Once again we celebrate Christmas quietly,

reverently, just the two of us

along with our precious Savior

here in Albania.

Our prayer is that all our loved ones, 

family and friends in America and Albania,

experience as we do,

the Peace that passes all understanding,

which comes only from knowing and trusting

Jesus.

From us to you:

our love...

God's blessings...

and

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Bob and Judy

We Just Can't Stay Away

Our fourth graders (minus 2) on a very sunny day

 There is reason to, as the psalmist said, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth."  Ps. 100:1

Now well into our fourth stint of serving where we trust the Lord wants us (we just can't stay away!), we continue to witness reason to shout for joy.  Though our bodies are aging and our skills limited, we are in awe as we see God working in the lives of the next generation. What a treat to pray with our fourth grade students without any fear of persecution and without concern for being offensive.  There is no wall of separation at GDQ Int'l. Christian School.

sweet voices lifting prayer and praise

Class guiding verse in students' artwork

The psalmist continues in verse 2: "Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs." 

Each Thurs. morning we gather with 45 grade 3-5 students for a chapel service, where much joyful singing takes place.  Such cherubic joyfulness needs to be tempered a bit in the classroom, where we realize their halos aren't quite complete (and neither are ours).  They are still children after all, and we love them.

Head of Lower School leading chapel singing

Our class of 15 claim Korea, Guatemala, USA, England, and Albania as home.  We squeeze with them into a room once limited to 12 students, so we are elbow to elbow most of the day.  Add to that their reputation for being the noisiest class in the school, and we end up with a lively classroom.  They have good hearts and are on their way to controlling the chattiness, which increasingly endears them to us.

Verse 4:  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise..."

As we re-connected with our little church, Kisha Bibla Flet, it became clear that the young men being taught and shepherded by Pastor Dennis are growing in faith and wisdom.  They are beginning to take on leadership roles in the church, preaching, leading worship, and handling administrative tasks.  If church planting is the initial focus of missionaries here, the goal is to work themselves out of a job, such that Albanians can become strong enough and confident to sustain the church themselves.  Kisha Bibla Flet is moving in that direction.

Vero and Saimir preaching and translating

God is blessing us abundantly, and so we close with verse 3:  "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.  His faithfulness continues through all generations."

Prayer Requests:

* health and strength for us to continue,  such that we can fulfill our commitment to teach 

   through Jan. 23

* a 4th grade teacher to step up to take our place (if you know of anyone who might be

   interested, please let us know)

* other teaching needs at GDQ to be met (EAL teacher, middle school math teacher)

We love to hear from home, so send those emails when you have time.  God's blessings and our love to you all,

Bob and Judy

Until Next Time

Until Next Time...Treasured Memories

Landi, Juli, Ermal, Nertila, Ermal
overlooking Gorre's valley, where it all began

With just a few days left, we are wrapping up our third Albanian mission.  It is with mixed emotions that we approach the homeward flight after our recent five month stint here in Tirana.  It goes without saying, we are absolutely delighted to think of wrapping our arms around our treasured grandchildren again.  Of course, we are also looking forward to seeing our immediate and extended family and friends.  For sure we are anxious to reconnect with our awesome church family at Webster First Baptist.

However, it also goes without saying that a huge part of our hearts will be left behind.  We have been blessed with so many wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ; their lives have touched ours and they are truly a part of our eternal family.  We will miss life in Albania but are thankful we've had such  precious and meaningful experiences.

In this, our last blog, we're simply including a collage of special people, places, and events that have been part of our total Albania experience.  We pray and trust that all our time spent in this country will ultimately bring glory to God, to Whom we give all credit for our very lives and for revealing to us salvation through Jesus Christ.  Our lives have been spiritually enriched, and we hope and trust that we have been used to further His kingdom...all glory belongs to Him. 

So, following is a smattering of photos that help encapsulate a bit of our treasured Albanian mission time.  (We apologize for the random-ness of the arrangement, but have not learned how to move pics around the blog page.)

 In reaction to the drab, ubiquitous gray of communism,
 Tirana's buildings now earn its name: The City of Color.

Oh, that the streets at home could offer produce so delicious.

Grade 8 dream team, displaying models of a leaf
cross-section.  It was truly a delight to be their teacher.

Beiler family: missionaries in Albania for about 15 years.
They lovingly and faithfully shepherded us through our first trip.

With Nertila, trying to learn the Albanian language,
with Jack Frost nipping at our noses. 

She appears to be cheerful in spite of her Roma/gypsy
squatter's life style.  She received a blanket from GDQ School's
blanket drive just in time for this year's cold snap.  But how
much more she needs.

Another hungry Roma child.  We were aghast as we
witnessed the extreme poverty and squallor, but this
is more common throughout the world than our
middle/upper class lifestyle.

We have been able to support and encourage Toni and Ida,
and in turn they have greatly inspired and encouraged us.  They
are pioneering new territory as they prepare journey to outside of Albania
as some of the first Albanians to go to other nations as church workers.

Church of the Nazarene in Gorre, our first church.
Pastor Landi was preacher, worship leader, Sunday
School teacher, custodian, and bus driver for his little flock.
It is now led by our friend, Pastor Ermal.

Clowning around with Suela (former student) at her
birthday party...the beauty and 2 old beasts.

Typical meat market...not long before this was taken
these were wooly critters tethered to the shop door.

Two grade 7 mad scientists under the tutelage of
another mad scientist in the GDQ science lab.

a view from the back of our current church, Kisha
 Bibla Flet

Stephen Center, an oasis of warmth and good coffee...
a great blessing to us.

women of Kombinat church, so poor in earthly wealth,
but so rich in Spirit


Thank you for the prayers and encouragement you have shared as we've journeyed to Albania.  Zoti ju bekofte!

"...whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom  they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall the hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things."     Romans 10:13-15