These are a few of my favourite things

Well, when I say a few I mean one, and when I say favourite I mean one of the things I just really appreciated so far (but that doesn’t make such an exciting blog title)
Any way so I had visitors last week, my folks came which was super. It was good to see them and for them to see what it going on here I really appreciated. Having the Gense hear was kool, it was good just to talk normal to someone, you know like guy talk. And of course it’s always a pleasure to spend some time with big Russ. We had a good time; it was a bit of a fun
It was a flying visit but well worth it. So one day we had lunch out at it set the scene of one of my favourite moments so far of my time here.

So, in Kosova, when you’re out eating or even sometimes in the street, you see kids begging. It’s a real tuff sight to see. You so wanna help them but have to understand that usually there’s an older brother or someone hanging back somewhere ready to take whatever money is gained to by cigarettes or whatever. So were having diner, a little kid comes over, sad face, all dirty and asks for money. Now I can’t speak the lingo, but, I try, in my broken Albanian I manager to get his name Thiri, find out where he was from (Brococs) a village we visit every week to do a kids program and that he was 9 years old. I managed to tell him we didn’t have money for him but if he wanted we could get him some food. So in the middle of kosova with my ma and pa and pal gensie, we had the privilege of the company of Thiri for lunch. While we waited for our food, I was just blown away by the way his little face changed, from the sad face of a beggar to a young, hungry boy, amused by the useless use of Albanian he was hearing but happy to be eating. We attempted to draw a house and a dog and cat, my efforts were tragically laughable, but, I’m eternally thankful that God gave us the privilege of seeing this little life find laughter, at least for a moment. It was like he completely changed from a little lost soul, to a little life that just needed to be loved. I guess in some tiny little way this how God feels when a life is turned back to him. What a privilege to be a part of.
After eating an entire plate of chips but not touching the roll he ordered he shook everyone by the hand and left. Sure enough as he left he took the roll and in the distance we saw an older boy take and eat it (hence him eating all the chips)
Now will he remember this encounter forever, probably not, will his life be saved, who knows. But one thing is for sure, at least for a moment he was in the company of people that cared and as we prayed over our diner and held hands we trust in a God bigger than his situation, that the prayer of blessing we prayed over that little life will surpass the dinner table and open up a life of more than we could possibly ask or imagine for this young ‘en.

Please pray for Thiri if you get a chance. We are at Brecocs tomorrow night. I pray he will hear more about Jesus.

Thanks for reading