Journey to Albania
Now that I have mostly recovered from jet-lag and the dreamy state that follows after making a journey to a foreign land, I shall sum up the adventures of Albania and what God is doing there. My family and I were gifted with a trip to France, Italy and Albania, in which we had no agenda other than to renew our vows in Paris and meet some dear Facebook friends who we have only known via the internet. God had bigger plans than what we imagined.
We were greeted at the airport in Tirana by Chris Brent, who is a very gifted, famous magician in Albania...and he happens to be the brother of one of my best friends. Immediately, I was hit with culture shock as I gazed upon the terrain on the way to our hotel. Beautiful land surrounded by mountains...mixed with the prints of the fall of communism. At first, I was frightened by the lack of obedience to traffic laws, however, by the end of the trip, I found it to be an adrenaline rush and looked forward to climbing into a taxi just to see how the ride would turn out. I laughed a lot. Prayed a lot.
A few days into the trip, we got to be with Chris as he performed a magic show for a local school. Talk about wild! Chris also performed for some prisoners and had the opportunity to share his story of his faith. Beautiful.
Our first Sunday, we unexpectedly had the opportunity to minister at a gypsy church. What beautiful people. What beautiful spirits. Then, we shared with another local church and I wept as I listened to people worshipping God in Albanian. I recognized many of the songs by their melody...and the love that graced the air with their words was very familiar. One of the most wonderful feelings I have known was when I watched my children minister in a foreign country. Pastor Gentjan was a wonderful translator and a very good friend, allowing us to be part of their "family."
A few memorable journeys...too much to tell. Visits to several castles, including Berat, where the original Latin codexes of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark were hidden and preserved. A sweet, local man who lives inside the castle walls, made his way outside, offering (in Albanian) to show us around his village. We were privileged to get to enter one of the 46 chapels that existed inside the castle, where ancient paintings colored the walls...fading, losing some of their "pixels" yet holding an anointing and conviction that one can only feel.
Beautiful Kruja sits on the side of a mountain, with views that extend to the sea, including Duress, where the apostle Paul preached (Romans 15:19 refers to this as Illyricum). Remnants of an ancient mosaic still grace the walls that were long-covered by dirt until a few years ago. The mosaic depicts Stephen (who Paul would have testified about), Titus and some angels. It is said that this spot was the first Christian church in that area (58 A.D.) and was known to have 70 families.
I am thankful for all of the pastors and families that we met and for being received with such love. I am thankful for the moments when I could look a "gypsy" child in the eyes, touch their cheek and say, "bukur," which means 'beautiful.' A smile would escape their dejected look. I am thankful for having the opportunity to walk another land with my husband, holding his hand, and sharing new experiences with him...some of which can only be expressed by looking into each other's eyes. How grateful I am that our children were part of the journey! I am thankful for those who have given their lives for Christ and those who are standing, poised and ready to be part of releasing God's glory and love to a nation whose inheritance is the very power of God. Albania, "the land of eagles," is ready to soar.
We were greeted at the airport in Tirana by Chris Brent, who is a very gifted, famous magician in Albania...and he happens to be the brother of one of my best friends. Immediately, I was hit with culture shock as I gazed upon the terrain on the way to our hotel. Beautiful land surrounded by mountains...mixed with the prints of the fall of communism. At first, I was frightened by the lack of obedience to traffic laws, however, by the end of the trip, I found it to be an adrenaline rush and looked forward to climbing into a taxi just to see how the ride would turn out. I laughed a lot. Prayed a lot.
A few days into the trip, we got to be with Chris as he performed a magic show for a local school. Talk about wild! Chris also performed for some prisoners and had the opportunity to share his story of his faith. Beautiful.
Our first Sunday, we unexpectedly had the opportunity to minister at a gypsy church. What beautiful people. What beautiful spirits. Then, we shared with another local church and I wept as I listened to people worshipping God in Albanian. I recognized many of the songs by their melody...and the love that graced the air with their words was very familiar. One of the most wonderful feelings I have known was when I watched my children minister in a foreign country. Pastor Gentjan was a wonderful translator and a very good friend, allowing us to be part of their "family."
A few memorable journeys...too much to tell. Visits to several castles, including Berat, where the original Latin codexes of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark were hidden and preserved. A sweet, local man who lives inside the castle walls, made his way outside, offering (in Albanian) to show us around his village. We were privileged to get to enter one of the 46 chapels that existed inside the castle, where ancient paintings colored the walls...fading, losing some of their "pixels" yet holding an anointing and conviction that one can only feel.
Beautiful Kruja sits on the side of a mountain, with views that extend to the sea, including Duress, where the apostle Paul preached (Romans 15:19 refers to this as Illyricum). Remnants of an ancient mosaic still grace the walls that were long-covered by dirt until a few years ago. The mosaic depicts Stephen (who Paul would have testified about), Titus and some angels. It is said that this spot was the first Christian church in that area (58 A.D.) and was known to have 70 families.
I am thankful for all of the pastors and families that we met and for being received with such love. I am thankful for the moments when I could look a "gypsy" child in the eyes, touch their cheek and say, "bukur," which means 'beautiful.' A smile would escape their dejected look. I am thankful for having the opportunity to walk another land with my husband, holding his hand, and sharing new experiences with him...some of which can only be expressed by looking into each other's eyes. How grateful I am that our children were part of the journey! I am thankful for those who have given their lives for Christ and those who are standing, poised and ready to be part of releasing God's glory and love to a nation whose inheritance is the very power of God. Albania, "the land of eagles," is ready to soar.
posted by Traci Vanderbush | 3/26/2011
1 Comments:
I often don't know how to respond to your blogs. You have such a way with words (and the interwoven pictures). I just sit and drink it in, it's life to my soul. SO, thanks. Awesome, as always, as are you, my sister.
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