Mission Possible Albania 2019

Mission Possible

Albania 2019

Our 27 hour travel time did not go with out some bumps along the way and upon planting our feet on solid ground (despite the earthquakes in the surrounding area) we prevailed through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We flew from the U.S. to Iceland, from Iceland to Germany, then from Germany to Thessalonica, Greece and lastly a three-hour car ride to Pojan, Albania.

With the turning heads and eyes that follow us as we walk through the Muslim village of Pojan to church, we realize that we aren't in Kansas anymore, and definitely in foreign lands. Although things may appear different to some of our virgin eyes, the people have been so welcoming. New friends have been made, small and tall, Christian and Muslim that will remain in our hearts for a lifetime. There is never a dull moment because as soon as we arrive back to home base, our Albanian friends start to show up to have

social times of card games, volley ball, soccer (football) and sometimes just to hang out and chat. They even asked if they could stay for our group devotions and now have been attending on a regular basis. "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." 1 Peter 2: 12

We have been on the go quite a bit, outside of our social time we have done anything from food distribution, kids club to family ministry where we have given testimonies, gospel illustration object lessons, drama/mime, puppets and sketch-board messages.

- Carmina

God’s Great Timing

At the start of the trip it was going very well. It got even better when I was boarding the plane to leave for Germany. When all of a sudden I got upgraded to business class. It was so great to experience that, but when we got to Germany, things went downhill. On our way to the terminal, I realized I accidentally put my passport down and left it. We went back for it but by the time we got there, it was gone. We asked the police, information center and security, but no one turned it in. My passport was stolen and gone. We got on the plane to Thessaloniki for we realized I must get a new one in Greece. We, Paul and I, stay the night in

Thessaloniki and had to book a flight to Athens in the morning. We went to the airport, and got on a plane 20 minutes later. The great thing about the flight to Athens was that Paul was able to share the Gospel. It was a really cool experience. He was actually a news broadcaster on the radio. Paul went on to share about how first and second Thessalonians were written by the Apostle Paul in the very town we were in. He was very open about the Gospel and without me losing my passport, we would have never been able to share the Gospel with him. We also were able to share the Gospel with another man when we got to Athens. It was a little tricky because his English was not the best. When we got to the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Paul and I were very worried because we got there late. This was on Friday and the place is closed for the weekend, so we would have to stay in Athens till Sunday. That would be if the workers there were not angels. They stayed open at least 2 hours after closing and made my passport. Paul and I got on a bus later for a 10 hour ride to Korce. I thank the Lord for that great experience and for the sharing of the Gospel we were able to do.

- Garrett

A Hole in the World

Last Friday I had the opportunity to go to the village of Floq with our gracious host Toni to help feed the villagers there. The village itself was breathtakingly gorgeous, especially at the time of day we were there. Tragically several weeks ago the village was ravaged by a 4.5 magnitude earthquake. Then last week quake was so strong that Vidov, a village on the opposite side of the mountain, was flattened. Since the original earth quake both the villages have continued to be plagued with violent aftershocks.

We began our trip by heading into Korce to pick up over twenty bags of sandwiches. After which we headed into Floq, one of the first things I was told that the village had no church in it which broke my heart. After seeing the destruction that the village had suffered it was hard not to think about the unbelievers who had lost their homes, or worse.

That sentiment of sorrow echoed in the community as well. The children in the village live in a continued state of fear, so much so that they have refused to leave the village’s school house, which has also become a pseudo-community center.

But for every heartbreaking sight I saw, I witnessed something greater. Despite all their hardships the villagers are resilient and continue with a joyous attitude. After we delivered the food, several of the Albanian Christians and I played volleyball with the villagers. I want to make it clear, I am no athlete and I take all sports as seriously as a kindergartner takes their GPA, but despite my lack of athleticism the villagers and I all had a great time, the game was chock full of laughter and joy from all sides.

My visit to Floq has radically changed my perspective of what it means to have joy in the midst of suffering. An overwhelming majority of the people in the village far kinder to me than I think I could be if I were in there situation. However, the thoughts of the lives that were lost in that village reminds me of the suffering that sin has brought into this world. As I close this post I just want to ask you to keep the people of Floq in your prayers: pray that God will keep them safe, that he will open their hearts to be receptive to the gospel, and that when we, as a team, go back to Floq this Friday God will bless us in our ministry

- Andrew

The Things We Didn't Say

Hi! My name is Lauren, I am 17, and I am studying to be a nurse. While we are here in Albania, I had an opportunity to volunteer at a clinic in Korce for the day.

I worked with a nurse named Emilia traveling to patient's houses doing wound care. Growing up in a hospital setting (my mom is a nurse), and eventually working at one, I have grown pretty unaltered to injury and suffering and thought I would be fine.

However, this was nothing like the hospital. Unlike a hospital setting, I was up close and personal. I was in these peoples homes. I saw elderly people so feeble they looked like just skin and bone. Next to their beds or couches were pictures of them when they were younger, nearly unrecognizable. There was one woman who probably didn't weigh more than ninety pounds, with a bed sore so deep you could see her bone. On the wall above her bed was a photo of her and her husband on their wedding day. She looked so happy. I was in disbelief that the woman lying in front of me, unconscious from the pain, was the same person.

Suddenly, nothing else in my life mattered. Is this all that humans are reduced to? A living, breathing human being with thoughts and emotions and a family. Do they all one day turn into a pile of bones and skin, unable to convey their personhood? This is the cruel reality of our sinful world.

But there is hope! For in Christ, we will one day have a new, perfect body, and we will dwell with Him forever! In Christ we will no longer be slaves to sin and death and pain and suffering. This is the good news of the gospel!

But I couldn't share that because if the language barrier. I was alone in this city, with no one who cared about my age, or my lack of experience being a nurse. No one spoke English. All I wanted to do was bring comfort to these suffering people by sharing the gospel with them, but the only person I could talk to was God. Recently, one of my team members spoke about often we take the gift of having a voice for granted. In our hometowns, we are afraid to share the gospel, not considering the fact that we are granted by God the ability to share the gospel in the first place. Why is it that I only want to share the gospel when I do not have a voice to do so? I went home feeling discouraged.

As I was talking to my team leader about my experience later that night, she told me a story about a man and a starfish. The man was walking on the beach when he saw a starfish laying in the sand. He picked it up and threw it into the ocean, so that it may live. He continued walking until he came to a section of beach that was covered in thousands of starfish. He quickly began picking up as many as he could and throwing them back into the ocean. When his son saw what he was doing, he said, "Dad, why are you doing this? There is no way you'll be able to save all of these starfish! It doesn't matter!" The man picked up another starfish and replied, "No, but it matters to this one." He threw it in the ocean.

Although this situation was frustrating for me, I have been able to use my voice other times on this trip through translation. The local church here has been busy for over twenty years doing outreach and sharing the gospel in the community in Korce.

Sometimes we don't know what is going to happen. Sometimes we have no choice but to accept that God is in full control of the situation, and trust completely in Him. Sometimes sharing the love of God doesn't have to be in the things we say, but in the things you do. Sometimes you may not have a voice. Sometimes love opens the door to the gospel. Sometimes all you can do is love.

That day, the gospel was in the things we didn't say.

- Lauren