New Mission Trip

 Hello Friends!

I am excited to inform you that I will be going on a mission trip this summer. I am so elated to be able to go out once again and interact with not just people but a culture that is different from what I am familiar with. This time I will be going with the youth group at my church, Living Way Fellowship (LWF). LWF helps support a family that is doing mission work there and they have asked the church to come visit with some youth. The church has taken a group of youth to visit before and the missionary family are looking forward to having us once again.

Before I go on and tell you what I will be doing, I would like to tell you a little bit about Albania. They have a population of about 2.8 million. They are a small country in Europe with the most well-known of neighbors being Greece and across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. They mostly speak Greek. The government does not have an official religion, but over half of the country practices Islam. Fun fact, Mother Teresa was born in Albania.

On to what I will be doing while in country. Unlike my other trips out of the country, this trip will
be more relational. We will be interacting with the locals, getting to know them and making connections with them. Every evening we will be having a youth group where we will do worship, a short message, and of course some fellowship. I will need to learn how to play soccer and maybe cricket so that we can play a few games with the locals during the day to help make those connections. The people of Albania are very relational and enjoy having conversations with people. I’m told that it is not unusual for them to walk right into your hotel room if they know you and start a conversation.

Now, in order for me to go, I need your help. As you can imagine, a trip of this kind is not an easy endeavor and is not cheap. The goal is to raise $3,000. This will cover all the travel expenses of getting there, returning, and while I am there. The money will also cover any materials I need to get in preparation for the trip. Any amount that you are willing to give will be greatly appreciated. Whether you can give or not, please be sure to come back to the blog and stay updated!  

If you would like to give, you can give to the trip as a whole by going to: livingwayfellowship.org/givetithe . Hit the give button. Next to the amount box, hit the drop-down and select “Missions – Albania Trip.” If you would like to make sure the amount you give goes towards the $3,000 that I have to raise, leave a comment with your name to let me know you gave, and I will be able to tell the church that you are giving to the mission trip was for me. If you give but don't leave a comment, then your donation will go to the trip as a whole, which can help anyone that is struggling to fundraise.