Update From Albania!
Since then I have gotten to help prepare for an english camp, help with another children's ministry outreach/camp, and spend a week in southern Albania seeing yet another side of children's ministry and medical outreach to elderly Albanians.
For the rest of my time here I'll be volunteering at an orphanage, which has been great so far! As one of the workers told me, "I try to pray for each of the children as I hold them or play with them, because if we're not praying for them, then no one is." This is a discipline that I've been trying to adopt as well, so I ask that you'd pray that I would more faithful in doing this!
Also, in reflecting on my different ministry experiences here, I've made a short list of two other ways that you can pray more specifically for the work being done in Albania:
-Pray for the youngest generation of Albanians! I've gotten to be a part of kid's clubs, overnight camps, day camps, and english classes, all aimed at sharing the gospel with Albanian children. Pray for softened and responsive hearts for all of the children hearing the gospel this summer and that they would grow in the love and knowledge of the Lord.
-Pray for the high school students that have been coming to english class AND church! I've been able to be a part of the english class that my teammate is teaching for high schoolers, and we've been able to start some great relationships with them. A few of them have even started coming to church! Pray that the Albanian church members would continue to reach out to and befriend them, and that we all will be bold in sharing the gospel with them. Also, pray that the Holy Spirit would be at work in their lives and hearts as they engage with church members and hear the Word preached in church.
Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this and praying for the ministries happening here in Albania this summer! I've attached a picture of some of the kids that I've been with this summer and a picture of myself with one of the elderly women that I got to visit with- I know that you'll be overwhelmed with the sweetness just as much as I have!