Vigil of Shen Joan Vladimir of Elbason

(In the skevophyoax with Piskopi Nikolla unwrapping the relics of Shen Joan of cotton
 from the previous year and preparing to rewrap them with cotton for the new year)

June 3, 2014

This is the best experience of my trip so far. This vigil was far more intense than I ever imagined. Going from 9:30 PM to 4:30 AM my soul was so filled. I don't know how I did it but I did thanks to the grace of God and it was beautiful and peaceful and in my soul I cannot explain to you the peace and serenity that I felt. I find that when one tries to explain their spiritual experience it tends to undermine the experience because you cannot fully grasp the full experience or feelings that accrued. It ends up becoming just something that you felt, a mash up of adjectives that is supposed to fully explain that higher-level spirituality that you want everyone to feel because it was Christ and it felt so good. But what you felt is never, ever fully captured by the other person it is only mere words to them. Keeping that in mind, I try not to explain too many details of how I felt rather things I saw and what we did.

(Piskopi Nikolla wrapping the relics of Shen Joan
with new cotton in the skevophyoax)

I grew a great respect for Bishop Nikolla Hyka this night. Everything that he did when we were in the skevophyoax (room with the relics) not only could you feel the presence of the relics and be in all of what you are actually witnessing because it doesn't happen everyday, but you could see the joy glittering in his eyes and the glow of the Holy Spirit filled his soul and the space around him. He went out of his way for us that we would feel the same joy and love the Shen Joan. There was a connection between the Holy Spirit and I that I will not be able to explain any further than it caught me completely off guard and opened my heart fully and unguarded to Bishop Nikolla. I think that was the moment when I fell in love with not only the saints of Albania but all of Albania more than I ever thought I could. That was the moment when I realized this man is more than what we perceived him to be. This man was filled with something that I wanted to know because it made me love. My respect for Bishop Nikolla grew that night in a way that I cannot explain, almost in the same way that the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day according to Dr. Seuss, except different because Bishop Nikolla was not an old grouch and neither was I.

(Piskopi Nikolla [front left] re wrapping the relics of Shen Joan with
Aht Luka [back middle] in the skevophyoax)

As I sat with Ana Baba with my head on my shoulder she told me it was the first time that they have ever had a service like this. Chanting and praying side by side in English and Albanian. As I listen to the hymns, the volume of the Spirit in the chanting grows into the only thing in the room filling the sky and fill the church. To be quite frank I haven't felt so at peace and spiritually calm since I was praying in the the dorm chapel last year at Hellenic College Holy Cross with a person whom I love very dearly. The feeling that you get when the Holy Spirit fills you and becomes clear in everything around you is something something that you cannot just explain in your words. I only pray that one day I will reach a state where I can experience it everyday.

This experience, as of now, is the most amazing experience I've had this entire trip. Now I know why God wanted me to be here. I made new friends with two different Saints. I never thought that any of this would be possible. To reach such a state that you give yourself up to Christ. That is a state you should be in every day. Willing to sacrifice and give away everything to the one who is called Christ. The love that I found for a new found saints like Shen Vlash and also Shen Joan I pray one day will present itself in my husband one day, where ever and whoever he may be.

(Piskopi Nikolla wrapping the relics of Shen Joan with new cotton)

This vigil of St. Joan Vladimir as beautiful as it was, is very hard to share and describe because this once in a lifetime experience became personal. Just like with the person you love even with Christ you have a personal relationship them. With the Saints the same thing. Even if I could explain it to you, how I felt and have you feel that feeling, it's part of me in my heart. I feel very grateful very thankful that Aht Luka put me on the list for Albania, today more than ever. Although I wish we had told the Home of Hope we were going to be out until 4 AM so we weren't locked out....these couches in the seminary lounge are very comfortable but there is nothing like getting under the covers with a pillow after a long vigil.

Lynette's Hope

(Grave of Lynette Hoppe surrounded by rose bushes)

June 2, 2014 

I got to visit Lynette today. What a beautiful experience. Someone who I had a relationship with through a book. Now she's here. I am with her husband and we are all together in  fellowship honoring her memory. It fascinates me how you can read a book about someones life and accomplishments and in a sense, form a relationship with them even though you never met them. Its what happens when I read about the saints. There essence and personality is in their writing. It's kind of how I feel with Lynette. Never met her and I could never meet her but yet I feel as if I have through the journals and things that she left behind in her book. 

(Back of Lynette's gravestone
Resurrection mosaic) 

(Front of Lynette's gravestone
Saint Katherine mosaic) 

The tombstone had a  beautiful mosaic of the resurrection one side and on the other side on top of her name mosaic of St. Katherine. We had a little memorial service right there at her grave site. Her grave was at the end of the cemetery next to a valley of long grass and flowers overlooking whole bunch of farms in the city of Shen Vlash. It is quite incredible to think how such a beautiful young person could have such a huge impact on the country.

When most people think of death "the end" is what comes to mind. Throughout history you always see people not wanting to die wanting to find that the immortality people were so craving. Through the desire of not coming to death, not coming to the end, people created fictional stories and myths like the Fountain of Youth. But here just like Christ, victory through death in glorious resurrection Lynette laid her hopes. She was able to bring that strength and mentality of  victory over death to the Albanian people to peace with the reality of her death.

Standing at her grave I realized that it doesn't matter what you do, what you wear and where you buy your clothes. What matters is how you choose to live. How you decide to live your life through Christ and how you plan to accept everything He decides for you. Even death.  How you practice what you preach is what is important. 

Lynette didn't have to preach anything because she was living the example. She was living the example of a life dedicated to Christ's will even unto her death which wasn't actually death but rather beginning to eternal life. You have to begin with the end. You must die first so that Christ can live through you. Only then can you have life and live.

I strive to do that and I thank her in my prayers for the example. I thank Christ for showing me such an example of someone who is not a canonized saint but is seen as a saint in the eyes of those who knew and love her. Thank you Lynette for being the prime example of God's will and living a life of Christ. Thank you also for you beautiful husband Nathan Hoppe who's able to teach me so much of what it truly means to be a missionary. One day I hope I can see you and embrace you in eternal life. Thank you. Memory eternal.

**Also  don't forget to buy the book: "Lynette's Hope" compiled and edited by Father Luke Veronis, to learn more about Lynette's story and journey