“Ju presim të vini në shtëpi.” “We are waiting for you to come home.” Our sweet pastor’s wife in Albania recently signed off a message to us with these words. “Home” feels like a bit of a tricky word these days since our hearts are on two sides of the Atlantic. We feel more and more adjusted to “home” in the US as the months go by, but we’re also starting to look ahead to our return “home” to Albania.  

We were introduced to the concept of “liminal space” at a training at WorldVenture headquarters this summer. Architecturally it means “the physical space between one destination and the next.” For example, the boarding ramp to a plane. In a liminal space, you’re not where you were, but you’re not quite where you’re going. It’s an in-between place that isn’t meant to be a destination.

We find ourselves once again in a metaphorical liminal space now that we are less than three months from returning to our life in Albania. We're not fully in the US emotionally, but it’s not quite time to pull away and dive back into our lives in Albania. It’s a challenge for our kids to know how emotionally invested to get with new friends at school. We’re paring down the toys and clothes we’ve accumulated this year knowing we can’t take it all back with us. This is a well worn path for our family with all the transitions and changes we’ve had over the years, but still taxing at times. Thankfully we’re all eager and excited to return “home” to Albania, but also have mixed feelings about leaving our “home” in the US. Please keep our family, especially our kids, in your prayers as we prepare to head back to Albania on January 2nd, 2022! 

As we’ve shared in our last few updates, our three primary objectives this year in the US are connecting with our supporters and supporting churches, equipping ourselves for future ministry in Albania, and resting and reflecting on our first term in Albania.  

Connecting
We have spent much of the past several months crisscrossing the US visiting family, friends/supporters, and connecting with our supporting churches. We did the math and we’ve put almost 25,000 miles on the minivan we’re borrowing for the year and have slept in 38 different beds! It has been such a JOY to reconnect with so many of you and we've been reminded how blessed we are to have so many wonderful people alongside us in ministry. We won’t have as much travel this fall now that our kids are enrolled in school and will be focusing on meeting with people in the Milwaukee area.

Equipping
In July we attended a week-long training and debrief at the WorldVenture headquarters in Colorado. It was incredibly refreshing to meet with leadership, connect with colleagues who serve around the world, and it was a particular blessing for our kids. Something magical happens when missionary kids hang out together. We all left with our spiritual and emotional tanks full and, as always, are thankful for WorldVenture.  

Jeff is continuing to take seminary courses (Missiology and Hermeneutics this fall term) and is still finding these courses to be a valuable investment. Meredith is enrolled in an online ESL (English as a Second Language) certification course and has already gleaned some useful skills she plans on using once we return to Albania. She is also attending a few seminars on supporting others through trauma. We see these classes and seminars as a very real and practical investment in our current and future ministry effectiveness.

Resting and Reflecting
It’s been a busy year for us but we’ve been blessed with opportunities to rest as well. A friend generously let us use their cabin for a week in Northern Wisconsin where we were able to unplug (literally - there was no internet), swim, kayak and relax as a family. We’re looking forward to continued opportunities to spend time with family in the coming months and over the holidays. This is a special treat as being away from family is one of the most difficult parts of being abroad. 

Church Update
Exciting things have been happening at our church in Albania. Our Sunday services are fuller than ever as a direct result of Project James - the food distribution project many of you helped support! Because of this church growth as well as a desire to have a Sunday school room for the kids in the church and a dedicated classroom for outreach classes (English, math tutoring, IT skills), this past summer we started renting the space immediately next door to our church. The space was in rough shape, but a lot of TLC made a big difference. Your faithful support of our ministry made this expansion possible. Thank you! We anticipate having people from our neighborhood at the church for various classes at least three times a week. It is through this contact that we hope to build long-term trusting relationships in which the Gospel can be shared. 

Family Update
Our kids began at a Christian school in our area this fall and are off to a good start. They are enjoying new opportunities like being on crew with the school play and participating in a Lego robotics league. We’re looking forward to enjoying many American fall and holiday traditions that we’ve missed out on the past five years. 

Financial Update
As we indicated in our last newsletter, we needed just $150 a month more in support to get to a healthy and sustainable place. You responded and as a result we are fully funded. Thank you for your partnership and support! We don’t take it for granted. 

If you are interested in helping furnish our church’s new space, you can do so by giving here (search for "Disciples Church in Tirana" and then follow the prompts). We are looking to raise $5,000 for tables, chairs, a projector, kids toys, and a laptop. If you have any questions about specifics, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, support, friendship, prayer, and interest in our lives and ministry. We truly could not do this without you all.

Blessings,