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.

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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!