Mission : Albania

Tom Bonner

October/November Newsletter

I feel almost as if I am part of a "You Were There production, a TV program from the 60’s or 70’s that sought to give glimpses into historical events of the past. I did not live through the Depression of the 1930’s in America, but from what I have heard and read the lives of many people here in Albania mirror what existed for millions in America during that time. Everywhere people are struggling to make ends meet, and experiencing deprivation all the while. Most seem largely content, but many can only think of escaping to some place where the living is easier. For some people their main source of income is a small grill that they set up along the street somewhere and roast ears of corn for sale to the public. For some it is a 10-foot by 10-foot space of ground where daily they lay out their wares consisting of used clothing gathered from unknown sources. Others seek to sell inferior tools and electrical connections. For others it might be sunflower seeds, cigarettes and candy bars. Still others set up small vegetable/fruit stands by the sidewalk (such as it is) to try to eke out a living. I have spoken with several such "businessmen" who were formerly high-ranking military officers, and whose pride is greatly impacted by the inglorious conditions into which they have now been forced. Also, not infrequently will one be approached by a child begging, or see drugged children lying on the sidewalk next to their parents, as a means of eliciting sympathy to aid in revenue-collection from said begging activities.

I have expressed before that my accommodations are far above what many Albanians have available. I had this fact driven home to me recently by the following incident. I was showing some people my apartment, and one man asked, "How many people live here?" I responded that I was the only occupant, and thought nothing more about the exchange for some time. Then later I found out that this man, his wife, and two teenage daughters live, basically, in a one room (plus bath) apartment. I am having a desk built to use for the computer (and a printer when I can get one) at the apartment, and I almost feel guilty. I know that I cannot solve all the problems and needs of the Albanian people, but it certainly does cause one to stop and think when considering the differences between life in the two countries.

All of the above makes the next two items I am going to mention seem out of place, but I will proceed and let God’s Spirit do what needs to be done. I have two major projects in front of me for the betterment of the ministry here in Lushnja. We are without power for usually about four hours per day, from noon until around 4 p.m. It was uncomfortable during the summer when the power went off and the fans we had strategically placed around the study center stopped operating. Now with the change in the weather, and the shortening of the daylight available, it is becoming more than uncomfortable. I have purchased two combination gas/electric heaters for heat, and thus far they make it bearable when the weather gets a little cool. The lighting is the big problem. After about 1 or 2 p.m. most days, it becomes almost impossible to see to read with our students in the back part of the office where our study cubicles are.

I have considered getting a generator that was capable of being wired into the system, and which would start by itself when the power goes off. I priced them and came up with a figure of about $5000, plus installation. It weighs about 330 pounds, and would have to have protection built around it to keep it from "walking off" during the night. Then I was told by our landlord that it would not be possible to have such a generator. The city will not allow us to put it on the sidewalk in front of our facility, and the business on the side will not allow us to put it in front of the entrance to their building. Later, I was told by one of the brothers from the church in Tirana of a piece of equipment that he has in his office. I believe it is called a capacitor. It uses no fuel, is installed inside, and costs about the same as a generator. I am awaiting information from this brother to see if it is something we might be able to acquire for use here. All of that, of course, is contingent upon being able to raise the funds for it. I will keep you posted!!

Secondly, I feel the need to secure a vehicle for use here. I function quite well here in Lushnja, walking everywhere I go. In fact, it’s been good for me from a health standpoint. However, being able to get around outside of Lushnja is another matter. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, we are only about 50 kilometers out of the capitol, Tirana, but it takes 2 to 2 ½ hours to make the trip into the city. I would like to be able to go in on Sunday evenings to worship with the church there, but the bus/van service returning from Tirana ends around 4 p.m. I would also like to have a vehicle large enough that we can use for outings with the church here, taking some of our regulars to events where they can meet and associate with Christians from other places. We have 2-4 members of the church in services each Sunday, with the majority of the attendance being made up of visitors. It would be good for these visitors to see that there are more members of the church in other places, so they can envision being part of such a body in the days and years ahead. I have not priced such a vehicle, and am told that the best place to get one is in Germany. I will try to do some looking while I am there next week and see what kind of dollars we are likely to have to pay. I do know that a former missionary in Tirana bought a used 1995 van in Germany in 1999, for $9000. I have no idea what the comparable vehicle would cost today.

It is exciting to walk down the street and have business men call out, "Hello, Mr. Tom"! Not exciting for my own benefit, but because I am seeking to blend with the people. Yes, I stick out like a sore thumb to some, and they are not excited about having an American in their midst. Of course, the status of political doings at the present time is not welcome to some in a country which is "officially" at least 70% Muslim. For the most part, though, I am being very well received. The barber I have had cut my hair a couple of times now has invited me (though he speaks no English) to come in between haircuts and let him shave my neck, at no charge. I guess he didn’t like the looks of the job I was doing. I was introduced to him by another man who owns a furniture store (mobileri) across the street from his barber shop. The furniture store man speaks fairly good English, and is the person through whom I ordered the custom-made desk. He insists he will not let me pay any more for it than what the man charges him for making it. The people at the post office know me by sight now, and whenever I walk in they go out of their way to help me. The man at the butcher shop told my secretary that he would sell her some bones for making soup only because she was with me. All of this is to say that I am becoming part of the community.

I began language lessons a few weeks ago, but I still can’t speak Albanian! Seriously, it will be a real challenge to learn to speak the language, but I am determined to be able to communicate with these people in their "heart language". I have a one-hour session five days per week with my teacher. He is a man who teaches Albanians, especially young Albanians, to speak English in preparation for taking the TOEFL test. This is the test given to international students who are seeking to attend educational institutions in the U.S. My teacher’s English is not nearly as good as Kela’s, the secretary for World English Institute and the church in Lushnja. I have asked her about being my teacher, but she does not like to teach Albanian, so I will stay with the teacher I have. He has stated that he believes I will be fluent in the language in two years. He may just be trying to butter me up, but I do know that I am working hard at learning the language. In addition to the hour per day I spend with the teacher, I am trying to dedicate two to four additional hours each day. I find myself sometimes getting up at 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. in order to spend this time, but I feel it will pay off in the end.

I mentioned in the last newsletter the school children who pass in front of our office. I am something of an oddity, I guess, as they keep coming and the number keeps growing. Today I sat out in front of the office and had about 10-15 children gathered around me. Some were trying out their English on me, others were asking for me to speak "duckese", others wanted to see or hear some ears squeaked. The one problem with children this age, and with whom I cannot readily communicate, is that they seem not to know when to quit. There have been several times when I have had to lock the door to keep them out while I was studying with a student. It doesn’t stop them, as they beat on the door, put their faces to the glass to attempt to see in, and lean against the door with their hands. Their handprints all over our glass doors is not a welcome sight to Kela when she comes to work in the mornings.

Well, I have failed to figure out the technique for getting images into this newsletter. I really wanted to, and will keep trying to learn how, so that by the time I send the next newsletter I will be able to send pictures as well. In the meantime, check out the World English Institute website at www.weiady.org to see updates of various mission works. Bob Patterson is the very capable webmaster, and I wish he were here to instruct me. Please be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet. I’ve had my sixtieth birthday since the last newsletter, and I find that I am still able to learn. I’m sure I can learn how to send pictures.

Please continue to remember this work in your prayers. I pray only that God may be glorified in Albania, as he reaches out and touches the people here.

"No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ." 2 Cor. 1:20

Because of Jesus

Tom Bonner

December 2002

Happy New Year in Jesus!

An interesting month, December, and quite a learning experience for me. As you are aware, this is largely a Muslim country and I was not sure what to expect when it came to Christmastime. It is indeed different, but not so much from a religious standpoint. The big difference is the lack of extreme commercialism that surrounds the holiday in America. In the larger cities of Albania it might be different, though I didn’t notice it to be so when I was in the capitol, Tirana, just before Christmas. The primary reason for the difference is the economic situations in the two countries. Also, the New Year holiday is a much more family oriented time here than is Christmas. Over the many years of Communist domination it was very risky to focus on anything that even resembled Christianity. Therefore, twelve years after the fall of communism, Christmas is not much of a focus at all. Many people work or make trips away from home on that day. On the other hand, many people in the community asked me what we were going to do as the church in the way of a Christmas celebration.

Fireworks seem to be a major part of holidays here, at least the ones I have experienced. I’m not sure where people are getting the money to buy the fireworks (very expensive in the States) but there have been rockets and "bombs" going off almost around the clock for about three weeks now. When I say bombs, I refer to the kind that are outlawed almost everywhere in the States now, packed with enough explosives to do someone real harm if not handled properly. The other evening as I left the office to head home, I walked past a group of young men who had tossed something out onto the sidewalk fifteen feet or so away from where I was walking. I thought I had plenty of distance to be safe, but when whatever it was exploded something, either from the fireworks or the sidewalk on which it was lying, struck me in the leg. It was quite painful for a while but left no permanent damage.

On Christmas day I rented a van (taxi) and fourteen of us from Lushnja went into Tirana to meet with the church there. I wanted to expose the folks here to the larger body of Christians in Tirana. It was very gratifying that of that number, only two of us were members of the church. The rest were individuals that have attended worship with us, and been involved in the World English Institute as students of English. It was a day with some frustrations, but many blessings. I was not aware that the taxi would not be able to take us to our destination. Taxis not bearing Tirana license plates are not permitted into the inner city, so we ended up having to walk at least 20 minutes, arriving and leaving, in the rain. I have become used to the walking, going everywhere on foot here in Lushnja. Some of the folks, however, were quite tired. In addition, one young lady had not been in a vehicle in 6 years, and she was car-sick all the time we were in the van. All in all, it turned out to be a good day.

I spent New Year’s Eve in the home of Artur, Nina and Skender Spaho. On New Year’s day I had lunch with the Gogus. In both settings I learned that I do not eat nearly as much as do the Albanians. At the Spahos a plate with a full fish and a salad on it was set before me. In addition there was Russian salad, of which I was encouraged to partake. I was feeling quite comfortable after finishing that. Then Nina put a plate of viçi (veal) with fried potatoes down for me to eat. About the time I was finishing that, and feeling stuffed, out came the turkey with maize bread dressing. I had to beg off from eating turkey, even though it is one of my favorite meats, because there was also baklava and some other kind of dessert that Nina was wanting me to eat. The same basic scenario took place at the Gogus, with some variation. I tell you, if I ate like that all the time I would need to get a van just for me!!

I was very pleasantly surprised and blessed by the arrival of a package with a number of cards in it from the church of Christ in Eureka, CA. The congregation there has declined in size somewhat from when I was a boy growing up there. The spirit of the church, however, is still very large. They are helping support the ministry here, for which we are thankful, as we are for all our supporters. Though it has been 39 years since I moved away from Eureka, with few visits in the intervening years, I feel a strong kinship with the brethren there, and really appreciated this expression of their interest and concern. While I am on the subject of mail, let me share with you that I have a new, more user-friendly, address than some of you now have for me. The new address is Tom Bonner, P.O. Box 138, Lushnja, Albania, Europe.

We continue to have just the one service, Sunday morning, here in Lushnja. I would like to offer a small group Bible study some time during the week, but finding the time to do so is going to be difficult. Not difficult for me, but to find a time when we can get some turnout. Almost no one, except the habitues of the many bars in town, goes out after dark in the winter, which is arriving at about 4:30 now. I am desirous of doing what needs to be done, at the appropriate time. I am seeking input from the brothers in the church in Tirana as often as I can, for they know this culture and people much better than I do, since they are Albanians. I desire to be able to travel into Tirana on Sunday for evening services, taking people from here with me. However, transportation is the big problem there. Vans and buses stop running after about 6 p.m., I am told, and getting people back home on Sunday evening would be almost impossible under those circumstances.

I have purchased the alternative power source for the office. It is a battery inverter system, and should provide what we need for the time being. It is supposed to be able to run our office needs for up to 5 hours, recharging off the electric power supply when it is operating. If we can cut back on our usage to only absolute necessities, it should last for even longer periods. One other thing I intend to do is try to plug some of the gaps above the roll-up doors in the office. The cold and dust come through those gaps in large quantities, and the heat goes out in equal proportion. The power situation continues to keep me guessing. One night the power went off at 5 p.m., after not having been off all day, and I’m not sure what time it came back on. After two hours of sitting in the dark, and having a serious cold, I went to bed. When I awoke at 12:30 a.m. the power was back on. I suppose eventually, when I can save enough pennies, I will see about getting a power source for the house, as well. It has gotten cold enough that I have taken to sleeping in my sleeping bag. The heater in my home only works effectively when I sit right in front of it. The same problem with gaps exists as at the office, and I don’t believe building insulation is known here in Albania. Everything is built with cement blocks of one description or another, and with no insulation the walls are always pretty cool. For both the office and the house I would like to look into getting a heat pump system that can cool in summer and heat in the winter.

I mentioned above the power situation being a real puzzler to try to figure out. It has been going off at around nine each morning and staying off until about four in the afternoon. During the New Year’s holiday time (almost everything was closed down Jan. 1-3) the power had been staying on more, even all day for two of the days. This morning, after I had done some other things, I decided to take a shower. It was about 10:15, and no sooner did I get in the shower and get all lathered up with soap than the power went off. Weeeelllll, when the power goes off here, hot water is not delivered, though the water heater still contains hot water. So there I stood, shivering and covered with soap, very hesitant to rinse off under the extremely cold water that was available. Eventually, I did get up the nerve to brave the cold and rinse off. Then I sat in front of the stove for a good period of time to thaw out.

I was blessed earlier this week by a visit from Alo Hoxha. Alo is an Albanian who is living in Portland, Oregon. I had met him and his family prior to coming over here. In fact, Alo’s daughter, Viola, was baptized at Metro on my last Sunday there. Ron Clark, one of the ministers at Metro, has been studying with the Hoxha family for some time. I had attempted to get some study going with Alo’s brother-in-law in Portland, Petrit Ismail, but had not been too successful in doing so. Alo had come to Albania to visit his father, who lives in Tirana, and took the bus down to visit with me. I felt very honored, especially that he would endure the ride down on the bus for the purpose of visiting me. He told me that another brother-in-law in Tirana offered him the use of his car, but Alo refused, saying he was afraid to drive in Albania now. It is quite different than in America, believe me. Doug Smith, (from Longview, WA) who worked in Kosova and Albania for some time, told me that his wife won’t let him drive for a month after he comes home on furlough because he is too aggressive in his driving. I was riding with an Albanian driver the other day and he made the comment that the only way to be able to get anywhere is to take an aggressive attitude, and not make eye contact with the other drivers!

Let me present some prayer requests to you, if I may. Please be praying for Eriona Çuko, Nina Spaho, Jetson Tushe, Jorida and Sonilla Prifti, Irena and Mira Gogu, and Altin Koçi. All of these are people with whom we have been studying, most of whom are attending worship service with us. Their circumstances vary but each of them, in his/her own way, has expressed an interest in a deeper understanding of spiritual matters. Please pray for Kela and me as we work here in Lushnja. Keep on your list the needs we have expressed above, and ask God to provide the answers he wants for our needs. Pray that I may always seek the fulfillment of needs, and not just selfish desires.

I will be making a trip back to the States in February/March. Among other reasons for the visit is that the elders of the Metro church would like for me to be present at the Men’s Retreat at Camp Yamhill, Oregon March 13,14,15. The Metro church is hosting the retreat this year, and the theme revolves around evangelism. I will need to leave immediately thereafter to get back here for the national missionary conference in Tirana March 19-20. It is my intention to try to personally visit with everyone and every congregation that is helping support this ministry. I will be in contact with you later about scheduling a time that is appropriate for you. If I can only attend a worship with you, that will be fine. I want to verbally thank everyone who is ministering here in Albania through your prayers and contributions. I also may ask for an opportunity to present the need for a vehicle for the church here. This would be used to meet some of the needs mentioned previously in this newsletter.

I will be writing again before I come in February, and hope to have news of some new brothers and/or sisters in Christ. Thank you for partnering with us in this work, to the glory of God.

"No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ…" (2 Cor. 1:20)

Because of Jesus, and in his love

Tom

February – March 2004

It seems hardly possible that nineteen months have passed since I made Lushnja, Albania my home.  God has been busy educating me in many different ways. The most important lesson did not begin here, but on the day I chose to become a follower of Jesus, as it does with all who follow him.  That lesson is one of learning to trust absolutely in God rather than in yourself.  As I said, my learning has not always kept up with the teaching, but the lessons and the learning continue.  Please lift me up before the throne of God that I may be who God needs me to be here in this environment.

 

I was able to secure a van for use in the work here!  Soon after I got it two of the young men from the church and I went to Fier, a city about 40 kilometers south of here, for their Sunday afternoon worship.  Also present there that day was a group of Pepperdine University students who are involved with the university’s year in Europe program in Florence, Italy, and the director of that program.  The boys commented later about how much they had enjoyed that opportunity to meet Christians they had not known before.  I have also been able to make use of the van as I travel into Tirana each Saturday to work with the church there on learning to sing in four-part harmony.  I do have to be a little circumspect in my use of the van, as fuel here is quite expensive.  The van has a diesel engine, for which the fuel is about $2.72 per gallon.  Gasoline is more expensive, selling for around $3.96 per gallon.  I have been seeing that the prices in America are on the rise now, but it likely be a while before you catch up with us. I am thankful that the van gets around 29 mpg, if my conversion from the metric system is correct.  Thanks to all of you who contributed in any way to helping make the purchase of the van possible.  Having it enables me to come and go on my time schedule, and be involved in things that I would not otherwise be able to.

 

I am asked quite frequently by the Albanian people how I am doing living here, what I like best about Albania.  My answer is always the same: the people.  Let me share some of the reasons why I say this.  The income level of the people here is far below what most people in the U.S. enjoy, but do you think I can buy anyone a cup of coffee?  No!  My money is no good for that purpose.  Today I was sitting at an outside coffee bar having coffee with a man (a car parts store owner) when a group of boys with whom I have made acquaintance noticed me and came over.  One of them asked if this was my friend, to which I replied “yes”.  He then wanted to know if I had a lot of friends here and I was glad to be able to tell him I have many friends in Lushnja.  The day I bought the van I was stopped because the van still had expired German license plates on it.  When I revealed to the policemen that I was an American, they started wanting to talk politics.  It was comical to see one of them voice his support of George Bush, while the other showed himself to be a John Kerry supporter.  Politics here are a sore spot with most Albanians, and they welcome the chance to talk about what the situation is like in America.  Another example of the generosity of the Albanians came when I stopped at a car parts store, owned by yet another friend, to have him look and listen to the van.  He ended up putting a new part in the engine area, for which he would not let me pay for either the part or the labor.  Many such examples could be given, but suffice it to say that I am very well-treated by the Albanian people, who have suffered mistreatment for centuries at the hands of others.  Please pray that God will use me to open eyes to the wonderful love of our Lord, who is the giver of every perfect gift.

 

Some of the readers of this newsletter have asked how I am doing with the health problems I shared about with you in the last newsletter.  I am glad to say that I have experienced the disappearance of the  symptoms that were so problematic, though the cause still exists.  With God’s blessing, I will likely not need any kind of surgery for those problems.  I may, however, need to undergo surgery for a different problem, which I have faced before.  I am checking into what options are available for such an undertaking in Europe, so I don’t have to make a trip back to the States, if surgery is required.  Please keep my health in your prayers, please.

 

There are some frustrations in beginning a new work.  One of the major ones for me has been instilling the principle of involvement with the body for worship and fellowship.  I know this is true of churches everywhere, at least any of the congregations I have worked with over the years.  As has been shared in previous newsletters, most of our new Christians are teenagers, thus still under the authority of their parents.  Education is a very big item on the agenda of most parents, as regards their children.  If the parent says stay home and work on your studies, that is what one does.  But with all of the frustration, there are also blessings.  Orieta Llupo, to whom I have referred in the past, lifted me up again a couple of weeks ago.  She is the young lady whose father at first said she could be baptized, but couldn’t be involved with the church.  After we talked, she went home and talked with her father again, and he gave his permission for her to be baptized and participate with the church.  Well, recently he explained his actions: he did not want her to get involved with something in which she did not really believe, but he could see now that she really did believe in what she was doing and what she was being taught.  Praise God!

 

I just spent an hour with a young man who may be a brother one day.  He is a very intense young man, and one who will be a blessing to the Lord’s church here if he arrives at the decision to give his life to the Lord.  He has been trying very desperately to get out of the country, but has found all channels blocked.  One avenue he considered was to enter another country illegally, and hope for the best if he was caught.  I am thankful he has abandoned that thinking.  Please put Ilir Shima in your prayers.

 

Part of my personal support enabling me to be here is being supplied by the Bell Trust Fund, with the balance being provided by my sponsoring congregation, the Metro church of Christ in Gresham, Oregon.  The normal practice of the Bell Trust is to reduce their involvement by 20% each year for works they are supporting.  This year that policy resulted in a loss of $300 per month from them, only $75 of which has been replaced.  If you are able, and believe in what is being done here, would you consider becoming a supporter of this worker, in this ministry?  Your help would be greatly appreciated.  The best way to handle this would be to inform me first, then send any contributions to:

The Lord’s Love For Lushnja

Tom Bonner

April – May 2004

I began the last newsletter by commenting on how quickly time seems to pass.  I feel I must begin the same way with this newsletter.  When days are filled with interaction with other people from morning to night, they seem to fly by.  I have taken steps to cut down on the number of students I work with, during which time I help them to improve their English while at the same time teaching them about our Savior.  I made this decision in an effort to give myself more time to work on the Albanian language.  As a part of that decision I have also chosen not to have a summer campaign here in Lushnja this year.  It was not an easy decision at which to arrive, since so many of our members came into the Lord during the campaign last year.  But, with me working alone here, the added burden of follow-up with the students from the campaign would certainly detract from trying to learn Albanian.  When one spends 8-10 hours per day helping people speak English more fluently, the negative impact on learning a new language for oneself is tremendous. 

 

I will be spending a week as a teacher/counselor at a Christian teen camp, the first week in July.  Virgil and Jackie Jackson (missionaries in Vlora, a city to the south of Lushnja) have taken the responsibility for this endeavor for several years now.  It is a powerfully effective tool in the lives of young people here, as well as in America.  I directed teen camps for fifteen years in the northwest US, and still have comments from people as to the impact those times had on their lives.  The camp area will not be anything like what I was able to enjoy at Camp Yamhill, though the circumstances will be somewhat like I am told were the beginning days at Yamhill.  We will utilize tents for everything, no permanent buildings.  The area is a mountainous region, and the nights can get quite chilly.  This year, the word is, the weather will be even cooler than normal.  I look forward to being involved in this event, and many of the young people from the church here in Lushnja are planning to attend.  It will, I am sure, have a positive effect on the church here. 

currently have a number of school teachers who are coming to me for lessons, specifically because the material (World English Institute’s books) speak so openly and pointedly about God.  I am working with 5 young ladies at this time who are school teachers, and some of them are becoming very open to spiritual discussions.  The format is one-on-one, which gives an opportunity to listen for, and address, specific questions and concerns.  In addition, I have quite a number of younger students whose English is often better than that of the school teachers.  They have had more opportunity early in their lives (the prime learning time for language) to study English than did the teachers, who largely grew up under communism.

> Well, I got taken!  I shared last time that I had purchased a van.  It turns out that there were some problems of which I was not aware, primarily because I trusted too much in others for input.  I am quite mechanically inclined, and have relied on that heavily over the years in working on my own cars.  At any rate, though the person(s) from whom I bought the van have voiced a willingness to stand behind its worthiness, they have failed to do so.  In fact, when I finally had to take the van in to get some work done on the motor, I was told that the motor had been “modified” in order to make it sellable.  That cost almost $700 (cheap by American standards), and there is more to come.  I might add that it would probably have cost a great deal more than that without the intervention of a man with whom I have become acquainted.  Adriatik (Tiku, for short) owns a car parts store here in Lushnja.   He insisted that if I took the van in to get work done on it I would be charged a great deal more than if an Albanian took it in.  (I heard the same thing about charges at the hospital when I was ill a couple of months back.)  He arranged and made several trips with me to the mechanic in Fier, the closest city south of us.  Anyway, the van was supposed to have  air conditioning, which it does not.  There is not in the country of Albania anywhere to buy and have installed an AC system.  That is, except at the Mercedes Benz dealer, who wants almost $5000 to do the work.  It has been recommended by many that I go to Greece with the van and get this work taken care of.  I am hoping to do that this month, before the really hot weather arrives.  I am in contact with a brother in the church in Athens for assistance in this project.

While on the subject of finances, let me just share with you that the Albanian and American currencies have come to almost parity.  When I came here two years ago the exchange rate was 135 leke to the dollar.  Today I was in the bank and they had posted the exchange rate at 99.99 leke to the dollar.  The effect of that large change is hard to pinpoint, but let me put it in these terms: whereas I contracted for 27,000 leke per month rent at my house, (which computed to about $200) the same number of leke costs me $270 today.

 

May I share a frustration, and prayer request, with you?  I want to be absolutely in compliance with the laws of Albania as I live and work here.  In honesty, I am probably an illegal alien at the present time.  I won’t bore you with a lot of the details, but I am having trouble getting my leje qendrimi (permission to stay).  I submitted the documents for this a good while before I went to the US for the Christmas/New Year holiday period.  Recently I was informed I needed to go to the police station, where I was informed that I needed to resubmit at least some of the documents.  Some of them have a three-month validity window, and they had expired.  The fact that they had had the documents for about six months didn’t seem to dawn on them.  My language teacher, who has become a friend and ally in these kinds of situations, regularly voices frustration at the inefficiency of the system, or systems, here.  Anyway, I am currently trying to find out exactly what documents are needed, get them translated and notarized, and back to the police department.  It is a positive thing that the officer in charge of these functions for Lushnja has two daughters who are students learning English with Mina, my language teacher.  Please pray that this matter can be rectified, and I can be legal!

 

God, through you, has really blessed the ministry here (and me personally) through your generosity.  We have been able to make several quite large purchases (generator, office AC, van) and still have a surplus with which to work.  I try to be very cautious about how our money is spent.  As the church continues to grow, heavier expenses will be incurred, of course, and appeals will continue to need to be made for financial backing for the work here.  Thank you so very much for your participation with us here in bringing souls to Christ.

 
Tom

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