Baptisms
This June we were able to witness the baptisms of 4 people from the Fier church and 3 from the Patos church. We had people who have struggled with addictions, people who have been absolutely opposed to the faith, people who have come to the Lord because of the pandemic and people who have moved to our area having come to faith elsewhere.
Training for the future
The pandemic has made it impossible for folk from the UK to travel to Albania for some time but technology has enabled us to hold three training sessions with men from Grace church, Yate, near Bristol. We have looked at the prayer meeting and how to lead it, at deacons- who they are and what they do, and other practical issues. It has been a joy to get to know more people from the Grace church and hear how men with young families balance work, family and serving in the local church. It has also been an encouragement to have men from the Ersekë church join us for some of these studies.
Pray that God might raise up elders and deacons from within the Fier church and that we might see more and more workers raised up for the harvest fields.
Children’s and youth work in the pandemic
For over a year and a half we have been unable to hold any face to face meetings with children and young people in Fier. The fear of infection has been so great that it would have been unwise to have met together. However we are so thankful to God that the work has been able to continue on Zoom.
Lindita Budini, once of the Fier church and now married in Thessalonica, offered to help us start Zoom meetings for children. She and Doreta led meetings each Saturday with a mixture of songs, games and Bible talks.
As time progressed we started another fortnightly meeting for young people. At times we had participants in Tirana, villages outside of Fier, Levan, Patos and Fier as well as one of Doreta’s nieces in Athens! Rachel Newton from ChristChurch, Tilehurst near Reading helped us with games, testimonies and studies.
We have been able to keep contacts with young lads from around 10 to 14 years of age. A group has been playing football in the courtyard of the church and enjoying a five a side game with leaders every month. We were able to send a small team of campers to a football camp in Erseke also. Activities included football training, canoeing, absailing and in the evenings we had Bible talks. Will Niven gave 5 messages from the gospel of Luke and was deeply encouraged by the attentiveness of all who were present.
Pray for us as we consider how to begin children’s ministry this September. Pray for sufficient workers to be able to have meetings for younger children and pre-teens. Pray that God might bring us young people now that all of our youth have gone to university.