Meeting with students has been great. This week in the mornings we have coffee dates with students and in the evenings we continue to go to the dorms. Though it all kind of seems repetitive to me (greet, general conversation, gospel, goodbye), I am always amazed on how these Albanian students are stealing my heart.
Before coming to Albania, we knew that the majority of people we met would be Muslim. What we didn’t really know is that they are not the kind of Muslim we first think of. In America, when someone talks about Muslims, our thoughts immediately go to the Middle East and the people who wear turbines. But in Albania this is different. You can’t tell who is Muslim or Christian simply based on dress. It’s because these are cultural Muslims.
Cultural Muslims don’t necessarily practice the faith (with the emphasis on the 5 Pillars), but consider themselves Muslim because that is the background they were raised with.
Most do believe in One God but it is in the details where things get iffy. Most have heard about Jesus and know He suffered and died, but in believing in Him and desiring a relationship with Him is where the line is drawn. Many girls have said to me, if God forgives me then I can continue to live my life and always ask forgiveness and be fine. They see the grace of God, only in who He is and not in the sacrifice He made for us.
It’s difficult sometimes, but we have to continue on. And to not become discouraged. We are here for the connection and bonding. God is the one who does the conversion. All we can do is speak His word, be attuned with His Spirit and remember that His word never goes out void.
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On another note: I LOVE apples and guess what Korce has plenty of? You guessed it. Apples. How ironic right? Yesterday during dorm time, Emily mentioned she loves the apples here, so what do the girls offer? Apples. And even this other fruit (We call it ‘Big Apple’) which looks pretty much like a big apple/pear but tastes like a raspberry. Don’t ask me. And we get some Turkish coffee (I bet all this coffee is why I can’t sleep at night).
The next dorm we go to, we sit down and immediately the girls take out bowls of plums and apples. (My first time eating a plum and not too bad if you ask me.) And of course we had to eat another apple. We didn’t want to be rude and refuse the great food they were offering.
Then tonight during dorm time, we are talking to some girls, when the fourth roommate comes home with this gigantic bag of apples. I didn’t make much note of it. Until the next thing I know she is getting out a bowl and putting apples in it and then washing them. Then they are sitting right in front of me. Again I take an apple just so I am polite. 😉 When it is time to leave, 4 apples are still sitting in the bowl. Well that just doesn’t seem right! A girl grabs two and literally opens my bag and places the apples in there. And then gives the other two to my translator Juli. (We both walk away with a great gift of apples. Those girls definitely know the way to my heart!) I think I could really come to enjoy dorm time!
