Letter from Richard...

Our dear friends,
We send you warm greetings and thank you for your faithful support, prayers and interest in our mission.

Several years ago Linda commented that Jorgo, pronounced "Your-go", had something special in his makeup. As a young member of the Chooka Roma community, opportunities to explore personal potential don't come along very often. Formal schooling is usually side stepped and males usually begin casual work as soon as they're able to pick up a shovel or carry discarded tin cans in a sack.Females stay closer to home, waiting to be married anytime after hitting their mid teens.

FOOTBALLING FAMILY

Jorgo's family has to battle through like everyone else, but within the walls of their humble home there's a slightly more stable feel to life. Agron, his father, rarely drinks much raki and his mother, Vala, takes an interest in the well being of her less able neighbours. Like her sons, she takes a keen interest in football and regularly sits down to watch Juventus play on T.V. Unfortunately she has still to accept that following Wolverhampton Wanderers would bring unexpected joy into her life, and maybe a few tears too.

When Jorgo was signed up by the local football club on a part time basis, and he began working locally, we feared that his special qualities wouldn't be realised. He has a sharp mind and has shown a keen interest in Christianity from an early age. Would our hopes of securing a place for him at Bible School in Tirana come to anything or not?

In late September 2009, without any arm twisting on our part, we got our answer.

STEP OF FAITH

In the weeks leading up to the start of the school year, I'd been in England and had sent various messages and e-mails in order to help make the necessary arrangements should, as we hoped, Jorgo decide to take a big step of faith. The lack of answers I'd received from the Albanian end suggested that things were moving slowly, if at all.

However, a comment once made by Agron, about such opportunities coming along only once in a lifetime, appeared to speak for Jorgo too. The day after getting back into Southern Albania we drove up to the capital. Vala, not usually one to show her emotions, warned her son about some of the perils of city life, such as when traffic lights permit pedestrians to take a risk in running across the busy roads, and waved him goodbye.

The following morning Jorgo & I caught the school minibus out of the city centre up to the outlying suburb of Sauk. The three storey school building, purpose built in 2003, stands very well on the hilly terrain.Classrooms on the ground floor, with canteen and recreational facilities upstairs and dormitories on top. The shiny marble, well equipped offices and classrooms, internet suite and well maintained grounds gave us the immediate impression that life here would be very different to the one in Chooka.

There was little induction for our young friend, who was instructed to attend his first session of lessons within five minutes of our arrival. In the absence of the school's general director, his wife gave me a list of charges and took details about Jorgo. She expressed surprise at his lack of schooling and his tender age, just sixteen years old the following day. Would these factors stall everything? Such details had been forwarded months earlier, but they clearly hadn't reached the right people. Far from being a formality, Jorgo's continuing presence at the Evangelical Theology College was far from sure when I made my way back into town. I knew that many people were faithfully praying for him, and beyond doing all I could think of to make his position sure, we needed to trust God.

His first day went relatively well, with Jorgo's polite and friendly disposition giving us hope that he'd soon make friends with his fellow students. His three roommates included two boys from Kosovo and the third has the unlikely name of Dartanion!

A couple of nights later, we found ourselves wandering around the capital for a late night chemist. This wasn't due to a medical emergency - one of his new pals snores loudly and I suggested he stuffed cotton wool into his ears before going to bed.

At the end of Jorgo's first week, we held our breath while he took an induction test. Pleasingly he did well enough to warrant his place alongside the other dozen or so students in his class. It confirmed our view that he is something of an uncut diamond. In this new environment lies the prospect of his potential being developed.

OBJECTIVES

Included in the aims and objectives of the school are the training of pastors & missionaries, giving them a two year foundational course on the bible, with the long term goal of helping build the Albanian Church. It would be a mistake on our part to try and impose our own dreams onto Jorgo's shoulders, but far from that being the case, it's now evident that he loves what was waiting for him over the horizon.

Several weeks on, visits home demonstrate just what a positive impact he is beginning to make, not only on his family, but on the wider Roma community. When he speaks in Chooka church services there's an authority & dynamism in his presence, which signals hope of change from within, coming from one of their own.

As foreigners, it's wonderful to see that Jorgo has a passion for God. A well established Albanian friend of ours once spoke of the need for spiritual renewal if the country is to advance. When we see Jorgo, we see someone who may become an instrument of that change.

We send our thanks to those who are helping to meet the costs of getting him through school and hope you will be as encouraged as we are with his progress. Please keep him in your prayers. A specific point of interest focuses on his developing friendship with a girl called Elainer, whose sister attends the school. Maybe young love is in the air! Pray that he can find the balance between romance and study.

REPRIEVE FOR CHILDREN'S HOME

During the Spring of 2010 we hope to meet up with some of you as we itinerate. We really look forward to telling you about how things are going, including the good news of how some of your sponsorship monies connected to the Walk of Hope have been spent. We're in regular contact with different people who help vulnerable young people, particularly around Tirana.

One day we were able to surprise the person who runs an excellent Children's Home. Despite operating on very sound principles, a big bill was threatening it's very existence. After describing the problem and adding that he didn't know which way to turn, we had the rare pleasure of being able to say,"We will pay that bill."

The look of initial amazement, followed by relief that the Home's future was secured was priceless! We will tell you more about that when we see you...

In the meantime, we thank you for your support and prayers, Richard.

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Letter from Linda...

DIANA

My last letter ended with our young friend Diana, and I shall begin this letter with an update for you.

I know many of you have been praying for Diana, and closely following her progress. Richard and I met up with her at the AEP office in Tirana. She was accompanied by Aimee, who has been caring for her at the 'Eagles' Wings' home. Diana seemed well and gave us both a loving embrace. The previous week, however, against all advice, she had returned to Saranda. We believe she is still under the influence of the boy she had met several months ago. Diana's father was awarded custody of her, a bad move, resulting in Diana being badly beaten. She's now back at 'Eagles' Wings' and has asked if Aimee and her husband, house parents at the home, can be her legal guardians. This is a huge step in the right direction. We are thankful that Diana has realised that she is now in a place where people love and care for her and have her best interests at heart.

CHURCHES TOGETHER

Richard and I were in the city for the annual 'Four Square' churches' leaders’ conference. The directors of the five churches throughout Albania and Kosova had worked hard to ensure that all went well. Speakers from Switzerland and Holland had been invited; Richard also was one of the speakers. The theme for the conference this year was 'Christ in you, the hope of glory.' It was good to come together with the other churches. I was especially keen to meet up with the pastors from the church in Gjakova, Kosova. I was there for three months in 1999; the time I spent there had a big impact on my life. We feel that it would be good if we could do something to further unite these churches. Perhaps this will come in the form of a prayer network and visits, to share experiences and encourage and lift each other.

NEW EQUIPEMENT

We asked our friends at Living Hope Church in Dudley if they could help us. We desperately needed equipment for our worship group. Perhaps they had some they didn't need or use any more? A short while later, several large parcels arrived. Upon opening them, I realised that these were not second hand items - This was a range of brand new equipment! We are thrilled with our new stands, microphones and leads. Thank you so much, Living Hope Church, for your kindness and generosity.

Till next time,

blessings, Linda.

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Letter from Jo...

I thought for this newsletter I would give you an update on how my work is going.

BORSH Borsh continues to be a special place for me. It is probably because it was where I first moved to and worked when I came to Albania.

I continue to go twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays I work in my room. The number of callers has declined but it shows that there is more help available to the Albanian people, or they have other means of getting the help they need, which is a positive step forward - such as private clinics. There will always be people though that need help, and I’m glad to be there for them. Even though numbers to the room are low, there are always people in the village to visit which I do on a Friday. Although I won’t be remaining here indefinitely, I continue to get a warm welcome -particularly from those who find it hard to come to me. These normally include mothers with small babies, those with disabilities and the elderly.

CHOOKA

Since returning to Albania after my summer break, I noticed that when I went to Chooka the hostility we were experiencing (due to us not covering the cost of their prescriptions) had settled down and I have been given a warm welcome ever since. Occasionally someone will ask for medicines, but they generally seem to accept the decision now. I still continue to give out baby packs, do Blood pressures and wound dressings and try and give advice as needed, which they seem to welcome.

OLD PEOPLE’S CENTRE

I continue to enjoy my visits to the Old People’s Centre to monitor their blood pressures and blood sugars.

With the onset of the Albanian winter, the roof started to leak so they had to close the centre for a few weeks until it was repaired. During that time, we were sorry to hear about the death of one of the men.

He was a colourful character who used to pop across to Corfu to visit his ‘girlfriend’.

At the time of writing the centre has just been reopened.

As ever, your help is invaluable in maintaining these various services.

Until next time,

God bless, Jo

Team Prayer Points · Diana · Jorgo · Doors to continue opening in helping vulnerable young Albanians

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Richard & Linda Welch or Joanne Simpson

C/O Holy Trinity Anglican Church

21, L. Mavili Street

Corfu, 49100, Greece

or Email them at Richard and Linda’s email : squelched77@yahoo.com



Jo's email : JLSimpson@compuserve.com