January 22 Primary Mentor Training

Meeting with Primary Mentors at the World Vision Office

Christy and I spent the day presenting the primary mentor training for those chosen to be the lead mentors for World Vision. This training allowed us to go more in depth mentor training as well as give the primary mentors opportunity to work through their questions and do additional role plays. We had a great time working with them.

Great Day with World Vision Albania

World Vision Managers Group #1

Today was the end of the first training for the managers of World Vision Albania. We had a great day together. Christy and I have been so blessed to work with such an incredible group of people. They have worked hard the last 3 days and have made a commitment to used the skills they have learned. Tomorrow we do additional training for the primary mentors chosen for the managers and staff of world vision. This training gives the primary mentors additional time with us to role play and understand the process at a much deeper level to start the mentoring program for World Vision Albania.

At the end of the day today they all wanted us to send their love to you all and to thank you for praying for them.

Blessings to you all, that is all for tonight.

January 20, 2009 2nd Day of Training

Role Play

Evis and Christy role play

What a great day! We worked together in different role plays. We worked through the different phases of the mentoring process; the Matters of the Heart section and the "Journey to Hope" section based on Romans 5:3-5.  

We had volunteers role play along with us and then at the end of our training we had the managers pair up and work through the process with their real life issues both as a mentor and mentee. We know that as they continue to use the skills that they have learn that it will provide a positive result for them in the workplace as well as with the people they serve in the country of Albania.

Just to let you all know in America, the people of Albania greet you by kissing you on both cheeks every time they greet you. I shared with the group today that when i came here for the first time, I wasn't sure which side to start with and there were times that i would bump someone head. They had a great laugh and come to think of it they have yet to tell me which side to begin. HA! It was great fun.

I understand for most of you in Ohio that the last week has been sub zero temperatures, i guess it was a good time for me to be gone. Here in the Tirana area it has been in the 50-60's during the day and down in the 40's at night. There have been some days it has been high 40's. So, for me there has been no need for a coat. YEAH!

We are so honored and blessed to be a part of this experience and are very grateful to God what He continues to do. Tomorrow is our last initial 3 day training for the first group of managers, it will be a very full day, training them to go from the initial meeting with a mentee to well into the process helping the mentee discover a new way of living into Hope.

God's blessings to you all,
Mary & Christy

World Vision Training Begins Monday January 19, 2009

The group preparing to trust each other

Christy setting up the ice breaker questions

Today was the first day of the Mentor Training with World Vision. What a great day! We spent the day with the first set of 15 of their managers. We laid the foundation of the training and they took spiritual gifts inventory and the DISC profiles to help them discover for themselves how God created them. We introduced a section on "relating to others" and Christy and I role played how 2 different personalities work together in this process. If that wasn't funny. We did it so that we could show them the extremes. It worked. I then introduced the formal mentoring process and Evis and I role played the different sections to the process. What incredible work World Vision does here in Albania. These are very dedicated people.

The training with this group will last 3 days, so tomorrow we will begin the day with us introducing "Journey to Hope" process based on Romans 5. We believe it went very well and of course I had a great time.

Bethora January 16, 2009

Christy and I went to the home of Evis and spent the morning with the staff and volunteers of Global Care. These were the women we trained last July. It was as if time had stood still, we all greeted each other with such excitement. We used the time to allow them to talk about how they have used the training to work with the women in Bethora. They are amazing women.

We then left for Bethora and spend a couple hours with the women of Bethora at the Center, just as we did last July. They greeted me again with such love and hospitiality. I felt so at home with them. We played games and laughed alot. Evis then explained that each of them were wonderfully made and created with great purpose. We talked and i could see that many of them didn't really understand what their purpose might be. We talked about the difference in what they believe about the men in the United States and the men in Bethora. We told them that they shouldn't believe everything they see on TV. HA!

These women there love our Christy so very much and are very sad that she is leaving soon. There will be a celebration in Bethora for Christy before I leave and I am grateful I get to see them show their gratitude to her. It was a great day. God continues to show us what is really important.

Thursday January 15, 2009 in Lezhe

Christy, Evis and I went to Lezhe. World Vision (WV) has developed a project in this village to train women to loom. World Vision purchased looms and has trained these women and will continue to work with them for about 2 years to help them develop the trade and to learn to create a business to sustain themselves. The work they are doing is beautiful. Christy and I both had the chance to be taught how to loom. It is not easy work. You have to be able to do a number of things at the same time. I have great respect for their abilities. The colors they work with are very bold and beautiful. We then had the opportunity to have coffee with the group of 25 of the women. Christy had already been there and of course they all love her and were very excited to see her again.


The purpose of the visit was for us to review what they do and the products they make for us to consider helping them find a way for the women in the United States to have access to their products. We see great value in the products and will keep asking God what He would want us to do. They were all wonderful. We then went into the town and went to a shop where similar products were already made. Beautiful things! We had lunch at this little restaurant and had the best chicken noodle soup i have had in a long time. We had a great day

Back in Albania January 13, 2009

Sorry it has taken so long for the first entry. I arrived in Albania on Tuesday January 13, 2009, the flights were great. As i stepped out to the crowd waiting, Maddie came running to me with a bouquet of flowers and a huge hug. It was great.
I arrived safely but unfortunately neither of by bags did. So, for the first night I wore a tshirt and basketball shorts. Thank goodness, no pictures were taken. HA! One of my bags arrived on Wednesday and the second arrived on Thursday. It is a unique experience wearing the same clothes 4 days in a row, washed of course.
Wednesday the 14th, we spent the day at the house allowing for me to deal with some serious jet lag. I wanted to sleep in the day and stay awake at night. It truly does take days to get adjusted.