Hello Everyone
Hello all. The race is starting to feel like a real race right now because it is rushing by so fast and I have been falling behind in updates so this one will look a little different because it is a bit of a catch up
Life Update
I have moved locations twice now. Once from Dürres Albania to Shkoder Albania with a mini goodbye debrief in the middle then from Albania itself to Turkey for a debrief and now in location in Turkey.
What’s God doing in Shkodër Albania, and Turkey?
Tirana Albania Mini Debrief: From Durrës to Tirana is just a short ride away so it was an easy trip. Our amazing host took us there. They were such a gift and blessing for us and I know we will all miss them very much. We said goodbye and settled in for our short debrief. The purpose of this debrief was to say goodbye to our ASQL or Almuni Squad Leaders (they are people who have done the trip before at a different time, who have come on the trip with us to help us, as we need, when we are first on the feild). I was very, very sad because I love my ASQL’s very much and I was going to and do very much miss them. So we spent a few days saying goodbye and sending them off well. It was nice to have intentional time before the left but I did not want them to go. God was still working on my heart about my own future so I was pretty emotionally unbalanced for those days, but it was nice all things considered. And the Raised up SQL’s (people from our squad who were the old team leads that had gone hrough SQL training with them the last two weeks) were officially joining our teams in the next destination. My team recieved Riley!
Shkodër:
God is on the move always but it was such a treat to see how he was moving in Shkodër Albania. I was in the housing above a school for kids who were in blood fued families. How we got there is its own special story.
How we got there: Those two weeks were ATL (Ask The Lord) so we had to talk to God and ask for direction and follow that. God told me 2 weeks before we officially prayed about gave me a word, “Shalë” and I knew this was about location for us. I asked my team to pray for a word of confirmation from God (in this case, a literal word, “red”) and my teammates prayed without knowing why and gave me “mountains”, “eagle”, and “It’s a place”, so I knew because it was a mountainous region in Albania 🇦🇱 that it was from God but not to share. 2 weeks later we were praying about location, housing and hosts and God led me to an populated area next to Shalë called Shkodër. Then our host spoke of a contact she had there and in our team time where we finally spoke of direction from God, Kiley revealed that God had directed her to Shkodër too! So Shkodër was the location and our host confirmed with the contact there that we could go help with their program and that they also had housing for us. So before we even left for Mini Debrief we had location, host, and housing all set and we all had peace about it.
The typical day in our lives in Shkodër: we had our mornings free, so I would sleep in a little, make breakfast, eat, read my Bible, and rest until 11:30, then make/eat lunch and be ready at 12. At 12 I would go down to the school to help. These days were also considered ATL, so some people would go out to the streets and share about Jesus with the people they met, instead of going to the school. God told me that I was to help at the school those weeks. At school we helped with homework and played games with the kids when they finished. I would also help with the English classes from 2-3 and 3-4, then we were free for the day and would decompress, make and eat dinner, do team time, hang out and go to sleep. Saturday was a children’s program and a youth group that we were put in charge of and helped run. We were a little lost but we’re able to come up with stories, songs and activities for thi time we were there. Sundays we would go to church then go out to “coffee” with the church members after. The second week was a birthday and they gave us cake.
It was really cool and touching to make friends with the kids. A handful of them spoke English, so, unlike in Guatemala, I got to get to know them. They were a bit of a pain in the butt sometimes because their culture is much more agressive than mine, and what they saw as playing I saw as bullying, but I did enjoy getting to know them. I had so many favorite moments while playing and talking with them, and them asking me if I was ever coming back was the hardest no I have ever had to say. I cried that day. I am glad to have touched their lives, and I know that they have touched mine.
One of the most God directed experiences was the day we met our actual host. She was in the US for the national prayer breakfast, so she was only there for the last couple days we were. She shared her story (Click to hear it on YouTube. (Actually do it.)) and it was jaw dropping and everything I needed to hear. What isn’t included in that podcast was the way God used her husband’s death to be a platform to share the love of Jesus with all nations, including the sharing of her story at the national prayer breakfast, that it brought change to the government of Albania as a whole, through awareness, reform and passing the document to make Christianity an officail religion of Albania, her story of becoming pastor of her church in the face of even herself not thinking women should be in leadership, then God speaking to everyone very clearly and changing the hearts and minds of her whole church, and her story of meeting her husbands killer face to face and forgiving him in person. It was stunning and inspirational obedience and love for God in the face of hard futures and God used everything for her good and changed the trajectory of her life and her country. Coming into Shkodër I was so afraid of my future and what obedience would bring, so when we listened to her speak, God reached into the parts of me that were struggling and gave me comfort, confidence and peace. God told me to go to Shkodër and He had just what I needed waiting there.
For fun there was a Mask Spring festival in town, we went to the Shalë River, I biked to Shkodër Lake, and I went to a Castle!
Turkey:
Debrief- We debriefed in Istanbul Turkey for 9 days and I was in an amazingly good mood because I had talked to God and asked about my next steps and He gave me such a kind answer. We did have someone go home and that was sad, but other than that I had a pretty good time. We Did a handful of teachings. Amanda taught on our identity and intimacy with God, Joy spoke on prayer, intercession, and worship, Rachel taught on our mind in the midst of suffering, Perry taught on “protecting” our yes, then Joy taught again on boundaries and emotional walls, Riley taught on heart posture, Kevin taught on idols, then my team taught on how to engage Muslims with Jesus. Me and Ashley did 5 worship sessions and in my favorite one, we did silence and stillness and asked God for a word, God was extra sweet to me and told me my word (I asked about my time in Turkey) was Adventure and I immediately pushed it out of my mind because it felt like just something I wanted, and God brought the imagery to mind of me in a room with Him in front of me and pillows behind me, all with the things I want and desire written on them (including adventure), and I was shoving them out of the room. Then He reached His arms around me and dragged the pillows up from behind me and scooped them and me up and into his arms, and and I could feal the gentleness and care as He gave me a new word, “loved”. It had me tearing up in seeing that He gives me what I need but He doesn’t forget what I want.
We switched teams and my new team is Me, Riley, Francesca, Dezarae, and Amanda as SQL.
We got to sight see in Istanbul and saw the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazar, and then we visited Iznik as a squad.
We had a 15 hour trip to our new location.
This is a pic of my new team
Host location- I am in Cappadocia Turkey right now!
Fundraising Update
I am still fully funded lol and still so blessed by everyone’s love.
I am still trying to raise funds to replace a few things. Such as, my headphones just broke and I have to get new ones. But overall I am in pretty okay standing.
I am considering what it would look like to keep doing missions next year and will keep you updated.
Spiritual Update
What a wild ride. Mini Debrief was a time where I was wrestling with future and what my obedience would mean if I was asked to do something I hated. I would do what I am called to and asked to, no matter what, but I was afraid of what it would be. I didn’t want to be told my next step and for it to break my heart because sometimes what is good is not what I think looks good. So moving into Shkodër, where we were clearly called, and watching all the details line up to get me there was so encouraging. I went into debrief in such a great mood and that mood stayed with me all the way to Cappadocia.
Prayers
Pray for the kids in Shkodër and their leaders. That they continue to change the country for better and obey the voice of the Lord.
Pray for the people of Turkey that they get visions and dreams of Jesus and that God softens their hearts and opens their eyes to Truth.
Pray for my team as they are getting over colds.
Join me in praying for all of you guys. May God be your comfort and provider and may you hear His voice, as He is speaking to you, and you follow it
Pray for me as the good mood has worn off and I am stuggling to get into the routine here.
Answered Prayers
The first set of internal struggles are healed lol now on to the new ones!
Thank you
Thank you all for your patience, love and support! You can drop prayer requests in the comments you so I can pray for you all more specifically as well! You are all a blessing and you have helped bring a big difference to my life and the lives of everyone I’ve reached while I was here. I love you guys!
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