Helping Teachers’ Marriages in Albania
Author: Rich Atkinson
In 2014, the Albanian ISP team began offering events and programs to help teachers with their personal and professional needs.
In March, teachers came to one of these events, led by Albanian nationals. Sixty-five couples from seven cities across Albania went to the Mystery & Model (Blueprints) of Marriage Conference. As a result, it was one of the biggest conferences for teachers and their spouses in the last six years.
This event addressed the relational needs of the couples by helping them grow in their marriages.
Some comments from the participants:
- “My husband did not want to come for the first two [conferences], but I dragged him to it. This time he encouraged us to be part of it. Also, we were excited to bring our daughter and son-in-law.”
— L.B teacher - “You usually bring a foreign couple to talk about this important subject. They [the couple] do a great job, but what I liked most is that you are so culturally connected that it makes it easier to accept [what you have to say].”
—A.P., businessman - “As you could tell, there were a lot of us who live under the same roof with our parents. Your experience and your lessons were very helpful to us.”
— D.K., police officer.
Rich Atkinson
Rich began his writing career with a community paper in Ohio.
He has worked for a magazine. Travel assignments have taken him outside the country to Haiti and Guatemala. In the U.S., he has journeyed to Atlanta, Boston, Milwaukee, and many other places for feature stories.
When not writing, Rich finds time to read and enjoys listening to authors discuss writing on podcasts and in YouTube videos.
