The Way to Home Sweet Home

It's Tuesday, July 20, and I'm sitting on my Home Sweet Home couch as I write this. Since I last wrote on Friday SO much has happened.

Friday evening was the last day of camp, not only for me, but for the 12-14 year old campers who had attended all week. After the normal evening program - singing, skits, speaker - the campers started giving testimonies and thank yous. They spoke in Albanian but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was being said as there were tears everywhere. This hadn't occurred on the last night of the previous two camps of younger children but this particular group was very emotional about leaving their new friends, saying good-bye to the loving relationships they had formed with the staff and volunteers, and for so many of them, the acceptance of Jesus Christ into their lives. After sharing the campers left the meeting hall and gathered in their groups for one last time. There they prayed together, gave special thanks to their group, and received a book "First Bible Words" that was filled with bible stories both in Albanian and English. Afterwards everyone gathered for a huge bonfire, and believe me when I say HUGE (over 12' tall, shooting sparks, intense heat). The previous two camp's Friday night bonfires had been large, but manageable, and everyone had stood around the bonfire pit and sang songs. But not this night as the heat was so intense everyone backed off, covering their faces and turning their backs. Many of the campers walked around in search of various staff and volunteers. I was particularly touched when a young Albanian boy sought out four of the Hollywood Presbyterian high school boys to emotionally hug and thank them. It's doubtful those four young men had any idea of the impact they had made on this camper's, and I'm confident other's, lives.

Now, here is when the fun starts (just kidding). The bonfire died down to almost nothing, the area was unlit, and the dark sky was full of beautiful twinkling stars when I walked to the end of the two foot retaining wall I was standing on. I stepped down with my left foot, totally misjudged the distance to the ground, landed on uneven sloped grass, my left foot twisted out from under me, and I went down hard landing on my left elbow. I immediately grabbed my arm confident I had broken it as the pain was so intense I felt like I was going to pass out. I probably laid there, rocking and moaning, a couple of minutes before I even realized my foot was also really hurting. When I reached down to touch my foot I felt an egg sized lump on the left side and the entire foot was swelling by the minute. Oh great, my last night in Albania, I start traveling the next day, and I'm going to end up in the hospital unable to make it home. Well, fortunately, that didn't happen but I did go to bed in pain, wondering what condition I would awake in.

Saturday morning found my swollen, black and blue foot wrapped in an ace bandage but able to hold a bit of my weight and an aching functioning arm that wouldn't fully extend. I threw stuff into my suitcase and after saying my good-byes to the Hollywood team and the Stoscher children, Mark drove me to where the fugon (mini-bus) was waiting. The very old faded brown Mercedes Benz 12-passenger mini-bus was already full with 15 people when I arrived. I made 16. My suitcase was thrown on the floor and I did what I could to protect my foot. I couldn't even guess how old the van was but there was nothing "nice" about it as the interior was all exposed metal except for the seat cushions, visible duct tape and ropes held things together, there were no seat belts, and the speedometer didn't work. I quickly said a prayer and off we went. Fortunately within fifteen minutes enough people had gotten off at various stops that we were no longer squished. I was traveling with Liz, the camp nurse for the past three weeks, Emily, a 15-year old camp volunteer, and a camp staffer along with various Albanians. Liz and Emily, both Americans, lived in Tirana and Liz was fluent in Albanian. After an hour's drive we arrived in the city of Korce where we changed fugons. Liz handled everything and soon we were on our way, just the four of us, to Tirana in a VW 9-passenger van which, although old, was in much better shape than the previous fugon. Given my injured state I was given the front seat which I greatly appreciated. Unfortunately sitting in the front seat afforded me the opportunity to witness how Albanians really drive. Remember in a previous posting I mentioned that laws were merely suggestions or guidelines? Well, that definitely held true when it came to driving. To put it in a nutshell - the road was one lane in each direction and mostly through the mountains. Drivers pass when and where they want - around corners, within inches of other vehicles, and do not slow down or stop for pedestrians (no right of way there). Other drivers stop and park wherever they want so moving traffic (us) have to swerve and maneuver around them. It was amazing I wasn't a nervous wreck when we arrived in Tirana four and half hours later. Oh, did I mention Albanians think air conditioning makes them sick so most of our trip we were dripping in sweat and when we arrived in Tirana it was 95 degrees with a heat index of 120? Oh well, just another part of the adventure.


Emily's father picked us up at the fugon station and took Emily and I to their air conditioned (yes!) Tirana flat which was very nice. Tirana is large with about a million people all hoping to be a hip western European city. The fashion was FAR less conversative than I had seen previously, lots of traffic, crazy drivers, tall buildings, parks, billboards - well, you get it, a city. After resting a bit I went to Saturday evening church with Emily and her parents, enjoyed a pizza dinner, repacked my suitcase since everything had previously been tossed into it, and hit the hay about 11:30 p.m. Then it was up at 4:00 a.m. to get to the airport for my 6:00 a.m. flight. Emily's dad drove me and got me settled in at the airport. I could limp on my foot but at a turtle's pace so I really appreciated his help. They were wonderful people to take me in and I surely appreciate the security and safety I felt being with them.


I know this posting is quite long so I"ll quickly summarize the rest of my trip home. I arrived in overcast and chilly Munich at 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning but my flight to San Francisco didn't leave until 4:15 p.m. so I had a day to kill. I had originally planned to leave the airport but given my handicap state, and the fact I didn't see even one motorized transport that would normally help passengers who can't walk distances, I decided to spend the day in the airport. I found an out-of-the-way spot, propped my leg up, watched a movie on my netbook, read, enjoyed a German lunch (and beer of course), hobbled my way out to the gate, and watched another movie until boarding time. The flight was 12 hours and I was able to stretch out my leg and prop it up on my carry-on bag as I had changed my seat assignment when I first arrived in Munich. The flight was fortuneately uneventful and I arrived in San Francisco at 7:00 p.m. Sunday evening. It took me forever to walk from the plane to baggage claim and through customs (where are those motorized transports when you need them?) but I finally hobbled out of customs dragging my suitcase with my good arm to see Rod standing there with a huge smile and a beautiful boutique of roses. I was so happy to see him and so tired from traveling and dragging my foot around that I fell into his arms and started crying. I was so glad to be home!

Every aspect of my visit to Albania stretched me way out of my comfort zone but I loved it all. I learned a lot about myself, my ability to be flexible (not everything has to be planned to the ninth degree), and how to truly serve. It was a faith building experience that I was both blessed and privileged to be a part of and one I will never forget. Thanks be to God for putting Albania and the Stoscher's ministry there in my mind and on my heart.

As a side note - I had my arm and foot x-rayed on Monday and there's no broken bones. Just damaged nerves in my arm and torn muscles, tendons, and ligaments in my foot. Nothing that won't heal in time. Thank God!

Last Day at Camp

Today is bittersweet as it's my last day at camp which means I have to say good-bye to all my new friends from all over the globe. The camp staff is a group of absolutely wonderful young adults who love the Lord and love what they are doing. Some are local residents while others are from various countries like Kosovo, Finland, England, and America. Most have made a commitment to be part of the camp for the entire summer but others are here for shorter durations. All the staff speak English which has allowed me to converse and to get to know them. They've all been so welcoming and I'm in total admiration of their spirit, energy, and commitment.

This week, especially the last couple of days, has been quite hot in the mid-80s but due to the humidity it's felt more like mid-nineties. Sweat just pours down our backs and if you sit for too long you find yourself standing up with wet pants! Mark Stoscher told me that this is the hottest it gets here - lucky us. The favorite job this week has been working at the pool - can you guess why?

Tomorrow I will make the journey north to Tirana but how I'm getting there is still a bit up in the air. I may ride a bus full of campers or I might end up taking a small shuttle bus for the five to six hour drive. Arrangements and schedules are very fluid here in Albania so I'll go with the flow confident that something will be worked out in the morning. Once I get to Tirana I'll spend the night in the home of a missionary family who are friends of the Stoschers and whose two teenagers have been volunteering at camp for the past two weeks. It's up early on Sunday morning to catch my 6:00 a.m. flight from Tirana to Munich, then lay over in Munich for nine hours, and then fly 12.5 hours to San Francisco. Home Sweet Home awaits!

Maturant

High schoolers getting decked out, fancy hair-dos, and high heels - sounds like prom doesn't it? Here in Albania there's a special event called Maturant and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it last night. The graduating seniors finished high school sometime in June but after completing their secondary education (primary education is 1st to 8th grades and is compulsory - secondary education is optional) they are required to take graduation exams. As I understand they are required to take a written math and literature exam and two other exams of the student's choice depending on their university preference. These exams just finished up last week so the seniors (I'm actually not sure what they are called here) were ready to celebrate!

The formal graduation was yesterday morning and then in the evening after dark, the Maurant celebration began. In the center of town, about two long blocks in length, the town's people, 1000 plus, gathered in the middle of the road, leaving an area of about three feet between two walls of people. Loud, bass-thudding, music played over loud speakers and the seniors walked arm in arm with a partner up and down the created people corridor. They looked very serious and didn't crack a smile unless someone tapped them or stopped them for a picture. Back and forth, back and forth they walked for an hour - amazing given the high heels on some of the young ladies. All the ladies were dressed to the nines with hair elaborately done, fancy dresses, and very high heels. The young men, on the other hand, were either dressed in silk suits or very casual jeans. Afterwards the seniors went to a restaurant for a late dinner and traditional dancing until the wee hours of the morning. One of the seniors on the camp's staff told me the celebrating went until 6:00 a.m. this morning - why she was at camp early this afternoon is beyond me.

I truly enjoyed being part of this cultural celebration and am so glad I was here to witness it.

More Pictures From Camp

I spent another hot wonderful day at camp in the crafts area. The morning craft was the same as yesterday but a different group rotated through. This afternoon the free time activity was face painting - something I've never done before (I guess I live a sheltered life!). I had lots of fun painting faces although my perfectionist way was definitely challenged and I had to live with lines that just weren't straight. Just another one of those "outside my comfort zone" type of experiences.

The most requested face art was the German and Brazil flag (because of World Cup Soccer) so I got pretty good at those. Flowers were also popular. I thought you might enjoy some more pictures from camp.

A Day at Camp

It's Tuesday late afternoon as I write this. I have been at camp all day which has really been a wonderful change. It was hot today, I'm guessing mid 80s, and I was able to spend the entire day outside. After breakfast the campers have a devotional time, a little down time to run around, and some singing before they go to their morning stations. This week's camp is 135 children aged 12-14 years old and they are broken into groups for the week. Each morning the groups spend 2 hours at a different station - ropes course/crafts; swimming; canoeing; archery; games in the walnut grove - so that by the end of the week they've been to all the stations. I worked in the crafts area which was really fun - I had forgotten how glitter goes everywhere!

For the first time this year the camp has an above ground swimming pool which they are very excited about. Many children have never been in a pool so the experience is a especially unique and somewhat scary one. Albanians equate wet and cold to getting sick so the children are afraid to get into a cold pool. Albanians don't drink cold liquids (a challenge when kids are running a fever at camp), they don't splash in rain puddles, or even go out in the rain. To help reduce the children's fear they are allowed in the pool in 15 minute intervals so they don't get chilled and warm up between turns. After lunch the children have 1.5 hours of quiet time and then for 2 hours they have free time where they can choose the craft station (where I was), swimming, playing cards, soccer, or just hanging out with their friends. Then, the next two hours they have the option of the rock wall and ropes course or organized games. Dinner at 7:00 p.m. then an evening program of singing, skits, and speaker time. Here are a few pictures I thought you'd enjoy from camp today (oops, got a picture in there of the playground at Mark's house and I can't figure out out to delete it.).

Monday, July 12

I'm writing this on Monday afternoon and soon Mark will arrive with the Hollywood Presbyterian team. The Stoscher kids and I slept in and then enjoyed a breakfast of french toast. The sun has been shining so the laundry dried, all the beds are made, and the house is ready for the new team. I even had the chance to wash my hair and actually dry it with a hair dryer! I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but believe me if you'd seen my curly frizzy hair (sans hair dryer) you'd understand what a big treat it was. Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy non-frizzy hair for a few days before I have to wash it again and let it dry naturally. With so many people sharing two bathrooms and the high cost of electricity hair dryers weren't to be used when Dundee was here. The same will hold true when the new team arrives so believe me, today was a special treat.

Tonight Hollywood Pres and I will eat dinner at camp and starting tomorrow the plan is that I'll be working with the camp kids. A new adventure awaits as I haven't had a chance yet to work at camp.

Sunday - A Day of Rest?

This morning started out warm and overcast. Church worship began at 10:00 a.m. but that's Albanian time so that means everyone starts to arrive around that time and as each person enters the sanctuary they hug and kiss everyone who arrived before them - service actually began around 10:20 a.m. This morning's service took place inside, not outside like last week, and the small sanctuary was full with about 70 people - a lot of them were the young adults who are on staff at the camp. We sang Albanian praise songs (it was fun to recognize some of the tunes and to sing along in English), an offering was taken, the sermon was given by Eric Grundy, Mark's right-hand man, and we took communion. The entire service was in Albanian except the sermon which was delivered in English and translated to Albanian. The service was very simple and informal, and even though I didn't understand any of the Albanian, it was very worshipful. To help you imagine what Mark's church looks like I've included some pictures I took at last week's service.

As I sat in worship I recalled a conversation in which Mark explained that 20 years ago his church could not have existed as there were no churches in Albania at that time. During communist rule religion was outlawed. Churches and mosques were closed or destroyed and those found to be practicing their faith were either imprisoned or killed. In fact, in 1967 the communist declared Albania the first atheist state in the world and it remained so until late 1990. Can you imagine the freedom of religion not existing in your life? I can't.

After some fellowship time in the church's backyard (thanks again to all those who sent Kool-Aid as it's the beverage of choice), the kids and I walked across the street to their home. The washing machine has been running non-stop as I try to get all the bed linens washed. European machines are quite small and the wash cycle takes two hours so the process is slow. In addition God added his sense of humor as three loads were drying on the clothes line when all of a sudden there was a roar of thunder and it started to pour. Oh well, so much for dry linens. The sun came out, I hung up another load, and again God chuckled and provided more rain. When the next load is done it will have to be hung around the house as there is no more room on the clothes line. This afternoon the kids and I cleaned - the boys cleaned their room and Becca sweep the entire house (lots of tile flooring) while I cleaned bathrooms and vacuumed. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some dry linens so I can start making beds for the Hollywood Presbyterian team that arrives Monday afternoon.