follow me along on my mission.
Hello loves!
It is week two of the giving challenge for the month of August . So excited to say that this week it will be for t-shirts and the supplies to do tie-dye. Tie-dye is something most or likely all of the kids at our church haven’t had the chance to do before. I would love it if we could make it possible for the kids to do! 
Each week of August I will be challenging you guys to give! Each week consists of a different item/items that people in the village are in need of. I will be posting the challenge items every Sunday night in the month of August. This week I am challenging you guys to give reading glasses! The older ladies in the village are in great need of them. Many lack the money or resources get a pair so that would be incredible if we could help them out with that. Also, when the women are in our Bible study they can’t really read the incredibly powerful words for themselves. All they can do is listen to others read ; so I believe that this small change will make a big impact in their lives! Bless you guys🧡
Let’s talk about MAY! It was my first month being here in Albania and boy was it jam packed full of things to get done. Well to start off my time I arrived a whole day late. It was a whole mess in London. I had to switch airports from one airport in London to the other.But, my airline had switched so I wouldn’t have to without telling me !
So after a very expensive taxi ride I arrived to the airport that my boarding pass told me I should be at. While the lady at the check in desk told me it was incorrect. This was it, this the final stretch I was almost there. One flight away from Albania; my heart broke I was so confused and didn’t know what I was supposed to do. After a mini panic attack and many shed tears; the lady who told me I had an incorrect boarding pass helped me out. We walked to a different counter where the really nice lady booked me a new ticket for the next morning. All I had to do was find a hotel to stay in and that was another task in its self. Surprise they were all booked! After going to three separate ones,I finally found one! I couldn’t not have had a bigger smile on my face when I got to lay in bed after that very, very emotional day. Yet I was very confused about it all. Like Lord didn’t you call me to be here why am I not there yet? What I learned from this experience after a bit of prayer and reading was I need to learn how to be patient. This is likely the hardest lesson I’ve had to learn thus far. I seem to always want to depend more on myself rather than God and that is not okay. I can’t say I’m giving it all to him but then continue to keep some to myself. So that was a bit a of a tough moment to get through. It did remind me of the great and amazing God I am serving. The reason why I am doing what I do. It was an extremely humbling experience; that now I am grateful for.
Once I arrived in Korçë it was time to get settled into my new home! Although a few things were still being done to make it perfect, I was still so happy to be in it. I was in my own place in Korçë! I was super happy to start exploring my neighborhood and getting to know the area better. The first two days here consisted of me figuring out where the best groceries were from as well as what the best route was for walks. Which was really great and allowed me to feel more settled in. I was even happy to clean up around the house; which may sound shocking to my mom. It really is different when you’re in your own home, you want to take better care of it. Even though it is just a one bedroom all white wall apartment.
Here are a few pictures of myself and the kids when I finally got to the village! I missed them all so much! This was the moment that all the planning and preparation had led up to ; getting to meet all my nuggets. The ones who had stolen my heart last summer. They even picked flowers for me! Like if that doesn’t make you feel loved I don’t know what does.
I was excited to get to walk on the cobblestone roads of Korçë again! Not only did I miss all the kids; I also missed the beauty of the place I get to serve in. At times it is truly unbelievable when you look around and get to think my God created all these beautiful things that surround me.
Another incredible bonus of serving here one word “byrek”. It’s amazing to say the least, it takes a bit of time and talent to make on your own. Luckily there is a byrek store on every corner here!
I had the chance to attend a really great women’s conference held at the church my second week here. It was my first women’s conference and my first conference in Albania. To say the least I really excited about it and it did not disappoint. I had the privilege to meet so many different women at the church and from the surrounding villages who attend at the different church plants. I even got to translate for a few ladies who came from New Jersey to help host the conference. I have translated in a bit but, I was more than ready to get to it! My favorite part about the three days would probably be the worship. Let me tell you why; so many women going through their own personal problems as well as being at different stages of belief just coming together to praise. Praise our God for all the He does for us. It was truly a beautiful sight to see.
These are two of the super sweet ladies I got the chance to translate for!
Hello loves!
I have got a major prayer request coming your way today. They have just opened a mosque here in Sheqeras. Almost every village surrounding us has one; I believe that Sheqeras is the last village to have one. The actual building has yet to be built. The people of the mosque are currently using an abandoned building in the center of town for their gatherings. I would love it if you guys could please pray for the children of the church and of the village. So that they may choose the right path. And truly come to know and accept the love of Jesus Christ.
I just want to go back in time a bit. To last summer, where I was lost. I was coming on board to a mission trip where I wasn’t even sure if I truly believed in the LORD or not. With a group of people that I didn’t really know. Like what an odd situation. I was full of anxiety, sadness and dealing with depression that I didn’t really express to others. I hated my job, working long hours that seemed like they were never ending. Dealing with customers who could careless about being respectful and coworkers who complained about every detail in their lives. Which didn’t make anything any easier; it was a bit like living with a dark cloud hovering over me.I was beginning to grow distant from the people around me and I definitely was not even attempting to become who God intended for me to be. Looking back at the old me makes me sad but, at the same time I know it was something that I had to go through to get to be where am today. It is also a tool that was a secret blessing. I know how people battling the demons of anxiety and depression feel. I know what they are going through because I’ve felt it. I get where they are at and where they want to be. If only they had the hope that the LORD provides. I want to be that example of getting through the darkness and finding the light! It gives me another reason to want to spread the gospel. God didn’t intend for us to live like that, depressed, angry and anxious. He has so much beauty in store for us if only we followed Him. A lot changed in me and for me last summer. I came to know Him, my God, the great I AM! The one I had been denying and confused about for 19 years of my life. I let Him come in and change me. I allowed His overwhelming, reckless love take control and soften my hardened heart. Last summer I was baptized; I accepted JESUS CHRIST AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR! I felt like a whole new person after being immersed in the water, the old me had died and the new me was ready to present herself to the world. I was so excited ( and still am) to tell everyone about Him. He changed my heart here in ALBANIA the land where my family comes from. The place that my parents left behind over 23 years ago, a place that they used to call home.He let me know that He wanted me to be here. When He calls you cannot hang up. I knew I had to stay but, I was not sure at all how to go about it. Once I figured out the details it was all I could think about. The Lord even made it possible for me to come in the winter just in time for Christmas! I got to learn more about the village I was serving in SHEQERAS! It was incredible to say the least I got to know many more families and the situations that they are facing. As well as getting to know the staff members and becoming friends with them. Fast forward to July of this year I’ve already been serving in the village of Sheqeras for 3 months and in the girls home; I could have never imagined this in my own mind. But the LORD He brought together all my interests and created a place for me. A place where I fit in perfectly ; last year I developed a passion for working with children. Now I’m a part of the children’s ministry here. I developed a love for teaching, even after years of basically just getting by in school. Now I teach English classes at the church every single Sunday afternoon. Then, there was something that I had always had a passion for and the was working with women and girls. Especially if they had gone through traumatic situations, domestic abuse ,etc. due what I had gone through while I was growing up. Now I do, He created a special place where I could serve how He intended for me to. Before I was a Christian I really thought I had it all figured out. I was into new age things and believing that all the power was simply in my hands. Surprise it’s not! The best decision I ever made was giving it all to Him. I am greatly blessed that I am saved and longer a slave to the things of this world but, I am a servant to my God. At this point a year later from non-believer to devoted Christian I can say that I’ve never been happier in my whole life. All I want to do is be a better servant to Him and to the people of Sheqeras. He is so, so good.
I cannot believe that I am in my third month of my mission! I only have a month after this one and I have not done a great job of keeping you guys updated. I have been so incredibly busy serving and trying to do my best that I’ve slacked on my posts.In order to change things up and make sure everyone is in the loop, I’m gonna start a mini series called “catch-up”. I’ll go over the month of May in two separate posts , then the month of June in two separate posts. After that I will be doing weekly updates every Sunday!
I just started my YouTube channel guys! The main content that I will be posting about will be Sheqeras. What’s going on here, what activities we have going on in the church and the people that I am working alongside. It’ll be easier to have visuals of what life is like serving here. I’m super happy to announce that the first video has been posted! It’s called “Summer Mission/Albania 2019” and my channel name is Sara Kaimaku.
Thank you guys so much for your love and support it means so much to me.
On May 29th I had my first experience campaigning in the open air. It was incredible to say the least. I was a translator for this great couple from England named Mike & Dawn. They had come to Sheqeras for three days to help us out. They trained us ( the staff and I ) on how to properly do a sketch board on the street, how to tell children’s stories and so much more. I was also able to translate for them as we went to the school in Sheqeras and did a mini English class for students of all ages. All this work lead up to our grand finally getting to preach in the streets! It was lead by Mike and translated by me. I was a bit timid when it began but boy did my voice come in. I was translating quickly and with a voice that projected for all in the village to hear. We had attracted a crowd and that was incredible! So many people were getting to hear a message about our amazing Lord that we serve without really knowing that in the beginning of it. People listened and the tricks going on, on the sketch board attracted them. I was doubtful that people would stick around to listen but they did. A Bible was given to a skeptic after a debate that night. The next day he came to say that the Bible is the truth ; as well as saying he was wrong for standing with the opposition. Great changes are coming to this village and great changes are coming to Albania! Thank you Lord for taking me to places I never thought I’d be. For giving me gifts that I didn’t understand. I never knew why out of all the languages in the world my first was Albanian. Now I know, it has given me the ability to interact with more people than I ever could have imagined. I cannot wait to get out in the streets again and tell more people about how great my God is.
In this past week there have been many earthquakes. Approximately over 400 which to say the least has been very nerve wracking. When the first one occurred I was so nervous and pretty unsure of what was happening. The sound wasn’t the sound that I would expect from an earthquake. It sounded like and kind of felt like a big truck was passing through the neighborhood. Once I understood what was happening I wasn’t nervous at all. It was like God was reminding us to turn to Him in way. As people we cannot take ourselves out of sticky situations .We cannot do much in the flesh. We cannot do anything to stop an earthquake. What we can do is pray through it, just like in anything. As I prayed I felt a deeper sense of relief and safety. Sometimes we need difficult times to be reminded that in all situations we turn to God and not our own power.
I just created a gofundme if anyone is interested in supporting the family with the funeral costs. Please share the link and continue to pray for the family.
Sara for Sheqeras 