Macedonia!

  

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Macedonia. My 90 days in Kosovo was up and I had to get out of the country. (lol) So Rachel, Besa and I took a day trip to Skopje, Macedonia. I had heard mixed opinions about the city. Most said it wasn't that great and others said it was OK. I didn't have very high expectations of how nice or fun the city would be. But when we got there I couldn't believe how beautiful it was! Right when we drove in we saw a giant cross up on the hill. We were told that you can hike up the hill to see it. Maybe I'll have the chance to do that another time. The center downtown was so pretty! They had statues of historical figures all around the walking street and white-pillared, buildings. It looked so European! They are in the process of building a bridge lines with statues. It's going to be awesome! They had several other bridges, one of which was golden. In the middle of the center was a HUGE fountain with Alexander the Great on the top, riding a horse. I guess there is a debate in terms of what exact "Macedonia" he was from. Anyways, the fountain was beautiful. There was also a historical castle and a downtown "old shopping area" that was covered with brick streets and little shops. We didn't get to see everything because it was getting late and we still had an hour and a half drive home. But probably the most beautiful thing we got to experience while we were there was....MCDONALDS! (Hahahaha) There are no fast food restaurants in Kosovo and sometimes you just crave some good ol' junk food! It was glorious.

 

Going on this trip was good in many ways. There is something healthy about being in a new environment, even if it's just for a day. It was also good because I was able to build a better friendship with Besa and great memories with Rachel. We laughed and laughed all day! Sometimes you just need some good laughter!

 

Tomorrow we have a big meeting for the community center with the entire staff. We are finalizing all of the classes and events for the fall. On a related note, pray that I make the right choice in determining whether I should bring my English classes with the Roma down to once a week and pick up a new class at the community center. I have been trying to discern what "paths" God has opened up for me this summer and how I should best spend my last three and a half months here.

 

Thank you for all your prayers and encouraging words.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The first thing we saw entering Skopje -- the Cross

 

MCDONALDS! My sense of humor is a little.....weird. (lol)

 

Gorgeous arch! Rachel said it looks just like the one in Paris but smaller.

 

The Macedonian flag

 

A statue of....a man. (lol) One of many!

 

The Alexander the Great Fountain!

 



 

Better view of the top

 

Me!

 

 

Another massive statue

 

Me, with the museum in the background

 

The "old shopping center"

 

The Cross

 

Small view of Skopje with the castle on the side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Me in Prayer

I sensed the Lord telling me one of the main reasons why I'm here...


I have "connected" with several people here. I have gone out for coffee with friends dozens of times. I've had many interesting and good conversations involving God and religion. I've been praying for each person I've developed relationships with here, asking God to open their hearts to His truth. But, there is one specific girl that God has placed in my life that stands out from all the rest -- like a flower in a desert.

I met "Esther" the first week I got here and hoped that we would form some kind of friendship. She is incredibly sweet and intelligent. She is majoring in English and Architecture. She is so full of life and tenderness. I wish so bad you could meet her! I asked the third week I got here if she would be willing to teach me Albanian. She has been the most amazing teacher! She faithfully meets me, all prepared, two or three times a week. My old roommate and I were invited by her and another friend to travel to Ferzaj for the day way back in June. We later invited her to come with us on a trip to Prizren. I have had so many good laughs and memories with her! She came over to watch "Machine Gun Preacher" with me and my other roommate last week and also came to my little birthday party. Her and family invited me last Sunday to attend their future daughter-in-law's bridal shower. It basically the same as a wedding! Over 150 women attended! I have also been invited to attend the actual wedding this weekend. In short, her and I have developed the friendship I was hoping for.

Time after time, she has started conversations about questions she has about life. After watching "Machine Gun Preacher," she asked me if I thought life here on earth could ever be a place of complete peace and joy. That then transitioned into a conversation about heaven and hell. I was able to talk to her a little bit about grace versus works being the gift to enter eternal life. Another time just the two of us went show shopping for the wedding and she asked me if I ever question who I am. She then opened up about how she doesn't feel like she know who she is anymore. She feels like everyone here is the same -- thinks the same, acts the same. She thinks that if she gets the opprotunity to be in an "unknown" environment, where she doesn't know anyone, then she can then "find" herself. She used me as example of coming here and not knowing the language, the culture or the people. She sees me as being confident in who I am. She hopes that one day she will also be able to be confident in herself. Last night, after my language lesson, she randomly wanted to talk about war and how her religion in the middle east kills others, believing that they will enter paradise for their actions. She doesn't agree with these actions and doesn't understand how someone can so misinterpret the Koran. I am giving just a small, brief overview of these conversations. These are also just a couple of the conversations we've had.

I believe that one of the reasons I am here is for her. God is after her! I may only be a small part of this journey she in on. I ask with all my heart that you join me in praying for her. Please....she needs people interceding for her. The Enemy is in a battel right now trying to keep a hold of her soul. There is power in prayer!

Birthday Fun

 

My birthday went so well! I was able to relax in the morning and have a little party in the evening! I had four of my Albanian girl friends come over, along with my roommate. We ordered a giant pizza, watched Pride and Prejudice, did our nails, and ate brownies and ice cream! It was their first time trying brownies and ranch dressing! (Not together of course!) The whole night was great! I set up the pink party decorations my mom sent me. She put in party favors for everyone -- little tiaras and colorful pens. We wore the tiaras and took lots of fun pictures.

 

I was really glad that the girls could meet each other in a fun setting. These are some of the girls that we want to invite to our Book study this fall. A lot of them don't know each other and we are trying to plan fun get-togethers for them to get acquainted with one another and hopefully begin new friendships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome Day!

Wow!!!

Oh my goodness, wow!!! What an awesome day! This morning I got a call from my landlord who informed me that I had two packages waiting for me at the post office. I immediately knew who it was from! I got my roommate to over to the post office with me to help me carry the boxes back to our apartment!

My mom had contacted Fort Wayne Ballet a while back, asking if they would be willing to donate some ballet slippers to my two ballet classes. There are no dance stores anywhere near here for the girls to purchase. Plus, most of their families wouldn't have the money to buy all their ballet "equipment." Fort Wayne Ballet was so generous to not only provide the shoes, but also leotards, skirts, dance bags and ballet posters! The girls are going to LOVE it! I cannot wait to see their faces when they see all the wonderful things they are going to get! I'll make sure to tape it! My mom mailed the boxes about three weeks ago. My roommate told me that it takes about five weeks before she gets her packages from her family. My mom asked me if I wanted her to put anything extra in the boxes. The four things I requested were Emergency-C, brownies, allergy medicine, and a bottle of Ranch dressing. Brownies and Ranch dressing are no where to be found here. Somehow, I start to crave the most random things that I can't have!

So, Rachel and I walked over to the post office and picked up the two fairly heavy boxes. It was a 100 degrees out today and we had to walk uphill almost the entire way. But it was soooooo worth it!!! The timing of the boxes could not have been more perfect! In the boxes were not only the dance gear and the four items I had requested but almost birthday cards and presents! And what better timing??? My birthday is tomorrow! My mom put in a bunch of pink birthday decorations (table clothe, cups, sign, etc.) for my little get-together tomorrow with my friends. She also included a homemade card and various other gifts. My boyfriend put in a bottle of perfume I have been wanting for a couple years now and a card. My grandma, two of my friends (one from China!), and friends from CP included birthday cards, presents or letters.  It was so beautiful! I sat and cried for about fifteen minutes! I actually made a little video thanking everyone. I don't think I'll post it on my blog just because I ended up being an emotional wreck after about the first ten seconds! (lol) I'll spare you all! It was truly the best birthday gift I could have ever gotten! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am beyond blessed!

Fall Schedule

We (my supervisor, the director of the community center, and myself) have been trying to put together my new schedule for the fall. I have been really anxious to know what classes I will be teaching and how I can better prepare for them. I've also been anxious to know because my supervisor from HU will coming to visit me for a few days in October. She will be coming to observe my work here and basically see how I'm doing. So, during our meeting yesterday some of my schedule for the fall was set in stone! I will be teaching  two ballet classes for girls (ages 6-12), a beginner English class for children (probably ages 7-11), two English classes with the Roma, Sunday school , and the weekly coffee house for university students! I'm particularly excited and blessed to be working with kids. Before I came here (and even after I first got here) I thought I would be mostly working with college students (which, I don't mind at all!) and I would rarely have time or opportunities to work with the little guys. But God has provided many avenues for me to be with children and use my gifts! I have a particular passion to work with kids. I will also continue with my language lessons two or three times a week and our Friday prayer walks.

 It's kind of crazy but Rachel and I both had it on our hearts (without telling each other) to have a women's Book study in our apartment. When I told her, she couldn't believe that she had been thinking and praying about the same thing! We believe that this is from God. We would like it to be a "mixed" group. There are a couple girls new to the faith and there are also others we would simply like to see come be a part of the discussion. This is will be an addition to my fall schedule. We haven't decided on a night just yet. Please be praying for how we should invite our friends and also that God would just bring the "right" ones. My birthday is this Saturday and I am planning on invited the majority of the girls to come over for some cake and a movie. This is an excellent time for the girls to meet each other and start developing relationships with one another. Please, please be praying for God's hand to be in all this.



These picture are kind of random but I wanted to share them with you. A group of people stood in the middle of the walking street with pictures of Syria and also Syrian flags, asking people to pray for the war that continues in the middle east. I also ask that you pray -- for healing and peace.

 

 

 

 

 

Bijram

Well, it's day two of Bijram. Yesterday, Rachel and I were woke up by a half hour (or more) "sermon" being loudly projected from the mosque at six o'clock in the morning. We were told that's normal for the first day of Bijram. A lot of people went to the 6 AM service and then went back to have a big meal with their families.

Rachel and I also had the opportunity yesterday to visit the Roma and our friend Besa. We were told that families are constantly visiting other friends and family or having people over at their own house.They come and go all day. So, we were advised to only stay 20-30 minutes at homes we were invited to visit. That rule was really hard to follow because we knew that basically they would serve us food and then we would have to leave. But when we got to the Roma's house, we realized how busy and tired they were. About 15 minutes after we go there, we hear that hey had more family that were coming over. It was kind of an interesting situation because we didn't want to be rude and leave only after being there for 20 minutes but we also didn't want to be in their way when their relative came. Their living room isn't that big. So, in the end we decided to leave after being there about 20 minutes or so.  We felt like we were being really rude but apparently not staying very long is normal.

Then we went to visit Besa and her family. She lives in a three story home with fifteen other relatives. It's a pretty big family! They served us baklava, banana cake, and pita. It was all really good! We ended up staying at their home longer because Rachel is pretty close to their family and knew they weren't having others over for a while. Both families were all dressed up for Bijram. It reminded me a little of Easter -- seeing everyone dressed nice, going to the early service, and then having a big meal with their family.

Getting Ready for Bijram

I have been feeling better the past couple of days but still not the greatest. I was able to teach my lesson with the Roma yesterday. Because of Bijram (which starts Sunday), everyone was pretty distracted. They had extended family that came to visit and the women were all busy cooking in the kitchen. A couple of the girls couldn't come to the lesson because they were helping their mom prepare for Sunday. Two of their extended cousins joined the lesson, probably to get away from all the craziness that was going on in the house! I'm definitely going to go over that lesson again next week when things are not as busy for everyone.

Rachel and I have been visiting different paint and home interior stores because we are planning to re-do the community center. It's in need something new and modern! There is a team of men coming at the beginning of the September to help with repairing and painting the community center. Rachel, who is the director of the community center, has to decide on paint colors before they get here. We have different views on what color combinations we think looks best. But she's the director. So ultimately it's her call. I'm sure it will all turn out awesome!

Tomorrow I will go to the Roma's house again to join them in their big feast for Bijram. I'm excited that I get to further develop my relationship with them, and thus build more trust and credibility with them. However, I'm sad that I won't be able to have coffee with friends until Wednesday. During Bijram, everyone visits family and has family over. It's kind of like Thanksgiving for us but it lasts three days.

Ugh Sickness!

I still haven't been feeling well today. I'm going to wait a little bit before I see a doctor. I was able to get up for my language lesson this morning. That was good. Then I came back and crashed again. I've spent most of the day in bed (and the bathroom) again. Not fun. I had to cancel my class with the Roma yesterday. Even though I wasn't feeling well, I felt really bad canceling on them. Staying in bed and not doing anything kills me!!! I know I need it...I just don't want to do it!

Well, good night, friends. My body is falling asleep on me again.

First Albanian Wedding!

Sorry friends that I didn't post this yesterday like I said I would. I haven't been feeling well lately and I spent most of the day in bed yesterday and today. But I finally got impatient with myself and decided to get up for a little while because I was too anxious to show you some pictures and videos from my experience on Sunday!

Let me first say, "Wow." Overall the wedding was like nothing I have ever really experienced before. Some things were very similar (if not completely similar) to our American traditions and other things were very different. First of all, there was no ceremony. There are still two "parts" though. The first part involves the groom's family and friends driving over to the bride's home to pick her up. Everyone puts a small towel on the front window of their car and usually everyone continuously honks their horns. Picking the bride up from her home is a symbol that she is no longer a member of her family but is now joining a new family. Once they get to the bride's home, the bride comes out and the groom's family and friends dance for her with an accompanied Roma band, who play large drums and flute looking instruments. Then the bride and groom get into their special decorated car and are dropped off that the groom's home. They are not allowed to come to their reception until hours later in order to make their grand entrance.

The second "part" is the party or reception, which is held at a restaurant. We would consider it more of a hall. Guests typically show up in between 7 and 8 PM. They are served appetizers and drinks and do some dancing. Later they are served a full meal. The music is provided by a live singer with a DJ/keyboard-man (lol). It's hard to describe exactly what he does. He plays three keyboards all on top of each other. You'll have to see the picture below. Finally the bride and groom come around 10 PM. This is where it gets good! A large red carpet was rolled out across the entire the restaurant. They shut off all the lights and opened the front two big doors, which had a spot light on them. All the guests gathered around (over 200 people) as a car drove in the building all covered in ribbon and bows. Behind the car was the Roma band playing the drums and flutes LOUDLY. After the car drove up about twenty or so feet, the bride and the groom get out of the car. They then stood in front of the car as all the guests appalled and confetti was shot everywhere. I was speechless. The Roma continued to play and everyone began dancing! Firecrackers were light just outside the door. Everything was so loud! The bride and groom sat at their special table and watched the dancing. After about an hour, they came out did a special dance for all the guests. Then everyone formed a with the bride and groom to begin dancing again (traditional Albanian style). We didn't stay too much longer after this. It was almost midnight when we left. They hadn't even brought out the cake yet! Trish and Mark (the couple I went with) told me that most people stay until 2 or 3 in the morning. I wish I could have seen the cake. Apparently they make a big presentation of that too! They put sparklers on the cake and shut off the lights again. But we were tired and I had a big head ache from the loud music and all the smoking. Imagine 80% of the 200 or so people that were there all smoking at the same time in an enclosed room. The smoking here hasn't bothered me but that night it just got to my head.

One last comment: The guests were dressed so fancy! It didn't matter what age you were! ALL the women had their hair professionally done and wore dresses I've only seen at prom or on the Academy Awards.  And, the women (especially the older ones) would change their dress every hour or so! I felt like I got to watch a fashion show! I would get excited to see what they would wear next! :) I felt super under-dressed to say the least. Hopefully, you'll get to see some of their dresses in the videos.

 

I am so sad because I thought I was recording the bride and groom's grand entrance on my camera but apparently I didn't press the record button. But I did get a video of everyone dancing right afterwards. It was such a good night and I'm so glad that they invited me! I danced and danced! I have the blisters to prove it! (lol) I will miss my best friend's wedding this summer, so it was a special blessing to be a part of a wedding while I'm here. I hope you enjoy the pictures and videos! (It was hard to get good pictures because of all the smoke in the air but I did get some good ones)



Table decor

 (We showed up fairly early so there were several empty tables still)

Me, Ilir (brother of the groom) and Trish

Me and Trish



Live singer and DJ/keyboard-man

Anita, Me, Leonita (sister of the groom) and Friend

Traditional Albanian dancing

Groom and Bride

Gotta love that dancing!

The car the bride and groom drove up in

(Notice the white towel on the front?)

The bride and groom's special "dance time"



The bride and groom dancing with the groom's parents, follwed by fifty over guests

Adorable little dressed in traditional Albanian clothes



Here is a video of a group of people (mostly women) dancing before the bride and groom make their big entrance:

(Notice the fancy hair and dresses)

Here's another video of dancing after the bride and groom arrived. You'll hear the drums and see the red carpet on the floor with  confeti everywhere. You'll also see and hear the firecrackers. The party officially gets pumpin' when the bride and groom show up! :)

Planning for the Fall!

I decided late last night that I would give my blog a face lift! I'm not sure I fully like it. I think I like the humming birds better.

Today I had the special privilege of talking to my grandparents and my mom. It's been about three weeks since I talked with them on the phone last. It was super good just to hear their voices again. It's so much nicer than writing an email. Definitely one of the greatest struggles of living overseas is being far from family and friends. I think that will always be a struggle.

Today Rachel and I had a meeting to begin the process of forming the fall calender for the community center. We brained stormed for a while about what new classes or activities we would like to have or would be appealing to the community. More importantly, we talked about what ways we could best invest in the people here. I'm getting really pumped up for this new semester!

Tomorrow I leave for Lipljan to attend my first Albanian wedding! I'll stay the night with some friends and will return on Monday. I don't know if I will have internet there so I'm not sure if I will be able to post something tomorrow night. But I promise to tell you all about my adventure! I promised my grandma I would take lots of pictures! :)

New Opprotunities, New Doors

It's been a really good past two days. I have been getting back into studying Albanian. My summer schedule was so all over the place that I wasn't able to consistently study and have lessons. I meet now with my tutor three times a week. Learning a second language is so exhausting! I can only handle about an hour or so at a time before my brain turns into oatmeal. Albanian is not easy to say the least! I really want to put a lot of effort into learning it though. I believe that learning to speak the native language of the county you are in shows respect to that culture. Not only that, but I want to understand people! (lol) It can be really frustrating when you feel that you are not a part of the conversation or even the group because you simply can't understand. It's nothing they do intentionally. It just ends up feeling that way.  But thank the Lord that all my close friends speak fluent English! :)

My Albanian tutor and I were talking yesterday and she asked what job I would like to have in the future. I told her that my dream job would be leaving in a third-world country, showing the love of God (whether that be empowering women, teaching English, opening a community center, teaching skills to help families build better incomes, having classes on hope and love, visiting homes, or teaching basic sanitation tips). That's what I have a passion for and that's ultimately what God has called me to do for many years now. She told me that she had seen something very similar to my calling in a movie -- of all things! She said in the movie this man finds God and then sold everything he had to go to African and help the child soldiers in Uganda. The movie is called, "Machine Gun Preacher." She invited me to watch it with her! I hope this movie sparks some good conversations. I'm excited.

I had another English class with the Roma today. More are coming each class! Today I had nine people! (all related in some way or another) It's been going really well. I'm loving the friendships I'm building with them. I have a hunch that some of them may have never been to school, just by the way they learn and speak. They invited me to come celebrate Biram with them, the three day celebration after Ramadan. I will only spend a few hours though. :) They invite family over and they all eat together. This will be a first for me. This weekend I will also get to go to my first Albanian wedding! I'm so excited for all these new opportunities! I'm even more excited for the doors God will open.

The lights come on the towers of all the mosques when it's sundown and people then know that they are allowed to break their fast. This is only for Ramadan of course. This mosque is across from our apartment. This is our view from our balcony.

Coffee and Good Conversations

 It seems that everyone finally comes out from their caves in the evening to enjoy the coolness of the night.  All a sudden every coffee bar suddenly is stuffed to the brim and the walking street is overflowing with people. Sometimes I think, "Where did all these people come from?" In some way it's kind of comforting. Everything feels alive again. Imagine walking down the sheshi (walking street) at 11 o'clock at night: there are hundreds of people talking and laughing over coffee, children riding their scooters, vendors trying to sell sunglasses or watches, Roma on the ground with a piece of cardboard in front of them for people to drop loose change, and an elderly, blind man playing an accordion. The of smell corn being cooked over the fire to be sold and espresso being ground and brewed fills the air. It's really quite an experience.


Tonight I had coffee with a friend. We couldn't have coffee before 8:30 because she was fasting for Ramadan. We got on this conversation of Islam and what the basics are. I've never had an actual Muslim walk me through the simple, core elements of their religion. But tonight I got that privilege. There are five pillars of the Muslim faith that essentially defines if you are a true follower: (1) confess the shahada -- Allah is the one, true God and Muhammad is his messenger, (2) pray five times daily, (3) almgiving -- giving money to charity, (4) fast during Ramadan, and (5) visit Mecca during your lifetime. These things don't necessarily guarantee your entrance into heaven, they just give you a higher chance, or give you "check marks." According to my friend, everything you did in your life (even do the smallest detail) is written in a book -- both good and bad. Ultimately, your "good" must outweigh your "bad." When judgement day comes, if Allah puts your book in your right hand, you may enter heaven. But if he puts it in your left hand, you will perish and enter hell. I asked my friend a fairly personally question: Do you think you will enter heaven when you die? She looked down, shrugged her shoulders and shook her head slightly and said, "I hope so." This is not the first time I have heard or seen someone here express the idea that no one can ever be fully sure if they are going to spend eternity with God. My friend told me that a true "believer" is one who prays five times everyday. Everyone else is just "talking the talk and not walking the walk." She wants to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, who had the opportunity to visit Mecca. Her parents are not particularly religious. We sat, drank coffee and talked for over an hour and half. I let her do most of the talking. I wanted to understand her better -- what she believes, how she thinks. I wanted to show her that I respect and value her, even if her beliefs are different than mine. At the end of our conversation she said, "You know, I hardly ever talk to anyone about these things -- about religion. My friends...we don't talk about these things. It's been a long time since I talked about what I believe." And for that, I am honored. Sitting over a small cup of macchiato always seems to bring out some of the best conversations.

Heat and Phonics!

It's the first time that the heat has really gotten to me. We don't have AC in our apartment. In fact, I don't know anyone who does! And restaurants and stores rarely provide it. Sometimes I forget that AC exists somewhere out there in the world (lol). But in all honesty, I haven't complained about it or thought it was a big deal. That is.....until now. It has been so hot the past couple of days -- hotter than normal. It has been draining the energy right out of me. My roommate and I have two fans that we use but lately it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I don't know how the Albanians do it! I don't know a single Albanian who owns a fan or AC. Some Albanians believe that having a fan on them or riding in a car with both windows down will make them sick -- no matter how hot it is. God must give them an extra dose of grace to survive in this heat without any cooling devices.

My trip to the Roma went well! I really enjoy being with them! They are such a wonderful group of ladies. They are sooooo sweet! I observed Hannah's class with them last Friday and noticed that they really struggle with phonics. As I was planning out my lesson for today, I remembered also struggling with this when I was little. My mom bought "Hocked on Phonics" and other materials but it didn't ever seem to help. But because my mom knew I loved to sing,  she bought "Sing, Spell, Read and Write." I loved it! I still remember some of the songs today! I thought that it might help the ladies too! I made flash cards with pictures and taught them the song today. I told them that it might be a little silly since the song was originally intended for children but that it would help them remember the sounds of the English alphabet. The hardest letter for them to pronounce is "a" -- like in "apple." There is no sound like this in Albanian. But little by little they are getting better! Please pray with me that God will pave the way for me to share with them.

Teaching Roma Tomorrow!

Well, I officially begin teaching English to the Roma tomorrow! I'm super excited to begin this new journey. I'm also anxious just because it'll be my first class with them. Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding.

Because things have majorly slowed down this last week, it's been hard to keep motivated. My mom keeps reaffirming me that I'm tired and lethargic because of the three camps I did this summer. She hasn't convinced me yet. But maybe it is good to slow down sometimes. It's hard to tell my brain that. I always want to go, go, go! I want to get things done and accomplished. I hate feeling like I'm wasting time. It probably looks like I'm relaxing but my mind isn't. I have yet to learn the art of finding peace in the "unbusy." I quoted a verse to someone today and found that it was even more true to own life: Be still and know that I am God.

A Special "Thank You"

I had mentioned earlier that College Park was donating all the money from this summer's rummage sale to me and my work here in Kosova. I was able to hear back from my mom that the sale made $1,597.06! Amost $1,600! WOW! All my funds are officially covered now! Praise the Lord!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who helped out or donated items!!! I cannot tell you how much this means to me! You all have been so giving and so supportive. I would have never even been able to step foot on the plane if it wasn't for you! I am so honored to be a part of your lives and be so loved by you. Thank you.

Here is my "Thank You" card to you in Albanian! :)

A Week of Good Byes

It's been a tough couple of days. Rachel and I have had to say good bye to several of our good friends. Travis, Jeanette and their two children left this week after spending two months here. I believe I have mentioned them before in previous blogs. They were former employees here in Eastern Europe. They came for the summer for various reasons. They lived in the apartment right across from ours. All three of us girls (Rachel, Hannah and I) got pretty close to them. They were such a HUGE blessing in our lives. They invited us over for caj, prayer, dinner, movies and conversations multiple times. They were always there whenever we needed them. They allowed Hannah and I to use their computer to skype our families and friends several times because my computer has been having problems and Hannah's basically died. Travis and I both went to Leadership Camp and shared a small group together. In short, we had a lot of good times with their family. It was hard to see them go.

Probably the most difficult part of this was saying to good by to my roommate and constant companion, Hannah. She also stayed here in Prishtina for two months. She felt the Lord calling her to volunteer here last semester when she received a flyer at school. Her mom was super worried about her traveling and living here for the summer. In a lot of ways, Hannah had to take a leap of faith and obedience to come. Man, am I glad! :)  I seriously don't know what I would have done without her! She always offered a listening ear and willingness to pray over me. I have been blessed beyond measure by her. I cried for a while after she left. It's been quite an adjustment having her gone.

The month of August is pretty slow around here. However, for me it will continue to remain fairly busy. Rachel and I have to start planning out the calender for Oaza, the community center, for this upcoming fall. There's a lot of preparation that has to be done! I have to start up my language classes again. I haven't been able to really "get down and dirty" with Albanian yet because my summer schedule was so sporadic. There are several papers that have to be written for this internship that I'm on. So, needless to say, I won't be bored! Most people this time of year go on vacations before the school year starts up again. Also, Ramadan has been going on and a lot people stay in their homes until evening (after Iftar) due to their fasting. Muslims who observe Ramadan do not eat or drink from sun up to sun down. And because of the heat and the fact that they can't drink any water, a lot of them stay inside where it's cooler. Everything at Oaza is closed for the month of August but will start up again in September.



Hannah and I

Simple, Yet So True

Every Friday a small group of us go on a prayer walk around the city. It's kind of a special time because Fridays are the day of the week at Muslims gather to pray and hear the teaching of the Koran. Rachel, the girl who started our prayer walks, has a goal of praying over the entire city in two years. She bought a map of Prishtina at a local store and highlights all the roads and streets we have been down.


I was thinking about last Friday...


A struggle that I often face since I have been here is the feeling of distant between me and the Lord. Sometimes i feel like my prayers bounce off the ceiling. It hasn't changed how often I pray, worship, or service Him. It does, however, change my own feelings toward those areas. Something I determined myself to do years ago was to be more loyal to obedience than to emotion. Therefore, I must make an intentional effort to service God when my feelings say otherwise. So, on Friday I was walking around and praying for the people that passed by me and for the country of Kosova. Then for a small second my feelings seeped through the cracks and spoke words of abandonment: "God is so far away. Your prayers can't be heard. Just give up. Joy, why are you praying for something so big -- so impossible. None of it will ever be answered." I spent the following few minutes in discouragement. But then I looked up and saw something strange. There was a small construction site that I was walking by and (randomly) there was a two-by-four in the ground with another wooden beam going across it horizontally about 1/3 of the way down. It was plain as day. Immediately the Spirit said, "I am here." I asked God, "If you're here, walking with us, and if your Spirit is here in Kosovo, then what I am doing here? Ultimately it's you who changes hearts, gives faith to believe, strength to repent, and passion to know you and your Word. It's not me. It's not us. I can't offer anything to these people! Only you can solve this problem! What do we do, Lord? What do I do? " Then the Spirit immediately said a simple, five letter word: "Share." Wow. I don't know why that pierced me so. It was so simple but yet so powerful. I was reminded of the passage that says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" I have still yet to discover how and why piercing can hurt so much but also be so good. It feels kind of like a cool breeze on an open cut. I was reminded in that moment, while walking by that small construction site, that all I am called to do is share. So simple. Because, how can God can convict their hearts if they have never heard? How can He give faith if they have never received the Message? God gave me an image of teamwork that day. Me? Me? God is choosing to team up with me? Why? This is such a mystery to me. All I know is that I am called to share and all the rest is left in the hands of my faithful God.