It's the first day of June as I prepare to post this May photo journal. Today the kids finished another year of school and we feel as if we have crossed an imaginary threshold that we've been willing ourselves toward the last several weeks. Within an hour of finishing school, their classroom was emptied of books, craft projects and technology and converted into a guestroom for our first summer guest arriving tomorrow from the USA!
Scrolling through more than 80 "best of" pics, I suddenly realize why Nathan and I have been downing two coffees a day! Late nights and early mornings are not sustainable forever. Our dinner time is creeping later and later. Now we regularly eat after 9PM as the longer daylight hours and hot afternoons shift our program start times later. Now, if only we can convince our pup (who is peacefully enjoying an afternoon nap at my side) to stop waking me up at 5:15 in the morning...
And hopefully it won't take you 2 coffees to relive this month in photos below. :-)
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And hopefully it won't take you 2 coffees to relive this month in photos below. :-)
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May first fell on a Sunday, and what a lovely Sunday it was! We took our visiting guests to enjoy some beautiful historic sites about 90 minutes away. Below, our family poses in front of a structure in the ancient university city of Apolonia -- where Caesar Augustus studied when he got the news that he was the next empower of the Roman Empire.
Up above the main ruins we found a small restaurant in a grove of olive trees. We searched for the table furthest from the blaring music and enjoyed drinks, conversation, and views of rolling green hills.
Ellie and Reni were ministered to incredibly by these folks who gave them the gift of listening ears and time together. I don't even know what to say but that they all just "clicked" and our kids won't ever forget them.
Ellie, posing in front of a Byzantine-era church in Berat, where we had lunch.
After several years of hosting guests, I discovered that "make your own breakfasts" are my good friend and key to sustainable hospitality. However, I did want our guests to enjoy a good, traditional Albanian breakfast so one morning we did a nice big breakfast together. Special thanks to may neighbor who made the petulla!
The menu consisted of: goat cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced ham, fried eggs, fry bread balls, honey, fig jam, blood orange juice, and mountain tea.
The team were only here five days but we packed 'em full! Can't wait to share more of the stories and images they captured when they are ready.
In addition to the communications team, we also enjoyed a visit from our regional director, Joy (far right) and "Aunt" Karen (in pink) who came with her for her first visit to Albania. Aunt Karen is a long-time friend of the Waggoner family, and her four children were all active in leadership at the student center ministry we led at Asbury for so many years. It was so fun to hear her tell stories to Ellie and Reni of times spent with Papa and Nonna Waggoner. Both Karen and Joy pitched in and helped so much during the dedication of Jeta.
Our friends left early in the morning, but we still had a regular day ahead of us that included me taking Ellie to the orthodontist. What do you do when you're half an hour early? Get a coffee next door, of course! How could I say "no" to this sweet smile?
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| Above, Nathan is facilitating a demonstration at church about listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. |
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| Our friend, Laura, and her team from Vlora, made it to the women's championship against a team in Tirana. They handily won the game we attended and proceed to sweep the series! It's been fun to cheer her on and watch women's basketball in Albania! |
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| This month I was honored to serve again as photographer for the students at the Hope Center and capture their student portraits. |
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| For many of them, they've never had their photos taken before and pushes them out of their comfort zone to have so much focus on them individually. I hope that the photos help build their confidence and sense of self-worth! |
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| After all that work in the hot sun, we finished off the afternoon with cold drinks. |
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| This month to support our colleague, Luis (who may be assuming the role of coach for the national team), we attended early morning practices with the amputee team in Tirana. Reni was uncomfortable playing with the guys because of the big age difference, but they were extremely kind and inclusive of him. Later in the month, they would get a huge privilege, playing in front of UEFA officials in the hopes of obtaining recognition for international play (scroll down to see about that event)!. |
Between the new center and our home (the old center), Planters has owned a lot with an old village home. The house was used by the village as a preschool until 2014, but quickly fell into disrepair. We've been wanting to tear it down for ages but have been restricted by government bureaucracy. I can't describe our excitement the day the bulldozer arrived to knock it down!
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| First we had to relocate some containers (returned after being used as temporary housing for families post-earthquake). They are now on the back of the property where we're using them for storage of equipment and humanitarian aid for distribution. |
The lot looked sooo bad that people started dumping trash in the front yard, much to our chagrin.
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On Friday afternoon, the 20th, we hosted our homeschool co-op for a family kickball game followed by an ice cream sundae buffet.
On the 21st, we started work on the future sports pad. This will be a place where kids can play basketball or soccer even when we're not able to be present to provide organized sports. We have already been gifted second-hand playground equipment which we also hope to install in the next few weeks!
After the media team left, I promptly had some prints made to adorn the walls of Jeta! It's a big building, so this is just a start!
Even after eight+ years of living here, we're still discovering new foods we like. Tiffany brought these to church from a Turkish bakery in Tirana one evening and WOW, were they yummy. If you know what they are called, can you share? They were two "cookies" sort of crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside sandwiched together (like a macaron) but tasting like walnuts. They were a big hit!!
I'm still helping Eda with Beginner's English. Below, they are playing a "domino" game building questions and answers about personal information.
When the lesson is about the miracle of healing by looking at the snake on the pole, the kids club craft is making... snakes?? The kids actually really liked it, ha ha.
So one day Reni's soccer practice was cancelled and we had a few hours to kill before our next appointment. We stopped at a shopping mall we rarely visit and couldn't contain our excitement to see this:
That's because Reni's opinion of local pizza is well... not two thumbs up, most of the time. He says, "Bring on that pan pizza."
When you and your colleague practically share a birthday, we go out once for both... and then enjoy twice the silly.
Tirana was selected as the location for the UEFA Conference League finals game. It was sort of a big deal. As in, they closed down the entire city to incoming traffic the day of the match. The airport had THREE TIMES the usual number of flights to accommodate the fans coming from Holland and Italy.
The Amputee Team was invited to scrimmage in Skenderbeg Square and the guys played a short scrimmage against each other.
Former captain of the Albanian national team (and one of its most decorated players ever), Lorik Cana, was in attendance and played with the guys. He is a UEFA Ambassador and Grassroots Ambassador for youth futbol in Albania.
He was really sweet with Reni, though Reni had no idea who he was at the time. :-)
While Reni kicked the ball around, Ellie had smoothies with her friend, Whitney at the opera house cafe where they talked all things music.
We watched the match later that night at a local coffee shop... and discovered after this photo was snapped that we had purchased illegal merch. Can you spot the typo?
Bible study and dinner up on the terraza! We love this warm weather!
After a year and a half, we finally have our kitchen! (Almost)
We've been using a hodgepodge of cupboards and tables, and then had to purchase the new appliances around which the new cabinetry would be installed... so it's just been a real mess in the kitchen space...
We then had to have the electrician come and relocate some outlets and run power to places like the hood vent... And then finally (several weeks later than promised), it arrived!
A few of the doors were damaged and will be installed, but we said that was okay, as long as we could get this part in, we could then proceed with tiling the backsplash and running the undercabinet lights.
Below, Luli poses with the hardworking installer who stayed until 9:30PM to finish the job. He did fantastic, in spite of some of the challenges thrown his way. The kitchen already feels bigger!
We are so grateful for the gift that we received this spring to finish this final piece that's literally in the heart of the building. May many feel loved and blessed through the hospitality created in this space!
Laura finished her basketball contract and was due to fly back to the States on an early morning flight, so we invited her to stay with us the night before. She sat in on English class and attended church with us. It was sweet to be able to show her glimpse of village life in a few hours. We're praying for her decision about whether to return and play another season in Albania next year!
Nathan did a first-person drama/rendition of the resurrection of Lazarus for church on Friday. I love the creative ways in which he shares from God's word with our little body of believers! Pastor Genti translated and was equally dramatic! :-)
I love that this building hums with action in the evenings... I love the sounds of community building that transpires inside between friends playing volleyball or soccer.
And while the grown ups are playing under the lights, the kids are playing out on the new concrete pad until it's too dark to see anymore!
I hope the next update has photos of a more complete new community recreation space here!
On my way now to play a friendly volleyball match between our village and our neighboring village of Marikaj. Should be fun! :-)
Thanks for your prayers, friendship and support. Love from the Waggoners in Albania.
