For those of you who don't know anything about Albania, it is a small country in Europe just north of Greece and across the Adriatic Sea from the boot heel of Italy.
It is a beautiful, mountainous country with a lot of farming and fishing. Most of the population is in or near the capital, Tirana. The Albanian language is Shqip (Sh-cheap). The people are beautiful, hardworking and very hospitable.
One of the things I love the most about Albania is that it is such a relational culture. Family and friends are a priority. Meals are an event that could last hours. They are much more concerned about people than money and things. They make the most of what they have and share freely with others.
I am not a big city person at all, but I feel totally comfortable in Tirana. The traffic is crazy & dangerous if you're not careful, but it gets more funny than scary the more times I go. Even as a woman, I have never been afraid to walk around at any time, even alone. On my second trip I even managed to buy a watermelon from a man who didn't speak a word of English all by myself. That was a proud moment :)
Another thing I like is that normal life carries on regardless of how comfortable people feel. On our last trip, Mark & I had set aside a couple of hours to walk around the city by ourselves so I could see how much I could remember and show him places that had memories for me. When we woke up that morning, it was raining. Cindy called to ask if we wanted to stop by & get some umbrellas. In America, the assumption would have been that we would choose not to go. In Albania, we were offered umbrellas because the assumption was that we would go anyway. The experience together was what mattered, not whether it was a sunny, 75 degree day and we felt totally comfortable.
The biggest thing I love about Albania, though, is the opportunity to watch the way God is moving. Their borders have only been open since 1997, and the gospel is beginning to take root and grow. There are not many men who are following the Lord, but I have been blessed to see many women & children in the churches who are learning and growing in their faith. I look at these young boys and realize that the first generation of Christian men is being raised up right now. These boys will be the first Christ-following husbands, fathers, pastors, missionaries & leaders in their families. They will be the ones God uses to turn their country to Him. This is a humbling thought that carries a huge weight of responsibility for those charged with discipling them.
It is also amazing to think of how the Lord will be able to use Albanians in building His Kingdom. If people in a culture that understands & values relationship the way they do can finally grasp that the God of the universe created them and desires a personal relationship with them, they would be able to model that relationship in a way that much of the world has never seen. As God gets ahold of the hearts of these beautiful people, the gospel could explode & change the whole world from this little, mainly unnoticed country. Already they are sending out their first missionaries to neighboring countries and even to America. I believe in His work there so much that it is truly worth any sacrifice I would have to make in order to be a part of it.
The needs in Albania are great. Millions of people have never even heard the gospel or had the opportunity to respond to Christ themselves. This is not a country that is well known or talked about much. Many missionaries have been serving for years without a lot of support or encouragement. They need to hear that what they are doing is vital, the lives they are touching are important, and that people are praying for them and lifting them up when they get tired. They need Christians who will uplift and encourage them as they serve tirelessly without backup or help. If you are reading this, you can be involved in reaching Albania for Christ. Let me know if you want to help prayerfully or financially, and I will hook you up with people who would faithfully use your help with integrity and purpose.
