Hey yall!

It is our last week here in Albania and I think all of us are feeling a lot of different emotions at once. In just a few days we will be heading to Italy, where we will spend two weeks in Isernia and then our final week in Sorrento before the semester ends. It feels unreal to be this close to the end. When we first arrived in Albania everything felt new and unfamiliar, but somewhere along the way this place became a kind of home. The walks to town, the kids who yell our names across the street, the evenings spent laughing in the lounge, even the hard moments that stretched us more than we expected. All of it has made this time so real and meaningful.

This week has been heavy at moments. There has been some conflict in different areas as we navigate ministry, exhaustion, and personal growth together. Some days felt overwhelming, like we were all trying to hold more than we could. But we are also starting to see the Lord soften hearts and bring peace. It is small things like someone apologizing first, someone choosing gentleness instead of being right, or someone choosing to listen. Please keep our unity in your prayers. We know the Lord is better and that He is faithful to carry us through even the messy parts of community.

Yesterday we had ministry time and we did something we call Ask the Lord. We all walked into town and split into small groups of three or four, prayed, and asked God to lead us to whoever He wanted us to talk to. After praying, my group began walking toward Euro Mart, which is like a smaller version of Target that we go to often. As soon as we turned the corner, we saw someone we recognized right away. It was Bella, the sweetest little seven year old girl we met a couple weeks ago. She speaks English so well and knows all the funny American phrases. She ran up to my friend Glory and hugged her so tightly. We talked with her and then had the chance to spend time with her mom, who owns a tiny hair salon nearby.

Her mom did not speak much English, so we used a lot of Google Translate to talk. Even with the language barrier, she opened up to us and shared her story. We listened and felt the Lord prompting us to pray for her right there. After we prayed, something in her whole posture changed. She smiled more, her face relaxed, and she looked lighter. It was one of those quiet moments where God feels so present and near. Nothing loud or dramatic, just gentle and real.

We walked back to rejoin the rest of our group, and as we headed home, I kept thinking about how kind God is. How He meets us on street corners and in small salons and in conversations that happen through a translation app. None of it is random. He is always moving first. He is always inviting us to join Him in what He is already doing.

God has been teaching me to slow down and stay soft. To listen instead of rush. To trust instead of try to fix. To remember that He leads and we follow, and that is enough.

"The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still."- Exodus 14:14

Fundraising update! As we look ahead to Italy and then the spring, I am still fundraising for the next part of my journey. I am currently at 21%, and I am praying and believing for the rest to come in. If you feel led to help support my ministry in Mexico and Guatemala, there is a support button below. Your support means more than I can explain and truly helps me continue to serve.

Thank you for praying for my team and I. I can't wait tp come home and share all that God has done on this trip!
See you in Italy !