Election week...

Well, I thought I had outsmarted jet lag, but here it is 4 in the morning, and I've been up for about an hour!  Guess I was kidding myself!

I never got back to "fill you in" on my activities.  It always seems like the last days are filled to overflowing as people "hear you're in town," and you madly try to finish up with all the things you aimed to do.  So it was with me... not helped out very much by an errant virus or two.

Goodness, I last left you on Election Day!  A day filled with cautious optimism for me... I wouldn't hear election news until the next day.  The weather was brisk, with blue sky and clouds flitting by.  What a great day for me, as we (not just me) were able to witness to a couple of people who are not Believers while we made hot pads at Rudi's church (see my last post or two). 

A phone call, while we were working at Rudi's church, was from a woman in Greece who said she feared for her life.  We thought, perhaps, she was trafficked and had escaped.  Some of us paused to pray for her safety specifically, and for God's protection and justice for all the women caught in this diabolical web.  It was the first time I felt an evil presence in Albania - there is, apparently, an active mafia that operates in the shadows (as it does everywhere).  It is this mafia that kidnaps and traffics girls and women.  I imagine that the mafia is into other things as well, but several of my friends have spoken about the "lost" girls... girls taken from the north of Albania and trafficked in the south or vice versa.  While it happens that this particular call was bogus, it was a stark reminder of the evil that permeates this world... that mocks God by treating those made in His image as mere objects... wares to be bought and sold.  For too much of human history, there have been people subjected to this unspeakable evil.

Friday at Dee's table

Wednesday dawned wet and gray... portending the news I received from my homeland.  We met with Sabina at the Instituti (CCC), renewed friendships there, got to see Dori's hot pad finished, and then went for a coffee with Sabina.   After catching up on her news... she's been many places with CCC, including Macedonia where she and her husband Dori have worked with groups from our own church to reach the youth there... and then strategized for future trips.  She is attending a church in Porcelani district (straight up Rr. Hoxha Tahsim from the Stephan Center) which has two active women's groups.  So, Sabina arranged for me to meet with the one hosted by Dee, the pastor's wife.  We did that on Friday where the young mothers made hot pads.  While there were no unbelievers there, the women had a great time, and were intent on finishing the hot pad at their next meeting.  Dee and I talked about the potential for doing other projects at their church. 

Leaving Dee's

At Dee's table

Now, remember that I am not a photographer at heart!  I forgot my camera on Wednesday, so took no pictures of Sabina, and the pictures I took Friday at the women's group were an afterthought!  I forgot to take pictures as we were working, so the ones you see here are from the very end as everyone was leaving.

Let's go back to Wednesday, now.  After meeting with Sabina, I headed over to the International Protestant Assembly to check out the seamstress class they were holding.  One of their members, Aida, wanted to teach such a class, and the machines we placed there gave her that opportunity.  Rumor has it those in the class finished drafting a pattern for a skirt and then used it to make their own skirt... Donna, one of the missionaries from Ireland, was reportedly delighted!  So, since I didn't have my camera, Cleon, from Guyana (I think) offered me his and I took a number of photos!  To the left, Aida is showing Shani how to draft a blouse pattern.  Above and to the right, Hebibe is working on her pattern.

Wednesday afternoon was spent doing what I seem to always do there... looking for fabric and other supplies.  I get a tip, and check it out.  The evening was spent with Migena, strategizing on how to proceed with the widows.  A busy day.

Think I'll leave you in election week for the time being; there's lots more that happened, but I'll leave you hanging.  I hear others awakening, and think my concentration may soon be compromised.

Pafshim!