Opportunities to Travel

Business has continued on here at school for three more weeks. In this second quarter I have begun to teach evening English classes to adults which is something I have enjoyed. The classes are an hour and there is a book that we can follow for most of the course. I like teaching these classes because there is much less responsibility than with morning classes. I am don't feel like I need to control classroom management, there are no lesson plans, I am not responsible for what the students learn, and there are no grades or assessment. The student can choose to come or not and how much effort they will put into practicing. I usually start class with some different questions to stimulate conversation and then we work our way through the exercises in the book. The relaxed atmosphere means that we can spend time on or talk about whatever we want to in class as long because we will be practicing English. A side note: my Albanian students found it interesting when I told them that we use the phrase to "spend time". I explained to them that in America we are always rushing from one thing to another and time is viewed as a precious commodity. Whether it is spending time with family, at the beach, with a friend, or at church...these activities each involve us investing our time. Some of the students thought that this was a negative way of talking about activities or being with people we love. This just supports my earlier thoughts related to having coffee about how they are more relaxed and have time to "be with" people.

Two Saturday's ago, Dini and Klementina decided to take the four of us teachers around to some local cities since we had only been to Tirana, Shkodra, and the beach at Shengjin. We first went south to the coastal city of Durres, which is the main port city in Albania. There was some great views of the Adriatic from the long beachside promenade where we stopped for coffee. There was also the remains of a large Roman Ampitheater that we took a tour of. This was not only a nice reminder of my time in Israel, but also was the first Roman ruins encounter for the female teachers (a point I may have been more exited about then they were). We then left the city and drove up a small nearby mountain to a village with the remains of a castle. It is always nice to get a birds-eye view of the country below from the ramparts of an old castle. Next, we drove to the city of Kruja which is build onto the slopes of a large mountain. I loved driving up and down the winding cobblestone streets of this city with great views on both sides. We walked through the old part of the city where there was many souvenir shops and another castle. We heard that the best place to eat was on top of the mountain, so we drove up skinny road of hairpin turns with the cliff edge a few feet away at every bend. This excursion was well worth the anxiety caused by heights because the view was gorgeous. From above the city, I could see that the castle was built on the pinnacle of a long rock formation that rose above the surrounding landscape in almost the same design as the Old City of Jerusalem. As the sun set, we enjoyed a meal of roasted meat before quickly leaving because we began to freeze.

The beginning of the second quarter at school had been a little rocky. There was some personelle changes and some stress that accompanied shifting responsibilities. A couple of students had left the school for one reason or another as we approach Thanksgiving break. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we had a half-day at school during which my students took their test on Rome. That evening, many of the students and their families came to a restaurant we had rented out for a Thanksgiving celebration. The place soon filled up along with our stomachs as we enjoyed a buffet-style meal of simple local cuisine. We showed a video that the students had made discussing what they were thankful for and most of them mentioned the unique opportunity they had to study at LAC. The rest of the evening was unexpected. Some of the students discussed the American traditions for the holiday and then they decided to showcase a traditional Albanian dance. Before we knew it, the teachers were being pulled in by the students to dance in a line around the tables. I never was able to grasp the awkward steps of this dance, but that was soon forgotten as the dancing evolved into a less traditional affair. All the students began to dance to the modern music, while our local student pop-sensation Ardit took the microphone to sing along. After thinking how this would likely not be considered appropriate student-teacher interaction in the States...I thanked God that this was a different situation and joined in the party. The other teachers began to loosen up as well and soon Dini and I were showing the Albanians how to break it down American style (see Facebook Profile Pic). This event helped to soothe some of my uncertainties about the atmosphere of the school and was a great opportunity for the staff, students, and parents to come together to celebrate Thanksgiving as a school community.

We had extra reason to be thankful because, earlier that day, our large package from the States arrived. The most anticipated object was the long-awaited copier. We also received some sports equipment, wheeled classroom carts for the projectors, and 3-ring binders to help the students organize. Although things always take longer than we think to get accomplished here, everyday we are getting closer to being fully supplied as a school and we have so many people in the States to thank for their effort and support. This is a major undertaking that would not be possible without you.

Thursday and Friday we had off from school and the following Monday and Tuesday were off because of Albanian independence holidays. The other teachers and I took advantage of this time by traveling to Montenegro and Croatia. With the help of a tour-book borrowed from Milt and Ann, I led the crew onto a bus to Shkodra early Thursday morning. We bartered for a taxi that took us across the border and up through the coastal cities of Montenegro. We arrived at our first destination, Budva, early in the afternoon and found a cheap and quality hotel at the first stop we made. After releasing our bags, we walked around the old walled city with its winding alley ways, small shops, and beautiful churches. There was also a wonderful path that twisted along the rocky coast that put us close to the sea and offered great views of the city. That night we found a local restaurant where I ordered some unique black risotto, which was extremely black (from squid ink) and had lasting effects. Then we spent the night sitting on the wall in the quiet city that was almost void of all tourists.

The next morning we took the bus to Cetinje, the old capital of Montenegro. Here we visited an interesting historical museum, an art museum, an old royal residence, and an Orthodox Monastary. The monastary housed some important relics including: the right hand of John the Baptist, a piece of the True Cross, and an icon painted by St. Luke. In the afternoon we took a bus to Kotor, an old Venetian fortress city built on the bay shadowed by the tall mountains behind it. We checked in to our hostel and spent the night exploring the churches, walls, and streets of the city. There was a cruise ship docked out in the bay which gave the city more life than in Budva. We capped the day by venturing into an Irish pub that was warm and dimly lit with dark woodwork giving an alternative cultural feel.

Saturday morning we boarded the bus that would take us to Dubrovnik, Croatia. The bus ride was full of gorgeous views as we drove around the bay along the mountains and then above the beautiful coastal towns. As we came around a corner, I stood up in anticipation and exclaimed, "Boom! There she is." The sun was shining brightly on the red clay roofs and massive battlements of Dubrovnik, the little Venice. At the bus station, we were quickly greeted by a women who wanted us to stay in her house. I decided to check it out, and once again we conveniently landed a cheap and quality place to stay. It was a half hour walk into the old city, but the views were great and it was nice to be in the atmosphere of new modern city. After entering through the drawbridge gate and gazing down the central promenade to the bell tower on the far side of the city, it was time to get on the walls. These walls were massive, rising above both the city and the coast to give us perhaps unbeatable panoramic views. We stopped to eat our lunch picked up at the market and to relax on the walls in the sun. It took several hours to slowly venture around the whole city, stopping at every turn to take in the new sights. The Italian atmosphere and bustle of the city was wonderful and there were many tourists despite it being the off-season. I kept thinking about how I wanted to climb on the mosaic of clay roofs below and to find some quality lookouts as if I were living Assassin's Creed. The walls were such an attraction that I did not want to leave.

Eventually, we descended into the city and began exploring the countless streets and alley ways. There were many churches, shops, palaces, and restaurants. The pigeons flying around, sun reflecting off the limestone, and smooth sound of a saxophone only added to the unique feel of the city. As night fell, we began searching for a place to eat but it proved to be a difficult task with so many choices (most too expensive) and the maze of streets to navigate. The city was well lit and lively even at night, which was a welcome change. We settled for some pizza and salads before taking the city bus back to our room. The next morning we finished venturing through the city by visiting all the churches sites that we could find on the map. In the afternoon, we boarded the bus back to Kotor that would arrive at night. After checking into the hostel, we climbed partially up the mountain slope to sit together with a great view over the lit up city below.

On Monday morning, Kaitlyn and I climbed up the walls built into the slopes of the mountain to the fortress at the top. Jessica and Kristi opted to stay below to explore the city to avoid climbing the countless steps in their rain boots. I chose to take a path apart from the main route, which proved to be more rugged and pleasant than expected. The remains of the walls were overgrown with plants and staircases wound up the slopes reminding me of my travels in Northern Ireland. The antique battlements offered great views over the city and out into the bay beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed climbing and exploring the unmarked staircases and pathways along the way. At one point, there was a whole in the wall through which I climbed down the other side to find a little chapel along with some old ruins and a goat path that worked its way up the majestic mountains beyond. Not having time to follow this path, I ran back to the walls and up the steps to the top of the fortress. Naturally, the top offered terrific views that were enhanced by the sun making its way over the mountain to shine on the city below. After quickly descending down the common path we quickly bolted through the streets because I did not want to miss anything. One of the churches we went into had an extensive museum above the sanctuary with hundreds of silver and gold gilded religious artifacts including two more pieces of the True Cross. After conquering all the streets, we left Kotor on our bus to the border city of Ulcijn, where we took a taxi across to Shkodra. As the sun set, we took a mini-bus back to Lezha, our home.

The trip was amazing and I was very thankful for the way things worked out conveniently and for the good weather. The past three weeks I have actually been going through varying degrees of sickness. As I am writing this, every staff member of LAC is sick with a cough and throat issues. The trip actually was not an issue because the sun sets around 4:30, meaning that we could have our time in the city at night and still be back by 8 to go to bed. Even though we woke up early most of the time, we had the option to get plenty of sleep. It was nice to get to spend a lot of time with the girls and I am glad I had some traveling companions, although I did recognize there are pros and cons to traveling with other people.

There are some other things that have been going on here the past few weeks. I went to the local Catholic church the other weekend, which was an interesting experience. It is a huge building, but when readings for the service started there was only about 20-30 people. Within the next forty minutes people continually joined the service until it was packed with likely around 600 people. I did not know where they all came from, but it was interesting to see the attendance and the way that they worshipped. Also, we have also picked up playing soccer again and have played 3 more times in the past several weeks, which has been nice to get some exercise and competition.

At school, the students held elections the other week for student government. They chose 9 students, each with their own office, to represent the whole body, and this group chose me as their teacher supervisor. Just like that and I am involved in student government. This week we began practicing for our Christmas program which most of the students have volunteered to be a part of. We are going to do a simple skit based on the Christmas truce on the Western Front during WW1. We will also be teaching the kids several songs and combining this with readings of the Christmas story and the prophecy of the Messiah. This will be an adventure to get these students prepared to give this performance. Please pray for us as this will be the first overtly Christian thing that we are doing publicly as a school. We are hoping that the students will grow closer together and that they will be impacted by the story they are telling. We also hope that the parents and other people in the community will understand the message and feel the presence of Christ.

Shendet. Takohemi me vone - "Take care. See you later."

Climbing the Mountain

C'behet ketu? Mire? – “How is it going? Good?”

The first eight weeks of school here at Lezha Academic Center have come and gone. We have each continued to explore this experience and how we can best meet the needs of the students we are teaching. With all the different variables here the sense of routine is always limited, but as time goes by things seem to be slowing down.

This week of school was taken up by review, exams, and a lot of grading. English Foundations was completed with a final project on a contemporary issue of the students choosing such as poverty, pollution, women’s rights, or human trafficking. Each student had to apply this issue to their personal experience by explaining specific problems associated with the issue and what they could do to make a change through a brief essay, speech, and visual presentation. It was a lot of work and grading, but the students have definitely made progress toward more effective communication. We had a staff workday on Thursday and the day off Friday, which has given us time to finalize grades and plan for the coming quarter. Dini and I also made another trip into Tirana to commandeer some bookshelves for the school, which was nice because it gave us time to talk which has been a rarity with how busy we are.

The biggest change in class schedule will affect me directly. With the completion of my two sections of English Foundations, Mrs. Shahini has decided to continue this into a normal English class. This means that Miss Bontrager will be taking these two sections of students. Miss. Reinhardt will keep her section of students from English Foundations to continue into a more broad Communications class. This means that I will be taking over at least one evening class. I will also be taking on some responsibilities in updating the school website, starting a computer network, and supporting the formation of student clubs. I think I will enjoy the more varied experience and less responsibility in the morning. It was a blessing to have the opportunity to teach and form a relationship with all the students during the first quarter that should allow me to continue interactions with them throughout this second quarter.

One of the highlights of the past few weeks was receiving a shipment of supplies from home brought by Ron and Blanche Nice who were traveling through the area on their way to Montenegro. I am very grateful to them for being willing to take two extra pieces of luggage of supplies for the school and it was nice to fellowship with them briefly during their stop in Lezha. The most important items in this shipment were the converter chords that Miss Bontrager and I have needed to hook our computers to the projectors in our room. I also received a kit that will allow me to mount my projector to the ceiling. This means that soon I will be able to use a projector for classroom instruction and not have to constantly hassle with all the chords. While this should increase the effectiveness of my instruction, it also means extra time spent creating Power Point presentation, which I did not have to worry about before. However, this is an added responsibility I will gladly tackle because I will be able to use these presentations to build my curriculum for teaching in the future. It feels good to know that all my research and hard work planning will likely pay off for me in the future when I do not have to start from scratch.

At the end of last week I was very tired from a few days of work periods for English Foundation final projects. It was crazy trying to correct the work of every student while answering questions and maintaining a sense of classroom management. Many of the students seemed like they required full-time help, so it was difficult to move around and help everyone effectively. After the end of Friday, I was tired of being talked at and feeling constantly pulled from one place to another. I decided that I deserved to relax. In the shipment of supplies my mom had included some pretzels, cheez-its, and trail mix (personal staple snacks of mine not available here). So I grabbed these treats and sat down to finish a movie I had started earlier in the week. Four and a half hours later I had finished the first movie, proceeded to watch two more, and had eaten the majority of my snacks. I then Skyped a friend from and went to bed. That was an example of top-notch relaxation.

Since I discussed snacks, I will move into my food update. The last few weeks have brought no new discoveries in the food department, but I have indulged in some familiar treats with some outside help. In addition to the snacks sent by my mom, which really hit the spot, I also received a care package from my church containing candy corn. I shared some of these candies with the staff explaining and then indulging in this seasonal flavor. I was also the fortunate recipient of some carrot cake made by one of the other missionaries in Lezha, and against my better judgment, I ate all of it in one sitting. Finally, last Saturday night Dini and I stopped by the pizza place looking for the group of gentlemen that had invited me to eat with them earlier. I was disappointed to learn that they were not there and had not met since because they had not caught any fish to eat.

I am still struggling to adapt to having more free time. I feel that I have been able to focus on fulfilling all my school responsibilities, but that is not the only thing I want to accomplish. I am hoping to develop in many areas of my life and I need to find the discipline to forge time for learning guitar, reading, practicing Albanian, and spending time with Jesus. It was easier to distract myself from myself from planning by doing these activities before than it is to block time out of free time now. Time just seems to fly by; I don’t even know what I have done after school, but all of a sudden it is time for bed. I will need to enter into a time of evaluation to decide and commit to things I want to improve on.

Now that I am settling in it is also easier to think about home. I have been reflecting on the nature of some of my relationships that have been formed over the years and how they are changing in this post-college transitional time. This is an important time where I form commitments and habits that will carry me into my adulthood. However, these thoughts can distract from being here. I got an email this past week informing me that Souderton High School was looking for a long-term substitute to teach World History for the remainder of the year. If I was at home, this would have been an ideal situation for me to take advantage of. A great school, my favorite subject, close location, and the position would be perfect to ease me into a full time position. Also, a video game that I have anticipated the release of since last winter came out on Friday, but I will not be able to enjoy this activity with my friends at home. These events have given me new reasons to wish I was home, but I have to continue to trust that this is where I am supposed to be and that God has everything figured out.

The Saturday two weeks ago was full of events. In the afternoon, the two sections of tenth grade students came over to the school to set up for a surprise birthday party for Miss Hedrick. They had made a video thanking her and wishing her a happy birthday. The other teachers and I had figured out a way to get her over to the school and into her room where the video projector was set up. She thought that we were just showing her the video from the students, but when it was over, the students entered the room for a surprise. They had a cake, gifts, and some dancing. After the festivities were over, we prepared for a trip to Tirana that was planned without any awareness from Jessica. We took a van into the city and ate some wannabe McDonalds fast food, which was not as good but satisfactory nonetheless. Then we arrived at the local theater for the main event, an opera show. The show was at times great and at other times slow because it was a sort of competition. Each contestant had to be introduced with the host asking some pointless questions and some of the singers were great while others seem sub-par. All in all, it was nice to get out of Lezha and experience this type of new environment.

Earlier that morning, I woke up early to meet Rafael and Tori for a hike up the local mountain. We walked up past the castle, then took a long road all the way around the backside of the mountain and up a snaking path to the top. After nearly two hours of walking on the beaten path, I suggested that we just walk straight up the slope. My companions declined saying that they thought it would take longer than just using the road. I snickered to myself, then veered off to the right to begin traversing the slope saying, “We shall see.” After a short time I had reached the top and called the others to ask where they were…needless to say they still had a ways to go before reaching the summit. I began to explore the rocks around the sides of the cell phone tower facility that was built at the top. After getting a 360 view of all the surroundings, I joined Tori and Rafael who had signaled they had arrived. After some time eating fruits, looking over the city and ocean beyond, and discussing some local geography we headed back down, this time taking a more direct route for the first leg of the return journey.

Although walking on the path was less exhilarating than scaling the mountain, I really appreciated the journey. The road around the mountain led us to new scenery that I had not seen before. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed exploring more of the environment around us. Life on the mountain is different than in the city. The buildings were simple and all were full of growth. There were grapevines, pomegranates, and olive trees. As we continued to gain elevation the surroundings changed. There were no buildings and no trees, only patches of grass and shrubs where sheep were grazing. This environment reminded me of Israel and caused me to have a period of reminiscing. Rafael had mentioned earlier that one of his favorite stories in the Bible is about David and his small band of warrior who were running from Saul. On the way down, as we scampered down the slope of the mountain, I told him that he could not get much closer to living that story than this. When I suggested we continue directly down the slope, the other two thought it was not a good idea because the landowners may get mad. I responded by suggesting Rafael could where my kaffiya, pick up a stick that could pass for a spear, and then when the landowners began chasing us on the mountain, he would be living the story. We picked a bunch of pomegranates to eat on the way down while enjoying the company, surroundings, and the adventure of the journey.

I enjoyed this excursion so much that I climbed the mountain with one of my students again yesterday morning. We hiked up through a local village until we found a place to get onto the slope of the mountain and proceeded to climb straight up to the top. This trip presented different scenery as we encountered military bunkers, a difficult to navigate forest of head-high shrubs, slops of loose stones, and sheer rock faces. Now I have conquered that mountain in two very different ways, but both trips offered a beautiful day, views of the scenery below, and sheep.

Why do I like climbing mountains and other things? When I am climbing or hiking I often feel at peace. I look around at creation in wonder and know that we are in His hands. I also sense that I am released from much of the temptation and emptiness of the world that surrounds us every day. I realized something when talking with Dini on the way back from Tirana. Some of the closest connections to God have taken place on a mountain. Moses saw God and received the Ten Commandments, the Transfiguration, the Great Commission, when the Spirit of God passed by Elijah on the mountain in the silence, and the holy city of Jerusalem was built on a mountain with the Temple at its highest point. The mountains are referred to the dwelling place of the Lord throughout the Old Testament and Jesus withdraws to the mountains to pray.

If I would answer where do I feel closest to God, I would say in nature, particularly on top of a mountain. Dini described it as escaping a world of sin and rising above it to find God. I like to sense the freedom of leaving the world behind and reaching a height that I noticed in the distance. I do not want to be restricted by what is normal; I want to go where I feel led and forget about the cares of life. It feels great to exert myself in fulfilling a goal; to be thankful that I have the ability to explore and reach the heights that I seek. It is exhilarating to face the presence of fear (Mom, I try to be safe) and put myself out there trusting that I will make it. I don’t expect to come out unscathed; in fact, sometimes it makes the situation feel more raw if I get a couple scratches. I revel in the adventure of exploring and conquering; of pushing myself to reach that great view. I think I have had these types of feelings since I was young, but I had not realized the significance or how much I enjoy these adventures until a couple years ago.

Usually in life I do not find myself climbing mountains. I am more often going about my routine at school, home, or work. But when I step back out into the wild, that feeling returns and I wonder why it has been so long since the last time I broke free of the world. Now this experience has obvious parallels to life in general and I think this connection is part of the reason why I feel drawn to this adventure. Conquering my surroundings to reach whatever I am aiming for gives me a sense of accomplishment and adventure that one does not find in every day life. Men want adventure. I want to fight for something and overcome whatever gets in my way. But most of the time, I either don’t know what to fight for or I am pulled down by the realities of life. Even if life seems to be full of good things, I can have times where I wonder where the battle is. I want to be a warrior; why am I not fighting? Other times I feel that I have failed or forgotten the adventuresome goal that I had set during a time of inspiration. I lost my driving force and became complacent. However, things are much more simple during an excursion into nature. The goals and the obstacles are right before your eyes. It is easy to see progress and to overcome your surroundings with perseverance. If I decide I want to reach a point on the horizon, I set off and can easily measure my progress by seeing that point get closer.

Real life is more complicated. We are creatures of habit in a fallen world. It is so easy to lose sight of that inspiration that makes you yearn for something outside the ordinary. We want something more and believe there is something more fulfilling than what the world offers. However, we do live in this world; a world where wealth, prestige, lust, suffering, and bitterness are the most common realities. These realities surround us and pull us down into the sticky swamp of communal sin that has grown since the Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. How do we escape this dominating reality? How can I remain focused and empowered to “fight the good fight”? For me the only answer is faith in Jesus Christ. I have consciously followed Him as Lord of my life since I was young, so why do I still struggle with these questions? This is the why it is called a personal faith journey. There are highs and times where I live in close communication with my Savior, but these times are always broken by times of sin and complacency.

While I am not planning on overcoming these obstacles during my time in Albania, I am hoping to learn and mature in my faith. While this year in itself is an adventure, I can feel myself stray at times from being focused on God. When things are difficult and stressful I put my faith in God and depended on Him to get me through. However, as I begin to enter a routine and am growing more comfortable, I do not feel the need to depend on God as much. This is something I feel convicted about because I am here to be God’s hands and feet. How can I serve how He wants me to unless I am constantly in His presence? This mission will not be successful unless it is placed in God’s hands. These are things I will continue to struggle with and seek a solution for throughout life. I believe that the essence of faith in Jesus is that we strive to become as much like Him as we can, despite not being able reach this point. My desire is to continue to strive, rest, and trust so that when I pass from this life I will hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Thank you to all of you who continue to support us and our mission here in Albania. We need prayer particularly as we begin this new quarter with shifting responsibilities and expectations. Pray that each of us would settle into a productive routine that would allows us to make the most out of our time. Most importantly, continue to pray that God would show up in a visible way to these students and that we as staff could be conductors of the love of Christ to everyone we meet.

Live life abundantly.

Getting into the Rhythm

Pershendetje nga Shqiperia - "Greetings from Albania."

This post marks only a two week gap between posts, which I believe represents a change that I have felt within this experience as a whole. The weekly schedule that I described last time has lasted for the last two weeks marking the longest period of relative stability that I have experienced since arrival. There has still certainly been some ups and downs, but overall I would say that I am beginning to find a rhythm to this experience. The more stable schedule has led to more time that is not intruded by the feeling that I should be doing something else. Throughout the whole beginning of this experience, there was always something that needed to be done. Whether it was figuring out how to actually teach high school history, lesson planning, working on the school building, coming up with school policy, discussing thoughts and feelings, emailing, conversing about what needs to change, or just thinking about the whole experience, I was busy. This time has been great because we accomplished a lot by establishing a school and I feel rewarded by the work we have done.

However, I am beginning to feel that I have more time because I no longer always have something hovering above my head that needs to be done. This means that free time actually feels more free. I have actually allowed myself to watch two movies in each of the past two weeks, something before that seemed like an irresponsible waste of time. Although, as has been my experience, when the gift of free time comes along it is usually accompanied by the desire to procrastinate...which causes a paradox because once again I always feel like I should be working during my free time. My next hurdle in this experience is to find the discipline to establish a routine where I do sufficient work after school to allow me to feel good about relaxing with my time before going to sleep.

Six weeks of school are now complete and we are moving forward. As routine begins to set in the issues and adaptations are becoming less and less frequent. My biggest concern is that we do not let complacency take hold because we can always improve. I have felt the improvement in student behavior begin to plateau over the past couple weeks and we may need to come up with a renewed focus on how to address this ever-present issue. Throughout my teaching experience I have seen a noticeable divide between normal student behavior and Friday behavior. This past week was particularly clamorous because we had off school on Wednesday promoting sense of coming freedom in the classroom which always unveils its face through short attention spans and verbal processing. Furthermore, each of us teachers must each figure out what the coming end to the first quarter looks like in terms of wrapping up classes and beginning new ones. This job is never complete.

I feel like the atmosphere in the school is becoming very comfortable as students and staff now know what to expect when coming to school. It is obvious that many of the students enjoy coming to school in the morning. I believe that each of the staff members is settling into their role which has shown itself in our interactions. We have become more comfortable with each other because we are learning more about how each person functions and, more importantly, because emotions are becoming less sporadic as the unknown regions of this experience become more defined. I see the different personalities and gifts of the staff coming together to fill the gaps and create a loving school environment. This has shown itself in my interactions with the students. Last Friday, I again took the students to the field to play some games and taught them "Crossing the river." I felt that the students were interacting with new people and were coming together as a unified school community. I have also had some meaningful conversations with students about deeper-level topics. I pray that the students continue to sense a loving community at this school and allow themselves to be more open to new ideas.

This feeling of settling in has coincided with the changing of seasons. The cold and the wind have arrived in Lezha in dramatic fashion. The wind can sound like a train passing by as it threatens to blow over trees, buildings, or individuals and the rains arrive with the flash of lightning. I have turned to the warmth provided by a thick blanket to sleep with along with my hoodie and scarf to relax in. The cold weather has a way of slowing life down as you become more conscious of the natural reality around you. Over the years, I have learned that the cold weather signals the approach of the holiday season and the warm gatherings of family and friends. For our Wednesday night staff worship times we met first in the girls apartment and then in the Troyer's apartment. The sense of home and hospitality in both places lead to comfortable and meaningful time of fellowship that reminded me of these holiday gatherings. I will admit that a significant reason I made this connection was likely the scent and taste of hot tea in both locations which is something I do not often indulge in apart from these familiar times of gathering. These gatherings were also my first experiences in leading worship with guitar, something that has been a goal of mine for the last few years. I look forward to continuing to practice and improve this ability for immediate and future use.

The changing of seasons has brought about a noticeable shift in the available food. Some fruits such as: peaches, nectarines, and figs are being replaced by oranges, persimmons, and chestnuts. However, more interesting to me was the appearance of large water bottles stuffed with small yellow peppers at my regular produce stand. I bought one, cut it open to, let the water rush out, and had a taste. The results were an elevated heartbeat, burning tongue, and a few extra tears in my eyes...these were hot peppers. I immediately thought that this was the missing ingredient to a Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and feta cheese. These pepers gave the needed kick to this healthy dish which I have made several times in the past week. To go along with the salad, I have discovered that I can revive stale bread by toasting it and then apply olive oil to give it a delectable crunchy/chewy consistency. At school we have discovered a catering service that will bring in food during activity period and provide a buffet type lunch for $3. On days that I decide to pay for this opportunity, the students enjoy watching me walk away from the serving table with plate after plate of food...I get my money's worth.

Once again I have a story about a food-related encounter. Last Saturday night I went to grab a quick dinner. The sausage carts were no where to be found and the pizza place did not have any on-the-go slices ready. I decided to order a personal pizza and attempt a conversation with the chef as I watched him make my custom pizza. As I am a regular at the place, the owner and I have had a few very limited conversations about Italy, opening a pizza shop together in Philadelphia, and getting a visa to live in America. Hand signals and sporadic use of known vocabulary from each other's corresponding language can accomplish a surprising amount. After the fresh pizza was complete with a red pepper garnish, I took my time enjoying the tastes while watching a soccer game on TV. As I ate the whole pizza myself, some older gentlemen came into the shop and slowly began to set up for a late dinner. As I was about to leave, they asked me to join their table. Wanting to take advantage of this cultural opportunity and not wanting to be rude I accepted. After some broken attempts at conversation they insisted that I eat with them piling fish, cheese, vegetables, and bread on my plate despite the fact that I had just eaten a big pizza. They would not accept my first or second "yo falemenderit (no thank you)" to their offerings and, not being too strongly opposed, I would give in and accept their generosity. I received good food, home-made wine, and cigars while playing the part of American companion and audience member to their impressive ability to never have a break in conversation. Apparently I did something right because almost three hours later, at the end of the meal they communicated that they wanted me to join them again for their exclusive dinner fiasco. This was a good example of an unexpected Albanian cultural experience.

The recent sense of routine also allowed Kristi, Kaitlyn, and I to take most of the day last Saturday to take a trip to the northern historic city of Shkodra (pics on Facebook). In the morning along with Tori and Besnik, two peers from church who are familiar with the city, we took an hour van ride to the city. We walked around for a while before finding an awesome cafe to drink some come coffee. Then we walked some more to an old building made into a restaurant which was like a small museum with displays of traditional Albanian clothes and tools. We stopped to get some fast food and check out the city theater before taking a bus to the castle. We had to climb up the hill to reach the castle which was a combination of great views and history. The castle had a 360 view of the city, lake, and countryside sprawled out below. The castle was much larger than the one in Lezha and had Illyrian and Roman stones to go along with the later Ottoman structures. We ate at our fastfood at the top of the castle before I broke off to explore, take pictures, and climb old stuff. We concluded our time by relaxing and drinking coffee at the cafe on the edge of the castle. We took the bus back to Lezha in the early evening, just before I had my cultural dinner encounter.

As I have been settling in over the past few weeks, I have begun to reflect on this experience and what it is teaching me. One thing that has been a normal part of socializing here is drinking coffee. Bars/cafes are everywhere. It makes me wonder how their is enough people to give business to all these places, but it is the thing to do at any time of the day. Unlike in America, the coffee is served in tiny cups that remind me of a child's tea set. Also, while in America coffee is always taken on the move, here people stop to sit and do nothing else but drink coffee and talk to those with them. While at times it has seemed unproductive, particularly when I become the audience for a conversation I do not understand, I have found that it can be very releasing. In the States we have our routines, and when things or people get in the way, it can be bothersome. Here if you run into someone you often stop to get coffee and forget about other tasks. It becomes a major component of the day as often these times average an hour and they can happen multiple times a day depending on your schedule. People here are more deliberate about "being with" other people and that is something I have often searched for in the States. Why do we feel like we always need to do something? Why can't we just take the time to stop being busy and talk about life? While I have realized this through my experiences in the past, this culture has reminded me to slow down and take time out of your routine to truly be present with others. I don't see Jesus with much of a routine...a schedule of miracles to perform or Pharisees to rhetorically best. He took time to be with those who He encountered and to change their lives. He was never to busy doing something to talk to or show compassion to someone. While at the time our schedule may seem important, most likely it does not bear eternal value, and if we don't have enough time to stop and be with those who need love around us then maybe our time has become an idol.

Outside of school my relationships have been largely formed during drinking coffee. Over the past few weeks, I have spent time with Dini, Tori, Besnik, and Rafael around a table conversing. I am grateful for this fellowship with men that I can identify that is not within the confines of school. These times of slowing down help me focus on what actually matters. The few things I have in Albania have reminded to be thankful for everything God has given me both here and at home. I am thankful for the conversations at coffee, a warm blanket to sleep with, fresh produce, wireless internet, electricity, time, the Bible, an extra mattress, friends, driving stick with the windows down, my education, my hoodie, the air conditioner in my class, the faithfulness of God, my family, rain, my home church, hugs, nature around us, a comfortable chair, warm bread, insulation, running water, and a computer that works. The slow and frustrating process of getting the things necessary for a school to run effectively have caused me to be very thankful for everything we receive. Yesterday, we finally got all the beautiful computers here, so we will be able to have a computer lab. Students will be able to write and print papers and we will be able to teach them how to organize their papers and do research online. Looking forward to it.

I have also been working hard at gathering support at home to get the things we need sent over and it looks like we are close to salvation. Christmas will arrive early when we get a copier along with a lot of other supplies in a big shipment from the States. Thank you to those of you involved in this process. For those who are supporting with prayer, please pray that this process goes smoothly so that everything can be gathered and sent efficiently. It will be very encouraging to finally feel like we relatively fully supplied as a school. Of course continued prayer for the staff and students is always needed. Thank you to those of you who continue to be present here with us through your support. Whether or not I choose to stay another year, God is working through this experience and is teaching me new things everyday, which I hope that I can remember.

Finally, I would like to leave you with a verse that really hit me this past week. It does not really relate to anything I discussed nor does it leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling, but it was something that I had not taken notice of before. In direct fashion 1 Peter 4:11 says, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God." Wow! That is a lot of responsibility. I think we could all work on striving toward this by removing bitterness, gossip, and idle talk from our lives. As a teacher, this is particularly heavy...how can I teach by making every word as if it were from God?

Well have fun with that and count your blessings.

Exploring Uncharted Waters

Tungjatjeta. Si Jeni? - "Hello. How are you?"

I first want to mention that the title for this post comes from a design and slogan that the teachers and I have been designing to perhaps use for the school. This slogan is particularly fitting for the four of us who are all first year teachers. We are in our first year of teaching in a new culture, a new school, and very separated from what we have grown accustomed to over the years. In a way, I think each of us feels like an explorer. The girls are teaching subjects that they were not specifically trained in to students who are much bigger than those from their student teaching experience. We are learning how to manage our time and relate to the students while traversing the struggles of teaching ESL students in a foreign country. The seas have been rough, but we have continued on in search of what God has for us.

We have navigated the first four weeks of school at LAC and are beginning to feel more stable. Classes have been going well and we have not lost any students since after the first week of school. We have established a good rapport with the students, parents, and in the community. We gained a student this past week and it seems that we will get another this week giving us a total of 32. Most of the students appear to feel valued and at home in the school. I feel good about the relationships I am developing with the students. There is a variety of personalities, learning styles, and backgrounds that must be accounted for if I want to teach and reach these kids. I am learning how to have fun with them in and outside the classroom while keeping a professional relationship that cannot be taken advantage of in school. I am hoping to develop more opportunities to interact with the students outside of the classroom to make it easier to for more meaningful exchanges to occur.

Teaching has been interesting. The first few weeks have been a process of teaching not only new content, but also ways of behavior. Many of the students come from schools where class size was over 30 students and there was little attention given to their needs. They were allowed to talk, shout out answers, cheat, use their cell phones, mess around, not pay attention to the lesson, and - only naturally - speak Albanian. Our rules and expectations at LAC are different than they are used to. While this process of changing behavior is far from complete I have seen encouraging changes. During the first couple weeks I was more understanding of their conduct, but over the last two weeks I have tightened the reins. I now have little tolerance for Albanian and other comments while I am teaching. The method that a couple of us have adopted has been to give 10 participation points each week, if they behave appropriately they will keep these points, if not they will begin to lose them. Hopefully, the students begin to respond and we do not have to spend as much effort in classroom management.

The students are very motivated, but their learning has been very different than in the US. In general, they posses less of the crucial skills necessary for deeper leaning that we value so highly in the US including: synthesizing information, critical thinking, and writing. One of the experiences that has helped me to understand the depth of this inadequacy was the first project that I assigned in World History. I knew going in that the students would be unfamiliar with the task I was assigning them, so I spent over half an hour describing in depth my expectations for writing a 2 page research paper on one of five ancient civilizations of the Middle East. I gave a description of the typical essay format and a thorough explanation of plagiarism including several remarks about how it was not appropriate to copy words a source. Needless to say, the work they handed in at the end of the week did not approach my expectations. I only got one paper out of a class of 13 that did not copy directly from a source. Most of them simply copy and pasted a few paragraphs from the internet into their paper and many did not even bother to change the words that were bolded, underlined, or in different font. They were embarrassed and amused when I told them that the paragraphs that I circled on their papers represented a paragraph which I encountered on the web and oddly found to be the exact same thing. Their paper organization looked nothing like what I was used to seeing as most of them hand-wrote corrections, hade large amounts of space not covered by words, and showed no natural flow of information. Because the difference was so overwhelming I realized that I expected too much too soon. They are not used to writing papers or coming up with their own words and ideas, much less doing it in English in an organized format. Since then I have been much more cautious with what I expect them to do and we have worked at taking steps toward improvement. The two papers I have assigned since then have been shorter, simpler, and did not involve use of sources outside of their own notes leading to much better results.

The gap in the style of education has led to other adventures. Tests have been an exhausting process of hawking over the students to prevent them from cheating. We have been told that everyone here cheats. If you pay for a private education you are typically handed a good grade without the work. It is normal for students to tell each other answers and teachers will even encourage them to cheat or give students answers so that they do well on the test. There is no concept of doing independent work and little understanding of grades being given solely based on performance of a given task. Students often assume that since they are smart they will automatically get a good grade and do not need to listen to directions. There has been some frustration among students who usually get perfect grades wondering how we wronged them by taking their points and giving them a lower grade than they are used to. We have had to constantly assert that grades are not based on intelligence or relationship with a teacher, but on participation and performance. This school is working at creating an atmosphere of integrity and higher expectations that is slowly catching on. Going back to the tests, it has been hard work to prevent students from blatantly cheating resulting in confiscation of test and a mark of 0. I have to repeat countless times that there can be no talking during the test before it begins to sink in. I can tell that students have wanted to cheat and are looking for ways to do it, but I believe I have kept them from following through proximity, reminders, or simply prolonged glares. Despite this, they have a lot of experience, creativity, and drive to come up with ways to cheat and I am sure it will be a constant battle to keep them honest.

Switching to something not school related, we have finally began to experience changes in the weather. The second week of school we got a few days of rain which conveniently coincided with us planting grass seed in the back courtyard. The last couple of weeks it was back to being warm with cooler mornings and evenings. It has been nice because I am able to spend time in my apartment without sweating and no longer need to fully depend on my fan to be able to fall asleep. Last night the rains came again along with some lightning (enjoyed from the roof during a power outage) so the weather may begin to turn. I am mostly looking forward to this because the air conditioner in Miss Bontrager's room (where I teach one class) no longer works and it can be very hot with the sun shining in. I am hoping that it does not get too cold during the winter as I have only packed two sweat shirts and a rain jacket to battle the elements, but it should be fine because I can always resort to excessive use of available blankets.

There have been a few developments in the area of food. The pizza place I mentioned has been a regular stop as its convenient location allows me to pass by and grab a couple slices on my way along a discovered short cut to the center of town. The fast food place where I get my sufflaqe is also convenient because it lies near my major food shopping joints. I have also discovered a small grocery store with some good American-style yogurt. I can buy a large tub for $2.50 and use it for over a week to make delicious bowls of fruit and yogurt parfaits (nuts are soon to be added) which I have been eating for a quick lunch. Also, last weekend we were invited by the parents of one of our students to eat at their restaurant. It was awesome because they gave us so much seafood: calamari, jumbo shrimp, and different kinds of fish along with salad, soup, rice, and pasta which all also included seafood. This was probably my second favorite meal after the dinner that was eaten across the river in Shkodra. However, my favorite every day food taken advantage of in the last couple weeks has been sausage sandwiches made on the street by men in mobile motorcycle carts. Now the location can be tricky because they are always moving, but at night if I make a lap around the block I am usually rewarded with one of these sandwiches purchased for 50 cents.

This brings me to a story from this past week...During activity period in school I saw one of the guys I know driving by in his sausage cart and I waved as a greeting. However, he took this to mean I wanted to buy another sandwich so he turned around and parked at the school gate. Not wanting to disappoint him and unable to explain the miscommunication since I don't speak Albanian, I quick asked a student for money. After receiving money I greeted the man and ordered a sandwich. Since this was the first time something different was available for lunch some of the students began to come out. With my mind working quickly with how to address this unexpected situation I received my sandwich and said it was fine if the students wanted to buy their own. Later in my classroom I remembered that I should pay the student back, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out 200 lek...and paused to think. I slowly gave the same bill that the student had given to me back to him and he gave me a confused look. I nodded and said, "Yea, pretty sure I did not pay for that sandwich." The students had a good laugh at it. That night I decided to seek out this guy to pay him back. Unusually, I saw no sausage carts on my loop around the block, but before heading back I saw the top of an umbrella just visible over a car in the distance. I decided to check it out and it turned out to be the same guy. I used broken Albanian to reference earlier at the school that I gave him no money and apologized. I gave him the owed amount and noticed his wife looking strangely at me...she whispered something to her husband and, after receiving a response, she said in English, "Oh, so your not from Albania." Smiling because it was yet another example of how my darker features always allow me to blend in until I try to speak Albanian, I told her that I was an American teacher from LAC. The three of us then had a nice conversation and the guy said he would like to come to school during activity period to sell sandwiches. So after all of that, something good was accomplished. While blending in has its advantages, it can also lead to some awkward situations where people try to talk to me expecting a response - perhaps even repeating themselves after I say I don't speak Albanian - or they stare at me like I am an idiot when I try to speak. If there is someone around to translate, the people are usually surprised to learn that I am not Albanian.

We have continued to experience roadblocks over the past few weeks. We have continued to move forward without many of the needed pieces of equipment, but the bigger issues has been frustratingly voiced as "bureaucracy." (bet most of you did not know how to spell that word...at least I was not close) There have been some major issues with registering the Shahini's two cars in the Albanian system. They have been told different things, but two weeks ago Dini was stopped by police and told that they were going to confiscate his car. He spent days trying to get the paperwork taken care of, but none of the officials would accept anything and they kept sending him from one place to another. The reason all this was happening was because the different levels of Albanian bureaucracy each wanted money under the table. Since, he refused they continued to make life difficult until finally Dini called a higher-up that he knew who yelled at some people and told him to pick up his car. He was able to get the car back and get "officially" entered into the registry with Albanian plates. At the end of that week, we were informed that our first shipment of four computers had arrived in Tirana. When Dini and Klementina went to pick these up, the same cycle was started again. All sorts questions were thrown at them about the "real reason" these computers were shipped to Albania. Eventually, after a few days and more frustration, this situation was worked out too. This means we finally have some of the promised computers and we were able to set up the wireless internet (using it right now). The rest of the computers should be arriving at the end of the coming week and the projector cords any day now. We are slowly getting the things that we need and the process of getting a copy machine in the US seems to be underway. It feels good to get some of the equipment we need and has encouraged my perspective that the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching.

This past week at school we have continued to adapt to what is needed and to improve. We have formed a weekly schedule that will likely have a degree of permanence, which is a welcome change. Monday through Thursday after school until 4pm we have study hall and during this time the students who need tutoring will receive one on one attention to work on English and homework. Each of us teachers is responsible for being present and working through the homework with a targeted group of students for two days. I will likely be further helping once we set up the computer lab in the coming weeks to facilitate student work in the lab while working on building and updating the school website. On Mondays we will begin taking Albanian language classes again in an attempt to make some progress on that forsaken frontier. Tuesdays and Thursdays we will have staff meetings, which are usually very long (2 hours) because we have to discuss changes and best ways to approach the issues that arise every day. Evening English classes will also finally start on Monday at 5-6pm with 5 sections, two taught taught by each Milt and Ann and the other taught by Miss Bontrager. On Wednesdays after evening classes, the American staff of LAC will meet for our weekly fellowship and worship session at the school. Then finally on Fridays, we will usually have an after-school activity with the students. Two weeks ago, we took the students to the local stadium to play capture the flag and soccer. Last week, we used a half-day schedule and then used the second half of the day for an Albanian food and American game exposition. Each of the students cooked a traditional Albanian food, presented it to the school, and gave a sample to a panel of judges to pick a winner for best main dish, best dessert, and most authentic dish. Miss Hedrick, Miss Bontrager, and I had the pleasure of shoving 30 different Albanian foods down our mouths in 30 minutes and acting like we had enough time to actually keep track of everything to effectively pick a winner. The students then tried all the dishes and picked a "Student Choice" winner. Then I taught the kids four square, Miss Hedrick played spoons with them, and Miss Bontrager showed them "cup cup". This Friday nothing was planned, so I took the kids to a field to teach them American football. It was a disaster at first but they slowly began to catch on, however they soon got bored of learning. They then taught me Albanian dodgeball which was not nearly as fun as normal dodgeball.

In World History, the first week and couple days was spent teaching the ancient civilizations of the Near East discussing the Epic of Gilgamesh, Creation myths, the development of technology and religion, and the major differences between Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. The next week was the beginning of Chinese civilization focusing on the development of the early dynasties and the 3 major Chinese Philosophies of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism. The end of this past week was spent introducing ancient India including the first video using Miss Reinhardt's computer and later discussing the religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. In English Foundations we have been journaling, working on essay writing, doing interviews, and building vocabulary.

The last three weeks have been a voyage into the unknown. It has been trying and stressful in different ways, but we have also experienced God's faithfulness and I believe that land is not far off. There has been a lot of trials that I feel have been aimed to discourage and frustrate us, but with the support of our brothers and sisters we will accomplish our mission. Please continue to pray for the staff that we will be encouraged and find the role we have to play. A specific prayer request that I have is for the discernment to see how God wants us to reach the students and the community more than just being a quality American school. I apologize for another long delay before another lengthy post, but if you wanna know whats going on over here there is no more exhaustive account available.

Thank you and enjoy the end of Yom Kippur.

School is Open

Mirembrema. C'kemi - "Good Evening. What's up?"

The first week of school at Lezha Academic Center has been completed. For the four of us teachers, it was also the first week in command of our own classroom. After all the hard work and preparation, all of the staff at LAC have now been able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The past few weeks have flown by. The first week of September was spent planning for our classes and trying to finalize many details for school. There was big news that had arrived the week before when Mrs. Shahini told us we would not be receiving the license when we were told. After discussion, we decided that it was not worth the risk of opening the school without the license in hand and elected to push the start of school back a week. I did not mention this in my last blog because we wanted to be sure that all the parents of students were informed before the information was released. While the continued delay of receiving the license was frustrating, this decision turned out to be blessing in disguise. Firstly, the start of our school would now coincide with the start date for the public school system in Lezha, which would help to avoid confusion. Secondly, we were very stressed being prepared for the start of school and I don't think that we were ready. The extra week gave us time to more thoroughly prepare and to take care of many details that had fallen through the cracks. Finally, it allowed us to relax and enjoy the coming week as the board members and others who have been involved with starting the school would arrive for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The beginning of the week was marked by the school finally receiving the official license on time after all. A few phone calls and a letter from Dr. Don Steiner to the Ministry of Education contributed to the Albanian committee getting their act together to finalize the details of the license that had been neglected. I would later find out that this was only the second time that a private school received an official license from the Ministry of Education. Something really cool is that our registration number was #606, the Mennonite anthem, "Praise God from Whom all Blessing Flow." We certainly have to give praise to God for the success of this school. We spent the beginning of the week finalizing our plans and making preparations for our guests. The majority of the group arrived on Wednesday morning signaling a welcome lunch to come. This would be the first in an onslaught of meals aimed at expanding our stomachs. At the meal, we also met a third member of the Shahini family, Kledia along with her fiance Mark. Being only a few years older than us teachers, these two were a welcome addition to the group as we quickly connected with them and enjoyed many lengthy conversations. Also, since Kledia could speak Albanian in addition to English, we know had someone else who could show us around town.

It was a privilege to have the group of school supporters gathered together along with the staff of LAC to open the school. We heard stories from each of them about how God has been moving in Albania through the years and how this dream of starting a school has already experienced many miracles to get to this point. Our time of fellowship together included a trip to the beautiful northern city of Shkodra. The group took two vans into the city before spending time to walk around the center of city with stone streets, coffee shops, mosques, and old buildings. Our tour of this quaint historic city was capped by an evening meal at a beautiful restaurant built in tiers on the hillside across a river from another hilltop castle. The food was the best I have had thus far. I ordered a cheesy tortellini while other plates included fish, veal, and calamari with all the fixings to share around the table. The great location and food along with great company and live music combined to make this one of my favorite nights in Albania.

Friday morning came and it was time for the ribbon cutting ceremony. This ceremony represented the culmination of a lot of hard work and faith. Mrs. Shahini, Rev. Sam Skaggs, Dr. Don Steiner, Elaine Moyer, Ken Horst, and Jim Dombach each gave a short speech to both bless and reveal a sense of purpose for the school. Two Albanian officials also spoke to represent the support that the local and national government have for this school. As the sun began to beat down on the school courtyard, the guests were anxious to rush inside the school for some refreshments after the ribbon was collectively cut by Don and an Albanian official. The school was now open for public viewing, so we moved to our classrooms to welcome guests. Most of the visitors were very impressed by my room and the "flamuri" or flags that decorate the ceiling. It was a relief to know that the school was finally ready to open.

We spent the weekend eating and in fellowship with our guests before they departed. This included an afternoon trip to the beach in order for our guests to be able to "dip their feet in the Adriatic." The group walked along the shore and out to the edge of a jetty where a couple of us decided to swim. While crossing the rocks in the water I stepped on a sea urchin, but it was not until I got out of the water that I realized the damage it had caused. I was bleeding from sizable cut on my foot and some needles that I pulled out that left a stinging sensation. However, the damage was minimal and I was amused by the encounter. Saturday morning we had a local missionaries meeting where we were invited to introduce ourselves and give input into some of the issues that were being discussed. Church was full of Americans that week, so the message was translated into English by Klementina. We also had a baby dedication for the son of Rafael (the pastor) and Solange. On Monday morning, the final group left for the airport, so we said our final goodbyes and thanked them for the support.

The week before school was not very eventful. Naturally, there were many road blocks that kept getting in the way of progress and had to be dealt with. We finalized our planning and met to discuss student and school policies, strategies, and to talk about a our approach as a school. After constantly changing, on Thursday we finally decided the schedule and what electives we would offer for the first quarter. Despite the variety interests in certain offerings, we decided that the greatest need for the beginning of school would be learning English, writing, and support for the core subjects. This culminated in the creation of English Foundations, an elective that would be required for each class during the first quarter. To avoid having three preps, I offered to teach both sections of 10th grade English Foundations while teaching the group of 11th graders World History. At first, Miss Bontrager was going to teach the 11th grade Foundations class, but after the first day of school we decided that it was not beneficial for the 11th grade to have her for two blocks (half the day) so we gave the class to Miss Reinhardt, who now teaches two sections of Math and one of Foundations. Miss Hedrick will teach two sections of Earth Science and an evening English class. Miss Bontrager, now only teaching one block of English language arts in the morning, has taken the primary responsibility for tutoring English along with Mrs. Troyer and will teach an evening English class. The evening English classes are open to anyone and are planned to begin October 1st from 5-6.

After working from dawn to dusk for most of the week, we took a break after work on Thursday to fulfill our desire to take an evening trip to the beach before it got too cold. The four teachers, Mark, Kledia, and two of her cousins piled into the back of Dini's pick-up as we headed to the beach. After arrival we took a quick dip in the warm ocean to watch the sun set and the mountains change color. As night approached, the men set up a fire while the women continued to swim. We built a large tepee style fire which needed to collapse on itself before being suitable for cooking the chicken kabobs we had brought along. The night was very relaxing as we ate and talked about whatever came up. When we got tired we slept on blankets around the fire. During the night each of us had to search for the right distance from the fire so as to not be too cold or too hot. That was the first night I had slept on the beach and it was awesome to be able to hear the ocean and see the stars...although the trade-off was not so great sleep.

The weekend function as a time to prepare our classrooms and ourselves for school. We each slept late on Saturday to make up for our beach trip and we needed to think about our time in Albania and focus on the start of school. On Friday, I took a trip to the printing store where I would stay for the next 3 hours slowly making all the copies that everyone needed for the first week of school. After weeks of expecting computers and a copier we were told that we would have to wait longer. Initially, the computers were supposed to be brought with our guests from America, but because of some issues they never made it. To buy a copy machine that would needs would be too expensive in Albania. The cheapest remaining option is to buy the computers and the copier in the states and have them shipped over along with some of our other electronic needs. Without computers, a copier (and no budget for making copies), the cords needed to use my projector, and a volunteer hiatus from a history textbook, teaching my for the next few weeks will be very difficult and not as effective as initially hoped.

September 12, 2011. The first day of school at Lezha Academic Center had finally arrived. All of the staff waited in the courtyard in the morning to greet the students. We had aimed to start school at 7:30, but it was 7:25 and only five students had arrived. We were starting to get nervous, but all at once a big group of about fifteen students arrived followed by some stragglers. We had exactly 30 students, which was the goal that was given to this school for the year. After a short welcome speech by Mrs. Shahini, the students were sent to their rooms and classes began. I start with the first block off so I had time before my three blocks hit me one after another. First was 11th grade World History. The class had 12 students and I was impressed because they each spoke sufficient English. After a fun and well-behaved class time of getting to know the students, I thought to myself, "this is going to be easy." We have a 30 minute activity time after the first two blocks so that students can eat and have a break. Dini has been working on supplying drinks and snacks to run a snack stand downstairs and hopefully some others will come by school during the period to sell their food items. My third block was 10th grade Foundations, and since I allowed the Albanian history and geography teacher to use my room for third block, I moved over to Miss Bontrager's room. This class had a few students who did not speak English very well and some who were not as quick to participate. Fourth block was back in my room with the other section of 10th grade and it was like a smack in the face. All of these kids spoke English very well and were quite talkative and energetic. Unlike the other two classes, this class would need some discipline to form more appropriate behavior. After the period was over, I was exhausted and retracted my previous statement...this was not going to be easy.

After saying goodbye to the students, everyone was happy. We had pulled off the first day and Mrs. Shahini was very impressed by our performance. Although there would be some difficulties, I was very pleased with the students and was impressed with their English level. There are a few students who will need a lot of work and support, but overall the language will not be as much of a barrier as I initially thought. The students seem to be excited by the differences in our school and are very eager to learn. Because the school charges for tuition, the students are more motivated than you would find at a public school.

The week was spent with introductions, going over the rules, getting to know the students, taking diagnostic tests to measure what they know, and going over course syllabi. In history I introduced concepts like World view, Primary sources, and the dynamism of history as never being one set story. English Foundations was aimed at gauging the reading, writing, and speaking ability of students as well as finding out the best way to support their learning. Overall, the week was a great success. There were a few students sent to the office and some cell phones confiscated in order to set an example, but I believe these students will adjust and be very well-behaved. By the end of the week, I was exhausted...it is hard to think and be on your game all the time. My first week as a teacher was complete and I was pleased, however, this job is never complete. I have worked into the night making preparations for the next day, but I think it is worth it. The education we are giving these students is something very unique for this area of the world.

Because of my teaching schedule, apart from a quick snack, I do not eat from 7:30 until at least 3:30. This week I (and the girls too) have indulged in a nearby fastfood place that sells these delicious gyro/sandwiches called sufflaqe for under 2 dollars. Similar to the Arabic schwarma, they are made with pita and slices of pork topped with french fries, cucumber, onion, yogurt, mayo, and ketchup. I will probably make that a usual stop at the end of the day after our teachers' meeting. On Friday, an important discovery was made. Kledia and I found this pizza shop that makes pizza with nice thick crust, as opposed to the paper thin cracker crust common around here. The girls and I ordered two 18' pizzas and ate most of it because we had not eaten all day. Although, it still did not have hardly any sauce, it was so good and a welcome addition to our limited eating options.

So that has been the past few weeks around here. Most of my day today has been spent writing this blog post...I apologize for how extensive they are. I believe I will be able to write more regularly now that we have a routine and there is likely to be less content as we begin to settle into this school year. I will have to spend the majority of the rest of my weekend planning for next week. I am hoping that as I get into a routine and as our supplies arrive, this will become easier, but for now it is a sun-up until time for sleep type of job. It has been a great ride so far and certainly a relief to start the school with success. Thanks again to those praying and supporting me or this school. We will need your continued support to become the school we want to be and to minister to these kids. I have seen God moving and it will be exciting to see what He does through this school.

Here is my address for any interested parties:

Caleb Benner
Lezha Academic Center
Lagja: Beselidhja
Lezhe, Albania

Until next time.

Into the Thick of Things

For those of you on the East Coast who are reading this, I am glad that you have survived the combined assault of the earthquake and hurricane.

Things here have been intense as well. As school approaches, stress levels are rising and feelings of being overwhelmed are surfacing. There are so many things that continue to arise as road blocks to progress. The Albanian culture can cause an efficiency shock when trying to get objectives accomplished. Nothing can be taken for granted and supplies are either not available or time consuming and expensive to acquire. With a limited budget, Mrs. Shahini and staff are struggling to gather everything needed to start a quality school.

One specific area of frustration has been with getting hold of the school licence from the government. For several weeks, we have been told that all the qualifications are met and that the we can pick up the license soon...we have yet to do so. Two weeks ago all the teachers went with Dini and Klementina to Tirana in order to check the status of our license and perhaps nudge the process along by stuffing several Americans into the small office of the official who was overseeing the process to ask how it was going. After this, we were told that the final details would be taken care of and it would be ready by the end of the week. After several more visits to the Department of education by Dini, we still do not have the document. We found out last week that the only thing remaining was a signature from the Vice Minister of Education during the weekly meeting...apparently like many other Albanian officials, he is on vacation. While he may be back this Wednesday (31) it is more likely he will not be able to sign the license until September 7th, the day after we had planned to start school. We have decided not to take any chances and push the start of school back a week to September 13th. However, this development has its advantages. We will be starting school on the same day that public schools here do, but--more importantly--we now have more time to organize everything we need for the start of school. The popular opinion around here was that we could have used more time to acquire supplies and plan for classes...now we have it.

Going back to the trip to Tirana, besides showing our presence at the Ministry of Education, many things were accomplished. We got to eat at a Christian American restaurant which meant burgers, fries, and ketchup. It was great...and while some of the girls stomachs were overwhelmed by this reminder of the big American lifestlyle, I showed no displeasure in finishing what they could not. We also found an educational supplies store and purchased two whiteboards and bulletin boards. We also found the correct size of fluorescent lights that my classroom was missing. Later in the week we hung the whiteboard and the lights in my room, which allowed me to finally finish the exhaustive process of hanging flags on the ceiling. Apart from the LCD projector that will be installed, my room is finally complete...and I must say it looks good.

The past few weeks have seen some changes in personnel as the last two teachers, Milt and Ann Troyer arrived two weeks ago. This couple from Ohio are some of the nicest people you will meet and they have something new around here...real experience in education. Milt has worked in administration and Ann has been an elementary teacher. They have traveled many times before and worked for three years in Tanzania teaching English. Along with helping out in preparing the school, they will be the leaders for the English evening classes. Anyway, after they arrived we had to quickly take advantage of having all the teachers present by taking pictures. This process was rushed because David would be leaving early the next morning. That night we also went to a concert in the city square and were surprisingly invited into an exclusive cocktail party with the Mayor and some other officials. After listening to some speeches, we took advantage of the high class free food. Apparently, at some point we were caught on camera and news of our presence made news throughout Albania. No one ever mentioned it again to me, so it was most likely minor news...but hey, we made the news. In the middle of the night I said goodbye to David and was left to an apartment on my own.

The weekend before the arrival of the Troyers, the whole group of us decided to hike up to the castle on the hill above the city. As a history person, I always love visiting historic sights especially when they involve possible past battle locations. Naturally it did not take me long to start dominating the landscape by climbing the ramparts and structures to get sweet views of the castle and the city below while feeding my adventuresome spirit. It is always interesting to standing in the ruins of the past, while modern civilization is continuing on around you. Also, Dini and I likely played the first golf that has ever been played within those castle walls. After chipping and around and giving the girls some lessons, we drove a couple balls out over the mountainside below...on the side away from the houses.

On the way down from the castle, I stumbled upon a fig tree that had been neglected and found some amazing soft figs. I mention this because since that point I have increased my fruit consumption because it is so good. I usually buy a few soft figs to eat at the produce stand and then take home peaches, nectarines, and grapes. Although more expensive then the vegetables, the fruit is still cheap and a fulfills the need for sweets. Last night, Jessica finally found out how to at least turn on oven in their apartment and baked a thrown together cake, which was quite flat because of a lack of baking powder. When I came to the girls apartment later that night, I was confronted by a smell that had become foreign to me...sweet baked goods. We ended up buying a container of ice cream and eating a dessert that reminded of us of home.

At the school we have continued to work on preparing the school by finalizing our classrooms, scavenging for books to put in the library, discussing school procedures, and creating the invitations/bulletins for the ribbon cutting ceremony that will be on September 2. The last week has been spent mostly lesson planning. We have reported to the school at 8am and not stopped planning till about 6pm when we got hungry for dinner. Since most of us have few resources and little experience, planning has been difficult. To add to the situation, because we are not sure how many students will join the school in the future we cannot know how many sections of students there will be, therefore we are not sure what elective classes we will be teaching. I mentioned last time that we completed the schedule...false, it has been ever-changing and not finalized. As of now we have not had many more students join after reaching our goal of 30. It looks like we will have enough students to open a second section for 10th grade, but there is not enough for a second section of 11th. It is the law that students be taught Albanian language arts by an Albanian, so with the hiring of an Albanian teacher, none of us will have to teach four blocks. However, if we do not get a second section of 11th to make four total sections, then two of us will only teach two classes in the morning, so we will have to teach an evening English class. Unfortunately, that would mean three preps and for a first-year teacher this can be overwhelming.

The craziness at school has taken up all the day and there is little time for anything else. This past week we took a break from our Albanian lessons to prepare for the beginning of school. Being indoors all day also means very few interactions with Albanians, so I have had little time to study or practice the language. It has been frustrating at times to be in a new culture, yet for the most part be contained within the walls of an American school. This also means a lot of time spent around the girls, but for the most part it has been good to get to know them. It is always nice to take a break from school with them and discuss whatever comes to mind.

Despite not feeling very productive after taking the majority of a week to plan and still not feeling prepared to teach my classes, I feel good about this weekend. Yesterday morning, I slept in till 11 then decided to tackle all of the tasks I had been neglecting. I started with a long stretching session to loosen up my back and legs, then I did two loads of wash, folded and put away all my clothes, wet mopped the entire apartment, cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen, and then made brunch before doing some studying and reading. Today, we again gathered at the small mennonite church down the street. There are three Brazilian missionaries who run the church, the staff of our school, and then a couple Albanians who come to the service. We have a time of worship in Albanian with a guitar, followed by a sermon or discussion interpreted by Dini or Klementina. I have enjoyed the experience attending this church to observe how culture can effect the sharing of the Gospel. After church, the teachers met at the Troyer's apartment which is on the 8th floor of one of the taller buildings in the city and is incredibly nice including perhaps the best view in Lezha. We ate a great Sunday afternoon meal and enjoyed a nice time of fellowship before returning to the school to get some more planning done. In addition to these two meeting times, we have also been gathering with the Shahinis once a week at the school to worship in English and share what is on our hearts. This has been a meaningful time of worship and experiencing community that has encouraged me.

The honeymoon period of first experiencing everything new has been coming to a close. The heat has continued to drain us of strength and there has been no sign of rain or a change in the season. We all understood that starting a school in another country was going to be difficult, but frustration has mounted as new problems arise and we feel like we are not making sufficient progress. We are thankful that God has called each of us work at forming this school as part of His plan and need to focus and depend on God to give us strength and encouragement. Please pray for each of the staff members, especially Mrs. Shahini, as we continue to work through this process. Also pray that the supplies we are depending on, such as computers and textbooks, reach their correct destinations on time in order for them to be brought here by the members of the school board who are visiting for the ribbon cutting ceremony this upcoming week.

Thank you once again to all those who have supported me and the school on this journey. Although things are difficult at times, I have full confidence that we will pull through and be a great presence in this community. I am sorry that I have not updated often, but days seem to pass by as if hours were minutes. Feeling like there is so much to do and having to take some time away from work leaves little room for much else. I hope you were all able to check out the picture album that I posted on Facebook a couple weeks ago...hopefully more will be added soon.

This is going to be quite an adventure and I cannot believe I have been here almost a month. The fact that summer is over and school is starting in the States seems crazy. It is beginning to set in how much time I committed to here and how much I will miss at home over the coming year. I hope that things are going well with all of you and would love to hear updates over email or Facebook. Despite the frustrations, I am still very much enjoying my time here and am so thankful for all the blessings that I have been given.

God Bless. Falemenderit. Mirupafshim - "Thank you and Goodbye."

Beginning of the Adventure

Greetings from Albania!

Life has been non-stop for a while now and there has been no time to write a blog post. In addition to the preparations needed to leave home for a year my schedule was comprised of: a family vacation to New York, two days of orientation in Virginia, and two days of packing and saying goodbye before being back down in Virginia for a some commissioning services and preparations before leaving. It was crazy but I got everything accomplished and felt ready for my adventure.

On Monday afternoon, August 1, I was on the way to Dulles Airport with the three girls from EMU who would be my fellow teachers. We all had worries about our luggage being too heavy or too large, but these feelings were soon removed when the lady at the checkout saw our 9 bags and did not bother weighing them. We also did not have to pay the $200 fee for checking a third bag full of school supplies. However, after boarding our plane we sat for three hours before taking off because of inclement weather. We had no chance of making our connecting flight so we made arrangements to fly to Serbia and then into Tirana, Albania. We sat for many hours at both airports before boarding and did not arrive until 1am Wednesday morning in Albania. Our flight to Munich from Dulles was supposed to leave at 6:30pm and Albania is 6 hours ahead of Eastern US time...for those of you doing the math it was quite an exhausting day of travel. Fortunately, we retrieved all of our luggage and our ride was waiting for us to take us to Lezhe.

On the way to Lezhe I got to ride with Dini Shahini. Dini and Klementina are the couple that dreamed and formed this school from nothing. They were native Albanians who came to the US to seek a better life, but have now returned to start a Christian school in Lezhe. Although I was very tired, Dini and I were able to have a very informative conversation and I learned that he was a great man and would be someone who I could relate to. Upon arrival at the school, a few pictures were taken before I climbed the steps toward my room on the third floor. I was satisfied to see that, just like my room in Jerusalem, I had to walk out onto the roof before entering the apartment giving me a place to hang with a view.

As I walked toward my bed to sleep, I heard a voice in the dark say, "Welcome to Albania". I had met my roomate David Jost. David is another member of the team who will be teaching at the school starting in January, but he had come during the summer to teach a month of English classes to the students who will be attending the school. I immediately noticed that Dave is very cheerful, friendly, and inquisitive. After talking for about 45 minutes I decided that since it was almost 4am, it was time to sleep.

In the morning, all of us went to a restaurant which was great because we got to try a lot of different food and we had eaten little over the time we had traveled. The food here is good, but more importantly it is very cheap. I have eaten a lot of vegetables and fruit, bread, and cheese. There is sausage along with some chicken, beef, and fish, but I have eaten little meat. The other day I bought 4 tomatoes, 4 peppers, 4 onions, a cucumber, and garlic for $2.00. I have also had a lot of coffee (very strong, but small glasses) because it is an important social reality of the culture. In the evening most of the people walk on the street and socialize.

The days here have been spent preparing for the start of school. We have each been working hard to decorate and equip the classrooms. There is a lot of mainetenance and furnishing to be done in the school and the girls' apartment, so I have often been working with Dini to run errands and work on the school, including a trip to Tirana. We have also been meeting with Klementina to discuss what needs to be done in order to open the school. Much time has been spent building the curriculum and it took all day yesterday to come up with a schedule of classes that will work for the year. There are four classrooms in the building right now and only four teachers for the first semester. The school has reached its goal for the first year of enrolling 30 students and has the potential to enroll 60 students. The school is only 10th and 11th grade for this year meaning that we would have two sections of students, 15 members each, for each grade. With four sections of students, all four teachers and classrooms would have to be used every period of the day. This means we will be working harder than we had orignially planned, but we are excited by the interest in the school.

This week, the girls and I have begun taking Albanian language classes every morning. Ever since I found out about this opportunity I have realized that learning the language was going to be the most challenging part of the experience. This is the first time in my travels that I will need to do language study because in Israel most people speak English and my other travels have been too short-term for language learning to be necessary. Very few people here outside of school speak English, and those who do are limited. If I want to reach out to the people of this community I am going to have to learn the language. It is a difficult language, but I am committed to overcoming this obstacle as well as I can.

On Saturday, we took a break from our work to go to the beach. There is a beautiful beach about 20 minutes away from the school. The Adriatic coast here has darker sand and there are few waves. If it is not windy, the water is quite still and incredibly clear. I could still see my toenails through five feet of water. We also went for a walk to a massive slope of sand that we fooled around on for over an hour. The only problem with the beach is that there is a lot of trash around because the people still often throw trash wherever they want. Today we went back to the beach for the afternoon but there was waves because of the wind. I climbed to the top of the sand and then kept climbing up the mountain that continued to rise high above the shore. I had a great time traversing the slopes with bare feet and finding good overlooks.

The summer English classes that were going on officially ended on Thursday, so we had a picnic at the school to give students mini-diplomas and celebrate with some of the parents. I got to meet a few of the students who will be attending the school and I was impressed with their intelligence and motivation. Most of them speak great English, but a few of them need more work before school opens. I believe that the students are capable of achieving much and I believe that our school will have a much higher quality of education than the public schools. Klementina, who is the principal of the school, is striving to equip the school with all it needs to be a top-notch school and has been able to find good deals on computers, LCD projectors, and textbooks.

My apartment has a kitchen/living area, foyer, bathroom, and one bedroom. We are making arrangements so that when David comes back in January, the large foyer will be converted to a bedroom leaving us with seperate bedrooms and work areas. All of the buildings here have tile flooring. The apartment is basic, but it meets all of our needs and is comfortable apart from the summer heat. The apartment and many of the rooms have no air conditioning, so I have been sweating and hot quite a bit thus far. Each of the classrooms is equipped with air conditioning. It should cool down later in August and then everything should be comfortable. The girls are sharing a nicely furnished 3-bedroom apartment that is a two minute walk from the school.

With the schedule made, we are currently finalizing our four year curriculum, for when the school expands, and a list of possible elective classes. We are beginning to work on a school logo and slogan. We should soon be able to work on building the structure and lessons for the classes we will be teaching. It may seem that coming over a month before the school year begins is a lot, but I think it was necessary because there seems to be never ending questions and preparations that surface when you are opening a school. The experience of administrating for the school will be valuable to go along with our teaching.

In comparison to my expectations, Lezhe is a lot more developed and urban than I thought. It is a growing city and there is no open space, not even space for a full size soccer field. I was hoping to play a lot of sports with the kids here to build relationships, but there is no room. I have played soccer once and it was in a caged-in half-size field where we had to pay to play. Also with the language barrier, it will be more difficult to do outreach than I had thought. With the full workload that I will have teaching, that will definately be my primary focus. With David arriving in January and the school being in motion, I hope to be able to spend some more time focusing on how to reach the community. It is my goal to have basic conversational ability in the language by that time so that I can communicate with the locals. However, with how busy I have been, I have not given much time to thinking about the future and have focused on what I can do to prepare this school.

I have been having a great time so far and have seen that God is behind this school. I am very encouraged by the motivation and talents of the people involved and by the success that we have had in drawing students. It is likely that more and more students will join as we near opening and the people know that this is for real. Please respond with questions if you are interested in something specific. I will try to post pictures soon to give you a better idea of the context that I am working in. I know many of you have been praying and I think your prayers are being acted on. Thank you for all the support that you have offered to me or to this school. We certainly will continue to need prayer and support throughout the year.

That is all for now. Naten e mire - "Good Night."