Conference and Trip to the North

We've had a full weekend, and now I'm enjoying a slower afternoon before Monday's evening activities. First, the meeting with IFES student and staff leaders went very well. Great fellowship, and it was great to hear many of the stories about what God is doing. Campus ministry is basically the same here and that's encouraging. They have the same problems we do! And they are just as excited to see the little steps of growth that their students make. Our team did a great job doing many things: leading games, leading discussion, sharing personal faith stories, etc. Everyone had a part. I gave a talk on Friday night and led worship on Saturday morning. Fun to lead in Albanian again. It was neat to see us all working together. And from what I can tell the Albanians enjoyed the time. Overall a velry encouraging time.

Yesterday I preached on John 21, The Gift of New Beginnings. It was well received. How fun it is to sing those praise songs in Albanian! It makes my heart very glad. I also shared a Shawn Macdonald song (and one of my own at the student meeting) since they always ask me to sing and play guitar. Some of our team were downstairs with the kids during this time as Kristen led the children. Alex and T.J. loved getting to interact with the children. After church many of the young people plus Zef, Edita and their children went out for coffee.

Speaking of which, we are always going "out to coffee." The Albanians are very social and we spend a lot of time in cafes. Just now some of our team are meeting with students in a cafe. They've done a great job connecting relationally with people, hearing their story, and trying to encourage them in their faith.

Our team has take a few more hits on the sickness category, but nothing major. We've been going on cultural adventures--buying fruit at the market, finding albananian/english books, walking the streets and dodging cars at every intersection, standing in line forever at the post office, and of course savoring "akullore" which is ice cream in Albanian. It's been cold and clear recently, probably in the 50s and in the 30s at night. Very nice.

Yesterday afternoon our team took a rented van to Rreshen. It's a small town in the north about 120km. This is the first time I have ever been in the north of Albanian. My travel has been extensively south of the capital city. It's always amazing to get out of the city and see the villages, to see the broken down factories leftover from the communist era, and just to see how people make it away from Tirana.

In Rreshen we met Patrick and Dan, two workers with the Peace Corp. In particular Zef has connected with the high school there. He is developoing a Servant Leadership award program across Albanian universities and at this high school. So we essentially accompanies Zef on a ministry trip as he attempts to build relationships. Alex and T.J. loved meeting with a boy who is in high school and playing Uno with him. He spoke English well and had traveled to the U.S. The team learned a lot about the Peace Corps in Albania.

Trips like these expose you to many amazing things. The other day I had one of those flashpoint experiences, where everything becomes very clear. I realized as I walked the streets, surveying the chaos of life in Tirana, that we are all just trying to make it in life. Everyone is going somewhere, doing something, and all across the world it's the same. Back in Chico the stranger on the street is trying to make their way.

Why are we here? What is the purpose of our life? Just to make our way, find the next meal, get the next job, finish the next task? No...it's also to love, to have relationship, to meet with friends, to raise our families. To express something about our humanity.

Recently here in Albania it has dawned on me how similar we all are. It becomes very clear that we all want love. We all want to know why we are here, and is there a God. If so can I have a relationship with him? Does he care?

I'm thankful that one time many years ago God become human and "moved into our neighborhood," as Peterson translates the words of John. God has moved into the neighborhood of Tirana that I'm currently sitting. Here's here. Our team has experienced him as so real in the people w'eve met. He's also in Chico. And Seattle, and around the world.

Wishing you all the best. Thanks for your prayers!

Jeff