As US citizens, we are allowed to enter Albania and remain there as tourists for one year. If we leave for a period of at least 90 days, we are allowed to return as tourists for another year. The cycle can continue.
We have chosen to do this to be able to live in Albania for a couple of years, if God wills it. Our one year mark will be in June, but we had the opportunity to rent an apartment in Bucharest that would only be available until the end of May. We have learned that it is difficult to find rentals for less than a year.
In the middle of February we were praying for God to help us with our plans for those three months in the upcoming spring and summer. We were hoping to buy a van and visit different people that we know in eastern Europe.
We found plane tickets for $19 per person each way. That would be far cheaper than making the two-day drive and paying for a hotel along the way. It's just over an hour to get there by plane.
No other opportunities opened up for us. We bought the tickets a couple of days later to leave at the end of February. I was very disappointed that it would mean that we wouldn't be able to see our oldest two children in March when they were supposed to return to Albania from a three month visit to the United States. I was happy, though, that we would be scheduled to return to Shkoder at the beginning of the busy season there.
We have been here for almost two weeks now. We are staying in a three bedroom apartment on the ninth floor of a building that is situated in the midst of a nice section of the city.
I brought things to try to occupy the children and myself. I have no problem with keeping busy, but the children often get antsy. I look at boredom as a perfect opportunity to get creative and productive!
We have enjoyed getting to meet the Christians at one of the churches here. They have been very kind to us. We are doing our best to learn Romanian as much as we can, but I am so thankful that many of the people at church do speak English as well.
Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." May we all have our hope in the Lord so that we can leave the burdens of this life behind us!
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