So we are currently in Istanbul wrapping up our debrief with the rest of J squad. I wanted to let you all know how the last weeks of Albania turned out. The conference that was supposed to be lead by Josh McDonnell, still happened and was a success. Thank you for praying through that with us. Most of our two teams got to serve as mimes during both events. They handed out flyers as people walked in and then started the event off with a really cool drama (posted below) also they served as back up dancers for one of the performers. From what I was told there was over a hundred salvation’s at the first event. So if you’d like to, please keep the staff in Albania in your prayers as they contact the young people and try to establish relationships that could lead them to Christ. Also pray that those who made decisions would be totally blown away by the love that we share in Jesus and be forever changed and ready to bring change to their country.
I got to see my team and team Triumph really reach out and start relationships with the Albanians this month, with the staff at CCC, with the youth that came to their weekly meetings and with our Host family. I was blown away with how much I saw the love of Jesus as they loved and got to know the people there. I was however a little shut off this month. I think the pain of leaving our family in Romania had made me a little weary of opening up to more new people. The thing that really sucks is that I didn’t realize I was shut off until the last few days we were there. Praise God that he revealed it to me before we left and I was able to share it with my team and get their prayer and support. I knew it was going to be like this when I signed up. I knew that God would and could use me to have an impact on people as they had an impact on me. That was one of the draws to do this, not coming out the same, yet I seem so surprised when leaving hurts a little. Well, I’m not letting it slow me down this next month, I’m going for it.
Another thing that God has really been working out in is my over passiveness. I tend to not share with my team, or anyone else for that matter, when I get offended or hurt. Its crazy how annoying God can get when he wants you to change. He literally would not allow me to let things go this month. I was forced to confront issues and people when I would rather sit there and pretend like nothing was ever wrong. Yeah, that’s not a healthy habit and it would seem that God isn’t going to let me be that way anymore.
I guess I should let you all in on the changes that have happened on our squad here at Debrief. After much prayer, Aaron and Caroline decided on their replacements as squad leaders. So, Dan and Brandy are going be our squad leaders at the end of the month and Aaron and Caroline will be leaving us. This change and other things has lead them to change our teams around a little. Our team is now being lead by Colby and Ken had switched places with Anthony as Don takes over their team in Brandy’s absence. Needless to say our team and the others are a little shocked, but still trusting that Gods’ will is being followed as we begin to welcome new people into our family and say goodbye to others. The old team Silas is no more but the new team excites me as much as the old one did.
