Purple shorts and Pink Nails

Crazy Shiloh Belle makes us laugh all day long 

A few days ago...

I dyed my favorite pair of red shorts purple in the wash. 

And my husbands. I was even being abnormally on top of it and separated the lights from the darks. 

I also pulled off my babies diaper in the middle of the kitchen to give her a bath in the sink because I thought there was only pee...and then I found out I was wrong. 

And then I stepped in it.

I had to call the plumber for the 8th time because the sink is leaking and my bathroom is like the Soak Zone at Sea World.

At noon I realized I still had mascara under my eyes from the day before. 

I spent 2 hours gutting fish because I thought it would be a good idea to switch it up and have fresh fish for dinner instead of chicken. 

Shiloh skipped her nap and screamed for 25 minutes while she was supposed to be having "play time." 

I mopped all the floors right before the plumber walked in with muddy shoes. 

I ate a tablespoon of peanut butter for breakfast.  

I didn't got to camp because after Albanian lessons and gutting fish, it was over. 

It was a bit of a rough day...

But yesterday I spent time with a 15 year old girl I met at camp earlier this week. Her name is Irida. She comes from a Muslim family and this week was the first time she came to church.

I went with her to get my nails done. We talked and laughed the whole time (her English is really good). 

The shop belonged to a friend of hers. 

The lady doing my nails smoked the whole time. 

At one point she disappeared for 5 minutes.
She came back with a bag that had napkins and an energy drink called ADRENALINA. The can was pink and purple and looked like a disco ball.  

She asked me if I wanted some. I said no thank you. 

She gave a dirty glass to Irida and said something to her in Albanian.
Irida disappeared and returned a few minutes later with a "clean" glass.

Nail lady then poured me half a glass of ADRENALINA. It was neon yellow. 

I said thank you and took a sip. It tasted like gasoline. 

They made me put gold sparkles over my pink nails. Because pink was just too boring. 

Every person feels like a new opportunity. Every relationship matters. Every person I talk to I want to continue building a friendship with. 

I went to the evening session at camp and then stayed for the girls small group. 

We went around the circle and they all had to ask a question about the gospel. 

They all asked the same question in different ways. It was interesting to me because this is not normally a common question here. 

The questions all had to do with the Deity and Humanity of Christ. 

If Christ was a man how did he rise from the dead? 
If Christ was a man how did he heal people? 
If Christ was God, why did he die on a cross? 

And we answered these questions one by one. 
Each time sharing the gospel with a different emphasis and a different angle. 
The truth of the gospel blows me away as I explain it. 

One girl literally got up and walked a way. She was Greek Orthodox and you could tell she was upset. She said she had no questions because she knew the whole Bible. 

Another girl had tears in her eyes and said she knew about Jesus but she had never heard the entire gospel before. 

You could tell the were all processing. 

Every time we share the gospel or have a meaningful conversation, all I can think about is learning Albanian. I want to be able to share and disciple in their own language. The language of their mind and heart. 

Then we went on a long walk. 

Xhiro. This word literally translates-to go for a walk. There is a word for "walk" but this word is different. 

This word means its 8:00 PM and the whole town comes out. 
It means you put on your best outfit. 
It means the girls wear high heals. 
It means you casually glide down the street. This is not a power walk. 
It means you say hi to everyone you know that you pass. 
You stop. Hug. Touch both cheeks with your cheeks. Say "How are you doing?" Hug. Touch both cheeks with your cheeks. 
And walk on. 
It's like going to church every night. Kind of. 

I was walking with Irida and met about 20 people.

Every person asked "Why are you here? Why did you move here?" They cannot figure out why an American would move to Pogradec. They think we are crazy. 

I told every friend of Irida's to come visit me at my house. They all got big smiles on their faces and said "Yes, yes we will come." 

It was an amazing day... 

And I am reminded that...

Some days will be hard. 

Some days will be confusing. 

Some days I will wonder what in the world I am doing living on top of NOA Bank in Albania. 

Some days I will struggle just to function as a wife and mom. 

But many days will be full. 

Full of work. 

Full of sharing. 

Full of adventure. 

Full of truth. 

Full of Jesus. 

Full of the Lost. 

Full of the Hungry. 

Full of the Open. 

Thank you for your love and prayers. 

Camp 2 ends tomorrow morning. Please pray for these hungry hearts and lost souls.