Since internet time either costs money or is cutting into my much needed nap time, I'll update with some snippits of an email I sent home about two weeks ago.
I'm loving it here. Culture shock is definitely setting in, but I'm handling it well. It's unreal. Pogradec is pretty undeveloped, compared to Grand Rapids, at least. I constantly feel like I'm going to step in donkey crap or in an uncovered manhole. There's dust everywhere. I shower like twice a day on average. And for me that's kind of a big deal.
I don't know if I told you what we're doing here, but we're helping out at a day camp with some of the kids that are at highest risk for being trafficked. It's... difficult. Not because they're bad kids, but because you never really know if they'll show up the next day because they might be shipped to Greece or not allowed to come because of abusive situations at home.
The kids have stolen my heart completely. Literally the minute I looked into their eyes I could feel my heart breaking. Through loving these kids I am getting glimpses of how God loves us. I've heard people say that God calls each one of us His favorite, but that never made sense to me because I viewed favorite as being able to have just one. But when I look at these kids I think, "You're my favorite!" Then I'll look at the next and feel my heart fill with even more love and think, "You're my favorite, too!". I never knew I was capable of loving so much. This love is coming from something so much greater than myself. I know that I couldn't do it on my own. Because with love comes pain. And leaving this kids will be painful.
Everything that I doubted about "short term missions" is gone. I have realized that some of these kids never get hugs, and if I can hug them for three weeks of their life to let them know that they're aren't repulsive, I'll do it. Even if that means getting headaches from their body odor... or getting lice.
We aren't building a well or a new school. We aren't guaranteeing these kids a safe life. We aren't taking away the bruises and scars all over their bodies. They're lives are still going to be crap after we leave. They'll still get beaten up at home. They may even be trafficked. But if I can let them know that they're special and worth it and love them with everything I have and all that I am just for these three weeks, I'll do it. Because they ARE worth it. I can't help but love them.
God is good.
God is so good.
and God is love.
i won't forget that.
