Day 1 update (+ prayer requests)

Hi all! Keeping it short today, but just thought I’d give you a quick update after getting in on Saturday eve.

Today was GDQ’s first day of school. 150 kids from across the world gathered on the K-8 field to pray before flooding into a building I almost don’t recognize from when I attended. Walls have been knocked down, rooms repurposed, but the atmosphere is still quite similar. I’m in the process of organizing my space in the Library (photos soon) and finding good rhythms both at home and school. Albanian traffic is unpredictable and I’m playing around with exactly how early I’m going to have to get up to beat the rush. I will say my Albanian driving skills are coming back fast- maneuvering around cars stopped in rotaries, parallel parking (everywhere), and repurposing one-ways. In the words of my Albanian uncle Gysi, “you just gotta move before anyone else has a chance to”.

Two things you can be praying for (besides my safety while driving):

1. I’ve been assigned to head up homeroom for the 7th grade, a class of 11 boys evenly split between Americans and Albanians (and a scatter of Koreans). From what I’ve gathered it seems like I’m stepping into some pretty volatile territory, and after teaching a period of History this morning I think I’m in for an exciting year. Maybe a bit of a stretching year too. Please pray for wisdom! I realize I’m stepping into a classroom with no teaching degree or system for working in this setting, but I do have a plethora of knowledge on what it means to be an American and Albanian at the same time. Praying that might come into use somehow. You can be praying for these boys, too. I can tell they’re a bright bunch, so I’m also praying for direction on how to best bring those smarts to the surface.

2. With my parents in the States for the next couple of weeks I’m living in an empty house- it’s great to come back to a quiet setting after a full day, but the living alone thing is something I’m getting acquainted with slowly. I’ve been reading Facing Loneliness by J. Oswald Sanders the last few weeks- while I could write an entire other post on the topic of loneliness, the book’s done a great job of framing aloneness and giving beauty to the time we’re given to be alone with God. There’s a lot of distractions that need to be sacrificed in order to truly experience that 'aloneness’, and I’m sensing I’m in a season where it might be time to shed some of the mental clutter contributing to the disorientation from solely desiring Christ as the solution to loneliness. Pray for Godly influences to help me reorient in places I’m blind to my fault, and for the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit as I choose to move towards Him.

Thanks for your support. Excited to see what’s next.

Peace,

Aaron