Hello from Albania!
I can not believe I am in month 6 of the Race. We are finishing up our time in Eastern Europe in Albania. I’ll be honest, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from Albania. I have never really known much about this country. So far, it looks (like most of the places we have gone) like something from a postcard. There are rolling hills of green and cute little cottages everywhere. The city is bustling while the villages are a little more slow paced. To my surprise, many people here speak English, which is so nice when you need help or want to make sure you’re ordering the right food. haha!
My squad and I arrived here last weekend for an LDW (a leadership weekend we have 4 or so times throughout the Race). We stayed at an adorable hostel in the center of Tirana for a few days. The weather was beautiful and it was so nice to have a little break. We also had to say goodbye to our Alumni Squad Leaders, which was sad. It’s always nice for all of us to come together and hang out after being apart for a month. We ate some good food, had some good laughs and a few dance parties. Overall, I’d say it was a successful weekend! 🙂
This month my team and I are in a small village on the outskirts of Tirana. It’s a cozy little village and the people are kind and stay to themselves for the most part. We are staying with a sweet lady named Donna. She is Irish but has lived in Albania for the past 20 years as a missionary. She lives in the cutest little house with tons of rose bushes in the yard and two of the SWEETEST huskies. In the mornings we go with her to the preschool she works at and serve there for a few hours. The kids there are so much fun and absolutely hilarious. It’s so nice to see a school that lets kids be kids. Kids are so cool. They just let their freak flag fly and don’t give a darn who sees them. We could all learn something from that.
In the afternoons we go down into the village and hang out with the kids there. This usually consists of us playing soccer and volleyball with a bunch of 10-11 year olds. They pretty much annihilate us every time. It’s hilarious. We play at an older mans house and he and his wife and some little kids sit up on the balcony and watch us and usually have a good laugh. I’m sure the 8 of us Americans (who, lets be real, are not the best athletes) are pretty entertaining to watch. It’s always quite the show! haha. Next week we will also start teaching an English class, so we’re looking forward to that!
It’s feeling like summer around these parts. Which I love. I love warm weather and the sun. I love to wear shorts and no shoes. I sometimes think about my friends and family back home that are all getting sno-cones and swimming on the weekends. I won’t lie, sometimes it’s hard to think about all I’m missing. My heart aches a little bit when I think about home and all my people. However, I KNOW I am where the Lord has called me. I am living a dream that I have had for so long. I am hanging on to that truth and trying to soak up every single moment on the Race.
Albania is a predominately muslim country. We are hoping to show the people here the love of Christ. Through living life here, we want people to see Jesus and see that He brings freedom from religion and rules. Please join us in praying that the light of Christ will be seen in and through B Squad as we continue to travel through Albania this month. Also, if you look to the side of this page, those are my teammates. There are a few of them who are still not funded to stay on the field. If you’re interested, they could use some cash to stay out here. They’re pretty cool so I’d hate to see them go home!
Okay, well folks, I think I’ve rambled enough for today. I hope you feel updated on my life. Life is really good. I’m gonna go eat some KFC (don’t you dare judge me) and enjoy a little taste of home.
XOXO
