Somebody tell somebody

Last year at Camp the unassuming young man on the right, Tiku, became a Christian. He went home and told his family and as a result 25 of his relations became Christians. So a new church has been started in his home village of Geshtenjas which is on the outskirts of Pogradec, the town where we hold the Camp. Ten of their young people are now here at this years Camp. In the photo he is with Edi Morava who has been to Kerith and was with us in February this year. Edi and his wife Arta lead a church in Korca.

The guy who leads the church in Geshtenjas is Yrri (pronounced Uri) who moved, with his wife Sanna and 3 daughters, from Tirana to Pogradec to lead it. He is on the right in the photo below with Ann and Shaban who leads a church in Tirana.

All this is from God moving through just one guy who became a Christian at Youth Camp. What power there is in somebody telling somebody about Jesus.

Lots of love Ken and Ann

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Time to eat and Camp at last!

Just to prove that the team actually got to eat their pizza, here are some photos with Imogen, Olu, Jamie and Liam

and one here of Jess and Ben.

and Ann, with Sarah waiting for her pizza.

Ann and I travelled with the young people and leaders from Elbasan on Tuesday morning. Here are some of the Elbasan lads.

We stopped on the way for a breakfast break. Here is one of the leaders Arjan, tucking into a typical Albanian breakfast of pilaf, rice. Just rice cooked with a few vegetables.

and the girls will have the same.

And Camp at last!! Here are some of the Elbasan crowd

and more of the Elbasan guys.

Three of our guys Olu, Nick and Ben with Ann

If Elbasan has a lot of guys, then Korca have a lot of girls. Here are three of them, with Gabriela on the left.

and another group with loads of girls are Librazhd.

Some of you will recognise Miranda, seated, who came to our REAL women's conference in June.Here she is with some of her girls from Tirana. This is Miranda's first time at our Camp as well as first time for many of their church youth.

So by Tuesday lunchtime, people had arrived, rooms were sorted, bed spaces allotted and everyone ready to eat. And the Camp was under way!

Let us see what God wants to do!

Ken and Ann

 

Posted with Blogsy

Team to Tirana

Last Sunday afternoon our team led by our Youth Pastor Liam arrived at Mother Teresa airport, Tirana. They had had an early start meeting up at 3am at Kerith, and then heading to Heathrow to catch their flight to Albania via Vienna. So it was an excited but tired team that I greeted at the airport. All aboard our bus and then several of them just fell asleep including Liam below

and Emily and Sarah

but there are some who are always wide awake such as our guys Nick and Jack.

We stopped in Elbasan for a quick pizza snack and a drink. This restaurant is inside the walls of an old Turkish fort. Here are Emily, Sarah and Jess about to order.

with Ben, Imogen and Jamie.

The restaurant setting is really quite stunning and so many wedding receptions are held here and they were preparing for one when we were there.

But too soon it was time to climb aboard the bus again and for our team to continue their journey to Pogradec where the Youth camp is held. Ann and I stayed in Elbasan as we would be travelling with the church group from Elbasan.

A lot of travelling in one day but getting there on Sunday gave the team all day Monday to recover and find their feet, before hordes of young people arrive the next day, Tuesday, all excited for the Camp.

Do pray for the young people at Camp that God will change their life. In one of my next blogs I will tell just one amazing story of what happened last year.

Love from Ken and Ann.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Albania via Vienna

Some of the first flights I took to Albania were with Austrian Airlines through Vienna. It didn't take me long to decide against this route as the return flights always left about 3 am from Tirana and my luggage never arrived at Heathrow with me. And as long as one booked ahead in plenty of time British Airways direct flight from Gatwick was much easier and cheaper, and you had your bags with you.

So it was with some cautuion that Ann and I flew this time with Austrian. We decided we would make a long day of it leaving Heathrow at 09.15 arriving Vienna at 12.35 but then enabling us to spend some time in Vienna city centre. Another reason was the BA ticket price. Some schools have just finished for the summer holidays as was evident the moment we stepped into the airport and consequently ticket prices are high. The flight queues were enormous swelled with hordes of children all flying off somewhere with their parents. Even though we were there early, eventually people for our flight were called forward as time was going and we needed to booked in.

All aboard and things went smoothly arriving on time into the very modern Vienna airport. We left some of our handbags at left luggage and caught the train S7 into Vienna city about 30 minutes, and then the undergroud U3 to Stephansplatz. It is like arriving in the middle of London only much smaller in scale. Groups of singing schoolgirls sat in large circles on the pedestrian areas with plenty of space all round them. Here is St Stephen's church.

Time for lunch and as Ann is coeliac this is not always easy to sort (sandwiches, pasta, cakes etc. are out) but McDonalds are a good bet and in the UK will put a burger on her bread with no mayonnaise without any problem. And so it was this time with a McDonalds hoving into view within a few paces of walking down Karntner Strasse. We were headed for the Wiener Staatsoper and a guided tour round the Opera House.

Come 3pm and we were separated into groups depending on language, German, Japenese, Italian, Spanish or English. Off we went on a most interesting 45 minute tour. My photos just don't do it justice. As some of you will know, parts of the building are original, like the staircase below, but other parts were rebuilt in the 1950's as a result of bomb damage from the 2nd WW.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the aspects that impressed me most was the behind the scenes, behind the stage storage space. It is huge, absolutely huge, enabling them to change scenery quickly. The stage itself can be lowered 10 metres to clear it and then be raised with fresh scenery in place.

After this a break was called for and I knew just the place. The Hotel Sacher is just across the road from the Opera House. It is famous in Vienna for the Sacher torte and I just had to have one with my coffee. Ann cannot enjoy such treats, she is coeliac remember! So cakes, pastries and biscuits are out unless made with gluten free flour. But Ann can eat the chocolate on top of my cake!

 

 

Time soon enough to retrace our steps and head back to the airport for our onward flight leaving at 22.20 arriving in Tirana at 23.50.

And time too to eat again this time at Henry's in Vienna airport and time for a snooze for Ann.

Not to be out done I found a good place to lie down! there are several of these chaise lounge in the airport lounges. All I needed was my own pillow and I would have stayed the night! (My grandmother used to say "Don't stand when you can sit, and don't sit when you can lie down." She lived to be 94)

And here is another good idea! In one area there is this artificial fireplace with cosy chairs round it. It looks so homely. I spoke to a lady with her son aged about 5. She said "Whenever we pass through Vienna airport my son insists on coming and sitting here." I am not surprised.

And then one of the joys of travelling is meeting people. This couple saw the chaise lounge and also thought what a good idea. We got talking and they are from Wanganui, NZ returung home after going to a wedding in Portugal. Later this year Ann and I will travel to see my sister in Auckland, NZ and so we talked about the sights we had seen in NZ on a previous visit. And who knows, tthis time we may get to visit Wanganui!

And so we arrived at Mother Teresa airport in Tirana, Albania just before midnight to be greeted by Iir Kochi from Elbasan and a waiting taxi. Now the last leg of our journey and finally we tumbled into the apartment, unpacked our cases and then fell into bed at 2am, just 21 hours after I woke up ready for the day.

Lots of love from Ken and Ann

PS Sorry we have not blogged sooner but have not had internet connection until today.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Bother at the border!

Off we set with Edi and Renato in the children's work minibus, a smooth road and blue sky. Soon we arrived at the Nehemiah Centre in Pogradec where we will hold our Youth Camp at the end of July, with Liam our youth pastor. We met Elona Canallari who deals with the administration of our camp and confirmed the dates. It gave Lydia and Catherine the opportunity to see where the Youth Camp is held. Then on again, through Drilon a quiet beaautiful spot where a small river runs into Lake Ohrid and then to the Albania-Macedonia border. Quiet, very quiet. Probably the quietest border crossing I have ever been to. Just one other car and a couple walking through the border. Getting out of Albania was no problem, getting into Macedonia was a problem for Edi and potentially for us. The passport check was okay but they were checking the vehicles and the Police were unhappy with a broken window in the minibus that was taped over with plastic. Something that would be perfectly okay in Albania, in fact pretty normal. After giving Edi a hard time for twenty minutes whilst we sat patiently waiting and praying for them to make their decision as to what to do with us, they finally agreed to let us proceed as long as Edi fixed the broken window in Ohrid, else he would not be allowed out of Macedonia with his vehicle back into Albania. They produced a written order for him saying he must get it fixed and giving him permission to proceed only as far as Ohrid. I was relieved, as there were no taxis that could have taken us and frankly we would have been stuck. But on we went and then stopped for a short

break by the lakeside. Photos above with Ann, and below will give you some idea. It was totally calm, a beautiful blue sky and warm.

On the other side of the road I spotted these 2CV's and thought this is where they must come to die!

On to Ohrid where we went to the bus station, bought our tickets for the 3pm bus and then went for lunch by the lake. Life has it's compensations and this was one of them. We were seated under a tree looking towards

the lake about to tuck into a lovely fresh Shopska salad, with village sausage and chips. The tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce are all fresh and locally grown and strawberies are already in season here.

Then time to get the bus, say our farewells to Edi and start our 3 1/2 hour journey to Skopje. Sasha met us, took Catherine and Lydia to their hotel and then we went to their home as Ann and I were going to sleep in Sasha and Marija's bed. A cup of coffee and a sit down in a comfy chair, then time for us all to eat down town and then home again by 10pm ready for a brief nights sleep. The alarm was set for 2.15 am but I awoke at 2. Showered and shaved, cases packed and the taxi arrived soon after 3 with Lydia and Catherine already on board. Straight to the Alexander the Great Airport for our 5am flight, and now as I write this we are on the WIZZ air flight to London Luton. An excellent, enjoyable, fruitful, friendship building and tiring time. But I would do it again!

Love from Lydia and Catherine, who have excellent, positive and thoroughly enjoyable companions to travel with, Ann and me.

Ken

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Korca church workers meeting

On Monday at 6pm we met with the men and women who head up the various ministries in the church. Buildings here are built for the summer heat, so high ceilings, tiled floors and heavy curtains to keep out the light and thereby the heat. But in winter and even now in spring it works against them so that rooms are cold, sometimes very cold. So the sob, the wood burning stove, has pride of place at their Sunday meetings. Here we are gathered round the sob, but it is not lit, so as you can see, people are wrapped up against the cold.

After introductions, we asked them what issues they faced and after suggesting a few things to them the conversation and the questions flowed. Dealing with growth in the childrens work, communication amongst themselves and with volunteers, gathering volunteers and looking after them and planning ahead were some of the topics we covered. In the photo below are l to r Daniella, Vile and her husband Fredi,

then Vaso, Toshca, married to Daniella, Kostika and Olsi one of the Elders.

And finally Olsi again, Julia and Renato.Renato is one of the Elders and runs their bible teaching class.

 

We met the people in the bible teaching class and all of us prayed and prophesied with them. They are a group who are new Christians and are being taught the basics of the Christian faith.

So after a great time with them for two and half hours it was time for them to go home and us to go and eat. Back to the hotel restaurant that was already crowded with what seemed to be an office party. And on the menu was something I have not seen before. Half way down the page is "Grilled or fried locust". And you and I thought it was only eaten by people like John the Baptist! Perhaps I should have it for breakfast!

 

Lydia and Catherine and Ann are now tucking in to their breakfast as I write this now on Monday morning. Breakfast over, it is time to pack our cases and be on the move. Edi is kindly taking us in their childrens work minibus to Pogradec, past the Nehemiah Centre where we will have the Youth Camp in the summer, over the border into Macedonia and onto Ohrid. There we will get on a minibus and head for Skopje. So a day of travelling, but the sun is shining and God is with us.

Love from Lydia, Catherine, Ann and me.

 

Posted with Blogsy