Whew. Albania has been like a breath of fresh air. The country itself is stunning—we’re surrounded by mountains and only a quick run away from the beautiful Lake Ohrid. The local people are warm, hospitable, and loving.
We are currently living and serving with a Bible college and training center in Pogradec, Albania called CFN which stands for Christ For the Nations. Our daily tasks involve taking care of the college; deep cleaning inside and outside the building, washing dishes and helping with mealtimes, etc.
We serve alongside members of the church with village home visits and several other ministries & events they host for women, children, youth, college students, local pastors, community events, etc.
The first week we arrived, we were able to participate in an event being hosted at the college for churches all around Albania to start off the year with 24 hours of praying, fasting, worshipping and reading the entire New Testament out loud within that timeframe. Additionally, we each get the opportunity to share our testimonies and preach messages in front of these different groups which is a fun & faith-growing experience!
The home visits have been especially humbling and powerful. Each person we visit (sometimes even unannounced) welcomes us openly into their home, gives us the best seats available, provide drinks/food and quickly open up sharing about their hearts and lives while we listen, laugh, cry and pray with them. I am amazed, encouraged and convicted by this whole country’s high standard for hospitality. Everyone is hardworking, yet relationally-focused.
An example of this would be mealtimes and coffee breaks. Every morning, the college’s staff meets together to pray and worship together before starting the workday. Then in the afternoon, there is time set aside in the middle of the ministry work day for all staff to drink Turkish coffee and catch up with one another.
Professionalism and timeliness are important, yet each person remains kind and interruptible for anyone who may need their love, service, and attention. As someone who enjoys cleaning and building relationships with people, this has been a joy for me.
Another unexpected gift would be the opportunity to sit in on some of the Bible classes being taught or translated into English. I had been hoping to start taking some Bible & theological courses after the Race so it has been amazing to gain more knowledge from the wise teachers here.
One of the classes taught was on Discipleship and the Character of God. A quote that stuck with me was that discipleship and evangelism are a lot less about telling people what you know about the gospel and a lot more about living out the gospel in being who you were created to be.
Living within a community of people 24/7 for the past 5 months has made it clear God created us all with different gifts, strengths, and weaknesses for a purpose. We all have been given unique traits and experiences to be able to love and serve those around us better with Jesus’ help and example. Whether in the mundane of scrubbing toilets, washing hundreds of dishes, or praying and weeping with a woman whose faith has remained strong through multiple battles with cancer and the loss of her husband, God is with us. He has purpose, good, and hope for us in each day we are given on this earth. The more I look for it, the more I see the ways that God can bring help and good out of even the most dire, evil, and hopeless situations.
Throughout the Race, I have already seen many things I simply cannot unsee. Hungry children, chronically ill people who feel like they’re a hopeless burden to their families, women trapped in abusive relationships, families without a house structure or access to clean water, and so much more. It’s easy to inherit the heaviness of these people’s suffering and ask, where is God in all of this? There are a lot of answers to that question in each individual situation, but I think some of God’s main vessels to bring hope are His people. Alone, we can’t do much, but together we can bring physical, spiritual, and mental help to so many people who need it.
Are we going to step into His purpose and bring hope to the hopeless? I pray you and I never forget to praise God for the love and blessings He’s given us and the opportunity to share with others wherever He leads us.
Some more photo glimpses of life in beautiful Albania:
