In the northern part of Albania there are many people who still follow ancient cultural traditions governing interaction between family clans that involve blood feuds and other brutal practices. We do not know much about this, so can't explain in detail at this point. However...
Dritan was a pastor of a church up north, whose family has been feuding with another family for many years, involving a "requisite" killing every 2 years. (After one person is killed, that family has 2 years to respond by killing someone in the other family, and back and forth it goes.) As a member of one of the families, Dritan was a prime target, even though, as a Christian, he did not support the feud. For some time he lived virtually in hiding, for self-protection. But 2 weeks ago he told a friend,
"I no longer want to live in a prison because of other people...If I can save them (the men of my family) by my death, so be it."
He came out into the open, and within 3 days of that statement, he was murdered, leaving a wife and young children.
Many of the missionaries we've met here know Dritan's family well. They are asking for prayer for Dritan's wife, Elona, and their children...prayer that they will be taken care of and prayer that they can forgive. If Elona could bring herself to forgive and to convince Dritan's family that she does not want them to carry out the next revenge killing, this particular feud would end. What a demonstration of the grace of God that would be! And, with that, who knows how God could be glorified, even in the tragic death of Dritan?
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