In Other News...

*Last week at girls bible study I told them we wouldn't be having bible study this week because of camp. They asked if they could come the next day...

"You want to come again and do bible study tomorrow?" I said. 

"Yes can we?" They all nodded. 

"Of course!!!" 

So they came the next day. 

We have been going through John and are just about to the end before Jesus is crucified. 

Every week we do a review and it is constantly amazing to watch what the Word of God can do. 

I love these girls and am so blessed by their faithfulness, eagerness and friendship. 

**I don't know if I've mentioned this before but there is not a nursery or Sunday school class at our church right now. 

I will spare you the details of why but lets just say it makes Sunday mornings PRETTY tricky for me. 

Shiloh used to take a morning nap for the entire service in my Ergo. That worked great until she dropped her morning nap and I was 6 months pregnant with Taliah. 

All of the kids go to a room in the back and run in circles. 

It's a room full of corners and dust and wound up boys. I am waiting for Shiloh to just get a gash in her head. 

In the winter it is freezing. In the summer it is sweltering. 

It's only women and babies so Cory and I can't take turns.  

So for most of this year, when I go to church, I go for the music and then have to go to the back. 

Sometimes I just want to cry. 

Like why get up, get the babies ready, throw off their naps to drive 45 minutes both ways and sit in a back room where I can't hear the sermon and even if I could talk to the women, we can't talk because the kids have gone wild and I'm trying to keep Shiloh from getting trampled?

I mean I do it but sometimes I just feel like...WHY???

And yes I know why...I'm just saying...

And I'm being a bit flippant about this but truly it has been a struggle for me. 

So I am very much looking forward to when we have our own church service in Pogradec in the fall. 

BUT right now I have a plan that is going to drastically change my Sunday mornings. 

Shiloh is going to learn how to sit still for the entire church service. 

I am determined. 

We are currently up to 15 minutes...I will update you with our progress. 

We just have to work on her not talking really loudly to her books while she looks at them...

Any tips? 

***Taliah has cradle crap and today a lady asked me what it was. 

I said, "It is broken." 

It wasn't until I left that I realized I said her head was broken instead of dry. 

The words are very similar. 

****This week the camp is in Pogradec and we are calling this team "The Dream Team." It is made up of friends who have been here doing camps for many summers and of our amazing interns. 

Ryan and Natalie (a long time friend) met here 2 years ago. I told Ryan he should marry her at the end of that first summer but went their separate ways (Nat to Seattle, Ryan to Chicago). However, last summer they hit it off and spent many hours talking at our kitchen table. They got married 5 months later. Now, they are back to help us with this Pogradec Day Camp and lead the tent camp next week with Alderwood Community Church. So thankful to have them here! 

Kassi got saved at a summer camp at Shasta that Cory and I were at in 2011. She was invited to Shasta by Natalie who was her health teacher. She was on my boat that year and in my small group the year Cory and I lived in Seattle. She was on the first team to Albania in 2012 and it has been so awesome to watch the Lord save her, grow her, and use her. Love you Kass! 

We also have Chris Calvi from Faith Bible Church who was on one of the teams last year. Cory served with him at Faith when he was doing worship there the year we lived in California. Chris has jumped in and is playing the guitar for the evening sessions. We are so thankful he said yes to coming and helping this week! 

Rachael Davison, who is JV staff and lives in Czech, has jumped in this week as well. Although thing are done a little differently here in Albania she has made herself at home teaching English and leading a small group. Again, so thankful to have her here! 

We also have our amazing interns (minus Nathan who is gone this week and who we are missing A LOT) who we could not have done this summer without. Bethany and Katelyn you will never know how thankful we are for you! 

And of course the dreamiest of the dream team is my incredible husband! 

This man has been working SO hard this summer and I am so proud of him. 

Seriously, I can't say enough about it. 

I love that our relationships at home are at the core of our ministry here in Albania. 

I love that girls who have been in my small groups back home (Katelyn, Kassi, and two girls on one of the Alderwood Teams) are coming here to lead small groups this summer. 

I love that this is Natalie's 4th summer in Albania and that she met her husband here. 

I love how the Lord uses His body around the world and I'm so thankful for all of our incredible friends who support what God is doing here. 

Tonight Cory is teaching for the Evening Session. Please pray for open minds and hungry hearts. Please pray for this team as they talk about God with many kids who have never talked about Him before.