Life Savers

A day or two prior to our arrival here in the village of Gorre, we talked with an English teacher in Tirana (capital city) about our plans. She said, "put on your life preservers, and good luck!" Soon after arriving in Gorre we met two life savers. We'd like you to meet Nertila and Ermal (& their 1 year old son Emanuel) both of whom speak English quite well.

Nertila has become our mesuese (teacher) of Shqip (Albanian) and a precious friend. She is a wonderful young mother, devoted wife and a woman of strong faith. Nertila loves the Lord and walks her faith journey daily with joy and grace. We have come to rely on her, not only for her language skills but also as a dear friend and an encouraging sister in Christ. Nertila spends each Saturday morning discipling three to five teenage girls. Soon she and the girls will spend a Saturday morning in Judy's kitchen making, baking or preparing some American cuisine.

What can be said about Ermal? A fine looking young man, Ermal is bright (speaks 3-4 languages), teaches computer classes, periodically preaches at our Sunday worship service, takes great care of his family and helps us with our computer concerns. Ermal also disciples a group of teenage boys. He typically meets with them each Saturday night here at our Nazarene center. They have a good time socializing, game playing and are currently doing a study of the Gospel according to Mark. Last Saturday night Bob was invited to join them in some ping-pong fun. He is looking forward to getting to know the boys better and hopes to spend more time with them.

An illustration of how this young couple live out their faith is the stand each has taken against the corruption that pervades the Albanian culture. Whether it's school, business, or being pulled over for a traffic violation, bribery might get you where you want to go but not paying a bribe can limit one severely. Nertila is one exam away from acquiring her university degree in linguistics and communication. Since she refuses to pay a bribe to the professor giving the exam, she has not "passed" the test (even though her scores are always high). She has taken the test several times with the same results.

Ermal could have "bought" a well paying job and supported his family in decent style. He not only refuses to pay the price himself, but also refuses to let anyone else pay it for him. Consequently, while he has a job, it pays poorly, and he and Nertila must live with his parents; unable to afford a home of their own. In addition to the economic repercussion of their stand, they are ridiculed by many Albanians for their "foolishness".

Please pray for Ermal Nertila and Emanuel.