We are in Albania! I've been dying to make this post and bring you all up to speed. We've been jetlagged, euphoric, exhausted, curious, in survival mode, all at the same time. We forgot to explain jetlag to the kids and that first night was a bit of a jumble. Just when James and I had convinced ourselves to go back to sleep, another confused child would wander in wondering why they couldn't sleep (Gideon thought there was something wrong with the house).

We've all had to relearn how to unlock a door, turn on a light, clean dishes, wash and dry clothes, shop for food, and pay for things. The city of Tirana is vibrant and busy, but where do you go to buy a plug adapter, a pair of scissors, or hydrogen peroxide? Sometimes it is the most exciting of adventures. Sometimes your feet hurt and you want to just go back "home." Sometimes you find some kiwi flavored gelato for 60 Leke (About 50 cents) on the way and your adventurers gain some sweet rewards.

Speaking of "Home", it was absolutely wonderful to be scooped up by some familiar Christians faces when we arrived sweaty with relaying 11 suitcases back and forth across the huge baggage claim on the Albania side of customs. There was Wayne Speer desperately trying to meet us with some coins for the baggage carts and Brenda Speer with welcome gifts for each child (Lydia was ecstatic to learn that Albania comes built in with American grandparents).

We have a delightful little BnB in the same building that the Speers live in. It has (drumroll please) TWO bathrooms. The kids each have a bed in their shared bedroom. Tonight James cooked our first dinner at home. Restaurants are delicious and inexpensive, but nothing beats homemade. This morning the kids went downstairs and bought fresh bread for breakfast, and this evening, they went out again when I realized we were low on potable water. We all have Albanian cell phone numbers now and Clara called me twice on the water fetching expedition.

We have this BnB until next Thursday, when we will need to go someplace else. There are some complications with the temporary housing we thought we had available, I am trying not to worry about only having 5 days to solve this problem. I’m doing a lot of praying that the right solution will come together. I would ideally LOVE to settle into an apartment where we can unpack, regroup, purchase items we need for our homeschool and kitchen, celebrate Christmas, learn Albanian, work with WEI and the church here, etc. before we head off for our next more permanent adventure in Berat, but maybe God doesn’t want us to get too comfortable in this nice big city loaded with conveniences. Maybe he wants us apartment hopping until we find our home in Berat. Who knows, but we are praying.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow. The youth are throwing an event to welcome our kids, and I’m excited to worship God with our kids in our new language on Sunday and become better acquainted with our brothers and sisters here.