We had a good day today. Some of us led a parenting seminar while others took care of the kids that belonged to the parents in the seminar. Katie brought tennis rackets and balls and taught quite a few of the kids how to play tennis. Even a few 3-year-old's joined in the tennis lessons (Katie thought this was fantastic). We came back to the Christian Center for lunch and then took a trip to a small village to meet with a Minister's wife who gave us a walking tour of the village. This particular village may have been the most Muslim village in Albania. The Minister and his Wife were there for seven years before they were accepted and are just now beginning to make an impact.
On the way home, we stopped for dinner at a restaurant with a pool (no kidding!). The food was great and the kids thought the pool was great, too. Our bus left us at the restaurant and so we had to take taxis home. That was the beginning of our adventure. Adiel told our taxi driver that we were staying at the Albanian Christian Center. Somehow the driver heard "crystal center". The driver also asked me to talk on the phone to someone who spoke English. I tried, but there was so much noise in the cab with talk on the cb radio, I'm sure that I did not communicate either. To begin with, the driver was a very aggressive: weaving in and out, driving on the wrong side of the road, moving into an opposing lane of traffic, and almost running down any pedestrian in his way. He was very proud and pleased when we arrived and the "crystal center", but I kept saying "yo" -- meaning "no". We said, "Stella Hotel" and "Scanderbag"--both are landmarks close to the center. He was quite perplexed, but hurried on his way in the same manner as before. After about 10 more minutes of crazy driving, we began to see buildings that we recognized. I directed him to the center. As we departed the cab, Katie said, "Praise God, we're alive!"
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