And finally...for now...

Ann and I thought it would be good to round off this series of blogs with some further information. We have focused quite rightly on Ethos playing at the Youth Camp. But we want you to know there were many other things going at the same time.

On our first day there, Ann and I had lunch with some friends Aleksander and Elena from Macedonia. They had come over the border with two of their friends to see us and catch up with what we are doing. The photo shows us having lunch together. Soon they will move to a church in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, and they have asked us to go and see them there. Aleksander is an evangelist and we have already met the senior pastor of their new church.

Not only did we transport our own guitar cases and equipment to Albania, but we took out two pieces of equipment that we left there. Edi and Artina from Korca had asked our church to provide them with a laptop computer with the usual software and some song software too. Colin Boyle our Fine Arts Director sorted the song software for them. This will be a huge help to them and raise the quality and capability of what they can do. The only computer they have had the use of was one they borrowed from Artina's workplace.

We also paid for and flew out a 16 input mixer desk for Roberti and Mira's church in Lezhe. Roberti (Robert is English, but a male name in Albanian usually ends in the letter i ) not only plays keyboard in his own church but usually at all the church gatherings in Albania he attends. They don't have a mixer desk and anyway cannot get one of the quality that we are used to here in the UK.

We also took out face paints for the children's work in Elbasan, as well as children's medicines and 4 rolls of wallpaper and wallpaper paste! You wouldn't believe what we have in our suitcases sometimes!

At the Youth Camp Roberti suggested to the other church leaders that the musicians from the churches get together soon. Not all churches know the same songs, which is the same here of course, and many of the songs that were originally written in English, have been translated differently by different people. The Albanians also want to write their own songs and encourage one another in this and maybe also use Albanian musical instruments! That will be exciting and a different sound.

When will we next go to Albania? We are not sure, maybe in the late autumn. Meanwhile we are planning for church leaders Roberti and Mira and Ilir and Donika to come to the Willow DVD conference here in Bracknell. It is so exciting to be part of building the Kingdom of God.

Thank you for your comments and e-mails. They are a huge encouragement to us. With much love,

Ken and Ann

Ethos returning

On Saturday morning we worshipped God and then we prayed in turn for each church represented at the Youth Camp. Finally we prayed for Ethos. There were many words of encouragement for people personally and for churches as a whole.


Edi Morava from Korca, who had the desire and vision in the first place for this Youth Camp, then called for people to respond to God's call to them to give their life to Him. Eleven girls and nine guys responded. Here are some of the girls who came forward...

and here are some of the guys. The guy on the right is jumping for joy!

Then sadly it was time to say our farewells. This is never done quickly in Albania! But at last we got on our way to Elbasan for lunch. As we travelled we were able to enjoy the amazing mountainous countryside. It had been dark when we arrived 5 days earlier and we had not seen just how stunnung it is. Lunch was whole roast lamb, head and everything, (yes you can eat the brains if you wish), Greek salad and chips. It went down well. It certainly got eaten quickly. Then a walk to the swimming pool to chill out.

It is not just that there is blue, blue sky and real heat, but again one is surrounded by mountains on all sides. It is such an attractive setting. As I was swimming in the pool, I met Ilir the leader of the church from Librazhd. He was amazed to see me and I him. Librazhd is where the 4 girls and 1 guy came from. (Photo on the first blog). He told me they talked none stop about the camp on the way home. All four girls have became Christians and they experienced the Holy Spirit in their life! They had read about this in their Alpha course they had been doing, but now they said we have experienced Him for ourselves. Wow! Ann and I chatted to Ilir and Donika who would like to come to the Willow Creek DVD conference.

After a swim it was definitely chill out time!

Then into yet another furgon (minibus), and on our way to Rinas airport near Tirana. A good flight home, a few slept, and then into Gatwick, collect our bags and Mick Wade met us at 11pm. Was it worth it? All that energy, planning, money, time, perspiration, preparation? Absolutely!! I am sure the guys will tell you for themselves, but for me I would do that all again any day!

Ethos were excellent, not just in their musical ability, but in their humility, openness, friendliness, kindness and giving of themselves. They were a credit not only to themselves but to their families, to our church and above all to God himself.

We have already been invited back for next year! And we look forward to catching up with you personally.

Lots of love,

Ken and Ann

Ethos on song

We thought you would like to see where our guys are actually staying. So here is the accommodation and eating block. Ann and I have just put our heads in the room Ethos have and well... if you have a son you can imagine what the room after 2 days with 8 guys in it is looking like. I didn't take a photo!



This building holds the main hall on the first floor with sliding screens just as we have at the Kerith Centre, only more modern. The screens are white and magnetic so can be used as white boards and for fixing things to it easily.

Then the volleyball court which was used last night starting at 11pm! with a volleyball tournament between the six churches here. I think they all slept well afterwards.

Last night, Thursday, we had another great time of worship, then Lee spoke on how you can know Jesus for yourself if you do not know him. He also called for a response if one is already a Christian. Nearly all the young people responded openly to what was said. This was followed by praying with the young people for a quite a while.

Here is Arta (Artina) from Korce praying with one of the girls.

This morning, {I almost forgot to tell you that we wake each day to blue sky and warmth, with the mountains close by and the lakeside 200 metres away}, Liam spoke on the Holy Spirit. Here is Zak helping with an illustration.

And here are some of the young people listening to Liam speak. Liam also called for response and we spend time asking the Holy Spirit to come upon all of us. Words of encouragement were spoken to many. This time was followed by another session of workshops. Here is Emily and the girls who were with her.

Hudson and David spoke on worship to a very keen group of guys and girls who for the most part are already involved in worship in their local church. They were all still talking when everyone else had gone for lunch!

Liam and Zac followed their talk on the Holy Spirit by further session on the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This afternoon has been a free time, when some catch up on their sleep, others go for a swim in the lake, yet others walk into Pogradec itself, whilst others build friendships by sitting and talking. Young people and leaders alike are saying what an excellent time they are having. I think wonderful relationships are being built, church leaders with church leaders, young people from one church with others, our relationship with the churches in Albania but above all our personal realtionship with Jesus.

Another worship time this evening and then tomorrow, sadly we will have to pack our bags and be on our way home. We are organising a couple of treats for the team. Roast lamb on the spit with Greek salad with chips for lunch, then a time in a really nice swiming pool. I think they deserve it!

There may just be time for one more blog!

See you soon,

Ken and Ann

Ethos has landed...

in Albania! Here we are at the start of our journey on Tuesday at Gatwick airport. We got all our guitars transported for free, which was great. Then a 3 hour flight to Rinas airport in Albania. Vaso from Edi's church in Korca met us at the airport. A 2 hr journey over the mountains took us to Elbasan where we met Ilir, the church leader and Arjan. Elbasan is the city Ann and I spend most of our time in Albania. We had coffee and a bite to eat and then another 2 hrs to Pogradec arriving about 1am! A long day!


People started arriving on Wednesday morning from the 6 churches represented from all over Albania. Our first session together was in the afternoon followed by our evening meal, spaghetti Bolognaise, and then another worship session which really took off!


Our guys were brilliant to get it together technically when nearly everything they needed was not there on arrival. But the drum kit appeared, so did the microphones, a bass amp and so on. You can see they are a bit cramped for space and it is hot! Worship is in Albanian and English. Hudson has done really well in leading worship with this mixture.



Our guys travelled well, and ate well but sleep was a bit difficult the first night with the heat. But they went for a swim in the lake to cool down. This morning after our worship we had workshops all led by our team. Here is Emily with some of her group. She spoke on Pathways.

And here are Zac and Stuart with some of their group. They led a session on personal evangelism. Lee spoke on "Even though your group is small you can make a big difference" and Hudson on "Worship as a lifestyle". So you can see they are all getting stuck in.

Lastly, for the moment, here are a group from a small church in Librazhd that Ann and I visited in May. They were just starting an Alpha course in a house and they are with us today because we visited them and invited them. Pray it will be life changing for them and for all of us here.

Lots of love, and we will be in touch.

Ken and Ann

Final bits and pieces

Thank you so much for your comments. They have encouraged us in our time here. It is amazing who our blog reaches. My sister and brother in law in NZ read it. They told me that when they saw the photo of mushmula they recognised it as is kumquat. Indeed it seems that mushmula is the Russian word for the fruit.
We read Simon and Catriona's blog of Serenje and feel the same, namely that we are in a completely different culture even though we are in Europe, with different ways of thinking let alone different climate. We have been to Greece before on holiday at this time of the year, but to live in the heat week after week, to work and think and operate in the heat with no air conditioning in our rooms and live at a different pace of life and try and ensure that we keep understanding and communicating well with all the people we meet is a challenge.
Last night I had a good time with the main church leader here talking several things through. Tonight will be a Q and A with some of the guys followed by the Champions League football final! Whilst Ann will meet with the pastors wife Rudina and their 3 girls Sara, Eliada and Abigaila and they will go out for coffee and ice cream and chat. The streets are almost completely empty mid afternoon but are brimming with people, children included, in the evening all out walking and talking until late.
Some other differences. There are so few schools that a school will have 3 or even 4 lots of children per day in 3 or 4 hour batches from say 7.30 am to 7.30 pm. It is strange to see crocodile lines of children during school time walking somewhere at 5.30pm say. They have lots of homework with school time spent mainly checking homework.
Notices of deaths are posted in the street, see photo above.
Very few people have gardens as they live in apartments and so help themselves to flowers growing in public parks! Sellers set up their stalls under any available tree in the park or street to set out their wares whether shoes, second hand clothes, food and fruit, pots and kitchen implements, raki and even holly leaves! I asked what they were selling the dried holly leaves for and the answer?....as back scratchers! Ouch! Anything to get a living!
Do you ever wonder where all the Ford transit vans, cars, buses and lorries go to die? Well here in Albania. Without being critical 90% of all vehicles here would instantly fail an MOT. Driving standards are slowly improving as more younger people who have had driving lessons and a test take to the road. Several years ago drivers needed no test and it shows. It is hair raising at times as you sit in a minibus with other vehicles headed straight for you playing the game of who will give way first.
Washing up! Afterwards we put the pots and pans etc into cupboards that contain drying racks. The air is so dry that even in winter things dry quickly.
We could give you photo after photo of ponies and traps, three wheeled motorcycles that have been converted to carry clothes, rubbish, fruit and veg etc. And litter not just paper, but clothes and shoes no longer wanted by the sellers just left anywhere for someone else one day to clear away. Meanwhile the piles get bigger and the smell increases. Keeping the law? I am writing this in a non smoking Internet cafe, only it isn't! Every restaurant like the UK is non smoking only they aren't. Apparently they kept the law for a month and then nobody bothered. People drive the wrong way up one way streets all the time!
But there are many joys. The friendliness of the people is one. We have just had an off the cuff conversation with 4 young women in the park, top photo, who are all studying Social Work at University. We could talk all day as they practice their English on us. Tonight we say our farewells to many friends here in Elbasani.
On Friday we travel to Lezhe to see Robert and Mira again, and on Sunday go to a March for Jesus in Fushe Arrez and talk to leaders of another church before heading off to the airport and back to cooler climes where our son Simon will meet us at Gatwick.
The whole time has been worthwhile and valuable as we see churches, leaders and people, strengthened and encouraged. God has been very good to us. See you soon.
Ken and Ann

Over the border

On Saturday we took a furgon, minibus, early to avoid the heat of the day, and got to Qafe e Thane the border point where we met Edi, Artina and Flori their worship leader, coming from Korca. Then we crossed the border out of Albania and into Macedonia. See photo above. Don't think of border crossings like traveling from France to Belgium, where you drive through the border in a moment or even England France where you have check points leaving and entering but close together. Here there are check points but they are a good walk apart, half a mile or in some places a mile apart. You cannot see one border crossing point to the next as it is round a bend in the road and out of sight. You could set up camp in no man's land! I have seen motorists changing their car number plates between leaving one country and entering the next and shepherds with flocks of sheep! Then a taxi ride to Ohrid. My guide book says Ohrid is the jewel in Macedonia's crown. It is their main lakeside resort, cultural centre and holiday destination especially to escape the heat of summer. It is an ancient city with a castle and has UNESCO heritage status.
We booked into the accommodation Edi and Arta often use, and then they took us on a long walk. We walked through the old town and upto the castle which I thought was just stunning with its view over the town and Lake Ohrid. Then back to town and a late lunch under the shade of a large tree. One way we can tell we are out of Albania is the food on offer. Gone are the salads with everything. We are now eating Slav food. (Russian, Polish, Bulgarian etc) Wonderful bowls of hot soup if you wish, even on a hot day, quantities of beer being drunk with gusto as in any northern European city on a hot day rather than wine, and huge platefuls of hearty food. Meat, sausages, boiled potatoes and vegetables, with sour cream! Then back for a lie down/sleep as it was so hot and we had got up at 5.30. A siesta is part of the daily routine here all year round. Then at 8pm we went our for a bite to eat and to meet up with the guys and girls Edi and Arta have gathered. They catch up on news and talk about the everyday and the serious, building relationships, and asking questions. We walk and talk and have coffee. Eventually we say our farewells at well past midnight. It is some of these young people who we look to have come to the Youth Camp in July and renew friendship with them.
Come the morning Edi, Arta and Flori pack their bags and head home for their own meetings on Sunday afternoon. We stay on as in the evening we are going to a Macedonian speaking church in a neighbouring town whose leaders we have met before. We knew it would be different as Macedonian is written in a version of the Russian Cyrillic alphabet and so totally incomprehensible to us!! We recognised some of the worship songs though and sang along in English! The meeting was translated for us by a wonderful young woman who was a delight to talk to. It is so interesting to see where they are as a church and hear what God is doing. Then they helped us get a local cheap taxi and we return to our room.
The next morning we travel amazingly well by taxis and furgon so that we are back in Elbasani 2 hours after leaving Ohrid. When you can wait an hour or more for a minibus this is no small miracle.
One of the challenges of Macedonia is that there are two main groups of people. The Macedonian speaking who are the great majority and who would automatically consider themselves Orthodox Christian, and the Albanian speaking who would automatically be considered Muslim. So the idea of being Albanian speaking and being a Christian is unthinkable and so is the one of being Macedonian speaking but a Christian who is not Orthodox.
Now we are into our last week here and final meetings with leaders here and in other towns. There are conversations to finish off, farewells to say, wisdom to give, questions to answer, experiences to share and love to give.
Finally for today. Remember the swimming pool we checked out? It is wonderful. We couldn't believe it! Now a bite of lunch and then time to cool down in the pool!
Ken and Ann

Mushmulla

Just a few photos of some of the buildings here. First a traditional Turkish style home, now the Ethnographic Museum here in Elbasani. Traditionally Turkish homes were 2 or 3 storey buildings. Animals, storage and workshops on the ground floor with living space above. There are separate rooms for men and women to sit, entertain and eat, but a bedroom of course. And then a large wide airy balcony where one sits in the heat of the day. Turkish mosques are of similar design here that is to say they look like a house with no minarets. Minarets have been added only in recent years and look completely out of place in the overall design of the building.
Now pallati, multi storey high rise blocks of flats are going up everywhere. Sadly there seems to very little thought as to there positioning. It seems it is all about making as much money as possible out of one piece of land.
And then a photo of the church building that is going up. You are seeing part of the ground floor with windows, doors, electric fitments, plumbing, tiling and painting yet to be done. Work is done as money comes available, though they are hopeful it will be complete and ready to use by the end of the year if not sooner. The local cement factory has just donated several tons of cement that they will deliver! When I went yesterday they were fixing levels using the reliable but slow method of a plastic tube filled with water! No spirit levels or more modern means are available here. Credit to them though for working in the heat. It was 32C yesterday and humid with it. I spent time talking with the leaders about their building, some suggestions as things to think of, ways of doing things, keeping the vision before the people, praying for money and so on. They expressed their gratitude to me which I felt was entirely genuine.
I love new experiences! God is a God of surprises and freshness. New places, new people, new ways of doing things. Here is a new fruit we had never come across before. Mushmulla! We have no idea what it is called in English. It is fresh tasting and is available now at the same time as cherries. It has 2 or 3 quite big stones inside which I have kept to try and grow.
Now to try out the local swimming pool and cool down, if we can find it! We have been told it is very good.
Ken and Ann