We are Paul and Brooke, and are currently in Tirana, Albania, and are trying to get home to Frankford, Missouri. For the past week, October 20-24, we have been at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana daily, going through the process of repatriation back to the United States.

Unfortunately, due to the current 3+ week long government shutdown in the U.S., the Consulate Officer at the Embassy has informed us that there is nothing that he can do because of it. He indicated multiple times that if it was up to him, things would be fine. But with the government shutdown still ongoing, there are no funds allocated for the repatriation of U.S. citizens at this time.

Brooke and I have no other way of getting back to the U.S. and are currently staying in an accommodation that ends the morning of Friday, October 31. Afterwards, we will be destitute, with nowhere to go or the means to accomplish anything at that point.

We have reached out via email to our Congressman Sam Graves and Senator Josh Hawley to see if they can intercede. We have yet to hear back from them or their offices at this time.

The flights this coming week to get back to Saint Louis are all running at a total range of approximately $1700-$1800. We've reached out to the few family and friends that we have and there's just nothing that can be done.

With the few remaining funds almost depleted, and with no idea when this government shutdown is going to end, we felt that we had no real alternative but to try the last-ditch effort of trying to raise the funds this way.

If you can help, we greatly appreciate your kindness and compassion in this extreme set of circumstances.

Sincerely,

Paul and Brooke