For twenty-eight faithful years, as the local people tend their land and sow seeds in hope for a favorable yield, so the church has been sowing the Word of hope in our region of Devoll in southeast Albania. For years, believers have gone between the church located in the main town of Bilisht and from the forty-four surrounding villages nestled between hillside and farmland. Over the years, door-to-door outreach and open-air children’s meetings have given way to regular Bible studies in people’s homes. Yet the roads that take fledgling believers to the main church on any regular basis are long and winding; the villagers continue to need the church to come to them. As workers from the church visit new believers, they are encouraged. However, life in the village is not easy.
In the villages live some of Albania’s most vulnerable populations, income generated from crops cannot keep up with the rate of inflation. The majority of the working generation has abandoned the elderly and the poorest families in search of a more robust lifestyle in urban areas. Those who remain are forced to divide energy and resources between kids’ education, medical bills, and adequate nutrition.
There are believers from our church who desire to devote more time to ministry work, but the realities of eking out a living in rural Albania leave them with little extra time. There is a great need for more full-time laborers to continue the work in the villages, as much of the village ministry has gone dormant in recent years due to different constraints on our church community.
God has raised up two long-time believers, Skender and Vasil, to minister full-time. Both well-respected, capable men in our community, Skender is a musician, kid-wrangler, Bible teacher, and handyman. His wit and wisdom win him a hearing from most everyone. Vasil is a vinedresser, teacher, and intercessor. He offers a steady spirit and timely word to those who have come to trust him. We are thrilled to continue to work with these men to seek transformation in Devoll. $20,000 is needed for them to be able to labor with us for the next two years. Would you consider supporting these brothers in their work?
If you would like to make a one-time or a recurring gift, you can give it to a special account we have set up for them in One Collective. Through the generosity of your past giving, we have already been able to transfer $10,000 in surplus funds from our account to theirs, so we are now aiming to raise the additional $10,000.
Can you be part of the team of supporters to make this happen?
