Orientation

BHC’12 – Dates/Location TBA
Team Member Orientation

The information below is left in place from BHC’10 as an example of what to expect once we know what the destination will be in 2012.

Congratulations! You are an official member of the BHC’10 Team.

This Orientation material will give you some helpful information as you prepare to join us on our short-term ministry trip to Albania. Please take some time to read through the material now and jot down any thoughts and/or questions that arise. We pray that your cross-cultural experience with Lifework Forum will be a blessed and growing time for you. However, we want you to realize that your trip really starts TODAY. From long experience we know that the preparations you make from this point forward, before you even get on the plane, are part of the overall experience God has for you. The more focus and effort you put into preparing, the more meaningful the whole experience will be. This might be a good time to stop and ask Him to lead and guide you as you take each step. You had enough information to ask to join the BHC’10 Team, but what do you really know about Albania or Tirana?

About Albania

Geography

Albania is situated on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. Slightly larger than Maryland, Albania is composed of two major regions: a mountainous highland region (north, east, and south) constituting 70% of the land area, and a western coastal lowland region that contains nearly all of the country’s agricultural land and is the most densely populated part of Albania.

Government

The Albanian republic is a parliamentary democracy established under a constitution renewed in 1998. Elections are now held every four years to a unicameral 140-seat chamber, the People’s Assembly. In June 2002, a compromise candidate, Alfred Moisiu, former Army General, was elected to succeed President Rexhep Meidani. Parliamentary elections in July 2005 brought Sali Berisha, as leader of the Democratic Party, back to power. The Euro-Atlantic integration of Albania has been the ultimate goal of the post-communist governments. Albania’s EU membership bid has been set as a priority by the European Commission.

Albania is divided into 12 administrative divisions called Counties (garku/prefektura), 36 districts and 351 municipalities. Each region has its Regional Council and is composed of a number of Municipalities and Communes, which are the first level of local governance responsible for local needs and law enforcement.

History

A part of Illyria in ancient times and later of the Roman Empire, Albania was ruled by the Byzantine Empire from 535 to 1204. An alliance (1444–1466) of Albanian chiefs failed to halt the advance of the Ottoman Turks, and the country remained under at least nominal Turkish rule for more than four centuries, until it proclaimed its independence on Nov. 28, 1912.

On 8 November 1941 the Albanian Communist Party was founded with Enver Hoxha as first secretary, a position he held until his death in April 1985. The communists led the resistance against the Italians and, after 1943, against the Nazis. The Communist regime had a rocky relationship with the rest of the Soviet Bloc. They had no direct ties to Moscow and broke relations with their closest socialist neighbor, Yugoslavia. They even fostered a relationship with Communist China until the death of Mao Zedong. Since Hoxha’s death, Albania has been staggering toward democracy and capitalism. Since 2002 the country has found itself in a kind of miniboom with much money being poured into construction projects and infrastructure renewal.

Capitol City

Tirana was established in 1614 from Sulejman Pasha from the village of Mullet. He began the building process by constructing a mosque, a bakery and a Turkish Sauna. On February 8, 1920, Tirana was chosen as the temporary capital of Albania, which had acquired independence in 1912, by the Congress of Lushnja. The city retained that status permanently on December 31, 1925.

As of September 2008, the city’s urban population was officially estimated at 616,396.

Weather

Albania has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters in the lowlands. In the highlands, snow can fall from November until March; mountain towns are very cold at this time of year.

Airfares

Plane tickets are the financial responsibility of each Team member. Besides minimizing the financial burden that Lifework Forum must bear, we believe that raising funds is an important part of the short-term ministry experience.

Each team member is free to book their own ticket to Amsterdam. You may want to check with us before doing so in order to coordinate with the on-site contact people. Lifework Forum is open to making travel arrangements with the understanding that airfare costs will be reimbursed in full at least 30 days prior to the trip. Some who have accompanied us have preferred that we make flight arrangements in order to travel along with Curt and/or Sandra.

If you would like Lifework Forum to book your ticket to ensure that you will travel with one of us, please let us know as soon as possible. We will do our best to make arrangements at the lowest possible rate that suits your availability. At the moment round trip airfare from Boston to Tirana is in the $1200 range.

Insurance

Lifework Forum recommends purchasing travel insurance. The cost is minimal. You may choose from the following sources or another reputable provider: www.missionarvinsurance.org, www.gninsurance.com, www.missionaryhealth.net, www.otpplan.com.

Spending Money

Each team member must determine the amount of personal spending money he/she will need. This amount will include, but not be limited to, souvenirs, snacks, alternate meals, and sightseeing. Lifework Forum does not recommend travelers checks. Our experience has been that converting approximately $50 USD with access to further funds through a secure ATM card is sufficient. Please contact us for further information, if you are unfamiliar with international travel.

Documents

A valid passport must accompany each Team member at all times. It is important to apply for a passport well in advance as it is difficult to get one at the last minute. Each team member should also have a second photo ID. Passports serve as a primary ID, but a secondary photo ID can be helpful. Each Team Member must send a photocopy of the information page of their passport and photo ID to Lifework Forum a minimum of 30 days prior to the trip.

All Team Members will be accountable to the BHC Team leadership for the entire trip. A signed “Release of Liability and Release to Obtain Medical Care” form must be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to departure.

Immunizations

Lifework Forum does not insist upon any immunizations. However, we recommend that each Team Member check with their Department of Health to see if any immunizations are currently required for people traveling from the USA to Albania. It is highly recommended that Team Members have updated tetanus protection. We encourage you to bring whatever over-the- counter health supplies you may need.

Medication

If you take prescription medication(s), if would be a good idea to have a supply to last at least an extra week. Unforeseen circumstances can and do arise that could prevent a timely return to the USA. If you would not have enough supply on hand, please talk to your doctor well ahead of time and ask how you should respond in this situation. You do not want to be caught abroad without the prescription medications you routinely need.