In no particular order :] My most treasured memories from Albania.
1. Dousha and Flora. These two darling ladies work for LightForce in the kitchen. The first week we were here they asked for volunteers to help shell peas and my hand shot up. And I am so glad. Because that afternoon I bonded so much with Dousha. She taught me how to count in Albanian (and through bits of English and lots of miming she told me that it would help me find an Albanian husband!) She shared with me that her own husband had died and I later found out that is why she always dresses in all black. I really loved these ladies and it was so special to me that they always had a hug and a kiss for me when I came around. Near the end of the month Amber and I felt led by God to give them some flowers. I am so thankful for that leading because it was one of the sweetest moments of the month to see then look on their faces. I pray that they know how precious they are, not only to me but so much more to their Heavenly Father.
2. Crazy pigs. It was cool to get to experience life on a pig farm. In the end it made me want to become a vegetarian (haha… but seriously) but I’m still thankful for the experience and I’m definitely going to want to remember it. From the lovely stink wafting on the breeze to the feeding time squeals and grunts that can be heard from any corner of the compound. I got to experience them first hand though during the second half of the month when I was part of the team that whitewashed the pig’s pens. They were at times adorable, other times terrifying, but always entertaining. Plus God used the experience to remind me to seek Him with my whole heart at all times. Other animals on the compound were fun and memorable as well: the dogs Bob and Larry, the sneaky lizards, and the dopey/lovable sheep.
3. Sleeping quarters. Last month I shared a room with some of my team but there was ample personal space and it really didn’t feel all that different from home. This month I slept in a tight rectangular room crammed with enough bunk beds to fit three teams worth of girls. We were all constantly in each other’s space. It was near impossible to stay organized. The power came and went. And every night we enjoyed the pitter-patter of scurrying rats in the ceiling. I loved it! We had sing-a-longs, laughed our butts off, and eventually got used to the rats and the spiders.
4. The beach. LightForce was only 3 miles from the nearest beach, so we made sure to enjoy that on off days. The walk was long but breathtaking; a sandy road framed with wild grass and purple blossoms under a clear blue sky. When we finally got the our destination we enjoyed smooth, dark sand and the surprisingly warm waters of the Adriatic Sea. I couldn’t believe how much God was blessing me with this experience as I floated in the salty water and gazed at the distant mountains. Is this real life? Our last Sunday of the month we had church at the beach, worshipping in the sand and sun. It was glorious.
5. Cleaning bathrooms with Lara. This month I had my very first experience using a squatty potty. If that wasn’t enough, shortly after I had my first experience showering over a squatty potty (straddling the porcelain, trying not to slip, panicked by the possibility of dropping my soap down the drain.) And then I had the pleasure of cleaning the bathrooms! Seriously though, I came to really enjoy it. First of all, I had awesome company. I was so thankful for Lara’s company and conversation. That girl is so warm and inviting, it was so easy to open up to her and share my story. She’s also incredibly level-headed and wise beyond her years. God couldn’t have blessed me with a better squatty-potty-scrubbing buddy. But on top of that I came to actually enjoy the work as well. I absolutely had to work as unto The Lord and it was a blessing to be able to grow in that. Lara and I got a system down and I took pride in how well we were serving the squad, because I knew that was God’s heart towards us through it all.
6. Being with the squad. It was seriously such a gift to be able to love in this kind of community. When I was in college I lived at home and commuted to a nearby state university. I initially intended to transfer somewhere eventually but it never happened, and I suffered for it. I felt strongly that I was missing out on something and really envied those who had experienced the community of a Bible college. Over the past couple years God has given me peace about the issue and helped me to treasure the things I was able to do and be a part of because of living at home in New Hampshire. Fast forward to this month in Albania, all-squad months. In a lot of ways I felt like I was able to enjoy the benefits of the community that I always felt I missed out on. God is so good and so faithful to restore the things we feel robbed of. I have more to say about that but I think I’ll save it for a future blog 🙂
7. Lunch with Eno. This was a surprise blessing from the end of the month that ended up being one of my favorite memories. One of the last free days, Amber and I went into town with two others from our squad, Amy and Ryan. We had a really good afternoon, visiting the street market, enjoying the city, doing our last minute shopping. We knew we weren’t going to make it back in time for lunch so we decided to go to a restaurant that Ryan had been to and really enjoyed. We barely sat down before a young boy came to the window by our table and started asking for money. I encountered begging children a few times in Albania and every time it is such a struggle to know how to respond. I want to help them but I have no idea who or what the money is going towards. I’ve heard some really sad stories and I’ve decided that the best thing to do is to love the child and, if anything, give him food. My beautiful squadmate was so quick to do both these things when she motioned for the boy to come in and join us at the table. At first the boy was confused, he kept saying no, no. Soon the owner of the restaurant noticed and shooed the boy across the street. Amy and I followed him and sat on the curb for a few minutes, trying to communicate through charades cane gain his trust. We invited him again and again and finally he came. Eno, our sweet 12 year old buddy, ate an entire pizza with coke on the side. It was a funny meal, with Eno speaking no English and the four of us speaking very little Albanian, but it was such a joy and so worth it. This sweet kid never stopped smiling. We were so blessed to be able to share with him. In the same way I have experienced Jesus calling me to His table, out from the street and out from spiritual poverty, to enjoy unearned love and gifts. I wish we could have done more but before we ate we prayed over the meal and Amy was able to speak blessings over him and his family. I’ll never forget it, I journaled later: “This is why I came on the World Race.”
8. Dido. The walk into Lezhe was about 45 minutes but it was worth it to the squad to make it several times a week, mainly because of the Net Center. It was a mall, small but not completely unlike the ones we have back home. There was a grocery store, ice cream for 50 cents (USD) a cone, and free wifi on the top floor. All of this was great but it wasn’t long before we made friends and they became the real draw to Lezhe, starting with our sweet Dido. She works at the grocery store and once we found that she spoke English, several people from our squad connected with this awesome girl. We went out for coffee, took walks, she showed us around, and we quickly became friends. I got to tell her about our mission, she taught us a lot about Albania, and we got to know her and hear a little about where she is with her beliefs and experiences with God. We laughed so much together and had a lot of fun, I can’t imagine our month without her. She is moving to the capital city, Tirana, in January to start military school. We’re staying in touch and before we left I let her know that I’m praying that she finds a church community there that is different from the ones that she’s seen in the past. She is such a fantastic young lady, I’d love to see her connected to people who will love her with the love of Christ.
9. Our friends Al and Gezim. A week and a half before we had to leave, Amber and I walked into Lezhe to mail some postcards. We took longer than expected and knew we were going to miss dinner, so on the way back we wanted to stop and get byreck (a yummy flaky dough filled with cheese.) The first place we stopped was all sold out, so we walked on to another vendor but they only had byreck with mish, meat, which we weren’t interested in. We decided to turn down a street we hadn’t spent much time exploring to see if we could find any. And it just happened that on our way into the third place we passed a man on his way out. He heard us speaking English so he stopped and watched us struggle to order before coming to our rescue. Al introduced himself and offered to translate for us. It felt divinely appointed and we happily accepted when he invited us to sit with him and his friend Gezim while we waited for our food. And so began a really awesome friendship that we got to pour into a lot in those last days in Albania. The next time that we went to see Al and Gezim we brought our squadmate Corey along and the five of us were able to enjoy some really great conversations about life, travel, faith, the future, our Christian beliefs, and the Bible. We were all coming from different places on these issues but our discussions were characterized by respect and appreciation for each other. My only regret is that we didn’t meet them sooner!
10. 8:00 pm curfew. One of the first rules we were given when we got to the compound was that we couldn’t be out after dark. Our host made it clear that he took our safety very seriously and that he wouldn’t budge on the issue. In fact, he instructed the guard to lock the gate at 8:00 pm each night and not let anyone in after that time. Anyone who didn’t take the rule seriously at first did so after hearing that. I certainly did, but it want long before I started cutting it close. It started with running down to the restaurant with Amber at 7:45 to get wifi and send a quick message. We had to run down the driveway to make it back in time but we made it and laughed at how it made us feel like middle schoolers again. Then when we made friends in town, and 7:00 would roll around in the middle of a divinely appointed conversation. Who’s watching the time when you’re wrestling with some big questions of our faith with a seeker? So we’d push it to the last possible minute and then find ourselves time and time again running home, breathless and laughing, arriving at the gate without a moment to spare. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed the cramps in my side or the hot sweat down my back but I absolutely treasure those adrenaline-filled sunset runs that bonded Amber and me.
11. The love. The Albanians are such warm people. I was so blessed by the little ways they loved us. In the compound I felt it when Dousha would blow kisses and call out from the kitchen “Katie! My star!” When we went into town I felt it with every enthusiastic greeting and sweet farewell, complete with the double-cheek-kiss thing that took a little getting used to. We were always taken care of, chairs pulled out, doors held open, glasses refilled again and again. Our friends insisted on treating us and showed us so much respect. My heart is full for the people I met here and that is something I never want to forget.
