Official Name: Republic of Albania
Population: 3.5 million
Capital: Tirana
Official Language: Albanian
Official Religion: Islam
Ministry for the Month:
Unsung Heroes, which involves finding new ministries for Adventures in Missions to partner with! If you have any contacts or connections in Albania or Kosovo, email me! ([email protected])
Famous Landmark: Lots of castles and ruins! My camera will be happy!
Strange Foods I May Eat:
-Chicken livers
-Rabbit
-Pickled cabbage
-Tarator (chilled soup made of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, walnut, and dill)
-Tarhana (dried fermented yogurt or milk made into a thick soup with water or stock)
-Lamb
-Veal
-Harapash (polenta with the intestines of lamb, butter, cheese, and corn flour)
-Turkish Delight!!!!! Totally finding some of this and geeking out over it!
FUN FACTS:
-The most popular sport in Albania is soccer
-Nodding the head in Albania is a disagreement, while shaking the head means yes
-Mother Teresa was born in Albania
-The literacy rate is 93% for men and 80% for women!
-Albania, Armenia, and Vatican City are the only European countries without a McDonald’s
-Albania has never won a medal at the Olympics
-The fertility rate in Albania has been declining, and oddly, this has resulted in sex selective abortions, with female babies being aborted in favor of male babies. Men in Albania are expected to provide for their families and parents, which makes them more desirable
-Albania is one of the most corrupt countries in the world
-For about 10 years (1968-1978), Albania’s only ally in the world was China. After China, Albania had no allies and was basically a European North Korea until 1991
-Albania is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world
-There are more Albanians living outside of the country than within. A lot of Albanians emigrate to other countries
Prayer Opportunities:
-Pray for travel safety. Public transportation is awful and almost nonexistent in places. The roads are also bad, and the drivers even worse.
-Pray for my squad as we transition from Asia to Europe and go through culture shock all over again
-Pray for our new squad leaders Kaylaynn, Allison, Carolyn, and Trent as they go through their first month squad leading. Pray also for the new teams, that we would all bond together and continue to pursue unity
-Pray for our hearts as we will see a lot of poverty this month. Pray that we will be able to help and build relationships with the Albanian people
