This Week's Highlights

This week has gone quickly but that is simply because we are kept so busy. We have been roughly following the schedule that was posted previously so I will share with you some of the main highlights from these past few days. 

Last Friday we went out into the neighborhood to play worship and a small crowd gathered to hear us play. This then gave us the opportunity to hand out fliers for the various events we host each week. It was an honor to bless this community and give them reason to smile as they clapped along to the worship songs. Some of us talked with the children who came out to listen while some talked to the adults and invited them to this weekends church services.

After some time we walked on to a center in the area and played music here. There were far more people gathered in this place and as such the crowd was larger. This crowd was composed of mostly children. We did not talk to them as much but it was fun to simply bless them and be a light for Christ in the area. These are faces that we all see daily and now they know who we are and what we stand for. After doing these types of outreaches it becomes natural to smile, wave and greet those we are meeting within this region of Tirana. 

The next morning we hosted our first weekly children's event. We had games, worship, teaching, crafts, and snacks ready for those who would attend. It went over great and many of the children who attended were those invited the night before! Praise God for his sovereignty in putting us into their path. I say this because later at the end, when we gave an opportunity to accept Christ many of the kids accepted Jesus into their heart. It is always so exhilarating to watch someone become a child of God. This is exactly what we had the privilege of witnessing this day and we hope to see them many more times whilst we are here. We are now busily preparing for next week's event and several of the children promised their faithful attendance for this Summer. 
Here are a few pictures from the day. 

Today we joined Pastor Aleksi in going to a home for the elderly and we got to have lunch with them and play music for them. Many remembered us from the last trips and asked us to wish friends from past teams hello. It's crazy to think what a lasting impact you can have!

We prayed for them as well and then Aleks bought us pizzas for dinner. He ordered too much though and we walked away puzzled by the large number of pizzas we held in our hands. However as we walked home there was a woman sitting on the side walk in the shade. I noticed that she seemed to be praying and upon further inspection she was weeping. We stopped and realized that this extra pizza we carried was for her! Again, praise the Lord for His sovereignty! We handed it to her and knelt down with her and she then kissed each of our hands and began to weep harder so we prayed for her and I believe that God supernaturally showed His love through us, to her. By the time we left she no longer wept but smiled and held our hands close while saying goodbye. 

God has already done so many good things in these two and half weeks. I heartily anticipate what else we will see and do in the remaining six before us. Stay tuned for more updates and I will write as often as possible. 
Shume Bekime! (Many Blessings!)
-Emily