Mission Albania

Albania Days #13 & #14

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:24:33 -0400

Albania Days #13 & #14

Day #13 -Headed Home-Geoffrey

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 06:48:00 -0400

Friends and Family!

I will be honest, I had this post completely done and the webpage deleted it all…So, I will do my best to remember everything that was typed.

We have had an amazing couple of days in one of the greatest cities in the world! It is literally breathtaking to walk down the streets and our tour guide say “that building is not very old,” and it is actually 1700 years old!

I will start off by expounding a little bit on what we saw on Monday. When we got here we went to the hotel, grabbed some lunch, and then got on the hop on/hop off tour bus. It was a great experience for us to just get to ride around and listen to the history in this great city. We got to see pretty much everything in the city, but we didn’t actually go in any of the historical sites until Tuesday (more on that later). One of the places that we did get to see on Monday was the Circus Maximus. This is the place where the chariot races (like the movie Ben Hur) happened. It is also the place in Rome where the most Christians were martyred. The area is so big that at one time it could fit upwards of 300,000 Romans in it. We finished Monday off by grabbing some gelato and trying to get some rest.

Tuesday we got up early, jumped on the worlds most crowded subway, and headed to meet our tour guide Stefano (steph-ahhh-no…not stefeno…he made sure we knew that) at the Roman Forum. We began our 8+hour walking tour at the Roman Forum, it was awesome to see the old “city center” of Rome. We then got to peak at 2 different archeological digs that are still going on at the Roman Forum.

After the Forum we walked over to the Colosseum. This is the place that I was most looking forward to. I was not disappointed. At all. It was simply amazing. I stood in one of the walkways and just looked out over the place where gladiators used to do battles to the death. We get so many aspects of our modern stadiums from the Colosseum: numbered sections, rows, seats, ticket entrance requirements, and the ability to vacate a massive amount of people in a relatively short amount of time. The Colosseum could at one time fit 50,000+ Romans in it, and they could completely empty it in less than a half hour.

We left the Colosseum, jumped back on the subway, and headed to the Vatican. It is crazy to me that the vatican is actually a city/state unto itself. When in Vatican city you are not in Rome and not even in Italy anymore. I probably could have spent a solid week just in the Vatican soaking up all of the history that resides within its walls. The 2 main highlights of that part of the tour are the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peters Basilica. The Sistine Chapel ceiling is where Michealangelo painted probably his most famous fresco. It was unbelievable to hear all that went in to his work, and it is far too much info for this blog post. After the Sistine Chapel we walked over to the Sistine Chapel, which is actually the largest church (in length and width) in the world. In this church all the popes are laid to rest.

After the Vatican we took the subway over to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. I still cant believe that I just typed that sentence. We said goodbye to our phenomenal tour guide at the Pantheon, and headed over to the Piazzo Navarro. There we bought any last souvenirs, ate dinner, and enjoyed our very last gelato.

Finally, after a long, amazing, exhausting day, we got to the hotel and tried to get some rest before waking up early to head home. I took a ton of pictures over the last 2 days, and I will try to get all of those thrown into a slideshow for everyone to see, but it probably wont happen before Sunday. Also, I have told all of the students this, but just so you know, I will be making a cd of all of the pictures that everyone took during the trip and giving it to everyone that went.

I know we have given you all of this information already, but I thought I would go ahead and give you the last minute information about today. Here are the estimated times of arrival at Beltway for our groups:

Group #1 - ETA at Beltway is 7pm

Geoffrey Turner, Kerri Kirby, Kaci St. John, Josh Dodderer, David Setser, Jabril Jackson, Jordan Cosper, Brianna West, Allison Keenum, Kimber Beam, Kristy Beam, Ashlee Justice

Group #2- ETA at Beltway is 2am

Leighton Lockett, Josh McQueen, Taylor Grant, Maitlyn Yarbrough, Tesney Ake, Rachel Stovall, Paige Parks, Sam Gomez

If you have any questions, I land in the states around 2:30pm your time, so feel free to call me and I will try to get you any information you need. My cell number once again is (325) 668-5601. Cant wait to see all of you! Thank you for all your prayers and support over the last couple of weeks. Please pray for a safe travel day, on time flights, and a safe drive home.

See you in a few hours!

-Geoffrey

Days #11 & #12

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:34:03 -0400

Howdy Ya’ll!

So sorry that I didnt post the last couple of days. It has been crazy busy here on this side of the world.

Before I type anything else I just want to thank everyone who has supported us throughout this trip, both financially and spiritually. We literally could not have done this trip without the support of others, so thank you so much.

Yesterday was Sunday (I think…time is running together). We spent the morning doing some trip reflection and discussion. We always want to acknowledge things that went well, and things that could have gone better. Sunday morning was that time. Then, Sunday afternoon we finished up packing and got ready for church.

Church was awesome. It was so fun to get to be around the Albanian people that we have come to love so much. They were such a blessing to us. So, thank you Pastor Shaban, Tahnie, Niku, Desi, and Jorida.

During church we had our students lead the worship, and also speak. Then, at the very end we got a chance to pray a blessing over each and every person that wanted it. They then prayed a prayer of blessing over us. It was an incredibly sweet time.

Monday morning started early…really early. We had to have our luggage downstairs and ready to be loaded in the vans at 4am. We got loaded, headed to the airport, and flew from Tirana to Rome.

We got to Rome, and got to get on a hop on/hop off tour bus. We drove all around the city and saw so many things. This city is amazing. The pictures we have all taken should tell it all.

Please pray for good rest for us tonight. I think we are all pretty tired from the last couple of days, so your prayers are appreciated. We miss all of you and cant wait to see you! (Especially you Sarah and Berkley!)

Blessings on all of you!

-Geoffrey

Video

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:17:55 -0400

Day #10- Kruja and Kastles –Geoffrey

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 06:07:15 -0400

Today was a good and restful day. We kind of took things easy and just enjoyed each others company. We had poured out so much of our energy and emotion this week in camp, and so it was a phenomenal time to just be with our team.

We went to a city called Kruja, and went to an old castle there. The city was incredibly beautiful, as was the castle. One of the coolest /unnerving experiences of the entire trip. After we had toured the castle we were walking along one of the streets and then all of the sudden we heard the muslim call to prayer. I can safely say that it stopped all of us in our tracks, and we immediately began to pray for the muslims in Albania.

After we got done touring, we got to do some shopping in the city. There were so many little shops, that sold many handmade items and Albanian souveniers. I even got my little baby some cute little hand made shoes!

Pray for us today, because it is our very last day in Tirana. We are spending the morning doing some recap and evaluation of the week, and then the afternoon we are going to rest/pack.

We miss all of you!

-Geoffrey

Albania Day #10

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:53:42 -0400

Albania Day #10

Day #10- David Setser

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:17:00 -0400

Hey guys!! It’s crazy to think that in 4 days we will be home. This week has gone by so fast. Yesterday was our last day of camp and it was really sad saying good-bye to all the kids but it touched my heart to witness how much love our team had shown to the kids and how much it affected them. I can’t believe it is already over but I know without a doubt that God has planted many seeds in the lives of the people here in Albania.

Today we went to Kruja, which is the old capital city of Albania. We toured a castle and it was just amazing getting to learn about the history of this country and how it came to be. While we were there the call to prayer from the Mosque went off and it was really almost brought a sick feeling to my stomach. It made me realize how blessed I am to have been raised in a country where Christianity is the main religion. My heart just sinks when I think about how the people here are sold out to unreal gods and how most of them have never even heard about Jesus Christ. I just ask that you all would be praying for a revival of all nations and that the name of Jesus Christ would be known all over the world!

Tomorrow we will be packing up and getting ready for one last evening spent with the church here. I am just pumped about see what all God is going to do tomorrow. A revolution is just now starting here in Tirana and this church is going to have a huge impact! The Lord has been so gracious to us thus far and has kept us safe from harm and has kept us away from sickness and I not sure that all of us know how big of an impact that he has made through us this week. It’s been an amazing blessing to be apart of this trip as it is my last youth trip and I can’t thank God enough for what he has done in my life through this trip. I love and miss you all and can’t wait to see yall on Wednesday!!

~David

Day #10- Kaci St. John

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:13:00 -0400

It’s hard to believe we’ve already been in Albania for 9 days. The last week has flown by, and now we’re preparing to say goodbye and head to Rome. It’s been an amazing week, and the Lord has done incredible things in and through us.

Today, we had the opportunity to travel to Kruja, a mountain town about an hour from Tirana. Kruja was the original capital of Albania, and is full of history. We toured an old castle, and learned about the origins and history of this amazing country, including the invasion of the Ottoman empire, which introduced (read, forced) Islam on its people. While we were at the castle, the call to prayer sounded from one of the Mosques, giving a sense of reality to the religious atmosphere of Kruja and by extension, Albania. The Lord revealed the spirit of oppression that reigns over Albania through this religion, and though many are not religious, the atmosphere retains that sense. I felt my own call to prayer from Father, to lift up the people of this nation, that they would find salvation and freedom in Christ.

Kruja was a lovely town, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. We did some shopping, paid too much for probably cheaply made souvenirs, then headed back to the hotel. This evening, I find myself preparing my heart for tomorrow’s goodbyes, ready to see Rome and come home, but not ready to part from these dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep praying for our team as we finish up the work we were assigned to do. Love and miss you all!

Day #10- Tesney Ake

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:05:23 -0400

Hey everybody!! Today we went to an amazing beautiful castle in the mountains. It rained a little but we still walked around and had fun. We went through a guide of the inside and learned some Albanian history and there was a spot where we took some really pretty pictures. It was really cool to see. There is a street by the castle that is filled with little shops to buy souvenirs. It was fun trying to bargain with them. Mindy and I were in this little old lady’s shop and we asked her if we could pray for her and she said yes. Her heart was so open to what we were saying, she started crying. She was the sweetest little old lady, she even sold me hand made gloves for half price. I’m not ready to leave Albania. God has been moving so much here, it’s incredible! Love and miss yall.

-Tesney

Albania Day #9

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 03:54:53 -0400

Albania Day #9

Day #9- Taylor Grant

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:26:27 -0400

Hello United States of America!!! Today was the last day of camp. We are all very sad that this week has come to an end, but very excited of what God has done! This morning started out with a great sports class, dance class, prayer walk, and story time with the gypsy people. I feel like the evening event was the high point of today though. We started out playing some Albanian games, watching skits and dances, and singing some Albanian praise songs. The last part of the night was the best however. We did a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which will be posted on this website in some point in time. Afterwards everyone applauded to the fact of how great He really is. Later, all of the students thanked us Americans for coming over and helping them realize the love that God has for them! It was really humbling to know that we have really made a difference in these people’s lives. This trip has not only changed the students lives, but ours as well. We have really made great relationships with the kids and it will be really hard to leave them this weekend. But we have to trust God that he will continue to work in the students lives like he has in ours. He has been doing great and mighty things here in Albania, we will be sad to leave but happy to see all of you again!

Yours in Christ,

Taylor Grant

Day #9- Last day of camp…seriously?!? –Geoffrey

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 19:25:41 -0400

Wow, it is really hard to believe that today was the last day of camp. I think it was significantly harder than we thought it was going to be. Who knew that you could build such heart attachments to people after only a week? Tonight’s post is probably going to be a little short, its 1:20am, and my computer batter is at 9%. So, I will try to say a lot in not too many words.

Today was a great day. The last day of camp went so smooth, definitely the best day yet. The Lord definitely opened doors. This morning on the prayer walk around the city, the team met 3 people that they invited to the night program tonight…and they came! They also got to pray for multiple people. One of the young men that they got to pray for initially said they could not pray for him. Then after they prayed for him he said that he didn’t feel anything at all…except his knees got really week, and his insides got all warm haha.

The Lord definitely opened doors for us to minister today, and our team took the most of those opportunities. Tonight was the night that we shared the gospel. Both Josh Dodderer and Kerri Kirby shared their testimonies and it was incredibly powerful. If you watch the slideshow you will see the “Jesus Drawing” that was done by our team, and once again, powerful.

I will try to post an extra time tomorrow with some more details on all that happened today, but I did want to give you a little glimpse into what happened.

Tomorrow we get to sleep in and then go to a Castle, which was the old capital of Albania. Pray for safe travel for our team, and for sweet dreams tonight.

I will post the slideshow first thing tomorrow morning (for us), so check for it when you get up and going! Blessings on all of you

-Geoffrey

Albania Day #8

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 06:39:29 -0400

Albania Day #8

Day #8- Is camp really almost over? –Geoffrey

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:10:14 -0400

Today was the second to last day of camp. It has seriously just flown by. It has been an incredible week. Parents, you can be so proud of your kids. They have truly shown Christ’s love to the people of Albania, both young and old.

In the picture slideshow today (which you can see tomorrow morning…sorry my internet crashed twice while uploading), you will see a lot of pictures with the Roma (or gypsies). It has been incredible for us to get to minister to them. They are hated over most of Albania, and they are just looking for people to accept them and love them. Our students have ben Christ to the Roma.

Today we did our normal activities, Sports, Dance, Arts and Crafts, Guitar, Photography, and Roma. It was a jam packed, day. Then tonight we had “Albania Night,” where they taught us Albanian dancing and sang the Albanian national anthem.

I had the opportunity to praise a student last night, and I will do it again tonight. There is this adorable 14yr old girl named Eggy (probably spelled wrong, sorry). This week, Allison has just poured out love on her. Today Allison had a little mishap with her wallet, and I think Eggy was actually more sad than Allison was. So…great job Allison!

Please be praying for our emotions tomorrow. So many of our students have built some great relationships with the people of Albania, and tomorrow we say goodbye to them, and I know that is going to be rough. Also pray for the last day of camp to go smooth. Lastly, pray for God to continue to open doors for us.

Thank you for all of your support!

-Geoffrey

Day #8 Allison Keenum

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:05:57 -0400

Howdy y’all! It feels like just yesterday we had our first meeting about this amazing trip to Albania, and now, our trips almost over. I remember the countdown being at 74 days, and now in 6 days or so, (I’ve honestly lost count) we’ll be hopping on planes back to reality. But I know that what we’ve started here won’t stop when we leave, but that God will continue to water even the tiniest seeds that we’ve planted. Words can honestly not express what this trip has meant for me, amazing is a huge understatement. I’ve seen God move in ways this week that I never expected, my prayers were that he would use himself through me to change lives, not that he would change mine, and he has. My expectations for this trip were definitely blown out of the water. The love that the Albanians showed the first day of camp shocked me, I was expecting them to be quiet and standoffish, but that was certainly not the case. They were so excited to meet new people and learn everything they could about us. Those are just some of the small ways that God has blessed me this week. I can’t wait to see what doors he opens for us the last days we’re here. This experience has changed my life, and I hope that we have changed others.

Blessings! - Allison

Day #8- Maitlyn Yarbrough

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:05:11 -0400

Realizing that tomorrow is our last day of camp has brought many mixed emotions. I’m feeling very sad that tomorrow wraps up our community time together with our new Albanian friends. However, I also know that there comes a time to end our ministry here and let the Albanians start doing the ministering themselves. Through just playing football, making a few bracelets, and our weak attempts at learning their language God has shown up and made His love known. As I have been forever changed by this journey, my prayer is that our team will leave just as big of an impact. Thank you for all your support! Your prayers along with our own have began to come together to make one strong army fighting for this country! Thanks!

-Maitlyn

Day #8- Brianna West

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:04:00 -0400

I cannot believe that tomorrow is our last day of camp! Today in sports we got the opportunity to bring a little bit of home to Albania. We taught them how to play American football and they loved it! When we asked them if they wanted to play soccer they asked us if they could play another round of our football. I was shocked! We had a lot of fun getting to play our own sport with them even if they didn’t completely understand. Also, our relationships with the people here have gotten stronger and stronger as the week has progressed. I’ve had some opportunities to have some great conversations and plant some seeds in people about Jesus. I’m so excited to see what God has planned for us tomorrow. Please be praying for us as our week of camp wraps up tomorrow. Thank you so much for all of your support! God bless from Albania!

-Brianna

The Great Handshake-Off of 2011

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:51:31 -0400

The Great Handshake-Off of 2011

Handshake-Off Victory!

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:55:51 -0400

Handshake-Off Victory!

Albania Day #7 (and some other various pictures)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:20:36 -0400

Albania Day #7 (and some other various pictures)