April 8, 2014

Mission Administrators Assist and Encourage with Visit

On Saturday, April 5, three staff persons from Virginia Mennonite Missions came to Lezhë for a visit of several days.. All of the international personnel I have talked with have appreciated their visit. They listened to our joys and frustration in servicing as God's people in a setting which is not the place in which most of us were raised to adulthood. Below are some photos that capture a bit of our time together.

First social activity on Sunday mornings is a time to converse and drink coffee.

Janet Blosser, Lynn Suter and Klementina Shahini

Janet Blosser, Lynn Suter and Klementina Shahini Share in Some Discussion (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Willie and Bark Keener, who lived in Albania a few years ago, were also visiting again. We were very glad to see them. They are active members of Elizabethtown Mennonite Church (PA) which we had been part of back in 1980-86 before moving to Virginia.

Elsie and Willie and Barb Keener

Elsie and I Share Coffee with Willie and Barb Keener (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

As we migrated over to the church for our worship time, we noticed the new church sign had been installed..

the new church sign was iinstalled on Saturday

Gathering under the New Church Sign (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

After the church service where Willie and Ken Horst gave us God-inspired challenges, we went to the Liss Hotel for lunch and good conversation.

waiting for luch

A Group Conversation with Ken Horst (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Janet and Lisa talk

Janet and Lisa Chat before Lunch (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Elsie and Valentina

Elsie and Valentina Also Chat for a Moment (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

the whole LAC group and VMM staff

LAC and VMM Staff at Lunch at the Liss Hotel in Lezhë (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

In the evening, we met with Eastern Mennonite Missions staff and personnel living in the Balkans for a time of sharing and worship. Below long-time workers in Albania, Allen Umble and Norma Teles, flank Steve Shank, pioneering coach from EMM.

Allen Umble, Steve Shank, and Norma Teles

Allen Umble, Steve Shank, and Norma Teles (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

After a very good time of singing and another challenging devotional (from Janet Blosser), Elsie and I posed with Klementina, Dini and Ken for a photo to match one Dini has of them all with Todd and Maria (our son and daughter-in-law) who lived in Lezhë in 1998.

the previous generation came in last

Elsie, Klementina, Ken, Dini and Myself (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

If you would like to hear a sample of our singing, check out the video below.

VMM and EMM Balkan Personnel Singing

Of course one cannot attend such a meeting without a group piicture. So here we all are!

all of the participants from VMM and EMM

All VMM and EMM Personnel Present at the Meeting (6-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Please think about us often and pray that God will give us each and together his peace, wisdom and energy.

April 5, 2014

Spring Brings a Variety of Vignettes of Our Lives in Lezhë

This morning I spent more than an hour (7:30-8:45 a.m.) trying to find an Albania train coming through Lezhë so I could photograph it. I did get some good photos, but no train came. However, a small herd of sheep wondered unhampered up, down and over the train tracks.

sheep grazing on and along the train tracks

Sheep Wonder over the Train Tracks in Lezhë (5-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Last Saturday (from about 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), we were in Shëngjin, the port city just outside of Lezhë. A student from the school and the church lives in Shëngjin, and she invited us and another friend of hers to visit. So we walked the promenade and beach and pizza pizza for lunch. We thank the two girls for volunteering to take a photo of Elsie and me, too. Early spring is a good time to visit Shëngjin before the tourists crowd this coastal city.

Megi, Fabi and Elsie on the promenade

Megi, Fabi and Elsie in Shëngjin (29-Mar-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

me walking the beach at Shëngjin

I Walked the Beach at Shëngjin (29-Mar-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Elsie and I resting along the promenade at Shëngjin

The Usual Group--Lisa (keyboard), Jordan (guitar) & Justin (violin) (23-Feb-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

At Lezha Academic Center spring means that the lawn needs to be mowed. Dini seems to enjoy the task and the result of a polished lawn.

Dini mowing the school lawn

Dini Mowing the Lawn at Lezha Academic Center (1-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Until recently we had not paid attention to the blockish building below. When someone mentioned the maternity hospital as a landmark for us, we then understood the sign which now seems very obvious.

the maternity hospital in Lezhe

The Maternity Hospital in Lezhë (1-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

he sign for the Maternity Hospital in Lezhë

The Sign for the Maternity Hospital in Lezhë (1-Apr-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Wednesday of this week was picture day at the school. Lisa Mast did the honors of being the photographer and was very good at get photos of the whole school, each class and then the individual students, teachers and staff.

Lisa Mast organizes the whole school for our phooto

Spring is also springing out as the grapevines show new growth around the city.

new leaf growth on a grapevine

And I saw something else on Thursday that I had not seen before, men were fishing off of the city bridge over the Drini River. I do not know if they caught anything or not.

fishing the Drini River from a city bridge

After crossing the Drini River on Thursday evening, we climbed the bridge over the railroad tracks to allow me to try for some train photos. Turing around and looking back over the city of Lezhë give a nice view.

skyline of Lezhe from the railroad bridge

Coming back off of the railroad bridge we saw a woman in traditional Albania garb near a guard rail that had obviously seen an accident.

a woman in tradiotnal Albania dress

Last evening as some of us were going out for dessert, we passed a student and his two-year-old sister--both charming. She reminded us of our grandchildren we have not see since January!

Gledis and his two-year-old sister

Thinking about students at the school, I recently was sent a photo taken by a student of me and another student during a tutoring session. It is always good to have some one-on-one time with students. They are courteous and want to learn even if they are too chatty in class.

Kledi and I discuss physics

Other than the topic of spring, there is not a lot that holds these photos together, but they are all slices of our life here in Lezhë. And we appreciate all they represent.

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