November Rewind | Cell Phone Dump

It's no secret -- November was full.  I won't say it was a blur, because I distinctly remember all that we did.  And maybe life is a blur when we get in routine and the days seem to repeat themselves, but November was certainly not that way for us this year!

Picking up on where my last 'November Rewind' post ended, we actually checked the McGrady's in at the Austrian Air counter and met the Andersons at arrivals.  The two couples exchanged greetings and hugs (Bonnie and the McGradys met in Kenya a few years ago), then it was time to wave goodbye to the McGradys as they went through security.

In spite of a long journey and the stress of no luggage, the Andersons sure look chipper here for their obligatory 'welcome to Albania' photograph!

Who can forget the election of 2016?  It seems we are STILL talking about it.  On the way to church in Tirana the Sunday morning before the election we caught sight of this taxi cab who made his preferences known! (I was told his was known as the Kim Kard@shian cab prior to this).

The first full week we had with the Andersons the weather was abysmal.  I do not exaggerate.  It rained.  And it rained.  And it rained some more. We had flash flooding and the damage in places was significant, as we discovered more than a week later when we wanted to go hiking.

All that cold, damp weather, it shouldn't have been a surprise that Ellie got an ear infection.  How nice to have a nurse practitioner in the house who kept an eye on it!  It cleared up on its own, yay!

No real story for this photo.  I just thought Reni looked good. :-)  (Actually, we were visiting a project in another village and the kids got squirrely, so I took them out).

The night Ellie borrowed Ambra's hat and looked like a hipster.  So proud of her playing in church!

 One sunny, Sunday afternoon we ended up in Durres and the kids were begging to ride the bumper cars and jump on the trampoline on the Volga (b.  We settled on this suspiciously bright pink cotton candy.  Apparently it gives you a sugar high before you even eat it!

Later that night we drove up to King Zog's old palace for a view of the sunset.

Thanksgiving Day we were down to our last guest, Joy, and she was totally gracious and allowed us to cop out on a special Thanksgiving day dinner at the Stephen Center.  

Yeah, we had a lot of leftovers to take home.

And because life was so busy to squeeze it in earlier, but it was just a regular day in Tirana, we used the holiday time to get Ellie's hair cut.  The bob cut makes her look so grown up!

Finally, the bonus to November rains in the plains is snow in the mountains.  It's ten times as amazing to gaze upon in person...

Christmas Traditions | The Hope Center

Living far from home, we find comfort and a sense of stability in maintaining traditions -- perhaps even more consistently than we did before we moved to Albania.  One of those traditions at this time of year is our annual Christmas photos and cooking decorating at the Hope Center.

Reni teaches the teens Go Fish!

This year there are seven new youth so cooking decorating was brand new for them!  We made the cookies and icing up ahead of time and brought them along with sprinkles and piping bags for an evening of fun.

It's amazing the things we take for granted -- like baking in the family kitchen.

This isn't the same thing, but doing it together in community, adds to the joy.  Next year we need to remember to have a decorating contest.  I think we're all so into the fun of decorating, that we forget to delay the gratification and eat our treats as soon as they are finished!

The photo below melts my heart.  Reni gets so much love every where we go, it takes him a while to warm up to folks, but he's got a buddy in Mr. K.

And the game they are playing?  It's a timed game that might just give a slight electrical shock if you're the last one to punch in when the light changes color (or if you squeeze too early)!

The game below (Bounce Off) is pretty simple but they really enjoyed it!

Our Christmas Gift from God

Any guesses on the age of that olive tree?

It was just a year ago we visited our neighbors in the village of Met@alle to deliver Christmas shoeboxes to the kopesht (kindergarten) there.

We had no idea that one year later it would be a highlight of our schedule to visit there each week!

In May -- with the help of a visiting team from Asbury University, and a few weeks later, three summer interns working together first with Eda (a product of the children's work in Vlashaj) and later our church youth -- we would launch a kids club that would meet on the grounds of the abandoned grade school.  The Lord was gracious and for six months we would never have to cancel a meeting due to inclement weather.

Then one Saturday in mid November we had torrential rains. I had no expectation that any children would show, yet Nathan felt obligated to drive over in case anyone showed up.  There were nine shivering kids waiting in the shelter of the old school. 

photo credit Bonnie Anderson, November 12, 2016

photo credit Bonnie Anderson, November 12, 2016

We cranked up our prayers for a place to meet.  A few leads on local properties evaporated after individuals learned the purpose of our interest.

Then the first Saturday of December we learned we had a meeting.  We stepped out during recreation time to meet with a former resident of the village.  A member of our church knew he had an old home in the village that he wasn't using.  She hounded him to consider our request to rent it.  We later learned his hesitation was rooted in concern that we would want him to spend money on repairs and upgrades to the premises.  He finally acquiesced and so we followed him down a quiet road along a ridgeline, stopping at a string of vacant village homes belonging to he and his brothers.  If you have ever been to Albania, if you have seen one, you have seen them all.  As Luli said shortly thereafter, "I think in Albania (under communism) we had only one architect."

Our needs were minimal.  Basically a shelter from the rain.  In spite of our inability to tour much of the house -- it was crammed full of old furniture -- we pretty much agreed on the spot!

The following Saturday we showed up three hours early to clean and prep the space.  The kids saw the familiar van come into town and followed us to our 'new' house.

Above, Luli removes the horseshoe, a common talisman installed to protect the premises from the Evil Eye.

Everyone pitched in to pick up trash and sticks in the yard.

Len pointed out the house already looks like it boasts a cross on top. :-)

In spite of loitering for nearly three hours, we still had nearly 30 kids squeeze into the corridor of the house when it came time to start the program.  We think in future weeks we might put the youngest of the kids in a different room for portions of the program, which would give us more space.

Nathan was able to livestream the first 20 minutes of the program on Facebook!  It was neat to be able to share that with friends miles and time zones away so they could experience a virtual 'visit'.

Though the back yard has a significant slope, we are blessed with ample space for games.

If you are one of the few folks who have been to Met@lle, you can see the school grounds over Kimberly's head (if that helps you with orientation).

It was a special treat for our friends, Len and Lynne, to take part in this first meeting.  Lynne treated everyone to Twizzlers on their way out. :-)

Who knew that delivering Christmas shoeboxes would lead to this?  That our eyes would be opened to a community right on our doorstep?  That an opportunity for ministry would give our youth a chance to practice their spiritual gifts? That the faith of our young church would grow as we would pray for months for God's provision of a place to meet?

Praise God for all of the ways in which He works!   Praise Him that from here we can share the true story of Christmas, not just once a year, but all year round!

November Re-Wind | A Visit from the McGradys

When I think back on November 2016, our visit from the McGradys will kick off my list of memories!  Though they were only here for a few short days (the 1st through the 4th), it was still a meaningful time!

Ned and Marlene head up WGM's member health department which has more responsibilities than I can list! In spite of all the people they are in charge of,caring for, you would never know it spending time with them.  They are so gifted at loving people well.  Their stop in Albania was their first to Albania and their first on a multi-field pass through this region of the world to check in on how we are all doing.

I think it has only been in the last 15-20 years that the Church has come to understand the toll cross-cultural life and ministry takes on missionaries and their families.  We appreciate that WGM (our sending agency) understands this and gives us the tools to not only survive, but thrive in our calling.  This comes through training, debriefing, coaching, and supporting missionaries, and not just during and for times of crises.

Sadly, I only have a handful of photos from their time with us.  Including a poorly focused phone pic of Marlene playing Go Fish with the kids.  She brought this card game over as a gift for the kids and they loved it and played it several times since.

Ned and Marlene, thanks for everything, including putting up with a particularly chilly visit and poor electricity!  You were troopers!  You're welcome back any time! :-)

Open for Business!

A large part of my silence on the blog this fall has been due to a very full schedule.
And if you've been our friends for any length of time, you know that one of my big 'projects' each fall is to help some women from our village find markets for products they make by hand.

I love this project because it is valuable in so many ways...

• The women are able to supplement their family's income substantially (the last two years have earned them about 2 months' wages)
• Hard work is rewarded.
• This is a means for these ladies to earn extra money in the margins of an otherwise busy daily schedule that might not permit them to find an extra job.
• The knitters are affirmed in their creativity
• Risks are rewarded for styles and designs that meet clients' wishes and needs, while lessons are learned when the producers fail to take heed to trends from previous years
• I have 'an excuse' to meet regularly throughout the year with these ladies and their daughters for business coaching, meetings, and photography sessions.  (You know how life is -- sometimes you need 'excuses' to see people!)

• Others learn about Albania as these items are purchased and gifted to loved ones abroad.
• Our prayer team grows (I receive notes from friends who tell me they pray for us/the knitter/Albania whenever they use the product they bought through this project.

This year we have added some new items!  We have pillow covers, Santa hats, and boot cuffs!

We also have a new website with significantly improved shopping cart features!  No more confusing instructions!

We have some folks visiting us right now who can bring your item back to the States and ship it to you.  If you live in the area of Pekin, Illinois or Marion, Indiana, we might be able to drop the cost of shipping altogether if you are willing to arrange pick-up.

Come check out our new site at:  http://handmadeinalbania.org/

A special 'thank you' to everyone who so faithfully shares about this project and supports it with their business!  We are blessed with some wonderful friends and advocates for Albania!

#couldhavemissedthis | National Adoption Month

Thursday morning Shpresa, Bonnie and I will set up at table of knitted items at the US Embassy lobby to kick off our 2016 holiday sales season.  The goods are all hand made by some women from our village.

Try as I might to photograph all of their merchandise months in advance, I still get a few last-minute additions to the inventory that need to be cataloged.  Some of those items included a handful of little boy 'camo' stocking hats.  Thankfully, I knew just who to model this particular merchandise...

After looking at these photos on the computer, it occurred to me that I really haven't photographed Reni since his new front teeth have come in!  

My little boy is growing up!

Today in reading class, he got to the chapter in his Beginner's Bible of the story of Samuel anointing David the next king of Israel.

I told Reni how God used that story to confirm that we were supposed to adopt him.  He looked at me sort of surprised.

 He read the story and then I re-summarized how Samuel thought he was looking for one type of person to be king, but God had someone even better in mind.

God reminded Samuel that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

His eyes got really big.  "You could see inside me?" (half joking, half curious)

I said, "No, of course not,"... but that we had no idea of all the kids who needed families that God would lead us to a little boy with only part of his legs.  Such a difference could be really scary for some people, and if they only looked at him at his lack of feet, they would miss the most important part of what made Reni -- his heart.

It just occurred to me that November is National Adoption Month.  One of the trending hashtags is #couldhavemissedthis  ... but for the grace of God, we did not.

Please take a moment to read this article about the State Department's proposed changes to adoption policy. There are a lot more children like ours still in need of families...

http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/02/obama-administration-make-international-adoption-lot-harder/

Say qesh!

So one of the joys of this calling are all the different hats we get to wear.  To be sure, we want to be good stewards of our time and ensure that we do not over commit or get distracted from our primary purpose for being in Albania.  But there are certain causes we like to support with our time and abilities and the Jonathan Center for children with down syndrome is one of those...

For the second year in a row I was asked to photograph some of their beautiful children for their annual fundraiser calendar.  It was fun this past year to be walking through the airport bookstore or the World Cup fan zone in Mother Teresa square and bump into images of this past years' kids.

Earlier this month Nathan, Ellie, Reni and I made our way to the new center on Rruga Kavajes to see some familiar faces and meet some new ones!  The staff at the center is so good with the children and there is a wonderful sense of community between the kids and their collective families.

We captured photos of the kids in their music therapy room, the PT room, the craft room and the developmental intervention room.  It wasn't until we were all finished that we learned the center is renting a home that was formerly occupied by the mother and sister of Mother Teresa herself!  How neat is that?

The photo above is one I captured that won't be used in the new calendar, but I loved it so much I wanted to share it here. Isn't he a handsome fella?

It's fun to pull out the camera and dust off my portrait-taking skills now and again, especially for a good cause.  Can't wait to see the new calendar unveiled next month!

Highlights from Jan's Visit

Our family blog wouldn't be complete if we didn't document our September visit from my college friend, Jan!

It's always special when friends and family go to the time and expense to visit and get a glimpse of our lives here. I suppose that can put a certain level of pressure on our roles as hosts, but visits from Jan were a normal thing before we lived in Albania, so having her here wasn't too different, in some respects!

She was amazingly flexible and accommodating of our ministry schedule and home school routine, but we did make time to show her some of our favorite places 'in the neighborhood.'

I have to admit I just went through the folder of her photos and am sharing a few of my random favorites here (in other words, all photo credit belongs to Jan!).  This post might set a record for the number of photos including yours truly, ha ha.

One of our first days included a trip up to Darshen to distribute back-to-school backpacks of supplies.   It was wonderful to have someone else document the experience and not bear that responsibility alone!

We had gorgeous weather and sunshine as you can see!

Ellie (and her parents) taught the kids a new song, which was a lot of fun...

After handing out backpacks we paid a visit to our friend, Xhesi, then Nathan pulled out the drone for a new perspective on this mountainside community.

Here is some of the footage he put together:

On our return trip, Jan and I crossed off one of my Tirana "bucket list" activities which was to finally climb to the top of the clock tower in the center.

Just looking through these photos I think Jan picked the best time of year to come!  Look at that sunshine and clear, blue skies!

Jan also got to try her hand at some Albanian cuisine!
(below: fergese -- a baked dish of cheese and peppers)

We took a Sunday afternoon trip to my favorite city, Berat, to photograph some quaint Ottoman architecture.

And then some days, just because you have company, on the way home from grocery shopping you make a spontaneous stop at an old castle for coffee (or, if you're a child, a peach soda) and to watch the planes land.  Where else can you do that?

(the aforementioned spontaneous coffee stop was at Preze, a place we can see from our living room window but which we had only visited once!)

One of Jan's greatest contributions was helping me photograph dozens and dozens of knitted goods for the village knits online shop!  You know how some projects can seem overwhelming until the cavalry comes to the rescue?  Jan was the cavalry!  We spent at least two long afternoons photographing the products on models and Jan took over the (very hard for me) role of wardrobe consultant!  On top of that, she took dozens of detail shots off models and tagged all the items as they were posted online.

So the least we could do was pay her in scoops of gelato.

Jan is a wonderful game player, not to mention she's great with kids, we all enjoyed many a game and puzzle together!

For the sake of time I'm not including photos from the kids clubs and church services she attended, nor the suppers she made and the babysitting she did while we were at meetings... but hopefully we balanced the work with some 'play' and she got to see a lot of new-to-her places.

Jan, thank you SO much for your partnership and friendship with us, going back more than 20 years now.  I'm so glad you came to see this part of the world which is so special to us and add to our collective memory bank of shared experiences!  See you next summer in DC!

Sunset from my kitchen window -- they are pretty spectacular and I can never seem to do them justice, but Jan got one too good not to share!