Happy-dokey-hooooouse!!

Before heading off to bed, after 2 wonderfully exhausting days, I just quickly have to brag...oh, excuse me, I mean share...about an unbelievably incredible part of the world our dear friends the Giles introduced us to...Cappadocia, Turkey! Since truly, words are incapable of doing this justice (and at 2 in the morning, I'm having a tough time remembering adjectives)...let me share a few pics, just to wet your pallet!




The above pictures were taken in an underground city. With James as our tour guide, we learned about how Christians (1200 AD??) built huge underground cities to save themselves from enemies...often these complex cities were seven stories below ground, and could fit a few thousand people for months at a time.

***

These following pictures were in Goreme Cappadocia. These "fairy chimneys" (the actual word for them, not a made-up name by Elise- one of the sweet little girls we were traveling with) contained hundreds of explorable hand carved caves...many, still in use today!




Again...my words fail me...

Barkation?!

Saw this outside of a hotel in Thessaloniki Greece...

Arta

(Although I'm posting this now, this was written Wednesday June 2nd.)

Earlier this morning, Steve and I received the sad news of an Albanian friend’s passing. She was a young girl (early 20’s) though she struggled with diabetes and eating disorders. She had worked in the Kennedy Foundation clinic for several years, and always had a quick joke on hand. Naturally’ her death came as a shock to everybody. Steve and I are grieving and badly missing being with our friends in Albania to share with them in their tears and mourning.

Arta’s death came just after a young girl died tragically in Erseke this last weekend. It already has been a difficult week for our Albanian friends, and this unexpected death certainly adds more pain and grieving to their lives.

Should you think to pray for regarding this, pray for our friends in Korce…and for us…as the reality of leaving Albania has struck our hearts far more quickly than we expected.

The Bright Side of Life!

After writing my previous post, I decided to challenge myself by also posting 10 positive things that have happened in the last 36 hours. Here we go!

10) Blessed by friends helping us get all of our bags to the bus station.
9) A wonderful send-off...tearful, but not unbearable. And really, this also refers to all of the goodbyes in the last week.
8) We like our hotel room..and we get free internet...using skype and talking to friends and family feels like a godsend!
7) Saw Robin Hood in theaters last night. Didn't love it, but I did love the theater ambiance and eating ridiculous amounts of popcorn!
6) Breakfast provided by the hotel was decent, and I especially liked the yogurt and peaches.
5) Had a super yummy salmon, cream-cheese, on a poppy-seed bagel for lunch.
4) Met up with Albanian friends at Starbucks ...played Catan and I won...by a landslide!
3) Blessed by a surprise gift of 50 Euro! Really lifted our spirits and helped us justify our trip to the movies.
2) Finding a bus to get to Istanbul.
1) As I write this, it is beautiful outside, and Steve's meds (I found some Excedrin, didn't need to go to pharmacy after all) are kicking in!

"Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!" It's against the will of my flesh, but that's what I'm choosing to do! =)

The Very Good and Very Bad

I just need to pat myself on the back for a bit...and then majorly vent!

Our last few days in Albania were wonderful...busy, but wonderful! I need some MAJOR PROPS here, because anybody that has experienced the chaos of "Kristal-and-Steve-packing", knows how stressy and awful I can get. HOWEVER, I proudly confess that this time was different!

It was incredibly important to us that our last days be good ones so that we would say "good goodbyes" and leave without regrets. Untrue to our usual natures, we had all of our things packed and the apartment cleaned and ready to go days before our departure date....we even stayed with friends our last week to help the process along.

We had dinners scheduled with all of our closest friends and special times set aside to say goodbye. It was wonderful...it gave us lots of time to do lots of extras...like buy gifts for friends, develop pictures, take care of loose ends and even enjoy a few naps. We didn't even pull any all-nighters!! (those of you who know me best, realize that this was a HUGE accomplishment for me...please clap!!). All week I was rested, calm and not-overly-emotional (I think I was just the right amount emotional for someone going through what I was going through...saying goodbye to four beloved years of ministry and friendships).

But then...

9:15 the morning of our departure, Steve calls me to tell me the bus leaves at 9:30, not 10:00 as we thought. We quickly called our "send off-ers" and rushed ourselves, and the 350 lbs of our earthly belongings to the bus station, which thankfully was just down the street from our apartment, only to see OUR BUS drive away. "S'ka gje," says the bus agency lady,"you can get on the bus for Athens, then transfer to the Thessaloniki bus at the border!"

We say our last tearful goodbyes, and off we go.

(only continue reading if you'd like to be horrifically bored...)

We got to the border and made the switch...we personally transferred the 350 lbs of luggage out of the Athens bus and into the Thessaloniki bus. Whew! We handed the driver our tickets, and he smugly announced that it was the WRONG bus. He pointed out that our bus had already gone through the Albanian border and was on the Greek side. With dozens of accusing and laughing eyes on us (none offering to help of course), we got our 350 lbs of luggage and made off to the other side. At some point, I joking said to Steve, "Let's just pretend that we are on the Amazing Race." Completely unamused, he didn't respond.

The "no man's land" between the two borders is probably about 1/4 mile...but felt much longer. Wheeling as fast as we could, we finally made it to the Greek side...hot, sweaty, embarrassed, stressed, grumpy, and irritated. Steve was so strained from the mad jaunt that he was near to tossing his cookies! At long last, our bags and selves made it on the right bus, which was not air-conditioned and miserably stuffy and hot.

We got to Thessaloniki, got ourselves situated in hotel close to the train station (another exhausting non-adventure) only to find out that the train from Thessaloniki to Istanbul is not running and would not be for a long time!! Okay...plan B....take a bus...only to find our that there are no buses running to Istanbul. Plan C...MUST find a bus to Istanbul. It took hours, but we finally found one...only it leaves a day later than we expected (argh). Through all of this, ALL of the Greeks we have met have been anything but friendly or helpful.

Then, while walking to meet some friends for coffee, it started pouring. We got drenched. Friends showed up 1 1/2 hour late. (Sigh) Finished coffee, only to discover that Steve was sick with an earache. Check back into our hotel that we had only hours previously checked out of.

Oh my gosh. The last 36 hour have been so stressful! So much for a "vacation" before returning to the States. It's just ironic, because we've (for the first time in our lives!!) been meticulous in our planning, carefully putting up several safeguards so that we wouldn't be in this stressed position after leaving Albania!! (another sigh)...

Okay...I've thoroughly vented and am finally feeling slightly amused. Now, gotta get Steve to a pharmacy.

Toto!!

With each passing day, many aspects of life in Albania feel more and more normal, and many of the things that used to shock me, don't even make me turn my head anymore. But today was NOT one of those days. Everything seemed strange, foreign, and I'm sorry to say, poorer. I felt very far from home.

Today, I was on hospital duty, taking care of Raj. The medical system here is just so different and so foreign to me. I have been spoiled with American health care, with large hospital rooms, privacy, and constant attention from nurses and doctors. So, as I sat by Raj's bedside on a small wooden stool, I was overwhelmed.

There were three children patients in the room, with no dividing curtains. Your business is everybody's business. At one point, I counted about 20 people in the small room! But with no chairs to sit on, other children's visitors were using Raj's bed for their personal seating! She wasn't bothered in the slightest, but I was!

I was confused when the lady came around selling spinach soup. I was appalled when I watched the doctor carelessly throw the burn-victim's dressings in the toilet and bathroom waste bin, and I was offended when I saw the state of the dirty bathroom (shutter). How on earth are people supposed to get well in a place like this? I'll be honest, I was thrilled when my shift was over, and I can't wait for Raj to get out of there!

No Toto, I'm not in America anymore!

Who wants nightmares?!

As promised in "Gezuar 1 Maj to Me," here are the creepy kid mannequins from a children's clothing store in Ohrid, Macedonia. Steve and I have always marveled at how awful they are, and I'm so happy to introduce them to you too!

Antela

Have you ever been in the midst of suffering? Not, I'm dying for chocolate and why isn't there anything good on TV, but real, somebody's in pain, suffering?? I don't know that I really have (thank the Lord)....I have served in extreme poverty...but I don't think the two really compare...although they might go hand in hand.

Anyways, today when I was at the hospital visiting Raj, I asked about the sweet little blondie in the bed adjacent to hers. I was told that she was a burn patient. This poor 2 1/2 year old girl, had fallen backwards into a tub of boiling water (women here will boil water on the fire-stove top in a large metal tub, and then use this water for the housework...I'm assuming that this was the case).

I made my way over to her to get a closer look at the wounds (to satisfy my curiosity, shame on me!), and my heart broke on the spot for my new little friend Antela. Her entire back side was severely burned and infected. Although she had been in the hospital for a day, she had received no treatment, no painkillers, no salves, and no dressings. All she had was in IV for hydration. And to make her wounds worse, she had been wrapped in gauze, which was clinging to her broken flesh, and the dressings were soiled. She just laid on her stomach, most likely still in shock, barely able to hold on to the doll that was dangling off the side of her bed. Surely, suffering looks something like this.

This poor girl has left a deep impression on my heart, one I am sure will stay with my memories for a very long time. I'm really looking forward to going back tomorrow to visit both her and Raj, and I'm going to try my hardest to get a smile on that sweet little face!

Gezuar 1 Maj to Me!

Today was just one of those perfect kind of days (with the exception of Steve having the flu, but for bragging purposes, let's just pretend that he felt grrrreat!), that I have to brag about publicly. As part of our "Bucket List" (goals of what we want to do before leaving Albania) we wanted to spend some quality time with our friends Paul and Albana and their son Hani by showing them around Ohrid, Macedonia.

Ohrid has long been our favorite place of retreat while we have been in the Balkans. It's close to Korce, relatively inexpensive, rich with history, has decent shopping, incredible scenery and most importantly, GREAT food...wait, hold that...no, MOST importantly goes to delicious ice cream!!

Here are some of my favorite pics from today...



The above pictures are where we pulled over on the side of the road after Hani blew chunks. Normally, the smell of wretched sour milk should have ruined our high spirits, but with scenery like this, it was easily forgotten!

When we finally got to Ohrid, it dawned on us that it was a holiday in the Balkans, Labor Day!! There were thousands of people out celebrating, streamers lining the walkway, music blaring from the docks, and a contagious air of festivities. It felt like Ohrid had invited us to a surprise party!



For lunch, we ate at a BEAUTIFUL restaurant on the water, and I sorely regret not getting pictures of our delectable spread, which included a Macedonian salad of baked peppers and tomatoes, a shopska salad, six traditional and flavorful dips for our homemade bread, lots of fries, and yummy sausages. We all agreed, lunch was a huge highlight of the day...which says a lot, because the rest of the day looked like this...



Views from the city fortress



Shame that we're blocking the historic St. John's church behind us...sorry!



Hani's first time playing in a lake...he couldn't get enough of throwing rocks in the chilly water!



Whereas I was totally enthralled by the blossoms on these trees...Cotton-candy anyone?





To top the day off, the five of us had dinner (1 pizza, 1 salad, 2 uber-delicious sandwhiches, 4 drinks) for 10 Euro!

Finally, on our way back to the car, with that wonderful "I'm exhausted and way-too-sun-kissed" feeling...the sound of live music drew us into a cafe, where we sat under the stars, sipped cappuccinos, and let the band serenade us.

On no! I promised myself I'd finish this by 2:00 am, and I just saw that it's 2:13. I'll have to save the bonus pictures of the creepy kid mannequins for the next blog!

Dag-nabbit...I can't resist sharing one more thing! Steve, surprised me by treating me to a sweet little ring, with an Ohrid pearl...as a memento of our wonderful times together there...and it made me blush. =)

Gezuar 1 Maj! Happy Labor Day!

Little Mize

Last year while in the States, I came down with appendicitis. Within the course of 24 hours, I was out of the hospital with a well-fed belly and nothing left to show for my big ordeal but 3 tiny slits in my gut, pictures of my ovaries, and loads of paperwork to petition for financial assistance for the $32,000 bill (which the hospital paid!!). 3 days after my operation, I was dancing (well, that's the closest word for it...) at my sister's wedding!

And I was grateful. I was grateful that it happened while I was in America. But NOW I am REALLY grateful because I've seen what it's like in Albania!

Today, I went to visit sweet little Rai, an 11 year old girl from the Safe House, in the public hospital. Yesterday, Raj got appendicits. Although she is hanging in there, my little "Mize" was in a lot of pain. One day after her operation, her stomach hurt, she was throwing up vile, she had no sort of pain killers, no IV, hadn't eaten or drunk (drunk? drank? drinken? huh...how do I not know this?!) anything for 24 hours, and she had a rubber glove attached to a tube that was draining blood and infection from her wound-site! Oh, and she wasn't allowed to have a pillow, or her bed raised! Poor girl! Although the hospital did offer a clean bed and a clean room, our staff had to bring changes of bedding and diapers, etc. for poor little Raj, who will most likely be there for about a week!

And for the sake of not making this political, which is the only way I see this going, I'm going to end this here! Te shkuara Raj!! Get well soon Raj!

Gabriel

In effort to record my daily happenings, I want to tell you about the interesting and pleasant man I met today, because I don't want to forget him!

As Steve and I were hopping into a furgon from Libonik to Korce, a man from the back seat immediately asked us in English, but with a HEAVY Albanian accent, "Where are you from?"

I turned around to see an older man (51), with a red complexion, soft blue eyes, and religious tattoos on each cheek of his face! One was written in Arabic "Allah is great" and the other a symbol for Allah.

We easily chatted with him about what we're doing in Albania and heard a bit about his experience in America. He went to the States as an illegal immigrant by hiding on a boat from France to the States without anything to eat or drink for a week!

Anyways, he loved talking about religion and eagerly welcomed discussion about faith. He kept emphasizing he wanted to discuss faith peaceably with us, and we agreed! As we were discussing the Bible, the driver of the furgon said, "speak in Albanian, this sounds interesting!!"

Before parting ways, Steve exchanged numbers with Gabriel with hopes to meet again for coffee. I quite enjoyed the company of our new friend, and even better, the driver let us ride for free! A good day!

Another Purge

A few months ago, I wrote a blog about my beloved socks and how difficult it was for me to part with things that hold sentimental value. At the time, I had no clue that that was just the beginning of what God was doing in my heart regarding the discipline of simplicity...

This last month, I MAJORLY purged my "closet". I'm talking about 4 garbage bags worth of my clothing! (Patting my own back). Currently, I can get ALMOST all of my clothing items into three small suitcases!!

Today, I called the airline we are flying home with, and I am allowed to check 2-23 kilo bags. (that's about 100 pounds total). To check an additional bag, regardless of the weight, is $160!! Through the post, I can mail 10 kilo's (22 pounds) for about $100. In other words, IT IS REALLY EXPENSIVE TO GET MY JUNK TO AMERICA!!

Obviously, I'm not excited about paying that much to keep my belongings, especially considering that my clothes aren't worth that much anyways! (They're practically all used clothing, bought from the Gabi)

So, considering that we have books, dvd's, knick-knacks, photo albums, (guitar??) etc. that should take a priority, it looks like it's time for ANOTHER purge!!

Basically, I have to limit all of my earthly belongings (on this side of the world anyways) into 120 pounds (I get 20 pounds to carry on).

Oh dear readers (all 5 of you), is this difficult for anybody else??! Send me your words of wisdom!!

Getting Ready to Go

As I was going to bed last night, I was feeling a bit remorseful that I have not better documented my incredible experiences during my time in Albania. I have felt intimidated by blogging, feeling the need to post perfectly worded, wonderfully humorous stories with incredible pictures to boot! What a shame to forget the funny and unique happenings of the last 4 years, but even more so, the things God has done to soften (and toughen) my heart and transform my character. I would hate to forget these things, and have to learn them all over again!!

So, as I am preparing myself mentally, spiritually, and physically for my return to the States, it feels really important to me to reflect and record about my time here. To meditate on the the things God has taught me, and the emotional process of leaving. So, I intend to do a lot more blogging the month of May...not so much for you, the reader...but as an avenue for me to process my thoughts. Posting them publicly simply keeps me accountable to actually doing it.

See?? That wasn't beautiful written, insightful, or funny...and I'm posting it anyways (and only proof-reading once!!) Hey, that's progress! =)

Shqiperia in the News

Not many "headliners" come out Albania, but every once in a while, this little country makes the international news...and this last week was one of those weeks! Check out these two articles...



http://www.euronews.net/2010/01/10/albania-hit-by-worst-floods-in-almost-half-a-century/

...and on the lighter side of things...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100107/od_nm/us_cross_girl

Workin' Men

Last week Steve and I braved the market on New Year's Eve to try to capture the wonderful madness of the holiday. I've already posted some of my favorite pics (Pazar te Mbare) but I wanted to give you a closer look at this picture, because these two men just cracked us up!


Not shy of the camera, these two life-loving Albanians were eager to have their picture taken. As soon as he saw my "aparati," the man on the right shouted to his friend, "Give me your cigarette! Wait, wait...hand me my Raki!" The man on the left grabbed his beer and jumped in the picture too.

And do you see that he's also flashing his wad of cash?

You may be thinking that these guys must have started their New Year's celebrating early! Nah, they were just hard at work!

I Heard the Bells

Albania 2009



We put together this slide show of friends, landscape, and ministry in Albania to share with our church in Vacaville. Hope you enjoy this glimpse into our Albanian life!

Sock it to Me!

I have a confession.

I love socks!

People know that I love socks. Friends and family buy me lots of socks.

They’re cheap. They’re fun. They’re great!

(in the tone of Bubba from Forrest Gump)...

I have striped socks, animal socks, Jelly Belly socks...

split toe socks, "toe-lder holder socks,"



matchy socks, fuzzy socks, slipper socks,

handmade socks...

and socks that were hand dyed with dynamite powder!

I just love socks!!

But I never would have considered myself as having a fetish or even that I'm a collector....until I decided to count them!

Drum roll please.....

I have 75 pairs!! Probably more if went through the laundry! That’s enough to get me all the way to March without ever washing a single pair!

The other day I was at work, the Street Children's Center, and began taking notice of the children's feet. Their socks were all torn, dirty, and falling apart....many didn't even have socks AT ALL ! While visiting one child at her home, I saw that her little brother was wearing hand mittens on his feet!

Guilt and conviction started to nibble at my toes. I figured it was time to do something...time to purge and give my surplus to those cold and needy little feet at the center.

Always one to give material objects unnecessary and ridiculous sentimental value, I'm ashamed to admit that this wasn't easy for me. Sorting through my sock drawer, and all the wonderful memories that are embedded in them, I made a rule...I would only get rid of socks that I could not remember where they came from or that I had bought for myself.

Here's what I managed to "sacrifice"...15 pairs. Out of 75 pairs, all I could manage to let go of was 15 pairs of socks!! I hang my head, (or shall I say, my warm and beautifully adorned feet) in shame.

I love this verse from Isaiah (and Romans)...

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

If only God was referring to the beautiful feet of those with fabulous socks...then this Christian walk would be a lot easier! Boy, I still have a long way to go...