"Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit"

This rabbit is probably headed for stew!

Thanks to Fiona for that picture from downtown Erseke!  The rest of the pictures are from Butrint (see “A Stab in the Dark”).

Last semester, God gave me a lesson in thankfulness.  It’s not something that I learned in a class, or something that I was hoping to learn.  It’s not even something that I thought that I needed to learn!  But God did!

Good vantage point

The long-anticipated Baptistery!

Three Lessons in Thankfulness:

Seven years ago, I wanted to come here.  God said not yet.  Last year, I didn’t want to move so far away.  God said now is the time, and here is the place.

• I am so thankful that God brought me here – now 
• God knew that I needed this Sabbath year now and not seven years ago 
• He knew that I would build incredible relationships with the people here – now
• He knew that I needed the blessing of a regular schedule, regular meals, and sleep! 
• He knew that I would be more prepared to reach out to my roommate Sonila now than I was seven years ago
• He knew that I would connect really well with the staff and missionaries who are here now 
• He knew that even though I would be almost 10 years older than many of the students, some of those students would need a big sister

Flooded amphitheater

I lost my passport during the travel weekend.

• I am so thankful that I lost it in early November so that there was time to get a temporary passport before my Christmas break travels with Matt
• I am so thankful that although Albania does not have a Canadian Embassy, there is a Consulate in Tirana 
• I am so thankful that a week after losing my passport, my outreach week took me to Tirana 
• I am so thankful that I have so many bilingual friends – one in particular who was able to come with me to the police station to get a police report (necessary for the application for the new one) 
• I am so thankful that Glenda was able to find my original birth certificate among my stuff in Coaldale, and that my mom just happened to be in Lethbridge already when I called 
• I am so thankful that having paid a lot of money for this process, I will be getting a permanent, 5 year passport, not just a temporary one 
• I am so thankful that I was allowed to let someone else pick up the passport for me in Tirana, since Ruth was traveling there anyway 
• I am so thankful that God saw this as an opportunity to give me a lesson in thankfulness

In November, I had a bit of a food crisis.  Things got progressively worse, and the bottom line was: I cannot eat the food that is prepared here.  I started looking for healthier alternatives available here, and especially, started doing a lot of searching online to try to understand what might be causing my problems.  Gallbladder problems?  Oil?  Gluten intolerance?  Dairy?  Sugar?  So, I cut everything and prepared to add them back in one at a time to isolate the problem.

• I am so thankful that this crisis happened here – where I have the time and motivation to deal with it 
• I am so thankful that I have been given unprecedented permission to use the kitchen
• I am so thankful that I have time to cook, and that I enjoy cooking!
• I am so thankful that I have an entire reconnaissance team here (“Jodi!  Did you know you can get avocadoes in Korçë?”  “I saw coconut milk in Tirana!”  “Jodi, I was in Greece, and I found quinoa, so I got you some!”)
• I am so thankful that my mom was able to send half a suitcase of food with Matt at Christmas time
• I am so thankful that I’m in a very ‘controlled environment’ (I eat three meals a day, sleep eight hours a night, never eat out, and I have no stress!) where I can most accurately test each of the food variables.
• I am so thankful that I have a huge support team who encourage me when I’m frustrated about my options and hold me accountable when I’m tempted to reach for some petulla!
• I am so thankful that I am realizing that I can enjoy the look and smell of food without necessarily eating it
• I am SO thankful that I feel SO good! 

Juxtaposition.

Greatest Lesson:

Still on the topic of simplicity:

10 principles for outward expression of simplicity:

1.       Buy things for their usefulness, not for their status.  Use clothes until they wear out.

2.       Reject anything that produces an addiction in you.  (Possessions, lifestyle choices….)

3.       Develop a habit of giving things away.

4.       Do not be seduced by the latest modern gadgets.

5.       Learn to enjoy things without owning them.

6.       Develop a deeper appreciation for creation.

7.       Stay away from buy now and pay later

8.       Speak plainly, with honesty and integrity; don’t exaggerate.

9.       Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.

10.   Avoid anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.

Fun facts about food in Albania:

Some of these are traditionally Albanian, others are just great food that is served at Udhëkryq.

Petulla are Albanian donuts.  With some sugar sprinkled on top, they are (were) wonderful!

The lasagna is made with eggplant, and it’s great!

Rice is traditionally eaten with a scoop of plain yogurt on top.

Bread is found at every meal.  It’s not your wonderful, variety of European breads – just white bread.

There are often vegetables as a side at breakfast.  Jodi style!

There’s a coffee shop in town that makes ice cream.  The carpet shop also used to serve ice cream, but they don’t anymore.) 

We had a DQ ice cream cake a while back!  Not really, but Andrea brought Oreos from Greece, and I made an awesome cake!

Salep is a creamy hot drink made with spices.  I’m not much for hot drinks that aren’t herbal tea, but salep is delicious!