Did you Hear?

Did you hear? Did you hear?

I got a new blog.

It's been up and running for the last few months. Have you seen it yet?

I no longer maintain this blog. So if you're interested in following my journey, click here. Oh and for automatic updates via email and don't forget to subscribe (top right corner).

See ya there!

I'm Moving!

Ok. That's not completely true. I'm not moving. Not now. Not this year. But my blog is. 

Katie and I are sliding into our second year in Albania. July 12, marks our one year anniversary here. It's a new year. New beginnings. And a NEW blog. 

Wait no longer check it out HERE!

Oh, and don't forget to subscribe (top right) to receive blog updates by email. Or just bookmark the new site and check back often.


See you at: www.nicoleschara.wordpress.com

*From now on, this blog will no longer be updated.

Turn the Music Up!

I love wedding season in Albania. It's kind of strange. I've never actually been to an Albanian wedding, yet I enjoy wedding season. 

The season lasts pretty much all summer and even trickles into fall. So last July when we arrived it was the middle of wedding season. Weddings here are like nothing you'd ever imagine, or so I hear. The wedding festivities last a week. It's one continuous party night after night. At these parties they blast the music. Albanian music. And during the height of it all there will be multiple weddings at the same time and the music, like surround sound, comes from all directions. Sometimes it's so loud you feel like the party's going on in your living room. Now these celebrations don't end at 10pm or 11pm like a wedding in America would, that's actually when they're getting started. The music plays until 3am or 4 am depending on the day and who is getting married. And that's what I like.

At first it was hard to fall asleep and then stay asleep. But once I figured it out, once I figured out how to sleep through the music, I had a hard time sleeping without it. It wasn't until last years wedding season ended that I realized I actually liked the music. It was too quiet at night. Between the long bouts of silence I would hear dogs barking. I would hear cats getting into fights. I would hear the call to prayer from all of the mosques around town. And I would hear loud muffler-less cars speeding down the dirt roads. It was hard to sleep without the music.

There is just something comforting to me about the Albanian music playing all night long. It's how we were introduced to Albania- the music at night is what we learned Albania was. And when it was taken away it didn't feel like the Albania I came to know and love. 

Like a mother rocking her child to sleep, the blaring Albanian wedding music puts me to sleep. Needless to say, I'm glad it's wedding season again!

English in Albania

When I was trying to figure out my placement with GP the only stipulation I had (aside from living somewhere with flocks of wild chicken) was that I didn't want to be an English teacher. I didn't want to teach English as my job. Mainly for the fact that I was taught whole-language in school so aside from speaking it, I really don't know anything anything else about the English language. And because of that I didn't feel qualified to teach it to others. 

Well, I'm still not qualified to teach English, but God has a funny sense of humor because Katie and I have started an English class at our house on Saturday mornings. 

We have 6 students. They range in age from 7-14 years old. Katie does most of the teaching, I'm just there as a helper and for moral support.  One of our teammates developed this awesome step based learning program. It starts with the basics - alphabet and sounds -- before they can move on to learning words. It's great because they can move from step to step as fast or slow as it takes them individually to complete it. The kids love it because it's fun and different than school and we even play games like alphabet bingo and go fish with the alphabet.

They're actually having so much fun they requested the class two times a week now that they are on summer vacation. Yikes!

Our English students playing Go Fish

So what changed my mind about teaching English, or holding an English class in my house? I guess I realized that this is a great opportunity for us to serve, not only the kids by teaching them English but also the parents who can't afford private English lessons. There are 2 ways your children can get ahead in school: pay the teachers (most effective) or send your kid for private lessons. Knowing English opens up many other opportunities for the kids in the future as well. I figured sharing the little information I knew would be more beneficial than keeping it to myself. Hopefully our students will be able to pull better grades in English next year (well, assuming the primary second language taught in schools doesn't switch over to Chinese next year like rumor has it.)

Nicole & Katie in Albania: Video Update 23

Albanian 101.

In a couple weeks a team from the States is coming over to help at English Camp and Katie and I decided we'd teach them a few words before they get here. Check out this video and learn some of the most common Albanian words. If you make it through the whole video you may be qualified to advance to Albanian 102.

uh, mirupafshim.

My buddy...

This is my little buddy. He lives downstairs. He is 3 years old. 

Rockin' out on our couch with a cookie in his hand.

He has won a special place in my heart. I'm pretty sure he knows he has me wrapped around his little finger which uses it to his advantage. 

He likes to visit and play with us any chance he gets. We never know what he'll be when he runs into our house: a ninja, superhero, wolf, lion or police man. His imagination runs wild and every day is a new and exciting adventure.

Batman running to save the world...

 ...or just stopping by to play with the girls. 

Superman helping himself to a snack.

His new trend is to wake up first in his family and run upstairs to eat breakfast with me and Katie. He will stand outside our window and yell for us if our door isn't yet unlocked. 

When he walked in with dirt on his nose we realized we needed to clean our screens.

He loves playing with dinosaurs, cars, action figures and looking at picture books. 

He loves to read.

Playing with dinosaurs.

Creating something fun with play dough.

6:30am: it's never too early to play with Nicole and Katie.

...sometimes he'll even help us clean. 

I know the Lord has big plans for him and his future. I can't wait to see how they unfold. 

No Guarantees

Life is hard.

Especially in Albania.

Many things that we (myself included) take for granted are long, complicated processes here. Nothing comes easy. There are no guarantees. 

Water. In the Kenet, you can't just turn on the faucet and be guaranteed water. First of all, you're not even guaranteed that water will run to your house everyday and if it does run to your house there is a lot of work that goes into actually getting it in your house.  In the summer, the shortage of water is magnified as the city sends it to the resort areas before they will send it anywhere else, leaving many people without water for days on end. Water- something needed for survival and an essential part of life is not guaranteed here. 

Heat. Well, I guess heat is guaranteed in the summer but not in the winter. You can't flick a switch, turn a knob or push a button to heat your house. Houses are heated by wood burning stoves which require constant attention. You can't guarantee that the fire won't go out, or that you won't run out of fuel for the fire. You also can't guarantee that your whole house will be heated. Usually, it's just one room. 

Employment. There are a lot of people who are unemployed here; there just aren't jobs available. It may be out of desperation, but those with ambition will create their own jobs. They will open a store, or buy a cart and sell stuff on the streets. Even those who have jobs often times still struggle day after day just to put food on their table. "Lucky" men can find seasonal work in Greece and Italy but this splits families apart as men are gone for (at least) 6 months at a time. Though they often do, there is no guarantee that they will come back. 

Medical Care. The whole medical system here is very corrupt. There is no guarantee that by going to the doctor you will get the care you deserve. You can't be guaranteed that you will get the proper diagnosis or that the proper medicine will be prescribed, even if you do slide money under the table to bribe the doctors. 

Hope. At the most, there is very little hope. A majority of the people just don't have it. They don't know Jesus. They go about their lives, living day to day. It's a rare occasion to look into someones eyes and see any sparkle or glimmer of hope. 

Like Albania, there aren't a lot of guarantees in Christian life either. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow. We aren't guaranteed a happy, easy life. We aren't guaranteed worldly riches. But there is one thing we are guaranteed. We are guaranteed eternal life- that gives hope and that makes all the difference. 

It breaks my heart to be living in a country where life is so hard - watching day after day how hard people work just to survive. It also breaks my heart that no matter how hard I try to acculturate, I will never struggle as much as they do simply for the fact that I am American. But most of all, it breaks my heart that they don't have hope in the one who gives abundant hope: Jesus Christ. 

Kush është Jezusi? - Who Is Jesus?

I wanted to share with you a special video project Katie recently completed. It's pretty awesome, so I hope you're ready!

What she did: she used kids from the youth center (Burime) she teaches art classes at to reenact a modern version of the Easter Story. It was then narrated in both Albanian and English and then premiered at Burime for all the kids to see.

The kids had a great time acting in it and watching their faces on the big screen. It is our prayer that this non-traditional portrayal of the Easter story will resonate in the kids hearts for years to come.

Kush është Jezusi? - Albanian version

Who is Jesus? - English version

Cover the Night

March 5, 2012. Just another day. Right? Right. 

Well, except for the fact that one of the largest digital campaigns launched by Invisible Children swept not just the nation but the world. The 30 minute youtube video (below) was viewed round-the-world by over a million viewers. The video was engaging and informative. The use of technology and emotion kept the audience actively engaged for the duration of the film and the practical, hands on challenge at the end took the film from youtube to hearts of many. All with one simple message  - let's make (Joseph) Kony famous in 2012.

"Since 1987, Joseph Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children in Central Africa and forced them to be child soldiers in his Lord’s Resistance Army. The KONY 2012 campaign employs film, social media, street art, and face-to-face interaction to make the case that the arrest of Joseph Kony this year is one thing we can all agree on." 

As not only a fan and supporter of Invisible Children, I'm also a fan of bringing light to injustices in the world. I knew even before I clicked the play button, I would be on board with their new campaign. I was not wrong. And no, the bad press and criticism that followed, didn't influence or sway my decision. 

Invisible Children built up their organization by giving teens and young adults something to be passionate about. Not only do they challenge viewers to "Discover the Unseen" child war soldiers in Uganda, they also provide easy ways for people to get involved and make a difference in the world. They are more focused on raising awareness than they are raising money. They are not concerned about fame but more concerned about changing the world. They know the value of social media and technology and use it to their advantage to relate to and engage their audience.

So why am I blogging about this now? Well, tonight is the big night. Tonight is the night when viewers were challenged to go out and "Cover the Night" - to bring awareness to Joseph Kony. This here, is my humble attempt to Cover the Night from Albania.

But I'd say Kony's 15+ minutes of fame has surfaced. Kony has become a household name for people from all walks of life, round the world. Over 104 MILLION people have watched the video, and whether they were compelled to act, they at least know Kony, who he is, and what he does. It's my prayer that it's not just fame but that the increased levels of awareness will be followed up with action on the parts of authorities so that Kony will be caught and arrested. 

Like I mentioned before, I am a fan and supporter of Invisible Children, I am excited for them and their success with this video- not because they've become famous but because they've made Kony famous. 

Yet, at the same time, my heart is torn in two. I can't help but think what the world would be like if the video was about Jesus. Ok, maybe not that video, but what if there was a campaign that launched, and spread like wildfire around the world, to make Jesus famous. A campaign that people latched on to and wanted to share with others. I can't help but wonder what it would be like if people around the world were not talking about Kony, but if they were talking about Jesus instead. If people spread the Good News with the same passion, urgency, concern, and desire to make Jesus famous in 2012. That would be pretty cool. 

Kony 2012 Part 1 

Kony 2012: Part 2- Beyond Famous

Nicole & Katie in Macedonia (Part 2): Video Update 21

The road to Durres was still closed this morning when we woke up. Watch this video to see how we are surviving our snowed-in adventure in Kichevo, Macedonia.

Nicole & Katie in Macedonia (Part 1): Video Update 20

Last Wednesday Katie went to Macedonia for her Media Tech work. I went along to accompany her on the bus as it's not safe for girls to travel alone. We spent a long weekend in Skopje, Macedonia with the GP family living there. We had a great time touring around, shooting video, and getting to know them better. Monday morning we headed back to Durres. That was the plan anyway. About a third of the way home we hit a road block. Sunday night there was a huge snow storm and the road to Durres was closed to vehicles. This left Katie and I stranded in small town Macedonia (don't worry, we are safe and warm.) Watch this special update of Katie and I as we talk about being snowed-in, in Kichevo, Macedonia.

...and stay tuned for part 2 of Nicole and Katie in Macedonia.

Nicole & Katie in Albania: Video Update 19

January 12, 2012 marked our sixth month in Albania. It's hard to believe it's been 6 months.

Check out our 6 month recap video below. In this video Katie and I will knock your socks off with our amazing ping-pong playing skills. You will also find out why Katie and I are wearing the same shirt, and we discuss some things we've perfected during our first 6 months. 

Nicole & Katie In Albania: Video Update 18

New Years. Albania. 3 words that fit so nicely together.  Based on Albania's history with communism New Years is THE holiday here. This was the one holiday that the country could celebrate together as a family, and as a nation. Though the days of communist rule have passed, the New Year's Eve celebration still goes strong. What a special treat to be here to witness this holiday in person.

The night started with a family dinner saturated with toasts of well wishes in 2012. The meal was topped off by the traditional New Year's dessert- baklava. As midnight approached the T.V's were shut off, and the lights dimmed as everybody made their way up to the roof. We welcomed the new year together, as a country, hootin'-n-hollerin', watching, and blowing off fireworks. The simplicity, yet magnitude of the fireworks show blows any fireworks display I had seen previously out of the water. Caught in the middle of a 360deg firework show was more beautiful and peaceful that I could have ever imagined.

(Thanks to my wonderful housemate Katie Hawkins) you can check out the VIDEO recap below for highlights of our first New Year's Eve in Albania.