May Flowers

We’re closing out May and this year has just flown by.  It’s hard to believe we are about two weeks shy of having been in Kosova for a whole year.  Every month seems to pass quicker than the last.

Some highlights from this past month:

Teaching Christian Worship to students in Albania.  I spent one weekend in Albania in a quiet little village called Gorre.  The Church of the Nazarene has a retreat center there that housed me and the students for the weekend while we poured over material dealing with the theology, history, and Biblical teachings on worship.  It was an intense, educational, and inspirational weekend!  Along with the multiple video conference sessions we shared together, Christian Worship was a great success.

A combined Easter service at the National Theater.  This service included Christians from all over Prishtina and beyond – an estimated 600 people participated including believers from Prishtina, KFOR, visiting internationals, and others.  So often in Kosova, Christians feel alone and isolated.  It was wonderful to see so many come together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

Stability in Suhareka.  While Sarah and I have been serving in Prishtina, there has been another missionary couple serving about an hour away in Suhareka.  The Church of the Nazarene in Kosova started there years ago with high school students and English classes.  When the students moved away to Prishtina for college, they took most of the church-goers with them and started the church in Prishtina.  The church in Suhareka has struggled to maintain itself since they left and Nazarene missionaries have come and gone from the smaller city ever since.  John and Katie Witmer have been living there since October 2011 and returned to the U.S. this week.  During their time in Suhareka, inroads have been made into the high schools once again and believers who had stopped coming to the Saturday church services have returned.  Sarah and I have been attending the services throughout most of our time here and are looking forward to continuing the work there.  Regular attendance at the weekly service has grown over the past year and we are starting to feel like something of a community.  While we are sad to see John and Katie go, we are excited for the potential that exists in Suhareka.

Language learning!  Sarah is doing exceptionally well in this area, and her Albanian is far superior to mine.  While I am able to put together short basic sentences and intentions, she can actually communicate on a personal level.  We continue to study the language and I hope to some day preach in Albanian!

Our plans for the summer are quickly coming together and letters should be in the mail soon with details on where we’ll be and when.  We hope to see many of you during our travels this summer.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Totally dependent

The last few days have been packed with emotion and opportunities to see Jesus and depend on Him totally.  On Sunday, I had the opportunity to go with several believers from our church to visit a small neighborhood of very poor families who live in containers built by the government.  Some of these families have been living in these containers for 13 years.  We were able to bring some food to them and talk with them about their needs.  It was a wonderful opportunity to convey the love of Christ in a tangible way.  The most moving part of my day, however, was spending time with the believers from our church.  Each person who wanted to go to minister to the people in this neighborhood is in great financial need themselves.  However, they are filled with the love of Christ and a strong desire to give what little they have to others in need.  The words of 2 Corinthians 8:2-7 seem to be written for these believers:

“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.  Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.  And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.  So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.  But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

So, just as I start to feel overwhelmed with the poverty surrounding me, I spend a few moments with one of the believers here who says, “Even if I don’t have bread sometimes, I have Jesus,” and I am reminded of just how big God is.

And then, to contribute to the emotional roller coaster, I have a day like yesterday.  It was one of those days in which things just weren’t going great.  And then I walked into my office at the high school to see my couch being engulfed in flames.  Yes, you read that correctly, my office was on fire.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and we had some very quick responders who put the fire out and the damage was limited to my office.  But, as I feel like I’m in the throes of culture shock, it was a lot to deal with.  Once again, I am reminded that I must rely on God completely to get through each and every day.  I can’t do this alone and I am grateful that God is my source of strength.

What the future holds

We spent the last month seeking God about our future.  We had many things we were seeking God’s guidance about, but the main issue was whether or not to stay in Kosova past our original commitment of one year (ending in June 2012).  Starting with the very first conversation we had on our way home from the airport when we arrived in Kosova last June, people here have been asking us to stay longer.

Being silly with Besarta

Playing Uno with Nic

Over the last several months we have been praying about this and envisioning what life in Kosova would be like for us long-term.  The first thing we felt was that we didn’t want to make a commitment for just one more year.  We felt strongly that we needed to set down some roots and that the next step we took as a family would be a long term step, whether in Kosova or America or someplace else.

Malachi spending time with his friend Kaltrina

We began talking to others about different options, but mostly talking to God, seeking His will for us.  To be very honest, I was hoping that there would be a lightning bolt and that one moment we would know for sure what God wanted us to do.

Kids from English class

Instead it has taken the form of a gradual sense of peace rising in our hearts about staying in Kosova.

Malachi hanging out with his friends Atdhe and Astrit

Yes, we’ve had the strong affirmations from our friends and leaders in Kosova and on the field.  But more importantly, we have had the strong sense of affirmation from God that not only does He want us to stay, but that He will provide for our needs.

Gil and Malachi playing in the snow

I was talking with my friend, Edona, a few weeks ago.  She was sharing about her prayers for God to provide for her family.  She said that sometimes she forgets to look around her and see how God is amazingly providing for her in the present.  “Why am I worried,” she said, “about the future when I know God is taking care of me right now?”  While I’ve heard these types of words hundreds of times, it struck a special cord with me that day.

Staying in Kosova means living a precarious life of not knowing how our daily needs are going to be cared for.  It means trusting God with our day-to-day needs, as well as trusting God with our future needs (i.e. kids’ college education, retirement).  In many ways, it doesn’t seem to be a very smart decision.  Even foolish.  But then I am reminded that “God made foolish the wisdom of the world” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

Sledding!

 

 

 

 

I am comforted that God has always, always, always provided for our needs.  And I am excited to have a sense of security, not in the material things of the world, but in knowing that when we are seeking God and doing His will, when we are seeking His kingdom first, then He will provide for all of our needs.

Having fun in the snow with a new friend

We ask for your prayers as we continue to seek to follow God in Kosova.  We have been incredibly blessed by the generosity of so many who have been part of building the kingdom of God in Kosova. God is so good.

.

.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Happy 2012!

The last month was a time of great joy, mixed with some homesickness for me.  Some really wonderful things happened, but it was also difficult to be away from our families during the holidays.  We are blessed by so many great friends here in Kosova and we received some wonderful packages from home. These eased the homesickness a bit.  Most of all, we saw God work in amazing ways and this confirmed for us that we are exactly where God wants us to be.

Our English classes have been going extremely well!  The adult classes provided wonderful opportunities to build friendships.  Since the focus of the class is conversational English, we have great conversations about many topics, including faith, work, and family.  It has been a true joy to get to know these students and it is my prayer that they will see the love of Jesus in all of my words and actions.  Our children’s English classes are going by leaps and bounds!  We have new students each class and the word is out in the neighborhood about our classes; we currently have 30 students registered!  Please pray for us as we seek to be effective teachers and effective communicators of the love of Christ.

Our English class party

Our volunteer work at Prishtina High School has also been a great opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ.  Gil and I both teach classes there and I serve as a guidance counselor.  We have met so many great students during our time here.  Not only have I listened to and counseled them, but I learned a lot from them, too.  Many students in Kosova have faced great adversity in their lives, but they are still able to be successful in school.

Our classroom at Prishtina High School

It is a joy to be part of a church who is actively reaching out to those in need of the good news of Christ, as well as those with tangible, physical needs.  God brought a family into our church who experienced many significant challenges over the last year, including their house burning down.  Another organization helped to build the basic structure of the house and through the generosity of many, our church finished remodeling the house, putting in floors, walls, heating and other necessities.  This family saw the love of Christ in action and it was a joy to be a part of sharing His love with them.

God provided a new house!

We love being a part of our church fellowship.  Over the past few months, we made some wonderful friends who have become our family.  We had a blessed Christmas with these friends as we worshipped our Savior together and enjoyed a wonderful meal afterward.  Christmas was quite refreshing here.  The materialistic side of Christmas that we are accustomed to has not taken hold here.  Within the Muslim culture, not many people truly celebrate Christmas, so those who do focus on the true meaning of Christmas, Christ’s birth.  It was fun having a 2-year-old during this time of the year as well.  Everything (Christmas trees, Christmas lights, candles, babies) reminds Malachi of “baby Jesus.”  It has been such a great joy to teach Malachi about a Savior who came into this world as a baby.

Christmas with friends in Prishtina

Malachi with his friends celebrating Christmas in Suhareka

Thanks to some generous Christmas gifts, we took a trip to Romania over Christmas break.  I was a student in Sighisoara, Romania for 6 months in 2000.  It was wonderful to reconnect with friends there and to see the amazing ways that God has worked over the last 11 years.  It was encouraging to see how seeds that were planted have born much fruit in the last decade.  God is so good!

Enjoying coffee in Sighisoara, Romania

This last month was also one of seeking God’s guidance about the next step in our lives.  We originally made a committment to be here for a year, but are truly seeking God about whether we should stay here longer.  We appreciate the prayers of our friends and family as we seek to make the decision about what is next for our family.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This blog entry has been delayed and rewritten many times. It’s hard to believe it’s been over a month since we last wrote. The weather here in Kosova is turning colder and colder, but life hasn’t slowed down a bit.
Last weekend we headed down to Albania for the Albania/Kosova District Assembly for the Church of the Nazarene. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and friends we made at camp this summer. The majority of the assembly was conducted in Albanian, so I was only able to pick out about one in three words. It was very much like the Kansas City District Assembly, including singing, speaking, voting, and eating!

District Assembly in Tirana

Megan is enjoying school about as much as she did in the U.S.  Her friends are extremely important to her these days and she has had a pair of headphones permanently implanted in her head.  (This may be a slight exaggeration.)  She listens to music often.  As the days get colder and shorter, 4:30 p.m. feels like 8:30 p.m. and we’re finding ourselves playing more Skipbo indoors rather than heading outside to play.

Malachi is healthy and happy.  He had a big 2 year birthday party with friends from the church at the end of October.  His love for trucks and tractors has only grown thanks to the construction site outside our windows.  Potty training is going well.  Just today we went out to the store in search of the coolest, big-boy underwear Kosova has to offer!  They’re plain white.

Malachi with his friends

Sarah teaches English classes four nights a week in the church.  Mondays and Wednesdays are spent with adults and Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for an English Club Sarah began for children in the neighborhood.  At first few students knew of the classes, but as word got out, more people started coming.  Sarah had an opportunity to talk about holidays and Jesus’ love with her students this week.  What an amazing opportunity to share!

I was ordained last month during the Eurasia Regional Conference in Turkey.  It was quite an experience and an amazing blessing.  Dr. Jerry Porter prayed over me and Sarah while all the other ordained ministers in attendance surrounded and laid hands on us.  The receiving line afterward extended for hundreds of people, lined up to bless us and the other ordinands.  It was encouraging to see God working in so many lives around the world, and to experience the hope and love that everyone had towards us and our ministry.

Ordination Service

We spent Thanksgiving with friends, eating turkey and watching football.  Not American football, just the kind where you kick the ball around and the majority of games end in a 1-1 tie.  The food was delicious and the football unmemorable, but the company was spectacular!

We are thankful to God for the friends we’ve made and the times we’ve shared all around the world.  Lavdi Zotit! (Praise God!)

Amendment: We later found some very nice, very colorful big boy underwear for Malachi!

So Long Summer

It seems that summer is drawing to a close.  Summer travel has ceased for the most part and school has officially started.  The end of summer  and the beginning of fall has meant many things for our family and our ministry here.

We have some new opportunities at the church.  We are hoping to start English classes soon.  We have told everybody we know about the classes and have put really cool posters all around town.  However, for our “registration day,” no one showed up.  We don’t know why and we are hoping people show up for the first day of class, even though they haven’t registered.  We have been praying that God will bring unbelievers to this class.  However, we have a peace that God will open and close doors as He sees fit.  We have been planning these English classes for awhile now, but if God wants us to use our time for something else, we trust Him as well.  Please be praying that God will guide us and the church regarding these classes.  Our first class is supposed to be this coming Monday, September 12.

English class poster

Otherwise, things seem to be going very well at the church.  God is moving and I can see that people are excited about sharing the love of Christ with others.  For example, there is a very poor family that one of our church members has been ministering to for a couple years now.  They live in a tiny one room home and have no money.  Our church has been able to provide some basic needs for them, but many of us have been praying that God will somehow provide a better place for them to live.  Two weeks ago we were able to visit with this family and saw God provide in a big way.  An organization called the Mother Teresa Society (http://www.motherteresasociety.org/) is building them a new home!!  They were very quick to give glory to God for providing a home for them.  They are very new believers and we are hoping to be able to minister to them and disciple them in the coming days.  (I didn’t have my camera with me, but have included a picture of the MTS building a similar home).

The Mother Teresa Society building a house for a poor family.

Another opportunity that God has provided for us is our involvement at Prishtina High School.  For some time now, I have been planning to be the guidance counselor at PHS.  I also am teaching psychology and sociology to high school freshmen, which is an exciting and stretching experience.  Gil was asked to teach an English literature class at PHS.  After much praying and considering, he decided to teach.  We are both trusting that God will open many doors through this experience.

A class at Prishtina High School

Dinner with friends from Prishtina High School

Everyday is an adventure.  I wake up each morning asking that God will guide and direct our paths.  We are so grateful that He faithfully does just that!

Our friend Kuma and Malachi

Hanging out after church

Malachi hanging out with his friend Edena

 

There and Back Again

The past couple weeks have been pretty full – busy, fun, and worth talking about!  Here’s a short recap, complete with pictures of our latest adventures!

Two and a half weeks ago, we welcomed a Work and Witness team from Spokane Valley, WA to Kosova.  There were twenty-two members on the team, and about half of them were children or teens.  The team split into two parts and spent the majority of their time here either holding a basketball camp for the children and teens of Suhareka, or remodeling the space the church rents to hold its meetings.  Both groups served their hearts out!  Sarah and I coordinated the basketball camp with the local believers and translators and the team leaders, Rod and Brad.  Every day we had more kids than the previous one at the basketball camp, culminating with an ice cream and soda party.  Rod closed out the camp by telling his own story and how God had changed his life and blessed his family.  We were careful not to directly evangelize, and yet, Jesus’ love was seen and felt by everyone involved with the camp that week, kids, leaders, teens, helpers, translators.  It was a blessed week!

Come Saturday morning the weekly church service was held in a brand new meeting space.  The construction portion of the team had done an outstanding job!  Selim, the local pastor, was very happy with the work, and the group of believers in Suhareka seemed rejuvenated and revived. 

We’re only a few weeks away from welcoming the new missionary couple, John and Katie Witmer, to Suhareka, and I think they will be very pleased when they arrive.  So much has been done to prepare for their arrival and there is still so much to do!  There’s a new meeting place for the believers, seeds have been planted in the community, and Suhareka is ripe for the harvest!

After a quick turn-around weekend in Prishtina, our family drove down to Pogradec, Albania on Lake Ohrid for the Albania/Kosova District Family Camp.  Megan stayed with the teenage girls during the week, while Sarah, Malachi and I had a classroom to ourselves.  The camp was held at a brand new German school about a half mile from Lake Ohrid, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.  Services were held in the morning and evening with some free time for ice cream, swimming and volleyball inbetween. 

Sarah and I spent most of our time helping out with the children’s program throughout the week.   We colored, we crafted, we even sang Jesus Loves Me in Albanian!  We had a great week with the kids, relearned some of the great stories in the Bible and made some wonderful, new friends. 

Throughout the week, fifteen people were saved and fourteen were baptized by the week’s conclusion!  Many believers rededicated their lives to the Lord!  It was so encouraging to be in the presence of God with so many believers, singing praises and worshipping God together.  It was sad to leave so many new friends behind this morning, and yet, we are ready and rejuvenated for the work ahead of us in Kosova!  Lavdi Zotit!  (Praise God!)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Spending time with friends at camp