Partner with Me

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings! I hope this letter finds you well. About 4 months ago, I graduated from Antioch University in Seattle with my Master’s Degree in Counseling, Art Therapy. I returned to Massachusetts unsure of where my future was headed, but God had a great plan for me.  I have been given the opportunity to serve as a school counselor and physical education teacher at an international school in Kosovo.

Kosovo is a newly independent country that currently ranks 4^th in European corruption. Corruption impacts the daily lives of Kosovars in ways most North Americans would find unthinkable. For example, a math teacher may offer privates classes after hours for which students need to pay; the catch being, if you do not pay for extra lessons, you cannot get a good grade at school. Prishtina High School (seeks to break this cycle of corruption through assisting students in achieving full potential in their academic, creative, personal, physical and moral development so that they can make their best contribution to society and their community.

In addition to the corruption, in the cultural background of Kosovo, boys and girls are rarely considered equals and cultural and religious diversity are neither accepted nor respected. At Prishtina High School, all students are given the same opportunity for their futures and children speaking Albanian, English, and other languages learn to view each other with respect and in friendship.

I feel that God has called me to counsel, teach, and mentor youth in Kosovo at Prishtina High School.  However, the school does not have the funds to fully support all teachers therefore I need to raise my own financial support. I am asking you to consider partnering with me in this journey. My goal is to raise at least $1,000 of monthly support and a small cash budget. Your financial support of $30, $50 or $70 per month will allow me to focus on teaching Kosovo’s future leaders and to be a light in their lives. If you are interested in partnering with me financially and/or through prayer and would like to know more- please leave a comment or email me at avflavin@gmail.com.


Thank you!

A New Mission: KOSOVO

"As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"(Romans 11:16)


It has been almost 2 years since I left for Bolivia. I have never learned as much as I did the 2 months I was there (you can read all about it in previous blog posts). Through that experience, I came to understand more what it means to be beautiful feet. To say it was a challenge to re-focus on school after returning from Bolivia is an enormous understatement. I slowly transitioned back to grad-school life in Seattle and completed my coursework and year-long internship in December, 2011.


Upon graduating, I moved back to Massachusetts to spend time with family, set up camp and explore future possibilities. I did numerous internet searches- mix and matching key word combinations of my interests; counseling, art therapy, youth, missionary work. So many search results... and then I stumbled upon Prishtina High School's webpage (www.prishtinahighschool.org). The school is an American-style international school in the country of Kosovo. Yes, the idea of moving to Kosovo was shocking to me at first.. I had no idea where Kosovo was... Was this really where my path was headed?? I entertained the idea, not wanting to shut it down without fully exploring the possibility. The more I explored it, the more it became clear that it is true- Prishtina High School is where God wants me. It is still amazing to me how God will utilize all our gifts and experiences- nothing is ever wasted. Not only will I be utilizing my degree with counseling the students, I will be exercising my passion for health/nutrition by teaching a physical education course for the female students.


My mission is two-fold:
1. Assist students with achieving full potential in their academic, creative, personal, physical and moral development so that they can make their best contribution to society and their community.
2. Be an ambassador of Christ by living along side of and loving the people of Kosovo. 


I cannot work as a counselor and teacher in Kosovo without God's provision through the support of others. I plan to arrive the first week of August and stay through the school year with possibility to stay longer. I need to raise $1,400 a month for living expenses. If you believe in either of these missions, please consider partnering with me and contributing a monthly amount or a one time gift to help make this opportunity possible.

I  am so excited to share this next journey. Stay tuned because I intend to do periodic updates on this online journal for all to follow :)