NOTE: Christmas is a busy time for all, and reading a blog is probably not a priority for many. SO, I will not be adding new pieces until the end of next week when I do want to mention Albanian turkey-wrangling, tho, as it is an important part of the culture... In the meantime--Merry Christmas to all!


Today Nancy and I went to Elbasan, a town about 30 miles over the mountains south of Tirana. From the capital you can go west fifteen miles to the Adriatic coast and then south or north and the road is level for a while. Any other direction means driving over narrow roads that wind through and over mountains—experiences that are both beautiful and harrowing.

In Elbasan while Nancy led a seminar at the University I wandered the nearby streets taking photos. As time passed I realized I was creating a montage of the life of ordinary people in Albania. The picture was interesting to me. It may be to you.

First transportation. In the United States this mean cars, but in Albania while Mercedes crowd the streets, they are not alone. I also saw:

Bicycles…

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Bus

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Three wheeled carry-alls…

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Horse drawn carts…

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Motorcycles…


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Three-wheeled bicycles…


Among the people on the streets I saw:

Friends walking arm in arm—a common custom among all ages and both sexes.



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Widows. You can tell who they are because a woman will dress in black from the time her husband (or young child) dies until she herself dies.

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People using cell phones—this is a nation of cell phones and text-messaging.


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And a few people using the public phones.

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I passed street sellers, probably Roma who move their sales from town to town.


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And the meat merchant.

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Down several streets were the apartments the people live in. Old apartments built during communist days. The day was cold and overcast, but the laundry was hanging out to dry.


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Coffee in means coffee out. A Turkish style toilet.

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And back to where I started—the University.

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A couple hours strolling. A couple hours looking. A couple hours getting to know the people who make up the country of Albania--some of the people for whom Christ came to earth that Christmas day long ago...

First, a correction. When one has been married to a linguist for 39 years (yesterday was Nancy and my wedding anniversary), one has to be careful when describing words. And it turns out that when I explained the usages of the two spellings that place names in Albania have I was not completely accurate. However, I am not alone in this inaccuracy. One standard Albanian guide book tries to attribute the distinction to a difference between definite and indefinite forms, and this made sense to a native Albanian teacher. However, it raises the question of how a place name could ever be indefinite. The best distinction seems to be that when following a preposition one form is used, when not the other form is used. This means that I may go to Erseka, but when I get there Erseke will be where I have arrived…It means also that the capital of the country as printed on a map will be Tirane, but when I fly into the country and get a taxi from the airport to the capital I will ask to go to Tirana. All clear???

Meanwhile, last night Nancy and I flew back from Italy to Albania (that is Albanie on maps, or on Albanian maps Shqiperia). We had spent two delightful days in Bologna, a city well worth visiting when traveling in Italy. Then we had driven to Desenzano de Garda, on the shores of Lake Garda, one of the northern Italian lakes. I had cycled through this area several years ago, and wanted both to see it again myself and to have Nancy see it. Trips of return are fraught with potential for disappointment, as it may seem that the way it was, or imagined to be, had changed for the worse. Or the other person may not see the charm you brought them to experience for themselves. On this occasion neither happened, and the visit was wonderful.
On arrival we found that a Christmas bazaar was set up in the main square, and schools and scout troops and other locals had booths selling the kind of things you would find in a similar sale in America. The Christmas lights were up in the streets, Christmas trees decorated all around, and even a floating manger scene was anchored in the small marina that filled much of the city center. We noticed a poster advertising a Christmas concert by a local school, and after wandering a bit found it—in the Community Center. While all the music was in Italian (which is appropriate for a town in Italy), we could recognize some of it, appreciate the spirit of all of it, and even add our voices and our English to the closing song, as all were invited to join in singing Silent Night. It would have been sad to have gone a Christmas season without joining in a group singing Silent Night—but now I have.


As if this were not enough, the next morning after breakfast we took a stroll along the waterfront. We had not gone far before we stopped and spent the better part of the next hour watching one of the more curious activities I have seen. In the water were four divers, working with a metal frame which they had helped put in place. On land was a crowd of people and a truck with a crane which was off-loading a manger scene.
A fire boat was nearby periodically spraying water on the divers and playfully threatening the onlookers. It took some time to get the electrical connection to the manger properly functioning, during which time the divers dredged up an old chair, a large old pan, and other sundry sunken treasures. But the electricity was needed for both the lights in the manger scene and the movement of the shepherds, who were on an oval track set to perpetually circle around the baby Jesus. This was a
fascinating project to watch, involving divers and many others on land, but it became particularly intriguing as I watched Mary, Joseph, Jesus, sheep, shepherds, wise men, palm trees and rocks, being lowered into the water and then sinking under the water. Then, with the help of a local, I realized that it was destined to become something I had never heard of before, something that adds a dimension to my understanding of Jesus’ descent to earth—an underwater crèche. The star was partly above water, but the rest was completely submerged, attached to a frame beneath the water’s surface, as per design. Placed annually in the water by the diving association of the area it is a tradition that has to be unique.

My only regret is that we had to leave Desenzano soon after the scene’s installation, and that we never got to see it in action. But in my imagination I can see it at night, with the lights gleaming and the shepherds gliding silently through the dark waters until they come to the place where they face the Christ child. It makes me happy to see a community that gathers around such a tradition…and it makes me hope that just perhaps some evening someone may stop and look and see a strange sight, something glowing in the water, and as they recognize what rests there, it may cause them to ponder something from heaven itself…

OK--some times it is too hard to avoid the obvious. And last night was one of those times... While I was not certain what I was ordering for dinner, the antipasto I decided on was cheese and bologna...And Nancy and I are in Bologna...What else can I say?

Christ in the Manger--with Pasta for Hay
Except to explain why yesterday we took an Albania Airlines flight from Tirana to Bologna, and we will take it back to Tirana on Sunday. The reason is that visas to Albania are only good for 21 days, after which you have to leave the country or pay a fine. In our case the embassy took us to the police station where we applied for, and received, an extended visa. The extension cost a little, but not that much--but the longer the extension the more the cost. While there the police officer we were dealing with strongly urged us to take a 3 month extension and save the money it would have cost for a 6 month one. Not knowing any better, we took that suggestion and saved $30, not realizing that it would necessitate leaving the country by December 15, the 3 month anniversary of our arrival. So, when we received our extended visas and saw the dates, we saw the problem. We will be leaving Tirana for Christmas in Rome on the 24th, but we had now to leave by the 15th as well.
The solution was 2 tickets to Bologna, one of the closest and one of the least expensive places outside of Albania that we could figure out. Plus 3 nites hotels plus a rental car plus plus plus. In other words, to save $30 we are spending a lot more than that!


But Bologna is wonderful... The weather is cold but clear, and we walked around most of the day--in the old center and out to the San Lucca Chapel. And in the process we experienced something unique in the world--covered walkways extending mile after mile. The Bolognese are smart people, and have been for centuries. Knowing that rain is common in the area, they built more covered sidewalks than any other place in the world--then and now. To get to San Lucca Chapel we followed a walkway built centuries ago and extending 4.4 km (just under 3 miles). It goes up over 1,000 feet to a chapel on a hill overlooking the city, and in the process includes 666 arches, countless steps, and many small chapels built into the niches in the wall. Nothing like it exists anywhere else. Then there are miles more of such walkways throughout the city--someone said over 20 miles worth. Add to this one of the largest (and to me most impressive, built 14th-17th centuries) cathedrals in the world, a wonderful central plaza, countless other churches and museums, small coffee and pastry shops, two towers built in 1119, and a famous statue of Neptune (a nude statue created in 1566. When its plan was submitted to the Pope who usually would not allow such statues, his reply was to approve it with these words 'only in Bologna') and the trip has been wonderful.


Isn't it interesting how necessary detours turn into wonderful adventures--by the grace of God!

I had a perfect opening line for this blog, but just as I sat down to write the line it was ruined. That line was going to be, It is nearly 5 p.m., and it is dark outside. It is also dark inside, because, once again, the power is off. But the power just came on and that line has been lost.
For the past month the power has gone off in our apartment building at random times and for random lengths of time probably every day. At first that must sound like a terrible problem or at least a great inconvenience, but after a few days and a little creativity, you get used to it and just accept it as a fact of life. Years ago I was in the capital of Honduras and it had problems with power. But those problems were systemic and predictable, to the point that in the newspaper every week a schedule was printed that indicated at what time of day the power would be shut off to what part of the city. That made sense. You could plan ahead. But in Tirana that is not the case, it is unpredictable, and that demands a different kind of preparedness.

The unpredictability surprises me sometimes. Yesterday, for example, the power in our building was off much of the afternoon, while the buildings all around us were brightly lit. Then in the late afternoon our power went back on. A couple hours later, darkness had fallen and I was in our main room reading when I heard a bevy of cries of surprise from the high school across the street. Their power had gone out and hundreds of students were plunged into blackness. Today our power has been off most of the afternoon, and the power across the street in some shops has also. But the school has remained lit and students have been dutifully taking notes by the miracle of electric lighting. We were told that since we are right next to the American Embassy our outages would be rare. That may be true for our area, but it is not true for our building. In total darkness I can often look out of our window to the well lit embassy buildings and grounds. Maybe I should be comforted that the machinery of the US government is going on unhindered. Maybe…

As I said, the unpredictability does foster creativity. For one thing most kitchen ranges in the country have both electric and gas burners, and everyone has a tank of gas in their kitchen to run the gas burners. That means that you can still cook if there is no electricity. Clever idea, I guess, but when we turn our gas on it begins to smell up the room so we do not use it. I could probably get a wrench or take the range apart and figure out where a leak is, but the other option is what Nancy and I take—when the power goes out we go out too. Places to eat abound in our area, and there is always an internet café that still has electricity, and between them we have most of our needs met and enough time can usually be passed for the electricity to find its way back to our building.
Another creative piece of adaptation that we have learned is how to cope with the fact that when the power goes out the toilets do not flush. That is no problem for a short time, but over an extended period this is an obvious negative. The reason the water does not work is that it is pumped up to the top of our building every day and then its way down is regulated by some electronic means that I do not understand. In any case the net effect is that when the power is off the water is also off, and by the way this arrangement also means the water is off every day for a time while it is being pumped up. We drink bottled water, so the lack of water is not a big problem that way. And we could use the bottled water for cooking. But the toilet is something else. So we have a good size bucket filled with water standing in reserve—ready to provide what a toilet needs to operate as it should—with or without electricity.

What else? Well, we always carry a small flashlight to get to our apartment via our interior and windowless stairwell. Some light comes in from the front door that is left open when the power is out, but by the first floor that is lost in the turns and pitch darkness rules. Some people forget their flashlight, which explains why we sometimes find a trail of burnt matches littering the stairwell after an outage. Then there is the heat. Our rooms are heated by individual electric heaters, and obviously they stop when the power stopsr. We have great windows through which sunlight pours all day--when there is sunlight--, and since most days have been sunny we have not had a serious heating problem. But I guess we will face that when the time comes, and add another sweater or two.
And, of course, there is the elevator. Nancy and I early on decided not to use the elevator so we could get a bit of exercise walking up the three floors to our apartment. But then one day when the power went out I could hear someone knocking from inside the elevator, which was stalled between floors. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do and my inability to speak any Albanian would render my words of comfort completely incomprehensible and probably disconcerting to those inside the elevator. So I did nothing and said nothing, but I did note another reason not to ever use the elevator…

Now when I approach our building I listen for the sound of gas-powered generators. The clubs, cafes and stores all have them. Some are small and need to be started manually while others are very large and just kick in automatically when the power goes off. But if they are humming away then I know to get my flashlight out—or to head into one of the cafes for a cup of coffee and wait. Eventually, as was the case when I began this blog, the power does go back on. Then the things you really need power for, like flushing the toilet or charging your cell phone or laptop, can be accomplished. But those things can always wait. They do wait. They have to wait. And that is not all that bad. After all, Ecclesiastes reminds us that, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… Ecclesiastes 3:1.

APPROACHING ERSEKE

It has been a week since I posted anything on this blog. That is not because there has been nothing to share, there has been much. But I have been teaching a class on the Parables of Jesus in a rather remote part of Albania and internet connectivity that would allow sharing of photos has been non-existent. Now I am back in Tirana and have that access, so here we go again—back on the blog!
Udhekryq means Crosssroads in Albanian, and it is the name of the school at which I was teaching. The school is one of several Torchbearers centers scattered around the world. The mission of Torchbearers is to create an environment in which people, mostly young people, can be part of a community for six to nine months and learn about the Bible and how to apply it in their lives. Founding one in Erseke, with the hope of training and equipping Albanian young people, was the dream of one of the missionaries there—and it has come true.
FRONT VIEW OF THE SCHOOL
The main building of Udhekryq was built during the communist era and used as a store-house. When the Balkan War erupted many Kosovars (who are most commonly ethnic Albanians) fled to Albania and the British began to convert the store house into housing for these refugees. However, the war ended before the work was done, and the Kosovars returned to their homeland, never occupying the housing. Through hard work and by the grace of God the property and building were purchased, radically renovated, and made into the comfortable and utilitarian center the school is now.

SCHOOL FROM THE BACK

The class I taught was attended by the nine full-time students at the school and other part-timers. The regular regimen for students is five hours of class daily, Monday-Friday, then outreach on Saturday and worship at the local church on Sunday. Other activities are part of the schedule for students, community life is a daily reality, and there is lots of fun on the way!
Among the students at the school are two Belgians, two Canadians, one American, one Dutch and three Albanians. The staff is Albanian, German, American and English. The first week I was there the other instructor was Irish. The second week a Canadian-American who lived and worked in Germany was the other teacher… In other words, the school is wonderfully multi-national! Different ages, languages, cultures and places in life were present—and all bound together by a single factor, a commitment to Jesus Christ and a desire to know and serve him more.

ERSEKE VISTA

In the next couple days I will add more about Erseke and a note on a trip we made to the closest town, Korce. But for today I will stop with just one point, a point made long ago by the apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Ephesus, Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household. (Ephesians 2:19). The message is simply that we are part of an amazing family, one made up of people from every tribe and language under heaven, a family that includes all ages and races, a family that in a deep sense does not belong to any nation or state but belongs to each other. The family of God transcends boundaries and ethnic differences, it brings people together from the far corners of the earth and makes them one in him—and that unity within diversity is its wonder and its witness. There is nothing like it, and never has been. And it is an amazing privilege to experience it first-hand!
ALBANIAN LINE DANCING

Today is Saturday, a day when the students at the Bible School have no classes. Breakfast is later than usual, 9 a.m., then, after cleaning up, there is free time until mid-afternoon. At that time the schedule calls for door to door village outreach and a children’s program in the local church that birthed the school. This morning, though, the students and some of the staff rented the local football (i.e. soccer) field and spent an hour running back and forth, scoring goals, and thoroughly enjoying each other.

Soccer is big in Albania. That is an understatement. Two years ago when I made my first sojourn into this country to visit the friends who are house-parents at the school, the country had come to a halt for a big game in the capital. Albania’s national team was playing Greece’s national team in a return match after Albania had beat Greece in their last encounter. The capital was basically gridlocked, as cars streamed in from all over the country—each with a red Albanian flag prominently displayed. The pastor/missionary of the church here in Erseke had been asked by the mayor to put up a large screen (two sheets sewn together) and use his video projector to show the game in the town square. It was quite an experience to gather that evening with 2,000 others and stand and watch the drama unfold—and it was a good drama as Albania scored two goals in the first sixty seconds and in the end left the field as 2-1 conquerors. I went back to the house I was staying in when the guns started firing into the air in celebration, and all night long honking car horns could be heard as young men drove up and down the streets expressing their jubilation.


A local measure of the popularity of football is that Erseke has three city teams, one in each of three leagues. And they have a nice stadium for them to play in. The teams in the two highest of the three leagues have players that are paid, although not much, and two of the players, Marcus and Leo, live at the Bible school. Marcus is here because when the only housing he could afford was an unheated room in the recesses of the city stadium, the mayor asked the school if they would take him in. Leo is here because he was released from his contract in Tirana to come here, but the Erseke team could not pay him, so he had nowhere else to go. Both of these players were recruited from Brazil, and both may go back there to stay at Christmas. And both are believers…

Tomorrow the school is going to Korce, a larger city about an hour’s drive from here, to watch Markus play. I am not sure if this game is considered a home game or not, because despite the existence of Erseke’s very nice stadium no home games are played in it. The reason is that in the last game that was played here the fans were so frustrated and angered by what they felt was biased refereeing that they stormed the field and the officials had to flee. But that was after some of the players had also made their displeasure known, and in a physical way. The league suspended a number of players, some for a year or more, and dictated that no more Erseke home games would be played in Erseke, at least this season. Like I said, football is a big thing here…

I guess a lesson in this is a prayer—a prayer that somehow the enthusiastic loyalty to a football team would be surpassed, in the lives of more people in this town, with an enthusiastic loyalty to Jesus Christ. Some of the believers in Erseke show that this is the case for them, but a prayer would be that it would be for more. Sometimes I have felt the same about our country when we get more excited about a sports team than about our faith. Local spirit is good (even when the Mariners lose…and when the Seahawks or Sonics win), but as I was reminded in the first parable I am taught here, our greatest enthusiasm ought to be for our greatest gift, the grace of God…That parable was spoken by a women from the street who invaded a dinner party Jesus was attending. She made a fool out of herself and roused the anger of the hosts with her unbridled enthusiasm for Jesus, but she did not care. Tears of gratitude, kisses of joy and an expensive ointment were her way of thanking him for the grace she had received from him. She was a great fan—and of something more important than a sport--and a great model for us...

I arrived here at Udhekryq Bible School in Erseke on Friday. Since then I have attended worship in Albanian, walked to a nearby small village, biked down the road a ways, hiked to a gorge, had coffee in one of the local cafes, and taught several sessions on the parables of Jesus. Yesterday and today were national holidays so they did not have classes at the University of Tirana so Nancy was able to join me here on Saturday, but she will have to return on Friday to teach a class the next day. I will be here for another week.

Erseke used to be dangerous. They tell me that the advice given travelers not so many years ago was simply not to stop here, and to bus passengers not to get off. It is a small town and the Greek border is just at the top of the hills outside the city limits. There is no place to stay and only one restaurant. The shops are small and the side streets that are paved were so only recently. The apartment buildings are typical communist-era buildings—drab and poorly constructed. There are a couple small industries here, like the local mill and the cheese factory situated just outside the gate of our school, but agriculture and shepherding seem to be the mainstays of the economy. This season of the year we can see small fires on the hillsides every night, evidence of shepherds burning patches of scrub brush so the ground will come to life with something the sheep can eat. And there is a great deal of unemployment.

Erseke began as a way station for travelers when a small store sprouted up in the middle of nowhere. Gradually more people brought their goods to sell and the town just grew. The people here were strongly supportive of the communist regime, and Erseke is still considered solidly socialist. The Orthodox church is new and the church that birthed the Bible school is fairly new as well. There is no mosque in town, which is unusual.

And Erseke is beautiful. The air is clear (after the cheese factory has boiled its milk for the day) and the vistas go on for ever. As it sets, the evening sun lights up the mountains, and the snow on their tops sparkles. The crops right now are in and the new ones not yet up, the trees have lost their leaves, and the apples have been picked and sold. So much is brown—but it is a beautiful brown. What the town lacks in man-made charm is more than compensated for by God-made hills and fields and streams.

And then there is the silence. Nancy and I live on one of the busiest streets in Tirana. Traffic is coming and going all hours of the day and night. This provides endless entertainment for us as we watch the weaving and running and near misses from our balcony, but it does make for noise and foul air. Erseke has none of that. The mooing of a cow or the barking of a dog may disturb the silence, but little else does. We can walk down the middle of the highway that goes through the town and seldom be forced to move to one side or the other. It is quiet… And that makes me pause and ponder what life must have been like in the past when there were no cars and when people were not in such a hurry and when the sound of silence prevailed. I think of David in the shepherd fields and pioneers trekking west and ranchers today in parts of our country. It is a good reminder and has a strange attraction. It challenges me to rediscover what it means to, "Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). How about you?

Today's blog will be short and picture-less, for two reasons. One is that I left my camera in the car that brought me to where I am and I will not see it until tomorrow when Nancy joins me for five days. The other is where I am and will be for the next two weeks. That is at a Bible Camp in Erseke (also spelled Erseka--I finally figured out that Albanian places have two spellings--one to use when you are talking about a place and another when you are at that place). The town is small and has no high-speed internet access, so what I can offer will be limited...

My first day at the Bible Camp was spent in helping to repair seven old donated mountain bikes and then test-riding one, something that I did not plan on but that could prove to be a useful tent-making activity. One of the camp directors commented on how unusual it was to have a visiting professor do such a thing, and how positive an example it was--maybe there is something to be learned in that comment... But the formal reason for being here is that I will be giving a two week class on the Parables of Jesus to a small group of students who are studying the Bible and experiencing Christian fellowship and ministry at a Bible Camp that is run by an organization called Torchbearers. I am here at the invitation of the school, an invitation that came because the house-parents here are two very good friends from Nancy and my days in ministry in Fresno, from 1970-1973.

I do hope I can post some of the photos I took getting to this remote southern part of Albania, as the scenery is spectacular. Barren rugged hills with a touch of new-fallen snow, a large lake defining the border of Albania and Macedonia, some forest and very twisty uncrowded roads. The school is on the outskirts of the town, just off the main road, and occuppies a facility that used to be a grain storage during the communist days. Its existence is a miracle that I hope to share with you, and the people are particularly dedicated. It will be a joy to be here--a joy I hope I can communicate as I write.

A couple personal notes...
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at the home of one of the embassy staff. They live in the "Compound", also called "The American Village", which is a bit of suburban America planted (behind guarded walls) in the outskirts of Tirana. Very kind people, a very nice home and a wonderful dinner--including pumpkin pies made with pumpkins brought back from Italy by one of the embassy staffers...
Nancy is teaching Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday every week, but this week can be with me as Albania celebrates its two Independence Days (one from Turkish domination in the early 1900s and the other from German occupation at the end of WWII). There is actually some controversy about the second, as the people most responsible for that freedom were the communists who themselves were ousted in 1992. People want to be grateful for those who brought them freedom but do not want to honor communists...A bit of a dilemma that the nation struggles with.
We have to leave the country for three days in December, to get our visas renewed, so will be going to Bologna. Then six days after we return to Tirana, on Christmas eve day, we will go to Rome, meet daughter JJ, and have a wonderful week with her for our Christmas holidays. A big change from Christmas at home, with all the decorations and events, but that is the plan. Meanwhile Emily, Steve and Colette will be in their new home in Greensboro for the holidays.

I will try sending this now as it can not be too large with this internet connection (did some of you hope for such a limit on my sermons??). But I should close with one thought, though, and that is how wonderful it is to have long-term friends with whom we have ministered and shared. Such are Bob and Linda here in Erseke, and such are many of you. We thank God for the body of Christ that is made flesh by such...

Food…As I think about the various entries I have made in this blog I am surprised to realize that I have said nothing about food. Obviously a topic of interest to all living creatures, it is also a topic written at length about in every guidebook for every country one would ever visit. Yet I have not mentioned it.
I guess one of the reasons I have not is that I am not a food connoisseur. Nancy would say that the basic reason for this fault is that I have used so much Tabasco for so long that I have no taste buds left, but I consider that a gross exaggeration. I have nothing against food—I like it and I honor people who appreciate the finer points about food. I was constantly amazed and entertained by some of the table discussion at our Calvin Senior Men’s Bible Study as it often involved where to find the best sausage, which restaurant made the best steaks, and even which exits to take off the interstates to get to what eatery that would tantalize the taste buds with a certain specialty. My hat goes off to the likes of Andy Montana who truly understands fine food, and Jack Epley (whose chowder recipe is a lasting legacy). And I thank them for introducing me to the Maltby Café’s cinnamon roll.

But that is not me (actually, that is not I, but only my mother would notice the grammar). I enjoy good food, but I am not discerning as many are. I gravitate towards cheap and simple. I felt embarrassed that I had nothing of value to add to the Calvin Cook Book. I can do pancakes at 4th of July and falafel for friends, and my daughters like my tuna-melt sandwiches. But that is about all…
So, with that digression as an introduction, in my opinion how is the food in Albania? It is good and sometimes excellent and usually inexpensive. Eating in our apartment is easy. We have a small grocery store on the ground floor and make a trip or two a day—never for big purchases but for fresh ones. Around the corner is a fruit and vegetable stand which Nancy frequents nearly every day. She has gotten to know the owner and is learning how to say the names of what she buys in Albanian. On the outskirts of town there is a small mall with a grocery about the size of Richmond Beach’s QFC, but we have only been there once. There are a couple things that we have not been able to fine—brown sugar and syrup for example—but aside from these things anything we could get in the US is here.

Having said that, I need to add that “eating out” is not uncommon. One reason is price and ease. For example, I am writing this while sitting in a sidewalk café enjoying the sun and eating a sufllaqe and soft drink. The sufllaqe is a staple, like the American hamburger, made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie (Greek gyro style) and stuffed into pita bread with tomatoes, cucumbers, sauces and French fries. It costs 100 lek (1 lek = a penny US). In typical European style I can stay at this table all day if I chose and the waiter will not bother me. The sufllaqe is tasty and filling.
Another traditional staple that you can find everywhere is the byrek. It is the local equivalent to a meat pie, made of flaky dough filled with meat or spinach or cheese then fried. Nancy likes that. The panini, a sandwiches filled with meat pressed in a kind of waffle iron, is another option. And then there is pizza. It is everywhere. It is cheap. It is often good.

All these are considered Fast Food and stands and stores selling Fast Food (signs in English) are on every block. But then there are the good restaurants—and there are many. The Sheraton, has an excellent (and expensive they tell me) restaurant, but scattered around and known to locals are countless others. The Italian influence is obvious, but the menus are varied, the food fresh, and the presentation is tops. There are a few places that specialize in Albanian cuisine, which is roasted meat (often lamb), wonderful vegetables, and traditional meat balls, but more are Italian shaped. All the food is clean, there is no problem eating anything that is offered, and even the water is safe—although most prefer to drink bottled water. And if you long for a real American meal, you can go to the Qendra Stefans (Stevens Center), a restaurant run by missionaries from the US who use the profit to support Albanian churches. The regular menu has hamburgers and pancakes, and on Saturdays you can get waffles and eggs benedict. They serve a real British breakfast, and have pots of brewed coffee…They are doing turkey and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving.
I know I have left out much, but I hope this gives a flavor (good word) of the food in Albania. In short, in the capital where we live, eating is a treat, an adventure, and a positive one. The Garden of Eden was filled with, every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food… (Genesis 2:9). In Tirana the evidence of that garden is all around.

Having said that I must my one sadness— real Mexican food is non-existent. One restaurant serves passable Mexican, but it is not like home, so care packages of Taco Bell would be gladly accepted…

Today let’s just take a quick sightseeing trip. They say it is the last unspoiled stretch of beaches on the Mediterranean. It is also called the Albanian Riviera. One guide book says, There are not many good consequences of Albania’s isolation and poverty under communism, but this unspoilt coastline is one…It is a 75 mile journey beginning 90 miles south of Tirana, at the town of Vlora, continuing on to the town of Saranda, near the border with Greece. And Nancy and I experienced it last weekend.
One of the obstacles you face in traveling through Albania and seeing the sites is the lack of good transportation options. For this particular trip the most practical way to make it was how we did it—hire a car and driver. The car was, of course, a Mercedes, and the driver, Leonardi, was a local who spoke pretty good English. We left Tirana Friday afternoon, on road that was alternately fairly good to under construction. (More evidence of the effort Albania is putting in to developing its network of roads) The road followed a coastal plain to the port town of Vlora, where we spent the night.

VLORA
Books describe Vlora, the second largest port in the country, as a much fought over prize whose strategic position only 45 miles from Italy, enables it to control maritime access to the Adriatic. Occupied by Romans, Normans, Ottomans, Italians and Germans, it was at Vlora in 1912 that an Albania delegation declared independence from the Ottomans. It was also at Vlora in March 1991 that 20,000 young Albanians commandeered ships and took them to Italy (our driver was among those men). It was in 1997 that riots in Vlora developed into a period of country-wide civil anarchy. And it was until a crackdown in 2002 that Vlora was effectively controlled by armed gangs and was the center of an international mafia-type network of human trafficking. Quite a history—but now safe and an enjoyable destination for sun and surf.
THE ALBANIAN RIVIERA
Saturday after breakfast we drove the Riviera. The road was good, the terrain rugged, and the views spectacular. Most of the way the beach was some distance below the road and some of the way a long ways down. It wound up 3,000 feet through the pine forests of Llogaraja National Park, then plunged down to the sea.
The 75 mile trip took over four hours to drive and along the way we passed castles, beaches, and a cave used to hide submarines during WWII. They say development is on the way, and I am certain it is, but we were glad to see the area before the invasion is too intrusive.

SARANDA
Saranda is a smaller town, nestled in a bay that marks the boundary between the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. It has a beautiful seafront promenade and many large and small hotels. Ours cost $15 per person, breakfast included. But before settling in for the evening we made a quick trip a few miles further south to visit one of the prime archaeological sites of Albania—Butrint.
THE LIONS GATE-BUTRINT
While not the largest nor the most impressive building site I have seen, the natural setting of this ancient fortress-city was unique and its ruins particularly interesting as they included Illuryan, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian aspects—a diversity that is very unusual.
Sunday’s trip back to Tirana was something else. We took the much easier inland road rather than the coastal route, and passed through a wide valley from which we could see the snow-capped tops of the mountains of central-eastern Albania. We stopped at Gjirokastra, famous for its fortress castle and steep streets which were described by Ismail Kadare, an Albanian writer, in this way: It was a surprising city, which seemed as if it had come out of the valley unexpectedly, one winter’s night, like a prehistoric being, and clambered up with difficulty, stitching itself on to the side of the mountains…A quick walk through the town and a coffee and we were back in the car heading for Tirana.
CAFE IN GJIROKASTRA

Albania is a small country. But Albania is a surprising country in its geographical diversity and historical interest. In just two days we drove through over half of the country (north-south) and saw much. Speed does not characterize travel here, and neither does modern or clean. But interesting and beautiful it is—and we are grateful to God for the time and resources to experience it. Plus we want to see more…

Revelation 6:9-11, When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed…

In 1967, following the lead of China, its only ally and outside contact, Albania pursued its own vicious Cultural Revolution. In particular, it banned the practice of any and all religions, and declared itself the world’s first, and only, atheist state. Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim leaders were shot or imprisoned and church buildings were destroyed or turned into warehouses. Those discovered attempting to practice any religion were detained and tortured, killed, imprisoned or exiled. This declared ban against the practice of any religion remained in effect until May of 1990. You can see its history spelled out in some detail in the National Historical Museum in the center of Tirana, where it is labeled Genocide under the Communist Regime.

THE MAIN MOSQUE IN TIRANA
Albania is traditionally divided into three religious groups: 70% Muslim, 20% Orthodox and 10% Catholic. Outside these categories there was a small Jewish population which left Albania after the founding of Israel. Albanian Jews were not persecuted during WWII and, in fact, Albania provided a safe sanctuary for some during the war. The reason for their exodus was simply that most Albanians wanted out of the country and they were lucky enough to have a nation that would welcome them. Also a Sufi order of Islam called Bektashism has its world center in Albania. This order allies itself with folk beliefs and is led by clerics known as dervishes whose ceremonies have led to the phrase whirling dervish

THE MAIN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN TIRANA
These religious figures are only approximate, as the 2000 census did not include any questions regarding religion. In any case the figures represent nominal adherence, since for most people in Albania any religious identification is of little significance in daily life. The high Muslim percentage is a result of the centuries long Ottoman control of this part of the world and their policy of allowing other religious but taxing their adherents more highly than Muslims and, unlike Muslims, subjecting them to the devshirme (forced adoption of a son to be raised as a Muslim and trained to be a civil servant or member of the Ottoman army’s elite Janissary Corps). These policies encouraged conversion to Islam, and many followed, but not for particularly meaningful religious reasons.

Protestants have historically been extremely rare in Albania--some would say they have been non-existent. This changed with the opening of the country in the early 1990’s and an influx of missionaries and mission activities that came with it. In 1997, following an economic collapse precipitated by an elaborate country-wide pyramid (ponzi) scheme that bankrupted many ordinary citizens, the country descended into anarchy for a period of months and most missionaries left the country. One figure cited was that in 1996 there were 700 foreign missionaries in the country, only 2 of which stayed as the country imploded. When the country re-stabilized mission activity returned, and now the Protestant church is growing in number and influence, particularly in urban areas. New churches are being formed and Bible Schools are being established to train Albanians to be leaders in their country and missionaries abroad.

Nancy and I participate in one of those new churches, an International Church which is related to the Assemblies of God in America. The pastor is from the United States, and often the Sunday speaker is a visitor from the United States or some European country. The services are bi-lingual, English and Albanian, and full of music and joy. It occupies a very ordinary building near our apartment, but its location directly across from the Iranian Embassy means that the people in that embassy hear loud gospel music several times a week—something I am pleased with!

THE MOST FAMOUS ALBANIAN CHRISTIAN
I believe that the potential for the gospel in Albania is great. I also believe that if Albanians come to faith they could be a key factor in reaching into Muslim nations which are closed to many from “Christian” nations but open to those from other Muslim nations, which includes Albania. Already missionaries are being sent out from Albania, and more are in training.

When I think of the barriers to the gospel in Albania several come to mind. One is the history of persecution which kept a whole generation of Albanians from hearing anything about Christ. Another is the deep-rooted cultural indifference to any religion that seems to be a part of the Albanian ethos. A third is the challenge to develop a truly indigenous Albanian church, not one dependent on or echoing the richer and larger western churches. Time will tell, but we can thank God that the situation today is much more favorable to the spread of the gospel than it has been for centuries.

Please pray for the church in Albania. And when you do, pause and remember with honor those Albanians whose faith was lived out through an extremely difficult time and especially those who remained faithful even unto death. Of such martyrs is made the kingdom of God, and on their blood the church lives on today…

The subject for today is another of the basic living issues which all people face and the shape it takes in Albania. The subject is traffic. I have been told that the best word to describe traffic in many Asian cities is horrific. Perhaps traffic in Tirana is not as bad as that, but the best word I can think of to describe it is perilous.

Partly this is because until 1990 all vehicles were government owned. It was illegal to own a private car. This meant that there was very little traffic and very little need for an extensive network of roads. When private ownership became possible, however, vehicle ownership took off, and with two consequences. One is that the roads are filled with relatively novice drivers. The other is that road use expanded more rapidly than road improvement so roads leave much to be desired. Both of these consequences play out in the streets.

I believe that every nation has its written and unwritten driving rules, and my observation is that in Albania those rules include:

• Pedestrians do not exist. Every curb and every crossing should be marked walkers beware, because when you try to cross a street you and only you know you are there—vehicles will not be watching for you. The exception is when enough mass of humanity in unison tries to claim a pathway—then a car may slow down or veer aside. Nancy and I look for businesses we can frequent and services we can access that are on our side of the street in front of us, because crossing that street is a dangerous and time-consuming undertaking. We also plan our walking routes carefully, taking into consideration the time of day and the location of the safest crossing places. On occasion we have even been known to cross a street when an unexpected gap occurred, even though we had no reason to cross—the gap was there so instinctively we took it!

• Lanes are only general guidelines. Veering and weaving is the norm, and the center line is easily ignored. This is a bit unnerving to the novice passenger when he or she suddenly realizes that the car he is in is heading directly towards oncoming traffic, but such is the case. This rule also means that if you want to make a turn, right or left, you can make it from wherever you want. It is not unusual to see a car suddenly swerve sharply across three lanes of traffic to make a turn. U-turns are the same—you can make them anywhere a space can be claimed, no matter how many cars must screech to a stop as you do…

• Horns are meant to be used. A simple rule, but at certain times of day or night quite annoying. While few cars simply drive down the road with horn blaring, I have searched many times in vain for some possible explanation for the horn I hear. Perhaps the driver is just testing it to be certain it is ready for some eventuality…

• Traffic police have better things to do than attend to traffic. While sometimes at some corners you find a traffic warden who is actually directing traffic, it is more common to see such figures in groups of two or three chatting on the sidewalks, no matter what chaos is developing at their intersection. The same is true as pedestrians wait in vain for a gap in the traffic, he interest level of traffic police in the pedestrians’ plight is zero. Crosswalks do exist but I have no idea why as they impart no special privileges to pedestrians.

• Cars must be washed daily, if not more often. I have not counted, but I would guess that after little cafes that serve espresso, the most common business in Albania is the car wash. In small garages, empty fields, by the side of the road, or wherever, pressure washers with soap and bucket call out to drivers—and they respond. Old car or new, it makes no difference, it must be washed.

These are some of the rules of the road and there are others, but to be accurate I should add that people tell me things are improving, and I see signs of that. There are major resurfacing projects going on all around the country; some traffic lights have bulbs and some of those bulbs work some of the time, and when they do drivers almost always obey them; when a traffic warden asserts himself the traffic usually obeys. Albania is progressing! The challenge I think it faces is to improve the situation fast enough to get ahead of the rapid growth in the number of vehicles.

Years ago I was startled to read an article by a renegade Latin American Catholic priest in, of all places, Bicycling magazine. The article made this observation: if you add up the time spent in earning the money to purchase and maintain a car plus the time spent driving the car plus the time spent attending to the car’s needs for gas, repair, etc. and then divide that into the actual miles driven, the average miles traveled per hour would usually work out to be around 4. His point was that many can walk faster than that—and that to do so would be healthier… Over the years I have pondered that article and the point, which I find statistically accurate but clearly oversimplified. Yet Iit makes me ask to what degree the automobile is a machine that has become our master. In Genesis 1:26 it says, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion… That dominion is authority and it is ours. But as I look and hear the chaos which passes our apartment every day, I wonder if we are relinquishing that authority to a thing we have created. I also wonder how we could manage it better…


Oh, yes, one more thing. When I talk about cars in Albania I could use the word Mercedes instead, as the two are almost synonymous. Lacking official statistics, from our balcony I took four sample counts of 30 passing vehicles. The results showed the following number of Mercedes in each group of 30: 10…17…14…16. In other words, approximately 1 out of every 2 vehicles on the roads of Albania is a Mercedes…I have been told a reason for this, but will reserve that tale for another time.