A birthday pic was necessary (for my Instagram) early morning, even if the cake was not yet ready! :-)
(Can you see how hot it was even in the early morning??)
Falling at the end of our busy summer season (and this year, on a Sunday), Reni's birthday was a low-key affair. Nevertheless, he requested a trip to Latitude to introduce our new friends to Albania's premier indoor trampoline/climbing/obstacle/Ninja warrior facility. As you can see, the boys (and Ellie, not pictured) worked out hard and I was grateful Reni brought a change of clothes before we went out to eat!
Here's a sample clip of Reni on one of the courses...
We then went out to eat for tacos at Serendipity...
Later in the day, we invited the Artonis over to help us eat Reni's birthday cake (chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, both scratch) and sing happy birthday (in multiple languages)!
The first two weeks of July found us hosting a team from the USA and offering two weeks of day camp. Day camp is a service we provide through the center for a small fee to families in the community who are seeking something for their children to fill their summer days. Since we are located almost exactly between Tirana and Durres, we are just far enough away that there are few (if any) programs with transportation for those of us living in the 'in between' (those with resources to send their kids to camp live in town, not in the village).
We offered camp last summer at the request of local families. It was so well received and introduced us to so many new families that we decided to do it again this summer.
After camp, we held a week of VBS. Thanks to our partners, we can provide VBS at no charge, and this year we taught the Armor of God through three different Bible stories.
Years ago my father brought over trunk fulls of puppets. We dug them out to complement Luli's oral retelling of the stories. Anneco and I served as puppeteers! :-) (see video re-cap further below)
The younger ones really got into it and loved playing with the puppets afterward!
Below, my neighbor friend "S" greets me with a big hug every day. This day, she gave me a handwritten note in shqip that read "Jesus loves me." Oh my heart.
As we did in camp, the last day was water games during the game rotation! The kids get a little wild, and it's a mess in the center to clean the locker rooms after they change their clothes, but boy do they have a good time! In fact, so I don't forget (because I have no photos of this) the staff celebrated the end of camp and VBS with an adults-only water fight in the kalceto. The village kids were stunned to see our antics!
We were super grateful to the Chaney family (below) who recently moved to Albania and spent the week with us in Vlashaj to help facilitate VBS! We look forward to getting to know them better! They were a big help!
July brought its typical heat wave and so evenings were spent diligently watering all the trees and shrubs at Jeta to keep them alive!
We would often have 'helpers' -- which makes any chore more enjoyable!
Conclusion of the Spring/Summer Soccer Season
By the end of July, more than 50 students had enrolled at some point in our KF JETA (Life Football Club) soccer program. We celebrated with an expo where the students demonstrated their skills for parents, competed against the dads, and received medals for participation.
We are so grateful for our colleague Luis, who not only imparts technical skills but trains with love, gentleness and respect. In turn, his students love him dearly and we have seen dramatic improvement in their playing skills on the pitch!
One morning we made the trip into the civil registry office to witness the legal marriage of Luli and Hannah, exactly one month after their church ceremony.
From a cultural perspective, it was interesting to hear the details of the oath they took according to Albania's Family Code. Hannah was unexpectedly asked to decide her legal name proceeding forward. In all, the workers were very pleasant and we enjoyed being a part of this formality!
The next day was our anniversary, but we were unable to celebrate until the following weekend because of VBS.
Anniversary #24
We were gifted an overnight away and chose to stay at a restaurant and small inn located about 30 minutes outside of Berat.
The asphalt road literally ended at the establishment. There was no signage so we didn't know if we were even at the right place until we saw the name on the employee's uniforms!
We watched the sunset off the restaurant's deck overlooking a valley. Above, Mt. Tomorr (the highest peak in central Albania) reflects the golden hour. I took this photo to remember the sense of utter peace and tranquility of the place. What a balm after our hectic summer!
At restaurants like this, there is no menu. They just serve you the day's fare. The food was incredibly fresh and delicious and I'm so glad I took photos to share.
Below:
(Left) Grilled zucchini, peppers and eggplant, oven-roasted potatoes seasoned with sage.
(top) Cucumber, tomato and red onion salad tossed in olive oil and seasonings (one of the best I've ever had -- I don't know what special seasoned salt they used but it was yummy!!).
(middle) Beet salad with sweet corn, feta cheese, and lemon juice. And soft cheese with roasted red peppers (we usually smear this on bread).
(lower) Lakror, a cornbread pie with spinach and onions.
Our meat was surprisingly fried chicken! This was a first for me in Albania as typically it's served roasted or cooked in a clay pot with rice. It was great!
We capped off this incredible meal with a plate of fresh fruit. All in all, it was a very special getaway. The establishment had quite a reputation, so I expected it to be a bit more pretentious, but in reality, it was simple and charming -- just what we love. Such a lovely gift!
Last week of July
We had endured a brutal heat wave much of this month. It honestly left us depleted and limping toward the upcoming August break. The photo below shows the thermometer we keep in our bathroom. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not! This was taken after 10PM at night!
A highlight of the week was the installation of a new door on the guesthouse (we live upstairs, accessible through the gate to the left). The former door had become warped and presented a lot of challenges for opening and closing to those who didn't know how to jiggle, lean, and push at just the right angle when turning the key. It also didn't have any windows, which meant no morning light could come through to illuminate the entry (Nathan argued that was a minor point). In all, I'm so happy with this improvement, made possible through the gifts collected from those who occupied the guesthouse this summer! (The wall has been painted since this photo was taken)
With day camp and VBS complete, and no homeschool demands, we relished big blocks of time to catch up on loads of office work which included updating our residency, months of backlog in inputting receipts and updating mileage/vehicle logs, and turning our attention to leaving Albania for five months! These are the realities of living overseas that are hard to depict. Every year it seems we manage more and more people, projects and resources. It demands more and more of our time and energy, especially when it comes to anticipating what will be needed in our absence.
Late July also brought a bumper crop of goodies from local gardens. Below, I roasted these amazing tomatoes from our neighbors Sabri and Zama in the oven with some sliced onions, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and a block of feta cheese. After about 30 minutes I stirred those goodies all up and blended them into a delicious sauce over chicken and pasta. SO EASY and TASTY!
Holta Canyon (Gramsh)
The last week of July was John's last week in Albania. We planned a special day trip to a canyon we found during the Pandemic. It is just a few hours away yet most folks we know have never been (partially because the canyon is only safe to access a few months per year). It was so nice to enjoy a really fun day with many of our team after a busy summer and introduce them to a new-to-them place.
The heat broke the night before our adventure making for a perfect day outside. Below, we pose at the entrance to the gorge.
The light in the canyon varied as the canyon twisted and turned directions and the opening at the top widened or narrowed.
Sometimes we had to scramble over rocks to keep walking.
The water levels varied from ankle to chest-deep. In one place, you had to swim a short distance!
The neat part of this hike is one never knew what you would find around the next bend!
Summer means camp season. And camp requires a lot of manpower! That is why we are so grateful for volunteers who choose to give their time and resources to visit us in Albania!
This summer we hosted a team of students from Asbury University! Our two-week summer camp had an outdoor/back-to-nature theme. Nathan was our camp ranger and instructed our campers each day with basic skills like one would study in boy scouts or girl scouts. By the way, naked artificial Christmas trees make great decoration!
Our summer intern, Melissa, is pursuing a degree in health communication. She gave daily 5-minute lessons on how to stay healthy when enjoying the outdoors. Below, she shares about the dangers of drinking contaminated water. Other lessons included treating burns, how to pack a first aid kit, treating cuts and scrapes, and more!
Below, Shannon, serves refreshments during snack time!
Nathan demonstrates how to make a water filter with items available outdoors (a handkerchief, rocks, charcoal, and sand)! Simply boil the water to kill any dangerous bacteria!
Hannah M made some tasty treats on theme, including this snack which was to resemble a bonfire -- for our day on the topic of fire safety.
Thanks to hosting so many couriers (aka visitors) coming over the spring, we were able to order supplies via Amazon to have some great decor and supplies to help our campers 'feel' the theme.
A problem we encountered last summer was the matter of providing individualized reusable drinking cups to keep everyone hydrated in the brutal summer heat. Writing names in marker on the cup required daily reapplication as it wore off in the dishwasher. Nathan had the idea of ordering multiple sets of these national park stickers that adhered to their nametags AND their cups. Then at the end of camp, they had a great souvenir!
The kids were assigned to one of three teams, each with its own color. We chose green, white, and black, to match the colors of our center's logo.
Campers were greeted each day with a welcome pennant made from burlap.
Below, the team sets up a nerf gun obstacle course/shooting range. We were SO grateful for the shade provided by the kalceto! It was still quite warm!
One of my favorite snacks: a rice cake slathered with nutella and finished with bananas and blueberries!
Reni has gradually begun to take over running the computer for events in church. He thought every forest needs a Yeti, hence the "costume" one day.
As always, our camp is integrated and inclusive! We were pleased to see students eager to serve their teammates who are part of the VT Albania program!
Of course, camp needs a certificate of completion. Nathan designed this lovely document which each camper received at the conclusion!
In addiiton to camp, the visiting team also took part in kids clubs -- both in Vlashaj as well as Metalle.
They also spent a lot of time engaged in games and recreation with our local friends who spend much of their afternoons and evenings at Jeta!
We also took them to experience some nearby historical sites, like the amphitheater in Durres.
We also had the idea one evening to sample and rank various softdrinks unavailable in the USA. It turned out to be a fun event that I'm sure we'll repeat with future guests -- with perhaps a few different options.
The drinks, ranked left to right from least to most preferred.
When hosting guests, we have friends who can take family photos for us! :-)
The students also shared in church their personal stories of God's work in their lives
They also got to try some foods frequently eaten in this part of the world. Below, suflaqe -- which is a pita wrapped around shaved meat (usually chicken), served with french fries, veggies, and a garlic yogurt sauce! It's delicious! (A good suflaqe starts with a properly grilled pita.)
While I was usually too wiped out at the end of each day, our younger friends hung out in our living room each night and played games -- much to Ellie and Reni's delight!
This summer we bought a used snow-cone machine from some missionaries who were leaving Albania. It has been a huge hit!
Volleyball!!
Basketball!
Feeding a team of visitors is a logistical challenge -- both in terms of planning, but also shopping and execution. Oh, what I'd give for curbside pick-up, or, a Sam's Club! We live about 25 minutes from an international grocery store (which offers the majority of what we need under one roof). I don't usually schedule more than one shopping trip into the team's schedule because it takes away precious time from other experiences. So, if I don't calculate and procure the right amount of ingredients, we can sometimes be left scrambling for solutions... like when we ran out of hotdog buns! Turns out, a tortilla works just fine!
A favorite pic with Melissa in Peza...
We celebrated two birthdays! Below, it's Shannon's 19th!
Thanks for coming, Asbury friends! You were a blessing!
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