Changed by His Love: So much to do! So much to share!

This month has been full of God’s goodness and grace. We have been able to provide for people’s needs, spend time with Papa God, and get renewed and refreshed for what He has coming next.

Just a few weeks ago, God impressed upon us to bless a young man who has recently committed his life to Christ, and is an active part of the church. We were able to give him a nice bicycle that had been gifted to us previously. He and his family live a few miles from the church, just outside Gjakova. The family has no automobile and this is the only bicycle in the house. One would have thought we had just given him the keys to a new car. His excitement was worth it all. This was a blessing not only for him but his family also. It is such a joy for us to see God provide for them in this way.

June 3-5 we attended the Stir Up the Flame conference hosted by Pastors Daryl and Debbie Snyder of our affiliate church in Vlore, Albania. Graham and Jean Hepple, Southeast Region Coordinators of Catch the Fire Ministries UK, as well as Pastor Barry Ogden and Lynda Sergeant of the Strategic Prayer Center in Tirana were the speakers and ministers at the conference along with pastors Daryl and Debbie. We were so blessed by their sharing and ministry, and it was a wonderful time to relax in Papa’s love. We are now more refreshed and renewed, ready for what God has in store for us!

While in Albania, we also had the opportunity to visit and minister at our other affiliate church in Elbasan and catch up with friends there. It was encouraging to see how the church there has grown and to see God’s provision in the lives of the pastors and the congregation. We had the awesome privilege of seeing and holding the newest addition to the Gjoni family Emanuel. What a blessing he is. Then, back to Vlore for two days of rest and relaxation. We were able to see some of the Christian foundations of Albania, in a visit to an ancient city called Apolonia. There, we were able to walk through ruins of an ancient city, and the buildings that have been restored there. Among these buildings was the Saint Maria church, a grand hall, and the ruins of some of the greatest monuments in the history of Albania. There were many stone carvings depicting ancient mythology, and marble statues of the great people who dwelled there. Overall, it was amazing to see that the hand of God had been in that place, with the blessed beauty and evident prosperity of the area.

This week we were able to host Dr. Rick Shaw, a professor at Wayland Baptist University in Texas, and his team of 15 Americans. We held a special meeting Wednesday night as a time of worship and encouragement, and some fellowship time with the team. Some of the team members gave moving testimonies that really ministered to people’s hearts. The team also sang a song in Albanian, presented a short, but powerful drama, and shared some memory versus they had learned in Albanian. It was a wonderful time in the Lord, and we thank God for giving us this opportunity and Dr. Shaw for making time in their travels to be with us.

God is continually giving us opportunities to love on people and be His light to this nation. We would like to thank all of you for your continued prayers and support, and look forward to what God has for us next!

Blessings,

Al and Kathi Zickefoose