So good to be back in Albania....

Simon, Andy and Ann on arrival at Rinas airport with Rob, complete with guitars

Rob and Mira who lead the church in Lezhe

Andy outside the fish restaurant in Shengjin. Andy was quite taken with the colour scheme!

And here is Lili from Burrel, in the middle, with Ann and Mira.

And all of us including Klodhi, Lili's brother on the beach at Shengjin.

Oh! it is just so good to be back in Albania! It seems ages since Ann and I were here and indeed it is! Last July was when we were here with our Youth in Pogradec. Now we are here with Simon Benham our Senior Pastor and Andy Jackson who heads up the CAP (Christians against poverty) ministries in our church. We flew in late on Monday evening to be met by Rob who with his wife Mira lead a church in Lezhe an hours journey north of the airport. Simon and Andy booked into a local hotel and then we all ate a meal that Mira had prepared. After catching up on news and talking until late we then turned in for the night.
This morning saw us wake to bright blue sky and warmth. After breakfast and yet more talking we headed off for coffee by the river where we met up with Lili and her brother Klodhi who come from Burrel, a town in the mountains, and with Gezim, a member of Rob's church. We have invited Lili to come to the Ladies Real conference. Klodhi gets married in August to a Ewa from Belgium. Then to Shengjin, it simply means St John, which is a small port and has an excellent fish restaurant. There we tucked in to cooked fresh fish, chips and salad. Klodhi opted for the grilled eel. I tried it and it was really tasty. What all this eating is doing for Simon's Bracknell half marathon training I'm not sure! Then to meet up with Rachel a children's worker from the UK who heads up her own ministry here and then a brief stroll on the beach with the warm water of the Adriatic lapping it and the sun beating down on us! Then we dragged ourselves away to go and see Rob and Mira's church building where we prayed with them for God to fill every seat. Rob went off to take an English class and Simon and Andy strolled back to the hotel and Ann and me with Mira to their home. So chance now to top up my Albanian SIM card and write this blog. Now evening time it is still light and really warm with children playing the usual kids games in the street.
Tomorrow sees us catch a bus to Tirana to meet Shaban and Elvira who lead a church in the capital city and have lunch with them, and then on to Elbasan.
Oh well, I must finish Mira has prepared another meal for us to eat!!
Love to you all, Ken and Ann