Life in Albania

• An estimated 70% of Albanians are Muslim, though many follow Islam only by tradition and do not practice it devoutly.  Other prominent religions include Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox. 
• The mountains are truly stunning.  My cousin likes to say that if all the mountains in Albania were ironed out, the country would be the size of Russia.
• Albania has a rich history that goes back thousands and thousands of years.  It's so different from America, which is a relatively new country!  There are many historical sites from as far back as  before Greek and Roman times, and I would love to know what history is buried beneath some of the major cities.
• The story behind the two-headed eagle on the Albanian flag can be found here:

• Very few people obey the traffic laws.  Stoplights are irrelevant, everyone makes their own lanes, and the policemen who stand on the side of the road and wave their arms are almost completely ineffective.
• Albania is known as the most hospitable country in Europe.
• We have to filter all the drinking water so we don't get parasites.
• Everyone throws their trash in the streets.  Several times, we've passed a huge trash pile on the ground...right next to an empty dumpster.
• Crossing the streets is like being in a game of Frogger.
• We bleach all the fruits and vegetables that we buy from open markets because it's hard to know how clean they are.  My aunt once saw a rat crawling over all the tomatoes.
• One word: "Opa!"
• Kolonat is the Albanian equivalent of McDonald's, and AFC is the Albanian knock-off of KFC.

• Personal space does not exist.
• Albanian cuisine can be summed up in three words: kos (yogurt), olives, lamb.
• Shaking your head side to side means "yes."
• When you meet elderly ladies, they like to pinch your cheeks and then plan your wedding with their son.
• Castles, castles, castles!
• New Year's is the most celebrated holiday.  Christmas was not celebrated in Albanian during communism, and, though it is celebrated now, is not as big of a deal as New Year's Eve.  It is when they give gifts, visit family, and shoot off millions of fireworks that would be illegal in the States.
• In most cities, the Muslim Call to Prayer can clearly be heard. 
• Everyone you meet invites you out for coffee.  In fact, we drink so much coffee that if I were to get cut, I'm sure I would bleed coffee.
• Skanderbeg is the most famous national hero in Albania.  He is known for fighting off the invading Ottoman Turks in the 1400's.  His statues stands in the center of Tirana, the capitol.  Kolonat even has a burger named after him: the Skanderburger!

• NUTELLA. 
• There are 36 letters in the Albanian alphabet.  However, reading Albanian is relatively simple - each letter always makes the same sound, very much unlike English! 
• Popular foods include byrek, sufflaqe, fli, and lamb head roasted on a spit (You don't eat no meat?! Ok, I make lamb :)

• In fact, watch "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."  That pretty much sums it all up.
• Albanian culture includes a myriad of blessings and curses ("bless your hands," "may you have a long life," etc.)  One curse is literally translated as "May the skin on your elbows dry up!"
• Leke is the currency used.  It's easy to convert: 100 leke almost exactly equals $1.  So a cheeseburger at Kolonat is about 200 leke.

  

• In the Bible, "Illyricm" was ancient Albania.  Romans 15:19, "They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God's Spirit.  In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum." 





Recent Happenings

This post is a much-needed update on all that has occurred the past few weeks.  So many exciting things have happened since my trip to Tropoja!  I am happy to say that  Iam learning to feel very much at home here in Albania.  I am falling in love with the country, the culture, and the people.  I  am making an attempt to learn the language, but so far I can only understand a little, and I can't speak very much at all.


Adjusting to Life in Albania

Last week, I went Christmas shopping with my aunt.  As we were walking all over the city, I came to an astonishing realization.  Walking around the crowded, dirty sidewalks of Tirana, crossing the dangerous streets, passing fruit stands and butcher shops with whole sheep hanging in the window, seeing beggars on the side of the road - it's all become so normal to me.  I was not very culture shocked when I first arrived here - mostly because Tirana is much more modern than the rest of the country, so I was more gradually introduced to the poverty and corruption that permeates most of the country.  However, for a while everything did seem very strange and different.  Now, it seems so normal!  I am excited to know that I am learning to be comfortable and to feel at home here in a foreign country.

Jozi

Jozi is a young Albanian woman who has been a good friend of the Hosaflooks for years.  She has befriended me, and has been taking me all around Tirana to teach me more about the culture.  We have gone to several historical landmarks together, including the 18th-century mosque in the town center, where we were asked to take off our shoes and cover our heads in order to go inside!  We have also been to the art gallery, the 19th-century clock tower, and to the lake, a popular place for Albanians to hang out on weekends and holidays.  Jozi has been wonderful in teaching me about Albanian history, culture, and language.  Her younger sister, Frida, is very good at doing traditional Albanian dances.  Once day when I went to their house for lunch, Frida showed me her beautiful traditional costume and taught me how to do basic dances steps.  (Click on this link for a video of Albanian folk music and dance.)

For the past few weeks, I have been going to church with Jozi at Kisha Biblika Baptiste Tirana (Tirana Bible Baptist Church).  My aunt, uncle, and cousins attend Grace, a church with a congregation that constists half of Albanians and half of missionaries.  It is a wonderful church with a good kids' program for my cousins, but I feel that God has called me to attend KBBT, where there are no other missionaries.  At KBBT, I will be able to make Albanian friends and hopefully learn more of the language.  The services are entirely in Albanian, but Jozi translates for me a little and helps me to learn frequently used Albanian words.

Inside the mosque in Tirana



The Bridge

On Saturdays, we host a youth group for middle school aged kids in Tirana's missionary community.  We hold it on the third story of my aunt and uncle's house (which my five-year-old cousin has nicknamed "The Fluff."  My aunt has named this youth group "The Bridge" because the missionary kids who attend represent a bridge between cultures, and because they are at an age that is a bridge between childhood and adulthood.  About twenty kids attend, all between the ages of 12 and 14.  They are a fun, precious group, and the first two weeks of The Bridge have been a wonderful time of fellowship and growing in the Lord.

Valbona

Since arriving in Albania, we have often seen two gypsy girls washing car windows on the side of the road to make money for their families.  We befriended them, and found out that their names are Denisa and Valbona.  We only ever see them when we are in the car stuck in traffic, so we've only been able to talk to them for a few minutes at a time, but we wanted to be able to make friends with them and their families.  So last Friday evening, my aunt, two of my cousins, and I took a walk to see if we could find one of them.  We met Valbona and her mother, Sonila, on the intersection where they usually work.  Her mother was very kind, and she invited us to come to their house for a visit.
Last Sunday after church, we picked up Valbona and Sonila, and went to their house.  They live in a tiny, run-down house that has a leaky roof, smells horribly of mold, and has a bathroom that doubles as their kitchen.  Outside their house in an enormous trash pile, with a dead dog lying nearby  As sad as it was, these are actually comparatively good living conditions for gypsies (more politely called Roma), who are incredibly poor and looked down upon by other Albanians.  We were greeted at their door with hugs and kisses from Valbona's younger brother and sister, Raulf and Majlinda.  My cousins had brought the children gifts, and they quickly became friends.

At Valbona's house we also met Rukia, the oldest daughter, who is thirteen years old.  Rukia is a Christian, and loves the Lord so passionately that it shines on her face.  We don't know how she came to know Christ or if she is being discipled by anyone, and we didn't want to pry on our first visit, especially since the rest of the family is not saved.  But Sonila told us that one day, when she was begging on the side of the road, someone gave her a Bible.  She brought it home and gave it to Rukia, who now reads it all the time and often shares the stories with the rest of her family.  Rukia writes beautiful poetry, most of which is about Christ and His love and sacrifice.  Her poems are full of such deep understanding and such fervent love for the Lord that we were almost driven to tears as she read them aloud.  It was truly incredible to see how God is working in her life.

We are very excited to have made friends with this family, and we would like to be able to visit them often.  In fact, we are hoping to visit them on Christmas Day  Please pray that we would be able to establish a good relationship with them so that we can tell them about the Lord.  Also pray for Rukia, that God would keep her strong in Him, as she is the only one in her family who is a believer.