We made it safely to Albania. It’s been a whirlwind. These first two weeks my whole squad is staying at the same place to do ministry together, but after that we’re splitting up into our teams of seven to go about the country to our different ministries.
The ministry we’re doing right now is at a center that does different Christian camps for kids during the summer. It’s self sufficient so it has a garden to grow food, lots of livestock, and things of that nature to keep it funded and going all year round. There aren’t any camps right now so we’re doing manual labor for upkeep. My team was assigned to a pig pen to clean out and lime wash. Cleaning the pen out took a lot of work because the poop was really ground into the cement and about thirty years old (an exaggeration, but it was super old). It wasn’t easy but it was enjoyable. We were doing it for the Lord and we shared lots of laughter during the hours we worked.
From where we’re staying, it takes about 45 minute walk to get to town, an hour if you go to the far end. It’s an enjoyable walk. Sometimes being in town is difficult because most people don’t speak English. Communication can be hard, but we still always manage to get our coffees. Coffee shops are big here, praise the Lord. The scenery is gorgeous, lots of mountains in the distance that we’re going to visit tomorrow. The architecture is very different from back home, but it’s beautiful.
We’re all doing well and I don’t think anyone is too homesick just yet. It’s very hot here, but it’s not very humid. There’s usually a nice breeze to keep us somewhat cool, but night’s stay hot so sometimes sleeping is hard because you’re sweating so much. That’s okay though, my team is excellent at taking naps.
Thank you so much to everyone who helped me get here and for all the love, support, and prayers. You guys rock.
Proverbs 3:23-24
