Dear Friends and Family,

I’ve now been in Albania for a month. I wanted to give an update that goes through the different things I have done or am now apart of.

I now play the cajon for church service, which is pretty much just a simple drum. You’ve probably seen them in church, especially with Millennials. It helps a lot, though, with worship, because although someone already plays guitar the drums keep everyone in time. You cannot imagine how much the kids love hitting it. There is now a class on how to play it, as well as the guitar.

I teach guitar classes on Wednesdays at the Village Center in Vlashaj. (Vlashaj is the village where the Waggoner’s live and run their village center, church, and soon to be soccer field.) I started out teaching one class on Wednesday at 3:30, but so many kids want to learn that there is a class on Monday, three on Wednesday, not to mention the times I find out someone is coming “sot” (which means today) at a time I hadn’t planned. It is great, though, because there is much enthusiasm in the kids and they learn very, very fast. I also teach one teenager at the Hope Center Orphanage, where I also live.

Apart from the guitar and cajon lessons which started with my coming, I am helping with parts of the Waggoner’s already existing ministry. They do much more than I could fully take part in, but I help run the recreation times at their village center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The recreation times give the younger kids a chance to come play sports like basketball and soccer, and some of the older kids join in every now and then, too. It also keeps them around for things like bible club and church that often follow it.

Some of of the “crew” at the village center in Vlashaj.

On Saturday morning I go with the Waggoner’s to help with their “Kid’s Club” in the more remote village of Metallë. Kids walk a long way to come, and they are excited to hear the bible story of the week, get candy, play some games, and do an activity.

.

The view from kid’s club in Metallë.

Eda Teaching a bible story in Metallë.

One of the unexpected joys I have been able to take part in is living at the Hope for the World: Albania, which is an orphanage for teenagers who have aged out of the normal orphan system. I help supervise the guys, but that turns more into playing sports, games, and bible study.

Two of the kids, who made me a sign for my coming.
 (The younger in the photo is Reni, Nathan and Cydil Waggoner's son.)

I go back and forth between the Hope Center and the Waggoner's house on a mostly daily basis. Most days I go to help with something at the Village Center, but some days I get to go early and play video games with Reni, or play guitar with Ellie. (Reni and Ellie are the Waggoner's children.) 

I am between the villages of Marikaj (where I live) and Vlashaj (where the Village Center is) every day except Tuesday and Thursday, when I travel to Tirana to learn the Albanian language. I take the bus there and I've gotten to know a few people along the way. It's amazing how many people have bought me coffee or gone out of their way to help me find something. The class is at 6:30 PM, so I get to walk around the city during the day. On a recent trip I visited "Bunk-art" which is an underground bunker-turned museum. Albania has a recent and turbulent political history. It was ruled by one of the most ruthless, craziest dictators of recent history for decades under communism. The Dictator, Enver Hoxha, ordered 750,000 concrete bunkers to be built across the country. That's one for every four people. This museum is dedicated "In Memory of the Communist Terror's Victims," and is built into the bunker for government officials underneath the capital city, Tirana. Under Enver Hoxha the government spied-on, tortured, jailed, and executed thousands of innocent citizens and foreigners. Communism fell in the 1990's, and I have the unique chance to meet people and live in a country that is building back from it.

The Entrance to Bunk-art.

This is a general overview of what I am doing so far and what my schedule is like. I hope to start posting regularly, so that I can share actively what is happening.

Please pray that God gives me a sense of what he wants me doing here. Although I did not plan it, it's obvious that God is using music, already. My mind always tends to look forward, but it may be that God is creating all the plans under my feet!

John