Soggy Wednesday, the 16th

Has it really been since Saturday?  I have been having problems with the internet - first in Korce where, despite my best efforts, I could not get on.  Here, in Tirana, I do not have internet in my room, and I have so busy that the restaurant has been closed, or my eyes have been!  So, it has been longer than I thought.

Saturday we traveled to Korce from Pogradec.  Check out a map!!  Oh, and by the way, nobody won the prize for telling me what is so special about Lake Ochrid!  OK, I get to eat the prize myself!!  Your loss!

Alban, Dori and Sharon getting a tour from Hirolinda

Before we headed out, though, we stopped at a small village where there is a compound that has been built by a German humanitarian group - Nehemiah.  Perhaps some of the AERO alums will recognize the name... it is where the teams stayed when they were centered in Pogradec.  What an incredible compound.  They now have a school, K-12, and a university granting BA and MA in one course of study... I think it is business administration or something to do with business.  It is amazing... lots of things going on and lots of

The chapel

Lots of new construction

 construction.  There is also a small medical clinic in this compound which serves the community as well as
those in the school.

Then up in the mountains we traveled... seeing more and more horse and donkey carts loaded with goods, lots of cows on "leashes" being taken out to eat along the road, or donkeys with unwieldy loads.  The donkeys here surely "earn their keep."  The people live primarily in villages - obviously, the ones I saw were close to the road.  The farming here is mostly by small family farm.  A family owns

A typical family farm

a strip of land, then plants whatever.  There were not many tractors in evidence, the plowing probably being drawn by a donkey.
   
It's interesting, Alban says that the villages are where the one story buildings begin, and the city is where the multistory apartment buildings are.  While that may have been true, the farmers are selling off their land to developers... sound familiar?

Terraced hills

And, another oddity - well, not exactly an oddity, but a curiosity to my eyes.  Remember that for 50 years, Albania was governed by a Communist dictator.  He felt that it was wasteful to have hills covered with trees or scrub rather than fruit trees.  So, he ordered the people to "volunteer" to terrace the hills and plant fruit trees.  Very few of the trees have survived, but the terraces are evident everywhere.  I don't know if there would have been forests here or just scrub... but to think of the hours and hours of labor that were needed to terrace the hills is astounding... the terraced hills go on and on, from valley to valley.  It was after Albania broke relations with Russia then China and had very few trading partners... the dictator, Enver Hoxha, declared that they would have to feed themselves... thus, the terraces for fruit trees.

A shepherd and flock

As we were traveling, we stopped to take a photo, and alongside the road was a flock of sheep and a shepherd calling with a word or a whistle.  It made me think of the Great Shepherd, and how we can hear His voice.  I watched, thinking, as I watched the sheep respond to their shepherd's voice and command.  Oh, that we could be so attuned to our Shepherd... that we would obey without a thought as He directs us through the cares of the days.  This particular shepherd was a Roma, and was most interested in asking us for a smoke.  The similarity ended there...

Fresco of old monastery

Bill was intent on seeing a village with some Orthodox churches dating from 1000 AD or so.  We saw what look like frescoes from that era - they could use a little restoration... they were probably decorating the walls of storehouses during the Communist time... but it was absolutely fascinating.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to photograph the ones inside, but this fresco (I think) was decorating the outside of one of the monasteries.  The old buildings had very few icons left inside... again, no photos.

Orthodox cathedral in Korce

Korce was never occupied by the Ottomans, at least that is what I've been told... therefore, the people have been Orthodox (remember, it is in the south), and Islam hasn't had much of a foothold.  The cathedral is "the place" for Greek Orthodox in Albania, and we were there on Palm Sunday.  There aren't a whole lot of palm trees here, so instead of palm leaves, Roma or farmers were selling laurel (bay) leaves.  The courtyard was very fragrant, and loads of kids asked us if we wanted to buy from them.  I have decided that I decline, but then say something like, "Mirdita" or "Mirmanges"... "Good day" or "Good morning."

Orthodox priest

Inside the cathedral

When I meet a Roma begging, when I look them in the eye and tell them "Good morning," they generally smile back at me with a broad smile and return the greeting!

There was not the same proscription of photos in the cathedral, so here you can see you the elaborate interior.  For the service (which I didn't photograph), the bishop had on a bejeweled head covering which rose to about the height of a top hat or more.  He (and the other priests) were in pastel robes, most with beards (I think all had them, but I wouldn't swear to it), and there were a lot of people just milling around.

The faithful come into the sanctuary, approach one of the icons, some under glass, pray, cross themselves, then kiss the icon.

Well, my friends, the restaurant is open, but my eyes are not.  I will continue with my adventures on the morrow.  I have much else to share, including how these travels have influenced my overall view of ministry here... but until then, naten e mir!