"Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give
spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything."
- 2 Corinthians 6:10
This summer I was blessed to spend a week in Haiti on a mission trip
with a team of wonderful people from my church. Sometimes I feel the
mindset with mission trips are that we (Americans)
are going to a country to help them, and to to give them stuff. And we did. We
had 20 suitcases filled with all sorts of donations: clothes, formula,
medical and teaching supplies, games, arts and crafts and a small monetary donation. You can't argue the fact that
we didn't give while we were there.
One night towards the end of the week we were privileged to have a
Haitian woman sing "Give Thanks" in Creole to us. It was a beautiful,
incredibly humbling experience, and part of the trip the team will
remember forever. Since the earthquake the whole country has been
through so much loss and suffering, pain and heartache- I can't even
imagine what it must be like. Most of the country doesn't have the basic
necessities that we as Americans take for granted everyday like a roof
over their head, food to eat, and a clean supply of water. Yet they know
the secret to life, and because of this, they as a country are far
"richer" than America. They don't use medicine to cope with their
depression, they don't sit and wallow in self pity or complain about
what they don't have, they take everything to the Lord and constantly
singing praises to Him for what they do have. Being in Haiti was such a
great reminder not only of how much of my life I take for granted, but
also how we as Christians should be living on a daily basis.
When you get on the plane to come back home with empty suitcases and
part of your heart still there, you realize that you've still received
way more than you gave. As Thanksgiving is a day of proclaiming what you
are thankful for I
thought it would be an appropriate day to share the song "Give Thanks"
with you.
What am I
thankful for? The list is too long and could go on for days. So instead
of listing each individual thanks, today (and everyday) I am giving
thanks to God
because He's given me His Son. As Haiti knows all of the earthly
possessions I am thankful for could be gone in an instant, but nothing
can ever
take away my gift of eternal life. Thanks be to God!
25 November 2010
11 November 2010
Albanian Brain Dump
This is part of an email from Dawn, one of the missionaries in Albania. It paints a clearer picture of Albania and gives some insight into what it will be like to live there.
People: Albanians are very hospitable, if you walk down the road they will invite you into their home for coffee. The personal space here is much smaller than Americans, people touch you (after they know you) and walking arm in arm with two women is common and with men too. Relationship is many orders of magnitude more important than time in Albania. (This is not true in America, we as a people are very time oriented) Women gather with Women, Girls with Girls, Boys with Boys and Men with Men. This is a male dominated culture, one example, while in the store and they are adding up what I am buying, if a man comes in, the clerk will stop and take the man's order, then once he leaves continue with your order. Most of the time wives walk a step behind their husbands. In general, when a couple come to our house for a visit, the woman will speak very little while the men will talk most of the time. People do not walk down the street and look at others in the eye and never smile (as a women this send the message that you are available). If you know someone, no matter how late you are, you must stop in the street and greet them, usually with a kiss on each cheek while shaking hands and ask about them and their health and their family...Things take more time here.
History: The Ottoman Turks conquered and ruled this area for 500 years, then there were a few years of independence, Italians tried to take over and then the Communist moved in for 50 years and declared Albania an atheist nation and one of the cruelest oppressions ever. In 1990-91, Communism fell and "Democracy" arrived. The history of Albania has profoundly impacted the people, but the new generation (post communism) are very different.
Home: The food here is amazing, if you like Mediterranean food. There is very little fast food here, so you will doing most of your cooking. We do not have dishwashers or clothes dryers. Nearly all Albanians have TV's. There are many internet cafe's in just about all areas. Many of the stores out where we live and you will be living have a counter at the door and you must ask for what you want. This is a built in language lesson! Fruit and vegetables are available in season, not all year around. Veal and Chicken and Mutton are the main meats, while pork is available but a little harder to find. It does not snow here, but it does get cold enough a couple of days in the winter to cause the mud and the canals to freeze, which we are thankful to reduce the mosquito population. When it is cold outside, it is cold inside because the homes are all block and concrete. Gas heaters are available, but they vent in the room and over time cause headaches. Electric heaters are available and great when we have reliable electricity. Wood stoves are available, but are expensive and require lots of work.
Spiritual: 70% are nominally Muslim, 20% are Orthodox, 10% Catholic. Our family has worked mostly with nominally Muslim folks and some Catholic. Our Muslim friends are Muslim in name only. Most have never been in a mosque, never read the Koran, but own one and have it in a place of honor in their home. Most are very superstitious and mystical and believe very much in the Evil Eye and fear it. Most all building have things hanging from them to ward off the Evil Eye, dolls, garlic, horseshoe, animal horns, charsms... Some children wear amulets around their necks with verses from the Koran in them. Many of these things have found their way into the believes of the Catholic people here too. Unfortunately, since we are Free to be here so are the Jehovah Witness and the Morman's. People here believe very strange things about Jesus and need people to share the TRUTH about who He is and why He came to earth. Albanians do not mind talking about religious beliefs and discussing them, there is not a 'politically incorrect' feeling about this kind of talk.
People: Albanians are very hospitable, if you walk down the road they will invite you into their home for coffee. The personal space here is much smaller than Americans, people touch you (after they know you) and walking arm in arm with two women is common and with men too. Relationship is many orders of magnitude more important than time in Albania. (This is not true in America, we as a people are very time oriented) Women gather with Women, Girls with Girls, Boys with Boys and Men with Men. This is a male dominated culture, one example, while in the store and they are adding up what I am buying, if a man comes in, the clerk will stop and take the man's order, then once he leaves continue with your order. Most of the time wives walk a step behind their husbands. In general, when a couple come to our house for a visit, the woman will speak very little while the men will talk most of the time. People do not walk down the street and look at others in the eye and never smile (as a women this send the message that you are available). If you know someone, no matter how late you are, you must stop in the street and greet them, usually with a kiss on each cheek while shaking hands and ask about them and their health and their family...Things take more time here.
History: The Ottoman Turks conquered and ruled this area for 500 years, then there were a few years of independence, Italians tried to take over and then the Communist moved in for 50 years and declared Albania an atheist nation and one of the cruelest oppressions ever. In 1990-91, Communism fell and "Democracy" arrived. The history of Albania has profoundly impacted the people, but the new generation (post communism) are very different.
Home: The food here is amazing, if you like Mediterranean food. There is very little fast food here, so you will doing most of your cooking. We do not have dishwashers or clothes dryers. Nearly all Albanians have TV's. There are many internet cafe's in just about all areas. Many of the stores out where we live and you will be living have a counter at the door and you must ask for what you want. This is a built in language lesson! Fruit and vegetables are available in season, not all year around. Veal and Chicken and Mutton are the main meats, while pork is available but a little harder to find. It does not snow here, but it does get cold enough a couple of days in the winter to cause the mud and the canals to freeze, which we are thankful to reduce the mosquito population. When it is cold outside, it is cold inside because the homes are all block and concrete. Gas heaters are available, but they vent in the room and over time cause headaches. Electric heaters are available and great when we have reliable electricity. Wood stoves are available, but are expensive and require lots of work.
Spiritual: 70% are nominally Muslim, 20% are Orthodox, 10% Catholic. Our family has worked mostly with nominally Muslim folks and some Catholic. Our Muslim friends are Muslim in name only. Most have never been in a mosque, never read the Koran, but own one and have it in a place of honor in their home. Most are very superstitious and mystical and believe very much in the Evil Eye and fear it. Most all building have things hanging from them to ward off the Evil Eye, dolls, garlic, horseshoe, animal horns, charsms... Some children wear amulets around their necks with verses from the Koran in them. Many of these things have found their way into the believes of the Catholic people here too. Unfortunately, since we are Free to be here so are the Jehovah Witness and the Morman's. People here believe very strange things about Jesus and need people to share the TRUTH about who He is and why He came to earth. Albanians do not mind talking about religious beliefs and discussing them, there is not a 'politically incorrect' feeling about this kind of talk.
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