Be anxious for nothing by Bethany Brewer

*My daughter's insight after our Land Rover was stolen in Albania.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
"Well...I don't know what to do. How will we get to church? Who should I call?"
Groggily, I muttered, "Mom, what's going on? What is dad talking about?"
She softly whispered to me, "Our car is gone."
I sat up quickly. Not being a morning person, my brain usually takes at least a couple hours to start thinking logical thoughts, but with this sudden news I was wide awake and alert. When? How? I thought we just bought a new steering lock? Have we called the police yet?
Then I heard it in the back of my mind. "Be anxious for nothing." Not even this? Surely getting our car stolen I can be anxious, Lord! "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests me made known unto God." Pray. Ok, God. I'll pray. Not too sure about the thanksgiving part though...
As I brushed my teeth, I started asking God... Why our car? Why not the Mercedes parked right in front of us? Or the truck across the street? Then he answered...You are my children. Maybe I am testing you. Maybe I want you to learn to trust in me. Whatever the reason, I am God.
Then, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" That's when I understood the thanksgiving part of the verse. Thank you, Lord for letting me earn treasures that will never be taken away. Priceless, Eternal treasures.
Dad and I went down the street to the guard of the Czech Embassy housing and he called the police. While we were waiting for them, he entertained us talking about mafia and his family in New York who are good honest workers and would never steal cars...even though there is a lot mafia in New York as well...
The police came and asked us a couple questions such as "Are you SURE you parked it here? Maybe you misplaced it." and "What is this number on this document?" "Ummm...That would be the license plate number." After that, I got my first police escort in their van and found out it's not quite as cool as it looks. Literally. No air conditioning and windows that don't open. "With thanksgiving." Thank you, Lord, for not having us walk to the station in the hot sun.
Once we reached the Police Station we were directed to the "Boss" and taken to his office with walls covered in Scarface Posters and a calendar that was turned to October. He asked us many questions such as "Who hates you?"... "What are you doing here?" and "Do you know where your car keys are?"
My dad signed the police report that included a line about our lacking fluency in Albanian, and then, much to my surprise, I was told to sign as well...which came as a bit of a shock since I'm a minor and did little more than accompany my father and translate some of the Boss's mumbled questions. After scribbling my signature- since I've been told they only accept it as a signature when it's illegible-we shook hands with the Boss who might have even given me a bit of a smile. I silently thanked God for helping me hold my tongue about his complaining of our Albanian skills, and for asking if we were quite SURE we didn't loan the keys to a friend.
Although I'm still sorry we are LandRoverless and doubt it will be found, I'm glad I got to experience the peace of God today...which indeed surpasses all understanding.

BY Bethany Brewer

I cried today for a cat.

I cried today for a cat. Michello. We went to Luljeta's house today to deliver 50 lbs of flour for bread for the month and 25 lbs. of corn feed for the chickens. We do this often for those who live out in the village so they do not have to pay $5 for a delivery van that brings it only 1/2 way up the mountain. They then have to get it home in a wheelbarrow up and down the rugged mountain 'road'. Not an easy task.
We delivered the flour and corn and walked around the yard talking to the kids. Since we had been in America for furlough many things were new. Aulona showed me the trees she planted with her dad and we admired the extended fence that her mom finished. We even check to see if the chickens had laid any eggs - there were 5! As I looked around I did not see Aulona's furry best friend, Michello. In the past, there was always a 'story' about Michello and his cunning tricks. When I asked, I noticed Aulona got very quiet and let her hair cover her face. She spoke quietly and said that Michello has been gone 2 months and she thinks he is dead. Then, she rushed off to the outhouse to regain her composure. I followed, crying. I found her and wrapped my arms around her and we cried together. I don't even like cats, but I love Aulona. I meet her when she was a little girl of 7, now she is a teenager of 14. 'Precious' is the best word to describe her. On our prayer requests cards that all the ladies and girls fill out this is what she wrote - when she was 12!
" I want to ask God to make me a girl after His Own heart. I pray that I am an even better student as God wants me to be. I pray for all the believers, that they fulfill the desires of God and walk in the right road always."
As I watched her in church this morning singing with all her heart, I thought, this is why I am here. I am here for Alona, for Lujeta, for Lule and Julie, and Ilda ... I am here to love them, encourage them, teach them and to cry with them. God gave them to me and I love them so!

Lule's prayer request

Her name is Lule which in Albanian means flower. She is truly a beautiful flower that many people would pass over. Her left eye is missing and the left half of her face is severely deformed. I met her over 6 years ago when her little boy would come to church with her and color on the walls during the service. She came for a while and then dropped out. We tried to encourage her to return, but she said she was Muslim and that was that. Over the past year her two boys have been attending children’s program and were angels in our recent Christmas drama. Lule has been coming back to church and ladies Bible study and now she is coming to English class each week with her older son. She is an intelligent bright young women eager to learn.
Today in ladies Bible study I asked the ladies to fill out an index card with their names, ages, number of children, and a prayer request that I could use during my quite time. I noticed during the lesson Lule was crying quietly, which is very unusually for her. After class Lule, who is new to the group, spoke to Lejla and I. “If I could say what my most important prayer request would be,” she stopped to draw breath. “I would ask God that my husband would not drink raki (Albanian vodka). He comes home so drunk that he yells and throws things. He scares the children so much. When he comes home like that the boys hide and cover their eyes and plug their ears so they do not have to see or hear him.” Drink is a huge problem in Albania specifically among the men. They get together after work and often someone brings raki. Meanwhile the wife sits home with little food for the children and worries about what will happen when her husband returns.
I was taken back that this precious young mother did not say her most important prayer request is to have her face repaired and her eye restored. She has accepted her appearance – she just wants her husband to stop drinking.
Norm and Fredi are going to begin coffee hour with the men of the women who attend Friday Bible study. Many of the husbands are unemployed and could come. This could be a very vital beginning in their lives. Please pray with us! Thank you!

The bus ride saga: Tirana, Albania – Thessaloniki, Greece

In some sagas you do not know where to begin. I would say this is one of those times. The simple fact that I am writing this saga proves that we are alive and well.
On the trip to Thessaloníki I had 12 hours to analyze our barefoot driver. He was a energetic man who did not like any vehicles in front of him. So, he would drive to their bumper, flash his light until they moved over and allowed him to pass. If there was a car in the on-coming lane, he would flash them too. This then created a center lane for the bus to drive – half in his lane and half in the on-coming traffic's lane. I guess it was effective!
It was a little odd for Bethany and I as we were the only women on the bus. There was around 30-35 Albania men, and Norm and Nathan. All the restrooms we stopped at were filthy Turkish toilets. I found this very discouraging on the return trip after my abdominal surgery!
At the boarder crossing into Greece there was a precious little 5 years old Albanian gypsy boy. He was standing at the door of our bus and one of the men told him to come up. He went down the aisle with his little hand out. All the men that could gave him money! He was so happy. We gave him some money too. He left the bus but did not think he properly thanked the generous men, so up he came again greeting every row with “Thank you” “ Have a safe trip” “Have a good time”...“ Bless you for filling my hands with money” over and over again.
The bus also made very unusual stops. I was confused when he asked a number of men to get off the bus and get their luggage. They all piled back on the bus bags in hand. Twenty minutes later while we were traveling on the highway I understood. He would pull over on the highway an let off a man here or 2 there. He would find a underpass that would lead them to their town and they would just walk all the way to their final destination.
The 12 hours also gave us ample time to decide if we really enjoyed loud Albania music. We all had ear plugs and head phones to try to create a buffer to the constant sound. We arrived in Thessaloníki around 8 PM and 2 Albania young men helped us catch the right buses and we arrived at our hotel 1 ½ hours later.

Thessaloníki, Greece – Tirana, Albania

Our return trip 8 days later was much different. To begin with we were surprised that it was a night bus. Then, we found out that our driver drives the 12 hours to Thessaloníki and then turns around immediately and returns to Tirana. He slept on the bus for around 4 hours while another calm driver took the wheel, then to our horror barefoot driver was back in the driver seat!

When we hit the mountains everyone started snapping seat belts to help keep us IN our seats! He was driving so fast on the mountain pass that the tires were squealing. At one switch-back he was driving too fast to make the turn. So he braked and screeched to a halt inches before hitting the communist era railing and going over the cliff! After coming to a grinding stop he paused a bit, then with a nervous laugh - backed the bus back on the road and continues our torture. This incident put a little fear in him and a lot of fear in us. His fear factor only lasted around 10 minutes, ours much longer! As I was praying, I was contemplating getting off the bus (3 AM) and calling Fredi Sufa to come and get us with his car! We found out later that that mountain pass is off limits for buses to travel. I understand why!

A few hours later we arrived in Tirana. When we got close to our house we asked to be dropped off early. Bethany was car sick since the mountains and feeling nasty anyway. It was so nice to be on foot! Home was never so welcome. Lela had cleaned the house and made us soup. We were home at last.

International Woman's Day March 8

It was wrapped in a sheet of newspaper. I opened the gift carefully so nothing would slip out. There, wrapped so humbly, lay a pair of socks, lipstick, and a bar of soap. Anther newspaper bundle was left on my seat in the Land Rover. I opened this one to find perfume, lipstick, nylons and some flowers. Included was a precious handwritten note.
These gifts are very precious to me. They are from my dear ladies who struggle every day just to put bread on the table. (most of them make the bread themselves – no bread machine!)
Wrapping things in newspaper was very common a few years ago when there were no plastic bags in the country. We would get fast food sandwiches, money and even a loaf of bread wrapped in newspaper. I still receive a pair of slippers or some dried fruit wrapped in newspaper. It is one of the things I love about Albania. So simple, no pretense. Using what you have.

Lirie

Lirie grew up in a village in the mountains of Tirana. There is no road to her village for a car to travel, only a donkey path. 12 years ago when the missionaries first visited her village they came by helicopter! As they worked and taught the village folks, Lirie opened her heart to the Lord, and soon her home! The missionaries and the new believers met in her living room for church each Sunday. Today to visit her village it will take an hour by car – then 2 hours on foot! She returns often during the summers. Lirie now lives in Shkoze with her son and daughter-in-law and grand children. She love to knit and crochet and makes beautiful fingerless gloves, slippers, hats and doilies.

Our Team

Norm and I are so blessed to have 3 great kids! They are 'Our Team'. Now that Benjamin is in college stateside our Team is smaller, but we are still strong.
Benjamin had the hard dirty jobs and never complained. He cleaned the yard, feed the dog, took out the trash – this can been an experience in Albania! His trash runs were popular with the neighbors as they would follow him constantly asking if they could have whatever was broken. He even had some cows try to steal his trash! Benjamin's strength and determination is greatly missed in our home today. He lead the youth group with a quiet determination. I know the devotional he gave before he left Albania will never be forgot in the hearts of the teens. We are thrilled to see him attend Bible college and seek the Lord's direction in his life.

Our home is filled with clarinet music all hours of the day. Nathan spends hours practicing his clarinet and also piano. He leads the music each Sunday with Norm. His knowledge of music is such a help to our church. Nathan enjoys teaching music also! He just recently had someone ask for music lessons. He is a born teacher with a love for learning. His spirit is contagious among the youth. After services I find him working with different kids teaching them Tae Kwon Do moves, yoga stretches, gymnastic tricks, or acting lessons! Hidden in his little 'lessons' I see him teaching them character traits, proper attitudes, and a love for God. If Nathan does not have a clarinet or another instrument in his hand he will have a camera! He is working on mastering some new skills with lighting and shadows. Watch out! You could be the next one in his sites!

While Nathan is the photographer, Bethany is the color consultant. She assist me greatly in our new ladies project. She often purchases yarn for the ladies. She creates designs, works with color combinations, and styles. Her natural ability is very helpful! Bethany also works with the children's program and youth group teaching them crafts, games and songs. She has a great passion for truth and right. If anyone of the children are caught cheating she sets them straight. It does not matter if they are 2 or 3 years older than her! She is also been very creative in teaching English. I am often in need of an assistant who can correct books, work on flashcards, lead a matching game, or just direct an English conversation. Bethany can handle it all! She makes learning fun for the kids!

This is our Team. We are so blessed and thankful to the Lord. Nathan will be going to the states to Bible college in the fall of 2010. It will be another time of transition for all of us. We are praying that the Lord would send more people to join our Team. There is much to do in Albania!