Honestly, these last few weeks have been difficult. It’s easy to feel discouraged when our days look the same most of the time and we aren’t clearly able to see what God is doing in the hearts of the kids here. I’ve had to work on letting go of what my expectations for ministry are and continue to trust God’s plan. I know that He is working every moment, even when we aren’t able to see it.

I am now halfway through this adventure and it feels like it's going by too quickly. Every walk I take through the town or hike up a mountain makes me wonder, is this the last time? Being in such a remote village has caused me to ask if this is the last time I'll visit Kotodesh, Albania. The fact that this question makes my heart ache is a good indicator that my time here has been meaningful.

Recently, I’ve been trying to walk down our road at least once a day to escape the noise of our house but also to see what opportunities God gives us for ministry. We always see kids that we know from children’s ministry at the church and usually end up talking to someone new as well. Coming home from the town every day with a new story to tell about the kindness of a local is such a blessing. Getting to experience life here for two whole months is something I never could have imagined when deciding how to spend my gap year a few months ago. Knowing that our time is almost up has made me realize what an honor it is to have been welcomed into this place knowing our time would be short. The thought of leaving the wonderful people I’ve met here already makes me start to tear up. Not only the friends I’ve made who call Albania their home, but the ones on my team who have become more like family. I have a month and a half to spend with these people before I move on to the next adventure.

Our lives will all continue on, but our presence in each other's lives is never guaranteed. This reality can be said about every person I meet. The weight of these friendships that are forming suddenly starts to sink in. I am giving a piece of my heart away to these people knowing that this will be the last time I see many of them until we meet again in heaven.

I've never liked goodbyes. I like to stay involved in the lives of the people I love, and it's beautiful and painful to now love this many people so deeply. This end to our time in Albania will be bittersweet, and I am thanking God every day for placing me in the lives of these amazing people.

Please pray for the children and youth that we have been ministering to - prayers that God will continue to work in their lives after we leave and that they will accept Christ in their hearts!