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

Christmas Greetings from Albania

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS from ALBANIA

 As the world continues to co-opt Christmas to fit its celebration of ____?_____, we are excited that we are still free to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  Praise God.

Having said that, our personal celebration will bring mixed emotions.  A lump in our throats, and perhaps a tear drop or two will accompany our worship.  Our hearts will sense the distance between us and our loved ones back home (especially those precious grandchildren).

Though separated by thousands of miles, we do send our prayers along with our desire that your Christmas celebration will be filled with blessings.  We pray that you will truly sense the Peace that passes all understanding.  We trust that you will feel the Joy that comes from above.  We hope that you, along with your loved ones, feel the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling your lives.

On Christmas day we will join friends and deliver warm blankets to 12 needy Roma families.  The blankets were purchased from our GDQ car wash funds and other contributions.  What a joy it will be to know that at least 12 families will be warmer on Christmas night with these blankets, and we pray their hearts will sense the warmth of Jesus' love.

We will be worshiping, singing and praying with our little Albanian church family; as we do, we will remember our family and friends.  We wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  Luke 2:11

GDQ Director Roger Pearce and wife, Nikki

"Silent Night" by ukelele at GDQ Christmas program

our church family getting ready to sing carols at the city center tree

Roma blanket car wash at GDQ

                                                                     

 

                                                                                                                                          

Mini-Post: A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.  Ecc. 3:1

The season of cold and rain is finally upon us.  The sidewalks on our street are always crowded, but when the umbrellas come out, it's as if we're part of a desperate dance: who will tip left, who will tip right, who will dip down, who will raise it high, all in order to keep from poking someone in the eye. Here are a few pics, although if we photographed in the worst of it, we might not live to tell about it.

Our spirits aren't dampened in the least.  We are warm in our apartment, and added heaters at school do a pretty good job of warming up the rooms of our work area.  Other teachers aren't so blessed, but we're quite comfortable.

The bulk of our (Bob's) teaching is over.  End of unit tests are corrected, and Christmas celebrating has begun...program practice, Secret Santa, staff party, games in the classroom, a car wash by students to raise money blankets for Roma (gypsy) people , who have barely a leaky roof over their heads, much less a blanket on their bed.
Attached are a couple of pics to "illustrate".

After all that, our school responsibility is over. All that is left is to meet Cameron, the replacement teacher, and help him and his wife acclimate to the school.  They will take over our apartment on the 29th, so we'll move to another flat in a different part of the city for the month of January.  We'll have time for visiting, a bit of travel to parts of Albania we haven't seen, and whatever ministry might come our way.

We'll be home soon.  Until then, we thank you for your prayers that have sustained us here.  May God bless you and your families as you proceed through Advent toward Christmas.

Judy and Bob

Our Mission/Ministry Field

     Since our purpose in coming to Albania has been to fill a short-term gap in the teaching staff at GDQ International Christian School, maybe it's time to "advertise" the school a bit and send a few pics of where we spend most of our time.
     

     The school opened 21 years ago (just after the fall of Albanian communism) with just a handful of students and an even smaller handful of teachers (6 pre-schoolers and one teacher, to be exact).  Its purpose was to serve missionary families.  Now we have 100 plus students in grades K-12, 30 plus teachers, several support staff, and over 20 different passports represented among this group.  Most of the students are from missionary families, but some are from business and embassy families.  

     What do the letters GDQ stand for?  Here is a paragraph from the student yearbook.

     "GDQ is proud to take its name from Gjerasim D. Qiriazi, an influential Albanian patriot and evangelical Christian of the late 19th century.  He established the first school for girls in Albania, seeking to build Christian principles into the next generation of mothers, whom he regarded the most influential people in Albanian society.  Qiriazi (1858-94) endured political and spiritual persecution but remained faithful to his convictions."  

    GDQ's mission: "Educating international children to have maximum influence for the glory of God in their lifetime."

     It has been a great joy and pleasure to teach in this school in this environment, seeking to fulfill this mission and provide excellent education.  You are aware that the challenges have been great for us, and we have at times felt overwhelmed and wholly inadequate to the task, but the over-all impact has been the joy and pleasure just mentioned.

     For 3 months we have been "teaming" together as science teachers for grades 6, 7, and 8.  Actually, Bob is the teacher, Judy is the "secretary", (copier, filer, organizer, recorder...), and these roles have worked well.  "Doing" ministry together has been our desire, and this has been about as together as we can get in terms of ministry.  It has been enjoyable and rewarding.  We have a total of 19 students, many of whom were our students 2 years ago.  Seeing how they have grown and matured has been a great gift to us.  They are amazing young men and women, hard-working students, respectful, and very much fun.

     Just this past week a teacher from Alberta, CA has agreed to step in to replace us when school resumes after Christmas break.  This is a huge relief for us and everyone at the school.  So, our last day of teaching will be Dec. 19, after which we'll stick around for a while to help the new teacher get settled in.

     Several of you have asked for more pics, especially some of us.  We're quite camera shy, but here are a few to show you our school and our students. You'll see us in a couple of them.

     Before trying to organize the photos (always a challenge for me), we'll sign off with warm wishes for a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to you. We'll have a couple of days off from school and will travel down to Gorre, the village where we were 4 years ago.  It will be wonderful to see our village friends again.

     We thank you for your prayers.

     Love to you and God's blessings, Judy and Bob

grade 7

hard at work in our tiny workroom

parents and students on first day of school

gr. 8 and models of cross-section of a leaf

Drita and Spresa are part of the foundation of the school.  Their names

mean "light" and "hope", and they more than live up to those names with

the help, encouragement, and sense of humor that they share.

 

Han-hee and her digestive model

gr. 7

lunch in the "penthouse"

grade 6

And at the end of a full week, we relax by going out to at one 

of Tirana's fabulous restaurants.

more gr. 7, with lab asst. Erjona

Striking It Rich in Albania

The mother lode, a winning lottery ticket, jewels of the Nile, a huge monetary inheritance: none of these comes close to the experience of striking it rich in Albania.  All metaphors aside, we continue to marvel at, as well as celebrate, the many Albanians who have come to know, accept, and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Indeed, the riches of the world pale in comparison to the spiritual wealth available to those who trust the Lord.

Since returning to Tirana, the capital city of Albania, we have been richly blessed ourselves while reuniting with brothers and sisters in Christ.  Now, as we encounter new relationships and witness new Christians, new ministries, and new missionaries, our treasure chest continues to sparkle.

It is our desire to share some of these sparkling gems with you.  Following are just a few examples of people who have truly struck it rich in Albania.

This young Albanian couple (not the old folks) are in training to move beyond Albania.  It is only recently that Albanians have begun to consider this, and Toni and Ida are among the first to go.

 In our small church there are 7 young doctors serving in various capacities, all seeking to deliver excellent medical care from a Biblical perspective.  Albanian doctors are paid a small salary by the government, which they subsidize by charging extra fees and refusing to treat people who can't pay that extra.  These doctors do not follow that practice, consequently they earn only the meager governmental salary.  Some of them also endure rejection by their family because they have become Christians.

Also at our church are several young men who are standing firm in their faith and growing under the discipleship of Pastor Dennis (in the suit).  While the more "mature" gentlemen in the photo are precious, it's the young men who can change the face of gender norms in Albania in positive ways.  Unfortunately, this can require sacrifice, as they endure ridicule and sometimes rejection for their faith and their humble, loving ways.

 Vero is 20 years old, and to hear him preach is an amazing blessing.  He also has a gift for evangelizing and now heads up the church's outreach efforts to share the Gospel with Albanians. Just to look this young man in the eye is to know that he loves Jesus with joy and lives to share this love with others.





Among the missionaries we know are many who come to the field at a very young age, forgoing stable and lucrative jobs wherever "home" is to serve in whatever way necessary here.  These are just 3 of GDQ's teachers who came here for their first full-time teaching positions.  They are brave, independent, committed, and fun-loving, and we find their willingness to "go ye therefore" inspiring.

Your prayers add to our treasury, and we ask you to pray for:

*more Albanian hearts to open to the Lord's entrance into their lives

*encouragement for all local Albanian Christians, along with foreign missionaries, to    continue their efforts in witnessing and discipling

*safety and health for us as we pass the half-way mark of our time here in Tirana

We send our love and pray God is blessing you these days,

Bob and Judy

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.    Matthew 6:19-21

Another Safe Arrival, Another Warm and Loving Welcome, Another Challenge in the Classroom

A Room with a View

Settling In
Once Again

How time flies when you're having fun...and when you're challenged with a new job!  We apologize to any who might have been checking our blog site now and then, looking for a new post.  Even though we're somewhat familiar with Tirana and, of course, GDQ School, things change rapidly here, and returning always involves a big adjustment.

God blessed us with safe and smooth travel and a comfortable apartment to immediately occupy.  Those at the school whom we knew before have welcomed us back heartily and warmly, as have Albanian friends, and we certainly do not have opportunity to feel lonely.

Learning the ropes of a new teaching position (middle school science for grades 6-8) initially made our heads spin, but little by little, we're figuring things out. Team teaching (with each other) works well...apparently it takes both our brains and energy levels to accomplish what a single younger teacher could.  Bob does the bulk of the teaching, and Judy tries to organize files, copy copious documents/worksheets, and keep records.  Climbing the stairs to the 3rd floor science classroom takes its toll at our age.  For a few days I (Judy) tallied the number of trips up and down to the ground floor copier, averaging 8-10 a day.  Obviously my organizational skills need some honing; but, there's no need to head to the gym for exercise!

Working with several of the students we had 2 years ago is a joy.  They're wonderful young people, with a healthy balance of fun and willingness to study. Korea, Albania, England, Germany, USA, India, and Finland are the passports represented in our classes.  Many are missionary kids, but not all, as the school also serves internationals in Albania for business or embassy purposes.

The few photos we've tried to attach are generic pics of our Tirana, with views from our balcony and from the street.  You can see it's surrounded by small mountains, placing us in a basin, "perfect" for settling pollution.  We don't want to know how much work our respiratory systems are doing to deal with that! The government is clearly trying to clean up parts of the city, and there is definitely beauty to be found, but there is still much trash and crumbling infrastructure also.  Given all of that, we have found a lot to love, and we are enjoying the life we have here.

We miss all of you and love to hear from you, so keep those emails coming.  Of course we appreciate, so much, all your prayers; we do sense the Lord working in our lives....and throughout Albania.  Please pray specifically...

-for continued health for us, that we may complete the term

-that we may grow in trusting the Lord to enable us to teach as He wants

-that GDQ School will find a replacement for us in a timely manner

-In fact, pray for the school in all its recruitment needs, as this is a continuing    concern year in and year out.  If you know of anyone who might feel called to
 teach at an international Christian school, please direct them to us, and we'll 
 help them get connected.

Our love to you, and may God bless you,
B and J

                                                           We love those Albanian beans!

Catching up with visiting, as well as shopping

Mediterranean Beauty

No helmets or biking leather here!

Five Smooth Stones

                            

                                    FIVE SMOOTH STONES    

 A recent worship service at a small Bible-believing church, led by an American pastor, left us incredulous and blessed.  At the service, four young Albanian men, ages 18 to early 20's, were installed as deacons.  Behind the scenes were five young Albanian women, all highly educated (2 medical doctors, 2 business women and 1 teacher), who have been devoted stalwarts of the fledgling congregation for the past several years. Indeed, they kept it alive for two years while waiting for a new pastor to choose to come to them.
     As young (pre-king) David chose his weapons for his no-contest encounter with the Philistine giant, he carefully selected five smooth stones from a nearby stream.  The stones had been tumbled for years by the steadily moving currents.  All rough edges were worn away over time, leaving them smooth and perfectly shaped for their intended purpose.  Of course, David needed only one of those stones to carry out God's providential plan of bringing down Goliath.
     The faith of five young Albanian women has been shaped, honed and smoothed out by the Lord over time, and like the five smooth stones, they are being used as instruments in God's hands to take down the strongholds of this world.  It is with courage and conviction that these young ladies are using every opportunity to bring the Gospel message to whomever they encounter.
     While working for government wages (equivalent of $500-600/month), the two doctors never fail to pray with their patients, and in many cases, facilitate Bible studies and follow-up discipling sessions with those who are interested.  Currently, they are working on a church plant in a small village 1 1/2 hours from Tirana.  After a grueling day of medical practice, the ladies often spend several additional hours at the church helping out with youth meetings, study groups and other church-related ministry.
     The young Albanian men spend many days doing street evangelism.  They are jeopardizing family relationships (most families have Muslim tradition) while they try to draw their family members into accepting the truth of Jesus.

     Praise God, there is progress being made in Albania.  We continue to meet young people of deep faith who are willing to put their jobs, their friendships, and their family relationships on the line in order to serve the Lord, relying on His provision to meet their needs.  It is both humbling and encouraging to get to know them.