Pogredec, Albania

After a few days here I thought I would share a few observations:

• There is a big lake here and is considered the tourist town of Albania (more so for Albanians) as there is little pollution here…however, that doesn’t include the lake that we have been advised to sadly, not swim in. Why? Well apparently that’s where ALL the sewage pipes drain into…sigh!

• Between 6-7pm, people come out for there evening beach front stroll

• After an evening out walking along the beach front and sitting to enjoy our first Albanian meal, I observed that there were many men and very few women about. So where are the women? Apparently at home preparing house/food for the men when they come home. Women, sadly, are not held with high respect here and are mainly for keeping house and children. Also horribly sad, family abuse is the norm.

• You will rarely, if ever, see a women and man walking together. It is either men with men, women with women or women with children.

• Girls (and children) go missing often, though more so outside the town out in the country, many Roma women and children.

• Widowed women are required to mourn for an allotted amount of time (can’t remember exactly how long) and you will notice many older women wearing all black. This is because as a widow they are required to wear black for the rest of their lives.

• As a team, we mostly travel in threes at a minimum, as you can never walk as just one man and one woman as to the Albanian people that declares that you are married.

• It is not wise to climb a mountain in the middle of the day…or at least make sure you have more than enough water, lol. The view however, of the town is spectacular! And at the top is a great place to pray over the city.

• YWAM has done a lot in Albania but as things that have been around for awhile (since the borders opened 15 years ago), even though still just as important as when it first started, have a much harder time finding funding for the ever so important projects, like Christian schooling and church plants and orphanages. People get bored, they want something new and exciting, its sad, but its how we are.

• I’m incredibly excited for our time here and for our day camps. I look forward to sharing this time with you and sharing many more stories. Please pray for us in this week that we can be loving servants and the face of Jesus to these children. Pray for patience and flexibility as well.