"In America"

What does an Albanian do when he come to America? We are privileged to have Mandi spending some time with us. During the last 10 days he has been helping on the farm and also speaking for some church groups. Sorry that our pictures are only farm pictures. We must work on getting some church pictures.

Final Wrap Up

(The three young girls attend the Girl's Training Center. The other two ladies are their Moms.)

(visiting Fatmira and her mother-in-law)

(arriving at O'Hare in Chicago. Vera also came to the US to visit her relatives in Detroit. We're hoping she can make it to Green Valley sometime soon)

The last few days of my stay in Albania got rather hectic and I'm sorry there was not better news coming from my way. But I will just share some of the last days photos and I think I saved the best activity to the last--that is home visits. Also, I don't know if many of you had heard that Mandi was able to get a visa and came back with me to Illinois. He has several churches to share what his responsibilites are in Albania and in between times, David is going to set him in a tractor seat and see if Mandi can drive as good as he does in Tirana. Pictures of that will be forth coming.

Saturday in Vlashi

(notice the green trees to the left and then the brown burnt trees on the upper right)

Saturday isn't Saturday in Vlashi without the children meeting at the ministry center. So, I've included some pictures of today's meeting. Each week in this village there are about 35 children that attend. Today I really cut it close. I had just enough candy for everyone. Not one piece left over. Yesterday afternoon is the regular time for the older children's discipleship meeting. I've included the picture of them with Klara and Arjan, the leaders. This is a small representation of the usual group. This was the first week back after summer vacation time and several forgot to come. Also, I got a picture of the nearby hill where they had a fire that could have become dangerous to several of the homes of children that come to our meetings. It is very similar to the situation in Greece. The temperature has been hot for many weeks and there has been no rain for two months. Any kind of spark can get out of hand within minutes. Since I came on Tuesday, we've had two nights of rains and cool temperatures. We've brought out the sweaters. I guess my sleeveless shirts will go home clean and still folded.

Bits and Tidbits

I always like it when special and unusual things happen when we come to Albania. Two days again at approximately 7:35 a.m. there was an earthquake with a magnatitude of about 6...significant anyway. And low and behold the center of the quake was in Mimenas, Albania (one half mile from Vlashi). I was in Vlashi this afternoon for meetings and took a picture of the ceiling in the health clinic. The cracks were very noticeable. Shpresa said she was just waking and said the bed was really shaking and the glass picture on the wall fell and broke. Others in Tirana said they felt movement. I'd have to say that I was still suffering from jet lag and didn't notice much unusual.

Next item or tidbit is about the main activity of the day-children's meeting in Kasalle. Here is a picture of the team preparing to leave. Each meeting the equipment is loaded in the jeep and they travel about one hour to the village to teach the children. On the way home and near the village we saw this bride getting in the car. Mandi stopped the jeep, got out and asked if we could take her picture. This is copy of what brides years ago would have worn.

Lastly, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this cow chewing her cud (which is a sign of great contentment) and proudly showing off her hair ribbon and bow! (should I say a sign of great love and affection of her owner)

Visit to Darshen

It was drizzling when we left the city this morning but when we climbed higher up the mountain the fog and rain started to set in. This picture isn't the best (sorry Cydil) but I hope you can tell that we are traveling on a one lane road that weaves itself around the mountain. Here we are pulled over in a wide part waiting for the oncoming car to pass.

This is today's group of children. The girls don't come in the summer because they must stay home and work. Generally, there will be about 25 children each week when they come after school. This building is a vacated house that is located near the school. We rent it per week.

Darshen's homes date back several generations and look like something out of a "Robin Hood" movie. They are so cool. The roofs are made of slate and the walls are of stone. If you ever had the urge to live in something ethnically Albanian, here is where you should go. We visited two homes of several children that attend our meetings.

(David, this picture is for you. You know what I think of all your "lady and her cow " pictures. But anyway, the great thing is I gave this lady a choice of where she would like her picture taken -in front of her pretty flowers or with her cow. Of course, you know her answer!) Why do you always have to be sooo right all of the time, David?)

(I need to make a correction for yesterday's entry. Those were not shocks of wheat. It was shocks of corn. What was I thinking? It's not time for wheat harvest! So much for the country girl. In all fairness, it has been awhile since I've seen corn in "shocks". After all, this is my first time to be in Albania in September.)

I've been told there has been no rain for nearly two months and so what happens all night and then this morning as we head to the mountain village for the children's meeting....it rains. Taking pictures is right up there on my "to do list" and rain doesn't mix with photography. We didn't let the rain dampen our spirits and we had a great time anyway. I'm just going to caption the photos for brevity.

Arrived

Coming down late this morning from the Albanian sky, out of my window I saw all of these polka dots in the fields. After thinking about it for a moment, I realized that it was shocks of wheat standing in the fields. I will try to get a close up picture of them for you later in the week. What contrast it reminds me of life there and of life here. The fields of harvest are so great. Talking and discussing those spiritual fields was what I did later this afternoon in a coffee bar with Genti and Shpresa. I caught up on all the latest happenings in the village and we made plans for the upcoming days. I love their contagious smiles! It demonstrates their contagious christianity as well.