Hey everyone! Wow, so much has happened since my last blog! We’ve had Christmas, New Year’s, Asia debrief, a 63-hour travel day(s), and our first week (and a half) in Albania! I’ve got a lot to update you on, so here we go!
The Holidays and Asia Debrief! All the way back in 2024 (crazy!!), on December 23, we left Bangkok and headed up to Chiang Mai – another city in Thailand – to meet up with the rest of the squad for a week of debriefing! We were so blessed that our debrief week lined up with the holidays, so we could celebrate all together as M-squad! On Christmas Eve, we had a makeshift candlelight service with our phone flashlights, followed by a Christmas movie night watching the Grinch! On Christmas morning, we had muffins and hot chocolate, did a white elephant gift exchange, and spent some time worshipping and singing Christmas carols! And then we had a big family Christmas dinner that evening!
The following week of debrief consisted of lots of worship, teachings, one-on-ones with mentors, and just hanging out with the squad! It was such a blessing to have time to rest and reflect over my time on the race so far! On New Year’s Eve, I went to a fun Mexican restaurant, and then we rang in the New Year by watching the fireworks from the rooftop!
Bright and early at 6 am on January 1st, we embarked on our 63-hour travel day(s), complete with 3 bus rides, an airport sleepover, and 2 flights! Here’s a photo of the sunrise during our bus ride through Bulgaria!
We made it to ALBANIA!!! On January 3rd, we arrived in Tiranë, Albania! And wow, it really is so different from Thailand and Malaysia! Although we were in a big city in Thailand, Tiranë feels so different! It’s about 50 degrees colder, very different architecture, a vastly different culture, and a very new religious climate! The majority of Albanian people are Muslim, but they are surprisingly open to Christianity. I’ve noticed that most people here view religion as something that they grew up with, but is unimportant and irrelevant to their current lives. Since religion isn’t important to them, they aren’t super defensive of their religion, and they are fairly open to coming to church and having conversations with us. It’s been super encouraging and I am so excited to see how God will use these opportunities to draw his children to himself!
Ministry Overview! For our main ministry here in Albania, my team is partnering with a local church called ICF Tiranë. Basically, we are jumping in and supporting the church in any and every way! This has looked like organizing the church closets, leading a young adults event, joining youth group, volunteering in kids ministry, and supporting the serve team during Sunday services! Next week, we will begin teaching English courses at the church, which I am super excited about because we will be teaching the same students 3 days a week over a 6-week period! I am hoping we will be able to get to know our students on a bit of a deeper level during this time!
The Joys and the Struggles! Being in Albania has presented so many little joys and blessings, and also quite a few challenges. We are staying at a missionary base here, with squishy beds and a kitchen to cook, which has been awesome! Albania is ranked 3rd in Europe for the number of cafes, so the coffee culture is amazing! The food here is my favorite: pizza, sandwiches, pasta, pastries, gelato, and our team favorite, sufllaqe! It’s basically a chicken gyro with fries! We probably ate it 5 times last week! Here’s a photo of some delicious sufllaqe! It’s not the most aesthetic, but it is so yummy!
On the outside, the people here are a bit intimidating since they are straight to the point and fairly brusque. However, after taking even just a few seconds to ask their name, the people are so kind. Honestly, the hardest part may be the cold; Southern California has not prepared me well for this type of cold! Thankfully I could go shopping and get a big winter coat, some sweaters, and some cozy gloves! Now I am all bundled up!!
Also, adjusting to a new place and temporary home is always difficult. It is a weird feeling to be moving around to so many new places, but never home. But, God is continuing to show up and be my comfort and strength in the hard moments. He truly is the one constant that will never change!
Praises Through Pictures!
Our first adventure day spent taking a walking tour through the city!
Coffee and Kindle date with Sophia!
Riding the ferris wheel in the square!
The beautiful mountains in the background everywhere!
Prayers! Here are some specific ways you can pray for and with me during our time in Albania!
- Pray for the church we are partnering with, ICF Tiranë! Be praying for their leadership team and the growth of the church!
- Pray for boldness and urgency for the gospel for my team and the members of the church!
- Pray that the Lord would bring people to the English course, and new people to the young adults and youth ministries!
- Pray for joy, peace, and strength for myself and my teammates in the hard moments!
Thank you for all your prayers and support! On January 10th, we officially hit the mark for halfway through the race! It has been and will continue to be a crazy adventure! Thank you for coming with me on the crazy adventure! Love you all!!!
Much love,
Alia
