Albania - Back to the Start

This blog began last summer just before I went to Albania for the first time, and now, exactly a year later, I am returning! It's not really a surprise, considering how badly I wanted to return just after I got back. I am joining a team of five others, and we will put on an English camp for teens, many of whom I met last summer! I can't wait to see them again. The Kenet (the neighborhood where I served last year) has held a place in my heart ever since last summer when I lived and learned there for two months, and I'm curious to see what God has in store next.

Please keep our team in your prayers as we prepare our activities and face opposition from the enemy. For our team, pray for:

• Team unity
• Energy during the last week-and-a-half of preparation
• Flexibility in a new environment
• Financial provision
• Openness to the gospel message among the teens

I personally need a lot of prayer throughout this trip and even in the coming months as I seek God's will concerning my heart for Albania and missions in general. Here are some specific prayer requests:

• A willing spirit to go wherever God calls me
• Good counsel and God's guidance about next steps
• Freedom from doubt & fear
• A heart that delights in the Lord

Our team leaves the States on June 29. I was ecstatic when I got my itinerary a couple weeks ago and discovered that our layovers are in Milan and Rome... I have wanted to visit Italy ever since I learned as a kid that musical terms are in Italian.... and now I will get to be in two different Italian airports! Okay, okay, so maybe it's not that exciting since I won't get to leave the airports, but at least I will be able to say I've been to Italy! Someday, I will visit for real.