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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Below are some videos to recap our first Christmas in Albania. Watch and enjoy.
Video Update 17 - This is a recap video of all the other recap videos below. It shows videos of some of the Christmas programs around the community that Katie and I were a part of.
Video Update 14 - Making Christmas cookies with two very special guests.
Video Update 15- A fun little Christmas game Katie and I created to keep ourselves entertained.
It's hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone. Though this year Christmas was nothing like the traditional North American Christmas I am used to. Knowing that this year would be different Katie and I kept ourselves busy and engaged in different Christmas activities throughout the week(s) to prepare our hearts for Christmas- in hopes that Christmas wouldn't blend in like another day, or week in Albania, and we could enjoy this very special holiday. Our attempts were a success and it ended up being a Christmas for the books.
Check out the pictures below for a recap of our first Christmas in Albania:
Gram sent me a recipe for cut-outs - I could find all the ingredients in Albania!
Katie and I by the New Year's tree in Tirana, Albania
Our house decorated for Christmas.
Mmm. Christmas cookies.
Happy Birthday Jesus!
We had a birthday party for Jesus.
Dance broke out after our Christmas Eve service.
Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner
6:00am Christmas morning
Anisa and I at church - Christmas morning.
Christmas morning service in Durres.
Katie and I - Christmas day being spoiled by Allan and Sheri.
Check back soon for the Christmas in Albania VIDEO Recap update.
