One of the distinguishing sights you’ll see on your first visit to Albania are the numerous concrete bunkers or pillboxes dotting the landscape. During Communism over 750,000 of these bunkers were built to provide protection from potential enemy invasion.

As an American living in Albania I’m continually fascinated by these bunkers. Whenever I travel to different cities, I’m enraptured as I gaze on them, sometimes surprised by their placement, high up on mountains tops, or their arrangement, seeing several in a row just a few feet apart. I’ve seen the creativity of Albanians who have put them to good use– building a garden around a bunker or with the very large ones constructing a coffee shop, restaurant or night club.

I asked TCLH how he viewed the bunkers when he was growing up and he said they were a “child’s playground” in which he and his friends forged their childhood memories.

For the older generation, these bunkers at one time symbolized strength, protection, refuge, indestructibility…

But with the passing of Communism, they serve only to remind Albanians of a past era ruled by a dictator who sought to keep them isolated from the outside world and fearful of imperialistic enemies.

When I reflect on a true refuge and source of protection in today’s world of conflict, war and natural disasters, verses from Psalm 46:1-2 bring comfort and encouragement to my heart:

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”

Unlike the bunkers of Albania that lie in waste scattered across the country, God is an ever-present fortress and sanctuary for us… He is eternal, His power is awesome, His promises are true. He invites us daily to take shelter in His presence and receive grace and strength for all of our needs.

“O my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Ps. 62:8)

I was preparing one of my favorite meals for TCLH the other evening, “Bread, Cheese and Tea”. It’s one of my favorite meals to make, because, quite literally, it only takes 3 ingredients, the aforementioned. And, as icing on the cake so to speak, TCLH considers this one his favorite meals as the combination of flavors brings back a strange kind of nostalgia from his childhood under Communism.

Well, there I was, after laboring in the kitchen for hours minutes to cut 2 chunks of goat (or ‘feta’) cheese, boil the mountain tea, and take the fresh sliced bread out the bag and place them onto our plates. As I’m setting them on the table, TCLH remarks upon seeing the nice square size of goat cheese on his plate—“This one piece would feed our whole family of 5 for three days under Communism!” Though it sounded like a mock complaint, I calmly said in my defense “Aren’t you glad things have changed?”

His comment was a good reminder that it’s easy to take things for granted—even a nice-sized portion of goat cheese. That day I decided that I want to be more intentional in thanking God for the little things in life, even as mundane as Goat Cheese!

What “Goat-cheese” like things do you take for granted or are thankful for?

1. Facebook
2. Wii
3. American Idol
4. Panera Bread
5. The Euro
6. iPod
7. Toyota Prius
8. The nation of Kosovo
9. BlackBerry
10. Freedom for Albanians to speak about and worship God openly in public.

20 years ago, what we did yesterday would have landed us in jail…

…as thousands of Christian believers celebrated Easter in a public manner! More amazing, was that the police force blocked the main roads from traffic so that we could walk from Skanderbeg Square in the center of town to Mother Teresa Square to have a public worship service.

So much can change in a span of 20 years!

20 years ago, Albanians feared imprisonment for even mentioning the name of God.

When Albania opened up in 1991 after 40+ years of Communism under a strict dictatorship that sought to stamp out every trace of religion and faith, there were only 16 known believers in all of Albania.

Yesterday, several thousand Evangelical believers from a variety of churches from all over Albania gathered at Mother Teresa Square in the capital city to worship the Risen Christ.

Historical moments like these are to be cherished!

Thankful that it’s not 1989.

Happy Easter!

Photos 2, 3, 4 courtesy of Andrew Lang