Albanian Nights

Chapter 1

My team has left our mountain hideaway in Kruje and traveled to the southern coastal city Vlore. After securing our belongings in our apartment, we christened our arrival to the city by polar plunging into the Adriatic Sea. I wasn’t going to at first. In fact, I was so tired I would have preferred to stay at the top of the mountain in our room, but sometimes you have to “die to self” to enjoy the adventure. 

Was it 48 degrees outside? Yes. 

We’re we the only ones swimming in the sea? For sure.

Did I walk up the mountain with sand and every crevice? The perks of exfoliation!

But it was worth it for the smiles. I love breaking away from the normal with my team and that’s my prayer for our time in Albania. That we wouldn’t get comfortable and we would step out from the normal and share Jesus.

Chapter 2

My grandpa loved the LORD. He came to know Christ as a young man. He left his small town in Georgia to go work in the tobacco fields in Canada and along the way he discovered the love of Jesus. But even as a follower of Christ, he felt he could never go into missions because of the food (he was a very picky eater). One of his favorite restaurants to eat at was—wait for it—KFC. 

So far there has not been a city in Albania where there hasn’t been a KFC! My grandpa would’ve loved Albania. 🙂

I ate at one to honor his memory (although it’s not my first choice of a restaurant).

 

Chapter 3

As we were riding in a van taxi to Tirana, packed to the gills with our backpacks, I talked to my new acquaintance, Benjamin*, about the culture of Albania.

He shared he was Muslim, but he didn’t go to mosque or really practice it.

“But then how are you Muslim?”

Blank stare. “Uh, because I am.”

“If you believe the Quran and what the prophet Muhhamed says, doesn’t practicing it make you a Muslim? But if you don’t practice, how can you say you are Muslim?”

He couldn’t answer my question. It’s like he couldn’t even comprehend it. Here it seems your religion is more cultural than conviction. At least for Christians, James calls out this behavior.

??James? ?1:22-25? 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

Next mode of transportation: bus. My next friend, Nardi*, got the pleasure of sitting next to my inquisitive self for the two hour bus ride to Vlore. It turns out we had a lot in common and conversation flowed. 

I asked him if he was Muslim. Same story. He participates in Ramadan and festivals because they are fun or he recognizes the health benefits of fasting, but he lacks depth in his faith. 

Something he shared though, and took pride in, was how common it was for different religions to intermarry one another here. It’s not uncommon for a Muslim woman to marry an Orthodox Christian man or a Catholic to marry someone outside the church. Even Benjamin took pride that his parents were Muslim, but he has a Christian name.

2 Corinthians 6:14

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

Revelation? ?3:15-16? 

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”

Chapter 4

Everything from the outside here in Vlore is pretty. You walk along the beach and you see the beautiful scenery and the posh restaurants and bars that line the strip like any prime tourist destination, but you walk behind it one street over and you see the cracked concrete, garbage, and decay.

As I continued exploring, I started taking pictures of dilapidated benches because they were hilarious.

I know my sense of humor is cracked, but come on! Look how useless those benches are! I just want to see ONE person willingly choose to attempt to sit on one of them and enjoy the experience.

If you say you love God, but you are not obeying his commandments, you are just as useless as those benches. 

??John? ?15:10

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

??John? ?15:6?

“If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

??This is not meant as condemnation to those that try and fail to obey God’s word. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

But if we want to please Jesus, are we repenting? (Matthew 4:17)

Are we sharing the gospel? (Matthew 28:18-20)

Are we carrying our cross and following Him? (Matthew 16:24-25)

Are we staying alert and praying? (Luke 21:36)

Are we loving one another like Jesus did? (John 13:34-35)

Are we praying for our enemies and those who persecute us? (Matthew 5:44-45)

Chapter 5

I only have six weeks left on the field. That’s crazy to think about! Time has flown and it’s only going to go faster! 

Prayer requests:

• Pray that my team and I would abide in Christ.
• That I would maximize my time here loving my team well and sharing Jesus with those who are searching for Him.
• Our team desires to eat healthier and exercise, pray that we are able to stay in budget and discipline our bodies in this regard. Also, one of my team mates has a severe gluten allergy, pray that she is able to continue to find food that won’t make her sick. 

*Names changed