There is nothing more satisfying than getting recognition for your hard work, and after the past week and a half, my whole team deserves it.
On the plane to Albania, my team and I expected to begin our time here running a camp for the Albanian children, who are preparing for school. However, as sad as it makes me, my team is preparing the compound (which is made up of a farm and several buildings that they use as a hostel during the off-season) for the children, while another team will remain here to help run the camp.
Lightforce International is the ministry that we are working with, and it strives to provide practical ways for people to support themselves, while incorporating our #1 need – Christ. George, our host and the man who began this ministry, is hardworking, real, practical, and in love with the word of God. He began his ministry in the UK, lives in England for 4 months, South Africa another 4 months, and then stays in Albania for the last 4 months of each year. These are all places he has planted churches and started businesses to support them.
SO – instead of aiding George in running the camp, my team has spent our days listening to George’s teaching, pulling thousands of weeds, shoveling pounds and pounds of pig poop, stacking hay bales, painting walls, washing dishes, cleaning the compound, and other various jobs.
When I first got here, I had a hard time seeing what the point of this work was. I thought that if I wanted to do manual labor or pull weeds, I could do it at home, which made me miss home more and more. However, as the time went on, and as I listened to George tell us about his ministry, I realized how important this work can be to the person you’re serving. I realize now that even though I’m not giving George a tangible gift, I am giving him the ability to maintain his camps and his purpose, which is all he asks of us.
The hardest day, by far, was Monday or Tuesday, because my team spent the majority of the day hauling, carrying, lifting, and stacking over a hundred hay bales. It doesn’t sound that bad, but by the end of the day I was ready to cry. The muscles in my hands ached for days afterward, my legs are still scratched and cut by the hay, and my body was coated in sweat and dust. By the last hay bale I had hit my head on the ceiling more than once, but I was determined to get it done and to do it well. As another boy and I lifted the last hay bale into place George said, “We want her back, eh?” to my leader, and followed it with “She knows how to work.” My leader just chuckled a little bit, because George knows that I’m leaving his compound in several days for Tirana, the capital of Albania.
The point of this story was not to tell you how hard it was, but to tell you how rewarding it was to hear that my work was appreciated. “We want her back” rings in my ears each time I do not want to work hard, and I’m reminded that that is what I came here to do. While I complain more than I should, God has given me the determination to prove that I am capable of more than (even I) thought; He has shown me, through George, that work done in His name is always valued.
That sentence, “work done in His name is always valued,” is the first thing that God wanted me to learn here, in Albania. My parents taught me, and this showed me, that if I can carry that lesson with me for the rest of these 9 months, and for the rest of my life, then I will be truly blessed.
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As a side note, I do not have very much access to wifi, but wanted to thank all those who are praying for me! I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to know I am being lifted up.
Also, I wanted to say thank you to those who have donated to support me since I’ve been gone, and that I am so grateful for you! I am still a few thousand dollars away from my final goal, but am confident that God will provide.
Lastly, in case you wanted to know, Albania is beautiful. We are in a town named Lezhe (Laysia), but we will only be here for another 4 days before heading to Tirana for the rest of the 3 months. The land is stunning and the weather is near perfect. Our flights here went well, and though the animals in the wall are a little too friendly, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to sleep! The language barrier has been difficult, but most children are being taught English, and I am figuring out new ways to communicate. It’s very exciting to see all that we are capable of doing and all the opportunities to come! Thank you, again, and please be praying for good travels, good health, good attitudes, and that my team and I will be blessed in whatever we do!
