In prayer this month, and just in fan-girling about how great Albania is, the words “glorious abundance” have come to describe our time for me thus far in this environment.
The Lord is good and perfect in all of His ways, and He knows exactly what we need in each season and moment.
With our recent continent change from Asia to Europe, the Lord has provided more blessings than I ever imagined would come entering into the halfway point of the race.
Ministry this month is with an American couple from Oklahoma who have been established as missionaries here in Pogradec, Albania for the past 5 years. They (Claus and Marie) are staff helping head up a Bible school here in the city through Christ for the Nations with some native leaders and are active members with one of the few local churches here. We’ve only been here for about a week, but we have gained such a family so quickly! Claus and Marie have 2 kids that are so sweet, and they also have some “adopted” sons and daughters that are interns at the Bible school. We’ve been working alongside these interns (about 7 total) to give messages and testimonies at church, weekly women’s meetings, and children’s meetings in nearby villages. We have also helped them do some cleaning and repairs in the Bible school building.
So far in Pogradec (poh-grah-detz), Albania, we have been lavished with SO many gifts from the Lord, big and small. Here are a few:
-We’re sleeping in beds instead of sleeping pads!
-We have warm water and shower heads!
-The weather is like spring in Tennessee, which I didn’t think I would experience this year.
-The scenery is GORGEOUS, green, and abundant with flowers.
-The interns themselves have also been such a sweet gift from the Lord as we are already building great friendships with them. They have embraced us quickly, taught us Albanian words, teased us, and graciously invited us into the ministry they do day in and day out.
Asia was an incredible time, and I learned so much in that environment. The Lord definitely taught some AMAZING lessons while being there, and through the adjustment to culture and the type of ministry, He applied the pressure needed to refine me and chisel away things that aren’t of Him. This process continues now in Europe, and truly the rest of our lives, but this realization of being already HALFWAY FINISHED with the Race has come with rest and renewed strength being in a BEAUTIFUL place with loving and devoted followers of Jesus to surround us. What a sweet surprise to come in the thick of the Race! We’ve been told by other racers that the next few months seem to be the longest and can be difficult, but the Lord has given us everything we need to be right where we are and to be filled with renewed energy and focus on our mission of glorifying Him.
So praise the Lamb!!
Here are a few photos for you: 🙂
(our taxi driver coming into Albania)
(the city from a hilltop view)
(this beautiful body of water is Lake Ohrid!)
(visiting the park for a women’s group outing!)
(washing dishes! Albanians keep a CLEAN environment!)
(the team overlooking the city!)
Pray the Lord would draw so many Albanian people to Himself and that we would boldly and strongly come alongside this wonderful ministry and their vision to love these people and reach them with the hope of the Gospel. This is not possible without the power of the Spirit and your prayers! I’ll leave you with some more updates soon!
-Abby 🙂
LOVE YOU ALLLL!
