Weekend before last the Zirkles, our regional directors, came for their annual visit! It's been a joy to grow our relationship with them and have someone from WGM whom we feel knows what we're doing. They are a good source of accountability as well as encouragement -- and, coincidentally, their two grandchildren are the same ages as our kiddos, so they get along great with Ellie and Reni too!
We discussed so many different things in the short time they were here -- evaluating the past year, talking about upcoming changes in the mission, and fleshing out strategies for the next year.
We also paid a visit to the nearby village where we hope to start a new kids' ministry next month.
But it's not all business, though!
Sunday afternoon we took a little trip about an hour and a half south to see the city of Berat. It's one of my favorite places in Albania, but we hadn't visited in more than 18 months as the roads were notoriously poor. We heard though, that construction was complete, so we thought it might be a good place to show our guests and made the trip in record time!
We drove straight up to the castle town above the city proper. To put the drive up to the castle in perspective, our vehicle registered on the dashboard that we were driving on ice -- our tires were slipping on the steep, ancient stone pavers.
My knuckles were a little white and I didn't breathe again until we heard the strain on the engine pass. But it's definitely worth the excitement! At the top for a whopping 100 lek (about $0.80) we walked through the entrance of the castle town and visited a place that time forgot.
This time we took a different way around and stumbled upon this beautiful home. The owner had turned the front room into a little shop where she sat behind a sewing machine, stitching embroidery on white linen.
Across the road she had planted shade trees and assembled some picnic tables and chairs from re-claimed wood. It was the perfect place for a little rest from the hot sun.
We bought juice and canned ice coffees. Simple pleasures!
I photographed the house below because I loved the roof-top terrace with its grape arbor. Come summer time, that will be a delightfully shady, wonderful place!
Tourism to Berat is not yet booming (perhaps the new road will help?) so many of the antique, Ottoman-era homes are not wearing their age well - either from vacancy or lack of funds to maintain them.
Others looked spruced up and ready for guests, but empty...
In the mean time, our kids entertained themselves admiring the bugs and butterflies.
And looking for bats in the ancient cistern that provided water for the city during sieges.
Thanks, Kevin and Becky, for the gift of your visit! Mirëardhsh! (Come again!)
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