Puppies Puppies and more Puppies!

I'm not sure what it is about me, but I have a hard time seeing anything die. Such was the case as few weeks ago when I heard horrid screeching noise coming from our little street. Nathan looked out the window and informed me that an old man was hitting some poor little puppies with a stick. An old grandma came out of her 3rd floor apartment and yelled down to the man. I rush downstairs and outside to find 4 little puppies all laying in the road soaking wet from the rain. At first I was scared to touch them because they looked dead. One neighbor lady stood at a distance giving me advice. Another man stood off hoping not to be any part of the rescue. I slowly lifted one up and he wiggled a little. I put him in a small plastic box I bought for the rescue. Then I got the next one and laid him beside his brother. I saw the other two, but realized my box was not large enough. I did not want to go back in for fear the man would return with his stick. So, I piled the next 2 on top of their siblings. We brought the 4 puppies inside and dried off their wet, muddy bodies. We then started to feed them warm milk. They did not know how to drink from a bowl, so we got a plate. It took a little work to teach them to lap up the milk. Then the neighbor lady rang the bell to tell me there was one more puppy! 5 puppies! I later found out that the man with the stick is her husband. Interesting that she brought the puppy to me not him! It has been a lot of work and also a lot of reward. We have found homes for 2 of the puppies, and hope to find homes for the other 3 very soon.
As I feed the ever hungry little fluff balls, I thought of our 2 little churches. God brings us people who are hurting and broken. We bring them in, care for their wounds and share Jesus with them. We know the man with the stick is close by waiting to hurt our people. We see the others watching from a distance, wondering if we are real. We continue with routine feedings of the Milk of the Word. We pray that they will understand, that they will grow. Soon they will mature and have spiritual children of their own. Maybe the door bell will ring again and it will be another person who needs Christ. Could you pray?

A missionary is like a deep sea diver

A missionary is like a deep sea diver. He dives down deep into the ocean to find the treasure, but without his oxygen tank he will die. Without someone watching from above for signs of danger, he will be injured. He can collect artifacts on his dive, but who can he pass them to? Who does he hand his treasure to if there is no one in the boat?
Some of you in the boat are tired and weary. Please know that we need you and are so thankful for you. We need more people to come in the boat. We need more people to fill our air tanks and pray for our treasures. We need you. We need you to be a active member of the boat crew. You are so important. We know that without a strong support team each diver or missionary will sink. There will also be times when a boat crew member will dive down and help the diver during an interesting situation. On the mission field that is a mission trip or a short-term assignment. These are wonderful opportunities to see the work and be a part of the catch! Please, find a boat, be an active crew member, and jump in!

Goodbye Albania

Empty boxes fill the room. A home once full of children's voices and scampering feet now is a quiet room full of reminders. Birthday parties for orphans who have never had a party just for them, movie night, good strong Illy coffee, laughter and spilled kool-aid, girls night out, Bible lessons, and hope.
Missionaries come and go in every country, but they also leave an impact each time. As I pack up the pieces of their lives I realize that each book, each plate tells a story. They came to stay forever. They sold their house in the states, the kids beds, the bikes, even their dog to come to Albania to serve. Now, their dreams are put on hold as the Lord has allowed circumstances beyond their control to take them stateside.
It is a chapter closing in their lives and even in ours. It is a difficult to see our dear missionary friends leave the country. It is sad to see the people left behind who are affected by their leaving. I know their hearts are still in Albania, but for a missionary there is so much more needed to continue a ministry.
As missionaries in a foreign land, we are family to each other. We laugh together, cry together and eat burnt or raw or fatty or grisly or delicious suflaqas together. When one of our members is gone, we notice. We miss them. We LOVE you guys!

What do you need?

"What do you need?"
I am asked this question now and then by churches and friends alike who want to encourage us on the mission field. I have thought about the question a lot and when I get beyond the usual answers that pop into my head like brown sugar and kool-aid, I realized what we really need.
We need HELP! Sometime I feel like a very small person trying to win a whole country to the Lord. The task becomes overwhelming. The needs seem so great.
I believe we need help. Our arms are getting tired and we need someone to come along and hold them up for a while. We need to hear an encouraging verse or prayer request answered. We need to hear that more people are coming to the mission field. We need help.
How do we get help? We pray. We pray that God will send help. We pray that he will send visitors to see the country, we pray that he will send missionaries to work together toward the same goal. We pray that Albanians hearts will be open to the Light of God's Word. We open our hearts and share our passion for Christ, and we pray.
Could you pray too?