understatement! I have been immensely blessed to work alongside RPJ (campus
outreach in Albania) and see their heart for the students of Albania and their
passion for spreading the gospel in the past 3 and ½ weeks. I have loved this
country and the hospitality of it’s people.
Albania:
Weather – Chilly! It is
not freezing and when you are in the sun it is sometimes warm, but there is a
lot of shade. Fortunately, the shade is created by many trees clothed in
radiant fall colors.
Cultural Food – Coffee. It is a
food group here. They drink it about 4 times a day. Regardless, I am still not
a fan. This month we have not had a kitchen so eating out is a twice a day
routine. Culturally a lot of the food has Greek influence. One of the dishes is
suflache, which are gyro’s. Yum! We have also had our share of crapes this
month… I never thought of putting chicken and cheese on a thin pancake, but let
me tell you, it works!
Common Transportation – Busses. Very
crowded busses! And… wait for it… FEET! We walk EVERYWHERE! …oh, we did see one
GA tag on a car here, please forgive the blurry picture, I was trying not to
get hit by the other cars. J
Housing/Bed – We live in an apartment
house where we use 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. I share a double bed with my
teammate Kayla. The best way I can describe it is that it is like a pull out
couch mattress… I have been using my sleeping pad in addition to the mattress.
Ministry – Cultivate
relationships with Christian and non-Christian students that attend RPJ.
Encourage them in their faith and share the gospel. We also assisted RPJ in
hosting events and meetings for the students.
Team – As you know this month was the
first month with our new team. It has been a great first month of growing
friendships and cultivating a family! God is using us to grow and encourage one
another in Him.
Spiritual Growth – God continues to
show me more and more about what true surrender looks like. Surrender through
rest in Him and trusting Him to change and heal my heart rather than trying to
‘fix’ it on my own merit.
Greatest Challenge – Being vulnerable
with a new team. Knowing how valuable exposure and honesty is for growth, I
have intentionally been especially vulnerable with my team. This has been
challenging for the apparent reasons, it is hard to be exposed. But exposure
brings freedom!
Verse – “Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any
trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians
1:3-4
Favorite Moment – Hands down the
moment in the café where two students gave their lives to Christ! You can read
more about it HERE.
Favorite Adventure – Climbing to the
summit of Mt. Dijth! It was an incredible adventure that you can read about HERE.
Fun Fact – Albanians love
fashion, dancing, and Americans. Almost every person here without many
exceptions.
We leave on Monday afternoon for a 20-hour
bus ride to Romania for a few days of debrief with our squad and some of the
AIM staff. After debrief we will leave on a 4-hour train ride to the city of
Draganesti. There we will be working alongside team I-61. Our ministry will be
with Hope Church, specifically with the goal of planting churches. If you want
more information on the ministry here is their website, bisericasperanta.ro. I
am excited and expectant about God moving in Romania!
Many Blessings,
Kim
