Permission to Stay, Part 2: Saving Face

Yesterday we sent out our monthly e-mail newsletter.  One of the 'big' things we requested prayer for was in regards to completing the process of Leje Qendrimi (permission to stay). 

I wish I could say the photo above was of a happy girl, holding her corrected Albanian birth certificate, but no.

In a previous post, I shared of our first trip to Vlora last month to get Ellie's birth certificate, only to find that there was a transcription error when they digitized their records.  Two keystrokes in the wrong place meant that we had to go back to Tirana because the folks in Vlora told us they 'didn't have the authority to change the official registry.'

So last week, bless his heart, Mandi went to office after office, over three different days to figure out how we were supposed to go and rectify this typist's mistake.  Finally he threw his hands up and suggested we go ourselves, without any Albanian translator, and throw ourselves on the mercy of a desk worker and hope we would find a sympathetic soul.

This morning the four of us put on our walking shoes and walked to a non-descript office building behind the mosque at the center of the city.  We were able to sufficiently communicate our need to a security officer and she gave me a slip of paper authorizing me to enter the building (so much for using our cute kids). ;-)

I was directed to the fourth floor without much direction beyond that.  I whispered a prayer and walked to an open door way.  There I made my request in Shqip only to be told in a clear voice, "I speak English!"  Thank you, Lord!

After explaining our predicament, she promised to do what she could to help.  We visited a couple of different offices, the law books of Albania were cracked open (apparently we are a pretty rare case), and then we were told the sinking news that they could not help us, we would have to go BACK to Vlora, where the mistake happened.  

I asked why they didn't fix it when we were there last month, why we were told to come to Tirana?  Her reply, "I don't think they knew the process. You are a foreigner."  Uh huh.  

If they didn't know the process before, I wanted to be sure they knew the process the next time we went and I expressed my concern. My new friend called the office in Vlora and gave them instructions on how they were to make an official request to change the registry, then gave me the name of the person they spoke with in Vlora.  She also gave me a list of supporting documents we would need to submit with their request  (incidentally, if they had only misspelled Ellie's name and not also mine, a simple name change request could have been made last month for $15 and saved us all this hassle).

The kids and I returned home while Nathan and Mandi jumped in the van and started the 2.5 hour drive to Vlora.

A few hours later Nathan calls me.  

They told him: Come back Friday when the boss is in the office.  We can't help you.  

I wasn't there, but thankfully Mandi argued back, "What if I return on Friday and the boss isn't here?"

To which they reluctantly agreed to accept a handwritten request from Nathan with our wishes.

For the sake of time, it looks like this happened:  when we uncovered the mistake in the birth certificate in June, the office in Vlora tried to shift responsibility for the mistake to a misspelling in Ellie's adoption decree, in which case, Vlora couldn't fix it and thus we HAD to go to Tirana. 

Except we went to Tirana, and Tirana saw the adoption decree (which contained no such misspellings) and told Vlora, No, you made the mistake, you have to make the request to fix this.

So, because someone had to save face, we are having to make one more trip to Vlora than should have been necessary (three, instead of two).  Each trip is more than 5 hours on the road (not including time in Vlora, waiting in line at the office) and about $100 in mileage expenses. 

All because of two typos.

But just because Ellie isn't holding her corrected birth certificate doesn't mean our prayers weren't answered.  I think we are closer to getting a resolution.  Someday maybe what we've navigated will be helpful for someone else.  And God's grace is always more than sufficient.

Cydic, mother of Elisana.  :-)

Will That Hurt?

Ellie and Kerri during snack time at co-op today

Today was Ellie's first day of school.  Yeah, I know that many of our friends in America have been in school for over a month, yet most kids don't return to school in Albania until next week!  Today marked the first official Friday of homeschool co-op.  After a stressful ride in a taxi to attempt to find the Bible college facility which is hosting co-op this year (our driver was not happy with us at all over how 'far' he had to take us), we were warmly greeted by the families in attendance.  God bless Facebook (and Cathy Watanabe) for helping us make this connection! This group meets every Friday for devotions, music, PE, Albanian, and crafts.  The older students embark on more difficult subjects. ;-)

Ellie really seemed to enjoy her time -- it was so good for her to be out and see other folks!  

At one moment, riding in the taxi she noted that she didn't understand the words of the folk singer playing over the stereo system.  And why were they playing a broken violin, she asked?  I told her it was Albanian music because we were in Albania and this is a traditional type of music that they listen and dance to here.  She asked why they couldn't sing English songs and I asked her why we didn't listen to Spanish songs.  She paused.  

I reminded her that our taxi driver is Albanian and this is his kind of music.  She thought some more and then said, "But I'm Albanian.  Am I going to change and like this kind of music?"  I told her that yes, she is Albanian, but she is also American and that living in Albania will make her feel a little more Albanian, but that she might always be a little bit American and a little bit Albanian.

"Will that hurt?" she asked.  Tough question, Ellie.  It won't be easy.

I wish I would have remembered to remind her of the play dough analogy they taught the kids at MTI.  They were given a clump of blue playdough and a clump of yellow playdough and told to twist it together.  Then they were asked if they could separate the two colors, now intertwined in lovely marbled veins.  Of course, the answer is no, it's impossible.  And the more the playdough is worked, the less distinctive the two colors become, eventually turning a third, completely different color.  That will likely be our Ellie and Reni.  A little red-and-black and little red-white-and-blue, but neither completely one or the other...

Kerri and Ellie separate out Reni's legos which were poured in like packing peanuts into the crevices of this duffle bag!

   Unpacking is progressing, albeit slowly.  Two suitcases were put away today and the kitchen counter mostly cleared.  It's consuming a lot of my energy to figure out where everything needs to 'go', but Kerri has been a phenomenal help.  I can't imagine where we'd be without her, not to mention her conversation, wisdom, and encouragement is a gift.

Ellie's culture shock is slightly diminished by the discovery that yes, in Tirana we can buy the French version of cocoa puffs.  And yes, she was so happy she decorated the box in stickers.

To cap off her big day, she was pleased to bring home a snail discovered on the Bible school property.  She promptly named him Herman.  She was so sweet to ask, "Mom, since we're not moving anymore, can I bring him home?"  (That has been our excuse as to why she could not have a pet).

Thank you for continuing to pray for Mom and the rest of the family.  From what I gather from Nathan, I think the further out we go from Monday, it's not gotten any easier, just a different kind of difficult, compounded by physical and emotional exhaustion. Clinging to the Rock. 

Anna and Abby are coming to Albania!

*updated

photo by Beth Crist

Have we shared the news?  Anna and Abby are coming to Albania with us!

Well, it's not really NEW news, but we're excited nonetheless!  These fantastic girls are going to be college graduates in May -- Anna in Media Comm and Abby in Art Ed.  We've known them both for ages and couldn't believe our ears when they approached us about the possibility of coming over to teach Ellie and Reni while Nathan and I take language classes.  At first we thought it would be for one semester, then they asked if they could stay for the entire school year!  We had to think about it for a whole two seconds (actually less) before we said YES!!

Photo by Beth Crist

I don't even know where to begin in describing this blessing!  Anna regularly babysat for us as well as served on our student cabinet.  Abby was a regular at Global Cafe`, went to Haiti with Nathan, and joined us for lunch every week.  Both have had extended experience overseas, love Jesus, and have great servants hearts.  We have so many ideas for ways to plug them into the village ministries, I hope we don't overwhelm them!

I wanted to share the news here on the blog for another reason though.  While most of you probably don't know them, you know us.  You know that Ellie's learning needs combined with Reni's mobility issues don't permit us to simply enroll them in Albanian public school, much less the international school in Tirana.  Our plan from the start was to home school them, but we had no idea what we would do for child care during language school except for us to alternate going to class (which could potentially extend the length of time before we move to the village).  

photo by Beth Crist

By Abby and Anna coming, they will be able to provide much needed help with the kids, not only by providing childcare, but fresh new voices in their 'classroom!'  Nathan and I will be able to plunge head first into language learning (our biggest investment in our future effectiveness) as well as have a bit more time to get our feet under us as we integrate into the Planters team and set up our systems for ministry.

Would you consider helping us by helping Abby and Anna?  They will only be able to stay as long as their funding holds out!  I calculated that if everyone who visits our blog over the course of the month could give $25, it would cover half of their combined expenses for 9 months.  Of course, I don't want you to feel any guilt or obligation on your part, but if God has blessed you and you are looking for a way to bless others, a gift to Anna and Abby would be a big blessing to US!

If you would like to get to know them better, they have set up a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/AbbyAnnaAlbania?fref=ts

They have also been embarking on some creative fundraising projects, including selling oil paintings, prints, and cards. Here is Abby's site:  http://abigaillecompte.wix.com/painting

Gifts to them may be sent to World Gospel Mission, Attn: VIA Coordinator, PO Box 948, Marion, IN, 46952.  Please include a note that your gift is to be credited to Abby LeCompte and/or Anne Leon.
OR
You can contribute online at: www.wgm.org/leon (Anna) or www.wgm.org/LeCompte (Abby)

Thanks for reading this all the way through!  Gratefully,  Cydil

Back in the Saddle

After a break for Christmas, we feel like we are getting back into our missionary candidate role, going out and seeing old friends, meeting new faces, and sharing our testimony!  Sunday morning we visited a wonderful little church near Metamora called Cazenovia Mennonite.

 

 

You may remember us sharing about our friends, Joe and Judy, who helped us tremendously by moving our belongings from Kentucky to Illinois for us last July.  This is their home church, and what a lovely group of people!  After giving us their Sunday morning service, they came around us to pray, then served us a delicious Sunday lunch!  It's amazing what acts of kindness like that do to encourage our hearts as we traverse this journey to Albania.

 

Yesterday we kept this baby (below) fed and humming.  As most of you are aware (or experiencing yourself), the Midwest was hit with a regular Arctic blast.

 



 

This winter Mom and Dad installed a pellet stove in the farm house, and oh what a blessing it's been!  Several years of "town living" softened this ol' farm girl to where she forgot the joys of living in a drafty, uninsulated farm house with cold floors. Enter the pellet stove, the lazy man's way to experience true wood heat without the work and mess of carrying in armloads of fire wood. All you do is dump a bag of pellets (or corn kernels) into the hopper, flip a switch, and watch her light! I consider the occasional chill to be good conditioning for next winter, though I'm afraid this isn't helping my fire-starting skills. :-)

 

 

This cold weather came just in time to remind us why we're headed south for our next set of visits. :-) It wasn't fun packing the RV when the temps were in the single digits (with a brisk wind added, to boot).

 

 

I was extra grateful for my husband who risked his digits in the freezing temps to get the RV ready for her next road trip.  We are now making our way down to Kentucky -- spending the night tonight with some dear friends and their children, then from there we're headed to North Carolina!

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your prayers as we travel many miles.  The kids are in great spirits and so far we are good and healthy!  I wish I could say as much about the RV.  After getting her in the shop again, the pesky squeal of a belt under the hood has returned and is an ever present stresser, leaving us wondering if the alternator is charging the battery.  If I want to be positive, it's a constant reminder to trust in God's provision, even in this!

The Missionary Travel Agent

In all my interactions with my missionary friends, I never recalled any of them sharing about the exhausting mental exercise of scheduling homeland ministry visits (maybe the second go 'round is easier?).  The picture above doesn't do justice to the process of scouring address lists, reconciling availability, looking up contact info, and figuring out logistics for an agenda that tries to steward our limited resources of time and finances.  But please don't think I'm complaining.  I actually kind of relish the challenge and find a peculiar satisfaction in seeing it all come together! 

The process has actually reminded me a lot of my first job out of college when I worked for our local congressman.  For fifteen months I worked the front office (which is code for 'receptionist') in 329 Canon House Office Building, (though my business card sounded much more official with the title "constituent services representative").  When I wasn't answering telephones or divvying up the boxes of mail that arrived twice daily, I arranged special, reserved tours of Washington's top federal attractions for constituents of our district. 

I absolutely loved the city of Washington D.C. from my very first Gray Line Bus Tour over freshmen year spring break with my suite-mate, Jenni, and her Mom.  After several more visits and eventually moving there, I delved deeper into the city's sites and discovered that there were even more treasures and history around every corner with enough to do something different (and usually free or very cheap) every weekend to last me years. Connecting visitors to our nation's treasure trove of sites was a whole lot of fun and I couldn't believe it was my job!

The challenge I had was to balance a limited number of tickets per site (e.g. we only got 10 congressional tour tickets per week for the White H*use with requests for as many as 10-15 times that many during the busiest weeks of the summer), the days of the week that these reserved tours were offered (at some places, only 1 or 2 days per week) with the constituents' availability (e.g. in town on a Friday/Sat/Sun) and their priority list (they could rank the order of which sites were most important to them to see, and it seemed that everyone had the same top three favorite sites). My goal was to create a little travel itinerary for our guests that hit as many of their requests as possible, throwing in a few recommendations here or there for a good place to eat or shop and directions for which Metro lines to use to reach their destination. 

While most of the time it was a very fulfilling task, there were other times when I knew I was going to have to disappoint a lot of people simply because the supply of tour slots was no where sufficient to meet the seasonal demand. This was particularly stressful when the requests were coming from members of the congressman's extended family, local officials, or even family friends and I had already given away all of the tickets at my disposal!  (For serving a district more than 800 miles from D.C., we sure seemed to have a lot of visitors!!!)  But regardless of who was visiting, friend or bigwig or total stranger, I wanted to please. 

That's when it was handy to know the staffer down the hall from Sonny B*no's office. Representing a district in California, they didn't have nearly as many constituent visitors as us and he was usually good for a handful of extra tickets when our supply was short. It was also nice to have cultivated a relationship with the tour coordinator at the Treasury who would sometimes allow me to squeeze a couple of extra heads on a tour every now and then.  And when those favors were all used up, I would draw from my personal travel experiences and recommend a few obscure-but-none-the-less fascinating sites not listed on the official tour request form.  Most of the time, they were places our constituents didn't even know existed, but would later write me to say it was their favorite tour of all. And when all else failed, I would give a private guided tour of the Capitol building (which I got to give after taking a little class from Architect of the Capitol), taking guests through the underground tunnels and down on the floor of the House and Senate.  So while I wasn't doing something as significant perhaps as crafting public policy, if you wanted to get a tour of the White House or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, you had to go through ME! ;-) 

In this position today, we are playing the role of constituent!  There are people we want to see and a message that we want to share, but how do we get access to the places we want to visit? And when we do, how do we reconcile our schedules and prioritize where we go in the limited time we have? 

Particularly helpful in this task are the friends who have acted as our "constituent services representative" and said, "Hey!  I've talked to our missions pastor and arranged for you to share with our small group, if you're available."  Those generous friends definitely help make our visits even more valuable, giving us 'behind the scenes' access'!  It's like we're getting the VIP tour instead of driving by and looking at the building from the window of a moving tour bus. 

I also understand that there are times and places where there is limited availability -- some churches are very missions saturated.  And that's okay because we're seeing that we are making some of our more meaningful connections in small groups and small churches.  Places where we meet brothers and sisters in Christ with a genuine interest in becoming more missions active and learning more about God's work in our own little obscure corner of the world, Albania. 

Definitely the process is full of the unexpected, like Thursday when I get an e-mail out of the blue from someone who read our calendar and saw that we were going to be in her town and could we get together? Yay! I didn't have her address so we had missed her on our initial zip code query. Thankfully, with only a few weeks' lead time, their schedule was able to jive with ours and we are going to meet in person for the first time!

Bit by bit our itinerary for our big trip south has started to take shape.  I'm okay with the fact that we're not going to "hit all the sites" (e.g. speak in a church each and every time the doors are open).  In some places, we're getting a basic introduction to a place we've never visited before, making contacts that might lead to future relationships.  In other places, we're getting the "VIP tour."  In both cases, we've prayed over our schedule and committed it to the Lord, doing our part to schedule what we can, but also be available, trusting in his divine appointments.

RIGHT NOW we are working our our spring schedule!  We are going to be in the States of Pennsylvania, NJ, VA, MD, NY, VT, and Maine!  PLEASE e-mail me if you would like to see us while we traverse through your state! You would make our day!

Kingdom-Style Recycling

(by Nathan)


For the first year our family is in Albania, we will be living in Planter's Seed Foundation's second floor guest apartment in Tirana. It is a familiar space for us as we stayed there during the adoptions of both Elisona and Reni, as well as pretty much every other visit since 2003. While the apartment has been great for short stays, last February as we walked through it again thinking about being there as a family for our first year of language study, we began to consider ways it might need outfitted for longer-term family living. We have already shared about the installation of the interior stairwell (that will be huge blessing with Reni), but the other need was adapting the kitchen for a family's needs, as well as teams and guests that will also use the space after we move to the village. 

It was indeed a kitchen made for a bachelor (the previous owner) and not for a family that anticipates a lot of hosting and entertaining for ministry. The cabinets were sufficient to hold the basics, but not the tableware,  cookware, and pantry items for feeding groups. The only food prep space was a lone 18 inches of counter top, already fully occupied by a microwave (about the only part of the kitchen regularly used). With a plan that had been percolating for nearly ten years in (mom) Sarah's head, this fall the guest apartment kitchen got an update. What a blessing it will be to enjoy the fruits of her design and space-planning skills as we extend hospitality to all of those the Lord brings across our path!

new cooktop in the guest apartment

Some of our long-time blog readers will remember our Tirana neighbor, Vera. She is a sweet Believer who lives in the adjacent building. This fall Vera lost her brother and last living immediate relative. Her family was persecuted under Communism, and she limps from a hip injury she sustained as a young woman, but she has the love and JOY of the Lord in her life! More than once, she has literally given the coat off her back to someone who was in need. It wasn't a hard decision to pass along the 'old' kitchen to her when the time came.

Vera with her 'new' stove

In November a church team from Vermont arrived to assist with the stairs and kitchen projects. After removing the compact kitchen unit from our apartment, they modified the pieces to fit in Vera's existing space and performed some long-needed home repairs for her. The result is a kitchen with a full stove instead of a glorified toaster oven. Electric and gas burners now give Vera the ability to cook when the electricity is on or off, and a small hot water heater gives her hot water in her kitchen sink for the first time! Leave it to God to use the leftovers from one blessing to bless someone else!

K and M with their Mother

On the other side of the city, a widow with two teenage girls and an adult son have recently moved from the village of Darshen seeking a better life in the city.  On the last Sunday of our visit, my father-in-law David and I had the privilege of going with our colleague, Mondi, to visit this special family .  It was the first time we had seen them since our visit to the mountains last February, and it was good to see that overall they were  happy with their decision to move. Life isn't easy though. The girls work at a factory making Italian-label suits for $6 a day. They walk the 3 miles, one way, to work six days a week,  rain or shine. They found a nice remodeled two bedroom apartment that they all share. It is clean and dry compared to their mountain village home, but the electric heater "isn't quite as warm" as their old wood stove. The mother misses the quiet and her daughters the sheep, but they are thankful to have a job that covers the rent.  

Dad and Mandi unloading Vera's former stove which will be given to K, M and their mother...

Their kitchen has a cutout for a stove but it is empty. A single burner hotplate sits on the floor where the stove was meant to sit. Cooking for four on that hotplate has been another adjustment. Mondi noticed this on an earlier home visit, so instead of retiring Vera's toaster oven/3-burner hotplate, he thought it could have a new life with a deserving family!  Yet another ripple in God's chain of blessing!

that's Vera's former combination toaster oven/hot plate on the right.

I wonder where the single burner will end up?

Nathan in Albania...

The day we returned from a month on the road in Ohio and Indiana you could find us packing suitcases again... this time, with items to take and leave in Albania!  I'll tell you, I got a little panicky when I saw how quickly those bags filled up! It hit me how little we'll be able to take over when we go 'for real' in August!  As we neared the limits in each bag, Nathan would holler out, "I have room for something the size of ... a deck of cards!"  And I'd go searching around the house to fill that space with something random like sauce packets from the pantry, post-it notes, or a pair of socks. 

When it came down to it, I was glad that in our move we had already culled our belongings down to the most important and sentimental of our possessions. Our primary goal for Nathan's suitcases was to take over winter clothes for the kids in next years' sizes, but we still had room for a few favorite Christmas ornaments, a couple of board games for long winter nights, my absolute must-have kitchen utensils (I could so do an ad for Pampered Chef), some framed photos, shoes, and who knows what else... I probably should have photographed the contents, but why spoil the surprise for myself when we arrive in 8 months? 

Dad and Nathan found a new itinerary for flying to Albania this time... leaving Peoria at 6PM for a 10PM flight from O'Hare to Istanbul.  It meant for a late arrival into Tirana, but lots of time the day of leaving for a few stops to get last-minute items on the way to the airport. It also meant more time for sleeping during their bodies' regular sleeping hours. 

I included the photo below to show Reni's new photo 'face' -- ugh!  Let's be SILLY seems to be his constant state of mind.

As much as we thought we had prepared the kids, they both begged and pleaded to go too.  That begging (and whining) lasted for TWO WHOLE DAYS! (I think it was probably more than just disappointment, it was a lot of transition all at once). According to my recollection from February's trip, the mystique of trans-atlantic travel wore off within minutes of arriving at the airport.  I can't wait until I get to go somewhere and it's Nathan's turn! :-)

Great goodbye hugs for the kids... but not so much for me.  Yeah, he must have not seen me behind the camera (sniff, sniff).

Every day brings a wonderful assortment of new photos from Nathan and Dad...

Nathan has reported that this trip has been SOOO valuable. At one point he said he's had several moments near tears (the good kind) when he thought about next year. Yeah, we're amazed to see how everything is coming together.

PHOTO BELOW
(top row, left) Here Nathan's successfully testing out our ATM card.  I think you could say we're not big ATM users, we can never remember our PIN and we hardly ever carry cash. Shocker, I know, but we're happy to adapt to living in a cash-based society.  I can hear all you Mr. Ramsay fans telling us it will be better for us in the long run. ;-) ... though I'll  miss the paper trail from using plastic (and at the same time I hear Nathan telling me he's found an app for that).

(top middle):  Nathan's showing someone how to run a tech gadget -- some things never change
(all the other photos) -- reconnecting with friends has been the icing on the cake
(not pictured) -- Nathan's gotten the relative schedule for our Albanian language classes and costs,  as well as the cost of our visas and the process for acquiring a residency permit. Tomorrow he'll check out registering WGM with a couple of different evangelical associations in the country which will give us a number of benefits.

The photo below was from this evening at the men's coffee and game fellowship in Vlashaj.  Nathan said the lights went out and without missing a beat, cell phones were whipped out to provide enough light to continue the game.

Some of the patriotic symbols on display in honor of the centennial...

This afternoon Nathan visited with our friend Perparim, director of the teen orphan group home in neighboring Marikaj.  He asked us to consider teaching some classes to the students there -- the idea thrilled us as a great means for getting to know the kids better while also imparting some useful information that might help them develop some skills.  The kids are in a beautiful new facility, but their library is woefully lacking ... Nathan snapped this photo for his mom, who has a masters in library science.

And finally, I think I mentioned that much is happening to prepare our first home in Albania for our arrival.  Below, some iron grating to keep little munchkins from having any accidental falls from a second story window.

And, I think you've heard that everything is smaller in Europe?  Case in point... our beautiful (but compact) new interior staircase pictured below.  While we're not in Africa, you may want to bring that pith helmet when you visit us...

Thanks for your prayers for our family!  In case you're wondering, Nathan and Dad return to the States next week.

The Questions Behind the Question

The flags in front of WGM's home office yesterday in Marion, IN

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" (Luke 1:45).  (Memory verse for the month of December).

Many have asked "how it's going" in relation to this time of preparation for Albania.  Actually, we get this question almost daily, sometimes in a cautious, "I'm prepared for an honest-but-probably-not-optimistic answer" tone of voice. 

It's a question pregnant with many unspokens.  The first is a question about how our support is coming in.  We get it -- it's like watching a football game.  What's the score?  How much time is left in the half?  How do we define 'winning'? We are pleased to report that by God's grace and through His people we are meeting our goals for monthly support -- praise His name!  I admit that as we approach the end of each month I find myself starting to doubt, then confessing and closing with "Lord, I trust you!" The answer for today is that we are at 32% -- that feels huge to me and we rejoice in his provision.  

The second unspoken relates to the family: how are the children handling the meetings, the schedule, life on the road, etc.? That's going extremely well too!  They generally approach each visit with anticipation, especially if that place has pets or children!  If you are praying for us and the children in this respect, thank you!  We believe that God has really prepared their hearts. Where I think we need to work harder is in preparing them for what this is all about.  They know it's so we can "go to Albania," but I don't believe in their limited understanding that they have grasped the greater Purpose.  We are almost daily asked by them when we get to go. And as I write this, I think it's rooted in the fact that  'home' is a nebulous concept for us right now and they sense that perhaps upon reaching Albania, life will be 'settled'.  And after all, don't we ALL want that?

Back "home" today after 4 weeks in Ohio and Indiana

Case in point:
Last night we pulled up to the white farm house (after four weeks away) and Reni said, "No! Not this house!  I want to go HOME!"  

Ellie told us (as if we didn't understand her brother), "He wants to go to our old house in Kentucky!"

I told Reni I knew what he was feeling but that we didn't live there anymore, to which he responded in a tone of acceptance (and in his 3-year-old way of pronunciations), "Yeah, it's Jon and Faif's house now."

This morning he's happy as a clam, rediscovering old toys and reacquainting himself with a place where he knows the boundaries.

I think a final, unspoken question within the question is: how are YOU (Cydil) doing?  Or, is this what you signed up for? In our previous job we hosted missionaries on a weekly basis.  I got to see them at various places in their journey, whether that be as green appointees figuring out how to articulate their call to veteran missionaries preparing for their last term abroad. From that perspective, I think we got a pretty realistic insight as to what this year would be like for us.  We prepared ourselves for the possibility of stress, discouragement, tiredness, rejection, lack of privacy, family tension, etc. I have to say the Lord has been so GOOD to us.  We sense his blessing on us.  He sends us encouragement through fellow believers, through unexpected provision, through new insights from the Word... through a special sense of closeness we feel with our family unlike any we've ever experienced before. 

Thank you for asking!  Thank you for caring!  Thank you for praying!

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" (Luke 1:45)

NEWS UPDATE:  Nathan and my father are flying to Albania tomorrow afternoon.  They will be carrying over items for our family and checking on the status of construction projects at our future home, like the completion of the stairway project, window grill installation and other modifications to keep little monkeys safe, as well as legal matters like ministry registration and residency visas.  While they are away, the kids and I will get in lots of time with Gigi and Aunt Hannah, send our Christmas cards, and do a lot of cooking and preparing for Christmas!

3 Sleeps...til Goodbye

In the past 24 hours, the mood in our family has grown a bit more melancholy, though the Olympics has been a sweet distraction from impending changes. After tonight, we are down to a mere three more sleeps before we no longer call Kentucky home.  Last night as Ellie lay in bed in the dark she asked, "Do you think we can have more than four more sleeps here?"

As a parent, it's hard to see your children go through a difficult change and transition.  Especially when they had no 'say' in their lives being uprooted (again).  While we firmly believe that God is leading our family on to a different place, the interim is still yucky.  Saying 'goodbye' is especially hard for Ellie, though we're trying to assuage it by taking lots of photos and talking about it frequently.  To Reni, 'goodbye' means that some of his toys got sold, and those that remained were boxed up and hauled away, along with his bed. He has been extremely clingy and borderline panicky if one of the fours of us is not around.

Ellie pigging out on marshmellows at the Irelands

Reni and Ellie with Joy and John at their home

But even in this interim stage, God has been good and faithful. We are grateful for a full summer to stretch out our goodbyes (first to our students, then to our church and friends).  Had we been required to leave in May, no doubt our hearts would be grieving rushed goodbyes in the midst of frantic packing. Instead, we've had the luxury of dinners with friends and a bit more time to appreciate this corner of the world that is special to us. (Tonight we took the kids around town and photographed them at places that have been a part of our day-to-day).

with the Easley girls... (who are WAY cool now that Ellie knows they have a HERMIT CRAB!)

We are also grateful for this past month since moving out of our apartment.  We are in a guestroom in the student center and it's been great.  The kids have been able to see the apartment empty out and change with new paint and carpet, yet still play in their same yard, within the same four walls they've known as their only home (albeit a non-traditional one).  Finally, we are grateful for the gift of our next 'transition' home (my grandparents farm house) which is a place that is familiar to both kids and which holds all kinds of new and exciting things like a swing set and barn cats, for example.

So as we prepare for our last Sunday in our home church tomorrow (of fourteen years, to the month), we may be a little sad, but in our hearts we are thankful for the good, like the blessings of friendship with brothers and sisters in Christ, good instruction from the Word, and meaningful worship that drew us in God's presence.  Many have asked if we are 'ready' to leave, and while we will always be sad to leave Kentucky, I think now we can say 'yes.'  I think we are all ready for life to have a bit more structure, to turn the reins of the center over to Jonathan and Faith and to jump into preparation for Albania with all our focus and attention.

Tonight a bit of levity came in the form of an "Ellie quote."  Visiting with some company in the student center parking lot, Ellie felt it necessary to tell our guests about her brother Reni.  "He has 'prophetic' legs!" she said, then looked quite bewildered when we all burst out laughing.  I shared the quote on Facebook and received this comment from our friend, Julie:  "maybe he does have prophetic legs, ready to carry the Good News to the world... :)"  May that be true!

 Thank you for your prayers for our family.  I'm afraid it sounds 'trite', but we have definitely felt them during this time. How wonderful that we can lean on you and and our heavenly Father who goes before us...

[editor's note:  the photo uploader tool is giving me fits.  Check back Sunday night when I'll try again!]

Big News from the Waggoners

Dear Friends and Family,
The day has come to fill you in on some major life changes going on with the Waggoner family! Only a handful of individuals have known about these plans and only in the last few days have we started sharing with family and some close friends. 

Since our marriage in the summer of 1999 Nathan and I have lived and worked at the WGM Student Center on the campus of Asbury College (now, Asbury University).  Hosting missionaries on a weekly basis, promoting missions awareness on campus, and mobilizing students to serve on the field has been a wonderful blessing, fulfilling our desire to be involved in missions work since childhood.  We've been told by more than one person that we have the best job in our organization, and we couldn't agree more.  On top of investing in the lives of students, we have heard numerous stories of individuals who have followed God's calling in their lives, from a variety of backgrounds to as many different kinds of ministries.  One thing we have seen is how God matches those individuals' skill sets, passions, and training in ways that only He could to grow the Kingdom in far off (and nearby) places.  

Our desire from day one has been to be open to whatever God might have for us.  In our position we have certainly been exposed to the need for laborers in the harvest field, both through personal testimonies and through firsthand exposure through leading mission teams.  Our hearts have been grown and broken in proportion to our awareness of the need, and it is great.  Nevertheless, we haven't felt that nudge or sensed God's release to a new place of work or ministry until recently.  Last month we were approached about a need and our hearts quickened in a new way.  Trying to temper our excitement, we prayed for some conversations to take place over Christmas and further doors to open.  At each step we have received affirmation and wanted to share with you that we will be preparing to move to Albania in 2013 as missionaries on special assignment with WGM, working with Planters Seed Foundation, the ministry established by Cydil's parents in 1993.

While this may seem very 'out of the blue', we have sensed God doing a new work in our hearts in the past couple of years. To use the analogy from the book Soul Shift (deNeff/Drury), the tectonic plates of spiritual growth have been moving below the surface and now you are witnessing the earthquake.  Many of you might think that saying "yes" to God in this, particularly at this stage in life, would be incredibly scary. After all, we are pretty established (probably never more so). We love our church. Nathan is serving on the board and we are leading a small group. Cydil has been blessed and spiritually mentored by an amazing group of women in her Titus Womens Bible study group. Our adoptive families group is flourishing and they are some of our best friends here, understanding our family and helping us in so many intangible ways. And finally, the student ministry has never been healthier. Our Sunday evening fellowships are limited only by the size of our building. Our leadership team of students love Jesus and are committed to the mission of the center and love our kids.  This feels like home. 

In spite of all that, while we will grieve those losses, we sense that this opportunity, this window, wouldn't stay open forever, and at risk of caving to fear and disbelief like the children of Israel at the threshold of the promised land, we are proceeding lest we miss out on even greater blessing.  We have a limited time on earth and we want to make the most of each and every year he blesses us with. Saying "yes" has not been difficult (though I'm sure there will be many difficult days ahead) because we have had to exercise faith and say "yes" to God before and he has proven himself faithful, over and over again. Our kids are our living testimonies to that.

In the process of hammering out the logistics of such a transition, we have agreed to finish this academic year and move out of the center apartment this summer. The plan right now is for us to move to central Illinois where we will live in my grandparents' farm house (they moved to 'town' about 7 years ago and my parents care for the house now as it's the hub of the farming business) and embark on fundraising and training.  Our tentative 'goal' for reaching Albania is probably late summer or fall of 2013.  The ministries in Albania seem poised to transition to the next level.  Next week we will be leaving on a scouting trip to talk with the Planters national staff to see where we will plug ourselves in.  We are most excited about working in the capacity of discipleship since this is so much of what we have been doing here in college ministry.

Some days I feel faint with anxiety over the details of moving. Since this has come together rather quickly, we had already committed to much in the next 6 months (you know us!).  We are going to be traveling a LOT between now and June 30 (3 international trips, 1 trip to AZ, 2 trips to IL, 1 trip to GA, 1 trip to IN, and 1 trip to Ohio -- that we know of).  Not all members of our little family are going on each of these trips, but still, my mind is reeling with all that must be done!  This of course is a prayer request for us.  

Another significant prayer request is the search for our replacements here at the center.  In many ways the ministry here is our 'baby' and we want to turn it over to safe hands where we know it will be cared for and nurtured.  We trust though that as God has been preparing our hearts, he is making provision and preparing the hearts of those who come to steward this after us.  

Thank you for standing with us, loving us, supporting us and praying for us.

Your family in Christ, 

The Waggoners

Nathan, Cydil, Ellie and Reni


(P.S.  And if you've been lurking around here but never became a 'follower' or left a comment and want to let us know you'll be upholding us in prayer -- you can leave a comment or join our team as a 'member' on right -- it will mean a lot to us!).




the video below was captured Sunday night just prior to the start of Global Cafe` -- Ellie gets a lesson in percussion from Doug (Asbury '12