“Is this your first trip to Albania?” asked the young lady sitting next to me on the plane.

“No, I’ve been here before,” I replied. “What about you?”

“I lived here for a while. I’m coming to see friends and then going on to see my parents in Kosovo!”

As we chatted, I discovered she had spent some time teaching at a mission school in Tirana. Her father, a financial adviser with the UN, and her mother, a doctor, work in Albania and Kosovo.

I shared with her how Lynette had enjoyed her time as a volunteer teacher for 18 months in Southeast Asia. We chatted happily for some time. She was from Scotland, and her mother was from Yorkshire, so I knew a lot of the places she knew.

As our conversation deepened, she shared with me how she had been looking for a full-time teaching position in Scotland, but jobs were scarce. She was hoping a job interview scheduled in a few days time might lead to a permanent position. I could tell she was anxious.

I reassured her that God had a plan and a purpose for her and that He would provide the right job at the right time. “I know that in my head,” she said, “but it’s not always easy to transfer that head knowledge to my heart.” I encouraged her to keep trusting God and allow His peace to fill her heart.

As we started the descent into Tirana, she looked excitedly out the window. “I thought it would feel strange coming back, but everything looks so familiar.” She couldn’t wait to get off the plane and see her friends.

I, too, was excited to be back in Albania, but this visit was tinged with sadness, as it would be our last official visit to our projects in Berat and Greece. Graham has been working closely with the Trans-European Division, and they have identified several countries within their territory where they would appreciate the help of AFM missionaries. Research into new projects is already underway. As Graham’s workload has increased, the time has come to share the responsibilities of project supervision with others. At the last AFM executive meetings in Berrien Springs, it was voted that Sean Mays would become the field director for the Greek Project and be trained to take on other responsibilities as well as continuing with his own project in Berat.

As Sean drove us from the airport to Berat, we were reminded of the dangers of Albanian roads. We passed a spot where two motorcyclists had collided head-on with a van just a few minutes earlier. The debris on the road was not a pleasant sight.

The following morning, Sean, Brenda, Graham and I set out for Greece. A new stretch of road had opened, reducing our travel time to the Greek border. However, this new stretch of road ended abruptly at different locations, and traffic weaved around giant potholes and slow-moving donkey carts. Our missionaries very much appreciate your prayers for their safety!

“This weekend has been such a blessing for me,” said Lina Martinson as we came to the end of our Sabbath worship. “It’s been good to sing some songs in English and enjoy an in-depth spiritual discussion.” Friday evening, Nikolas sat beside Brenda, looking around at everyone with his big brown eyes and grinning as we sang. It was definitely a novel experience for him. He had spent the afternoon gaily chatting away to us, but now he sat mesmerized, taking it all in. An Albanian man who has lived in Greece for several years and joins the Martinson family for Sabbath worship was thrilled to see us again and to have the opportunity to converse in his mother tongue with Sean and Brenda.

“We will miss you!” said Elli and Sabina as we hugged and kissed them the following Sabbath back in Berat. “You must come and have a vacation in Albania and stay in our house!”

Albania has always had a special place in our hearts. I remember well the reports that came out of that country after the fall of communism. The Albanian people have suffered much and have made great strides in rebuilding their country.

It was wonderful to see the change that has taken place in Nerta since her decision to follow Christ. Her face radiated happiness and contentment. She is actively involved in reaching out to those less fortunate than herself and is sharing the Bible with a friend of hers.

Graham enjoyed some special moments with Zaku, who considers Graham a brother. Zaku wished us God’s blessings as we headed out of the city on our way back to the airport.

Please pray for our work in Greece and Albania. Pray that many others will respond to the Gospel and experience Christ’s life-changing power. Please pray especially that the right piece of land will be found in Berat for a church and community building. Pray that funds for the building will be donated soon so that our members can proudly invite their friends and relatives to worship with them in their new church.

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