You Look Like an Animal

Yesterday I was told I look like an animal. 

I was so excited I knew what the sweet, scruffy old man had said, that I forgot to be offended. 

"Did you say animal??? Oh yes, yes!" 

I was buying lemons from him and looked up and he was laughing at me. 

You look like an animal. He said. 

And in all reality, I kind of do. 

I really bundle up when I go outside. So much so that I can't see out of my peripheral. I almost got hit by a car today...twice. 

 My pregnant, animal self. 

Yesterday it was a rainy, cold, snowy, cold day. Actually it's been like that for the last two weeks. 

It had been a couple days and I must have been acting a little stir crazy, or pregnant, or emotional or all of the above because Cory made me leave the house. 

Actually I know I was. I was tired of the weather. Annoyed that Shiloh skipped her nap. Discouraged with Albanian.

How could I get annoyed at her? 

So, I bundled up and decided to just go out and stock up on food. Normally I stop when I can't carry any more, and I head home. But yesterday I just made trips. 

I found strawberries. 
I got some exercise. 
I remembered the people that live around me that have so much less than I do. 

And I came home a much more energized, happy wife and mom to a sleeping baby and a wonderful husband. 

And I am thankful. That even though I don't deserve it, the Lord encourages my heart in the small ways. It is in those little ways that I daily see His care for me. 

And I was challenged, 

to get my act together on the days when I don't get to go out, 
and there are no strawberries, 
and it's snowing 
and my husband is gone 
and my baby is trying to pull my nose off (yes she does this when she gets mad at me...). 

And I realize too that the "hard" days are good. Because they make me more thankful for days like today. 

It was cold out but sunny and beautiful. We went on a walk with Shiloh singing in her stroller. 

In our Albanian lesson, concepts that haven't clicked for months, finally made sense in our brains today. 

The girls bible study was unreal. 

The sweetest girl (we will call her Leyla) and her friend have been coming to our bible study for a couple months now. They first started coming to church because of the play "A Christmas Carol" and have stuck around ever since. 

They both come from Muslim families, and even told my sisters that they were Muslim. 

I have mentioned this before, but in Albania, a kid saying they're Muslim can be much more ethnic than religious. 

So, I didn't know where she was at with the Lord and was planning on talking with her soon. 

In bible study, she always listens so carefully and asks questions and is so engaged. But that could also be because she likes to learn. 

We are going through the book of John. Recently, I have been wondering if I bit off a little bit more than I could chew. 

Their spiritual knowledge is only what they have learned the past 3 months in church. And while John is amazing, I have thought maybe it was a bit over all their heads. Especially since I am speaking English and the bible study is being translated. 

Today we were finishing John 6. 

Jesus literally says "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." 

Great. 

It was only 2 years ago that Christianity was recognized as a religion in Albania. 

Before that, it was a cult. 

So in light of that, I was a bit nervous about explaining to these teenage girls why Jesus says that we must eat his flesh. 

The word for "flesh" in Albanian is "mish." When I go to the butcher here, I go to the shop that says "Mish." So, it even translates a little...funny. 

Jesus says "Eat my meat..." or something like that. 

They all looked very confused and extremely grossed out. 

But then we began to break it down. 

Why would Jesus say that he is "the bread of life." 

What do we need to live physically? 

Are we only physical beings? 

What does our soul need to live forever? 

And I showed them from John 6 that Christ is saying he feeds and waters our souls. 

He is giving us a physical picture for a spiritual reality. 

And I keep thinking of Hebrews 4:12 "The Word of the Lord is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword." 

Because they understood. 

And this girl I mentioned above said, "That is beautiful." 

Then my sweet friend who I have mentioned before HERE, asked "What are the last days?" 

Great. Again. 

I was not prepared for this question. And I prayed. 

And I explained that:

Jesus will come back and he will reign on this earth. 

He will have a kingdom and he will be in charge of everything. 

You will be a part of his kingdom if you believe that he is the bread of life. 

And then from Leyla's mouth comes..."What will happen to the people who don't believe in Jesus? Where will their souls go?" 

And I gulped. 

Cory and I were talking tonight about how we didn't realize how much we would have to introduce to Hell to kids. They have actually never heard of it. They don't know what it is. They don't know that people go there when they die. 

"Yes," another girl says, "what about the people who don't believe in Jesus but they pray to God. What about the people in China and India?" 

Why China and India are even on the table when I'm sitting in Pogradec, Albania, I do not know...but apparently those are very far away, heathen places. 

How do I answer that question???

We turned to John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me." 

The only way we can be made right with God is through his son Jesus Christ. 

God made the world perfect. He made all people to have a right relationship with him. But man sinned. And because of that we are separated from God. 

The only way to God is through His son Jesus Christ. 

How does that make you feel?

And Leyla says "I am scared. I am not scared for myself because I believe in Jesus for myself. But I am scared for other people. For my family and friends. I am afraid that I will not be with them in the last day." 

And then I just wanted to cry. Amazed that this girl I had been wondering about does profess faith in Christ. Saddened at the reality of her words. Panicked knowing how to answer her. 

And that is why you have to tell them about him. I told her. 

I told her that is why Cory and I came to Pogradec. To help Erion and Melodie to start a church so that everyone in Pogradec could hear about Jesus. 

I told them that salvation is a gift. That many hear but not all believe. 

I told them that the gospel is the good news, but that this is the hard part. 

Jesus promises to save our souls forever. But he doesn't promise that your life will be easy. 

And they all shook their heads as if that resounded with them more than anything. 

And I am again, amazed at the power of the Word of God. 

What I thought would be the hardest passage so far, turned out to be one of the most spiritually deep and real conversations we have had. 

And in light of these biblical truths, nothing else matters really. The weather. Shiloh skipping her nap. Having a hard lesson. 

They all seem like such horrible things to complain about. 

Because Jesus is coming. And he will reign in his Kingdom. And I will be there. 

And I so badly want these girls to be there too. 

Please pray for their families. I do believe the Lord will work through these students, and use them to spread the truth to the mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. 

We have seen it happen already, and cannot wait to see what else the Lord will do.