So over the weekend my world was rocked!! Who would have know? Why didn't they tell me? Month after month.... almost 5 whole months of not knowing.... now you are asking yourself... not knowing what?!? The one thing I missed most about home was the comfort of wiping and dropping. BUT...over the past 5 months I have placed a plastic bag beside the toilet because unlike the US, most foreign countries don't have the suitable septic systems to undergo the process of elimination. Here I was trying to prevent a back-up when a back-up was impossible! Apparently, the 'No Flushing the TP' does not apply to the whole country of Albania. There are places with the little trashcan ready to collect your unwanteds and many of those places you must hold your nose!! So the story ends with the revelation that you indeed may flush your TP down the toilet on Bethany grounds... good-bye plastic bags!!!!!!!
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- Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20
September 2008
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Missionary Sites
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June 2008
June 30, 2008
June 29, 2008
New Living Quarters
I have recently moved into the Watanabe's apartment for easier access to the internet and because I have the responsibility of not killing their dog and two turtles! The first morning after they left.. I went out to feed the turtles and I could only find one..the worst scenarios went through me mind: It got out and fell off the balcony (although one lived through the fall once before.. what are the odds it would survive a second time?!?!), or a bird came and carried it away. I began to paniac... what was I to tell Aimee and Daniel when they called and asked how their turtles were.... and then the closer I looked... I found the little rascal... he had buried himself under some rocks. I guess he was a bit cold. I did forget to bring them in and it did storm really hard that night and a cool breeze came through cooling off the land after a week of nearly 100 degrees. Speaking of the scorching sun.... I am learning the absence of air conditioning really makes you humble and allows you to count your blessings. I constantly have to remind myself that it could be worse...... the electricity could go off and then I would also loose the fans! Anyhow, once I moved in here.... I contemplated the best sleeping situation.. well really the coolest sleeping situation and decided the living room ceiling fan would do wonders though the night..... the photos show all (I'm just glad there are 4 kids to even out the bed)!!!!!! The rest show the apartment and my newest companion.....
My Second Family
I can't believe after almost 5 months of living in Albania and basically joining the Watanabe family... I never mentioned them!!!!
Well, they are a family of 6 from Washington state. They have been the House Parents at the orphanage Bethany supports financially for 2 years and have decided to extend their commitment for another year. They left this past Thursday for a 2 month furlough.. .a must needed one after being here a consecutive 2 years. I have grown to love this family as my own and I am so thankful for their love and willingness to open their family and take me in as another daughter!
Bob and Cathy have wonderful hearts and their faith is displayed daily in their attitude and actions. I learned so much from them. I am thankful for Cathy and her willingness to teach me important life skills needed as you serve on the field. It makes me miss my own mother dearly and I can't wait to go home and cherish my time with her to learn more on how to be a wife and mother that honors the Lord. Bob is 15 or so years older than Cathy and so he truly could have been my father... and he generally treated me like his daughter!
Alicia is the oldest at 16 and has such a sweet nature. She desires to serve and despite her soft spoken spirit.. she is a joy to be around and so fun to play cards with!
Micah is the next and is your average 15 year old!!! I once locked him and Daniel in their room because I was tired of them fighting and told them they couldn't come out until Micah was 18. He will forever be my dancing partner......
Aimee turned 13 this past April and is so fun to be around. She is outspoken and full of energy. She is the epitome of a tom-boy and I have never seen a girl that runs barefoot and lays in grass without a worry in the world!! She amazes me with her ability to play the piano and she is also my 'creative buddy'... we brightened up the children's play areas with our creations!!!
Daniel is the youngest at 10! Talk about funny!!!!! My favorite quote of Daniel: In the south they say bad words like------ ya'll!!!!! It took some time for him to warm up to me... I think some of my team members last year scared him deathly of girls and he wasn't too sure about having another sister.. but he loved to tease me about how young I look!!!!
I miss them dearly.. it is so quite around the apartment now......
Albanian Wedding!
I have been so blessed to experience so many different Albanian cultural events. Sunday night I attended an Albanian Wedding! The groom is one of the drivers for Bethany Clinic. The celebration began at 8PM! For the first 30 minutes we were in a separate room from the reception for cocktails. We then moved down stairs to the banquet hall. It looked like your typical wedding reception. The only difference was an empty table reserved for the Brides Family. This reception was only for the groom's family and friends. They bride had her reception the night before. In my case, the bride's family arrived about 3 hours after the celebration began and they stayed only a few hours and then left. The bride and groom don't exchange vows in Albania nor do they have a formal ceremony declaring their union. They exchange rings in private and then go to the 'court' and sign the document of marriage. You don't bring large gifts to the celebration; instead you would have gone to his house that morning and dropped it off and stayed for a visit. During the reception you could bless them with money... they have a few dances where you could go out and stick the money to their foreheads! They danced the traditional Albanian line dances and the groom does a dance where he lights a handkerchief on fire and dances around with it. This is typically done after they cut the cake. But before you even get to the cake........ you have a 5-7 course meal. All courses but the cake course has some sort of meat. I ate so much that night!!!!! I really enjoy the line dances and was pretty good at it. I had the girls coming up to me after saying how good I was..haha. I even succeeded in getting Micah out on the dance floor. He was really cute... he is 15 years old and I don't think has ever danced with a girl before. I had to tell him when we first began to go in a circle because he was just swaying back and forth-80's style! The photos show it all... we were both laughing a good portion of the song! Bob, Cathy and the kids left around 1230 but I stayed until 230 with the rest of the Bethany Staff. I had a great time.. the Albanians really do know how to throw a party!!!!
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June 21, 2008
And it wasn't even warm.......
How many bottles of water did it take to shower, brush my teeth and wash my face and hair???
June 13, 2008
MK CAMP
Last Monday through Thursday I had the opportunity to be a leader at the MK Summer Camp in Erseke. It was neat to think I have been apart of the last two MK Summer Camps in Albania!! We took about 20 youth and it was an awesome week. We walked through a gorge (basically tubing down the small river with out a tube!) where the water was chilly but the sights were breathtaking, climbed though a ropes course, made some crafts, played card games, learned some Truth, sang some songs and worshiped God! A few nights of the week, the kids truly got it... the sincerity of the worship in the kids was evident... you don't recognize it as easily in the youth groups at home because you don't get to live along side the youth on a daily basis. You don't fully understand their struggles and hardships as you do with the youth on the field. because you are able to invest full time in their lives. Whether teaching them in school or being their parent or hanging out with them on a daily basis. The time you are able to invest is more significant than in the states because you are relying on one another for support spiritually at a greater level. The spiritual warfare around you makes you bond together under the wing of the Father.
I was a goof and took but one photo.. my ansamble for the hike through the gorge.......
June 10, 2008
Jennifer's Adventure
Remember that wish I made about the cow...................
When I returned from the beach on Saturday I found a new pillow case on my bed.... photos show it all! And so the cow adventure soon became the theme for my 26th Birthday!
Around 330 on 1 June I came back up to my apartment and found Cathy walking towards me and she said, "Put on your boots, we have a birthday surprise" I shouted "I get to see a COW!" We walked outside to find the guard for Bethany, Husen, waiting for us. He walked us through Sauk down the road towards the pasture lands. I was wearing a white t-shirt, blue shorts and my polka-dotted rain boots. On the road we met a guy with 3 cows. Husen walked over to one and called me over. I went to pet the cow but as for making him walk with me.. he wouldn't budge. But then came a guy with some goats.. he came riding up on his donkey! He jumped down and let me ride for a bit. He walked us around in circles on the road. It was unbelievably funny, but, really, you had to be there to appreciate it! We gave the 'herders' of Sauk something to chuckle about for sure! I didn't think this day could get any better but....... then we came upon a lady with cows, sheep and lambs. Husen walked over and picked up one of the babies and gave it to me. It was such a Jesus Adventure. Husen was laughing and laughing over the whole day. Micah caught the entire adventure on video and as a present edited and set it to music! Cathy and Bob made me teriyaki salmon, rice and veggies after our adventure. The Wheelis' family came over for cake and ice cream.... Shilah, my sister, sent me a cake mix and Cathy made icing because the icing she sent exploded on the way here. Cathy made a road out of darker icing and out of no where found these two little cows on her dining room table.. a divine gift... and placed them on the road. I found a Jasmine figurine and made that 'ME' walking behind the cows. Cathy sprinkled different colored sprinkles on the sides of the road to represent the wild flowers growing in the fields. It was perfect!!! I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time over the adventure and the gifts they gave me.. you'll have to wait to see the gifts for a long explanation is needed to understand!
June 07, 2008
Children's Day
Children's Day was on 1 June. This day is dedicated to all the children and usually it is a day of food, dancing and gifts. We held a celebration at Bethany and had some special guests attend. A group of dancers came and danced some of the traditional Albanian dances. A few of our kids memorized poems and songs and performed them. I made books for each of the older kids and we had them displayed for all to see. The US Ambassador attended briefly. He was visiting the abandoned baby unit a few months back and had the opportunity to name one of the babies. He named him Henry after his body guard. The photos show me with the Ambassador and "Big" Henry with "little" Henry. It was a fun morning and the kids had a great time!!
June 05, 2008
31 MAY Celebration!
Photos from my birthday.... things only seen on the beaches of Albania and the restaurant of my birthday dinner!
