Day 2

Technically it's day 3 I suppose but since I arrived around 2:00 pm on Tuesday I'll just start counting from Wednesday, which was incredibly eventful. So Eljon bought this AMAZING car for something like $1000 for us to drive around Tirana in, which would be really convenient, except for the fact that it keeps breaking down. We decided to go the beach yesterday and one of the tires blew out on the way there. Of course the only car service place around was in the sketchiest building imaginable. Basically a small brick garage with like five guys and a bunch of questionable used car parts. So we got two new tires just in case, and although they're admittedly a little small, they work. Then on the way back from the beach, just when we're all feeling very secure with the situation, all of the power goes out from the car. The lights turn off, the horn stops working, the windows won't roll up, nothing. And then Eljon tells us that the gas also isn't working and that we're just coasting. A few minutes later though he clears up the misunderstanding, we do in fact still have a working accelerator. Eventually the car starts making this weird clunking noise and we pull over, but can't get it working. So Eljon then impresses us all by doing this jump start thing by putting the car in reverse (on the side of a busy Tirana street) and somehow manages to get the engine going again.

So other than that fun adventure it's been pretty relaxing over here. I am definitely adapting the the Mediterranean life of sleeping in, eating meals at what seem like ridiculously late times and staying up until the early hours of the morning visiting with people.

The only real problems I ran into were my flight being delayed an hour and half and my luggage getting lost. But it came late Tuesday night so everything worked out.

The Church in Albania is definitely having some problems, mainly with the prosperity gospel. There seems to be a lot of frustration especially when some Churches seem to be doing so well while others have nothing, especially when they are told they are given to according to their faith. Church times have changed to Thursdays and Saturdays so I can write more about that after I actually attend.

It's so good to see everyone I met two and a half years ago again. I forgot how much I loved this place and the people here!

Be praying that the Albanians would just be encouraged by us and that they (and us all) would be content and joyful with the true gospel.

Hopefully I'll be able to update this every few days, although I won't be so bold as to make any promises :) You never know what could come up here!