Sunday evening Quinton gave the lesson. He spoke on 1 Peter chapter 1. Most of the services are in Albanian with some English translation. Alfred usually asks some other gentlemen to read scripture, help with communion, and lead prayers. (One of these young men is Edwart from Durres. Edwart attends the Sunset Preaching School in Tirana. He is in his early twenties and quite a nice young man. He will be a blessing to the church in Albania.) Toward the end of the service I led two English songs. After services many stayed and visited for quite awhile. It was a good time of fellowship.
Monday was Quin's fourth birthday. We were back on our normal schedule following the VBS week. We met at 9:00 for our meeting and devotional. Around 10:00 Jill and our children arrived at the building. Alfred and Adriana presented Quin with a full-size Coca-Cola red and black soccer ball. Quin loves to play with any type of sports ball. We stayed at the building awhile while most of the OC students and Helen and Quinton began their lessons. For lunch we took one of our new Albanian friends, Paula (age 10), with us to our favorite restaurant, the Besa. We shared two pizzas. (The waiters at this restaurant are amazing. In the evening in particular when the restaurant is busy, these guys run/race walk through the restaurant carrying plates, making change, and placing orders. They are there all day long. Most of them smoke cigarettes when they do get a spare minute. (Smoking is alive and well in Europe.) I guess the exercise they get counteracts the effect of the cigarettes on their lungs. One waiter prides himself on how many cans of pop he can carry at time. I've seen him carry 6-7 cans in tower formation while maintaining a 9-minute mile walking pace. The waiters are very friendly. I think we are their new best friends. I imagine they'll shed a few tears after we leave.)
At 2:00 we had Quin's Diego-themed birthday party at the church building. (We brought over some party supplies from the USA.) Just prior to the party Eldi, Paula's 15 year old brother, and I went to the ice cream shop and grocery store to get a few more goodies for the party. We actually began the party about 2:15 as we waited for Jonida, Heather, Elira, Lori, and Jonida's uncle to arrive from Tirana. (It was very nice to have them attend the party!) We kicked off the party by playing animal charades. Young and old all took a turn pretending to be animals. Quin was an energetic horse. After charades we played "Diego Says". Quin actually was brave enough to sit in the middle of the circle and give instructions to the whole group. After the games we lit birthday cake candles (and a small sparkler that burned Jill's thumb), sang happy birthday, and Quin blew out the candles. The cake was specially ordered from the Pelican pastry shop. Quin chose a race car cake to accompany his Diego party -- oh well, it was yummy. After the cake Quin started opening presents. We had told the Albanian guests not to bring gifts but all of them did. Quin received some nice Albanian souvenirs (flute and hat from Jonida's family), a musical animated car from Edwart, other cars, a package of toy farm animals, a bracelet with "QUIN" letters, a Spider Man towel from Mimi and Papa, a Diego Rescue Pack and watch (from his sisters), and other gifts that I can't recall at this time. He made out alright. After the gift opening Elira did some folk dancing and Mimi and Quin played the flute. Many stayed around for awhile to play UNO and visit. Jonida and her family headed back to Tirana at 6:00 after Elira had a nap.
Myfit couldn't make it to his 5:00 lesson on Monday. Apparently he had quite a weekend. He was involved in some capacity in another wedding. In Albania, weddings are celebrated for an entire week. He had not had much sleep. Lord willing Myfit will be present for his lesson today. Igli and I studied at 6:00. He invited me out for coffee after our lesson. I told him I had to wait around to lock up the building (Alfred and Adriana went back to Tirana via bus at 5:00.) so we made plans for later this week.
This being our last week in Durres, many students and friends are inviting members of our group to their homes. Just today one of our OCers is going to be a guest at one of her student's homes. Friday, Helen, Quinton, and the same OCer are going to a family's home. Thursday evening our family and Helen and Quinton are going to Jonida's Uncle's home for supper. I imagine more such outings will materialize at the week progresses. We have made some special friendships these past four weeks. Lord willing, all of us will make an effort to stay in contact with our new friends over the next year.
We met again this morning for our devotional. During these times we Americans have tried to learn some Albanian songs. Alfred and Adriana have helped us in this endeavor. We have a long way to go; but one or two songs are sinking in. After the devotional Quinton helped one of Helen's students learn to operate her laptop computer. This was the 2nd or 3rd such lesson. At 10:15 I went back to our apartment to check on my family. Jill and the kids thought it would be a good day to do some swimming while we had the chance. So, we applied our sunscreen, put on swimsuits, and walked down to the Adriatik Hotel pool. Quin plays non-stop at the pool. He makes friends very easily with the other children in the kiddie pool. We had a good time and left around 1:30.
At the pool a couple of young girls took quite an interest in our family. The girls are around our girls' ages, maybe a bit older. They live in Tirana and speak a tiny bit of English. The girls were very interested in how Jill and I have two "black" children and one white. There was absolutely no way we could explain the concept of adoption to the girls so we just smiled and shrugged. They were also very intrigued with Amelia's curly hair. One of the girls boinged one of Amelia's curls.
We are scheduled to have our regularly scheduled studies this evening.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
July 29
Hello,
Friday I had a study with Myfit and Jill had her two studies. After the lessons at 7:00 we had our VBS finale. Most the VBS students and eight parents were in attendance. The students sang several good ole VBS songs in Albanian as well as "God is So Good" and "1, 2, 3 Jesus Loves Me" in English. Adriana even managed to get Amelia and Hallie to sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" in English for the audience. After the songs the students performed their skit. They did a really nice job. After the skit Alfred presented a movie about the life of Jesus. He obtained this DVD about three weeks ago in Tirana. A missions group was driving billboard trucks around Tirana promoting the movie. They showed it in several public showings in the city. Alfred asked one of the team if he could have a copy of the DVD and they happily obliged. The movie was titled something like, "Children and the Life of Jesus". I thought the movie was accurate and effective. The audience seemed to be attentive. The movie was an hour long. We enjoyed cookies and pop after the movie.
Our group met Alfred and our van driver at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday for our final Albanian excursion. We headed south this time down the coast and then inland toward the city of Fier (pronounced "fear"). The road was in good condition for about 25 miles or so and then became quite bumpy. A section of the bumpy road was next to a newly paved highway that is still under construction. We drove for at least 30 minutes on road that would be similar to a badly maintained county road in Oklahoma. Thankfully, no one had any fillings jarred lose. One of the OCers got a little car-sick but managed to not "pitch".
Our first stop was the Pelikan restaurant in Fier (not be be confused with our favorite Durres' ice cream stop, also the Pelikan). Alfred had told us there would be some interesting birds at the restaurant, and there were. Two large pelicans and a peacock strutted around the grounds and kept our children entertained. Pelicans are big birds! Most of us had eggs with cheese, potatoes, and ham. It wasn't exactly IHOP; but it wasn't too bad. After brunch we boarded the van and drove into Fier. We made one quick stop for Alfred to run an errand. He returned with two inflatable balls for Quin.
About four miles outside of Fier is the ancient Roman city of Apollonia. The city dates back to 500 B.C. Apollonia is set on a hill that now houses a restaurant and museum. We paid $5.50 each (adults, kids were free. Albania is a great place for kids because they get lots of freebies) to enter the grounds of the city. The first and most striking structure is a partially reconstructed Roman building with columns (the columns are not original). In front of this building is medium-sized amphitheater that is still well preserved (and currently hosting a modern day concert stage. Maybe The grateful Dead are doing a tour of the Balkans.) The modern stage made an interesting contrast with the ancient ruins. The hillside is covered with several Roman ruins. Most of the ruins are ground level walls of buildings. Apparently there is still a lot to be discovered in Apollonia.
We also ventured out to other hills around Apollonia to get a better view of the landscape. One one of the tallest hills is an abandoned military bunker. The hill contains four bunkers connected by tunnels. Amelia and Hallie went through one of the tunnels with a couple of the OCers. After winding our way back to the restaurant we enjoyed some water and ice cream before getting back on the bus. (We opted out of the Apollonia museum because we were about an hour and a half behind schedule.)
Our next stop was the city of Barat. Barat is about an hours drive from Fier. Most of us took a nap on this part of the journey. Barat is known as the City of Windows. A large part of the city lies in a valley with white walled houses built into or on the side of the two opposing mountain sides -- very pretty. We drove through part of the older portion of town and then made a left turn onto a white cobblestone road. After driving about 200 yards the road became quite steep and narrow. We traveled about 5 mph for a good half to three-fourths of a mile up the mountain to the Castle of Barat at the top. The castle dates back to the middle ages. Albania has several castles; but I imagine the one in Barat is the biggest. It cost $1.00 to enter the castle. The outer wall is still intact with a town inside. Baratians still live inside the castle to this day. Once inside the castle we walked on the cobblestones to a bar/restaurant for a Coke, juice, and water break before meeting up with a man who would take us to the museum. Once our man arrived we walked up narrow and winding road to the museum. The museum is really a small old cathedral inside the castle. The cathedral had been restored in 1791. A Codex (dating from the first millennium) had previously been discovered in the building that is now in the archives in Tirana. During the tour we also viewed religious artwork dating back to the 1400's to 1700's. After the tour we explored the castle. On the castle grounds are other old church buildings, homes, statues, and ruins. At the top of the castle's hill is a walled section with an interesting building. At near ground level there is a rock and grass flat roof of building that is 90% underground. As I neared the building I had to walk down a few rock steps to peak into the opening that was once a doorway. Just a step or two into the building the floor stopped. . Had I walked further I would have fallen some 20-30 feet to the water covered floor. The building was really one big dark and damp room with columns supports the roof in the middle. I heard the sounds of bats or rats coming from the bottom of the room. It was a little creepy! We then walked all around the castle complex and took lots of pictures. A few of us bought some souvenirs at the castle's exit and then we headed for home around 5:30 p.m. (We didn't stop to eat supper in Barat because two of the OCers had a get together at 8:00 in Durres). When we arrived back in Durres our family went to get some pizza and rest from our journey.
On Sunday morning some of our group went to church services in Durres city. Our family stayed in our apartment and rested. Around 11:30 we got out and ended up in Durres city around 1:00. It is Hallie's 8 and a half birthday and she wanted to eat suflace (an Albanian favorite). After our suflace's we walked down to the Blue Star. (The Blue Star is an Albanian type mall that houses Euro Max -- one of the supermarkets in Durres.) The power was out in Durres. I know this because as I walked down the street I heard and saw several generator cranking out electricity. (Most businesses in Albania have to have generators to function because of the frequent power outages.). The Blue Star is a large, 3-story air conditioned building. The building must house several generators because most of the shops still had their lights on. The A/C wasn't working but the building was still cooler than outside. On the second floor we found a children's play area -- a daycare for shoppers. For $2.00 parents can drop off the kids to play and then go shopping. We let our kids play for awhile. Amelia and Hallie were really too old for the play area but they still had fun with Quin. The play area included lots of climbing toys, a small trampoline (that according to Hallie was not very bouncy), swings, small ball pit, and a zip-line. After playtime was over, we went downstairs to the Euro Max and did a little grocery shopping. (Amelia spotted the Fruit Loops immediately. We didn't buy the F.L.'s because they were $5.00 and the box was damaged.)
After we departed the Blue Star we popped in for some dessert, boarded the big orange bus, and headed back to Durres beach. I managed to get Quin down for a nap before worship services this evening. Quinton is delivering the lesson tonight.
As we have travelled around Albania I've noticed many construction sights with stuffed animals or "scare crow" looking figures attached. Alfred has informed us that this practice is related to Albanian superstition. Apparently Albanians are a superstitious people. The animals are in some way supposed to ward off evil. (I don't know if Care Bears are that powerful or not.) Another interesting practice is to put garlic in one's pocket. As I may have mentioned before, one of my student's fathers plays solitaire each morning. If he wins the game then he will have a good day.
From my observations, I have found Albania to be a racially homogeneous country. I have not seen anyone of African descent (other than Quin and Amelia). Furthermore, I have yet to see any Asians, Middle Easterners, or Latinos. Most Albanians have an olive complexion, brown eyes, and dark hair. Rarely do I hear other languages spoken besides Albanian. (Today in the Blue Star Jill and I overhead a couple speaking American English. This is only the third time we've heard others speaking English. We didn't venture to ask them where they were from.) I imagine one reason for this lack of cultural diversity dates back to the years of isolationism.
One last observation, Albanians are very polite on the bus. It is generally accepted that young people will give up their seats to older Albanians. Here's how it works. When an older rider boards the bus he goes and stands by a seat he would like to sit in. The younger occupant then stands and gives the seat to the other rider. This often happens without any verbal exchange. Amelia got a taste of this practice today. When we first got of the bus in Durres city the bus was empty and we sat on a row of seats in the back of the bus. As the seats filled in I stood up while the rest of the family sat. A few stops later and older gentleman with a youngster (probably his grandson) stepped close to Amelia. Amelia didn't readily jump up to give the seat. After he chatted with her in Albanian Jill and I prompted Amelia to give up her seat. She did so without complaint. I wish Americans youth were as respectful of their elders.
Bye,
Darin
Friday I had a study with Myfit and Jill had her two studies. After the lessons at 7:00 we had our VBS finale. Most the VBS students and eight parents were in attendance. The students sang several good ole VBS songs in Albanian as well as "God is So Good" and "1, 2, 3 Jesus Loves Me" in English. Adriana even managed to get Amelia and Hallie to sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" in English for the audience. After the songs the students performed their skit. They did a really nice job. After the skit Alfred presented a movie about the life of Jesus. He obtained this DVD about three weeks ago in Tirana. A missions group was driving billboard trucks around Tirana promoting the movie. They showed it in several public showings in the city. Alfred asked one of the team if he could have a copy of the DVD and they happily obliged. The movie was titled something like, "Children and the Life of Jesus". I thought the movie was accurate and effective. The audience seemed to be attentive. The movie was an hour long. We enjoyed cookies and pop after the movie.
Our group met Alfred and our van driver at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday for our final Albanian excursion. We headed south this time down the coast and then inland toward the city of Fier (pronounced "fear"). The road was in good condition for about 25 miles or so and then became quite bumpy. A section of the bumpy road was next to a newly paved highway that is still under construction. We drove for at least 30 minutes on road that would be similar to a badly maintained county road in Oklahoma. Thankfully, no one had any fillings jarred lose. One of the OCers got a little car-sick but managed to not "pitch".
Our first stop was the Pelikan restaurant in Fier (not be be confused with our favorite Durres' ice cream stop, also the Pelikan). Alfred had told us there would be some interesting birds at the restaurant, and there were. Two large pelicans and a peacock strutted around the grounds and kept our children entertained. Pelicans are big birds! Most of us had eggs with cheese, potatoes, and ham. It wasn't exactly IHOP; but it wasn't too bad. After brunch we boarded the van and drove into Fier. We made one quick stop for Alfred to run an errand. He returned with two inflatable balls for Quin.
About four miles outside of Fier is the ancient Roman city of Apollonia. The city dates back to 500 B.C. Apollonia is set on a hill that now houses a restaurant and museum. We paid $5.50 each (adults, kids were free. Albania is a great place for kids because they get lots of freebies) to enter the grounds of the city. The first and most striking structure is a partially reconstructed Roman building with columns (the columns are not original). In front of this building is medium-sized amphitheater that is still well preserved (and currently hosting a modern day concert stage. Maybe The grateful Dead are doing a tour of the Balkans.) The modern stage made an interesting contrast with the ancient ruins. The hillside is covered with several Roman ruins. Most of the ruins are ground level walls of buildings. Apparently there is still a lot to be discovered in Apollonia.
We also ventured out to other hills around Apollonia to get a better view of the landscape. One one of the tallest hills is an abandoned military bunker. The hill contains four bunkers connected by tunnels. Amelia and Hallie went through one of the tunnels with a couple of the OCers. After winding our way back to the restaurant we enjoyed some water and ice cream before getting back on the bus. (We opted out of the Apollonia museum because we were about an hour and a half behind schedule.)
Our next stop was the city of Barat. Barat is about an hours drive from Fier. Most of us took a nap on this part of the journey. Barat is known as the City of Windows. A large part of the city lies in a valley with white walled houses built into or on the side of the two opposing mountain sides -- very pretty. We drove through part of the older portion of town and then made a left turn onto a white cobblestone road. After driving about 200 yards the road became quite steep and narrow. We traveled about 5 mph for a good half to three-fourths of a mile up the mountain to the Castle of Barat at the top. The castle dates back to the middle ages. Albania has several castles; but I imagine the one in Barat is the biggest. It cost $1.00 to enter the castle. The outer wall is still intact with a town inside. Baratians still live inside the castle to this day. Once inside the castle we walked on the cobblestones to a bar/restaurant for a Coke, juice, and water break before meeting up with a man who would take us to the museum. Once our man arrived we walked up narrow and winding road to the museum. The museum is really a small old cathedral inside the castle. The cathedral had been restored in 1791. A Codex (dating from the first millennium) had previously been discovered in the building that is now in the archives in Tirana. During the tour we also viewed religious artwork dating back to the 1400's to 1700's. After the tour we explored the castle. On the castle grounds are other old church buildings, homes, statues, and ruins. At the top of the castle's hill is a walled section with an interesting building. At near ground level there is a rock and grass flat roof of building that is 90% underground. As I neared the building I had to walk down a few rock steps to peak into the opening that was once a doorway. Just a step or two into the building the floor stopped. . Had I walked further I would have fallen some 20-30 feet to the water covered floor. The building was really one big dark and damp room with columns supports the roof in the middle. I heard the sounds of bats or rats coming from the bottom of the room. It was a little creepy! We then walked all around the castle complex and took lots of pictures. A few of us bought some souvenirs at the castle's exit and then we headed for home around 5:30 p.m. (We didn't stop to eat supper in Barat because two of the OCers had a get together at 8:00 in Durres). When we arrived back in Durres our family went to get some pizza and rest from our journey.
On Sunday morning some of our group went to church services in Durres city. Our family stayed in our apartment and rested. Around 11:30 we got out and ended up in Durres city around 1:00. It is Hallie's 8 and a half birthday and she wanted to eat suflace (an Albanian favorite). After our suflace's we walked down to the Blue Star. (The Blue Star is an Albanian type mall that houses Euro Max -- one of the supermarkets in Durres.) The power was out in Durres. I know this because as I walked down the street I heard and saw several generator cranking out electricity. (Most businesses in Albania have to have generators to function because of the frequent power outages.). The Blue Star is a large, 3-story air conditioned building. The building must house several generators because most of the shops still had their lights on. The A/C wasn't working but the building was still cooler than outside. On the second floor we found a children's play area -- a daycare for shoppers. For $2.00 parents can drop off the kids to play and then go shopping. We let our kids play for awhile. Amelia and Hallie were really too old for the play area but they still had fun with Quin. The play area included lots of climbing toys, a small trampoline (that according to Hallie was not very bouncy), swings, small ball pit, and a zip-line. After playtime was over, we went downstairs to the Euro Max and did a little grocery shopping. (Amelia spotted the Fruit Loops immediately. We didn't buy the F.L.'s because they were $5.00 and the box was damaged.)
After we departed the Blue Star we popped in for some dessert, boarded the big orange bus, and headed back to Durres beach. I managed to get Quin down for a nap before worship services this evening. Quinton is delivering the lesson tonight.
As we have travelled around Albania I've noticed many construction sights with stuffed animals or "scare crow" looking figures attached. Alfred has informed us that this practice is related to Albanian superstition. Apparently Albanians are a superstitious people. The animals are in some way supposed to ward off evil. (I don't know if Care Bears are that powerful or not.) Another interesting practice is to put garlic in one's pocket. As I may have mentioned before, one of my student's fathers plays solitaire each morning. If he wins the game then he will have a good day.
From my observations, I have found Albania to be a racially homogeneous country. I have not seen anyone of African descent (other than Quin and Amelia). Furthermore, I have yet to see any Asians, Middle Easterners, or Latinos. Most Albanians have an olive complexion, brown eyes, and dark hair. Rarely do I hear other languages spoken besides Albanian. (Today in the Blue Star Jill and I overhead a couple speaking American English. This is only the third time we've heard others speaking English. We didn't venture to ask them where they were from.) I imagine one reason for this lack of cultural diversity dates back to the years of isolationism.
One last observation, Albanians are very polite on the bus. It is generally accepted that young people will give up their seats to older Albanians. Here's how it works. When an older rider boards the bus he goes and stands by a seat he would like to sit in. The younger occupant then stands and gives the seat to the other rider. This often happens without any verbal exchange. Amelia got a taste of this practice today. When we first got of the bus in Durres city the bus was empty and we sat on a row of seats in the back of the bus. As the seats filled in I stood up while the rest of the family sat. A few stops later and older gentleman with a youngster (probably his grandson) stepped close to Amelia. Amelia didn't readily jump up to give the seat. After he chatted with her in Albanian Jill and I prompted Amelia to give up her seat. She did so without complaint. I wish Americans youth were as respectful of their elders.
Bye,
Darin
Friday, July 27, 2007
July 27
Hello Again,
Wow, it has been quite awhile since my last post. Sorry. I have either not been able to get to the internet cafe or on the two occasions I was able to get to the cafe the internet was so painfully slow it would have taken hours to create a post.
On Sunday, July 22, I gave the sermon at our combined English/Albanian worship service. I spoke about how Christians' behavior should be different than the world's. This should be noticeable by both what we do and what we don't do. Noah, Ezra, and Jesus were my examples from the Bible. Alfred translated. We had a large crowd (40+) for the worship service as every chair was occupied.
Vacation Bible School began this week and is concluding today. Each morning anywhere from 15 to 25 children ages 4 to 13 come to the church building from 10:00 to 12:00. Adriana, Alfred's wife, leads the children in prayer, songs, a lesson about Jesus, crafts, and games. We have taught the students the song, "1, 2, 3 Jesus Loves Me". At craft and game time we try to get involved with the children. They are sweet, sweet children who seem to love attention -- or at least tolerate their American visitors. Adriana is doing a good job leading the VBS. Off hours, we have also helped cut, copy and prepare materials. Tonight is the grand finale as parents are invited to an open house at 7:00. The children will sing songs and some of the older students are going to present a play. We are also going to watch a movie about the life of Christ. If we find ourselves in Albania next summer we would like to try to expand the VBS.
Monday the 23rd was our anniversary - 13 blissful years. After my study with Myfit, Igli and Myfit drove Jill and I to Durres city. Igli took us to a nice restaurant, "The Lobster", on the Adriatic coast. He made sure we were seated and the waiters knew that it was our anniversary and that we didn't speak Albanian. Jill and I had a nice, quite meal overlooking the Adriatic. We perspired but enjoyed our time. After supper we strolled down the beach and boardwalk area. Skads of Durresians were present as well. I tell ya, these Albanians are crazy about their evening strolls. We opted for our first taxi ride back to our apartment. We actaully got special access to drive throught the Durres port instead of on the busy street. Our driver was quite jovial and proud of his "secret route" through the port.
Jonida (my sister-in-law), Heather, Elira, and Lori (Jonida's sister) joined us in Durres on Tuesday. Heather attended VBS with our girls. After VBS and a bite to eat, our family, Elira, and Heather went to the Adriatic Hotel pool. The big slide was actually functional this time and the older girls had a lot of fun. Quin and I ventured down the slide a few times together as well. I was informed in German by one of the Adriatic workers that the slide is for guests 15 years and younger. I still managed to be sneaky and take Quin down the slide one more time. Jonida came over to the pool after about an hour. She and Lori were at the building talking/studying with Alfred. We enjoyed some akolori (ice cream) after our swimming. Jill and I had our evening studies and Jonida and crew spent the night in Helen and Quinton's apartment.
While Jonida was here she told us she had recently acquired her girls' extended-stay visa. Albanian law states that visitors staying longer than 30 days (but less than 3 months) are required to get an extension visa at a local police department. Jonida took care of this in Tirana. The process requires 2 notarized copies from our passports and a letter describing why we want to stay longer than 30 days. These items are then taken to an immigration office at the police station. For some reason Jonida was charged almost $40 for each of her girl's extensions. (Previously I had read on the internet that the extension was free and had informed our OC students thus was the case.) On Tuesday night I informed them that we may have to pay a $40 fee. Jonida typed our letters for us on Alfred's laptop and I got them printed at the internet cafe. Quinton and Alfred took the letters, passports, and copies to Durres on Wednesday to get the forms notarized and to find out if we could complete the process at the Durres police department. They found out that yes, we could get our extensions at the Durres office and there would be no fee! Yeah! The only catch was that all the adults had to actually show their faces along with the passports. (We did this on Friday morning in Durres.) So, we're not sure why Jonida had to pay the $40 fee; but, we're glad we didn't have to!
Thursday was birthday day in Durres beach. Helen and I, as most of you know, were both born on July 26. (Helen's mother was too!) After VBS, we ate lunch at our favorite restaurant. The kids had goulash, Helen and Jill had byrek, and I had half chicken with rice. Then at 3:00 we had a birthday party at the building. Before the party, Jill and I went to the Pelican pastry and ice cream shop to get our special order cake. It read, "Darin and Mimi...", then something in Albanian about living another 100 years -- this is a tradition in Albania. We had cake with our family, the OCers, Alfred's family, and a couple other guests. Some of our 5:00 students enjoyed some leftover cake as well. Quin's birthday is Monday - more cake!
Alfred has had a lot of car trouble while we've been here. His 1993(?) model Jeep Cherokee may be near the end of its life. Currently, Alfred and family are busing it because the fuel pump -- or some such item -- is broken. Apparently the broken part is hard to find in Albania, so it may be awhile before they have their vehicle. They spent Wednesday night in Helen and Quinton's apartment and H. and Q. came up to our larger apartment. I think the Zikes are going to spend tonight in Durres as well. Anyone want to ship a car to Albania for the Zikes?
Thankfully some cooler weather moved in yesterday. The previous 4-5 days had been brutal with temps at 100 degrees. Hopefully this cooler weather will stick around for awhile.
I think I've written about the cars and traffic patterns here in Albania. It is quite a site to see and experience. In the cities, the power may be out; thus, the stoplights may not be working. (Then again, a red light is a recommendation, not a commandment.) At these intersections one has to stick out the end of his car to show intent to turn. Cool and courteous Alfred even has to be assertive and aggressive (when his car is functional). There are some interesting cars as well. One such vehicle is the 3-wheeled pick-up truck. The reason we don't see these in America is because they are Chinese. They are just shy of being a full-size pick-up but have one center wheel in the front. Another "pick-up" is just a tad bit larger than a golf cart. The cab holds two people if they don't mind sitting on each other's lap. Also, there must not be any regulation or standard definition of "car". If you can stick a motor on it and get it to move, you're legal. One man that drives up and down our church street has a blue motorcycle type vehicle with a small pick-up back. There is a nice shiny tank on top. He looks kind of cool driving it up and down the street in his shades. I have seen several motorcycle type carts. One such vehicle is usually loaded down with floaties and other beach items for sale. Occasionally I'll see a genuine USA vehicle -- Lincoln Navigator, Dodge Caravan, Cadillac, or Trans Am. I have also seen two smart-cars.
Tomorrow we are supposed to head to Apollonia to see some Roman ruins and then to another city (the name escapes me at the moment). We are heading out at 8:00 a.m.
Sorry for the long delay between posts. Maybe I'll do better.
Hugs,
Darin
Wow, it has been quite awhile since my last post. Sorry. I have either not been able to get to the internet cafe or on the two occasions I was able to get to the cafe the internet was so painfully slow it would have taken hours to create a post.
On Sunday, July 22, I gave the sermon at our combined English/Albanian worship service. I spoke about how Christians' behavior should be different than the world's. This should be noticeable by both what we do and what we don't do. Noah, Ezra, and Jesus were my examples from the Bible. Alfred translated. We had a large crowd (40+) for the worship service as every chair was occupied.
Vacation Bible School began this week and is concluding today. Each morning anywhere from 15 to 25 children ages 4 to 13 come to the church building from 10:00 to 12:00. Adriana, Alfred's wife, leads the children in prayer, songs, a lesson about Jesus, crafts, and games. We have taught the students the song, "1, 2, 3 Jesus Loves Me". At craft and game time we try to get involved with the children. They are sweet, sweet children who seem to love attention -- or at least tolerate their American visitors. Adriana is doing a good job leading the VBS. Off hours, we have also helped cut, copy and prepare materials. Tonight is the grand finale as parents are invited to an open house at 7:00. The children will sing songs and some of the older students are going to present a play. We are also going to watch a movie about the life of Christ. If we find ourselves in Albania next summer we would like to try to expand the VBS.
Monday the 23rd was our anniversary - 13 blissful years. After my study with Myfit, Igli and Myfit drove Jill and I to Durres city. Igli took us to a nice restaurant, "The Lobster", on the Adriatic coast. He made sure we were seated and the waiters knew that it was our anniversary and that we didn't speak Albanian. Jill and I had a nice, quite meal overlooking the Adriatic. We perspired but enjoyed our time. After supper we strolled down the beach and boardwalk area. Skads of Durresians were present as well. I tell ya, these Albanians are crazy about their evening strolls. We opted for our first taxi ride back to our apartment. We actaully got special access to drive throught the Durres port instead of on the busy street. Our driver was quite jovial and proud of his "secret route" through the port.
Jonida (my sister-in-law), Heather, Elira, and Lori (Jonida's sister) joined us in Durres on Tuesday. Heather attended VBS with our girls. After VBS and a bite to eat, our family, Elira, and Heather went to the Adriatic Hotel pool. The big slide was actually functional this time and the older girls had a lot of fun. Quin and I ventured down the slide a few times together as well. I was informed in German by one of the Adriatic workers that the slide is for guests 15 years and younger. I still managed to be sneaky and take Quin down the slide one more time. Jonida came over to the pool after about an hour. She and Lori were at the building talking/studying with Alfred. We enjoyed some akolori (ice cream) after our swimming. Jill and I had our evening studies and Jonida and crew spent the night in Helen and Quinton's apartment.
While Jonida was here she told us she had recently acquired her girls' extended-stay visa. Albanian law states that visitors staying longer than 30 days (but less than 3 months) are required to get an extension visa at a local police department. Jonida took care of this in Tirana. The process requires 2 notarized copies from our passports and a letter describing why we want to stay longer than 30 days. These items are then taken to an immigration office at the police station. For some reason Jonida was charged almost $40 for each of her girl's extensions. (Previously I had read on the internet that the extension was free and had informed our OC students thus was the case.) On Tuesday night I informed them that we may have to pay a $40 fee. Jonida typed our letters for us on Alfred's laptop and I got them printed at the internet cafe. Quinton and Alfred took the letters, passports, and copies to Durres on Wednesday to get the forms notarized and to find out if we could complete the process at the Durres police department. They found out that yes, we could get our extensions at the Durres office and there would be no fee! Yeah! The only catch was that all the adults had to actually show their faces along with the passports. (We did this on Friday morning in Durres.) So, we're not sure why Jonida had to pay the $40 fee; but, we're glad we didn't have to!
Thursday was birthday day in Durres beach. Helen and I, as most of you know, were both born on July 26. (Helen's mother was too!) After VBS, we ate lunch at our favorite restaurant. The kids had goulash, Helen and Jill had byrek, and I had half chicken with rice. Then at 3:00 we had a birthday party at the building. Before the party, Jill and I went to the Pelican pastry and ice cream shop to get our special order cake. It read, "Darin and Mimi...", then something in Albanian about living another 100 years -- this is a tradition in Albania. We had cake with our family, the OCers, Alfred's family, and a couple other guests. Some of our 5:00 students enjoyed some leftover cake as well. Quin's birthday is Monday - more cake!
Alfred has had a lot of car trouble while we've been here. His 1993(?) model Jeep Cherokee may be near the end of its life. Currently, Alfred and family are busing it because the fuel pump -- or some such item -- is broken. Apparently the broken part is hard to find in Albania, so it may be awhile before they have their vehicle. They spent Wednesday night in Helen and Quinton's apartment and H. and Q. came up to our larger apartment. I think the Zikes are going to spend tonight in Durres as well. Anyone want to ship a car to Albania for the Zikes?
Thankfully some cooler weather moved in yesterday. The previous 4-5 days had been brutal with temps at 100 degrees. Hopefully this cooler weather will stick around for awhile.
I think I've written about the cars and traffic patterns here in Albania. It is quite a site to see and experience. In the cities, the power may be out; thus, the stoplights may not be working. (Then again, a red light is a recommendation, not a commandment.) At these intersections one has to stick out the end of his car to show intent to turn. Cool and courteous Alfred even has to be assertive and aggressive (when his car is functional). There are some interesting cars as well. One such vehicle is the 3-wheeled pick-up truck. The reason we don't see these in America is because they are Chinese. They are just shy of being a full-size pick-up but have one center wheel in the front. Another "pick-up" is just a tad bit larger than a golf cart. The cab holds two people if they don't mind sitting on each other's lap. Also, there must not be any regulation or standard definition of "car". If you can stick a motor on it and get it to move, you're legal. One man that drives up and down our church street has a blue motorcycle type vehicle with a small pick-up back. There is a nice shiny tank on top. He looks kind of cool driving it up and down the street in his shades. I have seen several motorcycle type carts. One such vehicle is usually loaded down with floaties and other beach items for sale. Occasionally I'll see a genuine USA vehicle -- Lincoln Navigator, Dodge Caravan, Cadillac, or Trans Am. I have also seen two smart-cars.
Tomorrow we are supposed to head to Apollonia to see some Roman ruins and then to another city (the name escapes me at the moment). We are heading out at 8:00 a.m.
Sorry for the long delay between posts. Maybe I'll do better.
Hugs,
Darin
Sunday, July 22, 2007
July 22
Hello there,
It is Sunday, just after 12:00 noon. Quin and Hallie are taking a nap in the apartment. Thankfully, they are feeling better now. Thanks for your prayers.
This morning I went for my first run in a week. This week I have been getting my exercise by going up and down the stairs in our apartment building. A good many of us have had a touch of "Skenderbea's revenge" and I have not ventured too far from a bathroom during my exercise sessions -- enough said. Jill and Hallie got out this morning for a walk and to do so shopping at a vegetable market. (The produce here is very good.) Quinton, Helen, Amelia, and Quin also ventured out to do some shopping for the potluck dinner tonight after church services. I stayed in and worked on my sermon for tonight.
Yesterday evening Quinton, Helen, and the OC students went to Tirana via bus. The main purpose for this trip was to attend the Tirana church's 15th anniversary celebration. I think this event also served as a building dedication. I have not seen the Tirana church building but I hear that it is quite nice and bright red. The dedication was from 6:00 to 9:00. Jonida's family (mom, sister, and Jonida's kids) also attended. According to Helen and Quinton's report this morning, there were some 100+ people in attendance. Most of the evening was filled with various presenters talking about the church and the new building. The building's two A/C's were doing their best but not cooling too well. Elira, my 2-year old niece, was quite playful and very cute. There was food served after the presentations. The Tirana group arrived back in Durres around 10:15.
Last night Jill and I had our kids' portraits drawn by a sidewalk artist here in Durres beach. (Around 6:00 each night vendors set up their tables all along the sidewalk opposite our apartment building. As the night progresses the crowds get heavier and it is very crowded on the sidewalks.) Well, on more than one occasion we had noticed the work of this one particular artist. A few days ago Jill spoke with him (he is Albanian, lives in Macedonia, and speaks English) about pricing and the procedure for getting a portrait. For 15 Euro ($20.00) he sketched our children in black and white pencil. Actually, he drew Amelia's and Hallie's portraits and took a picture of Quin with his digital camera. He is going to draw Quin's portrait at home. (We didn't think Quin was up to sitting still for 30 minutes considering he had been up since 6:00 a.m. We are such wise parents!) Anyway, Rick, the artist, completed Amelia's and Hallie's portraits to the pleasure of his watchful audience. He really is talented. Apparently he travels to various touristy areas each summer to draw portraits and make extra money. He sets up at 8:00 and shuts down at midnight. Jill asked him what he does during the day. He said, "I swim".
Saturday morning Jill and I took an hour long walk together. We walked on the streets and some on the beach. The people at the beach never cease to amaze me. At 9:00 a.m. it was absolutely packed. We saw all shades of suntans and sunburns and a wide array of swimsuits. Young people kick the soccer ball, bump the volleyball, and even play badminton among the 1000's of other beach goers. Everyone seems to be having a great time at the beach. One older lady knits and sells her creations right on the water's edge. I don't know how many scarves and booties she sells in the 98 degree weather but they sure seem like quality products. Maybe one day I'll by the warmest item she has for sale (perhaps a stocking hat) and then sprint out into the Adriatic and swim like crazy just to prove that knitted items are really appropriate beach wear. Who knows, maybe at the next Olympics we'll see an Albania swimmer in a knitted scarf.
On Friday night following my studies with Myfit and Igli I was treated to another excursion. Taking Alfred with us, the four of us traveled in Igli's car southward, past his father's bar, up paved and unpaved roads to an overlook about 15 minutes drive from the church building. The land belongs to Igli's grandfather and brother. After stopping at a gate at the end of a narrow and dusty road we climbed out of the Mercedez and circumnavigated the gate. We continued to walk along a trail that had a rather steep drop off on the left hand side. After walking about 150 yards we came to a point -- the overlook. I'd say we were some 250 - 300 feet above the boulevard below. From this point I could see all of Durres Bay. There are 100's of new hotels and apartment buildings all along the Adriatic shore. Alfred informed me that all of these structures have been built since communism fell in the early 1990's. Some of the hotels have very nice swimming pools with fountains and slides. The sun was beginning to set in the west just off the tip of the Durres port. It was a fascinating view. We then loaded back into the car. Igli then proceeded to drive in reverse some third to half of a mile or so back down the dirt road. This was the furthest I have ever traveled in reverse. Alfred mentioned he would like to bring our family back up to this spot so they can take in the sights. I hope he does. I showed my video footage of my trip to Jill. She seemed a little hesitant about taking our family up there; but, I know they'd love it.
One of Jill's students has been attending church services for some time now. She has two sweet children ages 15 and 10. She has told Jill that she has been giving some thought to being baptized. Jill and her discussed this during their last study session. Please pray for her. Lord willing, she will give her life to Jesus soon and her children will do so as well in the future.
I have another Albanian observation for you. As I have mentioned before, there is a bakery right across the street from our apartment. We often visit the bakery for loaves of bread, chocolate rolls, and bagel type rolls. At the bakery, it is every man for himself. The concept of standing in line and waiting your turn is not practiced at the bakery. I don't know if this practice goes back to communism times when people had to fight for bread or not; however, old habits die hard. Case in point, today before I walked up to the internet cafe I popped in the bakery to get a roll for Amelia. Two gentlemen were in the process of paying for their bread when I walked in the bakery ahead of another gentleman who had double parked his BMW in the street. I was standing in line behind the two gentlemen when Mr. BMW walked right past me and put his hands on the bread display case. This did not surprise me but was still not appreciated. I guess the worker knew I was in the store before this man and looked at me for my order. I gestured and spoke in English to tell her I wanted one of the round rolls. Mr. BMW asked a question of her and the other worker and they both helped him for a minute before I was given my bread. Next time I may just have to be more assertive like Helen. She went to the bakery on Saturday morning. She was getting chocolate rolls for her grand kids and wasn't going to be denied. She got right in there like any good Albanian would and got the rolls. Go Mimi!
More later,
Darin
It is Sunday, just after 12:00 noon. Quin and Hallie are taking a nap in the apartment. Thankfully, they are feeling better now. Thanks for your prayers.
This morning I went for my first run in a week. This week I have been getting my exercise by going up and down the stairs in our apartment building. A good many of us have had a touch of "Skenderbea's revenge" and I have not ventured too far from a bathroom during my exercise sessions -- enough said. Jill and Hallie got out this morning for a walk and to do so shopping at a vegetable market. (The produce here is very good.) Quinton, Helen, Amelia, and Quin also ventured out to do some shopping for the potluck dinner tonight after church services. I stayed in and worked on my sermon for tonight.
Yesterday evening Quinton, Helen, and the OC students went to Tirana via bus. The main purpose for this trip was to attend the Tirana church's 15th anniversary celebration. I think this event also served as a building dedication. I have not seen the Tirana church building but I hear that it is quite nice and bright red. The dedication was from 6:00 to 9:00. Jonida's family (mom, sister, and Jonida's kids) also attended. According to Helen and Quinton's report this morning, there were some 100+ people in attendance. Most of the evening was filled with various presenters talking about the church and the new building. The building's two A/C's were doing their best but not cooling too well. Elira, my 2-year old niece, was quite playful and very cute. There was food served after the presentations. The Tirana group arrived back in Durres around 10:15.
Last night Jill and I had our kids' portraits drawn by a sidewalk artist here in Durres beach. (Around 6:00 each night vendors set up their tables all along the sidewalk opposite our apartment building. As the night progresses the crowds get heavier and it is very crowded on the sidewalks.) Well, on more than one occasion we had noticed the work of this one particular artist. A few days ago Jill spoke with him (he is Albanian, lives in Macedonia, and speaks English) about pricing and the procedure for getting a portrait. For 15 Euro ($20.00) he sketched our children in black and white pencil. Actually, he drew Amelia's and Hallie's portraits and took a picture of Quin with his digital camera. He is going to draw Quin's portrait at home. (We didn't think Quin was up to sitting still for 30 minutes considering he had been up since 6:00 a.m. We are such wise parents!) Anyway, Rick, the artist, completed Amelia's and Hallie's portraits to the pleasure of his watchful audience. He really is talented. Apparently he travels to various touristy areas each summer to draw portraits and make extra money. He sets up at 8:00 and shuts down at midnight. Jill asked him what he does during the day. He said, "I swim".
Saturday morning Jill and I took an hour long walk together. We walked on the streets and some on the beach. The people at the beach never cease to amaze me. At 9:00 a.m. it was absolutely packed. We saw all shades of suntans and sunburns and a wide array of swimsuits. Young people kick the soccer ball, bump the volleyball, and even play badminton among the 1000's of other beach goers. Everyone seems to be having a great time at the beach. One older lady knits and sells her creations right on the water's edge. I don't know how many scarves and booties she sells in the 98 degree weather but they sure seem like quality products. Maybe one day I'll by the warmest item she has for sale (perhaps a stocking hat) and then sprint out into the Adriatic and swim like crazy just to prove that knitted items are really appropriate beach wear. Who knows, maybe at the next Olympics we'll see an Albania swimmer in a knitted scarf.
On Friday night following my studies with Myfit and Igli I was treated to another excursion. Taking Alfred with us, the four of us traveled in Igli's car southward, past his father's bar, up paved and unpaved roads to an overlook about 15 minutes drive from the church building. The land belongs to Igli's grandfather and brother. After stopping at a gate at the end of a narrow and dusty road we climbed out of the Mercedez and circumnavigated the gate. We continued to walk along a trail that had a rather steep drop off on the left hand side. After walking about 150 yards we came to a point -- the overlook. I'd say we were some 250 - 300 feet above the boulevard below. From this point I could see all of Durres Bay. There are 100's of new hotels and apartment buildings all along the Adriatic shore. Alfred informed me that all of these structures have been built since communism fell in the early 1990's. Some of the hotels have very nice swimming pools with fountains and slides. The sun was beginning to set in the west just off the tip of the Durres port. It was a fascinating view. We then loaded back into the car. Igli then proceeded to drive in reverse some third to half of a mile or so back down the dirt road. This was the furthest I have ever traveled in reverse. Alfred mentioned he would like to bring our family back up to this spot so they can take in the sights. I hope he does. I showed my video footage of my trip to Jill. She seemed a little hesitant about taking our family up there; but, I know they'd love it.
One of Jill's students has been attending church services for some time now. She has two sweet children ages 15 and 10. She has told Jill that she has been giving some thought to being baptized. Jill and her discussed this during their last study session. Please pray for her. Lord willing, she will give her life to Jesus soon and her children will do so as well in the future.
I have another Albanian observation for you. As I have mentioned before, there is a bakery right across the street from our apartment. We often visit the bakery for loaves of bread, chocolate rolls, and bagel type rolls. At the bakery, it is every man for himself. The concept of standing in line and waiting your turn is not practiced at the bakery. I don't know if this practice goes back to communism times when people had to fight for bread or not; however, old habits die hard. Case in point, today before I walked up to the internet cafe I popped in the bakery to get a roll for Amelia. Two gentlemen were in the process of paying for their bread when I walked in the bakery ahead of another gentleman who had double parked his BMW in the street. I was standing in line behind the two gentlemen when Mr. BMW walked right past me and put his hands on the bread display case. This did not surprise me but was still not appreciated. I guess the worker knew I was in the store before this man and looked at me for my order. I gestured and spoke in English to tell her I wanted one of the round rolls. Mr. BMW asked a question of her and the other worker and they both helped him for a minute before I was given my bread. Next time I may just have to be more assertive like Helen. She went to the bakery on Saturday morning. She was getting chocolate rolls for her grand kids and wasn't going to be denied. She got right in there like any good Albanian would and got the rolls. Go Mimi!
More later,
Darin
Friday, July 20, 2007
July 20
Hello,
I purposefully didn't post a blog yesterday because things have been a bit slow. With three kids with fever we've been doing a lot of care giving at the apartment. Amelia seems to be well now but we are still waiting for Hallie and Quin to come around. Helen and Quinton are helpful too.
Wednesday night's Bible study was very nice with the air conditioning. The smaller air conditioner in Alfred's office (in the same building as the church's main meeting room but only accessible through another outside door) has not worked properly until today. Apparently the problem was more electrical than air conditioner related.
The OC students, Helen, Quinton, and Jill had studies on Thursday but my students were absent. Today I'm supposed to study with Myfit and Igli then head out on another excursion. Igli wants to take me south this time to a hill outside of Durres beach that provides a nice view of the sea and city. Apparently this hill is also the site of some newly discovered artifacts or ruins.
We are still getting new students from time to time. We can now schedule lessons any time of day because the air conditioner provides a climate controlled environment. Helen had picked up a new 1:00 student. She is related to Rick, dad's multi-religion student. Rick is actually our best recruiter. He values education and learning English. I think he has brought in 3-4 relatives to be our students.
This afternoon I popped in the church office. Quinton, Alfred, and Diana were talking about Quinton and Helen's Saturday trip to Tirana. (This Saturday we do not have a planned field trip. The OC students, Helen, and Quinton are venturing to Tirana via bus. I'm not sure of all their plans; however, the main event is an anniversary celebration Saturday evening at the Tirana Church of Christ. The group will have to arrange for a private van to bring them back to Durres because the buses from Tirana to Durres stop around 7:00 p.m.) Alfred drew a map for Helen and Quinton showing them the Tirana church's location in relation to the bus station, bus stops, and well-known landmarks. Alfred also broke out an Albania map. Alfred gave Quinton and me an Albanian geography lesson. Albania has about the same land area as Maryland and appears to be 75% mountainous. David, my brother, and his family had traveled to Seranda in southern Albania while he was in the country. David described some of the roads as "treacherous". The road map showed a portion of the road to Seranda as a very squiggly line. I'm glad we're not venturing there this time.
From my short time in Albania I have noticed some interesting male/female differences. All of the restaurant waiters are male. Most of the workers in the grocery stores are female. Bus drivers are male but money collectors on the buses can be male for female. Throughout the day small groups of men crowd around small tables at sidewalk cafes to drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, and visit. Either women don't enjoy this activity or are not given the opportunity for some reason. Both sexes enjoy walking -- one of the favorite past times in Albania.
We have felt very safe during our time in Albania. Igli previously told me that Durres is a very safe city. Alfred has told us to be careful of crowded situations, particularly on the bus. Apparently pick-pockets can be a problem. Jill has walked on the beach by herself (and 10,000 of her closest Albanian beach-goers) two or three times. When we are at our apartment during the day we leave our front door open to help generate a draft. When we are out on the streets we occasionally get a strange look -- not because we are a potential mugging target but because we stand out some way as foreigners. Many times it was because we carried fans to and from the church building. Now that the A/C is working at the church building, we are no longer fan-carriers.
It is always interesting each morning to see if our local butcher has an animal in his green truck. He parks his truck on the back side of the building near the stairs where we exit our apartment. Some days there are two critters -- a sheep and a cow. Most days I don't see any animals either because he hasn't brought any in or he has just caused an animal to meet its maker. I'm really learning a lot about the Albanian butchering business. (Even though I come from Oklahoma and live in a city with stockyards, I haven't hung around too many butcher shops.) As I exit the apartment building I can look in the back door of the butcher shop. This is the part of the shop where all the excitement occurs. Many times there is an animal hanging from hooks prepared to be cut into dinner pieces. I won't go into any more detail about some of the other steps of the butchering process I have witnessed; but, I am learning a lot.
Lord willing I will be bringing the lesson on Sunday. I have invited Igli to services. After our 7:00 p.m. meeting we are going to experience our first Albanian church pot-luck meal. It should be pretty good -- Diana is a great cook! The experience will be even more enjoyable since we have air conditioning and power!
More later,
Darin
I purposefully didn't post a blog yesterday because things have been a bit slow. With three kids with fever we've been doing a lot of care giving at the apartment. Amelia seems to be well now but we are still waiting for Hallie and Quin to come around. Helen and Quinton are helpful too.
Wednesday night's Bible study was very nice with the air conditioning. The smaller air conditioner in Alfred's office (in the same building as the church's main meeting room but only accessible through another outside door) has not worked properly until today. Apparently the problem was more electrical than air conditioner related.
The OC students, Helen, Quinton, and Jill had studies on Thursday but my students were absent. Today I'm supposed to study with Myfit and Igli then head out on another excursion. Igli wants to take me south this time to a hill outside of Durres beach that provides a nice view of the sea and city. Apparently this hill is also the site of some newly discovered artifacts or ruins.
We are still getting new students from time to time. We can now schedule lessons any time of day because the air conditioner provides a climate controlled environment. Helen had picked up a new 1:00 student. She is related to Rick, dad's multi-religion student. Rick is actually our best recruiter. He values education and learning English. I think he has brought in 3-4 relatives to be our students.
This afternoon I popped in the church office. Quinton, Alfred, and Diana were talking about Quinton and Helen's Saturday trip to Tirana. (This Saturday we do not have a planned field trip. The OC students, Helen, and Quinton are venturing to Tirana via bus. I'm not sure of all their plans; however, the main event is an anniversary celebration Saturday evening at the Tirana Church of Christ. The group will have to arrange for a private van to bring them back to Durres because the buses from Tirana to Durres stop around 7:00 p.m.) Alfred drew a map for Helen and Quinton showing them the Tirana church's location in relation to the bus station, bus stops, and well-known landmarks. Alfred also broke out an Albania map. Alfred gave Quinton and me an Albanian geography lesson. Albania has about the same land area as Maryland and appears to be 75% mountainous. David, my brother, and his family had traveled to Seranda in southern Albania while he was in the country. David described some of the roads as "treacherous". The road map showed a portion of the road to Seranda as a very squiggly line. I'm glad we're not venturing there this time.
From my short time in Albania I have noticed some interesting male/female differences. All of the restaurant waiters are male. Most of the workers in the grocery stores are female. Bus drivers are male but money collectors on the buses can be male for female. Throughout the day small groups of men crowd around small tables at sidewalk cafes to drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, and visit. Either women don't enjoy this activity or are not given the opportunity for some reason. Both sexes enjoy walking -- one of the favorite past times in Albania.
We have felt very safe during our time in Albania. Igli previously told me that Durres is a very safe city. Alfred has told us to be careful of crowded situations, particularly on the bus. Apparently pick-pockets can be a problem. Jill has walked on the beach by herself (and 10,000 of her closest Albanian beach-goers) two or three times. When we are at our apartment during the day we leave our front door open to help generate a draft. When we are out on the streets we occasionally get a strange look -- not because we are a potential mugging target but because we stand out some way as foreigners. Many times it was because we carried fans to and from the church building. Now that the A/C is working at the church building, we are no longer fan-carriers.
It is always interesting each morning to see if our local butcher has an animal in his green truck. He parks his truck on the back side of the building near the stairs where we exit our apartment. Some days there are two critters -- a sheep and a cow. Most days I don't see any animals either because he hasn't brought any in or he has just caused an animal to meet its maker. I'm really learning a lot about the Albanian butchering business. (Even though I come from Oklahoma and live in a city with stockyards, I haven't hung around too many butcher shops.) As I exit the apartment building I can look in the back door of the butcher shop. This is the part of the shop where all the excitement occurs. Many times there is an animal hanging from hooks prepared to be cut into dinner pieces. I won't go into any more detail about some of the other steps of the butchering process I have witnessed; but, I am learning a lot.
Lord willing I will be bringing the lesson on Sunday. I have invited Igli to services. After our 7:00 p.m. meeting we are going to experience our first Albanian church pot-luck meal. It should be pretty good -- Diana is a great cook! The experience will be even more enjoyable since we have air conditioning and power!
More later,
Darin
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
July 18
Hello All,
On Tuesday evening I studied with Myfit and Alexander. From my conversations with Myfit he has told me he works for Canon in Durres. Here he repairs equipment. Yesterday he actually made collection runs to towns around Durres. On Monday evening I was shown Myfit's workplace while on my excursion with Igli and Myfit . He works in the downtown area of Durres in one of three small shops owned by the company. (Also on this trip Igli pulled into a Kastrioti gas station -- named after the country's hero Gjorg Kastrioti (otherwise known by his title, Skenderbeu). Igli handed the attendant 700 Lek, the attendant pumped the gas, and we were on our way in less than a minute. I think Albanian gas station attendants also serve on NASCAR pit crews.) Myfit has also told me that most Muslims in Albania don't practice their religion. There are no mosques in our area of Durres. Durres city has a mosque. The only Muslim call to prayer I have heard during my time in Albania was in Tirana when we were by the old mosque on the town square around noon. Before I came to Albania I thought I'd be hearing this Muslim's call to prayer everyday. I think I've seen less than 5 Muslim women wearing head coverings.
During our study on Tuesday, Myfit and I read about the birth of Jesus. One of the questions following the lesson dealt with Jesus being God in the flesh. Myfit made the point to mention that in his religion Jesus is seen as a prophet. I already knew this Islamic viewpoint and was not surprised that Myfit brought it up. Hopefully as time progresses he will begin to question what the truth really is.
Alexander and I began a study using World Bible School material. We have begun a workbook for new Christians. He was baptized in May. It is basically a study of Ephesians and how Christians should live. Alexander again impressed me with his Bible knowledge and understanding. I have to remind myself that he is still a teenager and a babe in Christ. He told me he watched Ice Age II before coming to our lesson. We were supposed to go to the beach today around 10:00 today but somehow missed each other. We'll have to reschedule our outing.
Jill, Quinton, Quin, and Hallie and I left the church building on Tuesday night around 7:15. Jill, Hallie, and I went to eat supper and then got some ice cream to bring home. Later that night we found out that all three of our kids are running fever now. Oh boy! Besides finding out this news, we also managed to spill a can of grape juice in our refrigerator. I guess we're learning patience .
We all managed to sleep pretty well last night in spite of the heat and fevers. The kids have not been out today but are doing pretty well -- more cartoons and ibuprofen. The OC students brought over some cookies, candy, and juice for the kids this afternoon. Hopefully all will feel better soon so we can get out of the apartment a bit more.
As I type workers are installing a 50,000 btu air conditioner in the church building! One of the grocery stores near our apartment houses a 50,000 btu air conditioner and it does a nice job. Lord willing our lessons this evening and the Wednesday night Bible study will be much more comfortable. We may end up freezing out the Albanians; remember, they don't sweat.
Earlier this morning Jill was asking Adriana (Alfred's wife) about helping her cut out some things for VBS. Adriana informed Jill that her help was not required and that she should go home and "protect her children". Alfred and Adriana are careful not to over burden their American workers while at they same time they take on too much burden taking care of us! Apparently there is a phrase here in Albania -- "You can't tell an Albanian, no." This holds true for the Zikes. They are hard workers who love to serve. We will do well to follow their example!
Thanks,
Darin
On Tuesday evening I studied with Myfit and Alexander. From my conversations with Myfit he has told me he works for Canon in Durres. Here he repairs equipment. Yesterday he actually made collection runs to towns around Durres. On Monday evening I was shown Myfit's workplace while on my excursion with Igli and Myfit . He works in the downtown area of Durres in one of three small shops owned by the company. (Also on this trip Igli pulled into a Kastrioti gas station -- named after the country's hero Gjorg Kastrioti (otherwise known by his title, Skenderbeu). Igli handed the attendant 700 Lek, the attendant pumped the gas, and we were on our way in less than a minute. I think Albanian gas station attendants also serve on NASCAR pit crews.) Myfit has also told me that most Muslims in Albania don't practice their religion. There are no mosques in our area of Durres. Durres city has a mosque. The only Muslim call to prayer I have heard during my time in Albania was in Tirana when we were by the old mosque on the town square around noon. Before I came to Albania I thought I'd be hearing this Muslim's call to prayer everyday. I think I've seen less than 5 Muslim women wearing head coverings.
During our study on Tuesday, Myfit and I read about the birth of Jesus. One of the questions following the lesson dealt with Jesus being God in the flesh. Myfit made the point to mention that in his religion Jesus is seen as a prophet. I already knew this Islamic viewpoint and was not surprised that Myfit brought it up. Hopefully as time progresses he will begin to question what the truth really is.
Alexander and I began a study using World Bible School material. We have begun a workbook for new Christians. He was baptized in May. It is basically a study of Ephesians and how Christians should live. Alexander again impressed me with his Bible knowledge and understanding. I have to remind myself that he is still a teenager and a babe in Christ. He told me he watched Ice Age II before coming to our lesson. We were supposed to go to the beach today around 10:00 today but somehow missed each other. We'll have to reschedule our outing.
Jill, Quinton, Quin, and Hallie and I left the church building on Tuesday night around 7:15. Jill, Hallie, and I went to eat supper and then got some ice cream to bring home. Later that night we found out that all three of our kids are running fever now. Oh boy! Besides finding out this news, we also managed to spill a can of grape juice in our refrigerator. I guess we're learning patience .
We all managed to sleep pretty well last night in spite of the heat and fevers. The kids have not been out today but are doing pretty well -- more cartoons and ibuprofen. The OC students brought over some cookies, candy, and juice for the kids this afternoon. Hopefully all will feel better soon so we can get out of the apartment a bit more.
As I type workers are installing a 50,000 btu air conditioner in the church building! One of the grocery stores near our apartment houses a 50,000 btu air conditioner and it does a nice job. Lord willing our lessons this evening and the Wednesday night Bible study will be much more comfortable. We may end up freezing out the Albanians; remember, they don't sweat.
Earlier this morning Jill was asking Adriana (Alfred's wife) about helping her cut out some things for VBS. Adriana informed Jill that her help was not required and that she should go home and "protect her children". Alfred and Adriana are careful not to over burden their American workers while at they same time they take on too much burden taking care of us! Apparently there is a phrase here in Albania -- "You can't tell an Albanian, no." This holds true for the Zikes. They are hard workers who love to serve. We will do well to follow their example!
Thanks,
Darin
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
July 17
Hello again,
On Monday afternoon Jill and I both had two studies. Jill had her first study with one of the Christians at the Durres beach church. They are studying Proverbs. I had two studies with my two non-Christian friends, Igli and Myfit. We have finished the material about the prophets and other Old Testament material and are now studying the life of Jesus. Please take a second to pray for Igli's and Myfit's hearts to be open the message.
Amelia still has a fever. She is spending most of her time resting on the couch and watching American cartoons dubbed in German. I didn't know Sponge Bob was bilingual. With Amelia being home-bound, one of the adult Martin's has to stay at the apartment. Quinton and Helen are quite helpful with the care giving. Today, H. and Q. are at one of Helen's student's apartments as she need help moving and setting up some computer equipment.
We had our devotional this morning at 9:00. Alfred and Adriana were not in attendance as they were checking on some air conditioners for the church building. The building is in desperate need of air conditioning -- especially in the evening.
Last night after my studies Igli and I rode in his father's car to Durres city. At the main bus stop we picked up Myfit and then headed up some rather narrow and dilapidated streets until we arrived at our destination at one of the highest points in Durres. We parked near the top of a hill and then continued to walk up the hill about 100 yards to the base of a grand mansion. According to Igli and Myfit, this grand home was constructed in the 1920's by Albania's king. The home is "off limits" to visitors; however, Myfit persuaded the uniformed guard/soldier to allow us to enter the home. (Myfit has a friend who previously worked inside the home. Somehow this connection helped get us special access to the home. It may have also helped that they were showing an American the great city of Durres.) The guard pulled aside a bar gate wrapped in some nasty looking barbed wire and we walked up the driveway to the home.
Now that I had a better view of the home I could see some graffiti on the ground floor walls and most of the windows were broken out. The view of the Adriatic from this vantage point however was magnificent. Another soldier escorted us into the home. (Before going inside he was kind enough to take a picture of my friends and me as we stood in front of the Adriatic.) Once inside the mansion I couldn't believe what I saw. The home was absolutely ruined. The wooden floors were ripped up or badly damaged, what little paint there was on the walls was peeling, tile was broken, chandeliers were missing, and the marble staircase was falling apart. As we began our ascent on this staircase it creaked. I stopped in my tracks and questioned the safety our our home-tour. Igli assured me it was okay. Thus, we ventured up to the second floor and out onto a terrace. Here I took more pictures of Durres and the Sea. We proceeded to climb stairways and access terraces -- I took pictures on every level. At one point I saw the open elevator shaft and carried its former homeowners to any of the homes 4-5 levels.
After climbing a second narrower staircase to the top, we stepped out onto the roof. The roof of this grand mansion is now the home to no less than 15 satellite dishes and antennae. Cell phone and communication companies found a wonderful spot to post their equipment and apparently the Albanian government thought the price was right. We climbed yet another small iron staircase to the utmost point on the roof. We were surrounded by antennae and support cables as we stepped out on the roof's ledge for the best visual vantage point. At this point I broke out my video camera as well as my still camera to get a panoramic shot of the city, coast, and sea. The sun was also just about to set over the Adriatic--quite pretty. After a few minutes on the roof we began our descent and finally exited the home.
Igli told me the house was ransacked in 1997. Apparently the citizens of Albania has reached a breaking point about the downfall of the economy of other issues and took it out on this government building. I would estimate the home is some 7,000 square feet. It rests on a high hill overlooking the Adriatic and the city of Durres. Can you imagine the value of this home if it was is good condition in America? It seemed strange to be walking around such a grand mansion that was in such horrible condition. In a way it is a microcosm of Albania itself. Albania is a beautiful country with lots of potential but has been beaten down by wars, communism, a misdirected dictator, and economic difficulties. Lord willing, it will rise again and the church will grow in this beautiful country.
Take care,
Darin
On Monday afternoon Jill and I both had two studies. Jill had her first study with one of the Christians at the Durres beach church. They are studying Proverbs. I had two studies with my two non-Christian friends, Igli and Myfit. We have finished the material about the prophets and other Old Testament material and are now studying the life of Jesus. Please take a second to pray for Igli's and Myfit's hearts to be open the message.
Amelia still has a fever. She is spending most of her time resting on the couch and watching American cartoons dubbed in German. I didn't know Sponge Bob was bilingual. With Amelia being home-bound, one of the adult Martin's has to stay at the apartment. Quinton and Helen are quite helpful with the care giving. Today, H. and Q. are at one of Helen's student's apartments as she need help moving and setting up some computer equipment.
We had our devotional this morning at 9:00. Alfred and Adriana were not in attendance as they were checking on some air conditioners for the church building. The building is in desperate need of air conditioning -- especially in the evening.
Last night after my studies Igli and I rode in his father's car to Durres city. At the main bus stop we picked up Myfit and then headed up some rather narrow and dilapidated streets until we arrived at our destination at one of the highest points in Durres. We parked near the top of a hill and then continued to walk up the hill about 100 yards to the base of a grand mansion. According to Igli and Myfit, this grand home was constructed in the 1920's by Albania's king. The home is "off limits" to visitors; however, Myfit persuaded the uniformed guard/soldier to allow us to enter the home. (Myfit has a friend who previously worked inside the home. Somehow this connection helped get us special access to the home. It may have also helped that they were showing an American the great city of Durres.) The guard pulled aside a bar gate wrapped in some nasty looking barbed wire and we walked up the driveway to the home.
Now that I had a better view of the home I could see some graffiti on the ground floor walls and most of the windows were broken out. The view of the Adriatic from this vantage point however was magnificent. Another soldier escorted us into the home. (Before going inside he was kind enough to take a picture of my friends and me as we stood in front of the Adriatic.) Once inside the mansion I couldn't believe what I saw. The home was absolutely ruined. The wooden floors were ripped up or badly damaged, what little paint there was on the walls was peeling, tile was broken, chandeliers were missing, and the marble staircase was falling apart. As we began our ascent on this staircase it creaked. I stopped in my tracks and questioned the safety our our home-tour. Igli assured me it was okay. Thus, we ventured up to the second floor and out onto a terrace. Here I took more pictures of Durres and the Sea. We proceeded to climb stairways and access terraces -- I took pictures on every level. At one point I saw the open elevator shaft and carried its former homeowners to any of the homes 4-5 levels.
After climbing a second narrower staircase to the top, we stepped out onto the roof. The roof of this grand mansion is now the home to no less than 15 satellite dishes and antennae. Cell phone and communication companies found a wonderful spot to post their equipment and apparently the Albanian government thought the price was right. We climbed yet another small iron staircase to the utmost point on the roof. We were surrounded by antennae and support cables as we stepped out on the roof's ledge for the best visual vantage point. At this point I broke out my video camera as well as my still camera to get a panoramic shot of the city, coast, and sea. The sun was also just about to set over the Adriatic--quite pretty. After a few minutes on the roof we began our descent and finally exited the home.
Igli told me the house was ransacked in 1997. Apparently the citizens of Albania has reached a breaking point about the downfall of the economy of other issues and took it out on this government building. I would estimate the home is some 7,000 square feet. It rests on a high hill overlooking the Adriatic and the city of Durres. Can you imagine the value of this home if it was is good condition in America? It seemed strange to be walking around such a grand mansion that was in such horrible condition. In a way it is a microcosm of Albania itself. Albania is a beautiful country with lots of potential but has been beaten down by wars, communism, a misdirected dictator, and economic difficulties. Lord willing, it will rise again and the church will grow in this beautiful country.
Take care,
Darin
Monday, July 16, 2007
July 16
Hello Again,
On Saturday night after our day in Kruja Helen, Quinton, Darin, and two of our OC students installed new light bulbs in the church building -- 100 watt bulbs for 60 watt. In the evening they make a big difference. We also swept and mopped the floor as it was quite dirty from Friday night's fellowship night. (We also wanted to do this for Alfred and Adrianna since they do so much for the church and have done so much for us already. They live in Tirana and it is 45 minute to an hour drive for them to get to the church building.)
On Sunday morning Jill and I ventured to Durres city for worship services at the Durres church. Helen and Quinton stayed with our kids. To get to the Durres church we walked down to our bus stop about a quarter mile away. Well, to be more specific we almost made it to the bus stop. The bus was already leaving the stop so we flagged it down and jump aboard as it slowed to about 5 mph -- Jill really showed great skill as she vaulted on the bus without injuring herself. The bus ride was a bit crowded but not to bad. One young lady near us on the bus decided to vomit in a clear bag -- at least she had a bag. I chose not to look. I felt sorry for her. Once at the last bus stop in Durres we disembarked and walked the half mile or so the building.
The Durres church building is just a few paces off one of the main streets. We arrived about 15 minutes early for the 10:00 service. We chatted with Chimi, the minister, and his wife. I took a picture of his family with their baby, Samuel. We met an American woman who was in Durres for 5 weeks to teach English at the church. This is actually her 7th time to Durres. She is a school teacher in Humble, TX. For the 10:00 service, Edwart, a young man attending the Sunset Preaching School in Tirana, preached about the goals of the Christians. Chimi was kind enough to translate. For Bible class, Chimi spoke and a young lady from the congregation translated. Jill and I picked the right day to visit the Durres church as the A/C was actually working! The power was out (I have mentioned that most places in Albania have power about half the time) but their generator kicked in nicely. (Last week when the rest of our team visited the Durres church the generator wasn't working so they had zero A/C.)
Following services we chatted with the two AIMers who were in attendance. Two of the AIMers were enduring a bout of the stomach flu. We also chatted with a couple from OC who were in Durres to teach. For lunch, the two AIMers, our four OC students, and the teacher from TX went to eat suflaqes. Suflaqes are meat, cucumbers, french fries, lettuce, yogurt sauce, and ketchup (optional) wrapped in pita bread all for $1.00. Not too bad!
After lunch the OC students, Jill, and I went to the foremost supermarket in Durres. It was actually just a short walk from our bust stop and from our lunch spot. The supermarket is housed in a modern silver building named "Blue Star". The building has other stores as well but we didn't venture in these establishments. The supermarket was air conditioned, clean, and had the feel of Americana. We didn't find many products that we couldn't find in our area. The supermarket did have peanut butter though. For $6.00 we could have purchased a medium-sized jar of peanut butter that contained no sweetner -- we passed. We could also have bought a quart-sized ice cream for about $10.00 -- and it wasn't even Haagen-Dazs! We bought a few smaller items that we couldn't get at our grocery stores and headed for the bakery! After a quick dessert (chocolate cake and some type of flaky lemon thingy for less than a buck) we boarded the bus for the ride back to Durres Beach.
When we arrived back a the apartment we discoverd that Amelia was now the one with a cold. We're not sure if she has what Hallie had or has her own new bug; either way, she is not too excited to be sick. (When Amelia is sick the whole world knows. When Hallie is sick or hurting one would hardly know. Thankfully, Amelia responds well to ibuprofen. We give it to her for her benefit and ours.) So, since Amelia was feeling sick she and Jill didn't go to p.m. worship at our church meeting.
There were about 40 in attendance; this meant just about every seat was full. It was pretty warm in the building but I had access to a few passes of one of the oscillating fans. Hallie and Quin behaved well. Hallie actually fell asleep during the service but I wasn't going to fight her to keep her awake. Greg from Oregon preached and Alfred translated. We chatted awhile outside after services then I grabbed a fan, Quin, and Hallie and we headed back to the apartment.
I need to take a minute to tell you about Quinton's student -- I'll call him Rick. (I have writtes some about him previously.) Quinton is blessed with having the most interesting student of the bunch. I'm not exactly sure of Rick's age but I'd guess he's around 50. He is fit as a fiddle and always arrives to his 11:00 lesson in white pants and a tucked in white t-shirt. He has a shaved head and a black mustache. Rick is a former javelin thrower. Apparently he is from a somewhat wealthy family -- at least before communism they were wealthy. I think they were able to get back most of their assets after communism fell. Anyway, Rick combines several religions and philosophies to form his own faith. He dedicates six hours a day to yoga, meditation, and purification. Six hours! I have seen the benefits of his yoga as one day he streched on the sidewalk and buried his nose into his knee cap. If I tried this I'd pop a hamstring and have to go the the hospital in Durres. Rick takes a two-hour drive one day a week or so to the mountains past Tirana to collect natural spring water. He also fills jugs for friends. One time Rick ate nothing but grapes for either three months or three weeks (blame the misinformation on the language barrier); either way, that is quite a few grapes. And I don't think these were the seedless variety! Rick has spent 6-months in a Hindu monestary and claims to have not been to the doctor in several years. I believe it. He is a vegetarian and believes killing animals for food is a sin. (I don't think he'd fit in to well in Evening Shade, Arkansas.) To his credit he is very polite and always smiling -- I guess grapes will do that to you. I can't imagine processed food has passed over his lips since he was a child. Fried Twinkies must be a product Satan in Rick's eyes. I guess if we all could dedicate six hours a day to meditation, strechting, and purification we'd all feel better; but who has the time?
Besides our Bible studies, our group has some other projects this week. We are going to make final preparations for the VBS next week, plan for another fellowship night, and help Alfred get the church's projector mounted on the ceiling. Alfred used the projector on Sunday.
More later,
Darin
On Saturday night after our day in Kruja Helen, Quinton, Darin, and two of our OC students installed new light bulbs in the church building -- 100 watt bulbs for 60 watt. In the evening they make a big difference. We also swept and mopped the floor as it was quite dirty from Friday night's fellowship night. (We also wanted to do this for Alfred and Adrianna since they do so much for the church and have done so much for us already. They live in Tirana and it is 45 minute to an hour drive for them to get to the church building.)
On Sunday morning Jill and I ventured to Durres city for worship services at the Durres church. Helen and Quinton stayed with our kids. To get to the Durres church we walked down to our bus stop about a quarter mile away. Well, to be more specific we almost made it to the bus stop. The bus was already leaving the stop so we flagged it down and jump aboard as it slowed to about 5 mph -- Jill really showed great skill as she vaulted on the bus without injuring herself. The bus ride was a bit crowded but not to bad. One young lady near us on the bus decided to vomit in a clear bag -- at least she had a bag. I chose not to look. I felt sorry for her. Once at the last bus stop in Durres we disembarked and walked the half mile or so the building.
The Durres church building is just a few paces off one of the main streets. We arrived about 15 minutes early for the 10:00 service. We chatted with Chimi, the minister, and his wife. I took a picture of his family with their baby, Samuel. We met an American woman who was in Durres for 5 weeks to teach English at the church. This is actually her 7th time to Durres. She is a school teacher in Humble, TX. For the 10:00 service, Edwart, a young man attending the Sunset Preaching School in Tirana, preached about the goals of the Christians. Chimi was kind enough to translate. For Bible class, Chimi spoke and a young lady from the congregation translated. Jill and I picked the right day to visit the Durres church as the A/C was actually working! The power was out (I have mentioned that most places in Albania have power about half the time) but their generator kicked in nicely. (Last week when the rest of our team visited the Durres church the generator wasn't working so they had zero A/C.)
Following services we chatted with the two AIMers who were in attendance. Two of the AIMers were enduring a bout of the stomach flu. We also chatted with a couple from OC who were in Durres to teach. For lunch, the two AIMers, our four OC students, and the teacher from TX went to eat suflaqes. Suflaqes are meat, cucumbers, french fries, lettuce, yogurt sauce, and ketchup (optional) wrapped in pita bread all for $1.00. Not too bad!
After lunch the OC students, Jill, and I went to the foremost supermarket in Durres. It was actually just a short walk from our bust stop and from our lunch spot. The supermarket is housed in a modern silver building named "Blue Star". The building has other stores as well but we didn't venture in these establishments. The supermarket was air conditioned, clean, and had the feel of Americana. We didn't find many products that we couldn't find in our area. The supermarket did have peanut butter though. For $6.00 we could have purchased a medium-sized jar of peanut butter that contained no sweetner -- we passed. We could also have bought a quart-sized ice cream for about $10.00 -- and it wasn't even Haagen-Dazs! We bought a few smaller items that we couldn't get at our grocery stores and headed for the bakery! After a quick dessert (chocolate cake and some type of flaky lemon thingy for less than a buck) we boarded the bus for the ride back to Durres Beach.
When we arrived back a the apartment we discoverd that Amelia was now the one with a cold. We're not sure if she has what Hallie had or has her own new bug; either way, she is not too excited to be sick. (When Amelia is sick the whole world knows. When Hallie is sick or hurting one would hardly know. Thankfully, Amelia responds well to ibuprofen. We give it to her for her benefit and ours.) So, since Amelia was feeling sick she and Jill didn't go to p.m. worship at our church meeting.
There were about 40 in attendance; this meant just about every seat was full. It was pretty warm in the building but I had access to a few passes of one of the oscillating fans. Hallie and Quin behaved well. Hallie actually fell asleep during the service but I wasn't going to fight her to keep her awake. Greg from Oregon preached and Alfred translated. We chatted awhile outside after services then I grabbed a fan, Quin, and Hallie and we headed back to the apartment.
I need to take a minute to tell you about Quinton's student -- I'll call him Rick. (I have writtes some about him previously.) Quinton is blessed with having the most interesting student of the bunch. I'm not exactly sure of Rick's age but I'd guess he's around 50. He is fit as a fiddle and always arrives to his 11:00 lesson in white pants and a tucked in white t-shirt. He has a shaved head and a black mustache. Rick is a former javelin thrower. Apparently he is from a somewhat wealthy family -- at least before communism they were wealthy. I think they were able to get back most of their assets after communism fell. Anyway, Rick combines several religions and philosophies to form his own faith. He dedicates six hours a day to yoga, meditation, and purification. Six hours! I have seen the benefits of his yoga as one day he streched on the sidewalk and buried his nose into his knee cap. If I tried this I'd pop a hamstring and have to go the the hospital in Durres. Rick takes a two-hour drive one day a week or so to the mountains past Tirana to collect natural spring water. He also fills jugs for friends. One time Rick ate nothing but grapes for either three months or three weeks (blame the misinformation on the language barrier); either way, that is quite a few grapes. And I don't think these were the seedless variety! Rick has spent 6-months in a Hindu monestary and claims to have not been to the doctor in several years. I believe it. He is a vegetarian and believes killing animals for food is a sin. (I don't think he'd fit in to well in Evening Shade, Arkansas.) To his credit he is very polite and always smiling -- I guess grapes will do that to you. I can't imagine processed food has passed over his lips since he was a child. Fried Twinkies must be a product Satan in Rick's eyes. I guess if we all could dedicate six hours a day to meditation, strechting, and purification we'd all feel better; but who has the time?
Besides our Bible studies, our group has some other projects this week. We are going to make final preparations for the VBS next week, plan for another fellowship night, and help Alfred get the church's projector mounted on the ceiling. Alfred used the projector on Sunday.
More later,
Darin
Saturday, July 14, 2007
July 14
Hello,
We are two weeks into our five week campaign and all is going well. Last night I had one study as Myfit had to help prepare for his cousin's wedding. After our studies at 7:00 we hosted a fellowship night. There were 36 total in attendance (11 Americans and 3 members of Alfred's family included). The main entertainment of the evening was the exciting game of Bunko! Alfred had written the rules on a white board and also gave verbal instructions at the beginning of the game. We had seven tables of players -- Helen, Alfred, and I didn't play. Hallie played with Jill and Quin played with one of our OC students. Alfred, Helen, and I circulated during the first round or two to make sure all was going smoothly. A time or two we had to correct some scoring misunderstandings, but by round 3 all players were experts. The room was pretty warm but not as hot as it could have been; otherwise it would have been brutally hot. Everybody seemed to enjoy playing Bunko and meeting new people (some of our guests were friends of our students who had not been involved with the English/Bible studies before). Adriana, Alfred's wife, brought a cake, our OC girls brought some other snacks, and the OC men brought drinks. We had just the right amount of food. Quin was a hoot as he starting blowing on the dice before throwing them. We greatly appreciate the patience of those at his table during the game.
A little after 9:00 the final round was completed. We had two Bunko winners, a winner for the most wins, and a loser prize -- Americans couldn't win prizes. Prizes were provided by Helen -- a Keepsake Candle, calendar, cool wraps, and magnets. The winning group started singing, "We are the Champions" after they were recognized. We hope our fellowship will encourage others to join our studies and worship services. After the fellowship most of the Americans and Alfred's family stayed to clean up. The OC girls went to Durres with one of their students. They visited a restaurant at a castle-like structure at the top of a hill overlooking Durres. All in all the fellowship was a huge success. We plan to have another fellowship in a week or two. The next time we may have more games to play or watch a movie.
This morning at 9:00 we departed in a 12-passenger van for Kruja. Kruja is a mountain city about an hour from Durres. Geographically, if you have your Albania map handy, it is northeast of Durres. We started out on the same hi-way that leads to Tirana -- this is a nice 4-lane hi-way with few potholes. About halfway to Tirana we turned off onto a two-lane hi-way that was in pretty good shape. We stayed on this road for about 10 minutes until we hit another town (can't remember the name). George W. Bush visited this town on his 7-hour visit to Albania. I imagine he visited this city as well as Tirana because it is close to the airport. Once we were through the town the road got quite rough for awhile as we started our ascent up the mountain. After about 3 miles the road's surface got smoother but the path became serpentine and steep. The road was surrounded by trees with occasional breaks to see the scenery. There were also some rock quarries along the way. After about 10 miles or so we arrived in the city of Kruja.
Kruja has a population of around 30,000. These inhabitants must be in good shape because they have to walk up and down many hills in there city. I did see one flat area that housed the town soccer field. We drove through most of the city until we arrived at the base of the Kruja castle and museum. The castle dates back to the 3-4th centuries. We paid $1.00 to enter the castle grounds. Souvenir vendors lined the walkway the main castle area. There ruins of the castle are actually just partial walls and such. We climbed the stairs up a short hill to the Skenderbeu Museum. (Remember, Skenderbeu is the national hero.) This museum was constructed in 1982 and is quite nice. Upon entering the museum (fee $2.00) we couldn't miss the massive concrete statue of Skenderbeu and his people. Our tour guide was a clean-cut young man who spoke English quite well. The museum is broken into several halls. At one point during the tour we found ourselves on a terrace that provided an excellent view of the city and landscape below. We could actually see to the Adriatic Sea and Tirana. (Supposedly from the top of the mountains behind Kruja -- some 3,000 feet -- one can see the lights of Bari, Italy. There is a way to climb to the top of the mountain but it would be quite a climb. Alfred said he and some buddies made the climb when he was 22 years old. This climb was not part of our tour today!) As we were signing the guest book at the museum we chatted with a young man from Houston, TX. He was with a campaign group that was hosting a youth camp in the south of Albania. Also during the tour we heard some more English being spoken -- a Canadian women was on the tour.
I didn't realize Skenderbeu was such a cool guy. (I should have paid more attention during world history class.) Anyway, I'm not going to give a history lesson now but I'd encourage the readers to grab a World Book -- or at least check out Wikipedia -- and read a bit about him.
After we left the museum we walked down to the entrance of a house dating back 243 years. The entryway to this house was a cobblestone walkway completely covered with grape vines. Rosemary and rose bushes lined the path. We waited about 15 minutes in this area for our guide -- a cute little man who repeated his memorized English tour speech with a lot of excitement and expressiveness. The house and its artifacts were the possession of the wealthiest family in Kruja back in the day. The house included a steam-bath (Turkish bath) and a room for the men of the family to sit, smoke tobacco, and make decisions. A loft looked down on this room. From the loft the women were to look through small circular windows to see if the men needed any more provisions during their meetings. If so, the women would give the food, wine, whatever, to a young man at the door who would then give it to the men. (I'm thinking of instituting this type of service at my house in Edmond. I think Jill will be on board.)
After our visit to the old house we walked out of the museum -- Hallie bought an Albania purse for $3.00. We walked down a cobblestone hill -- those cobblestones are slick -- to the closest restaurant we could find. We sat outside. Half of us had a great view of the countryside and Adriatic. The sky was clear with a slight breeze. The temperature was in the upper 70's -- very nice. We ate salad and pizza. I tried my first cappuccino -- I'm not a coffee drinker but enjoy a cappuccino every now and then. Alfred had an espresso.
Our last stop of the tour was a visit to the Turkish bazaar. This was just down from the restaurant and museum. The bazaar's walkway was cobblestone and not more than 10 feet across. I imagine there were at least 50 shops. The first shop on the left was a carpet store. Two women were using a loom and another woman was the salesperson. On the wall of this establishment was a picture of Laura Bush along with 3-4 other important people in this very same shop. I bought a small hand-woven Albanian flag at this shop for $5.00.
The store owners all along the Bazaar's path stood outside their stores and invited guests into their shops. Most of the stores were selling the same trinkets with a little variety in hand-made goods. Quin bought a small Albanian boxing glove key chain for a dollar and Amelia bought an Albanian purse similar to Hallie's. I think all the OC students bought souvenirs. One particularly eager owner coaxed me into her shop where I purchased a mug and Amelia's purse. I would have loved to have bought from every store owner -- they were all so eager.
At 3:30 we met at the van and headed back to Durres. On the way back down the mountain I had to really relax and focus because I was feeling a bit nauseous, but I made it down okay. Most of the Martin's took nap on the drive home. It had been a great trip.
Currently our girls are out shopping with the OC girls and Quin is on the computer behind us playing Thomas the Tank Engine with one of our OC men.
Mirupafshim (goodbye),
Darin
We are two weeks into our five week campaign and all is going well. Last night I had one study as Myfit had to help prepare for his cousin's wedding. After our studies at 7:00 we hosted a fellowship night. There were 36 total in attendance (11 Americans and 3 members of Alfred's family included). The main entertainment of the evening was the exciting game of Bunko! Alfred had written the rules on a white board and also gave verbal instructions at the beginning of the game. We had seven tables of players -- Helen, Alfred, and I didn't play. Hallie played with Jill and Quin played with one of our OC students. Alfred, Helen, and I circulated during the first round or two to make sure all was going smoothly. A time or two we had to correct some scoring misunderstandings, but by round 3 all players were experts. The room was pretty warm but not as hot as it could have been; otherwise it would have been brutally hot. Everybody seemed to enjoy playing Bunko and meeting new people (some of our guests were friends of our students who had not been involved with the English/Bible studies before). Adriana, Alfred's wife, brought a cake, our OC girls brought some other snacks, and the OC men brought drinks. We had just the right amount of food. Quin was a hoot as he starting blowing on the dice before throwing them. We greatly appreciate the patience of those at his table during the game.
A little after 9:00 the final round was completed. We had two Bunko winners, a winner for the most wins, and a loser prize -- Americans couldn't win prizes. Prizes were provided by Helen -- a Keepsake Candle, calendar, cool wraps, and magnets. The winning group started singing, "We are the Champions" after they were recognized. We hope our fellowship will encourage others to join our studies and worship services. After the fellowship most of the Americans and Alfred's family stayed to clean up. The OC girls went to Durres with one of their students. They visited a restaurant at a castle-like structure at the top of a hill overlooking Durres. All in all the fellowship was a huge success. We plan to have another fellowship in a week or two. The next time we may have more games to play or watch a movie.
This morning at 9:00 we departed in a 12-passenger van for Kruja. Kruja is a mountain city about an hour from Durres. Geographically, if you have your Albania map handy, it is northeast of Durres. We started out on the same hi-way that leads to Tirana -- this is a nice 4-lane hi-way with few potholes. About halfway to Tirana we turned off onto a two-lane hi-way that was in pretty good shape. We stayed on this road for about 10 minutes until we hit another town (can't remember the name). George W. Bush visited this town on his 7-hour visit to Albania. I imagine he visited this city as well as Tirana because it is close to the airport. Once we were through the town the road got quite rough for awhile as we started our ascent up the mountain. After about 3 miles the road's surface got smoother but the path became serpentine and steep. The road was surrounded by trees with occasional breaks to see the scenery. There were also some rock quarries along the way. After about 10 miles or so we arrived in the city of Kruja.
Kruja has a population of around 30,000. These inhabitants must be in good shape because they have to walk up and down many hills in there city. I did see one flat area that housed the town soccer field. We drove through most of the city until we arrived at the base of the Kruja castle and museum. The castle dates back to the 3-4th centuries. We paid $1.00 to enter the castle grounds. Souvenir vendors lined the walkway the main castle area. There ruins of the castle are actually just partial walls and such. We climbed the stairs up a short hill to the Skenderbeu Museum. (Remember, Skenderbeu is the national hero.) This museum was constructed in 1982 and is quite nice. Upon entering the museum (fee $2.00) we couldn't miss the massive concrete statue of Skenderbeu and his people. Our tour guide was a clean-cut young man who spoke English quite well. The museum is broken into several halls. At one point during the tour we found ourselves on a terrace that provided an excellent view of the city and landscape below. We could actually see to the Adriatic Sea and Tirana. (Supposedly from the top of the mountains behind Kruja -- some 3,000 feet -- one can see the lights of Bari, Italy. There is a way to climb to the top of the mountain but it would be quite a climb. Alfred said he and some buddies made the climb when he was 22 years old. This climb was not part of our tour today!) As we were signing the guest book at the museum we chatted with a young man from Houston, TX. He was with a campaign group that was hosting a youth camp in the south of Albania. Also during the tour we heard some more English being spoken -- a Canadian women was on the tour.
I didn't realize Skenderbeu was such a cool guy. (I should have paid more attention during world history class.) Anyway, I'm not going to give a history lesson now but I'd encourage the readers to grab a World Book -- or at least check out Wikipedia -- and read a bit about him.
After we left the museum we walked down to the entrance of a house dating back 243 years. The entryway to this house was a cobblestone walkway completely covered with grape vines. Rosemary and rose bushes lined the path. We waited about 15 minutes in this area for our guide -- a cute little man who repeated his memorized English tour speech with a lot of excitement and expressiveness. The house and its artifacts were the possession of the wealthiest family in Kruja back in the day. The house included a steam-bath (Turkish bath) and a room for the men of the family to sit, smoke tobacco, and make decisions. A loft looked down on this room. From the loft the women were to look through small circular windows to see if the men needed any more provisions during their meetings. If so, the women would give the food, wine, whatever, to a young man at the door who would then give it to the men. (I'm thinking of instituting this type of service at my house in Edmond. I think Jill will be on board.)
After our visit to the old house we walked out of the museum -- Hallie bought an Albania purse for $3.00. We walked down a cobblestone hill -- those cobblestones are slick -- to the closest restaurant we could find. We sat outside. Half of us had a great view of the countryside and Adriatic. The sky was clear with a slight breeze. The temperature was in the upper 70's -- very nice. We ate salad and pizza. I tried my first cappuccino -- I'm not a coffee drinker but enjoy a cappuccino every now and then. Alfred had an espresso.
Our last stop of the tour was a visit to the Turkish bazaar. This was just down from the restaurant and museum. The bazaar's walkway was cobblestone and not more than 10 feet across. I imagine there were at least 50 shops. The first shop on the left was a carpet store. Two women were using a loom and another woman was the salesperson. On the wall of this establishment was a picture of Laura Bush along with 3-4 other important people in this very same shop. I bought a small hand-woven Albanian flag at this shop for $5.00.
The store owners all along the Bazaar's path stood outside their stores and invited guests into their shops. Most of the stores were selling the same trinkets with a little variety in hand-made goods. Quin bought a small Albanian boxing glove key chain for a dollar and Amelia bought an Albanian purse similar to Hallie's. I think all the OC students bought souvenirs. One particularly eager owner coaxed me into her shop where I purchased a mug and Amelia's purse. I would have loved to have bought from every store owner -- they were all so eager.
At 3:30 we met at the van and headed back to Durres. On the way back down the mountain I had to really relax and focus because I was feeling a bit nauseous, but I made it down okay. Most of the Martin's took nap on the drive home. It had been a great trip.
Currently our girls are out shopping with the OC girls and Quin is on the computer behind us playing Thomas the Tank Engine with one of our OC men.
Mirupafshim (goodbye),
Darin
Friday, July 13, 2007
July 13
Greetings Again,
I just left our apartment to come to the internet cafe - a short walk across the street. Amelia and Hallie were entertaining their new friend. She is 10 or 11 years old and the daughter of one of Jill's students. Their friend speaks a tiny bit of English but more Spanish. So, when I talk with her I use my very limited Spanish. Jill can usually get her messages across with a variety of words and gestures.
This morning at our devotional time we had a practive round of Bunko -- the dice game. Some of our OC students knew how to play already. Bunko is the main form of entertainment for our fellowship tonight at 7:00 p.m. Alfred's wife Adriana made a cake for the party, our OC girls are supposed to bring some other snacks, and the OC boys are to bring pop (sounds like the good ole days of youth group devotionals).
After the devotional this morning Alfred and I got in his Jeep and headed for Durres. He needed to change some dollars for Lek and arrange a van driver for our excursion tomorrow. We met the van driver at the Durres gymnasium. This week the Balkan youth women's volleyball tournament is underway. We popped in the watch the Greek team practice. Alfred thought this was the national team or close to it. These were some tall and athletic Greek girls. They were jump serving with power and accuracy. I don't think my college club D-team volleyball squad would give these girls much of a match! They were impressive. Anyway, Alfred found the van driver who informed Alfred that he couldn't drive on Saturday. He arranged a van for us via his cousin. So, apparently we will travel to Kruja in a 12-passenger van for around $100.
Last night it was -- dare I say -- almost chilly! The wind had picked up and a cold front moved through. After eating pita bread with chicken at our apartment -- our best home-cooked meal yet -- we and Quinton and Helen headed down the strip to our favorite ice cream (akalore) store, the Pelican. We are regulars now and are greeted warmly. As we sat ourside eating our dessert Hallie kept telling me how cold she was. I told her to soak it in and enjoy the cool air; we'd be sweating again soon. Today is nice as well.
Here are a few more Albanian insights and observations. At many locations on the sidewalks there are youngsters and older men sitting by scales. For a small fee we can weigh ourselves in kilograms. I guess this is a step up from begging. I weighed myself for the first time yesterday just outside the bakery on the bottom level of the internet cafe building. A cute litte gal received my 10 Lek (11 cents) and I found out I weighed about 70 kg with my backpack on. When I saw the girl later she was eager for me to weigh again. I'll probaby weigh on other scales before I come back to her -- I don't think her scale was accurate.
All along the beach or small examples of capitalism. Some entreprenuers (I bet I spelled that wrong, sorry) offer grilled corn. These small grills always have red-hot coals and charred corn on top. I can't imagine eating the corn because at least half the kernels are black. It is a smelly operation; however, I see many Albanians eating the corn so I guess the grilling will continue. (The corn-grillers are also on the sidewalks.) Other beach sellers offer a variety of beach necessities -- floaties, sun screen, towels, sand digging equipment, coolers, hats, and candy. I imagine there are 100's of these small stores/booths all along the beach and the streets leading to the beach. The most interesting of these sellers are the one who take their stores to and from the beach via bicylce. These stores are actaully attached to the bicycle. The rider sits and pedals at the back of the store while all the floaties, towels, etc. hang off a large rectangular prism in front. The other day on a run I saw one of these bike-store riders stopped in the street. Part of the frame of his store was rubbing against one of the bike tires. I tried to help him pry the metal off of the tire. He did most of the work and got it fixed. He thanked me in Albanian and shook my hand.
Thankfully, Albanians are not in favor of public displays of affection. Every once in awhile I'll see a couple walking arm in arm but this is rare. I'm yet to see a couple kiss in public. I'll keep my eyes open though.
Lastly, a note about the dress-code at the beach. Very young boys (3 years and younger) can be found nude as they splash in the water. Young girls up to age 8 I'd guess often swim topless -- no big deal. The adults all wear conventional swimwear. Pretty much everybody at the beach has a dark tan or is recovering from a sunburn. We've seen many with pealing skin. Oh well, as long as all are having fun!
God bless,
Darin
I just left our apartment to come to the internet cafe - a short walk across the street. Amelia and Hallie were entertaining their new friend. She is 10 or 11 years old and the daughter of one of Jill's students. Their friend speaks a tiny bit of English but more Spanish. So, when I talk with her I use my very limited Spanish. Jill can usually get her messages across with a variety of words and gestures.
This morning at our devotional time we had a practive round of Bunko -- the dice game. Some of our OC students knew how to play already. Bunko is the main form of entertainment for our fellowship tonight at 7:00 p.m. Alfred's wife Adriana made a cake for the party, our OC girls are supposed to bring some other snacks, and the OC boys are to bring pop (sounds like the good ole days of youth group devotionals).
After the devotional this morning Alfred and I got in his Jeep and headed for Durres. He needed to change some dollars for Lek and arrange a van driver for our excursion tomorrow. We met the van driver at the Durres gymnasium. This week the Balkan youth women's volleyball tournament is underway. We popped in the watch the Greek team practice. Alfred thought this was the national team or close to it. These were some tall and athletic Greek girls. They were jump serving with power and accuracy. I don't think my college club D-team volleyball squad would give these girls much of a match! They were impressive. Anyway, Alfred found the van driver who informed Alfred that he couldn't drive on Saturday. He arranged a van for us via his cousin. So, apparently we will travel to Kruja in a 12-passenger van for around $100.
Last night it was -- dare I say -- almost chilly! The wind had picked up and a cold front moved through. After eating pita bread with chicken at our apartment -- our best home-cooked meal yet -- we and Quinton and Helen headed down the strip to our favorite ice cream (akalore) store, the Pelican. We are regulars now and are greeted warmly. As we sat ourside eating our dessert Hallie kept telling me how cold she was. I told her to soak it in and enjoy the cool air; we'd be sweating again soon. Today is nice as well.
Here are a few more Albanian insights and observations. At many locations on the sidewalks there are youngsters and older men sitting by scales. For a small fee we can weigh ourselves in kilograms. I guess this is a step up from begging. I weighed myself for the first time yesterday just outside the bakery on the bottom level of the internet cafe building. A cute litte gal received my 10 Lek (11 cents) and I found out I weighed about 70 kg with my backpack on. When I saw the girl later she was eager for me to weigh again. I'll probaby weigh on other scales before I come back to her -- I don't think her scale was accurate.
All along the beach or small examples of capitalism. Some entreprenuers (I bet I spelled that wrong, sorry) offer grilled corn. These small grills always have red-hot coals and charred corn on top. I can't imagine eating the corn because at least half the kernels are black. It is a smelly operation; however, I see many Albanians eating the corn so I guess the grilling will continue. (The corn-grillers are also on the sidewalks.) Other beach sellers offer a variety of beach necessities -- floaties, sun screen, towels, sand digging equipment, coolers, hats, and candy. I imagine there are 100's of these small stores/booths all along the beach and the streets leading to the beach. The most interesting of these sellers are the one who take their stores to and from the beach via bicylce. These stores are actaully attached to the bicycle. The rider sits and pedals at the back of the store while all the floaties, towels, etc. hang off a large rectangular prism in front. The other day on a run I saw one of these bike-store riders stopped in the street. Part of the frame of his store was rubbing against one of the bike tires. I tried to help him pry the metal off of the tire. He did most of the work and got it fixed. He thanked me in Albanian and shook my hand.
Thankfully, Albanians are not in favor of public displays of affection. Every once in awhile I'll see a couple walking arm in arm but this is rare. I'm yet to see a couple kiss in public. I'll keep my eyes open though.
Lastly, a note about the dress-code at the beach. Very young boys (3 years and younger) can be found nude as they splash in the water. Young girls up to age 8 I'd guess often swim topless -- no big deal. The adults all wear conventional swimwear. Pretty much everybody at the beach has a dark tan or is recovering from a sunburn. We've seen many with pealing skin. Oh well, as long as all are having fun!
God bless,
Darin
Thursday, July 12, 2007
July 12
Howdy,
Jill and I both had a study on Wednesday evening. One of my students did not show up but this gave me an opportunity to have an extended discussion with Myfit. I extended an invitation for him to join us at our Friday evening fellowship night but he will not be able to attend because he has to prepare music and other things for his cousin's wedding on Saturday. I hope to have both of my studies this evening and Jill is scheduled for a 6:00 class.
On Wednesday night at 7:00 we had a Bible study at the building. Our attendance was much larger than last Wednesday night. Alfred led the study of Jesus' parables. He is a really good teacher. He started out the lesson by translating back and forth from Albanian to English; however, as the lesson progressed the English dropped off.
Following the church service we ate sandwiches and hot dogs at our apartment. As we were entering our apartment a group of Albanian children met us and followed us up the stairs. Two girls invited Amelia and Hallie to play with them on the driveway on the back side of our building. After supper Jill took our girls down and Helen, Quinton, Quin, and I soon joined them. Jill and another girl had our long jump rope in action and about 5-6 Albanian girls were jumping at one time. All in all about 15-20 Albanian youngsters were playing with us until almost 10:00 p.m. We did a lot of jump roping and counting in English. Jill and our gals chatted with some of the girls who spoke English. A few of these children attend Alfred's English class on Mon. and Thurs. We hope to invite these children to VBS and I'm sure we'll play with them again.
It is cooler today. We appreciate the cloud cover and breeze any time we can them!
Quinton just returned from a 4-hour field trip with his student. They traveled to the mountains east of Tirana for some special mineral water. (Dad's student is an interesting man. He threw the javelin, does yoga, been in a Hindu monastary, and combines the best of several religions into his own religion.) Quinton said the water didn't taste bad; perhaps he is healed of all his ailments!
Alfred, Helen, and my family took a walk to the post office this afternoon. Alfred showed us an outdoor market where we bought bananas and grapes. We then ate at an Italian restaurant close to our apartment. The pasta was quite tasty but took a good hour to arrive at our table. Oh well, we had time to visit.
More later,
Darin
Jill and I both had a study on Wednesday evening. One of my students did not show up but this gave me an opportunity to have an extended discussion with Myfit. I extended an invitation for him to join us at our Friday evening fellowship night but he will not be able to attend because he has to prepare music and other things for his cousin's wedding on Saturday. I hope to have both of my studies this evening and Jill is scheduled for a 6:00 class.
On Wednesday night at 7:00 we had a Bible study at the building. Our attendance was much larger than last Wednesday night. Alfred led the study of Jesus' parables. He is a really good teacher. He started out the lesson by translating back and forth from Albanian to English; however, as the lesson progressed the English dropped off.
Following the church service we ate sandwiches and hot dogs at our apartment. As we were entering our apartment a group of Albanian children met us and followed us up the stairs. Two girls invited Amelia and Hallie to play with them on the driveway on the back side of our building. After supper Jill took our girls down and Helen, Quinton, Quin, and I soon joined them. Jill and another girl had our long jump rope in action and about 5-6 Albanian girls were jumping at one time. All in all about 15-20 Albanian youngsters were playing with us until almost 10:00 p.m. We did a lot of jump roping and counting in English. Jill and our gals chatted with some of the girls who spoke English. A few of these children attend Alfred's English class on Mon. and Thurs. We hope to invite these children to VBS and I'm sure we'll play with them again.
It is cooler today. We appreciate the cloud cover and breeze any time we can them!
Quinton just returned from a 4-hour field trip with his student. They traveled to the mountains east of Tirana for some special mineral water. (Dad's student is an interesting man. He threw the javelin, does yoga, been in a Hindu monastary, and combines the best of several religions into his own religion.) Quinton said the water didn't taste bad; perhaps he is healed of all his ailments!
Alfred, Helen, and my family took a walk to the post office this afternoon. Alfred showed us an outdoor market where we bought bananas and grapes. We then ate at an Italian restaurant close to our apartment. The pasta was quite tasty but took a good hour to arrive at our table. Oh well, we had time to visit.
More later,
Darin
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
July 11
Hello,
It is Wednesday afternoon here in Durres. We did not get rain on Tuesday night. On Tuesday evening I had 2 studies. One with Myfit (pronounced moo-fyit) and the other with Alexander. Myfit is one of my two non-Christian students. He is very puntual and maintains regular attendance. He understands written English quite well. He struggles a bit with speaking and understanding spoken English (or it may just be me he struggles to understand). He looks a lot like a young Arther Fonzerili ("Fonzy" for you Happy Days fans). I'm praying that the truth will connect with him. Alexander is a young Christian, very bright, and speaks excellent English. I am impressed with his Bible knowledge. Lord willing, he will continue to grow in his faith. n Monday, Wed., and Fri. I study with another student instead of Alexander. (Jill's Tuesday evening student had to cancel on account of a sore throat.)
Jill, Amelia, Hallie, Quin, Helen, and Quinton went to Durres city by bus on Tuesday evening while I was at the church building. They saw some of the sights of Durres and the kids enjoyed some of the kiddie activities by the coast. One of the activities was a trampoline. Albanians seem to love their coffee, music, water, and trampoline jumping. The trampolines in the touristy areas are composed of four smaller trampolines separated by padding. Some experienced jumpers and jump and flip from one tramp to another -- the Martin children are not in this elite group.
Following my studies I too went by bus to Durres with the OC students. This was my first ride of the public bus. Here one can actually hale a bus as one would a taxi in other cities. There are bus stops and the drivers appreciate the passengers boarding at the stops. When one gets on the bus at another location it is a little more risky because the bus doesn't exactly stop. We had to jump on as the bus slowed to about 2-3 mph. ( kind of felt like Luke Duke jumping in the General Lee.) The bus was crowded but not absolutely packed. The windows were open and the breeze felt nice. The body oder wasn't that bad either -- yeah! The ride to Durres takes about 12-15 minutes. We got off at the final stop in Durres and then had to walk about a third of a mile to the church building. Here I met my family and the OCers met the AIM team. Our family headed to the Volga -- not the famous river but a walking area in downtown Durres. (If you already didn't know, Albanians are big walkers. In the evening this otherwise busy traffic thoroughfare is bereft of cars but loaded with pedestrians. I took a minuted to break out my video camera and video the action on the Volga. It is really a nice area to walk with a nice wide street, lights above and IN the street, shops, and restaurants. People of all ages walk and enjoy the coolness of the evening. We walked down the Volga to a restaurant by the Adriatec.
The Piazza was one of the nicest restaurants we have visited in Albania. It is mostly a seafood restaurant but chicken, beef, and lamb were also on the menu. As a freebie, the restaurant brought out two plates of steamed muscles. I'm not a big seafood eater but I ventured to try the muscles and actually enjoyed them. I don't think our kids joined the muscle bandwagon however. Quin wanted to order octopus but we had to squelch this idea. Our family actually split three entrees and made it out of the restaurant for under $20.00. Had this been an American restaurant I imagine the bill would have been upwards of $60.00. We also enjoyed a complimentary dessert of ice cream and fruit. Good stuff.
After supper we walked back up the Volga and to the bus stop -- a walk of at least a mile. By this time of night Quin needed to be carried so we all took a turn carrying the little nipper but Papa (Quinton) did most of the work. We finally arrived back at our apartment around 10:15. It had been a nice evening.
This morning we had our devotional again at 9:00. We tried out the newly acquired projector as well. Scott Young from Memorial Road had e-mailed me over 500 PowerPoint pages of songs; so we displayed the words to several songs as we sang. We read from Romans chapter 6, prayed, and chatted about our studies and some upcoming events. (One thing we want to do is better serve the Christians in this area. We are going to have Alfred inquire to see what needs are present and if we can be of assistance.)
Our apartment and Helen and Quinton's are the only ones with washing machines. These are tiny but mighty washers. We have recently been doing some of the OC student's laundry. We're keeping up with the wash load just fine; finding room to hang all the wet clothes is a little more challenging. We have a drying rack on our balcony and I have strung a drying line in one of our bathrooms. Clothes dry quite quickly out on the balcony.
I'll inform you a little bit more about the Albanian people. From my experience in other Eastern European countries, I have found most to be lovers of beer. This is not true for the Albanians -- at least not the ones I'm associated with nor the ones in the Durres beach area. I have not seen one intoxicated Albanian nor individuals walking down the street drinking beer. This is a nice blessing. Alcohol is readily available in stores and restaurants and some do partake but not on the scale I've seen other places. Most Albanians don't have sweat glands -- or at least they don't use them. During my studies I lose about a quart of sweat per hour. I fan myself, wipe sweat from my brow, and drink fluids. Myfit, for example, wears long pants, avoids the fans in the room, and doesn't even glisten. From my observations, Albanians are generally reserved and quite individuals. They don't like to bring a lot of attention on themselves and are certainly not boastful. They are very courteous and hospitable. During my excursion with a couple of my students I was treated royally. The front passenger door was opened for me and I was treated to Fanta at a coastal restaurant. Albanians love to drink coffee morning, noon, and night. Tiny espresso cups are as common here as Sonic drive in cups. It is an insult to try to drink decaf as well. The night light is hopping in our area primarily -- in my opinion -- to the amount of caffeine running through the locals' blood.
That's it for now. Please pray that God will give us more opportunities to study the Word with our Albanian friends.
Later,
Darin
It is Wednesday afternoon here in Durres. We did not get rain on Tuesday night. On Tuesday evening I had 2 studies. One with Myfit (pronounced moo-fyit) and the other with Alexander. Myfit is one of my two non-Christian students. He is very puntual and maintains regular attendance. He understands written English quite well. He struggles a bit with speaking and understanding spoken English (or it may just be me he struggles to understand). He looks a lot like a young Arther Fonzerili ("Fonzy" for you Happy Days fans). I'm praying that the truth will connect with him. Alexander is a young Christian, very bright, and speaks excellent English. I am impressed with his Bible knowledge. Lord willing, he will continue to grow in his faith. n Monday, Wed., and Fri. I study with another student instead of Alexander. (Jill's Tuesday evening student had to cancel on account of a sore throat.)
Jill, Amelia, Hallie, Quin, Helen, and Quinton went to Durres city by bus on Tuesday evening while I was at the church building. They saw some of the sights of Durres and the kids enjoyed some of the kiddie activities by the coast. One of the activities was a trampoline. Albanians seem to love their coffee, music, water, and trampoline jumping. The trampolines in the touristy areas are composed of four smaller trampolines separated by padding. Some experienced jumpers and jump and flip from one tramp to another -- the Martin children are not in this elite group.
Following my studies I too went by bus to Durres with the OC students. This was my first ride of the public bus. Here one can actually hale a bus as one would a taxi in other cities. There are bus stops and the drivers appreciate the passengers boarding at the stops. When one gets on the bus at another location it is a little more risky because the bus doesn't exactly stop. We had to jump on as the bus slowed to about 2-3 mph. ( kind of felt like Luke Duke jumping in the General Lee.) The bus was crowded but not absolutely packed. The windows were open and the breeze felt nice. The body oder wasn't that bad either -- yeah! The ride to Durres takes about 12-15 minutes. We got off at the final stop in Durres and then had to walk about a third of a mile to the church building. Here I met my family and the OCers met the AIM team. Our family headed to the Volga -- not the famous river but a walking area in downtown Durres. (If you already didn't know, Albanians are big walkers. In the evening this otherwise busy traffic thoroughfare is bereft of cars but loaded with pedestrians. I took a minuted to break out my video camera and video the action on the Volga. It is really a nice area to walk with a nice wide street, lights above and IN the street, shops, and restaurants. People of all ages walk and enjoy the coolness of the evening. We walked down the Volga to a restaurant by the Adriatec.
The Piazza was one of the nicest restaurants we have visited in Albania. It is mostly a seafood restaurant but chicken, beef, and lamb were also on the menu. As a freebie, the restaurant brought out two plates of steamed muscles. I'm not a big seafood eater but I ventured to try the muscles and actually enjoyed them. I don't think our kids joined the muscle bandwagon however. Quin wanted to order octopus but we had to squelch this idea. Our family actually split three entrees and made it out of the restaurant for under $20.00. Had this been an American restaurant I imagine the bill would have been upwards of $60.00. We also enjoyed a complimentary dessert of ice cream and fruit. Good stuff.
After supper we walked back up the Volga and to the bus stop -- a walk of at least a mile. By this time of night Quin needed to be carried so we all took a turn carrying the little nipper but Papa (Quinton) did most of the work. We finally arrived back at our apartment around 10:15. It had been a nice evening.
This morning we had our devotional again at 9:00. We tried out the newly acquired projector as well. Scott Young from Memorial Road had e-mailed me over 500 PowerPoint pages of songs; so we displayed the words to several songs as we sang. We read from Romans chapter 6, prayed, and chatted about our studies and some upcoming events. (One thing we want to do is better serve the Christians in this area. We are going to have Alfred inquire to see what needs are present and if we can be of assistance.)
Our apartment and Helen and Quinton's are the only ones with washing machines. These are tiny but mighty washers. We have recently been doing some of the OC student's laundry. We're keeping up with the wash load just fine; finding room to hang all the wet clothes is a little more challenging. We have a drying rack on our balcony and I have strung a drying line in one of our bathrooms. Clothes dry quite quickly out on the balcony.
I'll inform you a little bit more about the Albanian people. From my experience in other Eastern European countries, I have found most to be lovers of beer. This is not true for the Albanians -- at least not the ones I'm associated with nor the ones in the Durres beach area. I have not seen one intoxicated Albanian nor individuals walking down the street drinking beer. This is a nice blessing. Alcohol is readily available in stores and restaurants and some do partake but not on the scale I've seen other places. Most Albanians don't have sweat glands -- or at least they don't use them. During my studies I lose about a quart of sweat per hour. I fan myself, wipe sweat from my brow, and drink fluids. Myfit, for example, wears long pants, avoids the fans in the room, and doesn't even glisten. From my observations, Albanians are generally reserved and quite individuals. They don't like to bring a lot of attention on themselves and are certainly not boastful. They are very courteous and hospitable. During my excursion with a couple of my students I was treated royally. The front passenger door was opened for me and I was treated to Fanta at a coastal restaurant. Albanians love to drink coffee morning, noon, and night. Tiny espresso cups are as common here as Sonic drive in cups. It is an insult to try to drink decaf as well. The night light is hopping in our area primarily -- in my opinion -- to the amount of caffeine running through the locals' blood.
That's it for now. Please pray that God will give us more opportunities to study the Word with our Albanian friends.
Later,
Darin
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Greetings,
It is another hot day in Durres but we are hearing rumors of rain this evening...we'll see.
Jill and I both had studies yesterday. My two students on Monday are friends, both in their twenties. My first student actually stayed for my second student's lesson. This was not a problem. Neither of my students have much Bible knowledge so it is exciting to read with them as they learn truths for the first time. Right now both are studying about the nation of Israel, God's plan to bless the world through Abraham's seed, and the coming Messiah. Today's lesson is about David and Goliath.
Following the lessons my new friends took me to see the family business. We all rode in the student's father's 1977 Mercedez. Our drive was only about 2 miles from the church building. We first stopped by a bar/mini-restaurant and there picked up one fo the student's brother and cousin. The brother had actually lived in England for 5 years and spoke English very well. We then took a short drive toward the coast and arrived at the Tropical hotel. This hotel boasts the biggest pool in the Balkans. It is quite large and looks pretty clean. (We may have to try it out someday.) We sat in a pavilion area and had drinks. My students chose expresso and I had Fanta -- a popular drink in Albania. Before heading back to the church building we walked out to the Tropical's beach. The beach was not crowded and the Sea was very pretty.
Monday night we ate home-made goulash in our apartment -- ground beef, pasta, and ketchup. Our kids were sleepy so we put them to be earlier than usual. We had a pretty good night's sleep except for Quin getting up at 6:00. Jill and Quin made some French toast and pancakes and has some quality early morning time.
This morning as I arrived at the church building, one of our OC students was listening to an older Albanian man dressed in a full suit. There wasn't much of a conversation occuring since neither spoke the other's language. At the man's feet was a white trashbag containing a live sheep. The sheep was laying on the ground with its head poking out. We guess the man was trying to sell the sheep to our student. Needless to say, he didn't purchase the sheep -- although it would be nice to have a pet in the apartment.
I had to go back to the apartment this morning during the morning lesson time. Jill had stayed at home to clean the floors in our apartment. When I arrived back at the apartment Jill was in a converstation with two Jehovah Witness representatives. It appeared that the couple was a mother and daughter. Again, the language barrier saved Jill from having to be rude but we were offered some lovely JW Albanian literature.
For lunch today we went with the OC students to a "fast food" restaurant. We see the phrase "fast food" on many restaurant signs. I imagine the restaurant owners think that the more western phrases used the more likely they'll attract customers. The food was cheaper and of a lesser quality than normal -- so it was just like American fast food! I had a hamburger that was more like a SPAM burger. It was tolerable but I don't think I'll order it again.
This afternoon Quinton, Darin and Alfred plan on setting up the church's newly acquired projector -- straight from Adam's Boulevard Church of Christ in Bartlesville.
Later,
Darin
It is another hot day in Durres but we are hearing rumors of rain this evening...we'll see.
Jill and I both had studies yesterday. My two students on Monday are friends, both in their twenties. My first student actually stayed for my second student's lesson. This was not a problem. Neither of my students have much Bible knowledge so it is exciting to read with them as they learn truths for the first time. Right now both are studying about the nation of Israel, God's plan to bless the world through Abraham's seed, and the coming Messiah. Today's lesson is about David and Goliath.
Following the lessons my new friends took me to see the family business. We all rode in the student's father's 1977 Mercedez. Our drive was only about 2 miles from the church building. We first stopped by a bar/mini-restaurant and there picked up one fo the student's brother and cousin. The brother had actually lived in England for 5 years and spoke English very well. We then took a short drive toward the coast and arrived at the Tropical hotel. This hotel boasts the biggest pool in the Balkans. It is quite large and looks pretty clean. (We may have to try it out someday.) We sat in a pavilion area and had drinks. My students chose expresso and I had Fanta -- a popular drink in Albania. Before heading back to the church building we walked out to the Tropical's beach. The beach was not crowded and the Sea was very pretty.
Monday night we ate home-made goulash in our apartment -- ground beef, pasta, and ketchup. Our kids were sleepy so we put them to be earlier than usual. We had a pretty good night's sleep except for Quin getting up at 6:00. Jill and Quin made some French toast and pancakes and has some quality early morning time.
This morning as I arrived at the church building, one of our OC students was listening to an older Albanian man dressed in a full suit. There wasn't much of a conversation occuring since neither spoke the other's language. At the man's feet was a white trashbag containing a live sheep. The sheep was laying on the ground with its head poking out. We guess the man was trying to sell the sheep to our student. Needless to say, he didn't purchase the sheep -- although it would be nice to have a pet in the apartment.
I had to go back to the apartment this morning during the morning lesson time. Jill had stayed at home to clean the floors in our apartment. When I arrived back at the apartment Jill was in a converstation with two Jehovah Witness representatives. It appeared that the couple was a mother and daughter. Again, the language barrier saved Jill from having to be rude but we were offered some lovely JW Albanian literature.
For lunch today we went with the OC students to a "fast food" restaurant. We see the phrase "fast food" on many restaurant signs. I imagine the restaurant owners think that the more western phrases used the more likely they'll attract customers. The food was cheaper and of a lesser quality than normal -- so it was just like American fast food! I had a hamburger that was more like a SPAM burger. It was tolerable but I don't think I'll order it again.
This afternoon Quinton, Darin and Alfred plan on setting up the church's newly acquired projector -- straight from Adam's Boulevard Church of Christ in Bartlesville.
Later,
Darin
Monday, July 9, 2007
Jul
Hello Again,
On Sunday night we met for church services at 6:30 p.m. in our building. We had fellowship time for 30 minutes and started the Albanian service at 7:00. We had the windows open and the fans blowing but it was still very toasty in the room. There was a nice turn out for the service. The singing sounds really good in small room especially since there is no carpet or curtains to dampen any sound.
For the English service at 8:15 I led singing and Quinton (big Quinton that is) gave the lesson about Jesus' prayer in the Garden. At the conclusion of the service we chatted for awhile more then all the Americans and Alfred's family went to a favorite restaurant of Alfred's -- the Perla (Pearl). The restaurant is upscale for Albania and right on the Adriatic Coast -- very nice. It took us quite a while to order and we got our food well into the 10:00 hour. Most of us had a sea food spaghetti which included all sorts sea creatures. It was a good thing the lights were low or our kids (and Darin for that matter) would not have consumed much of the meal. It was really quite tasty. We finally got back to our apartment around 11:30 p.m. Quite an evening! Thankfully our kids went to be quite easily and rested well.
On Monday morning we met for our 9:00 devotional and some had lessons at 10:00. Amelia and Hallie sat in on the last part of the children's English class taught by Alfred. Our family and Helen and Quinton ate sandwiches in our apartment for lunch and then our family walked down to the Adriatik Hotel. This is probably the nicest hotel in this area and for $10 our family reserved a poolside umbrella and two chairs. The hotel has a large pool for adults (5 feet deep) and a smaller kiddie pool which Quin really enjoyed.
Jill and I have our lessons coming up soon. So far was have been pleased with the progression of our English/Bible lessons. We are praying for more Albanian students as a couple of our OC students still have some spots open on their teaching schedule. Please join us in these prayers.
More later...God bless!
Darin
p.s. Amelia wants everyone to know that she ate octopus.
On Sunday night we met for church services at 6:30 p.m. in our building. We had fellowship time for 30 minutes and started the Albanian service at 7:00. We had the windows open and the fans blowing but it was still very toasty in the room. There was a nice turn out for the service. The singing sounds really good in small room especially since there is no carpet or curtains to dampen any sound.
For the English service at 8:15 I led singing and Quinton (big Quinton that is) gave the lesson about Jesus' prayer in the Garden. At the conclusion of the service we chatted for awhile more then all the Americans and Alfred's family went to a favorite restaurant of Alfred's -- the Perla (Pearl). The restaurant is upscale for Albania and right on the Adriatic Coast -- very nice. It took us quite a while to order and we got our food well into the 10:00 hour. Most of us had a sea food spaghetti which included all sorts sea creatures. It was a good thing the lights were low or our kids (and Darin for that matter) would not have consumed much of the meal. It was really quite tasty. We finally got back to our apartment around 11:30 p.m. Quite an evening! Thankfully our kids went to be quite easily and rested well.
On Monday morning we met for our 9:00 devotional and some had lessons at 10:00. Amelia and Hallie sat in on the last part of the children's English class taught by Alfred. Our family and Helen and Quinton ate sandwiches in our apartment for lunch and then our family walked down to the Adriatik Hotel. This is probably the nicest hotel in this area and for $10 our family reserved a poolside umbrella and two chairs. The hotel has a large pool for adults (5 feet deep) and a smaller kiddie pool which Quin really enjoyed.
Jill and I have our lessons coming up soon. So far was have been pleased with the progression of our English/Bible lessons. We are praying for more Albanian students as a couple of our OC students still have some spots open on their teaching schedule. Please join us in these prayers.
More later...God bless!
Darin
p.s. Amelia wants everyone to know that she ate octopus.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Howdy,
On Saturday morning we met at the base of our building at 8:45 to meet our van driver and Alfred for our trek to Tirana, the capital city. The drive to Tirana takes about 40 minutes. We used the same van driver on several previous trips. The van is a Mercedes make and boasts of being "air conditioned" on the windows. True, the van is air conditioned but the output is minimal. Every once in a while those in the back seat feel a cool puff of air but riding with the windows open would be more beneficial. Our driver speaks no English but is very professional. The van is always clean. I guess none of us Americans have the heart to tell him not to roll the windows down because he always makes a special effort to turn on the a/c and roll the windows up for his passengers. (We probably couldn't make him understand our request anyway because of the language barrier.)
Upon arriving in Tirana our driver dropped us off at a busy street corner. Alfred dropped off the OC students at the same corner and then went to find a spot to park his Cherokee. A good 20-25 minutes later Alfred called me on the cell phone to tell me he is coming, "two minutes away". A parking spot was hard to find. Our group then trudged a good 35 feet to the first ice cream (akalore) stand and were treated to 2 scoops of ice cream apiece -- we had worked so hard! We then continued our walk to the national museum on the main square. (The main square houses the Opera house, museum, national bank, governnment buildings and an old mosque.) On the way, Quin rode on one of the OC student's shoulders -- a brave act considering Quin was eating his ice cream cone at that lofty position. I think Quin managed to not drip ice cream on the young man's head.
The museum was quite large and not air conditioned. For $3 each we had a guided tour through Albania's history. Alfred translated while we looked at maps and artifacts. Albania has been under the control of various empires over its 2000+ year history. Skanderbak (the national hero -- I'm sure I buthered the spelling) is regarded with special honor in all of Europe for stopping the spread of the Ottoman Empire into Western Europe. The most interesting and disheartening part of the tour was in the section about Albania's communist years. After WWII the Communists gained control and the dictator Hodja isolated Albania and killed many Albanians in the process. Not until 1992 did Albania have a democratic government. After a few souvenirs were purchased in the museum gift shop we headed for the park.
Alfred retrieved his vehicle and took my family to the park while the others walked (the park is less than half a mile from the museum and main square). Once at the park we made a path to the casino/restaurant building in the middle of the park. We were delighted to find an air conditioned restaurant -- "The Pasta House". If one weren't careful, one might think he was in an American restaurant at this location. The air conditioning, English menus, and decor spoke of western culture. Better yet, the food was quite yummy! This was our most expensive meal in Albania -- $22.00 -- but well worth it. We were hungry, thirsty, and hot!
After our lunch we walked toward the Sky Tower. This building is close to the park and rises about 25 stories. Alfred informed us that a coffee bar/observation area is at the top of the tower. We thought it would be a good place to see Tirana. When we inquired at the front desk we were given a laminated sheet of paper that explained to tour groups that a 2 euro fee would be assessed to access the observation area. Thus, we opted out of the Sky Tower observation deck and walked a bit more. In front of the parliament building we met up two of the AIMers from Durres. They were visiting Tirana on their day off. The AIMers made plans to meet our college students that evening and then headed off for the movie theater. (Shrek III is playing in Tirana!)
From the Parliament building we headed up the way past the president's residence and to the main campus area for the city's university. On this campus there is a restaurant that is doing its best to imitate another famous restaurant -- McDonald's (McD's is actually supposed to arrive in Tirana in September). The fake McD's was in an inflatable and enclosed tent like structure but had the golden arches (tweaked a little bit), french fries, hamburgers, and other McD's specialities. We opted out of visiting the restaurant. After walking past the restaurant we saw the outside of the national football stadium and walked up a hill to the Sheraton Hotel. The bottom two floors of the Sheraton building are composed of shops, restaurants, and a new theater. We went up the escalator and sat down at a coffee bar. Amelia and Hallie ordered milk shakes, Jill had iced coffee, Alfred had an expresso, and the rest of us drank water. The girls' milk shakes were yummy -- lots of flavor! After our pit stop we shopped in a grocery store on the lower level and headed out of the Sheraton.
Our van driver met us at the base of the hill and our family along with Helen and Quinton boarded the van. Alfred and the OCers walked back to his Jeep. Most of the Martin's took a nap on the drive back to Durres Beach. In the evening Jill, Hallie, Quin, and I walked southward down the main drag. Alfred had told Jill that some of the hotels had play areas for children. Before we spotted these areas we stopped by an outdoor flea market type area that had some kiddie rides. (Darin didn't want to walk any further anyway since Quin was riding piggy-back and threatening to take an evening nap.) Hallie and Quin jumped on a trampoline for 7 minutes (50 cents) and then Quin rode on a turtle-train. We then headed back. On the way we ordered a pizza to go. While Hallie and I waited for the pizza Jill and Quin walked down to a pastry shop to get a little dessert to go. Quinton, Helen, and Amelia were at the shop eating ice cream. So, we all got together and walked back to the apartment. (On the way back I stopped by the church building to pick up a fan. One of our two week-old fans had stopped working. Alfred, Quinton, Quin, and I had earlier gone to the store that sold us the fan. They tried to fix the problem, couldn't, and then told us "so sad, but thanks for the business." We may have to buy another fan, ugh!)
On Sunday morning our family was planning on joining the others for a trip to Durres to worship with the main Durres church. This journey would require a bus ride to and from Durres. As the morning progressed, Jill and I decided to let our kids sleep after our long day on Saturday. (Sometimes we actually listen to God's wisdom!) Earlier in the morning I had gone out for a run, gotten lost, and thanks to the help of some friendly Albanians, made my way back to our apartment.
Jill made French toast this morning! We didn't have maple syrup but made a fruity strawberry syrup instead -- not bad.
The sounds one hears around here are something. Sometimes we hear cows mooing, sheep bahhing, and donkey's donkeying (what is it that donkeys do?). One sound we always hear is car horns blaring. One cannot drive here without the persistent use of the horn. Here, as in many other countries outside the USA, the horn is not just to get the attention of a dog in the road, it is an extension of the voice box. "Watch out, move, pardon me, I'm coming through, leave me alone", are just some of the phrased expressed by the horns in Albania. And, depending on the situation, everyone knows which message is being communicated. What's more is that some of horns are jazzed up so that the normal "honk" is a stacato three-tiered "honk, honk, honk" or some other tricked-out horn noise. I guess some have figured that if the horn is going to be used a lot it might as well be special. (I've already written about the noise we hear from 8:00 p.m. to midnight -- the LOUD singing/music of the multiple bars/restaurants that sandwich our building.)
As in most eastern European countries, things are done is small increments here. When we wash dishes, we do a little at a time after every meal -- the lone sink is quite small, no disposal, and little space to set out dishes to dry. Laundry is done in little loads. (We are very grateful for our little washing machine.) Trips to the store are short and frequent. Shopping carts do not exist in the little grocery stores and oncewe've bought our food and drinking water we have to walk back to our aparment and up 3.5 flights of stairs. So, carrying a Wal-mart basket full of food would mean death.
Tonight we plan to attend services at our church here in Durres beach.
Later and God bless,
Darin
On Saturday morning we met at the base of our building at 8:45 to meet our van driver and Alfred for our trek to Tirana, the capital city. The drive to Tirana takes about 40 minutes. We used the same van driver on several previous trips. The van is a Mercedes make and boasts of being "air conditioned" on the windows. True, the van is air conditioned but the output is minimal. Every once in a while those in the back seat feel a cool puff of air but riding with the windows open would be more beneficial. Our driver speaks no English but is very professional. The van is always clean. I guess none of us Americans have the heart to tell him not to roll the windows down because he always makes a special effort to turn on the a/c and roll the windows up for his passengers. (We probably couldn't make him understand our request anyway because of the language barrier.)
Upon arriving in Tirana our driver dropped us off at a busy street corner. Alfred dropped off the OC students at the same corner and then went to find a spot to park his Cherokee. A good 20-25 minutes later Alfred called me on the cell phone to tell me he is coming, "two minutes away". A parking spot was hard to find. Our group then trudged a good 35 feet to the first ice cream (akalore) stand and were treated to 2 scoops of ice cream apiece -- we had worked so hard! We then continued our walk to the national museum on the main square. (The main square houses the Opera house, museum, national bank, governnment buildings and an old mosque.) On the way, Quin rode on one of the OC student's shoulders -- a brave act considering Quin was eating his ice cream cone at that lofty position. I think Quin managed to not drip ice cream on the young man's head.
The museum was quite large and not air conditioned. For $3 each we had a guided tour through Albania's history. Alfred translated while we looked at maps and artifacts. Albania has been under the control of various empires over its 2000+ year history. Skanderbak (the national hero -- I'm sure I buthered the spelling) is regarded with special honor in all of Europe for stopping the spread of the Ottoman Empire into Western Europe. The most interesting and disheartening part of the tour was in the section about Albania's communist years. After WWII the Communists gained control and the dictator Hodja isolated Albania and killed many Albanians in the process. Not until 1992 did Albania have a democratic government. After a few souvenirs were purchased in the museum gift shop we headed for the park.
Alfred retrieved his vehicle and took my family to the park while the others walked (the park is less than half a mile from the museum and main square). Once at the park we made a path to the casino/restaurant building in the middle of the park. We were delighted to find an air conditioned restaurant -- "The Pasta House". If one weren't careful, one might think he was in an American restaurant at this location. The air conditioning, English menus, and decor spoke of western culture. Better yet, the food was quite yummy! This was our most expensive meal in Albania -- $22.00 -- but well worth it. We were hungry, thirsty, and hot!
After our lunch we walked toward the Sky Tower. This building is close to the park and rises about 25 stories. Alfred informed us that a coffee bar/observation area is at the top of the tower. We thought it would be a good place to see Tirana. When we inquired at the front desk we were given a laminated sheet of paper that explained to tour groups that a 2 euro fee would be assessed to access the observation area. Thus, we opted out of the Sky Tower observation deck and walked a bit more. In front of the parliament building we met up two of the AIMers from Durres. They were visiting Tirana on their day off. The AIMers made plans to meet our college students that evening and then headed off for the movie theater. (Shrek III is playing in Tirana!)
From the Parliament building we headed up the way past the president's residence and to the main campus area for the city's university. On this campus there is a restaurant that is doing its best to imitate another famous restaurant -- McDonald's (McD's is actually supposed to arrive in Tirana in September). The fake McD's was in an inflatable and enclosed tent like structure but had the golden arches (tweaked a little bit), french fries, hamburgers, and other McD's specialities. We opted out of visiting the restaurant. After walking past the restaurant we saw the outside of the national football stadium and walked up a hill to the Sheraton Hotel. The bottom two floors of the Sheraton building are composed of shops, restaurants, and a new theater. We went up the escalator and sat down at a coffee bar. Amelia and Hallie ordered milk shakes, Jill had iced coffee, Alfred had an expresso, and the rest of us drank water. The girls' milk shakes were yummy -- lots of flavor! After our pit stop we shopped in a grocery store on the lower level and headed out of the Sheraton.
Our van driver met us at the base of the hill and our family along with Helen and Quinton boarded the van. Alfred and the OCers walked back to his Jeep. Most of the Martin's took a nap on the drive back to Durres Beach. In the evening Jill, Hallie, Quin, and I walked southward down the main drag. Alfred had told Jill that some of the hotels had play areas for children. Before we spotted these areas we stopped by an outdoor flea market type area that had some kiddie rides. (Darin didn't want to walk any further anyway since Quin was riding piggy-back and threatening to take an evening nap.) Hallie and Quin jumped on a trampoline for 7 minutes (50 cents) and then Quin rode on a turtle-train. We then headed back. On the way we ordered a pizza to go. While Hallie and I waited for the pizza Jill and Quin walked down to a pastry shop to get a little dessert to go. Quinton, Helen, and Amelia were at the shop eating ice cream. So, we all got together and walked back to the apartment. (On the way back I stopped by the church building to pick up a fan. One of our two week-old fans had stopped working. Alfred, Quinton, Quin, and I had earlier gone to the store that sold us the fan. They tried to fix the problem, couldn't, and then told us "so sad, but thanks for the business." We may have to buy another fan, ugh!)
On Sunday morning our family was planning on joining the others for a trip to Durres to worship with the main Durres church. This journey would require a bus ride to and from Durres. As the morning progressed, Jill and I decided to let our kids sleep after our long day on Saturday. (Sometimes we actually listen to God's wisdom!) Earlier in the morning I had gone out for a run, gotten lost, and thanks to the help of some friendly Albanians, made my way back to our apartment.
Jill made French toast this morning! We didn't have maple syrup but made a fruity strawberry syrup instead -- not bad.
The sounds one hears around here are something. Sometimes we hear cows mooing, sheep bahhing, and donkey's donkeying (what is it that donkeys do?). One sound we always hear is car horns blaring. One cannot drive here without the persistent use of the horn. Here, as in many other countries outside the USA, the horn is not just to get the attention of a dog in the road, it is an extension of the voice box. "Watch out, move, pardon me, I'm coming through, leave me alone", are just some of the phrased expressed by the horns in Albania. And, depending on the situation, everyone knows which message is being communicated. What's more is that some of horns are jazzed up so that the normal "honk" is a stacato three-tiered "honk, honk, honk" or some other tricked-out horn noise. I guess some have figured that if the horn is going to be used a lot it might as well be special. (I've already written about the noise we hear from 8:00 p.m. to midnight -- the LOUD singing/music of the multiple bars/restaurants that sandwich our building.)
As in most eastern European countries, things are done is small increments here. When we wash dishes, we do a little at a time after every meal -- the lone sink is quite small, no disposal, and little space to set out dishes to dry. Laundry is done in little loads. (We are very grateful for our little washing machine.) Trips to the store are short and frequent. Shopping carts do not exist in the little grocery stores and oncewe've bought our food and drinking water we have to walk back to our aparment and up 3.5 flights of stairs. So, carrying a Wal-mart basket full of food would mean death.
Tonight we plan to attend services at our church here in Durres beach.
Later and God bless,
Darin
Friday, July 6, 2007
July 6
Hello All,
We are now getting into the groove and settling into our schedule of teaching. Today I hope to have a study with one other student I have yet to study with. Yesterday I studied with a new Christian young man who speaks wonderful English and has completed all the World English Institute materials. He and I are going to study, "God Makes a Man." This is a short study written by Lloyd Deal at Memorial Road about man's need for God and salvation. I am very impressed with the young man's thoughts and reasoning. We are schedule to study 2-3 times per week.
Last night Jill and I actually had a mini-date and ate a meal by ourselves. After our evening studies, Helen and Quinton took our children to ride some carnival type rides about a 5-10 minute walk down the main drag. (A friend who previously visited Albania figured these rides have already completed their careers in the U.S. county fair circuit and are now entertaining kids in Albania. Thankfully, our children returned with all their limbs and toes.) Jill and I had pizza and dessert.
A butcher shop is one of about 6 businesses located on the bottom floor of our apartment building. This morning on the way to the church building I saw a sheep in the back of a truck outside the back door of the shop. Later, when I returned to the apartment, the sheep was no longer in the truck; however, I did see his intestines on the floor near the back door of the shop. (You don't get to see stuff like this everyday in the USA!) We actually bought ground beef from this shop yesterday.
This afternoon after lunch in our apartment, one of our OC girls came by to offer her babysitting services. Jill and I were much obliged and made a trip to a grocery story, bakery, and another grocery store. All of these shops are within 100 yards of each other.
Tomorrow we may go to Tirana for some more sight seeing. On Sunday the plan is to go to Durres City for morning worship a the main Durres church. Quinton is supposed to bring the lesson at our English worship on Sunday night. He will probably then recycle his lesson the next week for our Albanian service.
Amelia and Hallie have enjoyed playing UNO (the card game) with one of the young Albanian girls. I think they are gradually learning their numbers and colors in Albanian as well. Hopefully they'll have more opportunities to interact with the Albanian children.
That's it for now!
Darin
We are now getting into the groove and settling into our schedule of teaching. Today I hope to have a study with one other student I have yet to study with. Yesterday I studied with a new Christian young man who speaks wonderful English and has completed all the World English Institute materials. He and I are going to study, "God Makes a Man." This is a short study written by Lloyd Deal at Memorial Road about man's need for God and salvation. I am very impressed with the young man's thoughts and reasoning. We are schedule to study 2-3 times per week.
Last night Jill and I actually had a mini-date and ate a meal by ourselves. After our evening studies, Helen and Quinton took our children to ride some carnival type rides about a 5-10 minute walk down the main drag. (A friend who previously visited Albania figured these rides have already completed their careers in the U.S. county fair circuit and are now entertaining kids in Albania. Thankfully, our children returned with all their limbs and toes.) Jill and I had pizza and dessert.
A butcher shop is one of about 6 businesses located on the bottom floor of our apartment building. This morning on the way to the church building I saw a sheep in the back of a truck outside the back door of the shop. Later, when I returned to the apartment, the sheep was no longer in the truck; however, I did see his intestines on the floor near the back door of the shop. (You don't get to see stuff like this everyday in the USA!) We actually bought ground beef from this shop yesterday.
This afternoon after lunch in our apartment, one of our OC girls came by to offer her babysitting services. Jill and I were much obliged and made a trip to a grocery story, bakery, and another grocery store. All of these shops are within 100 yards of each other.
Tomorrow we may go to Tirana for some more sight seeing. On Sunday the plan is to go to Durres City for morning worship a the main Durres church. Quinton is supposed to bring the lesson at our English worship on Sunday night. He will probably then recycle his lesson the next week for our Albanian service.
Amelia and Hallie have enjoyed playing UNO (the card game) with one of the young Albanian girls. I think they are gradually learning their numbers and colors in Albanian as well. Hopefully they'll have more opportunities to interact with the Albanian children.
That's it for now!
Darin
Thursday, July 5, 2007
July 5, 2007
Hello Again,
July 4th was our first day of "official" business in Albania. Each of the campaigners, except Quinton, were scheduled to conduct English Bible studies. (Quinton's start in a week or two.) The two OC girls' students all showed up for their classes on the 4th. I was proud of our gals and how they conducted their studies. The OC boys' students were not quite so present. Actually, to this point, only one of the boys' students have shown up for classes; but at least she is consistent -- she has been present for both of her classes. We're praying for more students and better attendance! The OC students are excited about the work and are even looking for more opportunities to serve and teach.
The classes take place in the church building. The main room has space for up to 5 concurrent lessons. The office can handle 2 classes. The most classes we have planned at one time is 5. I have three students but not all of them come every day. I believe Jill has two regular students. The OCers have 3-4 students each. I had my first class yesterday with a 26 year old Muslim man. He is quite pleasant. He is an electrical engineer in Durres and is engaged to married in about a year. Later today I'm scheduled to study with a new Christian young man Tomorrow I'm scheduled for two studies with my Muslim friend and another man in his twenties who I have already met as he came by yesterday to explain why he couldn't be at his first class. Jill's first student was a married woman who attends the Church of Christ regularly and brings her two children. She is a determined student!
This morning I went out for my second run. This time I decided to run in the city instead of the shore. I don't think I have ever had to be more cautious during run! People, curbs, cars, uneven footing, and other obstacles were bountiful. I actually started the run wearing my contact lenses (yes, our final bag arrived; damaged but here). About two minutes into the run after I had turned to the east I caught a asteroid sized piece of dirt/dust in my left eye. Usually I can shake off these intruders but not this time...Albanian dirt is too powerful. I had to return to the apartment, take out my contacts, and begin the run again in my glasses.
At 9:00 each morning we have a devotional with Alfred, any Albanians who care to attend, and our group. We sing songs, share concerns and prayer requests, pray, and read a section of Romans to discuss. Sometime after this morning's devo. Jill brought our kids to the church building. Hallie, Amelia, and Jill taught Alfred's wife and an Albanian young girl how to play Uno - the card game. (We are looking for ways to engage the young Albanians in ways that do not require too much oral communication. We also broke out the jump ropes -- Quin got involved in this activity.) Jill even learned to count to 10 in Albanian by playing Uno today!
At 10:00 on Monday and Thursday Afred and his wife teach a children's English class. This morning there were about 10-12 students present. We hope to get Amelia and Hallie involved in this class. One of the girls in the class is actually a resident of our apartment building. I saw her yesterday and then met her at the class today.
Yesterday (sorry for having this post jump back and forth from yesterday and today) in the afternoon we had a chance to actaully get our feet wet in the Adriatic. Jill, Helen, and our kids sported their swimsuits (Quinton and I just wore our shorts and t-shirts). The beach and water were quite crowded. The water was warm. We found we could wade out about 50 yards and the water was still about knee-high. Actually, the depth of the water varied as we walked out into the sea. The sand would rise and dip beneath our feet so that at some points I was in deeper water than my children who were farther out into the sea. We were not too impressed with the clarity of the water but it wasn't so gross that Jill made us all get out of the pool. Quin had a lot of fun jumping the small waves. Quinton and Darin got a lot of stares as we wore our hats and t-shirts out into the water. I guess we need to show more skin next time to fit in.
Hallie feeling better. She has a hard time keeping down her medicine presrcibed by our Albanian doctor. She's tossed her medicine back up on two occasions. Yuck.
Just to give you an idea about the prices here, our family can eat a sit-down meal for about 15 dollars. (We've eaten meals ranging from $5.00 to $17.00.) Drinks are the killer as one cannot request free tap water. We have to drink the bottled stuff so we all have to order drinks with our meal. Most of the groceries are about USA prices...locally produced and grown items are cheaper. We are probably in the most expensive area in the country since Durres beach is a tourist hot spot.
Gotta run and get to my 5:00 pm study. Pray for tender hearts that will receive the gospel.
God bless,
Darin
The night of July 3 was our best night's sleep by far...it was almost normal!!!
July 4th was our first day of "official" business in Albania. Each of the campaigners, except Quinton, were scheduled to conduct English Bible studies. (Quinton's start in a week or two.) The two OC girls' students all showed up for their classes on the 4th. I was proud of our gals and how they conducted their studies. The OC boys' students were not quite so present. Actually, to this point, only one of the boys' students have shown up for classes; but at least she is consistent -- she has been present for both of her classes. We're praying for more students and better attendance! The OC students are excited about the work and are even looking for more opportunities to serve and teach.
The classes take place in the church building. The main room has space for up to 5 concurrent lessons. The office can handle 2 classes. The most classes we have planned at one time is 5. I have three students but not all of them come every day. I believe Jill has two regular students. The OCers have 3-4 students each. I had my first class yesterday with a 26 year old Muslim man. He is quite pleasant. He is an electrical engineer in Durres and is engaged to married in about a year. Later today I'm scheduled to study with a new Christian young man Tomorrow I'm scheduled for two studies with my Muslim friend and another man in his twenties who I have already met as he came by yesterday to explain why he couldn't be at his first class. Jill's first student was a married woman who attends the Church of Christ regularly and brings her two children. She is a determined student!
This morning I went out for my second run. This time I decided to run in the city instead of the shore. I don't think I have ever had to be more cautious during run! People, curbs, cars, uneven footing, and other obstacles were bountiful. I actually started the run wearing my contact lenses (yes, our final bag arrived; damaged but here). About two minutes into the run after I had turned to the east I caught a asteroid sized piece of dirt/dust in my left eye. Usually I can shake off these intruders but not this time...Albanian dirt is too powerful. I had to return to the apartment, take out my contacts, and begin the run again in my glasses.
At 9:00 each morning we have a devotional with Alfred, any Albanians who care to attend, and our group. We sing songs, share concerns and prayer requests, pray, and read a section of Romans to discuss. Sometime after this morning's devo. Jill brought our kids to the church building. Hallie, Amelia, and Jill taught Alfred's wife and an Albanian young girl how to play Uno - the card game. (We are looking for ways to engage the young Albanians in ways that do not require too much oral communication. We also broke out the jump ropes -- Quin got involved in this activity.) Jill even learned to count to 10 in Albanian by playing Uno today!
At 10:00 on Monday and Thursday Afred and his wife teach a children's English class. This morning there were about 10-12 students present. We hope to get Amelia and Hallie involved in this class. One of the girls in the class is actually a resident of our apartment building. I saw her yesterday and then met her at the class today.
Yesterday (sorry for having this post jump back and forth from yesterday and today) in the afternoon we had a chance to actaully get our feet wet in the Adriatic. Jill, Helen, and our kids sported their swimsuits (Quinton and I just wore our shorts and t-shirts). The beach and water were quite crowded. The water was warm. We found we could wade out about 50 yards and the water was still about knee-high. Actually, the depth of the water varied as we walked out into the sea. The sand would rise and dip beneath our feet so that at some points I was in deeper water than my children who were farther out into the sea. We were not too impressed with the clarity of the water but it wasn't so gross that Jill made us all get out of the pool. Quin had a lot of fun jumping the small waves. Quinton and Darin got a lot of stares as we wore our hats and t-shirts out into the water. I guess we need to show more skin next time to fit in.
Hallie feeling better. She has a hard time keeping down her medicine presrcibed by our Albanian doctor. She's tossed her medicine back up on two occasions. Yuck.
Just to give you an idea about the prices here, our family can eat a sit-down meal for about 15 dollars. (We've eaten meals ranging from $5.00 to $17.00.) Drinks are the killer as one cannot request free tap water. We have to drink the bottled stuff so we all have to order drinks with our meal. Most of the groceries are about USA prices...locally produced and grown items are cheaper. We are probably in the most expensive area in the country since Durres beach is a tourist hot spot.
Gotta run and get to my 5:00 pm study. Pray for tender hearts that will receive the gospel.
God bless,
Darin
The night of July 3 was our best night's sleep by far...it was almost normal!!!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
July 3
Hello All,
A lot has happened since my last blog. We are quite busy and getting to the internet cafe has been a little more difficult than I had planned. Also, when I get to the cafe it is usually after 10:00 p.m and quite crowded; thus, the speed of the computers is very slow.
The good news is most of our bags have arrived. We are still missing Jill's (our) cosmetic bag! So, our hair is not as bouncy nor conditioned as it should be. One of the OC student's bags was supposedly delived to Alfred Zike's house yesterday; however, when we finally were able to acquire the bag we discovered it was not the correct bag. Lord willing, the student's bag will arrive today -- it is supposed to. We are cautiously optimistic.
We just had a visit from Jonida's aunt -- the pediatrician. Hallie had a fever a couple of days before our departure from the U.S. We thought she was all better but her fever had returned last night. So, Jonida and Jonida's sister helped us get in contact with the aunt who made a house visit to us. She too thinks Hallie just has a virus that needs to run its course. The doctor also noticed some redness in Hallie's right ear. So, she traveled to the pharmacy with Alfred and me to make sure Hallie got the right medication. (Hallie is really not feeling that bad but she and Jill are ready for her to be 100%). When we tried to pay Jonida's aunt for her services, she said, "We are family", and wouldn't accept any payment. Helen did give a nice Keepsake Candle however! Papa (big Quinton) said, "It is nice to have family in Albania."
Back to Sunday when I left off from earlier, we rested some after our early morning activities. Church services began at 6:30 p.m. with fellowship. Alfred's wife brought a cake and cold drinks -- even ice. We met several Albanian members and joined the in an Albanian worship service at 7:00. I would estimate there were about 25 in attendance. Alfred led singing and brought the lesson. We then took a break between services. Dad was whisked away for a spot of coffee with one of the members but made it back before the English service started. The AIM team from the other Durres church came for this service. Our family knows Sarah Everett -- the AIMer from Bartlesville. I led some songs and Alfred presented his lesson in English this time -- he's a busy man. (Alfred is also immune to the heat we are experiencing. We spoiled Americans are in a half-meltdown mode but he never breaks a sweat!) After the services our OC students and the AIM team went to eat supper together and our family found a fastfood restaurant serving hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries! (You can take the family out of America but you can't take the American out of the family!)
On Monday Alfred took our group (minus Quin, Hallie, and Jill) to Durres for a good part of the day. We rented a van for the bulk of the group and Quinton rode with Alfred in his Jeep Cherokee. Our first stop was the Roman ampitheater. This apitheater is dates back to 200 A.D. and is quite impressive. We walked through the underground passageways and climbed on the seating areas. There is no fee to enter and tour the amp. There are tall Roman walls near to the amp. The ampitheater is still under excavation. A team of Albanian and Italian university students were working in an area just to the south of the theater. We then walked down to the Durres history museum which was supposed to be open on Mondays (Alfred had confirmed this earlier) but was closed today. From the museum we walked down by the Adriatic shore and found a sea side restaurant for lunch -- more pizza! While waiting for our pizza to arrive Alfred shared with us about the history of Albania. After lunch we exchanged dollars for Euros (to pay for our rent) and then stopped by an Albanian supermarket. Helen bravely bought her first portion of ground beef (which we ate today in Hamburger Helper). We returned back to Durres Beach area for a short rest before our evening activities.
On Monday evening a van took our group to Tirana (the capital of Albania and Alfred's city of residence) for supper at the Zike's home. Adriana, Alfred's wife, had a feast prepared for us -- stuffed egg plant (which Darin, not a huge eggplant fan, found quite good), stuffed peppers, roast beef, meat balls, broccoli, Greek salad, fruit salad, potatoes, watermelon, cake, and ice cream. We dined outside under the shade of grape vines and branches of fruit trees. We all ate until we were quite full and there were still platefulls of leftovers. Adriana is a great cook and hostess. After chatting with the family we drove back to Durres Beach around 9:00. All of the Martins, except for Jill, fell asleep on the van ride home.
Sleep update -- We are still way off schedule! On Monday Quin was up at 3:00 a.m. -- along with Darin -- and then took a "nap" from 5:30 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. when Jill woke him up! On Tuesday morning all the Martins were up at 3:30 a.m.! We are trying to limit the slumber time today in efforts to get back on a normal sleep schedule...we'll see.
I ventured out on my first run today (being that I was up early enough to avoid the heat). On the Martin's previous early morning walk we discovered the beach is a popular spot even at dawn. So, I decided to join my Albanian friends on the beach this morning. I headed out about 6:00 and found the beach already crowded. Albanians love to walk and they love their beach. Young, old, families, singles, dogs, workers are all out very early. I saw fellow runners in flip-flops! The beach sand is almost like fine powder and packed down; so the running is not as difficulty as one might think running on sand might be. I was encouraged to see an effort being put forth to clean up the beach area. (Apparently the Adriatic Sea is used as a dumping ground for solid and liquid waste. We have been advised not to swim in the Sea...we may do some wading.) Workers were raking debris and waste into piles and workers on trash trucks were scooping the piles onto the trucks. I don't know if this trash gets taken back out to sea or not.
At 10:00 a.m. today our group met with Alfred. He explained to us about the English/Bible lessons we would soon be leading. The OC students begin their lessons tonight at 5:00. The Martins are scheduled to go back to Tirana for supper at Jondia's family's home.
One final note. It appears that our apartments are at the epicenter of Durres Beach night-life. While being in a great location -- close to church, internet, shops, and beach -- we are also sandwiched between the 2-3 loudest outdoor night clubs/restaurants you can imagine. They rock hard from 9:00 p.m. to .... There are also 1000's of vacationers -- mostly Albanian -- walking the streets in the evening and nite time. All the shops are busy and the traffic is steady. Lots of excitement!
Final, final note. We have been pleased that our children have not caused any time of coup or anti-American revolt here in Albania. Even though they are sleep deprived they have behaved quite well...let's hope this continues! Quin loves playing with the OC boys!
Take care and please remember us in your prayers...
Darin
A lot has happened since my last blog. We are quite busy and getting to the internet cafe has been a little more difficult than I had planned. Also, when I get to the cafe it is usually after 10:00 p.m and quite crowded; thus, the speed of the computers is very slow.
The good news is most of our bags have arrived. We are still missing Jill's (our) cosmetic bag! So, our hair is not as bouncy nor conditioned as it should be. One of the OC student's bags was supposedly delived to Alfred Zike's house yesterday; however, when we finally were able to acquire the bag we discovered it was not the correct bag. Lord willing, the student's bag will arrive today -- it is supposed to. We are cautiously optimistic.
We just had a visit from Jonida's aunt -- the pediatrician. Hallie had a fever a couple of days before our departure from the U.S. We thought she was all better but her fever had returned last night. So, Jonida and Jonida's sister helped us get in contact with the aunt who made a house visit to us. She too thinks Hallie just has a virus that needs to run its course. The doctor also noticed some redness in Hallie's right ear. So, she traveled to the pharmacy with Alfred and me to make sure Hallie got the right medication. (Hallie is really not feeling that bad but she and Jill are ready for her to be 100%). When we tried to pay Jonida's aunt for her services, she said, "We are family", and wouldn't accept any payment. Helen did give a nice Keepsake Candle however! Papa (big Quinton) said, "It is nice to have family in Albania."
Back to Sunday when I left off from earlier, we rested some after our early morning activities. Church services began at 6:30 p.m. with fellowship. Alfred's wife brought a cake and cold drinks -- even ice. We met several Albanian members and joined the in an Albanian worship service at 7:00. I would estimate there were about 25 in attendance. Alfred led singing and brought the lesson. We then took a break between services. Dad was whisked away for a spot of coffee with one of the members but made it back before the English service started. The AIM team from the other Durres church came for this service. Our family knows Sarah Everett -- the AIMer from Bartlesville. I led some songs and Alfred presented his lesson in English this time -- he's a busy man. (Alfred is also immune to the heat we are experiencing. We spoiled Americans are in a half-meltdown mode but he never breaks a sweat!) After the services our OC students and the AIM team went to eat supper together and our family found a fastfood restaurant serving hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries! (You can take the family out of America but you can't take the American out of the family!)
On Monday Alfred took our group (minus Quin, Hallie, and Jill) to Durres for a good part of the day. We rented a van for the bulk of the group and Quinton rode with Alfred in his Jeep Cherokee. Our first stop was the Roman ampitheater. This apitheater is dates back to 200 A.D. and is quite impressive. We walked through the underground passageways and climbed on the seating areas. There is no fee to enter and tour the amp. There are tall Roman walls near to the amp. The ampitheater is still under excavation. A team of Albanian and Italian university students were working in an area just to the south of the theater. We then walked down to the Durres history museum which was supposed to be open on Mondays (Alfred had confirmed this earlier) but was closed today. From the museum we walked down by the Adriatic shore and found a sea side restaurant for lunch -- more pizza! While waiting for our pizza to arrive Alfred shared with us about the history of Albania. After lunch we exchanged dollars for Euros (to pay for our rent) and then stopped by an Albanian supermarket. Helen bravely bought her first portion of ground beef (which we ate today in Hamburger Helper). We returned back to Durres Beach area for a short rest before our evening activities.
On Monday evening a van took our group to Tirana (the capital of Albania and Alfred's city of residence) for supper at the Zike's home. Adriana, Alfred's wife, had a feast prepared for us -- stuffed egg plant (which Darin, not a huge eggplant fan, found quite good), stuffed peppers, roast beef, meat balls, broccoli, Greek salad, fruit salad, potatoes, watermelon, cake, and ice cream. We dined outside under the shade of grape vines and branches of fruit trees. We all ate until we were quite full and there were still platefulls of leftovers. Adriana is a great cook and hostess. After chatting with the family we drove back to Durres Beach around 9:00. All of the Martins, except for Jill, fell asleep on the van ride home.
Sleep update -- We are still way off schedule! On Monday Quin was up at 3:00 a.m. -- along with Darin -- and then took a "nap" from 5:30 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. when Jill woke him up! On Tuesday morning all the Martins were up at 3:30 a.m.! We are trying to limit the slumber time today in efforts to get back on a normal sleep schedule...we'll see.
I ventured out on my first run today (being that I was up early enough to avoid the heat). On the Martin's previous early morning walk we discovered the beach is a popular spot even at dawn. So, I decided to join my Albanian friends on the beach this morning. I headed out about 6:00 and found the beach already crowded. Albanians love to walk and they love their beach. Young, old, families, singles, dogs, workers are all out very early. I saw fellow runners in flip-flops! The beach sand is almost like fine powder and packed down; so the running is not as difficulty as one might think running on sand might be. I was encouraged to see an effort being put forth to clean up the beach area. (Apparently the Adriatic Sea is used as a dumping ground for solid and liquid waste. We have been advised not to swim in the Sea...we may do some wading.) Workers were raking debris and waste into piles and workers on trash trucks were scooping the piles onto the trucks. I don't know if this trash gets taken back out to sea or not.
At 10:00 a.m. today our group met with Alfred. He explained to us about the English/Bible lessons we would soon be leading. The OC students begin their lessons tonight at 5:00. The Martins are scheduled to go back to Tirana for supper at Jondia's family's home.
One final note. It appears that our apartments are at the epicenter of Durres Beach night-life. While being in a great location -- close to church, internet, shops, and beach -- we are also sandwiched between the 2-3 loudest outdoor night clubs/restaurants you can imagine. They rock hard from 9:00 p.m. to .... There are also 1000's of vacationers -- mostly Albanian -- walking the streets in the evening and nite time. All the shops are busy and the traffic is steady. Lots of excitement!
Final, final note. We have been pleased that our children have not caused any time of coup or anti-American revolt here in Albania. Even though they are sleep deprived they have behaved quite well...let's hope this continues! Quin loves playing with the OC boys!
Take care and please remember us in your prayers...
Darin
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