Getting Back to Normal Speed.



Life just got really busy again. My health is starting to get back to normal and with that comes the normal schedule,  plus the stuff I'm behind on.  I have so much to do between now and Friday morning. Rachel and I are taking a trip to Macedonia for the weekend and so we have to get everything done before we leave.

 

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I have been working on a "documentary" I want to put together when I get back. I want it to show highlights on the culture, people, and history here in Kosova. I have been interviewing people and getting footage around the city. I've been getting really excited about it! I interview two more people tomorrow. I'll find a friend from back at HU in the film department help me edit it. My hope is that I'll be able to show it to people at CP and other supporters.

 

 

 

This is a sad picture but I feel like it captures a part of this country. The Roma sit and beg for money all over. Some don't necessarily peg but will have a picture of a "family member" who is crippled or ill along with a piece of cardboard for people to throw money on. One of the situations that makes me especially sad is when the mothers will take their babies or little ones out on the streets with them. It adds an extra amount of sympathy. In this picture, you can see the child in her lap. But people still walk right on by. The Roma are the poorest of the poor here and are looked down upon by society because of their lack of cleanliness and education. I was hoping to give this hole in society a face. 

 

 

 

 

 



The Spirit Does Come.

Today was a great day. It was. I didn't expect it to be. It's been cold and rainy all weekend and I expected it to be the same this morning. But the sun came out and brought some warmth with it. That automatically started out the day well. We went to Sunday school as usual and had our lesson. We only had eleven kids today because of the holiday. It was a good group of kids though! We all had a fun time learning about Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. Then we got ready for the church service. We were down in numbers for that too. I'll be honest and say that I honestly dread church sometimes here. I know that sounds terrible but it's true. Not because I don't enjoy hearing the teaching of God's Word. It's just that I can't hear the teaching of God's Word -- literally.  All of the songs and all of the message is in Albanian. As much as I want to say that my Albanian rocks...it doesn't! I can't complain though because I think it should be in the native language of the people. That just makes sense! But I can't deny that hearing almost nothing but a foreign language for almost an hour and half doesn't give me a head ache. I don't know why simply listening to a different language can be so exhausting! I can't tell you how much I miss singing praise songs in my native language. It's crazy to think that I'm the minority for once. Oh the things we take for granted. So, anyways. I was beginning to slump into my "oh-head-ache-here-I-come-mood" when I heard a song I really like and, for the first time, I connected to the lyrics -- the Albanian lyrics. We we started to sing the next song, I could just feel the Spirit move. The Albanian lyrics were so beautiful. For the very first time, the Lord used the words a foreign tongue to touch my soul. I can't even describe it. My soul has been longing for the touch of the Spirit! I needed it so bad. I couldn't stop crying from joy! The song is an "oldie." You might know it. I'll put up the Albanian words first because they're so beautiful (not all the lyrics are posted):

 

 



Me zemër falëndero
Të shenjtin falëndero

 

Tani, t'thot' i dobëti "Kam fuqi"

I varfëri t'thot' "Kam pasuri"

Sepse Ai gjithçka ka bërë për ne

 

Falënderojmë

 

__________________________________

 

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

 

And now, let the weak say "I am strong"

Let the poor say "I am rich"

Because of what the Lord has done for us

 

Give thanks

 

 

 

 

I pray that you are also blessed by this song tonight.  Give thanks to the Lord!

 

 

 

We had a coloring contest in Sunday school today

 

Everyone is so concentrated!

 

Even the boys got really into it!

 

Picture of Jacob working in the fields for Rachel....for 14 years!

 

Fildefse smiles for the camera! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Getter Better! (plus Sunday School!)

I'm finally starting to see a light at the end of this "sickness tunnel." Thank you Lord! I'm keepin' it low though -- staying in bed and all. Today I had to go get some food and print copies for our Sunday school class tomorrow. So, I was able to get out a little bit...but it was cold, windy, and rainy. That probably wasn't such a good idea (lol). Fail.

The trip to the orphanage got canceled today because the house moms had plans to take the kids out for the day because of the holiday -- Bajram (apparently there's two of them). It's too bad; I was really looking forward to it. We have plans to visit them next month though. 

One area of our work that is growing each week is our Sunday school class. We are still only permitted to teach OT materials, but we try our best to apply good life applications and principles. We always have a story time, craft time, song time, and memory verse time. Last week 23 kids attended! Awesome! Our memory verse for this week is:

Dhe ja, unë jam me ty dhe do të të mbroj kudo që të vesh.

(I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.)

Genesis 28:15

 

 

We decided that our memory verse for this next week will be a little more lengthy. Tomorrow we are going to learn about Jacob and how he had to work 14 years before we was able to marry Rachel. We'll touch on areas such as deceit and working hard for the things we love. Pray for Rachel and I as we lead the kids into this story. Pray that it won't just be a "story." 

Sunday school last week

 



Rachel telling the story of Jacob having a dream of

 angels moving up and down on a stairway to heaven

 

 

 

 

 

 



Still sick.

Well.....I'm still sick. I had to cancel my ballet classes and my English class this morning. I hate being sick! I had a fever most of yesterday and some today (among other things). I am doing a little better than yesterday, so that's good. Hopefully I'll feel even better tomorrow!

Today.

Sorry for not writing on my blog the past few days. I thought I was recovering from my little cold yesterday but then it hit me again last night and got worse. I forgot how hard it is to do daily things when you're not feeling well. I tried to teach the kid songs and activities to the Leadership Class tonight with a sore throat and cough. But I got through it! Thank you, Lord! I hope I get feeling better for ballet tomorrow. Lots of fluids and rest!

Head cold.

Laying in bed today with a minor head cold. Lots of rest and fluids. I had to cancel my English class with the Roma. Sad day. No worries though. Hopefully I'll be back to normal for Sunday school tomorrow. We'll be talking about Jacob's ladder.

I was able to visit the orphanage I will be volunteering at next Saturday. I thought the surrounding neighborhood and the park would make a good picture.





English Class.

I realize more and more how much I love teaching. I love everything about it: making lesson plans, creating worksheets, grading papers, thinking of new and creative ways to teach information, seeing students learn. My favorite class to teach, by far, is my Thursday morning beginner's English. I have twenty-four students, ages 6-12. They are some of the most smart, precious, hard-working kids! Even on my worst days, my life lights up when I am in that classroom. I can most be myself with children and use my gifts in this culture. I wish I could teach that class everyday. It is my goal to make every child feel accepted and special. Even something as simple as calling a student by name or affirming their hard work can help them feel more cared for or encouraged. Every student of mine I believe God put in my path. And so in that small, small window I have every week, I cherish them. I will be an emotional basket case when I have to say good bye to them. But I can't think about that just yet....

 



 

 

 

My beginner's English class this morning

 

Learning the short sounds of the five vowels

 

Taking "Mr. G" up and around the "Vowel Ferris Wheel"

 

Our Thursday's Women's Group

(played Bingo today)

 

 

 

 

 

Just some updates.

 

Somehow, the days are going by really slow but also really fast. I'm not sure how that happens. The past seven days have been so busy that I feel like things will never end but then I realized how fast they've gone by. I can't believe that my PRIME supervisor has already come and gone and that there are only two more weeks in October!

 

Today I had my two ballet classes, followed by coffee house. Tomorrow I have my beginners English class, "Women's Group" at Oaza, and our women's Book study in the evening. It's getting colder here and Rachel and I are going to invest in a space heater soon. Our landlord doesn't turn on the heat until middle or late November. We both get cold easily. I visited the family with thirteen children on Monday, specifically to deliver some medicine (and also to have my PRIME supervisor meet them). The baby, Denisi, is pretty ill. You can be praying for him. I was asked to help run a special day event at a local orphanage with some students from a Leadership class here in the city. The teacher knew that I loved to work with kids and thought that I would be interested in helping run the activities and songs. I'm super excited!!! We will visit the orphanage on the 27th of this month.

 

 

 

 

Second care package!

(Some things are missing because I already ate/used/opened them. Lol)

Thank you Mom, Jarred, Joanna, Grandma, and Rebekah!

 

 

Rush hour in Prishtina

 

 

Some of my little dancers in class tonight! (Group I)

(Several were absent due to illnesses)

 

More of my "little" dancers! (Group II)

 

 

 

 



Good Weekend.

It was such a blessing to have my PRIME supervisor here to visit me! She was able to watch me teach English to the Roma, teach Sunday school, and visit the family with thirteen children. She also brought a care package from my mom (which included gifts from my grandma, sister, and boyfriend)! Loved that!

I think everything went well. I appreciated her input and "outside" viewpoint. That was much needed. What was even more needed was her encouragement. My spirit felt uplifted once more. I am so blessed to have such a professor that invests in my life and cares for the growth of my work here. Thank you, Lord. Pray that she has a safe trip home. She has a couple of long layovers and will go to a three day conference to speak the day after she gets back! So also pray for strength, rest, and encouragement.

Today.

Today has only been from the Lord. No other could have given me today. I needed today. I needed to be reminded that God......God has brought me here. It wasn't by accident or random chance. God ordained it and did it for a purpose. He is faithful.


Lord, thank you for authority and mentors. Thank you for creating people to need each other. Thank you for correcting and teaching me through others -- others who love you.


He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. (Phil. 1:6)

It's Friday!

My PRIME supervisor arrives this morning! Praying she lands safely and gets over jet lag soon! It's going to be a good weekend!

Last night Rachel and I had our weekly Book study. We only had two show up. It was challenging for a while because of the language barrier. In the past we have had girls come who are more fluent in English and would translate for us but they didn't come last night. I wish so bad I could speak better Albanian! We got into some really interesting discussions last night though. Please pray that God brings more girls and that we are sensitive to His direction.

Busy Week!

This week is going to be a busy one! My PRIME supervisor is coming to visit me this weekend! She'll observe me teaching the Roma on Saturday, teach Sunday school, and visit the family with thirteen children on Monday. This Sunday is also special for another reason. It's the first time we will have served the Lord's supper in over five months. For most people who come to church, this is the only access they have to partaking in this as a family of God. I pray that our hearts are prepared for coming to the Lord's table...

I went with my friend this morning to visit the family of thirteen children. She's such a good translator! I'm so glad I have her! We sat with Bahrije and got to know her and family better (know that I could understand what she was saying). Only three out of her thirteen children are in school. Four of them dropped out because of embarrassment or continuous bullying. There really is no hiding their poverty. Bahrije feels terrible that her children have to live in such poor conditions. Another child of hers, Donika (who is eight), isn't in school because "her brain isn't developed enough." The director of the school told them to wait another two years (when she's ten) to put her in school. She understands everything they say but she communicates improperly (inefficiently?) or they just don't understand her. I'm definitely not an expert as this, but I think she's autistic. I've had several people tell me here that most of Kosova is uninformed about autism and, as a result, they just think their child isn't "normal" and then keep them out of school. It's really unfortunate. I wish I was more educated about this and somehow I could help. One of the benefits of today was better being able to see and hear some of the ways I can better serve them. Thank you, Lord.

Meet the Family!

 

Today I visited the family with thirteen children after my English lesson with the Roma. I'm trying to visit them at least once a week.

 

My goal tonight was to learn all the names of the thirteen kids. I brought my camera so that I could take a picture of each child. I thought maybe a picture with the name would help instead of just the name. Her kids are so cute! Sometimes it was a little hard to tell between the boys and the girls because almost all of them have short hair. I felt a little embarrassed but I had to ask. (I put a "B" or "G" next to their age.) Their family was so nice and friendly to me. I am just amazed how strong the mother is! She is 34 with thirteen children and an unemployed husband and still has her spirits high! I look forward to further developing our friendship.

 

My Albanian friend was supposed to come with me tonight but it didn't work out. The mom  (Bahria) kept trying to find someone to come over to translate for us. My Albanian isn't very good, to say the least. It's such a difficult language to learn.  A neighbor came for a few minutes and then another neighbor joined. Finally they called a cousin, who is studying English, to come over. Eventually we could talk to each other! (lol) God always provides! :)

 

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

 

 

 

 

-

 

Denisi (8 months - B)

 

 

Eliza (1 - G)

 

Zeqir (3 - B)

 

Deniza (4 - G)

 

 

Dafina (5 - G)

 

 

Donika (8 - G)

 

 

Florenti (9 - B)

 

Burimi (10 - B)

 

Diellza (11 - G)

 

Afrimi (13 - B)

 

Gentiana (18 - G)

 

 

 *Not pictured: Besim (14-B) and Enisi (16-B)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A HUGE Blessing!

 

I have been meaning to write this post for a while now. I'm so behind!

 

 

About three or so weeks ago a small team from Tennessee came to volunteer for about a week. There were three of them: Chad, Becky, and Eric. Chad, who is married to Becky, was a marine and was located here in Kosovo during the war. He has such a heart and passion for Kosovo and has a desire to do kingdom work here. He was here last year and arranged another trip with his wife and friend, who is the children's pastor at their church. One of the main projects they did was help improve our community center, Oaza. They raised all the money to paint, buy new carpet (and rug), put in light fixtures, re-tile the bathroom, replace the toilet and a door, fix the leaking roof, and spray paint the front. I'm sure I'm even forgetting things! Oaza doesn't have a big budget by any means, so this was such a HUGE blessing! It needed a new, fresh look so bad! It also didn't the leaking to stop, which was destroying the walls and ceilings. We want people to feel at home when they're at Oaza! The team went above and beyond and worked so hard all week! We are eternally grateful for all their effort, financial giving and support! They have plans of coming back next year and hopefully starting a camp for children! I'm super excited to see what God has planned! Rachel and I miss them dearly and hope to see them in the near future! They were such an encouragement and motivation for us! Thank you, thank you....

 

 



 

 

Tennessee Team!

(From Left to Right: Eric, Becky, and Chad)

 

 

 

 

 

A Look at the New Oaza!

 

 

 

 

BEFORE

(classroom)

 

AFTER

(I love the mint and cream colors! It makes it feel more soothing and warm.)

 

 

BEFORE

(classroom)

 

AFTER

 

 

BEFORE

(coffee room)

 

AFTER

(I love the touches of the warm mocha colors. We also got an actual light fixture. Before it was just a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I also love the brown rug that replaced the blue carpet. Looks so good!)

 

 

 

 

BEFORE

(entree way from coffee room to classroom)



 

AFTER

(So much better! It has a "cleaner" look to it.)

 

 

BEFORE

(front foyer)

 

AFTER

(A million times better! Moving the bookshelves to the other side of the room made such a hug difference!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Don't give up."

It's been hard to write on my blog lately. Not only have I been homesick, but I've had head aches (and sometimes migraines) every day for the past three weeks or so. They make my work much more difficult. I've also had a hard time sleeping at night, which makes me really tired during the day. My mind and body want to give up sometimes. I don't know if it's culture stress, team stress, "Joy stress," or homesickness stress. Who knows? Maybe it's all of them. Some days I would just love to get away for a little bit and clear my head. 

I was able to talk with my mom yesterday, which was much needed. Crying and talking with your mama can do wonders! (lol) Thank you, Lord, for moms!!! :)  I needed her encouragement and words of wisdom. I needed to hear someone say, "Joy, don't give up." Such simple yet powerful words.

Please continue to pray for my team. We need it. Pray for unity, mercy, healing, renewal, boldness, change, and sensitivity to the HS.

Tonight I have my two ballet classes, which I am praying go better than the last two weeks of kids and parents being upset about not getting into the class. I also have Coffee House with Rachel from 8-10PM.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. I could not have a better family in the Lord.

One of the "Thank You" cards that one my little dancers made for Fort Wayne Ballet

 



The sky was beautiful the other night!

My Prayer for Tonight.

O Lord,

Help us to love when we have nothing left.  Help us to hope when we have nothing left.  Help us be strong when we have nothing left. Help us repent when we have nothing left. Help us be wise when we have nothing left.

Help us receive Your love when we nothing left.

Amen.