Zaku’s journey to Christ has been a long one, yet it has just begun. He recognizes that his baptism is a symbol of his new life with Christ, and he is hungry to learn more. He often uses the word “beautiful” to describe Bible stories and principles. It has indeed been a beautiful thing to watch his journey unfold. The smile on his face as he came up out of the waters of baptism was priceless . . . and beautiful. And his journey continues.

One hot morning, Zaku met Sean for the usual cup of tea before they set up his clothing booth at the bazaar. As they began to work, Zaku shared the dream he’d had the night before. “I had remodeled part of my home,” he said, pausing to look at Sean. “I knew it was so we could worship there on Sabbath.”

Sean squinted questioningly at Zaku. “What does that mean?”

“It means I will fix up the guest salon and entry way, and we will worship there sometimes instead of always at your home. At least until we build a church building. What do you think?” Zaku’s eyebrows rose questioningly.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Sean grinned.

Zaku beamed back at him. “Okay, it’s settled.”

Last Sabbath, we arrived at Zaku’s door where he and his family were waiting for us. We took off our shoes at the door according to Albanian custom and received greetings of kisses on both cheeks. As soon as we ascended the stairs, we noticed the new tile floor, the larger, nicer doors, the pots spilling over with bright flowers and the freshly painted walls with new artwork. A table was spread with melons, grapes, crackers, nuts and cake. The guest salon had the very best furnishings in the house. In the corner was a rounded wooden shelf Zaku had made in his carpentry shop. We filled the room to overflowing. The atmosphere was welcoming, comfortable and beautiful.

Another morning after tea, Zaku asked Sean, “Do they have Bibles in Albanian that are smaller like your English Bible? I want to buy one I can carry with me. There are passages I want to show to some people.”

Beautiful, Sean thought.

As I previewed an outreach DVD, I tried to watch it through Albanian eyes. Most translated messages made for North American audiences miss their intended mark here. The Albanian perspective is markedly different from the American one. It takes time to gain understanding of their way of thinking. As I watched the DVD with this in mind, I came to a scene where Jesus healed someone. I immediately thought of how much Zaku would like this part. Sometime later, Zaku and his family watched it. “I really liked the DVD,” he said. “It was very interesting. There was one part I watched three times. It was when Jesus healed the people. It was beautiful.”

Zaku is dismayed at how difficult it is to convince many Albanians that God exists or that the Bible is true. “We were brainwashed,” he said. “We were not allowed to mention God. The dictator, Enver Hoxha, replaced God in Albania. He made everyone worship him. We had to keep a picture of him on the wall. We didn’t dare breathe a word against him, or we would be killed. The generation that suffered this oppression now finds it difficult to believe in God. Others feel God abandoned them during that horrible time. They would rather not believe in God if it means they had to suffer the shame of His rejection. Only the young people are open to God. It’s very hard for others.”

We have had good feedback on Bible lessons created with the Albanian worldview in mind. But we need to find a way to get past the wall many have built up against God. Atheists are the most difficult to engage in spiritual discussion. Under Hoxha, Albania became the only officially atheist country in the world. There are also many agnostics who don’t know what they believe and usually don’t care. We can’t ignore this vast group of people. We need to find a way to prepare the soil of their hearts.

An Adventist medical team visiting Albania gave us two DVDs. They are about prophecy, which interests Albanians, and they present convincing evidence that God really exists and the Bible is true. The prophecies concerning Christ are helpful to Muslims. The documentary style appeals to Albanians and leaves them with a hunger to know more. It’s remarkable how well suited these DVDs are to opening Albanian hearts to truth. More than remarkable, it’s beautiful. They provide a simple way for Zaku and our other group members to share with their friends and families.

Can you help? We need funds to subtitle the DVDs in Albanian. Our goal is eventually to get them dubbed into the Albanian language. We are confident the Lord will provide the means to do this somehow. Maybe you will be a part of this beautiful journey for Albanians.

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