The end of traveling and Day one in Albania

Today is our second day in Albania. This six hour time change is definitely different, but I slept a looong time last night, hopefully it gives me some energy and vigor. We only lost one bag, which was much better than we expected since we only had about 15 minutes to make our second flight from Newark, NJ to Munich, Germany. We thought for sure they would be left behind, but thankfully, God provided otherwise :)

We experienced our first Albanian coffee yesterday after our meal here. YUM! It's similar to espresso, but only Ray drank it black. Rachel and I not only had it with milk, but had 2 bags of sugar added as well. It helped me wake up a little, but Rachel was about bouncing off the walls. It was very rainy yesterday. The thunder is very loud here.

I met the girls I am staying with last night. They are both very nice, hospitable, and generous. We got to talk quite a bit, and I figured out that I definitely like them very much. I am excited to get to know them both well.

We are going to Durres today. I have no idea what's on our itinerary for the day, but I am excited to meet new people and see new places. Oh, I also rode my first bus this morning. Traffic is craziness here, and so the bus is slow with all of its stops, but I think it is faster than walking...or at least less tiring ;)

I would really appreciate prayer for remembering names and making connections with people. So far has gone well, but pray that God keeps blessing that.

About to takeoff

We are sitting in the airport waiting until it's time for our flight. Pastor Jeff is not feeling well, so I am sitting with Ray, Tiff, and Rachel. We have had fun swapping stories and are getting excited to begin our traveling. I am excited for what God is going to do in the short time this team with be with me and see how He changes us. I am slightly nervous, but I know God is big and He is my hope and expectation. It's been so neat to see how He has provided financially for this, even before I got started on raising support. I know He has me here for a reason, and it's cool to be walking with Him one step at a time. How thankful I am that He has made me His child and cares for me!

Please pray for us, especially for safety, servant's hearts, and for growth in our relationships with Christ! :)

Psalm 62

Packing for a 6-week venture...

I finally began putting away all of my junk from my dorm room today. Some went to the basement, some to storage in the back room, and some has been set aside to accompany me to Albania. My (Landen's) room is an organized mess as I begin to designate what is to go and what is to stay. I am getting super pumped to travel with the first team (Pastor Jeff Bartell, Rachel Gopp, Tiffany Grove, Ray Hicks, and Gerhard Reichart) on Monday to my temporary home in Tirana, Albania. Eagerness to see what God's gonna do through me and how He is going to grow me is creeping, well more like flooding, in. Thanks for checking out this blog, I hope to keep it updated with prayer requests and praises from the trip.