It’s been 3 weeks since I came to Durres, Albania. Time has gone by so fast and I will be heading to Romania this weekend!
Albania is a Muslim country, but majority of people do not practice Islam. Albania is very beautiful and it has captured a very special place in my heart because it reminds me so much of my home country in Kazakhstan. Albania culture is very similar to Soviet culture such as their food, street markets, the way people dress, landscape, etc. It feels like home to me.
Durres is the second largest city in Albania with population of 175,000 people. It is a coastal city with beaches and mountains. Although this city has so much to offer, there is an abundance of poverty here from beggars, people digging through dumpsters, stray animals roaming around, trash everywhere, people line the streets and sell whatever little they have to make ends meet. And yet there are numerous expensive cars on the road especially Mercedes, BMWs, and Range Rovers. I still don’t understand why there are so many of them and how people can afford them. The roads are in dire need of repairs and there are practically no traffic laws…everyone drives like a maniac.
My team has been blessed with our ministry contact (Durres Christian Center Foundation, www.lovealbania.com) and their great housing accommodations. We are living in a church that has rooms with bunk beds, showers, bathrooms, kitchen, play room, and laundry room. This building is owed by the church and also has office space and day care center. This organization is involved in many different ministries including day care center that also houses special needs, human trafficking, children/youth camps, bible schools, and seaport ministry.
The church is led by youth and most leaders are in their teens or early twenties. I have never witnessed so much dedication and compassion from youth as I have here. It is very encouraging to see their hard work and commitment of building God’s kingdom. This church was founded by a Canadian pastor who moved to Albania in 1995 and lived there for 18 years and married an Albanian woman. Most of its funds come from Canada, US, and England. Their pastor has gone back to Canada so they are in dire need of a new pastor for leadership, spiritual encouragement and growth.
Our schedules have been full and busy with ministry. My team has been leading bible studies, church service, devotionals, prayer meetings, beach evangelism, hospital/home visits, playing with children, visiting an orphanage, cleaning and painting. Every Tuesday morning we hike the top of the hill and pray for the city of Durres.
Saturdays is our Sabbath day where we relax or go out exploring. We have hiked the highest peak in Durres with breathtaking views of the city and Adriatic Sea. We visited an old castle/museum in Kruja with more stunning views. We went to the beach and swam with the locals. Drinking coffee and eating ice cream is very popular and cheap here so we drank a lot of expressos and consumed many ice creams with our Albanian (ministry) friends. We have also consumed a lot of fresh and delicious bread and pastries.
One day, while walking home from church, we saw a couple walking a BEAR in the middle of the street. What shocked us the most is that none of the locals turned their heads or seemed surprised by this bear. To us this was a pretty wild scene, but as it turns out it’s a normal “thing” for the locals here as everyone is familiar of this bear. The owner walks the bear to the city center where people can take photos with the bear for a price.
The weather in Albania has been very hot and sunny every day. It’s been in the upper 90’s and there is no air conditioning. The heat drains all energy out of you and it is very difficult to sleep. Sometimes I wish I could peel my skin off, but at least I’m very happy that we are able to shower every day and have a washing machine to do our laundry. This may not be the case in other countries especially Africa.
Today we blessed our ministry host and their staff by cooking them lunch, washing and massaging their feet. They were filled with joy and gratitude.
I will miss this country greatly. We have become a family! Albanian people are the sweetest, the most welcoming and hospitable people that I know. They have stolen a piece of my heart.
