At the Foot of the Cross

Albania ATL (Ask the Lord) Ministry, Part 1

The large mountain lay in front of us. With our overnight packs hoisted onto our backs, we (the Navigators team and I) made considerable progress in our journey. Yet our legs were tired from the steep climb. Staggering up the path as we continued to go up, we reached a small village perched on the mountainside. From there, the route vanished. Where were we to go? I began to try to find a way through amid the maze of sheep / horse paths that the shepherds used. The trail seemed to end, and we ate lunch as we tried to figure things out. Some buildings were inhabited while many others were abandoned- left over from a bygone era. Yet the question remained- “Where would we go next”?

Around twelve years ago, I found myself in the heart of Washington, DC. Memorials dotted the landscape. As BSA Troop 814 and I visited the Vietnam Veterans memorial, my heart stopped. Silently, we read the names on the wall and reflected on the lives that were lost in that war. Shortly thereafter, we walked over to the Korean War memorial. As we viewed the site commemorating those who gave their lives in the Korean War, the words rang out: “Freedom is Not Free”. At the time, I knew a little bit of what those words meant. From the perspective of my country, freedom was bought and purchased by the blood of our soldiers and civic servants- going all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

Over my time in Romania, I prayed over my time in Albania and what it would look like. I ultimately saw that this was the place where I would begin to step into my life calling on the mission field (the role of the explorer, see blog https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/over-the-edge1). Yet I also saw it as a place where I would run to the Lord in freedom- to feel His presence and peace in unimaginable ways. Freedom of running and living a life unfettered- ready to just run wild in the mountains and serve the Lord with my team.

We got off the bus and checked into our hotel in Durres. In the days and weeks that followed, one of the most intense times of pruning took place. I began to come to terms with the fact that most of my friends that I loved and went to church with over the past year and a half are moving into different seasons of their lives. Many are in the process of settling in other places and will likely not be in Boone when I return from this trip. On multiple fronts, this is seismically affecting the landscape of my community back home. The truth is, I do not know what it will look like when I get back.

During debrief, a financial mix-up caused my debit card to be frozen and deactivated. It will likely be a couple months before a new one is brought to the field. As a result, I will have to rely on others to be able to use the ATM and withdraw money from my bank account. Furthermore, after arriving in Permet and getting oriented to the area, I prayed and felt the Lord challenging me to let go of some of my stuff that I took with me on the Race. This initiated a thorough “mass ditching” of items that culminated in around 20% of my stuff being marked to stay behind in Albania.

I am not going to get into details here for the sake of integrity. Yet I do share that what challenged me the most over my time in Albania was finding out that multiple friendships between brothers and sisters in Christ (all of whom are outside the World Race) were destroyed. Close, tight knit friendships- Gone. As I tried to find a way through the village with my team to get up the mountain, I entered one of the abandoned buildings. The walls were crumbling around me. Memories hit my mind of what was but now is not. I am here now. The day before, I grieved over these things and really do not know how it is all going to play out. It’s a spiritual stripping away accompanied by a physical stripping away of a lot of my items that are going to be left behind.

Freedom is Not Free. Freedom in Christ is not “Free” either. Freedom in Christ for us involves a dying to self and our desires. It involves being hated by the world as a disciple and facing rejection for the sake of the Kingdom (John 15). There is a cost to freedom. Jesus makes that cost known. There is a cost to following Him- where we are to lay everything down to Him- even our own lives. It is the cost of me saying “I trust You”- even then things do not make sense. I trust You, Lord- even when you prune me and when I am wrecked.

We were at the end of ourselves on the mountain and wondered how ministry would take place. Yet after praying, we felt the Lord challenging us to continue climbing the mountain. We summoned what strength we had left and followed the faint red arrows that ultimately defined the path forward. After carrying our packs up the steep animal herders path while avoiding the ledges, we made it to a large white cross. Exhausted, we rested while taking in the mountain views.

Worship music played, and God met us at the cross in an unimaginable way. It’s a reminder of what Christ did nearly 2000 years ago- how He paid the price so that we can have freedom from bondage. As we sang, a family and some shepherds climbed the mountain. Taking horses with them, we greeted them as they reached the cross. They loaded the packs that we lugged up the mountain onto their horses and led us further up the trail to their church. They spoke very little English, but the Lord was clearly moving. At this tiny Orthodox church hemmed in the side of the cliffs, we watched them clean the site as they showed us the church. As the cleaning wrapped up, we prayed together with open hands. What a beautiful moment this was! Just after we prayed, a flock of 103 sheep pushed themselves toward the church. As we hiked back to the cross from the church, the sheep took the same path with one of them falling off a cliff. In a scene not too different from the Bible, one of the shepherds went out to look for the lost (and hurt) sheep- staying back from the rest of the family.

Back at the cross, the family gave us their food and we ate a sweet meal together. Homemade cheese, meat, fruit from the tree, and bread were all there. Yet what stood out to us was this hospitality- and the fact that these people just showed up out of nowhere. It’s a stark reminder of what God can accomplish when we just rely on Him and leave everything to Him. And as a missionary- perhaps it’s not about the strategies, church planting schemes, methodologies, and missiological literature that propel things forward. The answer is simple- abiding with the Lord and being willing to be used by Him in mighty ways. We came to the end of ourselves that day. And the Lord met us there- at the cross. We trekked back down the mountain and said our goodbyes. On our way back, we handed out Bible verses to people and praised the Lord for what took place. At our apartment, we unloaded our stuff and took a well deserved rest. Deep down, I know that the Lord has got this. And though things have been difficult- there is peace amid that as well. I felt that peace- even when wrestling with the Lord atop the humongous rock that overlooks the city.

We are excited about what will take place in Albania and what the Lord will do. The next day, the Navigators team wore bathing suits and walked through the center of town. A few minutes later, we hopped into two taxis bound for the thermal baths. The valleys zipped by and the taxi pulled up to a large gravel parking lot. The springs came into view- along with a beautiful Ottoman era stone bridge. Upstream, a large cavernous canyon gashed its way into the earth before us…

TO BE CONTINUED!

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15: 16-17