March went fast!

The girls went to a conference!
Kathi made her first journey, both driving more than 10 miles here and out of the country without Al. Kathi took 5 of the women with her to a women’s conference in Podgredec Albania. Driving here is much different than driving in America. Driving here is very stressful most of the time. We are so happy she made the 9 hour, one way, journey safe and sound!
Testimonies from the conference include; one woman who had a dream the night before the conference that Kathi had said she should quit smoking. When she arrived at the conference she found they did not allow smoking on the grounds of the school. She talked with several ladies at the conference that God used to speak to her that she should quit. She heard and chose to obey the Word she felt God was speaking and quit smoking!!! Praise God!
Another of our ladies has had a very “colorful” past to say the least. She went to this conference a little apprehensive and not really sure what to expect. She admitted hearing about God speaking to people but didn’t understand or even believe it to be more than something people just say. The second night during worship God spoke to her and told her that “her past was forgiven and her chains were broken.” Then so was she! As she wept she received healing and deliverance from her past. She was also able to, for the first time, take communion worthily. The Bible says if we have offense in our hearts and we take communion in an unworthy fashion we drink a curse upon ourselves. She was able to forgive those who had hurt her and release them from the bondage she had created in her heart. This paved the way for her own personal healing. God is so awesome!

Matthew 21:15-16 Out of the mouths of babes..

One of the boys, 10 years old, came to church last week hardly able to wait to share a testimony. He was praying that his father would stop drinking so much and come to church. This boy who has seen visions and heard the voice of the Lord said “Jesus answered me and said, don’t worry about this, your father will soon become a believer” !!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!


Awesome God!
God continues to heal hearts and physical bodies in our midst. As we lay hands on and pray the prayers of faith, God is there to heal and encourage people. Kathi is also seeing physical healings within the women’s group. Even the visitors are getting healed and touched in their hearts.

The Kids just keep coming!
The people working with the children’s ministry are constantly amazed at the hunger they see in the children. They are reporting of changed hearts in some and a true desire to worship and pray in others. Some of the children, due to pressure at home, come with attitudes against Christianity. Some stop coming for a while but return with a more open heart. We believe God is touching them as they see a difference in us and those who hold to their “father’s religion”. They are softening and even asking to pray where before they wouldn’t even accept the teachings.  God is moving on the hearts of the children!

Please pray for;
Direction on different building, we have outgrown the one we have.
Finances to do what God has called us to do.
People to be raised up to help work the vision of Bashekesia e Ungjillit, Fellowship of The Gospel church.
Wisdom to apply all the above.

Time flies when you’re having fun!

Blessed with a new job!

Praise God! He is the God Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. We received a call last week asking if we could help make supply to one of the families in the church. The reason was because he had started a steady job and needed help until he gets paid next month!! Again this is very exciting because of the 46% average of unemployment in this land not to mention the 81% rate among the Roma people. At Sunday morning service we found out his brother, who lives in the same house, had found a job as well and began Monday!  Praise God!  We also learned one of the ladies from church had work in a restaurant. God truly is the God Who provides.  Every household in the church now has employment…this is transformation!

Praise and Worship

This week we started getting back to a more regular routine with a Sunday morning praise and worship service.  Sunday morning seems to work best for most of these, now employed, people. It was another great time of praise, following a midweek worship service Wednesday, and many were excited to be joined together and focusing on God. We had several visitors in each service and could feel Holy Spirit moving on the people and through us. We prayed for one woman, who was visiting for the first time. She had been suffering with pain in her back shoulders and neck.  After we prayed for her she said she could feel a tingling from her head down her spine. We asked if this felt like a good thing or a bad thing and she said without reservation it was good. Praise God! We believe God was touching her physically. She has a great hunger to come to church and learn more about this Christ we serve. God is drawing people in and demonstrating His power!

The House of God

We are still seeking God’s perfect will for a building to operate out of. The Family Life Center is rapidly growing too small. While this is a good problem to have we need wisdom from Him on how to proceed.  We need the perfect location as well as the perfect structure to accomplish all He has for us to do.

Feeding and educating

Literally a hands on ministry

God put on one lady’s heart to buy a new sewing machine for training women how to sew. Sewing is an employable skill, not to mention very handy in the home. We will begin the sewing classes very soon.

We also need God to raise up workers. While getting a job here is a blessing, most have to work 7 days a week and 10-12 hours for little money, around $200 U.S. We need people who can work with us who are self supported or the finances to hire staff. We could hire for $250 U.S. per month some help with the children’s and feeding programs. Please pray and see how God would have you help.

Also, don't forget to check out and sign in on our new web page. http://www.changedbyhislovebug.org

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.