Waggoner News and World Report: Snapshots from May

I have the sweetest neighbors in the world across the street. One afternoon she invited me over to see her garden. Walking through a rugged stick gate and down a narrow, descending path along a cousin's property it opened up to reveal an incredibly LARGE secret garden! Just a few steps from my home, I had no idea this place existed.

This garden had everything (so much you can't see in these photos) and everything was neatly and precisely organized in sections, weed free, and amply irrigated. She told me they rarely have to shop for produce and now I see why!

One Saturday we got special permission for the students from the Hope Center to come to our place so they could jump on the amazing trampoline. We set up a Wii station indoors for those who were waiting their turn. Apparently, the photo below is the only photo I managed to snap from the event!

Covid has stolen the loved ones of many friends, including the father of our Pastor, Genti. We held a drop-in coffee night/condolence visit at the church so neighbors could come and pay their respects. The support of the community was incredible.

Now that we have largely completed construction on the new center, we are receiving a few visit requests from others who want to build handicap-accessible buildings in other parts of Albania. Often one has to be intentional to note the features that need to be included, as we learned that this is still a relatively new consideration in building design. One day we received a visit from an American physical therapist friend who is hoping to build a pediatric rehab center in Fier. Ellie (with her compassionate heart) was enamored with the stories of Dr. Kathy's patients!

Translation of The Chosen continues to be my special side project. While I'm no longer actively engaged in leading the Albanian team because of my role as co-coordinator of all the language teams, I stay involved with our local team. One of our translators up in Shkoder invited us up to her home for a visit. We had a thoroughly lovely time together, visiting in person after so many weeks and months of communicating solely on WhatsApp! In the photo below we were treated to a special impromptu music concert (at Ellie's request)!

We drove out to Middle Bridge for some photos and site-seeing.

We were missing Aurora and Irida who couldn't make the trip that day. We have a few others who help from the USA too!

I started my fifth intensive masters-level class in my TESOL program, and I continue to practice what I'm learning on my small class of English students at VT Albania. They are so patient with me!

As funds come in, we continue to work on finishing details in the new building. This month we were able to get some roller shades that help block the afternoon sun, yet allow us to see the outdoors from the business office. This is quickly becoming the heart of activity in the building after 4PM as we take turns monitoring the building from here during exercise classes and serving espressos.

With the hook-up of the solar panels to the hot-water system, we could now work on preparing the shower rooms! That includes installing practical things like hooks for towels and clothes. Probably the most used gift left behind by a work team was the hammer-drill left by a group from Vermont. I think Nathan uses it at least once per week, and I've learned how to install masonry anchors in the process!

When there is no shop that sells bathroom dividers, you figure out how to create something yourself. Here's praying this solution (below) works for our needs!

The finished product in the men's changing rooms (shower curtains have since been added)... Nathan and Reni shower here after every exercise class because, hey, free hot water! Before we left to come to the USA for the summer, we purchased the sink and ordered the countertop that will be installed to the right of the stalls below.

We finished another year of homeschooling and Nathan amped up the celebration by letting the kids torch their math workbooks. Literally. I wasn't too pleased about their choice of location, but I do admit there was ample water supply if anything was to go awry.

Speaking of water -- water continues to be the bane of our existence and I think we are single-handedly supporting a plumber and his family with all of our plumbing needs. Below you can see the calcification of our submersible pump that is not even 18-months old. The mineral content in our groundwater is incredible and so when you pray for our health, you can pray we are protected from kidney stones!

We received four guests from Illinois on May 21. We converted the kids' homeschool room into a bedroom for Nathan's brother and nephew, Steve and Elisha.

What a happy day to pick up visitors from the airport!

Audrey and Sady are PROS at working with kids. Saturday morning they taught the parable of the Lost Sheep through a drama that included audience participation. The kids LOVED it!

After the lesson, the kids all made their own sheep ears.

I haven't heard that much giggling in a long time! We managed to snag a few for a group photo.

Meanwhile, Nathan, Steve and the boys were driving down to southern Albania. The original plan was a rite-of-passage hike for the boys in northern Albania, but deep snow at the pass forced a change of location. Instead, they drove down to the Llogara Pass, south of Vlora, and opted to try a lesser-known hike to Qafe Cezarit (Caesar's Pass). This pass is famous as the location where Caesar bribed some local shepherds to guide the way over the mountain to surprise the army of Pompei. Legend has it that he successfully led 30,000 troops over in one day, ambushed the army of Pompei, and secured his leadership of the Roman Empire in the process.

Nathan and gang couldn't get their little band of six up to the pass in one afternoon! A hand-drawn map that didn't mesh with their coordinates on Google Maps led to an afternoon of steep mountain climbing through brush and brambles, dangerous slips and slides, and ultimately the failure ever find the trail that would lead them to their desired destination.

Nevertheless, meaningful conversations were had, memories made, and limits were tested. We're super proud of our tough kid who pushes himself beyond what many able-bodied people would never endure to go places, see things, and join in on experiencing adventure.

While a few in the party worried they would be lost on the mountainside, the gorgeous view of the Ionian Sea helped maintain a level of orientation.

Meanwhile, Ellie and I took the girls, along with our dear friend, Pam, up to Kruje for some history and souvenir shopping. Kruje is the medieval capital of Albania and is situated high up on the side of a mountain.

Below, us in front of a 600+ year old olive tree believed to have been planted on the occasion of the national hero(Skenderbeg)'s wedding.

Our artisan friends in Kruje have particularly suffered due to the drop in tourism, in spite of Albania's wide-open door to foreign visitors since June 2020. Below we watch the making of woolen slippers.

The antique shops are more like visits to museums. Below, this amphora was rescued from the ruins of a shipwreck a 1000-feet-deep in the waters of the Adriatic!

Ellie was particularly enamored with the antique books -- examining the pages of a 100+-year-old Koran below.

There's never a good time for your closet system to collapse, but in the middle of hosting guests would be near the top of that list of 'inconvenient times'. We lived with piles of belongings on the floor for a few days until things could be repaired.

But as God would nod His head to us and say "I see you!" He sent us petulla from our colleagues next door. Ester holds a plate of sugared donuts for us to enjoy!

Two days near the end of May we were pleased to enjoy a visit from a team from Rockford, Illinois. Below we are making acquaintances and explaining how we felt the next hours would unfold.

They joined us in hosting two days of sporting events at the local school. We also had face-painting for those who were not on a designated team.

The community received a beautiful new school following the earthquake of 2019.

The face-painting (which was really arm painting) was quite popular.

Tug o' war!

People ask me what my favorite foods are in Albania... here is a local cheese plate, that also happens to include nuts and honey. Cherry preserves or fig jam are other common features on plates like this.

Steve provided some valuable training for our staff. We are grateful that this is a regular feature of Steve's visits to Albania and we are seeing the fruits of his repeated investment in our team.

One morning we took the students from VT to Durres for a field trip to the archeological museum.

I was thrilled with how interested everyone was in the exhibits and information.

Ellie brought me over to show me this piece of pottery that she said was proof of time travel: why else would this angel be holding a boom box?

Afterwards we enjoyed some fellowship on the boardwalk with ice cream!

For Reni, one of the highlights of this year will be the fact that his cousin-buddy, Elisha, was able to visit and see his life in Albania. I went through photos and apparently, these boys spent a lot of time eating and playing games together...

(below, celebrating Nathan's birthday at a favorite gelato shop)

Monopoly remains Reni's favorite board game -- this version is called "Empire Monopoly", discovered while visiting our friends, the Mazzas.

The night before they left, Steve shared the weekly message in church. His messages are always memorable, as I discovered when we announced his upcoming visit! A lady in our church started repeating the points from his last sermon in Albania. I was impressed!

The last weekend of May our friends invited us to join them for supper at a local restaurant in the countryside. The farm features a man-made pond, surrounded by tables under the white 'tent' coverings.