Update:
I am in Lesotho doing ministry here till the end of October, but I still want to write about ministry in Albania.
I did ministry for 7.5 weeks and had a few days at the end of our time in Albania to debrief with the squad. Ministry looked different than all the other countries I’ve been to. It was different because, for the most part, we made up our schedule.
However, on Sunday evenings we had church service that we attended and each week we shared testimonies of how the Lord has worked in our lives. Throughout our time in Albania, we went to other churches that our pastor spoke at, we were able to have fellowship with other believers and learn about the culture. We also helped with a Christian youth camp as well in a different city that I wrote about in my previous blog.
In Albania, I spent time with the youth/young adults at the church we attended in Tirana. It was a sweet time as we played games, learned Albanian dances, taught them American dances, and had them show us around the city. One day, we went on a hike, played basketball, and had them over for dinner throughout our time in Albania. I went to the youth bible study and played games, talked about God, and had fellowship with each other.
I am reminded that it’s not all about reaching nonbelievers. Believers need to be rooted in Christ and have like-minded people in their lives. Connecting with the youth, having fun, and building community with them was such a gift to do. It was so kind to see the youth serve us. When we had them over for dinner, they would bring dessert, when we saw them, they asked how our day was. When we shared prayer requests, they would follow up at youth group about what was asked to be prayed for. These kids served us and served each other so well. They were filled with God’s love and it shined through them.
Another part of ministry was ATL (Ask the Lord), which was hard to get used to. We would go out in the city and shine God’s light and His love by making relationships with people. In Albania, most people are Muslim and it’s easier to build a friendship with them before we talk about a relationship with God. So I would go to coffee shops and make relationships with the waiters/waitresses, people who work in the grocery stores, etc. I would take time to pray throughout the streets and talk to people as well.
To be honest, I didn’t love doing ATL. I like a little more structure than to freely make my schedule, but I made the most of it. Plus, my attitude towards ATL affects a lot of whether I am going to be mad I’m not doing more or use the time given to bring glory to God. I had even more opportunities to sit in the Lord’s presence, spent time praying, worshipping, reading the bible, talking with my team about what we are learning and had time to write blogs. During this time, I had more opportunities to serve my team in any way I could by cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, spending time with them, etc. (Stay tuned for another blog about encounters with people and what I learned throughout ATL).
To be honest, I didn’t love doing ATL. I like a little more structure than to freely make my schedule, but I made the most of it. Plus, my attitude towards ATL affects a lot of whether I am going to be mad I’m not doing more or use the time given to bring glory to God. I had even more opportunities to sit in the Lord’s presence, spent time praying, worshipping, reading the bible, talking with my team about what we are learning and had time to write blogs. During this time, I had more opportunities to serve my team in any way I could by cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, spending time with them, etc. (Stay tuned for another blog about encounters with people and what I learned throughout ATL).
One of my favorite parts of ministry was doing prison ministry. I was able to go to prison twice while in Albania and it was incredible. It was an hour and 15 minute drive through the mountains. We would spend a couple of hours there talking with the staff and inmates. God taught me a lot and opened my eyes to how things are in different countries’ prisons. It was challenging to experience but something that I would never forget. (Stay tuned for another blog about my time at the prison).
Towards the end of our time in Tirana, we put together an event for women from the church called Beauty for Ashes. We talked about our worth and how God sees us and how we see ourselves. It was a special time that we got to be vulnerable with other women and be reminded of who God says we are!
Even though times were challenging and I didn’t love doing ATL all the time, I loved Albania and it’s a country I would go back to.
