Day Two: Sunday, Celebration

Its Easter Sunday !
Christ is Risen Hallelujah he is risen indeed!

And we are in Tirana our adopted home for 5 years of our life !
I can't describe how it felt walking across Tirana for the first time in two and half years.
Yes the roads are bad and the driving dangerous, Yes the pavements have all been dug up and there's a general air of chaos everywhere, But its so real and alive and interesting, people stop and greet each other , but they stop! No one is in a hurry.

The Lana - the river that runs through the centre of the city was brown and swollen with muddy dirty water from the mountains - they have been experiencing really wet weather here like in England!.
When we lied here there was an new inner ring road planned . On both side of the houses were smooth dual carriageway roads yet but a few houses stood in the middle of the road. We were told it was all political. But now the road was open making it quick and easy to walk from the Lana to Fusha Ali Demi where we take the bus to Shkoze.

As soon as we stepped through the doors at Drita e Botes we were overcome with hugs and greetings by our old church - everyone looking slightly older and grown up but so good to see them all.

What was even better though was seeing the church building full of people and so full of life. In the last two years the church has grown especially with the children and youth now so involved in the life of the church.

The service was a showcase of Easter celebrations, videos,films, powerpoints, songs, dramas, most of which led by the youth of the church. Loud raucous worship, slightly tuneless but with no doubting the spirit even if the tune was somewhat questionable at times.

The most moving part of  the service must have been the excellent youth drama capturing how Jesus can free people from addictions, abuse and other challenges of life. The drama itself was excellent but also seeing how the youth were taking such a lead and such initiative. This church doesn't need a youth pastor fighting their cause. this church is effectively being led and shaped by their youth, who all have a great practical and real understanding of what Jesus' death and resurrection means to them.

It was a great service but it was also a long service and it was after 90 minutes I was invited to preach. Now, however good the service is no one wants a sermon after 90 minutes so I kept message short and to the point! (I know that many Upton Vale people will find that hard to believe)

Preaching with a translator is such a difference experience, learning to he pause and let translator catch up. Thankfully I had Lejda translating for me,  We've known Lejda since our second day in Albania, she came to look after Ellie and Gemma when we had first arrived in Vlora, and had worked with us ever since. I've never known a translator like Lejda, she seems to know what I'm going to say before I've said it!

The rest of the team arrived  during the time after the service while we were being served a cocktail of drinks and biscuits and chocolate. Sam, Tom, Ellen & George arrived looking tired but excited to be here and slightly overawed walking into all that was happening in the building.

Sam, being Sam wanted to jump straight into things so I took him for a tour of shkoze. Within minutes we'd been invited in for a drink with Denis, the café owner. This is how it is in Albania.

At 4 we shared our Easter Meal; Meat, chicken, Pilaf ( Rice) Salad absolutely delicious! Nearly 100 people came to eat with us. What a great way to celebrate the greatest day in human history, Jesus risen from the dead.

We left this church over two years ago wondering whether the church would survive. Today we celebrated Easter Sunday with  a thriving young church that seems to be outgrowing its premises. Even better than that we shared the day with friends from our current church. Past Present and Future


all together. The Team is here and the mission can now begin.

Day One: Saturday, Arrival!

Its early Saturday and the five McBain'

s are finally sitting in the departure lounge awaiting our call to board the plane.

 

So far the journey has been very efficient and very English: We were met at the drop off point by the car parking service, after unloading our bags laptops and guitars we were soon checked in and sampling perfumes, aftershaves and baileys in the duty free shop. So far so good .. Until the call was made for passengers who wanted th check in hand luggage to approach the check in desk. Suddenly the Albanian crowd instinct kicked in and the crowd en masse stormed the desk. The clerk made a plaintive plea ' We are not ready to board please return to your seats but the Albanian crowd refused to sit down.

 

A little later the call for passengers with children to board but the gathered crowd would not move turning the usually sedate British Departure gate into an Albanian maelstrom of chaotic energy.

Albanians just don't have any concept of how to form an orderly queue!

 

As the plane began its descent into Mother Theresa Airport the excitement rose, Albanians may not queue but its great to hear them applaud when the Plane touched down.

 

Another interesting factor of arriving in Albania is how many 'imigrants' have British passports. Imigrants are Albanians who have left the country but return for holidays and festivals like Easter.

The Albanian Citizens passport control had a few people waiting whilst the foreign citizens desk was again full of Albanians with British passports.

 

We were met at the Airport but old friend, Roger Pearce from BMS and Endri and Emilijano from Drita e Botes.  Driving in to Tirana it felt like coming home again; the new buildings, the traffic. Skendenberg Square has been covered in grass and re designed, Tirana has changed, more statues more lights - it looks cleaner than it used  to but it still has that buzz that no other city can capture.

 

Our first night back, staying in the city centre  we went to sleep accompanied by the sound of the loud Albanian music from the local café - It's good to be back.