Elbasan, Albania

Local preacher
is pending

Church Office, WEI School
Kisha e Krishtit Elbasan
Lagjja "Kongresi i Elbasanit"
Bulevardi "Qemal Stafa", No. 13
Elbasan, Albania

Preaching Minister

Contact Dick Ady
for information

weiady@aol.com

Pete and Dulcimer Hodge, formerly workers in England, were missionaries in Elbasan, Albania. In October, 1998 they moved from Tirana where they worked for over a year. The church in Elbasan was planted during Campaign 98 over a period of 6 weeks creating an urgent need for this special couple. Pete and Dulcimer responded to God's call and moved without much warning. Soon, over 300 students were enrolled in Bible classes in Elbasan. Dulcimer had nearly 100 children to teach every week. Dulcimer's taught women's classes too. The children's classes are reaching into families and number about 70 kids in regular Bible class attendance.

With the Kosova conflict, this young church distributed food to 400 families daily.

During the 1999 campaign, 27 were added to the church; but most of these have moved or fallen away. In 2000, several adult couples were baptized. Classes for the men and women were started. A new benevolent work in nearby villages did well. In 2001 and 2002, Gene and Nancy Banister worked in teaching and preparing Albanian leaders. Teaching activities spread to villages with local members participating. The 5th anniversary meeting was held in February 2003. In 2005, the Hodges returned to England and Bledi from Tirana began his work in preaching. Pete visited in 2006. Bledi has returned to Tirana.

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October 2006
REPORT OF ALBANIA TRIP - Pete Hodge

History
Having spent eight years working with the church in Albania I had maintained in close contact with many of the brethren there, helping to encourage them and to raise interest in the United Kingdom in the work in Albania and primarily with the church in Elbasan.

The city of Elbasan dates back to the time of the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, when it was a fortress on the Via Egnatia, the Roman road that went from the Adriatic Sea to the East. Later, under the Byzantines it grew in stature. Its connection, as a fortress town protecting the Via, ensured its importance. In the 15th Century, under the control of the Ottomans, the castle that was the main part of the city was rebuilt and the town renamed 'Ilj,basan' meaning ''Strong Place'. For many years it was considered to be the capital of Albania, but was replaced by Tirana a couple of centuries ago. Elbasan, because of its situation on 'Corridor 8,' the main road across Albania, should grow in affluence and importance in ensuing years.

I often state that my reason for liking Elbasan so much is due to the fact that 'nothing happens fast there.' There is a pleasant casualness about life. Everywhere there are café's, where people will meet to talk, plan, make agreements and drink coffee. Or, just drink coffee. One of the problems with having a lot of friends in the city and being back after eighteen months away was that they all wanted to 'drink coffee!' For four weeks my caffeine intake probably quadrupled.

The Purpose
Early in 2006 I had decided that I would like to make a trip back to help the church and to visit some of the families we had been working with in the villages. I wrote to the church about this, and they kindly invited me to do just that. A lot of members had stopped coming since Dulcie and I left. So the original idea was to try and bring them back 'into the fold.'

It was whilst discussing my plans with the elders of the church in Skelmersdale, that they felt that perhaps I could extend the purpose of the trip to include looking into the possibility of helping these families to become self-sufficient. Those in the villages had land which they grow food on, what was really needed was a plan to help make this land more productive and provide help to improve the quality of the soil. Once I began to speak with the families and look into the possibilities with them the project began to look realistic. I also talked with World Vision International, who we had worked closely with since the Kosova war of 1999. They had a lot of experience of doing the very same things we were looking at undertaking. The first meeting I had with them would turn out to be far more useful than I had hoped.

During the time I was there, my good friend and brother in Christ, Gerry Cowan came for ten days. Gerry had made a number of visits to Elbasan over the years Dulcie and I had worked there and since, and the brethren had really taken to him as much as Gerry had to them. In the past Gerry had raised a considerable sum of money in the USA for various projects. His insight and encouragement certainly made my job considerable easier.

What follows is a report on my observations and discussions with the families. Also, some suggestions and thoughts on how we could possibly help. With the elders at Skelmersdale, we will use this information to formulate a plan of action, which we will then share with the church around the country and beyond.

The Families
Asslan and Alma Hoxha. I first met this family in 2005. We had been told of this family in the village of Sergeant, about 8 kms from Elbasan. Everyone we spoke to would add, "They are very poor" The family is; father, Asslan, mother, Alma and children, Melika (11) Julieta (9), Grisela (7), Shejua (3).

Their home is a three room brick and concrete structure, consisting of two rooms approx 3 mts sq. Another room slightly smaller, which is currently used as a store room. There are no bathroom facilities near the house, their 'toilet' being a wooden hut overhanging a bank about 1 mt high with a hole in the floor. The waste falls through the hole, down the bank. There was washing facilities except for an outside water tap. This the sole source of water for the family. (I'll explain my use of the past tense in a moment). When I made my first trip to see them, they had been without water for three days. Not an uncommon situation in the villages. Even when they do have a water supply, it is only for a couple of hours, three times a day.

They do have a good piece of land in the front of the house measuring approx 500 sq meters. They currently grow two crops on this, tobacco in the summer – this is a common crop in the area as there is a Cigarette factory in Elbasan. For this they get about £90 ($180) a year. After this crop, they grow animal feed. They have a small greenhouse in which they grow tomatoes and cucumbers. Two smaller plots of land are available, but are not used to their potential.

Whilst I was there, and thanks to the generosity of the Marion and Jackson Churches in Illinois, we were able to commission and see a well built. The total cost of the well came out at about £320 ($630). This means the family now has a supply of fresh water 24 hours a day.

There is also the need for a bathroom for some very obvious reasons. Originally the thinking was for the small store room to be used, but Asslan had the idea of turning that into a bedroom for himself and Alma and building a new bathroom. Funds are available from individual brethren in the UK to buy most of the basic bathroom fittings when they are needed. We still need some funding for other items, such as a shower and water heater. I am waiting to hear if additional funding will be needed for the building itself.

Last year Asslan bought a cow and Alma says that she gets about 7 litres of milk a day from it. With this she makes some cheese, yoghurt and butter, which she sells to her family and a few friends. There is the prospect of her being able to do more in this respect. We are looking into the possibility of building them a second, larger greenhouse. The estimated cost would be £250 ($450). Also, the purchase of some fruit trees would be useful. Oranges, plums, apples and lemons would be easily obtained for about £4 ($8)each.

This family is well on their way to being self-sufficient. I estimate that they could achieve this within two years.

The next family is the Biqaku family. I have been involved with Haxhi and Bajama and their five children for several years. They live in a small mountain village called Lleshan. It is about ten miles out of Elbasan, up a narrow road. I use the term 'road' loosely, as it is little more than a track in places. Apparently contracts have been signed for it to be upgraded, though I suspect that owing to many places where the road is falling away down the side of the mountain, a new road will have to be built. As with so many things emanating from the Government, no one is holding their breath regarding when the road will be done. Also, as there are local elections pending, rumours of spending on roads are abounding.

World Vision International (WVI) asked us to take a look at their situation and we found a family in severe difficulties, economically and health wise. We were able to help them over the years, building them a new house, helping to bring a measure of good health to the children in particular, as well as ensuring they were fed and clothed.

Being near the top of a mountain, water had always been a problem, but thanks to a new supply laid on in the area by WVI, that situation has now improved dramatically. The quality of the soil is poor, with the heavy rains constantly washing the soil away leaving some very stony ground. Also, in the past the lack of water meant the growing of plants had been a very hard task resulting in very poor harvests.

Haxhi grows corn, some wheat and in a small greenhouse he grows tomatoes and cucumbers. On my visit there this trip I was pleasantly surprised to see how things had improved. The good water supply was evident in the cleanliness of the clothing they were wearing – they did not know I was going to visit them the day I did. Also, the plant growth was the best I had ever seen. The corn was much better, as it was everywhere I went, trees and shrubs had grown considerably in the eighteen months since my last visit. Haxhi told me the greenhouse had produced a good crop this year, again, mainly because he is now able to keep the plants well watered. Also, he had managed to harvest 40 kilos of beans.

This has made a huge difference to their diet and general well being. Again, a second greenhouse (18 X 4 metres) is being considered. This would also cost about £250 ($450), though transport costs might take this slightly higher. Some extra fruit trees might be a help, though, because of the altitude they will have to look at the best types of fruit to grow. At the moment they have a large walnut tree on their grounds, plus some fig trees. Walnuts are a good selling crop in Albania, though I don't recall Haxhi selling them in the past.

Again, here is a family that with a little help could easily become self-sufficient. Though we need to recognise that they are educationally, a little behind, especially Bajama.

Whilst I was there Haxhi had an ECG and the print out caused us some concerns and we urged him to see his doctor as soon as he could. He also has some big problems with rheumatism in his back. Here was a situation where I really missed my brother in Christ and great friend, Agron Asslanaj, who died of cancer in January.

The third village family I saw was the Biba family, again in the village of Shirgjan. The family consists of parents, Niko and Flutera, with the children Mimoza (20), Ilda (18), Sylvana (16) and Klinton (11). The three girls are all members of the church. Ilda is currently living with her uncle in another village and because of some problems in the family, he is refusing to let her return home, a situation which we all agreed with. I have known this family for many years and have always considered them to be the 'better off' of all those we worked with. Sadly, whilst things were looking positive with the two other families, with the Biba family, things were every negative.

A few weeks before my visit they had sold their cow in order to pay an electricity bill, which meant they now have no milk. Niko, the father, has shown a strong reluctance for work, though to be fair, he had a serious fall 15 years ago and suffered a head injury. This is thought to be a factor in his situation. One idea we had was for him to have an MRI scan to see what brain damage there might be, if any. This would cost about £80 ($160). Our only concern is what would we do if they found there was a problem.

Mimoza has a fixation about going to university, though how she is going to do that we don't know, as the family have no income at all and are doing nothing as far as we can see to get an income. In most village families all the family get involved in the necessary work, but Mimoza and Sylvana refuse to do so. In discussions about how we could help, the only thing they wanted was a 'cow,' A greenhouse would mean work, and no one would do that.

I thought we had made a breakthrough on my last day there, when Flutera, away form the rest of the family agreed that a greenhouse would be a good idea. But I have since been informed that we are back to the 'cow.' At this stage I have difficulty in recommending helping until there is a possibility of them helping themselves. I just don't see this at the moment.

The last family I visited live in the city. The family is the Milo family. They live in an apartment block and have no land. Dad is in a small business doing car repairs and welding. They have very little income. The three child are all at school. The two eldest daughters, Denisa and Mansjela are members of the church. Denisa has ambitions of becoming a doctor and recently came top in a Biology competition organised by an Oxbridge organisation.

I suggested that maybe we could supply a sewing machine, as mum is home all day. This way she could make clothes and do repair work. Albanian's are very sociable people, so everyone knows everyone and living in a neighbourhood, she could earn some income from doing this kind of work. She was agreeable to this idea.

A sewing machine is relatively inexpensive there, a manual one costing about £40 ($80)and an electric £60 ($120). At the moment the church in Elbasan is helping with some food for them. Not on a regular basis, but as and when they can.

Apart from undertaking this work, I was involved in teaching some classes of young people English, using the World English Institute materials. I also had a couple of individual students. I made a good number of visits whilst there and on the last Sunday we had 52 at worship, which included about five who had not attended worship for some years.

Over the next few weeks the elders of the church here in Skelmersdale and myself will discuss our options regarding the direction to take with our the programme. Already I have an offer of the funding for one greenhouse, which is a good start. Once we have arrived at our decision regarding direction, we will have a better idea of the funds we need to raise.

My personal plans are to prepare a team to go to Elbasan next summer to conduct a campaign using the English lessons of WEI. This uses the Bible as the text book. The campaign will take place over a five or six week period in July and August 2007. People do not need to be trained teachers, or to be very knowledgeable in English grammar. The books effectively teach themselves. Age is also no barrier, so teens to whatever age you are welcome.

I can promise you it will be hot. But it will be fun. You will also get a sense of what is like on the mission field. If you are interested please get in touch with me on hodge.pete@Gmail.com or telephone 0717402794. This also applies to any questions you may have about the work I was involved in which is reported above.

Though I have used the personal pronoun 'I' a lot in this report. I need to point out that I was accompanied by Gerry Cowan for some of the time, Vera Kura, who works with the church as a liaison with the families and is supported from the USA and Darina Vorfi, when she was free from her teaching job, and who has been my regular translator for several years.

Being able to return to Elbasan and to these families has been a time of real blessing for me, and I want to thank the brethren in Longshoot (Wigan) Cleeveleys, Skelmersdale and Marion, Illinois, as well as a number of individuals in the UK and elsewhere who caught the vision and supported me financially and making the trip possible. Thank you my brothers and sisters. Also, I want to thank Dulcie, for 'allowing' me to go. Though she did say she 'enjoyed' not having me around to keep telling her not to do things.

Should any of you have questions about anything in this report, please get in touch with me at the email address above. A fuller illustrated report will be available soon and if anyone would like a copy please let me know.

Pete Hodge

September-October 2006

Greetings of love in the precious and wonderful name of the Lord Jesus!

Being sorry for the delay, because I know you are waiting to hear of the Lord’s work in Elbasan, I just want to thank you for your genuine interest in the work in Elbasan. Your support to us is the fuel that keeps us going.

MEN’S MEETING
Among the activities that go year around among the congregations of the Lord’s Church in Albania, one of them is the Men’s Day. This year the Tirana congregation hosted the meeting on October 13-14. The church in Tirana decided to try a different format. Instead of one day as it has usually gone in the past, this year they decided to have two days dedicated to the meetings. The purpose was for more fellowship and teaching to take place among leaders in the Albanian church. The church invited Bill Morgan as the speaker of the Men’s Meeting. Bill is a former elder, but due to his involvement and commitment to the work in Albania, he has not accepted a responsibility as an elder with the Maryville Church of Christ. Bill has conducted leadership training seminars in Tirana since 1994. The brothers in Tirana determined that all the Albanian brothers could benefit from Bill’s experience. On Friday Night, Bill spoke on “Foundation of Spiritual Leadership.” Then on Saturday he spoke on “Developing the Mission Point Church,” and “Organizing the Work of the Church.” Brothers from 10 congregations spend the night together on Friday and the whole Saturday on teaching and fellowship. It was uplifting to meet with faithful preachers of God’s Word throughout Albania, and hear of the great things that are happening in the Lord’s body throughout Albania.

ORGANIZATION AND EVANGELISM PLAN
With the help and instructions of Brother Bill, I was able to create a plan for the organization of the work in Elbasan. I was able to have a format page for each ministry that we have in Elbasan. The format contains the name of the ministry, the biblical basis for it, the mission, short-term and long-term goals, as well as the methods and resources available for each ministry. The purpose is to refer to it, stay on track with the overall goal of the church, and locate the human and financial resources to where they are needed most. Also, for some time, we have had a desire to have an evangelism plan. I have done research, studied Scriptures and read books on church growth. Among the classes that I have had so far at IBIA, I have studied: Evangelistic Message, The Biblical Theology of Missions and Evangelistic Methods. One of the assignments for the Evangelistic Methods was to write a strategy to use the members of an existing congregation to evangelize the community. It worked well for me, and providentially I was able to put in paper this plan. The plan includes Friendship Evangelism, Campaigns and Gospel Meetings (3-4 year around). We will be hosting a WEI campaign this summer. If you are interesting to join hands with us, we invite you to come this summer and work with us. Also follow-up after the campaign is as important. We ask you prayerfully to consider joining us.

PETE AND GERRY
You who have had a long involvement with the church in Elbasan, know that Pete Hodge has been missionary in Elbasan. Pete has worked for seven years with the church in Elbasan prior to his moving back to UK on May 2005. Pete came and spent four weeks with us from September 18th to October 15th. Pete spent time with members who have quit attending services after Pete left. I know that the attendance is a shallow indication of faithfulness. To me that is the mark of a spiritual disease that have been present for a long time. Therefore we are trying our best to incorporate the members in the life of the church. Personally, I have not had connections with many of these people, or a way to contact them. So, in this aspect Pete was of help with some of the former members. We are trying to provide a list of contacts for them, so we can make deliberate efforts to reach out to them. Pete also taught WEI classes, and that has blessed us with additional contacts. The last Sunday that Pete was here, we had a special Friend’s Day. This evangelistic effort drew 43 people to the event. Flori Pollo, a dear brother and friend from Tirana led our singing. With the room full and Flori’s leading was produced the best singing I ever witnessed in Elbasan. To God be the glory!

Gerry Cowan of Dongola, Illinois also visited with us for 10 days while Pete was here. Gerry has been involved with the church in Elbasan for a number of years. He has Elbasan so much in his heart that he is seeking to find a missionary family to come and join hands with us in Elbasan. If you know a family that is committed to mission work, and can have Elbasan as single-focus we encourage you to place us in contact with them. Gerry was planning on not coming due to her wife’s pending surgery. But Nida, encouraged him to come for 10 days planning to have the surgery latter. At the time of this writing, Nida has undergone surgery; it has been a successful surgery and is recovering. It will take her somewhere from 6-12 months for the complete recovery. Your prayers for her recovery are highly coveted.

BIBLE CLASS
Beginning in April, I have tried to talk the church into starting a Bible Class on Sundays. It has gone through its ups and downs as to starting it, but it became a reality on November 5. I understand our brothers and their “resistance” because it is hard to get out of comfort zone. Change is good, but it requires strength and motivation. So, since there is a time for everything, and God teaches us to wait, I did wait for the opportune time. The first class offered is “Effective Bible Study.” I had many options to choose from, but as you know improper hermeneutic has caused a lot of problems. It is due to it that we have 1/3 of world’s population wearing the name Christian, when they should not. I loved the simplicity and practicality of the Effective Bible Study Class I took at IBIA last spring. Therefore, I asked Steve if I had the permission to use it to teach to our church. He agreed, so I am using it to teach it. It is my desire to hand this tool to our brethren in Elbasan, so they can become good students of God’s Word, and then add value to their teaching and witness for the Lord. It is my hope to be able to train others to grow in the Lord and in their stewardship of God’s gifting.

VISITS
We have been encouraged by the visits of brothers and sisters in Elbasan. Early in September we had a great time renewing friendship with Doug Smith. Doug has led the first WEI campaign that took place in Elbasan in the summer of 1998. I have had the privilege to work with him in Kosovo in the 2000. When I met him in Tirana, on Sunday Night it had been four years I had not seen him. As soon as I saw him, he said I will come in Elbasan next week. I asked Doug to preach, but he said, “I want to listen to you preach.”
On the Sunday that Pete spoke to our Friend’s Day, we had a group of 6 young people come from Tirana with us. Flori Pollo (who led singing for us that day), Ridiona Stana, Ermal Musabelli, Viola Goga, Sokol Thanati and Anila Mirdita were an encouragement to the church, and especially to us. God blesses us with Christian brothers and sisters, who in time become our greatest cheerleaders. We enjoyed having them with us very much. Also Mike and Diana Faulket (I apologize if I have misspelled their last name) of Rochester, Michigan visited with us on October 29. They were in Tirana for a three week teaching session, and wanted to visit with as many congregations of the Lord’s church as it was possible. They divided their three Sundays in Albania between Durres, Tirana and Elbasan.

To the glory of God may our collective work bring praise!

Your co-servants for the Cause,
Bledi and Bona.

January – February 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

We were asked to meditate and memorize these verses for the Sacrificial System Class. As we write this report of what God has been doing through us, we cannot help but think of the awesome privilege and responsibility to be the sweet aroma of Christ to the world. We want to thank each and every one of you for the continued interest in our ministry. Your support to this ministry is like a multi-facet diamond. We are very grateful that you minister to us through your financial support, prayer support, encouragement letters and study materials. We want to take the opportunity to express our appreciation to you.

Upcoming Events
The saints in Elbasan are planning and working toward hosting a National Ladies Day. A lot of planning has been going on since October of last year. The focus of the day will be on the “Female’s Challenges.” The Ladies had a hard time coming with a title for it. The reason for the difficulty was that they wanted it to catch fully the purpose of the day. The compound of the Albanian churches consists of many single and married women. So they wanted a title that would fit both. Also they wanted the event to serve as a means of reaching out to their unchurched friends. So, instead of saying the “Christian Woman’s Challenge,” they decided for “Female’s Challenges.” There is more info that I am aware of, but I will wait till the next newsletter to disclose. In the same time we “covet” your prayers, so we will go ahead and give you the date. The date is April 28th.

Prior to that, the youth of Tirana will host the annual Youth Rally on April the 14th. The theme is going to be “True Joy and Freedom.”

Summer Evangelism Session
As the summer approaches slowly we are planning our summer outreach program. On Tuesday, after we studied on the Great Commission, we set down to make plans about this summer outreach.

As you may know by now, we are planning on having a WEI summer session. Pete Hodge is going to head the session, but before touches base prior arrangements need to take place. We discussed about the preparations that need to precede the session, what will take place during the session and about the follow up. The input given was very rewarding and the assumption of responsibilities precious.

A compound of one-on-one teaching, VBS and gospel meeting will permeate the session. Pete has already some people who have committed to come. Should any of you consider joining hands with us, please feel free to contact Pete Hodge at hodge.pete@gmail.com or Bledi at bvalca@yahoo.com . The session will be six weeks and will take place from July 9th to August 17th. The VBS will be in the final week, August 12-17th. Also to crown the session, Friday through Sunday, Sokol Haxhiu of Tirana will preach a gospel meeting.

Children’s Ministry
The children’s ministry continues to be a blessing. Bona keeps enjoying working with the kids, while we are seeking ways to encourage those with the potential to teach to be involved. The number continues to be steady, and more resources are becoming available to us.

Wayne Speer’s Visit
Brother Wayne, a former missionary in Tirana, Albania was back to visit for five weeks in Albania. Wayne came to visit with us in Elbasan for two Tuesdays in our mid-week study. The first Tuesday that Wayne was with us we had about six visitors and the second one we had eleven. Two of them continue to join us on Sunday for worship.

Also, because Wayne used PowerPoint with his sermons we had to change the set up so we could use the wall to project the slides. Well, as it turned out it seemed more enjoyable and we decided to set up that way even on Sundays. I enjoy the new set up, because it allows me to be closer to the audience when I preach. It appears to be more personal.

Family News
Several good things have being going on in the life of the church.
First, Mondi and Fioralba were blessed with a son. Both the mother and baby Gabriel are very well.

Second, Dashi on our members was engaged in February. He has Artensa come to worship with him, and on the last Sunday she had her sister-in-law come with her. Good for start.

Finally, Denisa is also a joy to the body. She participated in math Olympiad that brought together the best students from the high schools in the district of Elbasan. In the end she was ranked first and will participate in the national Olympiad on March 17th.

We look forward to hear from you!

Your co-servants for the Cause,
Bledi and Bona.

March - April 2007

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.” (2 Corinthians 5:16). Divine perspective! It is seeing people not as simply people, but people in need of God’s salvation that is the engine behind our ministries. This is the wave that so many of you along side with us have caught and are riding. We thank God for you who have the same divine perspective.

Youth Rally
On April 14, the youth of Tirana hosted their annual Youth Rally. The theme was “True Freedom and Joy.” Steve Byrne, who is a missionary in Fier, was the speaker for the day. Steve’s first sermons focused on the idea that true freedom is the freedom from the terror of death and the motivation to live for God. His second sermon focused on the idea that true joy is the joy of serving God.

Over 140 young people from 8 different congregations attended the day. We enjoyed the fellowship, the worship, the food and the gifts that were present in the day. Each participant received a “WWJD” bracelet and key chain with true freedom and true freedom logos in the two sides. Thank you Tirana for making it memorable.

Ladies Day
On April 28, the church in Elbasan welcomed 137 ladies from 7 congregations in Albania. As the hosting congregation a lot of work had to be done. Members of the congregation were extraordinary to plan the work and work the plan. I commend before the Lord: Rezarta Ibrahimi, Valbona Cullhaj, Ariela Shingjini, Ilir and Vera Kura, Darina Vorfi, Denisa Millo, Marsuela Millo, Katerina Millo, and my wife Valbona for their hard work.

Ladies' Day 07 in Elbasan

Having chosen the best spot available in Elbasan and one of the best in Albania, the castle of Elbasan proved to be an enjoyable place to host the day. As I mentioned in the last newsletter the topic was “Female’s Challenges.” The sister had chosen three speakers to address three specific areas of challenge. Rumira Xhaferaj of Tirana spoke on “Challenges in the World.” Ruth Byrne, missionary in Fier, spoke on “Challenges in the Family.” Ellen Walker, missionary in Tirana, closed the speeches by speaking on “Challenges in the Ministry.”

Ladies' Day Leaders

Preaching and Teaching
The ministry of the Word continues to be the most important part of our ministry in Elbasan. My sermons have focused on the discipleship. I have tried to encourage the congregation to be transformed into the image of Christ. This focus on discipleship has been a preparation for my next series of sermons on evangelism. I am working on preparing several ready to use materials for evangelism. I strongly believe in the evangelism done by members, therefore I want them to have several things handy. I have some materials that I have developed myself, and some others that I have collected through the years. One member is translating some materials, and I intend to give some more to others.

Children’s Ministry
The children’s ministry continues to be a blessing. The number continues to be steady, and more resources are becoming available to us. Several of the mothers of the kids were present at the Ladies Day. They approached Bona and expressed their appreciation about the work with the kids. Seeing some rays of light in this new information, we are looking to build bridges to reach into the families. We see light in the end of the tunnel, and we ask you to join us in prayer to get to the other side of the tunnel.

Valbona Teaching

Visit
On April 23 we were visited by two couples. Jack & Brenda Birckholtz and Steve & Deborah Stamatis came to worship with us. Jack ministers to the Oxford Hills Church of Christ, at S. Paris, Maine. He spent one month in Tirana teaching at IBIA. Jack taught Ephesians/Colossians and Old Testament Preaching. I asked Jack to share with us the Word at Elbasan. Brother Jack encouraged us not to divorce congregational worship from everyday life. Steve, who serves as the academic dean of IBIA, is searching for new students for the 2008 class. IBIA focuses on students coming from the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

We enjoy hearing about you! We look forward to hear from you!

Until then,
Kept under His wings and bathed by His love,
Bledar and Valbona Valca.

May – June 2007

“Proud to be partners!” This was the motto that underwent the visit of the USA President George Bush in Albania. Throughout Tirana there were banners and signs with these words. Tirana’s City Council decided to name one street after him to commemorate the visit, which is by the way the street we live in. He is the first sitting American president to visit Albania. Away from politics, the whole reason we write it in this report is that it expresses our feelings toward you. We are proud to be partners with you and God in this great work, and we are filled with gratitude in our hearts. Thank you all for enabling us to be servants of God to the people of Elbasan!

Evangelism Program
As many of you will be doing this summer, we too will be hosting an evangelism outreach during July-August. Pete Hodge is coming from England along with another sister named Elizabeth (not the queen, and sorry for not knowing the last name). Gerry Cowan of Illinois will join us later for about 10 days.

We will focus on teaching WEI students one-on-one, restoring unfaithful members and building up the members of the body. Ariela Kola has translated a five-lesson series written by Mike Knappier for Truth for Today that exposes the plan of salvation. Denisa Mullai is translating another five-lesson series that deals with the growth in Christian faith. Her sister Marsuela will type them on the computer. It is our intent that as we make disciples for Christ we walk them both through the way of salvation and that of sanctification. At the same time we want to encourage all the members to become on fire for the Lord and as Jeremiah could not hold the fire in his bones they too will not and will share it with anyone that they have in their circle of influence.

In the last week we will enjoy a gospel meeting and VBS. An Albanian minister will preach at the gospel meeting, while Altin Koci (Lushnja) and Eduart Hoxha (Durres), fellow students at IBIA will assist us. Several brothers and sisters from Tirana will be assisting us in that final week.

IBIA
We finished classes on Wednesday at International Bible Institute of Albania. We will be on an eight-week break and practicum to resume classes on September. To this point we have had 42 classes and when we come in September we will have 10 more before graduation in mid-December. Graduation will definitely be a milestone met in my walk with the Lord!

When I was considering and planning to attend IBIA one brother in particular who had gone to some similar training himself told me that I didn’t need the school. Referring to his own example, he referred that prior to school all his best in public ministry had been staggering while leading the thought into the Lord’s Supper. He also indicated that I had the same amount of experience and knowledge before going to school that he had after he finished. I appreciated his compliments but I still pursued it. In one retreat of the faculty of SIBI (the mother school), Cline Paden the founder of passed away recently addressed the faculty with the message “The Lord Has Led Us To This Place.” I believe these words express what God has achieved through and in us during our time at IBIA.

Ministry of the Word
I am continuing my ministry of preaching and teaching. These two months the focus of my preaching has been on evangelism. It is not only because it is one of my favorite topics, but also because it is the mission we are called to. As I said earlier I believe in the evangelism done by members. Research done in the fields of anthropology shows that civilization come to life and flourish through “common ties, interest and kinship.” That immediately puts each of us in position where we can influence 10-15 people. Doesn’t that look like a field white unto harvest?

Also, the second aspect of my ministry of the Word has been teaching on stewardship. I repeat often on our Tuesday Bible Class “We all need to understand the role and responsibility that each one of us has individually and all of us congregationally to do the will of God in our lives.” We study the Scriptures together and then we have a time when we consider together how we can apply them specifically to our own needs and abilities. One member told me in one of these classes, “Bledi that is for you. You are studying at the Bible School.” My response was: “That is for every one of us and not just me. The school only offers many things over a concentrated period of time.”

Children’s Ministry
The children are doing well. They are enjoying the classes very much. We have seen a decrease in attendance on the last weeks. Our understanding is that they thought since school is over so are the classes on Sundays. After a few phone calls and word of mouth spreading the attendance has increased.

We look forward to hear from you! We love to know what goes on in your lives. Your struggles and joys can encourage us to.

Until next time,

God bless you all!

In Christ,
Bledi and Bona.

July 07
Dear brethren,

Greetings in our Lord's name. if thee seems to be a few more errors than usual, it is due to me using a keyboard with half the letters missing.

I am writing this at the end of the second week in Elbasan. So far my time has been marked by one major difference from the UK, the heat. Temperatures have varied between the high 30's to mid 40's every day. It is just not possible to get used to them. Indeed, nights have
usually been around the low 20's. (C). I have on occasions gone and slept on a lounger by the swimming pool.

But the heat has not stopped the work progressing. I have visited two of the village works for an initial look. These are progressing, and I will give a fuller report next time. I have also been teaching some English classes using the World English Institute materials.

Today, Sunday 29th we rejoiced at the immersion of Ortensa the fiance of our brother Dashi. It was a wonderful occasion. This weekend also saw the wedding of our sister Darina. For my two co-workers, Elisabeth Winstanley and Gerry Cowan, their first Albanian wedding came as a bit of a shock, even though I had warned them. We also rejoiced at the news of Sokol Huka's engagement on the 28th. So, it has been an interesting weekend. Please pray for those I have mentioned.

This coming week I Will be continuing with my students, gaining at least four new ones. I will also be heading back to the village of Shirgjan, and the family of Alma Hoxha. Alma has been doing a fantastic job, and is almost self-supporting now. She has though, got a little behind in watering her crops. So we are planning a day on her land helping her to catch up. Of course, in the usual run of things, we will do this on Wednesday, and on Thursday there will be rain!

Please keep us in your prayers as we labour for the Lord in all our activities.

Your brother in Christ

Pete Hodge
Notes: Post campaign

The church decided to relocate back to their old building, which is much more suited for their future activities, being on the ground level and one large room. The first Sunday there saw 27 attend, many for the first time. It was a wonderful feeling being back where there were so many good memories. One lady, the mother of two of the churches faithful youngsters, was heard to comment after just how great the atmosphere was compared to the past.

Monday the 20th saw Armando Kura immersed into Christ. Armando is the youngest son of Ilir and Vera Kura. (He was baptized) in the swimming pool at my home. Armando stood by the side of the pool and from the outside I just had to push him down under the water. This means that the church has enjoyed two baptisms this summer, for which we are all rejoicing.

This is just a taste which is to come as these brethren work at serving God as never before. Please keep the Elbasan church in your prayers.

September
From: Vera Kura in Elbasan
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First we want to ask your forgiveness for not writing about our work during this period, but you know that we have moved to Elbasan and due to the lack of electricity and other things we've had problems connecting to the internet.

During June we have received a considerable amount of humanitarian aid from the organization Hope for Albania. We organized the clothes and other things and when Pete Hodge came for campaigns he helped us to distribute them in the deep mountain areas of Labinot. We were honored that the Head of township, Mr Qani Xhafa, himself helped us with a fair delivery of goods. Also in the month of June we have received funds raised by our brother, Doug Smith to help a woman named Bajame who gave birth to her seventh child. She gave birth by Cesarean Section, and after that the doctor performed a tubal ligation. I think you'll remember that this woman has limited mental capacities, and was unable to care properly for her children. With the help of God we were also able to place this child with the Sisters of Mother Teresa where we placed her last child. Also in this family with the help of the Lord we successfully finished their greenhouse project. We went several times to see to the delivery of the materials and the progress of the work, and also to talk to them about our Lord Jesus Christ.

While our brothers Gerry Cowan and Pete Hodge were here, we brought one of the daughters of this family named Enkelejda to our home. For her it was something new and different to be in town, and she was curious about everything. We kept her for a week and then we had to take her back to her house. We hope that Haxhiu and Bajame will allow her to visit again some time.

During this time we also helped the Asllani family and Alma Sula. We hope you remember that during April we helped this family build a greenhouse, and the month of June brought its first fruits. Part of the produce they sold and bought a lamb, and they are raising it to sell. Another part of the produce they used for themselves, and there rest they sold to buy other food that they need. Gerry Cowan helped us to buy a pump for them to water the greenhouse while he was here. We hope this will help them with their daily work in the greenhouse.

Last year Pete Hodge raised the funds to build this family a bathroom, but there were not enough funds to finish it. This year, Gerry raised funds to complete the bathroom and also provided for 80 meters of drainage pipe. We hope with these improvements this family will be able to support themselves.

We continue to work with them to draw them closer to God and we hope in the future to see them baptized into Christ.

During July and August we had a campaign with two teachers Pete Hodge and Elisabeth Winstanley from England. At the end of the campaign by the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, there were two new members baptized into Christ. They are Ortenca, the fiancé of our brother Dashi Gjika, and our son, Armando Kura. We rejoice that with Armando's baptism our family is united in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

After much discussion and prayer, in August the church decided to move from the building where we were to a bigger and more functional place for us to work and glorify God. The rent for the new place is the same as the old. The church is excited about developing some new plans for classes. One of those is a class for teenagers on Thursday and another is a children's class on Sunday mornings at 9. Our sisters Vera and Erinda will be responsible for these classes. We believe that Erinda has some good experience and enthusiasm that she brings to this class and she will be a great asset. Erinda has been Dulcie's helper during her time here.

We are all—brothers and sisters alike—trying to add our contribution to the Lord's work here in Elbasan whether in the worship or the classes. We are hoping that through the humanitarian aid that we get from several organizations in Elbasan and the new classes we will be able to draw new people to the Lord and His church.

And now dear brothers and sisters, we must share with you our troubles, though we wish it weren't necessary. As we said before, we have moved to Elbasan to be nearer the church and to be able to help with the daily work and the problems that are a part of the work of every church. Because we misunderstood some things we have gotten ourselves in a bit of a financial bind. Even at this writing we are lacking the funds for the rent on our apartment ($250). Please understand us dear brothers and sisters, we are working full-time for the church—the projects that we have been commissioned with require this—there is no possibility for an outside job. Our expenses are growing and the funds that we live on are those that come from your grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. Between the gas needed for the car to travel into the deep mountain villages and the rent, we have gotten ourselves into a really bad spot. Would you be willing and able to help with any of these problems either on a monthly basis or with a one-time gift? If you are able to help, you can contact us at this address, and we will work together to work out the details.

Thank you so much for your consideration. If you are not able at this time to help financially we would still ask you to keep us and the church in Elbasan in your continual prayers. We are confident that you will do this.

In Christ,
Ilir and Vera Kura

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