Making dessert (a Friday night tradition)
Painting Nails
I missed out on taking a group picture, but I got the bikes! We planned a youth group bike ride to a nearby village, that turned out to have gross lake water so we just ended up coming back to Pogradec and swimming. It was a long, fun day that left many people with crazy sunburns!
The girl I wrote about in the last post, has continued to ask some heavy questions about Christianity vs Islam and there is another boy in the youth group who grew up in a Muslim household, that has helped her. In explaining his testimony, he said that sometimes he doesn't know how to explain what happened, other than that Christ changed his life and then he went on to share the gospel. She is asking the pastor here many questions and she is amazed that he is willing and able to answer her questions and give her the time of day, because in her experience with Muslim leaders, they have not done so. Please continue to pray for her!
Yesterday we started a training for about 20 kids in the youth group. Well, Bethany and I didn't start it, but we are there to help. The students had to commit to being available everyday and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they are going through a fundamentals of the faith workbook. Most of these kids who are saved, have only been saved for at most, a year. They have exemplified such a hunger to know more and already after one day, many have done their "homework" and are so excited about it. Bethany and I did ours too and it probably took us a lot longer than them. We decided to translate the entire chapter (thank you Google translate!) and then answer the questions. It was a great way to get familiar with Albanian words :). On that note, Bethany and I have taken a few language classes, because when we have gone to get groceries we have had trouble asking "How much is this?" and then being able to give them the proper amount of lek, so having those few lessons has made a great difference! I can count to 10 and ask a few questions and say "cow," "snake," and "eagle." :) Hoping to learn more! The girls love to teach us, but they talk so fast and many of the Albanian letters (36 of them!!) sound similar to American ears.
One of my favorite things to do is go grocery shopping. It goes like this:
We go to the bakery for bread
than down the next street we go to the meat market
and then we go a few doors down to a little market for fruit
and finally, we go to another market for spices and cheese
and do it all again the next day, because we can only carry one days worth of food.
I have come to love it.
What to pray for:
-The training. I will provide more details as we have more training, but this is an incredible chance for these kids not only to study the Word, but also to be put in a position of leadership, something they would not get anywhere else because of the lack of job opportunities here. They are being trained to run VBS camps, MC at big events, crowd control and how to face paint. Please pray that their parents would continue to support them in this, that they would have fun while doing this and ultimately that would more about their Savior and the promises of his Word.
-Pray for the upcoming camps. We are doing a lot of preparation right now and in Albania, things seem to take just a little bit longer to accomplish, please pray for renewed strength for the leaders of the church and for us. It is a joy to prepare, but we are also excited for camps to start!
I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here. I wake up every morning and cannot believe I am here seeing the God of the universe work in the lives of people in a very different culture.
I have taken much joy in the comfort of the promise offered in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We serve a faithful God!
-Kate
SO cool to read this and hear the awesome opportunities the Lord is giving you! We will keep praying for you! Love you!
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