Jams and Pickles

This was last week but I didn't have a chance to post it...

Besa lives on top of the mountain behind my house on the outskirts of Pogradec. 

It's probably not a mountain, but it's definitely not a hill. There should be a word for this kind of in-between dirt mound. 

I had driven there before to drop off "the frueets for the jams." Her mom is worried that this young mom from America is not ready for the Albanian winter. She's probably right. So, she wanted to get me ready by stocking me up with some frueets for the winter. Jam. 

We don't eat jam. Mostly because we don't eat bread here. The bread here is all white, fluffy goodness. It tastes good, but that's where the goodness of it ends. Sometimes I dream about Ezekiel raisin bread. I'm not joking. 

But the dear woman insisted on making me jam. I couldn't say no. Fig jam. Peach jam. Plum jam. When I tasted it my mouth watered because of how sweet it was. Kind of like a Warhead. Those intensely sour candies from elementary school. I haven't thought about Warheads in probably 15 years. But when I tasted that jam, it was the first thing that came to mind. Not because it was sour but because of the intensity of the sweetness. 

I think we almost rolled over a cliff when I drove there last time. There is literally a 2 foot deep crevice in the middle of the road. It is made of dirt and rocks but it is at about a 90 degree angle. It's steep and the rocks make it slippery.

Today I went to Besa's again for a visit. She is leaving for school in Tirana on Saturday and I told her I would come to her house before she left.  I told her that this time we were definitely walking because the drive was terrifying. 

I am a little embarrassed to say I was kind of dreading it. 

The hike. You walk a different way than you drive. I wasn't sure what the walking road was like but I was expecting it to be pretty bad because of how high her house is. I couldn't take my stroller because of the road and Shiloh Belle is getting chubby! Also, pregnancy just makes me tired. Not sick but super tired. I'm no workout phenom either. I wasn't looking forward to carrying Shiloh up the bigger than a hill dirt mound.

The pickles. I'm afraid of pickles. Not like I just don't like them. When I see them my stomach turns. And that's even when I'm not pregnant. I am always offered food everywhere I go. And for some reason, they do something to their vegetables here that makes them all taste like pickles. It looks like a perfectly normal pepper and then all of sudden you are eating a pickle. Last time I went to Bruna's house I was offered a red pepper stuffed with cabbage. It looked normal enough. Pickle. 

The time. We have been doing language lessons almost every morning this week. The power has been going off every 5, 10 or 20 minutes so I can't finish my laundry. The light fixture in our kitchen dropped to the floor and shattered all over the place the other day so we had to find a new one and get that fixed. I have also decided that when I said a dishwasher didn't save that much time I was crazy. Shiloh's getting teeth and is a cranky pig. I am going to Greece tomorrow to get her shots so I need to get ready for that. A long visit up the mountain felt like a bit much. 

Only selfish reasons. Nothing legitimate. My week has been a little full but whatever. Such is life. 

The hike wasn't half as bad as I thought it was going to be and the view was incredible. It's crazy how beautiful something can be from far away. That sounds bad. But what I mean is that you can't see the trash and the dirt and the bad roads and the crumbling buildings. It's amazing. 

Besa's mom and grandma welcomed us in and ate Shiloh up. 

Albanian homes are immaculate. They mop every day. Their is not a spec of dirt or dust in sight. It was full of gorgeous hand made decorations. Rugs, linens, napkins, pillows. There is truly something to be learned from the way Albanian women care for their homes. It is their job, and they take pride in it. 

We sat down in the living room and Shiloh was the center of attention of course. Whenever you make a visit to an Albanian's home you are given a candy and a drink that tastes like sugar water. If you are a man, you are given Raki which is an alcohol they make that is about 95% alcohol. The men here drink it all day long. Small sips. Coffee, Raki, Coffee, Raki, and so on. 

Besa's grandma is 94 years old. She got married when she was 15 and her husband died 45 years ago. I can't believe all of the history that she has lived through. 

I asked her (through Besa translating) about communism. The difference between Albania then and now. She liked it better before, she said. It was cleaner. Safer. There were more jobs. There was structure. She loved Enver Hoxha (known as one of the worst dictators in history). She wishes he would come back. What do you say to that? 

Besa then showed me her "paya." This is the clothing, linen ect. that will be given to her when she gets married. Her mom has been working on it for 2 years. Before that she was busy with Besa's two older sisters who are now married. It was beautiful work and looked so time consuming. Besa and her mom were very proud of it. Rightly so. 

Besa's mom gave me some knit socks that are awesome. She also told me she wants to knit Shiloh some pants and a jacket. 

I somehow got roped into eating lunch. My second lunch for the day. There were peppers. They looked normal enough. Besa's mom wanted to make sure I ate a lot because I am pregnant. I tried to explain 4 times that I had lunch before I came. It didn't matter. I'm pregnant so I should eat! I wasn't touching the peppers. They kept pointing and asking why.  So I tasted one. I think I made an awful face. It was completely accidental. That was the worst one I had ever had. I said it just surprised me. Which was an understatement. I was shocked. I don't know how they get them to taste like straight up vinegar pickles. I simply could not have another bite. I smiled and chewed for a LONG time. 

I later found out that Albania has a very strong culture of "returning favors" for lack of a better phrase. Or: showing honor and respect in a relationship is a constant ebb and flow of "treating each other." If I invite you to my house, you invite me to yours. If you take me out for coffee, I take you out for coffee. And it's not like a burdensome obligation. It is an honor. It is a sign of friendship. Besa had been in my home many many times. I couldn't figure out why she wanted me to go to hers so bad. But it was for the relationship. She wanted to honor me by having me in her home. In many ways it solidifies our relationship. 

I am so thankful that I went to her house that day. In such a short time I learned so much about Albanians. 

The way they treat guests. 

The way they care for their home. 

The way they build relationships. 

The way they care for their families. 

The way they value loyalty and conscientiousness. 

I left with a pair of pants for Shiloh, apples, wool socks, a handkerchief and a ton of walnuts. 

When I left, I invited Besa's mom to the women's bible study. 

She came on Monday. She told the women that last year, Besa got on a bus and met an American (a guy on one of our teams) who invited her to English camp. Besa went to camp. She became a Christian. This year, her brother came to camp. He became a Christian. Now, Besa's mom said, I am learning too. The rest of the women started talking about the changes that had taken places in their sons after they attended camp and got involved in church. And I realized that almost every women there, was coming to bible study because they had seen their sons and daughters change. They had watch how Christ transformed their life. And they want to know why. 

I truly cannot believe we get to be a part of this. I cannot believe that even though I complain about eating pickles and being tired and walking far, the Lord still lets me watch Him work in Albania. 

We are so thankful that we get to watch this little church plant from the beginning. We cannot wait to look back in 5, 10 and 20 years and see what the Lord has done.

Plumpers and Pumpkins

"The plumper is here!!!" 

Irida burst into the bible study right as we were about to begin. She was out of breath. 

She had messaged me earlier and told me she was going to bring the plumper by today because I had told her about the problem in my shower. She knows a plumper because he lives in her apartment building. 

"I have been knocking downstairs for 10 minutes! What is wrong with you guys??" She said. 

Have I mentioned we have a bullet proof door? I'm serious. There's not even a door knob. You need a key to open it. It's a 3 inch thick metal wall. 

When we first moved here we told the landlord we needed a new door because the old one was paper thin glass. So she got us a bullet proof one from Tirana. Makes perfect sense. 

Anyways, we can't ever hear anyone knocking because the door is so thick. 

Poor plumper. 

The shower doesn't drain. You can imagine taking a shower in a tub that barely drains. Ew. 

After I let the plumper in we continued with our first girls bible study in Pogradec! 

We have been having girls nights every week for a few months and decided now was the time to shift it into a bible study. The girls had even been asking if we were going to do that. 

We are going to go through the book of John. 

Today I did an introduction amidst babbling baby girls, translation pauses, and stick figure drawings. I always use stick figures and pictures to explain the Bible. Teenagers and even adults are really no different than kids when being taught. Everyone likes to be amused. And believe me, my drawings are very amusing. 

We talked about why we should study the Bible. 

We talked about how the Bible is many different stories but it is also one big story of God's plan for humanity. 

We talked about Adam and Eve and Israel and the promised Messiah. 

Every time I explain God's plan of salvation in simple terms I am stuck by its power all over again.  

I am so looking forward to this bible study with these girls. Please pray for this time! That the Lord would cause it to bear fruit, and use it in their lives. 

At the end, everyone stayed and danced to Albanian music for a long time. You hold hands and do the steps in a big circle. 

Then we all went on a xhiro which I have written about before HERE. 

And I was thinking about how everything we did this afternoon, were some of the first things that drew Cory and I to Albania. 

Their hunger for the Word and for Truth. 

Their fun and loud culture where everyone loves to sing and dance. 

Their emphasis on community and friendship. Even if this means walking arm and arm as slow as you possibly can for an hour and just laughing and talking. 

On our xhiro today the girls were teaching me some Albanian. They always get so exasperated at us. They think it is so easy and we are so dumb. Hahahaha...

I explained to them that Albanian actually IS HARD. 

In English a hat, is a hat, is a hat. It's a blue hat. It's the boy's hat. Its the hat that was given to the boy. It's a HAT. One word. 

In Albanian EVERY noun is in at least 10 different forms! Usually more. And I thought it was just the colors...

They also told me my belly is getting SO big. How nice. In America we just go around telling pregnant women how good they look-"Wow! You don't even look pregnant!" In Albania, they tell you you are getting fat. It's meant as a compliment but how am I supposed to take it that way? Oh well. 

Also today....

*Our power went out roughly 42 times. 

"The Almighty" came to fix it. He is called this because of his uncanny ability to ATTEMPT to fix all things. This means he can fix everything and nothing all at the same time. 

I am praying that in the situation he is more Almighty than not. Because, Shiloh's cloth diapers only last so long and I need electricity to do laundry. 

** I decided to make pumpkin puree so I could make pumpkin cookies for the girls bible study. 

If you are looking for a good way to bust open a pumpkin...drop it. 

I started to cut it but didn't have the patience. So I went out on the balcony, lifted it over my head, and dropped it. 

I looked up and 3 men on the next balcony were staring at me. 

They probably would have been staring at me anyways. I was wearing mismatched sweats and had a mess of a pony tail on my head. 

***Shiloh Belle is a wild child. She makes us laugh all day. Here is one of her favorite faces to make. 

****Cramer Baby 2 is 13 weeks and growing (obviously since I keep getting told how much bigger my belly is). 

*****Right now Pogradec is in an uproar. It's 9:30 at night and I'm inside my house but it sounds like I'm in a stadium. There is a qualifying game for the Euro Tournament. Futbol. They are playing Serbia. Albanians and Serbs DO NOT like each other. Majorly because of the events that took place during the Kosovo crisis (which I know little about). People were wrapped in Albanian flags in the street today. Cory is watching the game with some kids at a coffee shop down the road. He just texted me that they may close the game because of the fighting and explosions going on by the stadium in Serbia. 

Well, hopefully Albania wins. And hopefully when they do, they don't wake Shiloh up with their whooping and cheering. 

American Lottery

Did you know there is an American Green Card Lottery? 

Every year 50,000 people from selected more impoverished countries in the world are given Green Cards and a chance to move to America and "live the American Dream."

The first or second night of every English Camp, the talk is about "Hopes, Dreams and Goals." Where do you want to go in life? What would make you the most happy? What are your deepest desires and hopes? 

For a majority of the students, their ultimate dream, is to move to America. 

America represents opportunity. 

We would always ask them where in America they wanted to go...thinking it would be LA or New York or Chicago. 

"CON-NEC-TI-CUT." They would sound out each syllable. 

"Where??" 

"CO-NEC-TIC-CUT." More annunciation. 

"...Oh, I don't know where that is." 

Finally, you realize they are saying Connecticut and you are even more confused. 

Your dream is to go to America and you want to live in Connecticut??? 

You try to hold in your confusion...I don't want to burst anyones bubble. I mean, I've never been to Connecticut so maybe its absolutely glorious. 

Come to find out most of them want to go where they already have family. Why they already have family in Connecticut I will never know. 

"How do you plan on getting there?" You begin to ask kids. 

"I want to win the lottery." They all say. 

"The lottery?" And I'm thinking, this is one of the poorest countries in Europe and they have a lottery??? Again, you don't want to burst anyones bubble and say "look, the chances of you winning the lottery are slim to none so maybe you need to come up with a more realistic dream." 

Instead you ask, "How much is the lottery?" 

After a lot of translating and explaining you realize they aren't talking about a cash lottery but a lottery to get a free Green Card to America. 

This still seems like a slim to none chance. How many people get to go? 

October is the month you can apply for the lottery so right now everyone is talking about it. 

We recently found out that about 5,000 Albanians are chosen PER YEAR. 

In a country of only 3 million that's actually more than a slim to none chance considering not everyone is eligible to apply. 

You have to have a certain level of education or job experience. 

You have to have someone you know or family waiting to take care of you in America until you can establish yourself. 

In fact, we know a few people in the last years who have gone to America through this lottery system. 

So its not a vast amount of people but its enough to create HOPE. 

We were recently asked what we foresaw being one of greatest setbacks in ministry. I believe this has something to do with it. 

Most students want to leave Albania. That is their highest goal. 

I used to think they didn't understand. That they had an unrealistic picture of America. That they were placing their hope in something that would inevitably disappoint them. 

But the more I am here, the more I understand. 

The systems here are riddled with corruption. 

You bribe the doctor to give you the correct diagnosis. 

You pay your teacher to give you the grade you deserve. 

You slip cash in your passport at border control to cut in front of 40 cars. 

Because I am from America, I see all the problems with it, but I do forget about the opportunity it provides. 

If you work HARD, their is a great potential that you can achieve your goals. 

And that statement is all relative. 

I don't mean anyone can live in Beverly Hills or own a yacht. 

The goals Albanians are dreaming of is getting a job that pays for food and electricity. They want to live very simply. 

Not having to bribe your teacher to give you the grade you actually deserve. 

Not having to have your electricity shut off in the winter because you can't pay the last year of bills. 

There are VERY few jobs, even if you have a college education. 

And they will work together and work HARD for these things. They might run into obstacles and hard times and confusion in America, but not necessarily the brick walls of corruption they run into here. 

And it is not only America that they go to. They go to Italy, Germany, France, Greece and many other places. In fact, most of the money in Albania comes from family members sending it from the outside. Of the 6 million Albanians in the world, only 3 of them actually live here. Most of them, especially this younger generation, want to get out. 

I guess I don't really know how to respond when people tell us they just want to leave. 

It's a little bit of an odd feeling when you have left your home and your family to come and love them. 

But at the same time, I understand. I understand wanting to pursue a different life than subsistence farming or owning a tiny shop in front of your house. 

So we can pray: that the Lord would raise up strong leaders that would be passionate about their people knowing who Christ is. And we are so thankful to already see that happening. 

And its also good to remind ourselves that we are here to serve and obey. We will work hard. We will give these people our all. We will be faithful testimonies of Jesus. But we aren't responsible for the results. That is all God. We can plant seeds and water the plants, but only God can make them grow and bear fruit. 

And we are thankful to watch as God works! 

This fall, 5 bible studies have started at our little church plant in Pogradec! 

Last year this time there was 1. 

There are people in the street asking if we have a children's ministry or a women's bible study they and their kids can come to. 

The spiritual climate is overwhelmingly beautiful. 

There is hunger and hopelessness. 

There is teachability and thirst. 

We are so thankful to throw ourselves into ministry with these people.

Cory speaking at the Youth Meeting