Homecoming

Hello,

We came back to Kosova and one of the worst snows in 30 years. We got near 5 feet of snow over a 3 day period. This shut down most forms of transport other than walking. We were without running water for 7 days due to freezing. The price of firewood, the main heat source in Kosova, has tripled since the snow fell.

 

Al was able to get out Wednesday and check on those whom we serve and are the most poor in the church. Most are huddling together to conserve supplies and heat. Those with the greatest need are staying with family as they can.

Having been in the U.S. for 3 months we have extra wood to distribute that was purchased last spring, to help see folks through the worst part of the remaining cold. 

We hired two men from the church to dig out our road yesterday. The city is barely able to clean the main roads and ours is very low priority since it is a dead end with only 6 houses on it. Our neighbors could not understand why we would do this. They said, “you can get to the store on foot and you have the wood you need, why are you paying someone to clean the road? The city will clean eventually”. I told them because God sent us here to help and take care of others as well as ourselves. We need to be able to get the vehicle out to help those in need. Also I said these men, between the two of them, have 8 children to feed and neither have work. It is good for them, good for others we serve, and good for our neighborhood. One man, who lives next door and has had very little to say to me in 3 years, walked with me down the alley yesterday and I could tell he was trying to understand why I would do this. I know there is an open door coming soon to share Christ's love. He knows of our faith and is seeing it put to action.

We were finally able to dig the van out yesterday, Saturday, so we could make some additional food provisions for some folks.

One family of 6 has no wood or food. The road situation prevented us from getting even a wheel barrel through to the house. The husband hurt himself digging through the snow and can't move very well. We will dig more later.

We were able to get the van up to the next block over last night, where the mom and two boys were able to meet us to receive food supplies and a hot prepared supper.  The van only got stuck once along the way!

 A woman, who has been very faithful in the church and with the children's ministry, came today to our home. She has no work now for 2 months and is out of wood to heat her home and has little food. She is living with her parents to feed her son and herself. She came today to ask for help with prescriptions for her father who has cancer. The cost of his medication, which should be free from the government but is stolen by the pharmacists, cost 28 euro ($40) for 2 days worth of medicine. The doctors say there is nothing they can do for him. Our heart breaks for the lack we see and the greed that fuels it here.

We have a great need for another location for the Family Life Center. The facility we have has been outgrown for some time. The empty store we had been praying about has since been rented as a furniture store. We have found a large house for sale, nearly three times what we have now and in the area we are targeting.  This property could provide the much needed space for worship services, the feeding ministry, the learning and skills training center and even some temporary housing as needed! 

Please continue to pray with us for God's perfect will for this place, or another He would have for us.

Pray also for provision for the people of Gjakova and Kosova during this time of great need.  Pray also for the families who have lost loved ones in this storm.

James 1: 2-8 Consider it all joy...

This week had interesting days.

The devil tried to attack and discourage us personally on many fronts, “BUT, GOD” had a different plan. Our decision to obey God and not man has come with a price. The price has been relational as well as financial. Proverbs 15:16 says “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.” God is a God of overcoming and in Him we shall overcome! John 16:33 (Amp) says “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” Hallelujah!!

Tuesday we came into situations where the enemy of our souls was trying to bring divisions among the women of the church. We had guests arriving from America on Friday and had much to prepare before Saturday. The timing was not good, as the execution of the plans required everyone working together.  Kathi was able to speak directly to the situation, in love, and work through the issues each one had. By applying the love of Christ and the Word of God these women each saw their own need and worked through their differences. The results were a cooperative cleaning and preparation effort for a very special “family supper” to include our guests.  We’re making flia.

Flia is a traditional pie type of meal made with flour, egg, yogurt and cheese. It is cooked over an open fire by heating a metal cover and then placing that cover on top of the pan of flia batter. This cooks the flia from the top. After the flia has been browned on each of at least 6 layers it is baked for approximately 20 minutes to finish the process. Flia is a special treat that takes several hours for each pan to prepare, but is oh so good. The ladies worked together on it all day, and after church service on Saturday we shared a special feast with all the family and guests. This food is very filling and we were able to feed a total of 31 people with enough left over for each of the families to take home.

We had received some school supplies, clothing, coats and shoes from Smile, Int’l., a British NGO, who has a facility on site here. Saturday we were able to combine that with some additional school supplies we purchased through financial donations, and outfitted 3 families. Our friends from Tulsa helped organize and distribute the school supplies and clothing. Six of the 7 children had not been able to go to school because they did not have the proper supplies needed. As a bonus we were able to supply some clothing and coats to the parents as well. They were all feeling very blessed.

Worship Saturday was fun and exciting as the people are learning how to “be free” to worship. They are less inhibited and the result is more exuberant worship times. Praise God for freedom and understanding of true worship to our God. “God will not pass over hungry hearts”.

We are seeking funds to return to The U.S. yet this year. Please pray as we need airline tickets and operating money while there. The needs of the ministry here continue even though we are there. This requires additional funds for travel and our time of rest and refreshing with our home church.  We also have plans to visit other churches as doors open to do so. Please pray for funds, open doors to other churches and the opportunity to return for some rest and refreshing. Al has not been back to America since July of 2009 and we have not spent Christmas together there with our families since 2005.

Praise God! It was a week of highs and lows…Mostly highs.

After returning from a few days sabbatical we returned to find a new hunger in the people we had been working with. As we began to resume ministry several of the ladies told Kathi they would like more time and training in “Kingdom living”. This was a great encouragement as they all committed to meeting together to develop their relationship with Jesus and learn to live in His Kingdom and not that of the world. They have a desire to become true disciples and daughters.

Each “Roma” neighborhood has what they call a director. This man is the lei sane between the people and the local government. Al met with the director of the neighborhood we are working in. As we talked I asked him “What is the greatest need in this area?” He said that 80% of the people in all Roma areas were unemployed. When I asked why, he said there is no work available. At one time Gjakova had many factories and everyone who wanted to work could. After the war factories were no longer open and remain closed today. Please pray for an influx of jobs in this area.

After several months of counseling and encouraging, Arton decided to take a job.  Back in March God had spoken to him about getting a job. He had struggled with discouragement since getting out of prison and feeling as though no one would trust him to work for them. Most employers here want you to work 12 hour days 7 days a week for 200 euro ($300) per month.  This week, after praying through all of this, he got a job offer with exactly those terms, but was believing for something that would allow him his time for church. He got another offer. The job he took gives him that time he desired for church, as well as teaching and training times, and provides a decent income. In a land of 65% unemployment he and his wife both have jobs.  Praise God!

To update you on Berati, he has been told he is too old to repeat middle school, and he must go to a private school to catch up on his studies and qualify for high school. This “private school” will cost 100 euro ($140) each year, and he will need to complete two years. Please pray God will provide for his needs in this area.  His desire is to qualify to work in the government police force.

Yesterday, Saturday, the children from one of our families were at the FLC early as it was their mom’s day to help serve. I was prompted by The Lord to give the children some of the children’s Bibles we have. They are full of easy to read Bible stories Old and New Testament with bright colored pictures in the Albanian language.  One of the brothers, an 8 year old, went around behind the house to be alone with his new gift. Kathi just happened to glance out the window to see this young soul, sitting on the ground, with his Bible opened to the place where it shows Jesus on the cross.  He was looking intently at the page and without prompting closed his eyes, threw his head back and raised his hands in worship. A little later he was in the “Great room” which we use for children’s services as well as corporate gatherings, worshiping to the music we have playing constantly while there. When I walked in he looked up at me and said, Pastor, while I was singing and worshiping I cried two times.  Kathi later asked him if he was sad or happy when he was crying and he said happy! God is touching those with a yielded heart. Thank you Jesus that you don’t look at the age of the person but the openness and purity of the heart! This same boy and his brother, who always wants to lead prayer before the meal, cried when their DVD  of “The Jesus Film” broke. They loved to watch and hear in their own language the story of their Redeemer. I am currently trying to find a replacement.

I found out this week that these same children, 3 of them who should be in school, are not in school because they do not have the proper clothing, book bags, pencils, notebooks or shoes. Their father is currently struggling with an alcohol addiction and spends what little money he makes on that instead of feeding the family.

 Very often our heart is broken over the lack of supply for the children here. It seems that the cycle of poverty continues to rage on. We know that the blood of Jesus can break this cycle. Today we feed them as we can, make provision as God supplies and love them with the Love of Jesus. The need is great and we know God has the funds ready to be released. Please pray and ask The Lord what part is yours in helping with these situations.