Kicking off the fall | October 2022

   What a beautiful month of weather we enjoyed in Albania this month!  While we managed to stay quite busy, this month felt a bit lighter on the 'special events' which tend to generate a lot of photos.  That's not to diminish the quality of the memories that follow. We just seemed to keep our heads down in the day-to-day of homeschool, zoom meetings, managing programs and the team, etc.

   The photo above was taken at an Ottoman-era bridge north east of Shkoder earlier in October.  With Hannah's impending departure we took a few hours to take Hannah and Mari Grace to see this new-to-them place. 

   Shkodra is located in northern Albania, near the border of Montenegro.  One place we try to take guests is the former headquarters of the interrogation police where many leaders of faith were held imprisoned and tortured in the 1960s-80s.  It's a moving experience to stand in jail cells, read messages scrawled on walls, and learn the stories of individuals held there. 

Another favorite site is Rozafa Castle (above) -- a fortress with foundations dating back to Illyrian times. It's imposing scale and stunning views, not to mention legends as well as written accounts of sieges and battles capture the imagination.

(Above) Hannah requested a cookout before she left -- something we had enjoyed on occasion over the summer!  It was a nice time to share memories and say good goodbye! (Below) We also had a time of prayer for Hannah at church.

I shared last month that Nathan is teaching a practical math and science class on Monday afternoons at VT.  Below he demonstrates the process of water filtration! 

 

On the 15th we had the pleasure of hosting a visiting group from the LOGOS HOPE ship, docked for a few weeks in Durres.  The ship carries a team of a few hundred volunteers from several dozen unique countries that minister from this floating ministry base.  Below, a team of four representing Albania, Argentina, and Germany introduce themselves at kids' club.

Nico gave a great object lesson demonstrating how we can get trapped in cycles of sin.

Later that day we brought friends with us to see the ship!

It boasts the world largest floating book store!  We were proud to find a few shelves devoted to some of Uncle Jerry's titles. (below)

After a mega book shopping trip, we caught up with Nico at the snack shop and learned more about how the crew on the ship functions.  He then gave us a private tour to see other parts of the boat not open to the public.  By the end, I think we were all ready to volunteer and ride the seas with Nico and his friends, ha ha.

A significant highlight for the month of October was working with our colleague Luis on the development of Albania's national amputee soccer team.  Luis was tasked with coaching them to a friendly international match in Belgium, and Nathan joined along to serve as photographer/PR agent and translator.

For several weeks leading up to the tournament, Nathan and Reni joined the team for their weekend practices in Tirana -- and we learned a lot about how amputee soccer works.  For example, a bi-lateral amputee like Reni is not technically eligible to play any position except goalie.  And if he played goalie, he would have to play with one arm behind his back.  Interesting, eh?

The tournament at the end of October was one we'll never forget.  With very limited training, we knew the team was not in peak physical condition, nor experienced playing together as a unit. Three years ago, their one and only international match ended prematurely because of a fight on the field -- between each other (not with the other team)! Luis told us he would consider the tournament a success if they scored one goal.  Not only did they score a goal in their final match, but the team won the sportsmanship trophy and Luis won the coaches' award! The next goal is for word to spread about the team so they can recruit additional players from across the country.

________

On October 17 we welcomed our agency's president, Dr. Schafer, and his wife, Pam (below).  Our regional director, Joy, was also here for one of her twice-a-year visits.

This was their second visit to Albania and we were flattered they wanted to visit and see Jeta. Of course, we had to also show them some of our favorite local historical sites.

They had perfect weather for their visit, which we enjoyed with a stop at a nearby signal tower on our way back to Vlashaj from the airport.  This tower was severely damaged by the 2019 earthquake, but with funds from the US Embassy, it was restored and steps to an observation platform were added!

This tower is in a string of towers through the area which were used to communicate during the years of the Ottoman invasion.  We can see it from our living room window on a clear day!

We hosted a coffee for the Schafers to meet our national colleagues and friends.

They were also able to meet the students of VT Albania for the first time.

This month we also made progress towards finishing up the development of the new playground area with the addition of gravel and concrete edgers.

We are especially grateful to our friends at Pack Saddle Fellowship for the gift of six park benches (which hadn't arrived at the time the photo above was taken).  In a few weeks, some representatives from their church will be here to help landscape the lot!

The benches provide a place for folks to gather and rest.  It's the difference between people feeling welcome and choosing to stay and fellowship, or going home.

Another form of community-building has been transpiring on Wednesday evenings on the co-ed volleyball court. I'd love to find some other teams that we could play!

This month was also consumed with processing new merchandise for Handmade in Albania! 

We hope you might check out their goodies!  We have lots of pretty garlands perfect for decorating your home for Christmas!

The picture below is a peak at Tirana in October... I think this might just be the best month of the year here -- lots of sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

Nathan has been working with an attorney in Tirana to process residency papers for some of our international teammates.  This is the necessary but not-so-exciting side of working overseas. When we can, we try to take time for a coffee or breakfast date as our evenings are usually scheduled six nights per week.  Below I snapped a photo after we had polished off a special treat of Albanian petulla (fry bread) with local honey and slabs of goat cheese. YUMMY!!

    And while I'm on the topic of food, I spend a good bit of time waiting at the bread counter of the grocery store each week.  During a recent wait I decided to snap a photo of some of the food goodies that you can buy there.  In the US it might be fried chicken, sandwiches, potato salad or mac n' cheese. Here one can get a slice of pizza or one of many varieties of byrek.  For about $0.60, you can get one of these flaky pastries with your choice of tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, or meat.

    At our exercise class, one of my friends was telling me about all the work she was doing to harvest olives.  I offered to come help so I could see the process, but I don't think she believed I was serious!  Instead, the next class she brought me this water bottle filled with olive oil pressed the previous day!  It smells sooooo good!  Interesting fact, I learned on a podcast that most olive oil sold in the USA is diluted nearly 50% with sunflower oil! No wonder it tastes so much better here!

Finally, my curiosity has been killing me... 

For years we have heard rumors of a train from Greece to Albania or a train from the airport to Tirana, and we had an ancient, graffiti-covered train that would crawl by our village for years, running from Durres to Tirana.  Then I think during the pandemic, it just ceased operating. I have no idea who used it because it just looked plain scary.  But... we've noticed crews working where the old tracks used to be... could it be? Are they going to lay new track? Could this improve our public transportation options? Trying not to get my hopes up too much, but this could be such an improvement over taking a bus... We will stay tuned!

*If you are receiving this post by e-mail, please do not "reply" -- this is sent by an automated service and we will not receive your message.

Back in the Swing of Things | September 2022

September means back to school here.  Over the summer we had a number of odds and ends to clear out of our store room, along with a handful of donations so with Luli's help, we made little gift bags for the students to start off their school year.  They included notebooks, pencils, scissors, markers and such in a re-useable drawstring bag.

We also were gifted with a number of second-hand football uniforms, including shirts, shorts, pants and jackets!  It's so nice to be able to pass these along to our friends!

Through some partners in Texas, we were invited to a conference for pastors in Durres.  Not only were our hearts encouraged meeting so many wonderful people, but we came away with new connections and ideas. Special thanks to Hannah and Mari Grace for making sure our kids were fed and alive the two nights we were away!

We have really enjoyed inviting guests to visit around the firepit.  We bought this several years ago, but only since Jeta has opened have we felt like we've had "personal" outdoor space. Here, we're introducing our friends to the concept of s'mores, the art of a perfectly toasted marshmallow, and all their sticky sweetness.

My involvement with The Chosen Volunteer Translation Teams slowed over the summer, but earlier this month the various language team leaders gathered for a group call and time of prayer.  It's surreal to hear their voices and see faces when so much of our communication are written messages.  We are gearing up for the release of Season Three in just over a month!

While Mom was here in August, we found these puppets in deep storage.  The kids LOVED the puppet, though one nearly three-year-old was NOT sure what to think! 

I marvel at the improvement we're witnessing in the kids' sports skills since we've added a place for them to play.  With this comes better coordination, and eventually (we hope) the ability to learn to play on a team, problem solve and think under pressure. Above they are playing volleyball with our portable pickle-ball net which works better for their shorter stature.  Below, you'll see we added the hardware and presence of a more permanent regulation volleyball net.

Above, we are breaking down the mounded dirt and filling in the edges to have a level path to the side-access points for both the basketball court (left) and kalceto (right).

   Earlier this summer we knocked down a house on the sloping property between our home and Jeta.  Some of the debris was trucked away but a lot of debris remained and the ground was never properly smoothed or leveled out (mostly because of time and it was just so HOT this summer) while we proceeded with pouring the volleyball court and installed the playground. As the weather has become more pleasant, I have found a lot of enjoyment in working a few hours a week at removing large rocks, bricks and tiles or breaking up the ground and moving dirt.  Nathan was a good sport to help with his muscle by shoveling and moving wheelbarrows of dirt. Slowly, slowly the lot is looking more finished. My goal is to have it all finished by Thanksgiving when we have some visitors coming to help plant trees and bushes!

The playground is getting really close to being ready for pouring gravel!  We need to remove a bit more debris in the corner of the lot, but we also have had some concrete retention borders delivered that need to be installed before we can pour the gravel. In the meantime, the playground is constantly in use every afternoon until dark!  I love that the village kids have a place to gather off the street that provides sensory input and healthy activity, not to mention builds a sense of community!

The second Sunday of September Nathan was asked to speak at the International Church in Tirana.  It's always an honor to be asked!  We enjoyed making some new friends after the service, followed by lunch with old friends.

We often have to problem-solve solutions for items we can't find in shops here.  After nearly thirty minutes of walking up and down the parts aisle of the hardware store, Nathan created a mounting system for a volleyball net that can be easily hung when needed or removed for basketball. Below, Luli and Mari Grace show that Nathan calculated the height correctly within a few inches!

My new friend Claudia (whom I met at the pastor's conference in Durres) gifted me the book below.  Ellie snatched it though before I could get my hands on it and she's been enjoying this collection of short biographical stories.  I love it when Ellie reads!

In kids club we're making our way through the book of Judges.

Any guesses as to this week's craft?  Yep!  Those are Samson wigs, ha ha.

Our colleagues' daughters celebrated birthdays within a a day of each other so we celebrated with a group party after kids club!

Some birthday party games are universal!

On Saturday, the 24th, we hosted the kids from the Hope Center for sandwiches up on the rooftop.

Then we had a community-wide showing of the premiere of the Albanian dubbing of the 2019 film Pilgrim's Progress.

The organization that sponsored the dubbing also paid for the publication of these two versions of the book, one for children, one for youth and adults.

Every week Ellie joins Tiffany to pick up their friend, Lisjana, and bring her to church. Ellie loves this special 'girl time' time with her 'sisters.'

Luis started football school this month and had these banners made listing his approach.  Nathan designed the logo for our football club.

Our partners at Pack Saddle Fellowship gifted us funds to buy benches for the playground, but they were generous so that we were able to also buy these for the end of the field where we'd often find folks standing.  They are getting a lot of use already!

Nathan teaches a basic science and math class once per week at VT Albania.  Below, he's teaching a lesson on estimation using unifix cubes.

For a few weeks this month, the power would go out for a few hours each morning. We expect this to happen more frequently with the energy crisis forecasted for this winter.  We are already cutting back our usage as we can (taking short showers, line drying all our laundry, refraining from using the oven as much as possible), though the rate increases don't officially go into effect until October 1.

Below, Reni continues on with his math class aided by this solar-powered lantern during one of the power cuts.

I'm going to close with this video that encapsulates how I'll remember this month.  It demonstrates the realization of some dreams and growth in relationships.