When I arrived in Atlanta June 27th, I was completely ready for the World Race…or at least so I thought I was. I had prepared a year for this. Here it was. Launch time! With a nice wrap up from the preparation phase of WR training to the reality of being on the field, we left for the airport on July 1st to begin the first of a 3 day travel experience. Arriving at the airport around we had about a 4 hour wait until the first leg of my squad flew from Atlanta to Chicago. I must give a shout out to our logistics team who made navigating 54 people at once look easy. Anyways, upon arriving at the airport, my heart sunk. My baggage was lost. Just Kidding!!!!! No, when we arrived in Chicago, we ended up waiting for about an hour for the second leg to arrive. In that time frame we thought we were gonna be the most productive World Racers in history and workout in Chicago’s airport 5 hours into our voyage. Whipping out our jump ropes and resistance bands, we were poised to for an epic workout, post-starbucks run across baggage claim. Any who, some of my squad mates were like “hey Justin, your hunk, show us how to workout with these stretchy things.” lol…..only if that was actually said. Instead, I was a pompous nut and the Lord used a resistance band to slap me in the face. hahaha. I promise that is not a joke! Trying to do some fancy squat motion, I was humbled by a piece of latex like never before! I was dag nabbin slapped by a resistance band and I was practically knocked to my butt with the help of some dramaticism. And as all lumberjack looking bearded men do, I crawled, laughingly wailing the whole time! Well, after that delightful moment I realized I was officially over my airport workout and with just as must vigor as the desire to workout, I stopped like 5 minutes later! Once the second flight arrived, we got our bags and made our way to the international terminal. After a 6 hour wait, I stumbled upon the hottest airplane to Istanbul, Turkey. There I found the geeky comfort in a little neck fan. I def recommend for any future racers. 4 bucks from CVS can save your life! AIM, post that on your Instagram and Facebook if you read this!!!!!!! Mini neck fans a lifesavers! As I mentioned I had like the hottest flight ever, but it finally cooled off. And with that, our 11 hour flight to Turkey was on of the best flight experiences ever. They took care of coach members like were were first class heroes! Way ok with me. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, yea that 14 hour layover in Istanbul was one heck of a time! I got my first Zzzzzz’s sleeping overnight in the airport and eating a wonderful, semi-foot tasting salami pizza. Perhaps my pizza game was off but it was still food so I for sure was not about to skip on any food I could get. Finally, when we landed in Tirana, Albania the next day, I was so thrilled! We were finally in our first country!
I am not sure many people realize the beauty of this place! Sure, the former dictatorship/communist rule here has caused the country to live about 50 years in the past but the people are so incredibly hardworking and humble. The poverty is evident, but the spirit within the people is high. They live based on the sustenance they can grow or herd for themselves for the most part. Here in Lezhe, gypsies roam the streets, begging for money and help. Everybody in driving Mercedes and Range Rovers but live in half built homes. And despite the dispensation line, the younger generation is clearly on the up and up. There is definitive culture gap between parents and children here in Lezhe. Parents in some refrain, still live as if they are under the communist regime. The children, teens and college ages people live, act and strive for much of the same as American kids, who hold onto this hope for a continence of a better future.
LightForce International Ministries is a beacon of light here in Lezhe! Their focus is the kids of Albania. Not only to they want to share the gospel with the kids but they want to give a practical and meaningful experience by way to camps and outreaches to bring hope, fun, and just a glimpse of relief. For many of the kids, knowing that someone cares for them goes a long way! LightForce has an beautiful campus to on a 2 acre farm that we are largely helping with. Here they have goats, sheep, pigs and chickens. Every morning so far, we have milked mother goats or fed baby goats weaning from their mothers. With much of the excess milk, LightForce makes cheese or simply pasteurizes milk and sells it. Furthermore, they sheer wool, collect eggs, grow sustainable crops and butcher to supply an income to sponsor children from around the country. While the week of July 6th will be a week long camp ministering and loving on children, my remaining weeks with be manual labor on the farm on upkeep of the ministry sight!
It is such a blessing that in a week, humbled from that dang slap, that God would reveal so much of what he is doing there through LightForce! The people I have met, Frrok, his son Klaudio (who we randomly met at a cafe because we were Americans), Metilda (the hardest working lady ever) and Rachel, our host have been such a pleasure to partner with! Lezhe has already stolen a piece of my heart and well, I cant wait to see what happens in the next few weeks here in Albania! Stay tuned ya’ll!!!
Update: I am about $4,000 away from my final fundraising goal. If you would like to partner with me in this journey and service to the Lord, just click the “support me” tab on the left. I really appreciate every and all help that you all have blessed me with! Thank you so much!!! Love you all!!
