them “oink,” but they actually sound more like dinosaurs. There are also little piglets that were born a few days ago! So cute. We wash our clothes by hand and there are no toilets, only squatty potties! Believe me, that is a new experience! At night we can hear the rats running on top of the roof and today a mouse ran between my feet! Lots of animals here!
While we are here this month, we are helping the kids that come for camp. There are three different camps that we will be helping with. The first camp that was here was run by the Peace Corp. There were about 10 other Americans here and it was so nice to be able to hear English and be able to talk with them! One of the Peace Corp workers actually went to Concordia College and we know some of the same people! So crazy! It is amazing how small the world actually is. There were 50 campers around the ages of 15-20. During the week, we helped run the camp by working in the kitchen, cleaning bathrooms, gardening and grounds keeping, guarding the gate, lifeguarding, first aid, and helping with activities, such as the climbing wall, archery, sports, billiards, and ping pong. My job this month is camp nurse! I am so excited to be able to help by using my nursing degree. The campers and even squad mates have been keeping me and the other nurse, Nikole, very busy! We have had many sprained ankles, cuts, infected cuts, so so many blisters, stomach problems, and fevers.
The time when the kids are not here, we work around the camp gardening and pulling weeds, working with the pigs, or doing any type of repair work. One day we weeded their garden and their kiwi garden which was filled with turtles! We had to be sure not to step on them even though they blend in so well with the grass. Then we cut the grass with our hands. Never thought I would say that, but we just find an area of grass and sit down in it and start ripping off the top of the grass so that it was 2-3 inches high. Some also had a race to see who could pick up the most sheep poop. Whoever had the most got an ice cream bar!
There is a church retreat here this week. The kids and families from a Baptist church in Tirana (capital city of Albania) have been here for the past couple of days and it has been so much fun getting to know the children and families. I have also had some good conversations with the pastor of the church. He is a missionary from Wisconsin and there is actually a church in Mandan, ND that sponsors he and his family. It is so great to hear all that they are doing for the people of this country and it is so cool to see how God has used them to being hope and encouragement to this country.
Being all squad month, we have had a lot of time to build relationships with our squad mates throughout the day and have grown closer as a squad. We have also had worship almost every night and different lessons on the Holy Spirit and listening prayer. This month is teaching me a lot about patience and how to sit quietly in The Lord’s presence. I am also working on being 100% present in the moment and investing all my thoughts and energy in the present and not thinking about next month or even the next day, for that takes away from being present with those around me.
If you would like specific ways to pray, please pray that our squad is unified together as a team and that God show us how to love each other. Also, a lot of our squad isn’t feeling very well do to the water and food so prayers that the food and water give us strength for the day and that those who are sick be healed. Please pray that we show the kids here God’s love for them and that we can be a light for Him so that the kids come to know Christ. Thank you for all your prayers and support!
