Two Year Residency Permits!

by James 

Today my family did something in Albania that I never believed would ever actually happen. We got our full-time residency permits for the next two years.

When we first arrived in Albania, nearly two years ago, we started the process of being legally registered as volunteer workers in the country. The process was so circuitous and involved that by the time we had our permit cards in our hands last spring, they were already set to expire in three weeks.

So, we were already late for the reapplication process for the next term, which would allow us to stay for another year.

The way Albanian immigration works, an American is allowed to enter the country for one full calendar year, no questions asked. But if they wish to stay longer, and work, they must be registered and accepted as long-term residents. After five years of annual updates, they can apply for "permanent" residence.

So, after spending a full year carrying papers to various offices and notaries and paying about $1,000 in fees, it was disheartening to not even have a moment of rest in the process, which sometimes feels like a part-time job. We hit the streets again and applied our paperwork and stood in offices and signed our names over and over and waited for our turn to be processed. This time, it seemed the cards may not arrive in our hands, once again, until the spring.

But through the grace of God and some friends in and out of the Albanian Immigration Department. We were not only processed 6 months sooner than I expected but we were given TWO-year permits. Meaning, we don't have to worry about this process again until 2026.

It is hard to imagine living in Albania and not having to keep track of where we are in the residency process. It's definitely a huge feeling of freedom and acceptance.

We drove an hour and half to the immigration office in Vlore today (because that is the closest office to our home, and it is only open twice a week, and we went on Thursday but it was closed in celebration of Mother Teresa's Sanctification Day...etc etc) and we walked through the muddy impound lot at the port to the little metal back door at the immigration office and stood in a room crowded with ten or twelve other people all waiting for some mercy from the uniformed officers at the cluttered desks. And after taking our fingerprints and our signed documents, wet with rain water, we were handed five beautiful red and blue ID cards.

On the way back through the port, in the rain, I set my camera up on a mound of dirt and took a family photo under umbrella in what might be mistaken for a construction site. And then later discovered when I arrived home that my camera did not have a camera card in it. So, the photo is lost.

So, join me in celebrating this strange milestone. Praise God that he has given us permission to share in his work here for several more years, at least. And please enjoy this picture I took yesterday of Clara standing at the end of a road, not far from our house. It now feels oddly appropriate for the moment.

Biblical Contest 2024

 by James

On the last Saturday before the end of Summer vacation, the churches in Albania meet together for a friendly "Bible Bowl" competition in Durres.

Every year the subject is different and teams from every congregation in Albania study very hard all summer so they can come together and compete at this special meeting. They sacrifice many hours digging deep into the often-overlooked corners of God's Word and enjoy a day of fellowship and friendship.

There is a competition of course, and that means there are winners, and the Albanian competitive spirit comes out in everyone. But at the end of the day, it's simply a wonderful way to encourage each other to study hard, dig deep, and share in the experience, celebrating each other and celebrating God.

This year the study took us through the entirety of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings as far as Chapter 11. You might know this passage as the kingship of David, following Saul's death at the end of 1 Samuel, through the death of Solomon in 1 Kings chapter 11. Two generations of epic history with secondary characters and tertiary characters and... what do you call fourth, fifth, and even sixth-level characters? So many numbers and figures and cities and dates and rivers and curses.

We had two teams compete from the city of Berat. One was a youth team, which included a very friend of our family who was baptized just a few months ago. She would come to our house twice a week to read a few chapters and take copious notes with my daughters. Andrea did a wonderful job leading this study. A fourth teammate would later meet us at the competition since she moved to Tirana for college last fall. But the three studying in Berat would bond the rest of the afternoon by watching movies and then having lunch together. I would listen to them laugh while I sat in the backroom scrambling to put together notes for the second team's study a few hours later.

The second team was a group of four older men from the congregation. I would show up, two evenings a week and teach them entirely on my own. And by that I mean, without the help of a translator. At first, I thought for sure these eager men would give up on my fumbling dialog, but they were very patient with me and we pressed through hours and hours and hours of study together.

I now know the word for "Murder" very well, in Albanian. And I know the word for "sailboat" because it is what Solomon built to travel on the Red Sea. And the other day during a conversation with a friend, he mentioned how his wife had helped him improve his balance with Yoga, and I had to stop him and ask, "I'm sorry, but your wife helped you improve your justice?" and I learned that, in Albanian, Solomon's wisdom was in his ability to understand "balance" because this is the same word for "justice".

We had many good evenings together studying. As much as I am relieved to be finished with the stress of the Bible Bowl this past Saturday. I'm already looking forward to next year.

I will admit, I was reluctant to dive in. I felt like there were probably better uses for my time here than teaching a handful of Albanian men about blood and murder and rape written in Ancient Hebrew and taught by a man that does not speak Albanian. But I accepted my mission and I did what I was asked to do. I'm humbled to share that near the end of the study one of my students, a kind man named Misiri said he wanted to be baptized. When asked why, he simply replied, "I was inspired by the faith of David. That is a man that I want to be like." And that's entirely the work of God.

It has been a very blessed summer. I can't wait to see what happens next.

I'll now attach some pictures from the bible competition and maybe a few of our notes and study sessions.

Lydia is Baptized!

 by Andrea

On Thursday, something happened that I've been praying for since before my children were born: James walked into the Adriatic Sea with Lydia and baptized her into Christ.

Our friend Misiri, who had been attending the Berat church of Christ for a long time and knows the Christians well, wanted to be baptized in the sea. People in our church don't have cars and the closest beach is over an hour away (we live in the mountains), so the church hired a bus so everyone could go to the sea for the baptism.

Lydia, who had been quietly thinking about her faith a lot recently, eagerly asked us if she could be baptized too. She had her thirteenth birthday this June. It's not always easy to see the point when someone who has been talking to and learning about and worshipping God since infancy is ready to take responsibility for her own faith. When we asked her why she wanted to be baptized and become a Christian, we weren't looking for the right answers as much as the right attitude. This wasn't for attention or to prove something to herself or someone else. This was something she needed to do despite everyone else. When James and I nodded and started preparing for a baptism, she turned pink with joy and I looked over and said, "You're glowing!" I absolutely knew then that she was ready.

In true Lydia form, she chose everything she wore with deliberate care and meaning to her heart: She found a Global Missions T-shirt. She put on a necklace she had made for herself that said WWJD. She wore an Albanian Eagle necklace. She had "Jesus Loves me," "Pray for Ukraine," and "Still Following - Adventures in Missions" bracelets on her arms. She was eager for her appointment with following Jesus for the rest of her life. She just radiated peace and happiness.

Clara and Gideon were absolutely the sweetest and most supportive. Gideon dashed into the waves to fling his arms around his sister. Clara hugged her fiercely and gave every single bit of quiet support and love. I was so blessed to see their harmony.

August 22, 2024. My baby girl was born again. Praise God. His mercies are new every morning.

Congratulations to Misiri and Lydia! Welcome to God's Kingdom!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Acts 2:38 NKJV

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 6:3-4 NKJV

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Galatians 3:27 NKJV

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Matthew 28:19 NKJV

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Kids' Week Camp Photos

 by James 

A few days ago I shared pictures from our most recent week of summer camp, which was for teenagers. Tonight I'm sharing pictures from the first week of camp that was for younger kids. This is the week that Gideon went to alone for several days before I could join him.

We have two weeks of summer camp for children in Albania and they are back to back. Literally, the vans that bring the teens for week two are the same vans that take the younger campers home that same day. It is intense and hot and very full and very blessed.

I admit, I was somewhat dreading the experience since last year we were not ready for everything that was involved with camping in a tent in an olive grove in 105-degree temperatures. But this week was absolutely one of the best weeks of our summer. Gideon made wonderful friends, and I became closer to my Albanian coworkers and was able to grow in important and meaningful ways.

I'm already looking forward to next year so I can spend time with these wonderful kids again.

*Due to the number of photos, we are including the link to the original Facebook post below...

James Smith - A few days ago I shared pictures from our most... | Facebook

Teen Week Camp Photos

 by James

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from last week's Albanian Youth Camp. This is actually the second of two weeks of camp that I worked at. The first week of camp was for younger kids and I'm still working on those pictures (the older teens were more eager to have pictures to share).

I love all of these people so much more than I can fit into pictures. I wish all of you could know them like I do.

*Due to there being nearly 80 photos, we are linking directly to the Facebook post which is public to anyone on or off of Facebook. . .

James Smith - Here are a few of my favorite pictures from last... | Facebook

Gideon goes to Camp

 by James

I woke Gideon up this morning at 5:00 and drove him down the street to meet a bus to camp. Camp is three hours away, in a circle of tents in an olive field near the beach and it will be several days before I will be able to drive out to join him. Last week, I gave him the option of staying home and coming late with me, or going alone. I half expected him to argue to not go at all, and I was prepared to let him do that. We went last year, and it was quite a struggle for all of us, dealing with heat and exhaustion and misunderstandings. But when I presented Gideon with the options this year, he simply shrugged and said he would take the bus early and I can meet him later.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, "I can do that. It will be fun."

So, we started making plans for our little guy to go.

Things became a bit more complicated when some ladies in a government office downtown started giving me serious trouble regarding our residency paperwork and I had to make the choice to stay home an extra day longer to try to settle it. I told Gideon that instead of coming on Sunday night, I would have to come to be with him on Monday night. That evening he had a nightmare that he went to camp and I never came to get him.

And yet, despite these obvious fears and understandings of how difficult it would be for him, he still picked up his bags and walked down to the car with me to go meet the camp bus this morning.

When the "bus" arrived, the door opened to reveal an overcrowded van with kids sitting in each other's laps and a few smiling friends that I know do not speak English.

"You can find a place to sit and sleep a bit on the way," I said, giving him one last hug. "And I'll be there to see you in just two days, alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Dad," he hugged me back. "It will be okay." And then he climbed up the steps and disappeared.

This afternoon we got a phone call from a friend telling us that he arrived at camp safely, and we heard pieces of the adventures he had already been on that morning. And I could tell he was happy and excited for the things that would be happening next.

We hung up the phone and the four of us sat in the living room and kind of looked around at each other quietly. Finally, Clara spoke. "Life without Gideon is weird. I don't really like it." And then she sighed. "How does everyone else do it every day?"

It's a good question. How do any of you live your life without Gideon?

I guess it was about time we shared this little treasure with the world.

Mediterranean Christian Conference

 by Andrea

Always looking for ways to encourage our kids' faith and make mission connections, we decided to squeeze a trip to the Mediterranean Christian Conference between other summer activities. It is held near Athens in the city of Marathon which is about a 9 hour drive from our home in Berat. We were richly blessed by attending. Both James and I made strong connections with people from our AIM field time, met new friends, found surprising connections to Alaska, met people from India, Iran, Ukraine, Uganda, Russia, Greece, Albania, and Nazareth. We sang songs in English, Ukrainian, Russian, Greek, Albanian, and dialects I don't know the name of. Gideon came out of his shell, and we barely saw him. He ate most meals with other families with kids. Clara was commended in her new crochet hobby by interested Ukrainian grandmothers. Lydia vacillated between upstairs and downstairs, between the kids' and adult programs. It's hard being 13. We heard powerful and convicting lessons and the stories of how God had redeemed so many in that room. We also witnessed one of the goofiest talent shows I've ever been blessed to see. It was amazing and just made everything feel like what it was, a great big family reunion. I am so glad we made the decision to go.

On our drive down, we began to have a bit of trouble with our car. Specifically with our back tire losing pressure and showing signs of extreme wear, then also with squealing brakes. With some help from a Christian brother, we found a shop in Athens to work on our car before attempting the drive home. So we are staying a few days longer in this city and plan to worship with the local church on Sunday. It's funny this life we have made for ourselves being in one of the most famous historical cities in the world, where instead of visiting museums, we are visiting tire shops. Instead of picking up souvenirs, I'm looking for stores selling hard to get medical supplies. I hope on Monday, we can have time to show our kids some more of the history here.

Retiree Camp

 by James 

Last month we helped at a camp near the sea for retirement-age Christians. This was a special opportunity for much of the Berat congregation who fit this age range. So, we rented a bus and helped them get to the camp. While they were there they had Bible studies and singing and ate together at the hotel. In the afternoons they would walk to the beach.

This was a wonderful way for these older members to experience the sea, which is financially unavailable to them.

And a way for them to experience fresh air and exercise as they walked along the beach and then danced together for so long in the evenings that I was too exhausted to keep up with them.

And it was a beautiful way for them to live together as a family in Christ and hear encouraging lessons about God's love. While they were there, three of our regular attendance at the church in Berat made the choice to put on Christ in baptism in the Adriatic Sea. And we had a wonderful little photoshoot in celebration.

There was so much joy and so much life. We were truly blessed to be there to witness it.

More Photos: The Smiths in Albania | Last month we helped at a camp near the sea for retirement-age Christians | Facebook

Official Albanian Residents!

Hi Friends,

I have a really exciting update to share. We are all 5 officially legal residents of Albania! Woohoo!

We got a tip last Friday from our local immigration officer in Berat that they MIGHT have coupons at the Vlore Post Office on Monday. James sent her a message at 8:00 Monday morning, and the reply was YES! But they had a limited amount and might run out. We got everyone in the car as quickly as possible and drove the hour and a half to Vlore. Amazingly, although the post office was packed, we were able to buy the coupons for Lydia and Gideon. Then, the second miracle was that the immigration office that was typically only open for 4 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays was open on Monday and we were able to go directly there and get their cards made! When we walked into the packed office with people from all over the world, they looked up at us and said, "Are you the family from Berat?" Haha. I think we've taken a lesson from the persistent widow story and been REALLY tenacious over the months. Then, I think they retook Gid's photo 9 times because they didn't like his hair on his forehead and thought he looked like he was scowling. Poor kid. At the same time we picked up Clara's card that had been made in November but has been sitting in their vault since then. I was really curious to see when it expired (more on that in a moment). Afterwards, we celebrated our Albanian residency by going out to eat some American fast food that we can't buy in Berat (Clara actually requested Albanian food, but was voted down). Then we walked back by a playground and the lovely warm weather encouraged our kids to swing, and slide, and climb, and everything was beautiful.

The VERY next day we had an appointment to meet with someone to talk us through RENEWING our residency because James' and my residency permits expire on March 17! Clara's (and possibly the kids') expire on April 26! It's a little bit of a bummer to have so little of a reprieve from the process. We are going to have to pick up the kids' cards and immediately turn around and submit paperwork for new residency permits for the family. Hopefully, this one will be for two or three years. Please pray with us that there are no hiccups, and we can get things done in time. I'm not sure what the consequences are for being late, but I really like to stay on the good side of the law.

In the midst of all of this, our family has been dealing with a nasty cold/flu that has been knocking us out one by one for several weeks and has a lot of uncomfortable symptoms like fevers and irritated eyes and ear pain and incredibly sore throats. I know it did us ALL good to sit in the sunshine in Vlore as we've mostly been inside with the chilly weather. James has been able to preach a few times and helped set up a kids' movie outreach at the church building while I was sick in bed. We also celebrated Clara turning 15 and had a little family Valentine exchange.

I hope you will join us in praising God for taking care of things in His own timing.

Alaska

We have arrived safely in Alaska without too much incident.

James will be sharing photos and stories of our work in Albania on Wednesday night at the Valley Church of Christ in Wasilla. We are also looking into traveling the state a bit to talk to people, but we are still trying to iron out details.

It is CRAZY to me how much we have on our to-do list from medical care, homeschool needs, financial logistics, storage issues, and items replenished for our day to day life in Albania. This doesn't include catching up with people, putting together camp lessons and presentations, and doing (and eating) fun things that we have missed. July 22 and flying back to Albania will be here before we know it.

Please keep our family in prayer. I hope we get to see lots of you in the coming weeks!

First Furlough

by Andrea

This is a quick update to let you all know we will be traveling back to Alaska next week for my brother's wedding. We will be staying a month so that the kids can reconnect with friends at camp, and we can get some important details squared away.

We have been in Albania for 8 months next week. It seems like a very brief time. I was thinking about it though, 8 months is nearly 1/10th of Gideon's life. Lydia asked me yesterday if one of the drinks we enjoy regularly here (Fanta Exotic) is in Alaska, and I was surprised as we didn't even know it existed until we came here.

We are looking forward to some things very much: seeing family and friends, worshipping with the church in English, being able to shop for and eat foods we've missed, driving a car, etc. But we know that things might feel strange too, especially to our children. I'm not sure what will be difficult and what will feel like stepping into our old life. We've had anxiety and tears from our children at the idea of driving past our old house, for example.

We would appreciate prayers as we navigate travel logistics, as we reunite with family and friends, for our month in Alaska, and for coming back to our home in Albania. God is so good to give us this opportunity to be with my brother on his special day, I trust He will take care of the details, but prayers are appreciated. Also, if you see us, please be patient with us.

(The photos are of our well loved "Egg Chair." Lydia on her 12th Birthday; Clara, enjoying a book, and Gideon, who can nap anywhere asleep while waiting for his sisters to get ready to go out.)