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Matt 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
NIV
John 20:10-16
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside
the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and
saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the
head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"
"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they
have put him." 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,
but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him
away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means
Teacher).
NIV
NIV
Learn More
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WELCOME! |
Fier, Albania |
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Steve and Ruth Byrne
E-mail:
steve.ruth.byrne@gmail.com
Mailing Address:
Steve & Ruth Byrne
Kutia Postare
Nr: 614
Fier, Albania
011-355-343-0068 - Home
011-355-682-70019 - Cell
Mission contact:
Spicer Street church in Kennett, MO
Shawn Sando, Mission Committee
Slicer St. Church of Christ
P.O. Box 725
Kennett, MO 63857
Tel: 573-888-5974
e-mail address:
slicer@semo.net |
The church in
Fier is the result of the gospel preached by Virgil and Jackie Jackson,
missionaries in Vlorė for many years. While Vlorė is the home of the
Jacksons, they conducted worship assemblies in Fier as well as in
Vlorė.
Doug Smith, having established the
church in Prizren, Kosova, assisted Virgil for a short period. With Doug's
leadership the church continued to make good progress.
Helping Doug for a period was Bujar,
his translator from Prizren, Kosova. He taught his own students and
preached in Albanian.
Brent Parr, a young man from Marrietta, Oklahoma, followed Doug and
worked in Fier for 2 years.
Steve Byrne is now the missionary in
Fier. He and his wife moved there in July 2006. Steve campaigned in
Elbasan in 1999. The present congregation is around 10.
Fier is a city of 80,000 with an industry
of oil owned by the state.
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Jan 08
Feb 08
Mar 08
Apr 08
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Archives
Albanian
Men's Day Photos
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January, 2008
Dear friends,
2008 has begun with great promise for the Lord's church in Albania! Bonds
of fellowship are being fortified. Mutual prayers for guidance, courage
and strength are being delivered to God throne from throughout the
Albanian brotherhood. Encouragement and vision are being shared. Unity of
spirit and purpose is being sought and developed. Christians are being
challenged by circumstances and one another to aspire to practical,
spiritual leadership. And as foreigners who have been welcomed into this
dynamic situation, Ruth and I are
thrilled to observe as well as be a part of it.

Preacher's Get-Together
Left to right -- Skender Kola (Durrės), Deborah Stamatis
(Durrės), Steve Stamatis (Durrės), Harilla Mandro (Kuēovė), Eduart Hoxha
(Durrės), Steve Byrne (Fier), Kujtim
Mjftari (Poliēan), Shkelqim Kafexhiu (Durrės). Picture by Ruth Byrne
(Fier).
One evidence of this commendable spirit was the
first monthly (or bi-monthly, we haven't decided yet) preacher's
get-together. This event was the brainchild of
Ēimi Kafexhiu, who preaches in Durrės, and was held here in
Fier. Preachers, church leaders, missionaries and wives, from Durrės,
Kuēovė, Poliēan and Fier, attended, and we expect the number to grow
as word gets around. We discussed our various challenges and dreams,
praised God in song, prayed, studied the Word, and enjoyed lunch together
afterwards. Lord willing, we meet again next month in Durrės.
Another positive portent of things to come is the new class of IBIA
students! The preacher training school recently relocated from Tirana to
Durrės and is about to begin with its second batch of students in their
2-3 year training program. Having witnessed the marvelous results achieved
by Steve Stamatis and his faculty with
the first class, we can only believe that the continuing work of this
school bodes well for the church not only in Albania, but for this whole
part of the world.
On a different but no less significant scale, good things are happening in
the Elbasan congregation, with whom Ruth and I
are blessed to gather each mid-week. Not only are they enjoying a
rekindling of unity, the Christians in Elbasan are also rising to meet the
challenges of service in the kingdom. One great example for them in this
regard is Ilir Kura,
who has been a Christian for just over a year. Ilir preached for the first
time at short notice this past Sunday on the occasion of their regular
preacher, Mondi Gjoni being under the
weather with the flu. By all accounts, Ilir did a great job, and Mondi's
health is improving.

Ilir and Vera Kura
The church here in Fier demonstrated the spirit of
the season at the end of this year by making gift baskets to be
distributed to members of the community. This is apparently not a typical
practice here, and thus a welcome surprise to the recipients, who seemed
to appreciate the thought and effort involved.
Ruth and I also enjoyed visiting the homes of numerous church
members and friends over the holidays, and we sampled enough delicious,
sweet baklava and other delicacies to tide us over easily until the next
holiday season.

WEI student Risilda with Keti, making gift baskets
This month we are pleased to feature two of
Ruth's WEI students, Albana and Albi Bani. They are a mother
and son from the nearby village of Xharrez. Albana runs a restaurant with
her husband there, and Albi is in his first year of high school. They are
both highly intelligent and motivated, and often attend worship with us.
Ruth and I were privileged to spend an evening in their home recently,
with the rest of their family. We were introduced to them through our
sister-in-Christ, Keti Tanashi who
teaches in the village, and who is one of the most persistent and
effective members of the church when it comes to bringing in friends and
acquaintances.

Albi, with his grandmother, father,
Albana, Ruth and Keti
As you can see, there is much to be thankful for
here as 2008 progresses. We are particularly thankful that you a part of
this and so much more with us, through your prayers and support. May God
bless you in every way in the coming year.
In His service,
Steve & Ruth Byrne |
February, 2008
Dear friends,
February finds Ruth and me continuing
to enjoy God's goodness here in Fier. He has surrounded us with
first-rate, open-hearted brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, students
and teachers. Thus, we have been enabled to not only be instruments of His
kindness in this part of His world, but also to be recipients of His
comfort and support as we persist in striving and growing in His grace.
The essential elements of the work here are continuing as usual. We carry
on Bible studies with as many students as we can handle. Ruth and my
Albanian language lessons are slowly beginning to pay dividends, even
after only a few months. The churches in Fier and Elbasan are always a
huge encouragement to us. A recent Sunday visit to worship with the Vlorė
congregation was also an occasion for joyful fellowship for a number of us
from Fier. We are plugging along by faith, confident that God's Spirit is
moving in His quiet, invisible way, as seeds are planted and watered daily
in numerous lives.
If we had to choose a theme for this past month, I suppose it might be
"things we have missed and enjoyed" as a particular result of being
missionaries here. Being far from "home" entails both sacrifices and
privileges. The former category, for instance, includes the recent death
of my mother's husband, William (Bill) Laird.

William (Bill) Laird 1931-2008
Bill and Mom (JoAnn)
were married for 14 years. During that time it was evident that Bill
brought a great deal of cheerfulness, humor and zest to Mom's life. Even
as he struggled with multiple serious health problems over the past 4
years, Bill was always concerned for those around him, and would express
the positive outlook whenever possible. They traveled the world together,
including more than one visit to us in Alaska, and Bill probably would
have wanted to come to Albania as well, had his health allowed it. When
Bill passed away quickly in late January, circumstances were such that it
was not possible for Ruth and me to be
there physically with Mom in time for his funeral. Thankfully our son
Tim was available, and Ruth and I were
able to send him in our stead. Bill was a good man whom we came to love
and respect. We are thankful for the time he shared with Mom. We will miss
him. We are also thankful to those of you who have expressed your
condolences to her and to us.
In the category of privileges, working in Albania this year has so far
been stimulating on one level, due to events taking place in the region.
As you are probably aware, Kosovo has just declared its independence this
week. The population there is 95% ethnic Albanian, and there are many ties
between these two countries. Ruth and I were invited to go there for this
occasion by a businessman friend here in Fier who had hosted a large
Kosovar refugee family during the crisis in 1999. Many things about our
experience could be shared here, but suffice it to say that witnessing the
birth of a nation is a remarkable thing. Also heartwarming to me was being
recognized in a restaurant in Prizren by a woman
who had been a refugee in Elbasan, Albania when I was there
that year, helping Pete Hodge and the
church to distribute food. Most important, Ruth and I were delighted to
make some very good friends in our short visit to Kosovo, and we hope to
have opportunities to develop those relationships for the cause of Christ
in the future.

Friends at Albania - Kosovo Border

Awaiting the "declaration of independence" in Prizren,
Kosovo

"NEWBORN" - The 1st day of independence, in Pristina,
Kosovo (capital)
It would not be accurate to say that the novel experiences we enjoy here
have compensated for the things that we miss. They are, each in their own
way, simply missionary facts-of-life. We are thankful to be able to share
about some of them briefly with you this month, so that you can have a
taste of some of the incidental elements of the work here which have
touched our hearts. Until next month, may God bless you richly!
In His service,
Steve & Ruth Byrne
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March, 2008
Dear friends,
The month of March here in Fier saw a mother and son become brother and
sister in Christ! Albana and Albi Bani were baptized into Christ on
Sunday, March 16, just two days before the physical birthday they both
share with Albi's grandmother. They
live in the village of Xharrez just outside of Fier, and have been
studying the WEI English and Bible courses with
Ruth for several months. Skender
and Vera Mejdiaj, leaders of the
church in Orikum, about 50 kms south of us, kindly prepared the baptistery
there for our use, as it is still a bit chilly here for using the sea.
Albana and Albi had been reading ahead
in their WEI lessons, and one day came to class expressing their desire to
be baptized, long before the lessons on how to become a Christian were
scheduled. After confirming their understanding and intentions, we were
happy to comply with their desire. Our sister
Keti Tanashi, who is a schoolteacher in Xharrez, was
instrumental in bringing us in contact with the Bani family. We are also
very thankful that Albana's husband, Bujar,
is supportive of their decision. Like Albana, he also comes from a Muslim
background, but speaks virtually no English. We pray that the influence of
his wife and son will one day bring him to faith in Christ as well.
 
Albana and Albi's Confession that Jesus is the Son of God

Albi rises to a new life!

Ruth with her new brother and sister in Christ
March also witnessed the 2nd Church Leader's
Fellowship, this time hosted by the church in Durres at the new IBIA
campus. It was led by Ēimi Kafexhiu.
We were grateful to see a slightly larger number in attendance than at our
first meeting in January. Our sincere hope is that this monthly-or-so
occasion will continue to grow into an instrument for unity and
encouragement for the Albanian brotherhood. Another reason for rejoicing
this month was the return of Tom Bonner
from an extended but well-deserved furlough. It's comforting to know we
have this fine missionary just 30 kms north of us in Lushnje.

Steve, Skender, Keti, Albana, Albi, and Vera

Leader's Fellowship Durres
The nation of Albania has been in the international
headlines twice recently due to tragic circumstances. First, there were
the recent drowning deaths of 16 members of a family in a lake near
Tirana. Then there came the explosions on the 15th at a military
base near the Rinas International Airport, currently considered
accidental, but resulting in massive damage and undetermined casualties.
Please keep Albania in your prayers, not only for the sake of our work
here, but also for those here who see events such as these as confirmation
of their pessimisms concerning Albania's prospects for the future.
Albanians in general still do have many obstacles to overcome as they work
to raise themselves to the standards of living to which they aspire.
However, with time they also certainly have as much potential to rise
above their current difficulties as any people
Ruth and I have ever known. This is why we are thankful to be
here among them, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. In the final
analysis, the gospel is the only 100% effective antidote to the temptation
to despair. We thank God and you for enabling us to be here with good
news.
In His service,
Steve & Ruth Byrne
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April, 2008
Dear friends,
April greetings from Fier! Over the past month, God has provided
Ruth and me with numerous opportunities
to witness and enjoy the blessings of being citizens of His kingdom as it
is growing and developing here in Albania.
At the end of every school session, the International Bible Institute of
Albania (IBIA) in Durres has an International Day, at which time they
focus on the status of the church in another part of the world. Recently,
attention was given to the Philippines, where
Ruth was born and we formerly worked. The IBIA faculty and
students were presented with an overview of the history and current
situation of the Filipino church, followed by an afternoon banquet of
Philippine delicacies that included shrimp pancit, pork adobo, chicken
afritada, and spicy beef with fried rice. Ruth
expertly guided the culinary preparations to the acclaim of all present.
The next occasion will focus on the church in Malawi.

IBIA chefs on "Philippines International Day"
Another opportunity for feasting and fellowship came
with the church leaders' meeting, which seems to be growing in popularity.
This month it was hosted by the church in Elbasan. More than 20 leaders
were in attendance, and a new standard of excellence was set in that
rather than having a dutch-treat meal afterwards as has been our custom,
the church hosted everyone in the home of brother and sister
Remzi and Mereme Islami for a full
meal of delicious, homemade Albanian cooking. The camaraderie was
extremely upbeat and encouraging.

Church leaders in Elbasan
A further welcome development from Elbasan is the
enrollment of one of its leaders, Ilir Kura,
into IBIA. Ilir has been a vital part of the church there since his
baptism about a year and a half ago, and is scheduled to begin his formal
studies in May. This will certainly stand him in great stead for being
equipped to edify the body in Elbasan in years to come. We know he would
appreciate your prayers.

Happy IBIA diners

Albanian feast in Elbasan
It was also my privilege to participate briefly this
month in a project to raise awareness among churches here of the problem
of human trafficking in Albania. This involved a walk by concerned
individuals from the north to the south end of the country. As I only
found out about it shortly before it was to commence, I did not have time
to get adequate footwear, and had to drop out due to foot problems after a
couple of days of 25-30 kilometer walks. The walk itself is still
underway, and I hope to be able to participate again to some degree when
it passes through Fier and continues south.
Here in Fier, the church continues to be blessed.
Albana and Albi Bani's enthusiastic presence as new
Christians has provided a boost to all of us in the body of Christ. They
have also provided a great positive example to a number of our other
students and visitors. An additional cause for encouragement here this
month was the presence this past Sunday of almost a dozen Christians from
Durres, Tirana and Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Alfred
Dimēi from Tirana preached for us, and we appreciated the treat
of having the Word proclaimed in Albanian without translation from
English.

Oklahoma visitors to Fier: Art
Henley, Bob Seat, Ann and Larry Johnson
The church throughout Albania has so much potential!
In our time here, Ruth and I have
found ourselves limited only by our imagination and endurance in terms of
the existing opportunities for service. We constantly pray for wisdom,
guidance and strength to do that which will result in the most glory for
our Lord, wherever He allows us to go. We are thankful for you who beseech
Him on our behalf as well.
In His service,
Steve & Ruth Byrne
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