Best Meal Ever!

When we arrived in Albania on Friday, Caleb and Haley told us that we'd be ending our time with them at a very special place they wanted to take us to.

So after a three hour drive from their city today, we arrived here at dusk. 

A few months ago they'd come here with some of their teammates, to experience a culinary delight like no other at this "farm to table" restaurant near the city of Shkoder, in the village of Fishte, Lezhe. 

This is a farm like I've never seen before!

Those are turkeys, who might very well be coming to a table nearby very soon!

Caleb and Haley told us that on this agrotourism farm, absolutely everything that will be on our plates tonight has been raised here.

All of us were excited about such food, even Charlie, who wanted to tell Papa about the last time he'd been here! 😂

With two seating areas, one for 100 and one for 75 (where we were seated), everyone has a reservation at a certain hour and comes to be seated so that the meal can begin all at once.

We were first served freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, while they put the finishing touches on the first course.

Everyone is served the same thing at each night's meal, but the menu varies weekly/monthly depending on what is in season.

Charlie's ready for them to bring it on!

Oh my, oh my! What a meal it turned out to be! So many unique and delicious tastes, brought to you in small amounts so you could savor and enjoy each one.

After many appetizers of cheeses, olives, prosciutto, and pomegranates and freshly baked bread, the main meal arrived.

Quail, goat and pork, served with a variety of vegetables and potatoes was beyond delicious. I've really never tasted anything quite like this.

Charlie thought the pomegranate seeds were delicious too!

The meal was paced perfectly, and paired to perfection within each course. It was an amazingly memorable meal that I'll remember forever.

A serious gourmet delight, it was amazing to watch Charlie try everything and handle himself so well in such a restaurant. Again...good parenting that makes that work!

Two hours later, and we were at our last course...dessert!

However this was not just one dessert, but many! And so very unusual and tasty, I might add!

At the top of the plate is a wild pomegranate, hollowed out and filled with an icy liqueur that you sipped through a reed grown on the farm! 

Our waiter for the evening happened to be someone Caleb and Haley knew from the last time they were here - and he's a believer! What a delightful man he was, explaining the meal to us all along the way.

Throughout the entire meal, live music by these exceptional musicians was being piped into our side of the restaurant!

What a truly exquisite experience to have had my first time in Albania.

We took one last quick selfie (remembering Dave's sermon from earlier in the day! 😂) before leaving this wonderful experience with our dear ones.

It was an hour drive back to Tirana, but passed by in a flash as Haley and I sang to this little boy much of the way. He's got such music in his bones already!

But all too soon we'd arrived at our airport hotel, and it was time to say goodbye.

My heart is so tender for Albania now, having experienced it even in the smallest measure this week-end.

I'm beyond delighted that God has called our kids, and grandson, to live and serve here - giving the Gospel and their lives for the sake of His name, glory and honor.

As I've prayed for years for the Czech Republic, I now pray too for Albania - that a movement of God would sweep through this nation, capturing the hearts and souls of young people through the Gospel.

May it result in a revival like we've never seen, as young and old come to know Him as Savior and give their lives to Him, proclaiming Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords!