“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Phillippians 2:1-2
The body of Christ is an incredible thing. Seriously, think about the way it works. You have brothers and sisters you’ve never met who live on the other side of the world. Some pray for a nation that they’ve never stepped foot in before. Some pray for a burden that you share, and your prayers are going up in one accord to one God. Some pray that God would send people to help them out and you become an answer to prayer. God has been moving here in the city of Vlore, and the church has been faithfully listening to the Holy Spirit.
Less than a week ago my team and I were in Tirana, the capitol of Albania. While we were being incredibly blessed there, we were struggling as a team to decide if we should stay there longer or move south. The Lord had dropped the city of Vlore in our laps and we felt that we needed to be there at some time, but when? We talked and prayed in circles until my teammate Paul piped up and said, “We are going to Vlore, and we’re leaving tomorrow. The Lord says they are waiting for us and He has a plan for us there.” Well… alright! Haha, so to Vlore we go!
We hopped on a bus the next day. We had been emailing back and forth earlier that week with a pastor who so matter-of-factly said, “Alright, we will see you tomorrow” after hearing what we were doing this month. Uh, what?? It was that easy? Haha. Pastor Juljan (pronounced Yuli) was more ready for us to get there than we realized. We arrived in Vlore that night, settled into the dorms at the university, and went out to a restaurant with some of the leaders of the church.
Let me preface this by saying that of all the countries I am traveling to this year, I knew the least about Albania. I didn’t have many expectations because it was so unknown to me. So it’s almost perfect that we are participating in Unsung Heroes this month, learning to expect the unexpected and to enjoy the surprises as we press into the Holy Spirit. I did not expect to fall in love with this nation and these people the way that I did.
As we sat around the tables sipping our Coke and Fanta, we began to absorb the hearts of these people. Ermal, one of the most selfless guys I’ve ever met, and Altin, full of passion for his city, shared the history of Vlore and their vision to see people know Jesus. In a city of 300,000 people, there are only 3 Christian churches, totaling about 100 known believers altogether. Ermal shared his memories of civil war in Vlore from when he was a boy. Altin shared the struggle of being a believer in such a dark area. But through all of this, they glorified God and His goodness to them. As these two poured out their hearts, I saw hope eminating from them. The more that Ermal spoke, I saw the words “church plant” over his head. Nothing more, just those words and the feeling that this guy is going to make a huge impact in his city.
As these guys continued to speak, Pastor Juljan showed up in a flurry of laughter and delight to see us. What a joy to be around this man. Throughout conversation, I felt my spirit naturally connecting to these people in a way I hadn’t experienced in a long time. The things they spoke over their city was an echo of prayers I’ve lifted up for my own hometown. They spoke about this generation of young people the same way I do, that they are opening up to experience God in deeper ways and in new levels of faith, that they are a chosen generation seeking authenticity.
Ready for some even cooler stuff? Pastor Juljan shared that they had been praying for over 6 months for God to send people their way to help with the vision they have for Vlore. While we were preparing back in the states for our Unsung Heroes month, Kathryn said she could lliterally hear the prayers being sent up for us. She could hear the cries for help, and the Lord said He would direct us to specific people who had been calling out specifically for us. She was hearing THESE PRAYERS. Pastor Juljan and his team became the answer to our prayer, and we became his. He then went on to share about the church plants he and his team are planning for the future. Ha! I told Ermal about my word for him, and he poured out his passion for the surrounding areas of Vlore that are untouched by churches and the strategies the Lord had given him.
In addition to all the incredible things God has aligned for our time here, Pastor Juljan is setting up meetings for us with several people he knows to add to our contact list. He has arranged to put us up in the University dorms where we have Wi-fi, cheap food, and hot showers. His guys have been driving us around in their van to get us where we need to go, and have also taken us on some amazing adventure days to some beautiful beaches. I snuck around town with Ermal and our friend Anisa to buy surprise birthday goodies for Kathryn. We journeyed with them throughout southern Albania on a 2-day roadtrip to meet contacts and camp on the beach, soaking in the beautiful views along the way.They have been spending a lot of their down time just being with us and loving us. I am blown away by the generosity of the church of Vlore and the friendship we’ve already built with these brothers and sisters.
Praise God for the divine appointments He has set up for us, and praise God for the people we’ve met who are so passionate to see the kingdom come to the city of Vlore. Praise God for showing us His heart here and opening our eyes to see His tangible presence in the lives of people.
I will just conclude by saying thank you, Holy Spirit. I love the way You speak. I love the adventure You’ve taken us on. This is nothing we could have planned or concocted ourselves. Thank you that You guide and You use people as answers to prayer so we can be a part of each others’ lives and love the adventure together.
“And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:7-9
