This post is from Mid-September; apparently I neglected to upload it at the time.
I made it to Albania safely without any problems.
After I left the States, I landed in Rome and took a high-speed train to Naples, Italy. On the train was a group of four wild middle-aged women from New York City. They were on vacation without their husbands and they were raising all kinds of hell. We had a blast on the train! Once in Rome, I then hopped on a slow local train to Sorento. No A/C, rats, standing room only....and the train stopped at EVERY station. Lots of gypsies (beggars, thieves, scammers, pickpockets) along the way. Finally arrived in Sorento after passing Pompeii. I went into Sorento with my tour group and had a chocolate and limoncello tasting. Limoncello is an alcoholic liqueur. It tastes like grain alcohol mixed with lemons. The chocolate, however, was divine. we sang some Italian songs with the Limoncello Master, Anthony. Mostly songs by the rat pack (Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr,) I found my way to the harbor and sat down on a bench to watch the sunset. An adorable Italian grandmother sat down next to me and started talking...in Italian to me. I responded with what Italian I knew (probably 20 words or so), but she kept on talking to me. After a few minutes her daughter joined us. She could speak English fluently as she is a tour guide in Spain. So we all three laughed and talked together while watching the sun go down. I love how friendly Italians are and how they will happily engage in conversation with others.
The next day we took a boat to the Isle of Capri. The water along this coast is the bluest water I have ever seen. We visited the Blue Grotto which is a water cave which is accessed by a small four person boat. Once inside, when you turn and face the cave entrance, all of the water eerily glows iridescent bright baby blue. It was an incredible sight; I'm not sure it was worth the 20 Euros to see it, but I am glad I at least got to experience it.
After this tour, I started the second part of my tour in Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe is not generally a tourist destination, even less so now because of the mass migration of people fleeing the Middle East and Africa. I flew into Prague, Czech and ate a meal at a restaurant that served me my drinks via a train. Yep. They put my drink on a flatbed car and delivered it to my table. Tom would have never left this restaurant! It was so much fun. I admit I ordered more drinks than I would have just so I could watch the train come, stop, allow me to take off my drink and put my empty glass in its place, and watch the train disappear down the tracks into the kitchen.
Our first stop on the bus tour was Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora is a church which is decorated with the remains of 70,000 humans. Way back in the day, it was a monastery. One of the monks went to Golgatha and brought back some dirt form the mountain. Everyone heard about it and decided they wanted to be buried at this church with the holy dirt. Needless to say, the church soon ran out of room. So one of the more 'artistic' monks started making decorations out of the human bones. Another thought it would be neat to construct pyramids of human skulls. Anyway, the result is an interesting, very creepy church which has made it onto the list of UNESCO heritage sites.
The next day we traveled through Poland, parts of which look a LOT like Switzerland and Germany. Who knew?! Now I understand why so many countries have tried to invade this land over the centuries. We made a stop at the Auschwitz and Berkenau concentration camps. The experience was quite sobering. It is chilling to see mankind at its worse. We then made it to Krakow, Poland which turned out to be one of my most favorite cities in Europe. The city is absolutely stunningly beautiful with a very large city center square, cobblestone streets, ornate four-story buildings bordering the square, and a beautiful cathedral. I took a bike tour of the city and in the afternoon I visited the Krakow Salt Mine. Down deep in the salt mine, the workers have carved out statues, rooms, and even an enormous chapel out of the rock salt. It is amazing to see that these things were carved, not built. It definitely was a highlight of the trip. The next stop was in Zakapone, Poland which could pass as a Swiss ski village if you weren't aware you were in Poland.
Next we moved on into Slovakia. More mountains, more beautiful scenery. We stopped and rode in a Russian tank with a kindly, a-little-bit-crazy Slovakian man named Joszef. The tank ride was the best 15 minutes of the entire tour. He took us straight up mountains, slid down the other side, through a river......nice and muddy of course. It was a blast!
From Slovakia, we made our way to Budapest, Hungary. Budapest is a HUGE city, lots of fun, too much to see. It would take a week to see all of the historical places, monuments, museums, and sights. We took a dinner cruise on the Danube River. We then headed over to Croatia. Getting from Hungary into Croatia is difficult. Hungary has erected barbed wire fencing all around its borders to keep out the migrants. They stop every vehicle and search it. Our bus was there for over three hours while they inspected everyone's passport, searched the bus interior as well as the luggage holds.
The next destination was Plitvice National Park. It is an unblemished, amazing
natural wild area filled with tall waterfalls and beautiful lakes colored teal and green and blue with waters so clear that you can see the bottom of very, very deep lakes. We ended the tour in Split, Croatia where I got to spend the night within castle walls. It was a fun tour and I am glad I was able to experience Eastern Europe. I see a return trip to Krakow in my future.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Starbucks Red Cup
One of the worst things about social media is the hysteria is creates over the silliest things. The latest hysteria involves the Starbucks red holiday cup. Apparently Joshua Feuerstein, an American evangelist who is known for polarizing people using religious topics , posted a short video rant against Starbucks for not placing the words "Merry Christmas" on their cups. This video lasts barely longer than a minute, yet has managed to offend both Christians and non-Christians alike. The posts on Facebook are once again portraying Christians as idiots who don't think. So, well done Mr. Feuerstein, you've increased your Facebook presence at the expense of common sense and civility. What I'd like to know is who appointed this man as the official spokesman for Christianity? Why do so many people believe that because this man expressed his OPINION, that every Christian in the country shares his OPINION simply based on the fact that we are Christians? This is getting ridiculous.
Seeing the posts on Facebook bashing ALL Christians and spewing false information really sets me off. When people who have a problem with the color of the cup that their $5 coffee is poured into, they really have no idea what real problems are. They are definitely suffering from first world problems. I'm serving in a country where women have no rights or value in society. They are restricted in everything they do from the clothes they are allowed to wear to the places they may go. I live in a country where the poor have to sneak out at night to get firewood from the forests to heat their homes because if they did this during the day they would be arrested. These people work from sunup to sundown on their land trying to produce enough food to feed their families. They can't work any longer or harder than they already do. Yet their food production frequently falls short of their needs. This results in crushing hardships for them such as not being able to afford shoes for their children or medical care. These are not lazy people. They are people trapped by poverty, low education, and idiotic, centuries-old mindsets. These are real problems. If you gave them a cup of coffee, they wouldn't care what color the cup is; they would be grateful to have a coffee.
This paragraph is for those who insist sharing inflammatory posts. The next time you feel led to share a post whose purpose is solely to inflame emotions at the expense of a group of people, please stop and ask yourself if the subject of your post REALLY a problem. Please fact check your post also. So many posts are filled with misinformation or even worse, made-up information. Sharing misinformation and falsehoods makes you look like a fool and you are simply perpetuating the problem of ignorance.
This paragraph is for those people who can see the big picture. If you truly want to make a difference, do it behind the scenes. You don't have to go and serve in a foreign country. Take $5 per month from your coffee budget and at the end of the year, use that money to support an organization whose sole purpose is to lift people out of poverty. Do your research on this and choose your non-profit wisely. I highly recommend Heifer International. After visiting a slum five years after Heifer International had provided the residents with ducks, I saw firsthand how the income from duck eggs has changed the lives of the residents. The money saved from one or two cups of coffee a month can buy flocks of chickens, geese, or ducks as well as rabbits (the world's cheapest form of protein and quickest turnaround from birth to slaughter) or even a goat. Please note, I do NOT recommend water buffalo, cows, or sheep because the children are the ones that watch these animals during the day and this means the children would not have an opportunity to attend school.
So, if you're seeing red over this stupid controversy about the color of a disposable coffee cup, I encourage you show your love by helping someone out of poverty. Another alternative is to just be nice. And civil. Let's stop perpetuating stupidity and ignorance.
One of the worst things about social media is the hysteria is creates over the silliest things. The latest hysteria involves the Starbucks red holiday cup. Apparently Joshua Feuerstein, an American evangelist who is known for polarizing people using religious topics , posted a short video rant against Starbucks for not placing the words "Merry Christmas" on their cups. This video lasts barely longer than a minute, yet has managed to offend both Christians and non-Christians alike. The posts on Facebook are once again portraying Christians as idiots who don't think. So, well done Mr. Feuerstein, you've increased your Facebook presence at the expense of common sense and civility. What I'd like to know is who appointed this man as the official spokesman for Christianity? Why do so many people believe that because this man expressed his OPINION, that every Christian in the country shares his OPINION simply based on the fact that we are Christians? This is getting ridiculous.
Seeing the posts on Facebook bashing ALL Christians and spewing false information really sets me off. When people who have a problem with the color of the cup that their $5 coffee is poured into, they really have no idea what real problems are. They are definitely suffering from first world problems. I'm serving in a country where women have no rights or value in society. They are restricted in everything they do from the clothes they are allowed to wear to the places they may go. I live in a country where the poor have to sneak out at night to get firewood from the forests to heat their homes because if they did this during the day they would be arrested. These people work from sunup to sundown on their land trying to produce enough food to feed their families. They can't work any longer or harder than they already do. Yet their food production frequently falls short of their needs. This results in crushing hardships for them such as not being able to afford shoes for their children or medical care. These are not lazy people. They are people trapped by poverty, low education, and idiotic, centuries-old mindsets. These are real problems. If you gave them a cup of coffee, they wouldn't care what color the cup is; they would be grateful to have a coffee.
This paragraph is for those who insist sharing inflammatory posts. The next time you feel led to share a post whose purpose is solely to inflame emotions at the expense of a group of people, please stop and ask yourself if the subject of your post REALLY a problem. Please fact check your post also. So many posts are filled with misinformation or even worse, made-up information. Sharing misinformation and falsehoods makes you look like a fool and you are simply perpetuating the problem of ignorance.
This paragraph is for those people who can see the big picture. If you truly want to make a difference, do it behind the scenes. You don't have to go and serve in a foreign country. Take $5 per month from your coffee budget and at the end of the year, use that money to support an organization whose sole purpose is to lift people out of poverty. Do your research on this and choose your non-profit wisely. I highly recommend Heifer International. After visiting a slum five years after Heifer International had provided the residents with ducks, I saw firsthand how the income from duck eggs has changed the lives of the residents. The money saved from one or two cups of coffee a month can buy flocks of chickens, geese, or ducks as well as rabbits (the world's cheapest form of protein and quickest turnaround from birth to slaughter) or even a goat. Please note, I do NOT recommend water buffalo, cows, or sheep because the children are the ones that watch these animals during the day and this means the children would not have an opportunity to attend school.
So, if you're seeing red over this stupid controversy about the color of a disposable coffee cup, I encourage you show your love by helping someone out of poverty. Another alternative is to just be nice. And civil. Let's stop perpetuating stupidity and ignorance.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Earthquake in Nepal
First off, everyone I know in Nepal is safe. Some of their homes have been damaged, but everyone is safe and uninjured. Some have been sleeping outside of their homes until the aftershocks subside.
The earthquake was quite powerful, 7.9 in magnitude. The aftershocks have been just as powerful, ranging from 4.2 to 6.7. At the time of this post, there have been 49 aftershocks. That is a total of 50 powerful earthquakes in the past 4 days. This is a sobering statistic.
The place where I was staying, Pokhara, is approximately 40 miles from the epicenter. There has been a lot of new construction there in the past decade or so, so most of the houses were built to withstand earthquakes. That being said, 50 earthquakes within a four day period is a lot for any structure to withstand. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has many older buildings. Some of the structures destroyed there were centuries old. Sadly, most of the damage and loss will come from the remote villages in the mountains, where entire villages will be found to be wiped out. The logistics involved in reaching these villages is challenging. These villages are remote; even under the best conditions, it takes several days of walking (no roads) to get to them. Helicopters are being brought in to try to get the wounded into hospitals in the cities. This link describes the challenge of reaching the villages:
http://tenplay.com.au/news/national/latest-news/latest-news/aftershocks-continue-after-nepalese-quake-that-has-left-at-least-2500-dead
I have several missionary friends still in Nepal who are trying to coordinate aid missions to help out the victims. I have listed links below for donation opportunities if you are interested in helping out the victims of the earthquakes. Whenever giving to an organization, always research and make sure the organizations are legitimate. Nepal has a poor record regarding legitimate "charities", so do your homework before sending money. I can vouch for the two links below. I personally know the people who work with these organizations and what they can accomplish working locally through the connections they have cultivated over the years.
INF= International Nepal Fellowship. This group has a medical team being dispatched to Gorkha, the epicenter of the earthquake. They are taking a mobile ward and will work with the Gorhka District Hospital.
https ://give.everydayhero.com/au/inf-earthquake-response
ServLife International, Inc. is an organization devoted to fighting poverty, helping children, and planting churches. Sam and Wendy are getting information from their contacts about the villages to see where the relief is needed the most. They have been training for disaster relief for the past two years.
Text "ServLife" to 80888
First off, everyone I know in Nepal is safe. Some of their homes have been damaged, but everyone is safe and uninjured. Some have been sleeping outside of their homes until the aftershocks subside.
The earthquake was quite powerful, 7.9 in magnitude. The aftershocks have been just as powerful, ranging from 4.2 to 6.7. At the time of this post, there have been 49 aftershocks. That is a total of 50 powerful earthquakes in the past 4 days. This is a sobering statistic.
The place where I was staying, Pokhara, is approximately 40 miles from the epicenter. There has been a lot of new construction there in the past decade or so, so most of the houses were built to withstand earthquakes. That being said, 50 earthquakes within a four day period is a lot for any structure to withstand. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has many older buildings. Some of the structures destroyed there were centuries old. Sadly, most of the damage and loss will come from the remote villages in the mountains, where entire villages will be found to be wiped out. The logistics involved in reaching these villages is challenging. These villages are remote; even under the best conditions, it takes several days of walking (no roads) to get to them. Helicopters are being brought in to try to get the wounded into hospitals in the cities. This link describes the challenge of reaching the villages:
http://tenplay.com.au/news/national/latest-news/latest-news/aftershocks-continue-after-nepalese-quake-that-has-left-at-least-2500-dead
I have several missionary friends still in Nepal who are trying to coordinate aid missions to help out the victims. I have listed links below for donation opportunities if you are interested in helping out the victims of the earthquakes. Whenever giving to an organization, always research and make sure the organizations are legitimate. Nepal has a poor record regarding legitimate "charities", so do your homework before sending money. I can vouch for the two links below. I personally know the people who work with these organizations and what they can accomplish working locally through the connections they have cultivated over the years.
INF= International Nepal Fellowship. This group has a medical team being dispatched to Gorkha, the epicenter of the earthquake. They are taking a mobile ward and will work with the Gorhka District Hospital.
https ://give.everydayhero.com/au/inf-earthquake-response
ServLife International, Inc. is an organization devoted to fighting poverty, helping children, and planting churches. Sam and Wendy are getting information from their contacts about the villages to see where the relief is needed the most. They have been training for disaster relief for the past two years.
Text "ServLife" to 80888
Thursday, April 23, 2015
My Month in Europe, final segment, Milan and vicinity
Milan and the Lakes Region
I needed a central city to use as my starting base for touring the Lakes part of Italy so I chose Milan. Unfortunately, Milan is extremely overpriced due to the ongoing conventions and expos which are held there regularly. For $200/night, I would rather be in the Grand Hotel Pupp being treated like royalty rather than in a two star, run-down hotel in Milan. The first hotel which I checked into was located in a rundown neighborhood full of graffiti, sex shops, and kabab shops. Hmm...there was no mention about these things in the Expedia reviews when I booked the hotel. After four hours I checked out because of the suffocating cigarette smoke and the relentless street noise. I wandered a few blocks away and found a more suitable, overpriced, three star hotel. From here I based my excursions.
My first tour was to Lake Como. It is well known for its beauty, the village of Bellagio, and of course, the villas of famous celebrities such as George Clooney and Richard Branson. Lake Como lived up to my expectations. Truly beautiful vistas and villas. The next day I toured Lake Maggiore, which was quite similar to Lake Como. While there, I visited the island of Isola Bella, which is the location of the palace home of the Borromean family. This palace is architecturally beautiful, filled with an incredible collection of priceless artwork, and surrounded by lush gardens filled with statuary. There are even a couple pairs of white peacocks living in the gardens as well as an aviary filled with colorful, happily chirping birds. The owners still live on the top floor, but graciously allow visitors to tour the rest of the house. Grottos lay underneath of this magnificent palace, constructed solely of shells and river rock. The mosaics and arches are captivating. This is a must see venue for anyone traveling to the Lakes region of Italy.
My next excursion was to see the Dolomite Mountains. Truthfully, I saw more of the Dolomites by plane than I did on this tour.
Of course, while I was in Milan, I toured the sites there. I visited the Milan Fortress (Castle), La Scala Theater, the Milan Cathedral, and I saw Leonardo DaVinci's painting of The Last Supper. The Fortress is basically being used as an art museum and it houses one of the three existing copies of Michelangelo's Pieta. La Scala Opera Theater didn't interest me. The Milan Cathedral is a fine example of Gothic Architecture. The spires and statues number in the thousands. The Cathedral took over 600 years to complete and is now the symbol of MIlan. The Last Supper painting was faded and hard to see. The tour guide did a great job explaining the groupings of the disciples and the interactions they were having with each other. If you want to see it, make sure you have reservations in advance. Only 120 people per hour are allowed through the church to see it.
Cinque Terre
My final trip was to Cinque Terre, a colorful group of five fishing villages hanging on the sides of mountains on the sea. These were picturesque and fun to visit. By this point, I was ready to go back home to Albania. The flight back reminded me of how nice the train rides had been. Traveling will never be the same.
Milan and the Lakes Region
I needed a central city to use as my starting base for touring the Lakes part of Italy so I chose Milan. Unfortunately, Milan is extremely overpriced due to the ongoing conventions and expos which are held there regularly. For $200/night, I would rather be in the Grand Hotel Pupp being treated like royalty rather than in a two star, run-down hotel in Milan. The first hotel which I checked into was located in a rundown neighborhood full of graffiti, sex shops, and kabab shops. Hmm...there was no mention about these things in the Expedia reviews when I booked the hotel. After four hours I checked out because of the suffocating cigarette smoke and the relentless street noise. I wandered a few blocks away and found a more suitable, overpriced, three star hotel. From here I based my excursions.
My first tour was to Lake Como. It is well known for its beauty, the village of Bellagio, and of course, the villas of famous celebrities such as George Clooney and Richard Branson. Lake Como lived up to my expectations. Truly beautiful vistas and villas. The next day I toured Lake Maggiore, which was quite similar to Lake Como. While there, I visited the island of Isola Bella, which is the location of the palace home of the Borromean family. This palace is architecturally beautiful, filled with an incredible collection of priceless artwork, and surrounded by lush gardens filled with statuary. There are even a couple pairs of white peacocks living in the gardens as well as an aviary filled with colorful, happily chirping birds. The owners still live on the top floor, but graciously allow visitors to tour the rest of the house. Grottos lay underneath of this magnificent palace, constructed solely of shells and river rock. The mosaics and arches are captivating. This is a must see venue for anyone traveling to the Lakes region of Italy.
My next excursion was to see the Dolomite Mountains. Truthfully, I saw more of the Dolomites by plane than I did on this tour.
Of course, while I was in Milan, I toured the sites there. I visited the Milan Fortress (Castle), La Scala Theater, the Milan Cathedral, and I saw Leonardo DaVinci's painting of The Last Supper. The Fortress is basically being used as an art museum and it houses one of the three existing copies of Michelangelo's Pieta. La Scala Opera Theater didn't interest me. The Milan Cathedral is a fine example of Gothic Architecture. The spires and statues number in the thousands. The Cathedral took over 600 years to complete and is now the symbol of MIlan. The Last Supper painting was faded and hard to see. The tour guide did a great job explaining the groupings of the disciples and the interactions they were having with each other. If you want to see it, make sure you have reservations in advance. Only 120 people per hour are allowed through the church to see it.
Cinque Terre
My final trip was to Cinque Terre, a colorful group of five fishing villages hanging on the sides of mountains on the sea. These were picturesque and fun to visit. By this point, I was ready to go back home to Albania. The flight back reminded me of how nice the train rides had been. Traveling will never be the same.
My Month in Europe, Part 3 Germany and Switzerland
Germany
Due to time constraints, I only visited one town in Germany. I chose Hechingen, the home of Castle Hohenzollern. Hohenzollern has been wonderfully restored and is worth the journey to see. Artwork, casements, bomb-proof cellars, spires, stained glass, towers and turrets make this place magical. The view from the top is arguably the best in Europe. Again, I was hiking through snow to get to the top. This is the snowiest April in a long time and I was happy to experience it!
As I was riding the trains throughout Germany, I noticed that a majority of the houses and barns had solar panels on them. Some of the villages had every roof covered with solar panels. Czech, Austria, and Switzerland also had an abundance of solar powered houses. These countries also have footpaths throughout the countryside so that people can get out and enjoy nature. I saw so many people horseback riding, bicycling, walking, jogging, and scootering along these paths. Scootering----I'm talking about kid's scooters, not the motorized Vespa-type scooters. And OLD people were on them! The commuters would carry scooters with them on the trains and then when they reached their stop, they hopped on the scooters to get to their workplace. It was revealing to observe how independent Europeans are from cars. It really is easy to get around in Europe without a car. I really enjoyed the rail system and all of the pedestrian friendly cities.
Switzerland!
Switzerland was my favorite country to visit. The scenery is magnificent and traveling by train is the perfect way to take it all in. I stayed in two cities in Switzerland, St. Moritz and Zermatt. St. Moritz is in the southeastern part and Zermatt is in the southwestern part. The train that runs between the two cities is called the Glacier Express. This train ride takes you through tunnels, over towering bridges, and through the stunningly beautiful Swiss Alps. It is an unforgettable journey and the views are indescribable. The reward for arriving in Zermatt is seeing the Matterhorn. I took another train up to the Gornergrat, which is the closest, easily accessible lookout point for viewing the Matterhorn. The glaciers were visible, the Alps surrounded me on every side, and it was a beautiful, crystal clear day with the skies colored royal blue. I stayed on that mountain for a couple of hours just taking in all of God's amazing creation. It was an unforgettable experience. My only regret is that I didn't get off on the stop that featured toboggan rentals. I really should have taken the time to toboggan down part of the Swiss Alps.....definitely next time I will be flying down the side of one of those mountains on a toboggan!
Germany
Due to time constraints, I only visited one town in Germany. I chose Hechingen, the home of Castle Hohenzollern. Hohenzollern has been wonderfully restored and is worth the journey to see. Artwork, casements, bomb-proof cellars, spires, stained glass, towers and turrets make this place magical. The view from the top is arguably the best in Europe. Again, I was hiking through snow to get to the top. This is the snowiest April in a long time and I was happy to experience it!
As I was riding the trains throughout Germany, I noticed that a majority of the houses and barns had solar panels on them. Some of the villages had every roof covered with solar panels. Czech, Austria, and Switzerland also had an abundance of solar powered houses. These countries also have footpaths throughout the countryside so that people can get out and enjoy nature. I saw so many people horseback riding, bicycling, walking, jogging, and scootering along these paths. Scootering----I'm talking about kid's scooters, not the motorized Vespa-type scooters. And OLD people were on them! The commuters would carry scooters with them on the trains and then when they reached their stop, they hopped on the scooters to get to their workplace. It was revealing to observe how independent Europeans are from cars. It really is easy to get around in Europe without a car. I really enjoyed the rail system and all of the pedestrian friendly cities.
Switzerland!
Switzerland was my favorite country to visit. The scenery is magnificent and traveling by train is the perfect way to take it all in. I stayed in two cities in Switzerland, St. Moritz and Zermatt. St. Moritz is in the southeastern part and Zermatt is in the southwestern part. The train that runs between the two cities is called the Glacier Express. This train ride takes you through tunnels, over towering bridges, and through the stunningly beautiful Swiss Alps. It is an unforgettable journey and the views are indescribable. The reward for arriving in Zermatt is seeing the Matterhorn. I took another train up to the Gornergrat, which is the closest, easily accessible lookout point for viewing the Matterhorn. The glaciers were visible, the Alps surrounded me on every side, and it was a beautiful, crystal clear day with the skies colored royal blue. I stayed on that mountain for a couple of hours just taking in all of God's amazing creation. It was an unforgettable experience. My only regret is that I didn't get off on the stop that featured toboggan rentals. I really should have taken the time to toboggan down part of the Swiss Alps.....definitely next time I will be flying down the side of one of those mountains on a toboggan!
My Month in Europe, part 2: Czech Republic
Prague
I traveled to Prague on another train. A bachelor party happened to be going on in the next train car. They brought a case of beer on board with them and they were certainly having a great time. As we were arriving in Prague, we were warned ahead of time to be mindful of pickpockets. Prague is overly crowded and pickpockets thrive there. Adding to the tone of the city is the abundance of beer as Czech is the country that leads the world in beer consumption. So, Prague is a large city with beautiful old buildings, crowded streets, with buzzed people wandering about its streets. Once again, I was met with snow. I toured the city and and saw the Jewish quarter, Charles Bridge, the beer museum, the astronomical clock, the castle, and old town square. Charles Bridge was my favorite part of the city because of the great statuary that lines the bridge. As in Venice, this astronomical clock also had the Sun revolving around the Earth. On Easter, I attended an English-speaking fellowship. It is great to be able to come together with other Christians in a foreign country and be able to worship in a language that is understood. Prague was my least favorite city that I visited. It was just too crowded and boozy for my tastes. My only regret in Prague was that I didn't have enough time to eat in the restaurant that has standard gauge model trains rolling all throughout the restaurant. I'll be back in Prague in September so I will make it my priority at that time to eat there.
Karlovy Vary, Czech
Karlovy Vary was my next destination. It is a beautiful hillside town in eastern Czech. It is the home of ritzy hotels and high-end shopping. It is also home to the Grand Hotel Pupp which is a favorite filming location for movies. James Bond's Casino Royale and Queen Latifah's Last Holiday were both filmed there. These are two of my favorite movies, so I splurged and stayed one night at this magnificent hotel. This was definitely a new experience for me. They had a doorman and an elevator operator. I never had to life a finger to do anything inside of the hotel. I visited the natural warm mineral water pool inside the hotel. The hotel's restaurant was as posh and amazing as the rest of the hotel. I indulged myself with a once in a lifetime meal there. The appetizer was roasted quail with pumpkins, chestnuts, and a shallot sauce. My main course was roasted saddle of venison, potato confit with thyme and red wine puree. Dessert was three flavors of creme brulee...vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate with raspberries. I ate every bit of it to the delight of the servers. The hotel gave me a parting gift of spa wafers, which I ate on the train. I wish I had known beforehand how decadent they were because I would have bought an entire box to take with me.
Prague
I traveled to Prague on another train. A bachelor party happened to be going on in the next train car. They brought a case of beer on board with them and they were certainly having a great time. As we were arriving in Prague, we were warned ahead of time to be mindful of pickpockets. Prague is overly crowded and pickpockets thrive there. Adding to the tone of the city is the abundance of beer as Czech is the country that leads the world in beer consumption. So, Prague is a large city with beautiful old buildings, crowded streets, with buzzed people wandering about its streets. Once again, I was met with snow. I toured the city and and saw the Jewish quarter, Charles Bridge, the beer museum, the astronomical clock, the castle, and old town square. Charles Bridge was my favorite part of the city because of the great statuary that lines the bridge. As in Venice, this astronomical clock also had the Sun revolving around the Earth. On Easter, I attended an English-speaking fellowship. It is great to be able to come together with other Christians in a foreign country and be able to worship in a language that is understood. Prague was my least favorite city that I visited. It was just too crowded and boozy for my tastes. My only regret in Prague was that I didn't have enough time to eat in the restaurant that has standard gauge model trains rolling all throughout the restaurant. I'll be back in Prague in September so I will make it my priority at that time to eat there.
Karlovy Vary, Czech
Karlovy Vary was my next destination. It is a beautiful hillside town in eastern Czech. It is the home of ritzy hotels and high-end shopping. It is also home to the Grand Hotel Pupp which is a favorite filming location for movies. James Bond's Casino Royale and Queen Latifah's Last Holiday were both filmed there. These are two of my favorite movies, so I splurged and stayed one night at this magnificent hotel. This was definitely a new experience for me. They had a doorman and an elevator operator. I never had to life a finger to do anything inside of the hotel. I visited the natural warm mineral water pool inside the hotel. The hotel's restaurant was as posh and amazing as the rest of the hotel. I indulged myself with a once in a lifetime meal there. The appetizer was roasted quail with pumpkins, chestnuts, and a shallot sauce. My main course was roasted saddle of venison, potato confit with thyme and red wine puree. Dessert was three flavors of creme brulee...vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate with raspberries. I ate every bit of it to the delight of the servers. The hotel gave me a parting gift of spa wafers, which I ate on the train. I wish I had known beforehand how decadent they were because I would have bought an entire box to take with me.
My Month in Europe, part 1: Venice and Salzburg
Venice
After finding my hotel in Venice, I went on to have a fabulous time in that great city. Venice completely captivated me. It is a pedestrian-only city, full of narrow cobble stoned street and hundreds of bridges over the canals. Of course, I saw all of the tourist spots such as the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal, gondolas, the Bridge of Sighs, and so much more. The Doge's Palace is renowned for it's extravagance. It seems the whole point of the palace was to cover every exposed surface with gold to show off their wealth. The ceiling frescoes and the artwork were amazing though. St. Mark's Square is full of sidewalk cafes, pigeons, and silly tourists who allow pigeons to sit on their heads and outstretched arms in order to get a picture. While in St. Mark's Square, I witnessed the most amazing thing. It was a coordinated attack by seagulls on an unsuspecting tourist carrying a sandwich. Two seagulls swooped down towards the tourists' head while a third gull swooped in and stole the sandwich. I don't know why I found such great delight in watching these gulls pull off this coordinated attack, but it entertained me greatly. In a corner of St. Mark's Square stands a beautiful astronomical clock. This clock actually shows the sun revolving around the Earth. Galileo had not been born yet to set the record straight on that one. The Bell Tower sits across from the astronomical clock. There is an incredible view of Venice from the top of the tower; it was well worth the price of admission. In St. Mark's Basilica, more artwork abounds. The stories of the Bible are depicted throughout the basilica using mosaics, frescoes, and paintings. Under the altar lay the bones of St. Mark. Behind the altar sits a massive altarpiece comprised of1300 pearls, 300 sapphires, 300 emeralds, and 400 garnets. It is astounding to see, but also disturbing. So much wealth, time and expense were spent on making ornate churches while the people at that time were living in absolute poverty. It isn't just with St. Mark's that this is evident. Every church I visited in Europe was the same way....over-the-top ornately furnished, incredible artwork and sculptures, and gold prominently displayed everywhere. It left me a bit put off by the end of the trip. The artwork contained within all the churches is jaw dropping; they contain better period collections than museums. While in Venice, I took a boat over to the island of Murano and watched the famous glassblowers at work. Overall, Venice was amazing. In my opinion, Venice also has the best gelato in all of Europe. And yes, I taste-tested gelato in every city as I traveled throughout European. On Palm Sunday, I stopped in one of the churches to worship. We were all given palm branches and then after the opening prayer, we all went outside and paraded through the streets of Venice while singing songs. It turned out to be the most memorable Palm Sunday I've experienced.
Salzburg
From Venice, I boarded a train headed northeast towards Salzburg. Traveling by train is a delightful experience. Elbow room, leg room, head room, uncrowded, beautiful scenery, easy access, no security checks, picnic lunches on board....it is such an enjoyable way to travel. Train stations in Europe are elaborate, beautiful buildings which also house shopping areas. Salzburg is no exception. I got off the train in a snowstorm and was able to purchase a winter coat in one of the shops before leaving the terminal. Castle Hohenwerfen was my first stop. It's been over a decade since I've seen snow so I took advantage of the opportunity and stopped and made a snow angel. Then I hiked up the mountain to Hohenwerfen. The snow was still falling, but the views which were visible from the towers were amazing. The next day I had booked a Sound of Music tour. Unfortunately, the snow had continued to fall throughout the night and our tour was mostly outside. The tour eventually broke down into an organized snowball fight. Our tour leader, a 78 year-old gentleman, had a surprisingly accurate throwing arm. The two British chaps, however, were the clear winners. Finally, we ended the tour by having hot chocolate in one of the cafes. In spite of the weather conditions, it was my favorite tour of the trip. I ended up repeating the tour the next day because I just couldn't leave Salzburg without experiencing the sites where the Sound of Music was filmed. The most interesting place were the catacombs where the Von Trapp family hid from the Nazis. The catacombs are grave sites that are ornately sculpted and decorated. They are absolutely beautiful. In addition to the Sound of Music sights, I toured the Salzburg Castle, the Cathedral, Mozart's birthplace, Residenzplatz, Mirabelle Gardens, Nonberry Abbey, and St. Peter's abbey. The food in Austria was the best I experienced in Europe. Venison stew with bread roulade, cranberries and red cabbage was my favorite dish. Breakfasts consisted of salami, cream cheeses rolled in herbs, and breads. Salzburg has lots to see and do, but I'd go back just to experience the food again. Upon my departure, the hotel gave me Easter eggs that had been dyed with leaves so that a leaf imprint was left behind on the shell. They were absolutely beautiful. When I arrived at the train station, they were also handing out colored Easter eggs. I had plenty of eggs on the train to enjoy during my trip to Prague.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Venice, Italy
After arriving in Venice, the next adventure for me was to find my hotel. Normally, I'd hail a cab and be escorted to the front door. Venice has no vehicles. Everyone walks everywhere. So, I head off over the Rialto Bridge in search of my hotel. Sadly, I headed North instead of South. Forty minutes later, after wandering the picturesque streets and alleys of North Venice, I stop and ask the sweetest girl who was working a gelato shop for some help. I flipped open my wonderfully laminated, completely inaccurate tourist map and asked her where we were. She looked the map, smiled sweetly, and said, "Bad map." I smiled back, appreciating her honesty while agreeing wholeheartedly with her opinion. She walked with me outside and started giving me directions, speaking in English, and pointing and directing me back to where I had disembarked from the water taxi. However, once she reached the water taxi in her mind, she switched over to speaking in Italian. I thought I was understanding most of the directions...I could understand the words left, right and bridge. It was the word straight that I didn't understand and that word is very useful when following directions. Off I went and soon I found myself deep inside another section of Venice. So deep in fact, that I had walked clear across Venice and was now looking out towards airport. Sigh. I turned around and headed back to the starting point of my disembarkment from the water taxi. There, I stopped at a tourist shop which sold carnival masks and begged assistance from the friendly lady working there. She was able to direct me to the neighborhood I needed. It was actually quite sensible the way the streets are located. After each address is the neighborhood that the street is associated with. The neighborhoods are set up around squares. Just go to the square that shares the same name as the one listed after the address. Once there, you check every side street that branches off from that square. And then check each alley behind the side streets which branch off of the square. And then you check each dark, poorly lit corner of streets that branch off the alleys which branch off the main streets from the square. Systematically, I started checking each street off of the square, which was thankfully, still being lit up by the lights of an all-night pizzeria. The workers were taking a smoke break outside while watching me disappear down each street only reemerge a short time later from the same street. After my fourth reemergence from the side street, I decided it was time for a break. I stopped and chatted with the two men while I gulped down a liter of water. Finally, I pleaded with them to direct me to my hotel. They directed me two streets down and one alley over. They warned me that it was hidden around the corner behind the alley. In the end, I played a two hour game of hide and go seek with my hotel. The hotel put up a valiant, impressive fight, but I finally found it sitting majestically behind an alley, off of a side street from the square which bears its name. The hotel has been residing in this spot for over 500 years. It is truly a hidden gem.
After arriving in Venice, the next adventure for me was to find my hotel. Normally, I'd hail a cab and be escorted to the front door. Venice has no vehicles. Everyone walks everywhere. So, I head off over the Rialto Bridge in search of my hotel. Sadly, I headed North instead of South. Forty minutes later, after wandering the picturesque streets and alleys of North Venice, I stop and ask the sweetest girl who was working a gelato shop for some help. I flipped open my wonderfully laminated, completely inaccurate tourist map and asked her where we were. She looked the map, smiled sweetly, and said, "Bad map." I smiled back, appreciating her honesty while agreeing wholeheartedly with her opinion. She walked with me outside and started giving me directions, speaking in English, and pointing and directing me back to where I had disembarked from the water taxi. However, once she reached the water taxi in her mind, she switched over to speaking in Italian. I thought I was understanding most of the directions...I could understand the words left, right and bridge. It was the word straight that I didn't understand and that word is very useful when following directions. Off I went and soon I found myself deep inside another section of Venice. So deep in fact, that I had walked clear across Venice and was now looking out towards airport. Sigh. I turned around and headed back to the starting point of my disembarkment from the water taxi. There, I stopped at a tourist shop which sold carnival masks and begged assistance from the friendly lady working there. She was able to direct me to the neighborhood I needed. It was actually quite sensible the way the streets are located. After each address is the neighborhood that the street is associated with. The neighborhoods are set up around squares. Just go to the square that shares the same name as the one listed after the address. Once there, you check every side street that branches off from that square. And then check each alley behind the side streets which branch off of the square. And then you check each dark, poorly lit corner of streets that branch off the alleys which branch off the main streets from the square. Systematically, I started checking each street off of the square, which was thankfully, still being lit up by the lights of an all-night pizzeria. The workers were taking a smoke break outside while watching me disappear down each street only reemerge a short time later from the same street. After my fourth reemergence from the side street, I decided it was time for a break. I stopped and chatted with the two men while I gulped down a liter of water. Finally, I pleaded with them to direct me to my hotel. They directed me two streets down and one alley over. They warned me that it was hidden around the corner behind the alley. In the end, I played a two hour game of hide and go seek with my hotel. The hotel put up a valiant, impressive fight, but I finally found it sitting majestically behind an alley, off of a side street from the square which bears its name. The hotel has been residing in this spot for over 500 years. It is truly a hidden gem.
Monday, March 2, 2015
These past three weeks have been spent helping the family plant their gardens. In addition to the 200+ olive, orange, and lemon trees, there are six additional gardens in which the food for the family is grown. This is typical of the way Albanians live. There are no lawns to mow here. Every inch of the Albanian property is occupied by a garden or fruit bearing tree. Sadly, even though they are using every inch of tillable land, most of the villagers simply cannot produce enough to feed their families for the entire year. The average income for all Albanians is around $320 month. Those people living in the cities have a better opportunity to obtain work and they also earn more than those living outside of the cities. The villagers live in unfathomable poverty.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the school in the nearest village to us down the mountain. The school is a basic two story cinder block building, and at one time it had been painted a bright and cheery yellow color. All of the glass in the windows on the upper floor have been broken out of their frames. The windows on the bottom floor were all cracked and broken, but at least the glass was still in the frames. The classrooms are small. There is a small chalkboard, a teacher's desk, and about fifteen student desks and chairs. Off to the side, there is a small wood stove. If you can picture a 3 gallon bucket with a stovepipe coming out of it, then you have a good idea of how small their woodstove actually is. There was a plastic bag filled with sticks and small branches off to the side to be used as the fuel for the woodstove. The teacher had hand-printed the ABC's on notebook paper and had hung them around the border of the classroom, along with simple math problems. In the corner there was a live rooster hanging out in a canvas bag; someone had brought the rooster in to "pay" the teacher. We were inside talking with the teacher while the students were outside playing in the muddy courtyard. I cannot even begin to describe the "shoes" that the children were wearing. They were shoes in a prior life, but now they were just scraps of cloth and leather with holes in them attached to worn soles. We have contacted a foundation that provides shoes for the impoverished and are waiting for a reply. We are quite confident that this organization will be able to provide shoes for the children. The school teaches children up to the fourth level. Once girls reach the fourth level, they stop attending school out of fear of being kidnapped and sold into human trafficking. The boys at this same age are generally made to watch the livestock as it grazes on the free lands. One of the ladies from the English fellowship group works with girls who have stopped attending school. She comes to their homes and teaches them so they can continue with their education and break out of the crushing grip of poverty that has claimed so much of this country.
Yesterday, I went into town and went shopping for groceries in the open air market alone. After I finished my shopping, I wanted to get something to eat. I found many, many beautiful cafes, but was denied service because I was an unaccompanied female (It's a Muslim thing). I posted my frustration of patriarchal societies on Facebook and received numerous concerned emails from quite a few of you. I think I should elaborate on this to ease your concerns for my safety. Yes, as far as religious affiliation goes, Albania is majority Muslim. And by majority, we are talking in the 70 percentile. Most Albanians have NO religious affiliation due to the ban on religion mandated by the Communists. The Communists left (were forced out) in 1991, taking with them all of Albania's resources and mineral wealth. Most Albanians associate themselves as being Muslim because the Muslims came in, put a mosque in every town, and provided a stipend for the aged if they consented to sign a paper saying that they are Muslim. So, we have a country here that aligns itself with being Muslim, without ever really having practised the Muslim faith. The young people are the ones who are being influenced by the radical teachings. This is because the country is so very, very poor. There is no future whatsoever for these young people. It is extremely hard to make a living selling roasted sunflower seeds at the market. There are no jobs for them here. Doing overseas manual work is their only option. Naturally, they are enthusiastic when they listen to the anti-western rants of the radical Muslims. This is ironic, because it is the Communists from the East which destroyed this country and not the Westerners. So, to sum up, it is a very small number of Muslims here who fit into the religious "radical" category.
OK, so why was I alone? The mother and one of the sons in my host family were ill. We always go into town once a week for music lessons for the boys and to attend a home church. While we are there, we do all the shopping for the week, because getting into town is a BIG ordeal. First, we have to slowly drive over potholed, dirt roads (read: goat trails). In three places between here and the paved road, the one lane dirt road is collapsing into the ravine. We live on a mountain, so these roads are cut into the mountain with sharp hairpin turns to get down the mountains. The soil erodes easily and mudslides are frequent. There are two places where we literally stop the car and say a prayer to get us through safely. Once we hit the paved road, we have already spent 45 minutes coming down off the mountain. We have another 45 minutes to go. The total distance between our house and town is a 30 mile trip. Obviously, we only make the trip once a week, for safety reasons.
We had to go into town to get the staples....teenage boys eat a LOT of food. So, the father, one of the boys, and I set off for town. While the father and his son were at the music lesson, I headed over to the market, just like I've done for the past two months, but this time alone without the mother. The language barrier is not a problem as Albanian comes easy to my ears and tongue. I choose my vegetable stalls very carefully. Muslim men have long beards and I know to avoid their stalls. Even though it's only women who are shopping in the market, they still are rude to them. I finished my shopping and was hungry. In town, there are 3-4 cafes in every block. Each one of them is filled with men who are drinking espressos. Some of the cafes are mafia operated, some are Muslim operated. At none of them is a female to be seen. Females must be accompanied by a male to go into one of these cafes, unless she is a prostitute. As a western female it's particularly frustrating to me to be denied service based on the fact that I don't have someone with the "Y" chromosome accompanying me. It's OK for the women to do all of the shopping in the market, but women are not allowed to sit and enjoy a cup of tea in the same market. It was from this frustration that I vented on Facebook my dislike for patriarchal societies. I was quite hungry and was experiencing a "Snickers moment".
Although I am at risk each time I go into town, I am very careful to blend in and to be aware of my surroundings and I avoid situations and places that would put me at an increased risk of danger. Besides, my devotion for the day was on God's protection. It never ceases to amaze me how the devotion in my daily devotion book is exactly what I need to hear for that day. From Sarah Young's "Jesus Lives", these words were leaping off the page: "Do not fear, for I, your God, am with you. When trouble seems to be stalking you, grip My hand and tightly stay in communication with me. Trust and be not afraid, for I am your Strength."
Isaiah 41:10 "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation."
God promises to always be with us. He never breaks his promises. I know that my God is always with me, through the good and the bad. If anything should happen to me.....and I completely trust that nothing will happen to me......please understand that I have no regrets and that this has been the best season of my life. I am finally doing what I was created to do and I am very happy here. For those who do not know already, I will be coming home for two months this summer and then I will be returning to Albania for another year's mission. This is where I am meant to be for this period of my life. As for the many concerns expressed via emails....I am safe and I do not take chances when I am in public. There are no borders for me to accidentally cross into enemy territory. All aid and comfort is given to locals in the villages near to us and it is given to fellow Christians. We are familiar with the people we help. I really appreciate your concerns, as well as your prayers for our safety and health. Thank you all for the outpouring of love.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the school in the nearest village to us down the mountain. The school is a basic two story cinder block building, and at one time it had been painted a bright and cheery yellow color. All of the glass in the windows on the upper floor have been broken out of their frames. The windows on the bottom floor were all cracked and broken, but at least the glass was still in the frames. The classrooms are small. There is a small chalkboard, a teacher's desk, and about fifteen student desks and chairs. Off to the side, there is a small wood stove. If you can picture a 3 gallon bucket with a stovepipe coming out of it, then you have a good idea of how small their woodstove actually is. There was a plastic bag filled with sticks and small branches off to the side to be used as the fuel for the woodstove. The teacher had hand-printed the ABC's on notebook paper and had hung them around the border of the classroom, along with simple math problems. In the corner there was a live rooster hanging out in a canvas bag; someone had brought the rooster in to "pay" the teacher. We were inside talking with the teacher while the students were outside playing in the muddy courtyard. I cannot even begin to describe the "shoes" that the children were wearing. They were shoes in a prior life, but now they were just scraps of cloth and leather with holes in them attached to worn soles. We have contacted a foundation that provides shoes for the impoverished and are waiting for a reply. We are quite confident that this organization will be able to provide shoes for the children. The school teaches children up to the fourth level. Once girls reach the fourth level, they stop attending school out of fear of being kidnapped and sold into human trafficking. The boys at this same age are generally made to watch the livestock as it grazes on the free lands. One of the ladies from the English fellowship group works with girls who have stopped attending school. She comes to their homes and teaches them so they can continue with their education and break out of the crushing grip of poverty that has claimed so much of this country.
Yesterday, I went into town and went shopping for groceries in the open air market alone. After I finished my shopping, I wanted to get something to eat. I found many, many beautiful cafes, but was denied service because I was an unaccompanied female (It's a Muslim thing). I posted my frustration of patriarchal societies on Facebook and received numerous concerned emails from quite a few of you. I think I should elaborate on this to ease your concerns for my safety. Yes, as far as religious affiliation goes, Albania is majority Muslim. And by majority, we are talking in the 70 percentile. Most Albanians have NO religious affiliation due to the ban on religion mandated by the Communists. The Communists left (were forced out) in 1991, taking with them all of Albania's resources and mineral wealth. Most Albanians associate themselves as being Muslim because the Muslims came in, put a mosque in every town, and provided a stipend for the aged if they consented to sign a paper saying that they are Muslim. So, we have a country here that aligns itself with being Muslim, without ever really having practised the Muslim faith. The young people are the ones who are being influenced by the radical teachings. This is because the country is so very, very poor. There is no future whatsoever for these young people. It is extremely hard to make a living selling roasted sunflower seeds at the market. There are no jobs for them here. Doing overseas manual work is their only option. Naturally, they are enthusiastic when they listen to the anti-western rants of the radical Muslims. This is ironic, because it is the Communists from the East which destroyed this country and not the Westerners. So, to sum up, it is a very small number of Muslims here who fit into the religious "radical" category.
OK, so why was I alone? The mother and one of the sons in my host family were ill. We always go into town once a week for music lessons for the boys and to attend a home church. While we are there, we do all the shopping for the week, because getting into town is a BIG ordeal. First, we have to slowly drive over potholed, dirt roads (read: goat trails). In three places between here and the paved road, the one lane dirt road is collapsing into the ravine. We live on a mountain, so these roads are cut into the mountain with sharp hairpin turns to get down the mountains. The soil erodes easily and mudslides are frequent. There are two places where we literally stop the car and say a prayer to get us through safely. Once we hit the paved road, we have already spent 45 minutes coming down off the mountain. We have another 45 minutes to go. The total distance between our house and town is a 30 mile trip. Obviously, we only make the trip once a week, for safety reasons.
We had to go into town to get the staples....teenage boys eat a LOT of food. So, the father, one of the boys, and I set off for town. While the father and his son were at the music lesson, I headed over to the market, just like I've done for the past two months, but this time alone without the mother. The language barrier is not a problem as Albanian comes easy to my ears and tongue. I choose my vegetable stalls very carefully. Muslim men have long beards and I know to avoid their stalls. Even though it's only women who are shopping in the market, they still are rude to them. I finished my shopping and was hungry. In town, there are 3-4 cafes in every block. Each one of them is filled with men who are drinking espressos. Some of the cafes are mafia operated, some are Muslim operated. At none of them is a female to be seen. Females must be accompanied by a male to go into one of these cafes, unless she is a prostitute. As a western female it's particularly frustrating to me to be denied service based on the fact that I don't have someone with the "Y" chromosome accompanying me. It's OK for the women to do all of the shopping in the market, but women are not allowed to sit and enjoy a cup of tea in the same market. It was from this frustration that I vented on Facebook my dislike for patriarchal societies. I was quite hungry and was experiencing a "Snickers moment".
Although I am at risk each time I go into town, I am very careful to blend in and to be aware of my surroundings and I avoid situations and places that would put me at an increased risk of danger. Besides, my devotion for the day was on God's protection. It never ceases to amaze me how the devotion in my daily devotion book is exactly what I need to hear for that day. From Sarah Young's "Jesus Lives", these words were leaping off the page: "Do not fear, for I, your God, am with you. When trouble seems to be stalking you, grip My hand and tightly stay in communication with me. Trust and be not afraid, for I am your Strength."
Isaiah 41:10 "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation."
God promises to always be with us. He never breaks his promises. I know that my God is always with me, through the good and the bad. If anything should happen to me.....and I completely trust that nothing will happen to me......please understand that I have no regrets and that this has been the best season of my life. I am finally doing what I was created to do and I am very happy here. For those who do not know already, I will be coming home for two months this summer and then I will be returning to Albania for another year's mission. This is where I am meant to be for this period of my life. As for the many concerns expressed via emails....I am safe and I do not take chances when I am in public. There are no borders for me to accidentally cross into enemy territory. All aid and comfort is given to locals in the villages near to us and it is given to fellow Christians. We are familiar with the people we help. I really appreciate your concerns, as well as your prayers for our safety and health. Thank you all for the outpouring of love.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Albania!
After leaving Nepal, I was blessed to be able to spend a week in Greece with one of my daughters. We toured Athens and spent some time on the island of Santorini. After she flew back home, I left to spend a few days in Rome. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time there fighting pneumonia and pleurisy. On the last day there, I managed to ride around the city on a tour bus and hop off to view the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps, and the Coliseum. The next day I flew to my next mission assignment in Albania. The first thing that struck me was the incredible beauty of this country. Watching from the window of the airplane, I was instantly captivated by the landscape. Blue-green water washed up of the shorelines of the country which gave way to green mountains which in turn, gave way to snow capped mountains. My host family picked me up and we began the two hour drive over nearly impassable roads to my new home for the next six months. My host family are missionaries from Britain who have been in Albania for over twenty years. The villagers absolutely adore them, as do I.
Albania and Nepal have many similarities. Both are extremely poor countries. As in Nepal, the houses in Albania are surrounded by walls and metal gates, forming a compound. The houses are similar as is their way of living. The houses in Albania are quite nice, especially those built of stone with the red tile roofs and iron railings. They remind me of the houses in Greece and Italy. There are no grass lawns as every inch of tillable land is being used to grow food for the household. The Albanian gardens are beautiful. Olive, orange and lemon trees line the border of every property. Neat rows of vegetables are planted and cultivated. Grape arbors decorate the driveways and patios. Bicycles seem to be the main form of transport, along with donkeys and horse drawn carts. I have the privilege of living on the top of a mountain, with 360 degree views overlooking valleys and more mountains. When I look to the east, I can see the Adriatic Sea. To the southeast is Albania's second highest mountain. Snow capped mountains surround the entire vista, as well as green mountains full of olive trees. Goat herders walk with their large herds (100 or more goats) through the mountains as they've been doing for centuries. From my location, I can see many of the Communist era concrete bunkers and machine gun bunkers hidden in the side of the hills. Albanians are quite friendly with foreigners. Albania is 85% Muslim. During the most recent Communist regime, ALL religions were banned and all the churches, mosques, and synagogues were destroyed. As a result, for 50 years, the Albanians have basically lived with no moral code. This has led to two entire generations of people who think it is acceptable to lie, steal, and murder. Blood feuds have claimed tens of thousands of lives over the past few decades. The Communists left, the Socialists fell from power and a new government was created. Religion was allowed to reestablish itself. The economy is still trying to find a foothold. There is a great deal of human trafficking here, a booming drug trade, as well as a hefty presence of the Mafia. As in Nepal, many of the men seek work opportunities in other countries as there is little work available for them here.
One of the amusing peculiarities that I have discovered here is the belief in evil spirits and especially, the "evil eye". As one drives through the villages, you will notice big, fluffy teddy bears nailed to porch supports or hanging from balconies. When I asked my host family to explain this rather strange sight, they laughed and told me that the villagers hang them there to scare of intruders and burglars because the stuffed animals have the "evil eye". Of course! Everyone knows that a big, fluffy stuffed animal strikes fear in the hearts of dishonest men! Scary stuffed animals aside, I am enjoying this assignment immensely!
After leaving Nepal, I was blessed to be able to spend a week in Greece with one of my daughters. We toured Athens and spent some time on the island of Santorini. After she flew back home, I left to spend a few days in Rome. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time there fighting pneumonia and pleurisy. On the last day there, I managed to ride around the city on a tour bus and hop off to view the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps, and the Coliseum. The next day I flew to my next mission assignment in Albania. The first thing that struck me was the incredible beauty of this country. Watching from the window of the airplane, I was instantly captivated by the landscape. Blue-green water washed up of the shorelines of the country which gave way to green mountains which in turn, gave way to snow capped mountains. My host family picked me up and we began the two hour drive over nearly impassable roads to my new home for the next six months. My host family are missionaries from Britain who have been in Albania for over twenty years. The villagers absolutely adore them, as do I.
Albania and Nepal have many similarities. Both are extremely poor countries. As in Nepal, the houses in Albania are surrounded by walls and metal gates, forming a compound. The houses are similar as is their way of living. The houses in Albania are quite nice, especially those built of stone with the red tile roofs and iron railings. They remind me of the houses in Greece and Italy. There are no grass lawns as every inch of tillable land is being used to grow food for the household. The Albanian gardens are beautiful. Olive, orange and lemon trees line the border of every property. Neat rows of vegetables are planted and cultivated. Grape arbors decorate the driveways and patios. Bicycles seem to be the main form of transport, along with donkeys and horse drawn carts. I have the privilege of living on the top of a mountain, with 360 degree views overlooking valleys and more mountains. When I look to the east, I can see the Adriatic Sea. To the southeast is Albania's second highest mountain. Snow capped mountains surround the entire vista, as well as green mountains full of olive trees. Goat herders walk with their large herds (100 or more goats) through the mountains as they've been doing for centuries. From my location, I can see many of the Communist era concrete bunkers and machine gun bunkers hidden in the side of the hills. Albanians are quite friendly with foreigners. Albania is 85% Muslim. During the most recent Communist regime, ALL religions were banned and all the churches, mosques, and synagogues were destroyed. As a result, for 50 years, the Albanians have basically lived with no moral code. This has led to two entire generations of people who think it is acceptable to lie, steal, and murder. Blood feuds have claimed tens of thousands of lives over the past few decades. The Communists left, the Socialists fell from power and a new government was created. Religion was allowed to reestablish itself. The economy is still trying to find a foothold. There is a great deal of human trafficking here, a booming drug trade, as well as a hefty presence of the Mafia. As in Nepal, many of the men seek work opportunities in other countries as there is little work available for them here.
One of the amusing peculiarities that I have discovered here is the belief in evil spirits and especially, the "evil eye". As one drives through the villages, you will notice big, fluffy teddy bears nailed to porch supports or hanging from balconies. When I asked my host family to explain this rather strange sight, they laughed and told me that the villagers hang them there to scare of intruders and burglars because the stuffed animals have the "evil eye". Of course! Everyone knows that a big, fluffy stuffed animal strikes fear in the hearts of dishonest men! Scary stuffed animals aside, I am enjoying this assignment immensely!
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