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.

Most Important to Date

Dear Friends,

Having lived in this little Albanian village now for a few weeks, we have come face to face with the stark reality that we are experiencing a part of the world that is so different from our North American culture. The needs here are immense. The creative resourcefulness of the local pastor, kindergarten teachers and other villagers is amazing. They make the best of what they have, they turn seemingly nothing into something, they get by with what they have and complain VERY LITTLE.

To use a common colloquial phrase "per shembull" (for example), of three kindergarten classrooms, one has an antiquated blackboard, maybe 3' x 4' barely usable. Another room has one a bit larger but of the same vintage, and a third room does have a white dry-erase board but it is sadly small and well used. There are a couple electric room heaters, but they will be used very little this winter as the electric bill would be unaffordable. The children will be cold as they sit at their lesson tables nestled in their sweaters and jackets.

Our little church sanctuary will have no heat this winter, so we will all worship with our coats on. The only musical instrument to accompany our songs of praise is the pastor's guitar. Each Sunday as we drop our offering into the collection box it falls silently to the empty bottom.

In no way do we boast; however, we have extended our financial help and will continue to do so, but WE NEED HELP. The children have many needs that stretch far beyond what the current budget can offer. Our mission fund is supported by many gifts from our North American church families, but we do need more support. If you feel a tug and are able....please, send a gift in any amount to the following address. (Since shipping materials from North America is so expensive, it is more effective to send funds that can be used here.) Thank you for your help and please keep this part of the world and this mission in your prayers.

Make check or money order payable to

General Treasurer Church of the Nazarene.

Mail to

Church of the Nazarene

P.O. Box 843116

Kansas City, MO 64184

On the memo line, indicate whether you wish to support the Flowers of Life Kindergarten in Albania, or Church of the Nazarene in Gorre, Albania. Also, please note that donation should go to attention of Beiler/Scottum mission.

God's blessings to you! Bob and Judy

Landi and Juli

We'd like to introduce you to our local pastor, Landi (lahn-dee) and his wife, Juli (you-lee). Their son, Greisi, you met on our previous post. Landi has been pastoring the Gorre church for about 8-9 years now. While it's difficult for us to understand his preaching due to the language barrier, it is clear he is devoted to the Lord and has a gift for opening up scripture to his congregation. During the week he spends much time transporting the pre-school/kindergarten children to school and back home each day. He must get up very early, as he has three different directions/villages to get to. At the end of the school day, off he goes, the same three runs in reverse. In addition to using his multi-talents, i.e., plumber, electrician, all-around fixer-upper, Landi is a master gardener. At home, he nurtures the family garden/greenhouse, the result of which yields copious vegetables and fruit. Much of the harvest is sold at a nearby wholesale market, while the remainder is used for the family. We've been treated to delicious peppers, eggplant, and other produce. Landi is a devoted and faithful pastor, husband, father, discipler, and friend to many local villagers. His great sense of humor livens up our attempts to communicate and eases some of the pressure of adapting to a new culture.

Juli has been a life-saver to us as she speaks English fairly well. She interprets for us on many occasions and tries to explain what we need to know---which is everything about Albanian culture, life in Gorre, and the pre-school where we help in various ways. As lead teacher, she supervises two other teachers, evaluates lesson plans, and teaches her own group of 4-5 year olds. As a wife, she is a resourceful and supportive partner to Landi. It's a treat to observe their great team-work.

For some time, Landi and Juli have wanted to start a new church in a neighboring village, and since we are here now to help with some of their more mundane responsibilites at the pre-school and church, that may indeed be possible.

We are so grateful for the warm welcome, friendship, and help this dear brother and sister in Christ have extended to us, and look forward to an ever closer friendship.

Grecie is the six year old son of our local Pastor Landi & his wife Juli. Each day, with few exceptions, Grecie appears at our door with eager anticipation of his English lesson with me ( Robert ).
A sharp young lad, Gracie seems to look forward to this time of day. Conjecture for a moment the cause of his enthusiasm. Perhaps he is anxious to learn English, maybe it is the quality time he gets to spend in frivolity with xhaxhi (uncle) Robert or possibly it is the chocolates he receives as reward for his lesson completion. Okay--let's hope that we don't run out of Tootsie Rolls, Hersey Kisses & M & M's for a while.

urgent prayer request

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?

Brief Introduction...well, maybe not so brief

As of today, we have been in our new home for 2 weeks...and what an astounding 2 weeks it has been. Adapting to village life has its challenges, from language limitations, to learning how to travel to a neighboring town for groceries, to coping with frequent power outages. The everyday aspects of life are very different from home... perhaps we'll elaborate on that in the future.

Our apartment is part of a building that also houses a pre-school (called kindergarden here), our church sanctuary, and a small conference center. A few days after moving in, we "hosted" a 3-day class at the center, which meant providing snacks for the participants and meals and companionship for the teacher. Jenny volunteers at European Nazarene University (located in Germany), traveling to distance learning centers to teach various classes. We enjoyed having an American to talk to!

Currently our days begin in the pre-school by preparing snacks and lunch, taking up most of the morning. Until now, one of the 3 teachers has managed this, but our involvement frees her to focus on her class. One day the power was out, so lunch was cooked and served by candle-light! Although the photo is poor, you get an idea of the kitchen facility. We are amazed at what these teachers accomplish with very limited supplies. I (Judy) sit in on the classes from time to time, which actually is a good way to pick up the language. The kids giggle at my futile attempts to communicate, but they also are happy to help me learn.

Most afternoons include 1-2 hours of language study with a young woman from our church. She and her husband have been very helpful and patient, and they are becoming good friends. Also, most afternoons, Bob helps our pastor's 6 year old son practice English.

The rest of our time has been spent turning our apartment into "home", shopping for groceries, and trouble-shooting difficulties arising from unreliable electricity. To the local people, this is just a part of life, and they cope very well. For us pampered Westerners, it's been quite an adjustment, but each time a situation occurs, we become more able to take it in stride.


Albanians are very hospitable and generous people, and we are meeting many brothers and sisters in Christ. What a blessing to witness their deep and strong faith! Their willingness to take stands against the corruption that is a way of life here can have pretty severe consequences for them. To be so warmly welcomed into their church family is a great gift. God is taking very good care of us!

Please pray for these faithful ones to remain steadfast, and for us, as we seek to learn how we can encourage them. Zoti te bekofte! (God bless you!)

We Have Arrived

Two weeks since we left the USA. Our home, for now, is in a quite remote village about 2 hours from the capital city of Tirana. Our village is called Gorre, and can be located using Google earth or by simply googling Gorre, Albania. Though we are quite safe and well, we are definitely being stretched by the cultural adjustments. One example is we do have running water, though not potable, so we use bottled water for all consumption. People that we've met are quite cordial and helpful. Our biggest concern, for now, is the language barrier. Today, we start language lessons with a young lady that lives nearby and is a part of our little church. We miss "home" very much and all our friends and family but the Lord is with us and we will soon close the gap of cultural disconnect.

We'd love to hear from you. Prayers and words of encouragement are so much appreciated. If you would like to communicate directly to us, please use our email address, since this blog site is not set up for back & forth messaging.

Hopefully, we will add some photos in the near future.