Life is hard. We all walk through the mountains and the valleys. As I finish my tenth month of the World Race in the country of Albania (in Eastern Europe), I look back and realize how unrelenting Jesus is. He is a God who deeply and intimately loves His people. He NEVER leaves them and NEVER gives up on them. I saw this first hand in my life and in the lives of two people I met in Albania this month. But first let me tell you a little about what it means to be a Christ follower in this country.
Albania was once a communist country that was strictly atheist. No religion was allowed in the country until 1991. So really only my generation and the one after me have grown up with any freedom in exploring spirituality. Most of the older generations grew up with no religion whatsoever. Now days, over fifty percent of the country’s residents describe themselves as Muslim (but mostly because it is family tradition). Less than one percent of the population know who Jesus is. Christians in Albania remind me of the disciples in the Bible. Following Jesus is not just a Facebook status or a checked box on a survey. It is a committed life, not going anywhere but to the foot of the cross every single day. In fact, being a Christian in Albania costs something. Persecution of Christians looks like family alienation (a big deal in this culture) and inability to find employment. So if you are going to claim to follow Jesus, you know it’s coming from an authentic heart of worship.
Well, this month my team and I were looking for “Unsung Heroes” in Albania. This is the same type of mission work I did when I was in Cambodia. We were looking for organizations, churches, individuals, and missionaries that future World Race teams could come serve. It was a month of following the Holy Spirit wherever He led. In that, the Lord introduced me to two of His children who He is relentlessly pursuing. Their names are Stiv and Bido.
Stiv is a twenty year old, young man who grew up in a Muslim family. He doesn’t really practice religion, and he knows very little about Christianity. One day, my team and I were going around and talking to random people in the park in Tirana (the capital). That’s where I met Stiv. As we were talking, he talked about believing in a higher power but didn’t really know what it was. He seemed very open, and then admitted that another missionary from Canada had talked to him a year prior. In that moment, I sensed that the Spirit was pursuing Stiv. Jesus passionately wants to love Stiv and have his heart for safekeeping. So I sensed the Spirit asking me to invite Stiv to church, and so I did. And guess what? He said yes and he came!!! Stiv had never stepped foot in a church in his life, and I got to go with him as Jesus met him in a small international church in Tirana. It was so humbling and so beautiful. Stiv really enjoyed the service and commented how welcomed he felt and how he would love to go back again. Oh buddy, Jesus is so good. He is unrelenting in pursuing Stiv, his son of whom He loves so much.
Later in the month, I met Bido. He is an eighty- four-year-old man at a Christian nursing home in Korce, Albania (a little town in the north). As my team was exploring this nursing home that was a part of a bigger ministry in this town, I was immediately struck by the huge smile this man had as I waved hello at him. I was compelled to go back and say hello to him. He didn’t speak any English, but his joy was a river. I couldn’t help but drown in it. He was so excited to meet my friend Katy and me. He held our hands so tight and didn’t let go. He spoke in soft Albanian of which we caught a little bit of from our translator. He told us how excited he was that we were there. We prayed over this sweet, old man, and I couldn’t wait to come back and visit him again. So two days later, we went back. I went and held his hand, and looked at his big old smile and sensed yet again how much Jesus was pursuing Bido, His son of whom He passionately loves. I found out that Bido had also come from a Muslim family, but didn’t practice the religion. However, he is learning more about God through this ministry. As Katy prayed for him, he started crying and saying things like “My God!” It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Jesus was loving him in that moment. His spirit could feel it. We ended up having coffee outside on the terrace and enjoyed the sunshine that morning together. It was one of my favorite moments of the month. As we said goodbye to Bido, he started crying. He was so sad to have us leave. It literally broke my heart. But I know Jesus is relentlessly pursuing Bido every moment of every day. Bido is never alone and oh so loved. Praise be to God!
Please pray for Stiv and Bido. They are just two of the many beautiful people I met in Albania of whom the Lord is seeking out and drawing closer to Himself. Pray that their hearts will be swept away by the love of their perfect Heavenly Father. But I also hope that these two stories put a smile on your face, because it perfectly portrays how Jesus is pursuing each of us every single day, no matter what background we come from or no matter how far we feel we are from Him. His love is relentless. It is in His nature, He literally can’t stop chasing after your heart with all of His goodness. I know for me, God has pursued me relentlessly through flowers this month. He has shown me the most unique and colorful flowers in Albania. Flowers almost always put a smile on my face, and Jesus delights in giving me that joy. He loves me so much, and He loves Stiv and Bido and you! His love is like an ocean. Stop fighting it and just let the current sweep you away. It is and will always be relentless.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
