Living in the Shadow

We recently decided to move across town. It is a deliberate move into the shadow, so to speak. Just around the corner from the local mosque, we will be reminded to pray more fervently as the call to prayer will ring in our ears 5 times a day. I am often tempted to succumb to fear. Fear that my children will not be safe. Fear of failure. Fear of.... One night this past month, I once again woke up in fear of the uncertainty that lies ahead, especially due to living in the shadow. And the Lord gently reminded me, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Ps. 91:1) In other words, I may live in earthly danger, but the Lord's rest and protection can find me even there.

Blast from the Past

When I left Albania as a child 14 years ago, I wondered if I would ever return. At that time, rebel forces were marching across the country and were just days away from taking Korca. As I fled my home and the people I loved, I remember looking up to the mountains above the city and finding comfort in the words of the psalmist:

"I lift my eyes up to the mountains -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Ps. 121:1-2).

It's hard to believe that God has brought me back to Korca to make it my home once again. So much has changed since I left 14 years ago, mostly for the better. The city now boasts in the fact that it has running water and nicer cobblestones for the streets and even broadband internet! The church, too, has grown in leaps and bounds.

And yet the gospel has just barely begun to penetrate the hearts of a nation that had no Christian witness during its years under communism. Though a cross marks the top of the mountain above Korca, staking out a claim for the Orthodox Church, the truth is that people are just as lost as before. Except now they are growing blind to their need for Christ. As long as the communist regime squelched all religion, Albanians hungered for God. Now, so many are running after the things of this world -- money, power, pleasure -- and beginning to grow calloused to their need for a Savior.

So here we are, not knowing really what God wants to accomplish, but confidant that there is still work to be done.

Arriving in Tirana, Albania!

A heart-felt hello from Papi Stucky in our host's apartment in Tirana. God went before us, keeping us safe and healthy the whole way. All glory to the Father and to His Son! Amen.

Our first dining-out experience at the Gloria Italian Villa was delightful. The gregarious waiter told us the building used to be a Communist center for jamming radio signals. He and his three brothers now run a rather chic restaurant, reminding us all that food triumphs in the end!!

Our London Tour

After arriving in London, we spent two nights at the Marriott Hotel near Heathrow Airport. We highly recommend the complimentary breakfast with omelets and chocolate croissants! It provided much needed R&R from the 10 hour flight and jet-lag.

Lydia, Melody, and I went into London for a Girl's Day Out. Big Ben was waiting for us...and thousands of bustling tourists from around the globe!

Tim and Danny were content to watch jets fly into Heathrow, they enjoyed front-row seats peering through the fence across the road.

Saying Good-bye in L.A.

Hugging Grandpa Dinkins was a bittersweet good-bye. We came to a cross-roads and he took one path while we took another, knowing it will be years before we hug again.

Lydia created an ingenious method of transporting children in car seats (simply attach to your rolling carry-0n luggage)!

The Balentine Family and Haas' came to say good-bye and pray for us before we embarked on our world tour to Albania!

Burnt Chicken and Stolen Batteries

I'm so glad that we serve a God who gives us the grace to laugh even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. These past two weeks of saying goodbye to my "Mama D" have come as a shock and yet have been filled with sweet moments we won't forget. Even now Tim and the rest of the family are in Oklahoma to bury his mom...

Meanwhile, I'm living in a comedy. Having 16-month-old "busy Danny" and 2-month-old Melody for these three days without Daddy's assistance gives me enough material to write the screenplay. Though yesterday I was in tears, today I'm laughing about the very things that made me cry. I guess a little perspective from Jesus can turn a storm into a waterpark.

It all started when we were out on errands. After stopping at the library, the bookstore, the church office, and Starbucks, I was tired of hauling out the double stroller and trying to get a squirming Danny buckled into the front seat. So I made the foolish decision to hold him with one arm and carry Melody in her carseat with my other arm as we walked into the store. While I was browsing for what I needed, I let Danny down to play with some beach balls he had spied. But before I knew it, he grabbed a couple of batteries off of the shelf and ran out of the store, heading straight for the parking lot! I left Melody on the floor and whatever else I was holding and tore after him just in time. I could feel the compassionate stares as we came back in and rescued Melody from the floor. Yep, that's me, the frantic mom who can't handle her children.

I was exhausted by the time we got home. So I put a screaming Danny down for a nap in his room and left a crying Melody in my room in the hopes that she would fall asleep. And I went and laid down on the couch with a pillow over my head so that I could get a quick nap. I think it was my one moment of peace and quiet all day.

Dinner was a fiasco as well. With two children crying for food simultaneously, I scrambled to get something cooking for Danny while I fed Melody. I emptied a box of macaroni into boiling water, but didn't let it cook long enough. Then I put a piece of chicken breast in the oven to bake, but completely forgot about it. The chicken was burnt to a crisp and had to be thrown away, and we ended up just having undercooked mac and cheese for dinner. I can't say that breakfast was any better this morning. I decided to make banana pancakes for Danny. I had already thrown most of the ingredients together when I discovered that we were out of eggs. So we made the best of it and swallowed the dense pancakes that stuck to the back of our throats. Oh well, as Tim's dad says, the life of a missionary is all about having a good sense of humor and a bad sense of smell. I'm glad that as I look back over the mishaps of the past day, I can share my funniest failures with you all, thankful that when I'm at my weakest point, God's power can shine through most.

Check Back Later

We noticed we haven't been able to keep up with the blog very much recently. We are going to take a break from the blogging world. We are moving to Europe this summer so that is going to be taking up most of our time. We will check back in periodically and hopefully we will be back with more updates after the move.