Final Leg

Ministry to the Unreached and Korça

We hiked up into a mountain to share the gospel to the unreached village of Arzë sharing the Gospel from door to door. Before heading out the team packed a mock puppet stage to be able to carry up the mountain and God gave us the opportunity to do a family outreach with the puppet show, drama and games. followed by preaching the Gospel.

Unexpected Blessings

It’s been an amazing couple weeks here in Albania! One of the places that stood out the most to me was the village we went to on Monday. It was very different from any ministry we had done before. First off, we had to hike through the mountains in order to get to the village. It was a bit of a challenge considering we had to carry literature and even a smaller version of a puppet stage. However, we made it and even enjoyed the hike and the beautiful scenery! When we arrived, at first seemed like a bit of a ghost town, but as we started going in and handing out literature, conversations started happening. The amazing part about this experience was that these people had never heard the gospel before. No missionaries had gone since 1993. As we were walking through the beautiful mountains and the village, that was the thought that was in my mind. These people have never heard the gospel and God was using us to share it with them. It was an amazing experience, seeing the people and kids come out and knowing they were hearing the good news for the first time. There was so much joy on the kids faces during the kids’ program. We even learned some Albanian dancing! While there were some challenging moments, it was amazing getting to serve these people and the Lord in this way.

Another experience that stood out to me, was the last night of VBS. The night before had been cancelled due to rain. That was also the night I had to do the message I had learned a couple days before and wasn’t quite comfortable with. While we were disappointed, we knew God was sovereign and it was all a part of His plan. However, the next night, which was also the last for VBS, there was a 90% chance of rain. We prayed and prayed that God would intervene and that’s exactly what He did. When we arrived, it was sprinkling but we went ahead and started the program with a couple songs and then I went to do my message. When I started, it was sprinkling so we had an umbrella shielding the rain. By Gods grace, the rain went away and the rest of the program went smoothly and the sun even began to shine. Through this day and really this whole trip, we could truly see God’s hand working in our ministry. - Emmie

Ministry to the Gypsies in the Village of Pojan

Christ in Pojan

We went to the village of Pojan for ministry and fellowship. For ministry, we went to a section of the village where gypsies lived. It was really amazing being a part of the proclamation of the gospel to a group of people who need to hear of Christ's redeeming work. As I saw various people walk by, my heart desired that they would know the peace of Christ and that they would know the joy of surrendering themselves entirely to Jesus's Lordship.

We sang and danced with the kids, played games, (had too close of an encounter with a bull!), put on a puppet show, and Mary presented a children's sketchboard message. We will never know all that God accomplished in the ministry, but we know God was glorified and we know His will was accomplished.

Before and after the ministry, there was time of fellowship as some people from our team caught up with Albanians they had met on previous mission trips. While I was an observer at some points, it was so, so special to see these relationships pick up right where they left off. The love and fellowship they have in Christ, even across cultures and across miles, is evident and such a reflection of the fact that Christ has redeemed people from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

We ended the night with AMAZING Albanian food, sports, and dancing. I rediscovered my football (American football) arm and that I can still do a solid cartwheel. Most everyone else played volleyball (I was afraid to play; I'm afraid of getting hit by a ball!).

All in all, the blessings of God were full. I pray much was accomplished for the name of His glorious Son. - Kandis