A 'RESPECT'ful Rollercoaster

Week two in Albania had it’s trials and was certainly a rollercoaster week. For myself personally, I started it off with being sick – only a cold but still finding myself sucked of energy that was certainly needed. However, I wasn’t the only one this week. After a few days a few more of us caught various ailments with one from our team being out of commission for a couple of days. Thankfully on the whole we have all found healing as the week came to an end.

Our theme for this week of camp was on ‘Respect’ with a side of love and compassion. It certainly was a needed theme as it was something we dealt with in various ways during the week. For some reason this week, things were definitely more chaotic, children extra hyper and not as attentive. We changed the layout of our day twice, trying to fill in any extra time that found us standing around, which coincidently happened to be when things became most chaotic. A few personalities changed, we were certainly out of the honeymoon stage – within our group and for the children as well.

It made you really wonder what was happening at home for some of these children. One of the boys who were so helpful last week seemed to have a massive amount of ants in the pants, rarely finding him able to sit for a moment, running this way and that, screaming and rarely following direction. On Friday, another one of our boys (Gjino) strongly acted out, slapping another child and kicking another, meanwhile in the girls group his sister was clingy, emotional and just not at all her smiley self. We found out after one of our guys and our contact had a sit down with the boy and he told them about the horrible nightmare he had gone through the night before. There are 5 in the family and Gjino, the oldest, is the only one with a different father. That night he was on night patrol – trying to be protector, trying to keep his family safe – no sleep for him. His step-father had come home drunk and beat his mother to a pulp. Here is a boy having to watch his mother get beat up by a man that isn’t his father and yet he can do so little. It is so hard to hear and see the consequence of these times in these beautiful children. Gjino is a good boy and so far he has not become completely hardened from his childhood but it could be a matter of time before that changes. I pray not.

On Thursday afternoon, on our way back from camp we sadly came across four of our students already out at the graveyard across the street, having probably been sent out as soon as they arrived at home by a parent or family member. The purpose of being there? To beg. It is cultural practice here when someone passes away that you are suppose to give to the poor, so often children can be found outside of the gates waiting for the families to leave and give of their ‘good deed’. It was so heartbreaking to see our children there. At first we were so dumbfounded we didn’t know how to react, finally making up some sandwiches and just spending what would have been our down time to relax from the long day with these beautiful children. It was certainly worth the trade-off. I gave one of the sandwiches to a girl named Sona, who is not from our camps, gave her a hug when she appeared receptive to it and then found her locked to my hand and side for the next hour. She was so shy at first but as we began playing games of Stella-Stella-Ola and thumb wars, she came alive.

Friday evening we headed into the mountains to visit another area where one of the families lived. These three girls only started coming to camp this week and already I have fallen in love with them. So shy to start as well they too are quick to give and receive a hug and smile. The family they come from are considered to be the bottom of the barrel and they know it too. They are the poorest of a certain collection of related families and it was rather apparent as they hadn’t had a bath in quite some time. One of our team helped give them bathes and pick out the many lice that had found home in their tossled hair. The area where they come from is quite the walk away and has no running water and only two porta potties for 6 families (in the past there were 20 families). We visited in their ‘house’, which was a room no larger than a typical classroom inside of a large concrete building with very few working windows to keep out the cold. I was somewhat surprised and thankful to see that this room wasn’t as awful as I had imagined it could be but to say the least, still completely unsatisfactory for living standards. They did have a number of couches that were their beds as well. Not sure how they were able to afford them (outside of begging) but am thankful to know the girls are not sleeping on the ground. Another gave a short testimony, we shared a time of prayer, thanked them and were on our way.

Today, on our day off we had the wonderful opportunity of traveling to Macedonia and enjoying the beautiful town of Ohrid. What a great day, though I am thoroughly exhausted now. It was so wonderful to experience this vibrant place, of many contrasts to Pogredec and only approx. 30 km away. It was wonderful to see, smiles and laughter all around, men and women together, hand holding and just plain respect for one-another. Surprisingly, many spoke English as well, which was helpful. I’m thankful to God how he has blessed us to see the many good things amongst the not so pleasant.

We only have one week left of camps, two weeks left total. Tomorrow we will be moving out to a different spot as others are arriving Sunday night to stay where we have been. It will be sad to move from this spot as we have gotten to know the faces of the people of this area, grocery shopping amongst the same store owners each day. We will be clear across town near to where we hold camps, so I doubt we will find ourselves out this way too often again, unless we have an urge to go to the gypsy market which is right around the corner and of course the neighbourhoods we visit are out this way too. Well, I guess we will see 

Thanks again so much for your continued support in prayers and in love. I hope you are all doing well at home too. Love you all!

An Emotional Week in Albania

Well, we’ve just finished our first week of summer camps and it has been quite the week on so many levels. Emotions run with joy, love, compassion, hope but sadly mixed with anger, frustration, and sadness.

As you know, myself along with two others, have come to Pogradec, Albania (which borders on Macedonia and Greece) leading 12 students. This past week, we have had our realities turned upside down, our ground shaken and our hearts completely broken by a group of 24 Roma and Albanian children who come to our day camp from 9 in the morning till 1:30p.m every day.

Perhaps part of it comes from the fact that we are so blessed to see the same children each day, getting to know them more and more, having the opportunity to feed into their lives God’s love and our own. Possibly from knowing a little of where they are coming from and yet at awe that over just a short matter of time, the trust many of them have built up with us seen as they run towards us when they first arrive, ready for great big hugs and a smile. It’s enough to bring tears to your eyes – often – which is what happens to most (then having to try and hide it right away).

Several of the children that have come to our camp have been children of special needs. One boy is Xhulio. He has a brilliant and alert mind, the most beautiful smile, but his deteriorating body imprisons him. Save a miracle, muscular dystrophy will take his life in 2 years or less. He loves to watch the boys play futbal and often we throw a green ball back and forth as it just fits in his palm perfectly. He loves to spin the globe with his tiny hands, pointing at Canada and Albania. A few nights ago, Sue dreamt that he was running.

Klyde is 24 years old but has the mind of a young boy. We have been paired up three of the days this past week and already I have a strong fondness for him. He can be rather intimidating to a few in our group, due to his large physique and powerful clap and voice but he really is just a big teddy bear with a great sense of humour. He loves giving me high fives and big smiles. His footing is a little off so as we walk to the park to join others, with our hands and arms interlocked for just an added balance and guidance. I have had the pleasure to also meet his mother, who runs a little ‘convenient shop’ and they look so much like each other.

Desi is a tomboy. Her first day she joined us in the boys group and had a ball but by the next she found herself with the girls, pouting when the boys run off to play futbal and she has to stay and do crafts (I DO feel for her!). She is wonderfully theatrical and uses her limited but improving English to constantly entertain us. Desi’s mother has left her and her 3 siblings to marry another man and start a new family. Somedays, Desi shows up talking about how her brother wants to take her to Greece. We all know what happens in Greece, and so does Desi. It is a situtation that has caused much stress and upset in our group as we have become so fond of Desi.

Sheila’s (pronounced like Swalla) mother is in town, which means high alert. Her mother is a working lady, a victim of trafficking. Sheila has 10 aunts and uncles and 6 of them are working the streets. Grandma is the trafficker. What is the point of awareness campaigns and educating potential victims when grandma is the trafficker? Sheila found a way out when she was just 3 years old when a loving family adopted her. The reality, however (and what really hits hard) for the rest of the children, is that they just might not show up for the next days camp.

There are so many more children and so many more stories to share. I have been with the boys group this whole week and have just fallen in love with them, despite their hardness or roughness as it is so evident that there is a little child who just wants to be loved and appreciated behind the front. I think of Gjino, a 14 year old who has a tendency to throw a ‘fake’ punch but knowing full-well he has to be on his best behaviour or he won’t be allowed to come back and he is. Everyday I receive a smile and a big hug from this child who tries to act like a man. Marius, the singer, Dorione, the helper, little Klaidi who is just so adorable, Franco the dancer and the list goes on.

Though a rest this weekend was very much needed it is hard to not see their faces, praying throughout that we will see each one of them again come Monday. That they won’t be thrown out on the street to beg, the girls won’t have been trafficked or stolen away.

Our theme for this past week was identity, talking about how special they are, how they each were created by a loving father and good Shepherd who if even one of his sheep disappeared would stop to search till it was found and then celebrate. We talked about destiny – what we want to be when we grow up. For us, it is a fact that we have the pleasure of dreaming big, knowing with effort we can reach those dreams, but for these kids, they aspire to be a taxi driver at best, but in reality, most will beg, dive in dumps, or worse, become the traffickers themselves.

What I have shared with you may seem hopeless, something we have struggled with and talked about this a fair bit in our group. Again I am so thankful to know our God, to know him as loving and compassionate, as the Great Shepherd who looks after his sheep. We have hope in what God is doing in this area already and trust in that there is more to come in the future. Sadly, it may not come in the time that we wish for but it will come. The lost won’t be lost forever; this is God’s promise to us. Since our contact here first arrived over 10 years ago, already Christian schools have started, camps and women’s seminars. You can see change already. My hope is that as we have the opportunity to feed love into these children, that perhaps this next generation as they begin their own families, won’t be so quick to continue the tie of abuse. That is my prayer for them, that there will be love and respect between men, women and children.

As a group, we understand that every minute that these children are with us, they are NOT being beat by their fathers, they are not begging on the streets, and they are not being shipped across the borders. This knowledge of knowing that by serving them, by persuing whole-heartedly for the protection of their innocence, that for one more day they can be the children they are meant to be. It is the best we can give them for today. It is my hope.

As I wrap up for this week, I kindly ask once again to keep these children in your prayers, the children of Pogredec, of Albania and please pray for our group, for strength to continually live out God’s love, despite our hearts being so broken for these children.

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.

Breakfast in Amsterdam, Dinner in Ukraine (quote spoken by Sue…first)

It’s been nearly a week since we departed from Toronto and I can easily say that it was actually one of the best weeks of traveling I have ever encountered! God is good, no joking around this time  We prayed for smooth sailing and that is exactly what we had – and more!

We caught all our connecting flights and our only hiccup (as far as hostels go) worked for the better.

Arrived in Amsterdam and connected with friends and family – first my friend Alef (from my DTS) arrived about an hour after we did and then an hour after that family, Ab and Henny arrived and we all spent a few most enjoyable hours (even through only having slept for 2 hours during our short night).

From Amsterdam we flew to Ukraine, grabbed three taxi vans (at cheaper price and quicker transportation than the bus/train) and headed to our first hostel for our 24 hour stay over in Kiev. To our discovery they had no reservation for us, but God has sent us an Angel in our one driver – who bluntly told us, this was not a good area anyhow and helped us find a much better host…Centrally Located! Not only was that the name of the hostel but it was and it was even 2 Euros cheaper/person. It was beautiful, our view reminded me of my stay in Argentina. From our driving what we saw of the city has made us excited for our return.

After a great nights sleep, we headed back to the airport (having reserved our previous drivers for a scheduled time pickup) and flew to Budapest.

Having a 6 ½ hour layover, we gave the choice to the team to head out and enjoy the city. Nine of us chose to go in (well the others enjoyed the time to sleep some more and use the wireless internet) and we grabbed two taxis at 25 Euros/car/one way - not bad at all! It was amazing to be back in Budapest, having been there just 10 years previously (Ukraine as well) on my Summer Missions Project trip with CRWRC. What an anniversary  It was so great to see the many familiar sights. We had 3 wonderful hours to spend in this amazingly old, historical architecturally city. We also had the chance to enjoy a true Hungarian dinner – pickled cabbage and Gulash with bread and for dessert – the amazing ice cream I’ve remembered all these years. What a treat!

We arrived back at the airport with plenty of time to catch our final flight that took us to Tirana, Albania. We were instantly met by our contact Sherry outside of customs and were swept away to our stay (for 2 nights) at the “Hope for Albania” missionary foundation housing. It was a late night, or rather early morning when we finally went to sleep, waking up nice and late for a TRUE DUTCH breakfast! Another treat. The couple of the house is from Holland and often receive food shipments of Dutch cheese and chocolate sprinkles and peanut butter. What a great way to wake up!

We spent the day in Tirana, Sherry was kind enough to take us on a tour of the city and to tell us her story as well as her part in YWAM arriving in Albania many years previous to spread the gospel and to plant a Church.

We were absolutely mesmerized by the city’s beauty and European feeling. What a beautiful place, everybody comes out in the evening, enjoying the slightly cooler weather at that time, and enjoy some drinks in the square or games of soccer, or other activities in the surrounding grassy areas or just each others company.

On Friday, at about 11am, we finally left for our final destination – Pogredec! It would be approx. 3-4 hour trip…through the MOUNTAINS! And here I was thinking how I missed my summer last year in BC. The scenery was gorgeous! However, it was not without a little nausea for a few, including myself, though it was not too bad. There were many twist and turns and FAR down drop offs that were definitely enough to make anyone’s stomach turn, at least a little.

We finally arrived and were greeted by our contact here as well as the couple who are house managers of the Bible college that we are staying at. Orientation followed and a brief tour of “The Nest” (school where we will be leading daily children’s programs) and of the city.

We certainly were truly blessed this past week and I just praise our God, the Creator of this amazing World. The ultimate Artist, thanks be to Him. Thank you as well for your prayers this past week for our time of travels, as you can tell, they definitely made for a great week.

The JAMM Team

Two of our students will also be writing a blog once a week to give updates on what the group is up to. You can check it out at:
http://jammdts.blogspot.com/

JAMM Cafe - 'Sold' movie

For our JAMM Cafe, our media group filmed and put together a short video clip on the issue of Human Trafficking. Just as a warning, it again is not suitable for young children, but I hope it shows you why we have such a passion for human trafficking especially in sexual exploitation of young women and why want to spread awareness about this horrific issue and be a voice for those whose voices have been silenced.

JAMM Cafe

Well, today was our final JAMM Cafe presentation. I'm so proud of all of them, they put together such a great service filled with urgence to action, love, and hope amongst a difficult issue as Human Trafficking. Below I have included a few of the speeches given by the students on the topic. Enjoy!

What is human trafficking?
Written by Kate Guther (student)

The United Nation defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, debt bondage, or slavery.”

This is also known as the stealing of a humans dignity.

Many of us shudder when we hear the word “slave.” Slavery did not end a hundred years ago. Today we are witnessing the most thriving slave trade in all of history.

Internationally, slave trade is the Third largest illegal business after arms trade and drug trafficking and generates approximately $32 billion a year to put this into perspective:
Apple made $4.8 billion for the year of 2009 which means that the sale of humans generated five times as much profit.

An estimated 27 million people are currently enslaved worldwide. The international labour organization estimates that there are 12.3 million adults and children stuck in forced labour and of those at least 1.39 million are in sexual servitude and most of them are women (wimin) and girls.

2 children sold every minute

Trafficking is right in our backyard.

It's tragic. It's horrific. And it's happening along the quiet 720 kilometers between Prince George and Prince Rupert, a stretch now gruesomely dubbed the Highway of Tears, the place where 510 aboriginal girls have gone missing or murdered since 1980.

More than 500 of the cases have not been fully investigated. Perpetrators remain unpunished
The United Nations have warned Canada to do something about this.

In August 2008, a 17 year old girl and two 16 year old girls, were rescued from an apartment in Gatineau Quebec, one girl was held captive for a year, the other two girls for six months. All three were continually sexually exploited, drugged, beaten and raped throughout their ordeal.

The first person in Canada convicted of human trafficking involving a minor, received a three year sentence for the trafficking of a 15 year old girl but was credited 13 months for pre-trial custody. He made over $350,000 sexually exploiting her over two years before she was able to escape. Essentially he will spend less time in jail than he did exploiting her.

As Kevin Bales author of “Slave Next Door” writes:
"In a country that believes in liberty and justice for all, how can we as Canadians tolerate slavery in our backyard?
What is wrong with our country that it allows slave masters to live - and flourish - untroubled among us? What more can we as citizens do to fix this problem? And what will it take for our government, which serves at the will and for the good of its people, to dedicate the needed resources, both money and personnel, to destroying this evil?”

Hope
Written by Sue Van Daalen (staff)

Have we lost hope? Have we lost hope in making a difference? We certainly do not lack the power, the compassion, the courage of the knowledge…no we lack the hope. But we, we the church have access to a hope that can change everything. This is the same hope that drove Martin Luther King Jr and William Wilberforce; the hope that changes nations. We have hope in a God who hates injustice, who defends the orphan, cries with the widow, walks with the weary, bleeds with the beaten and is captive with the slave. However this hope is not cheap and it’s not easy. But in it’s purest form it has the power to contend with even the most horrific of injustices, the hell we see on earth and in the darkest brothels of our city.

We are beginning already to see glimmers of hope in the thick darkness right here in Toronto. Timea Nagy, sold from Budapest to Toronto, is a survivor and a passionate abolitionist. In partnership with local law enforcement, she has rescued 23 trafficking victims this year, who are all on their way to freedom and rehabilitation.

This is a sign of God’s hope still prevailing.

So let us not become the unwitting hoarders of hope. No! Let us embrace our inheritance of hope. Hope in a God who never becomes numb to the pain and the suffering who hears every cry. For what good is hope if we hide it in the dark corners of our heart?
We put our hope in a God who does far more than sympathize with us, wish us well and be on His way, yes we put our hope in a God who suffers alongside the oppressed.
Translated from Latin, compassion literally means, “To suffer with”; Psalm 146:5-10
Hope in a God of compassion moves us to action! Feed the hungry, clothes the naked, bandage the beaten; free the slaves, fight injustice with injustice!

How
Written by Janet Bulle (student)
Our group will be traveling this summer to Albania and Ukraine, which are two main source and destination countries for victims of human trafficking. Women and girls from Eastern Europe are at the highest risk of being trafficked. Poverty stricken, unemployed and desperately trying to care for their family, what woman could turn down a job opportunity in the west? We will be serving alongside organizations and individuals who have dedicated their lives to preventing the most vulnerable from being victimized such as the Roma Gypsies and orphans. We also hope to raise awareness through media presentations about this issue in their country. We’re going to get first hand exposure and be broken by the things that break God’s heart and be filled with the hope in the same God who suffers with the oppressed. Micah 6:8 says, “What does the Lord require of us? To do justice, love mercy and walk humble with our God.” Please join us on our journey as we learn to seek justice, and love mercy in Albania and Ukraine.

Thank You!

Well, today was our final day of lectures in this JAMM DTS and next Monday, June 7 finds 15 of us flying off for outreach. How time has flown by these last 3 months. I still feel like I just came back from my own DTS and now I am already moving out of Port Credit.

We are a group of 12 students (3 guys) and 3 staff heading to Albania for our first month and to Ukraine for our final month. When we leave on Monday we will be traveling nearly 4 days to get to our first destination, which may even include sleeping overnight in an airport in Kiev, Ukraine. Please pray for safety and that we will catch all are connecting flights.

We will be staying in Pogradec, Albania and will help run a day camp out of 'The Nest', a home for Roma Children (some rescued from trafficking clutches), the nearby park and the area school grounds. This will put our team in daily contact with some of the most vulnerable kids there. A few other items we will also be involved with are: prayer walks, leading open air evangelism, home Bible studies with Roma families, Art Therapy lessons, etc.

Our second month will be in the capital city of Ukraine in Kiev. Here we will be bringing with us an awareness program, collaborating with a group that is already building up a program to bring awareness to young women about Human Trafficking and how to keep from getting trapped into the web of this nightmarish issue.

Two of the students (Richard and Ali) and one staff (Heather) are heading off to Vancouver for their outreach time as they are unable to leave the country at this time, due to applying for permanent residency and refugee status in Canada. They will be working with Missions Adventures in the heart of Vancouver. They will be sadly missed as they are a big part of our group but we wish them a great time and will keep them in our prayers as well.

Finally, I just wanted to take a moment to THANK YOU ALL who have been such a great support to me over these last couple of years and have followed along on my journey that God has called me into. Your constant prayers have made such an impact on my life in so many ways and I just thank you so much for continuing to keep me, and those I am with, in your prayers. Also I thank you for your cards and words of encouragements. I am only able to do what I do when I am inline with Gods calling and also the support of my community. Each are an equally important element. So again I THANK YOU! May you be blessed as you have continually blessed me.