News Archive
Postcard from Albania
I wasn’t sure quite what to expect when I flew into Tirana. I have to admit to a mixture of excitement and trepidation about what I would find and how it would affect me. And that was not just because I was staying with a fervent Manchester City supporter. From the aeroplane I could see beautiful coastline and high mountains, clusters of houses in a valley that leads to Tirana. It was hot when I landed and after going through customs at Mother Teresa airport, I walked into the sunshine to be met by Roger. As soon as we started walking we were joined by a boy of 6 or 7 who kept asking for money. He was persistent and was finally rewarded by a bottle of cool water.We drove the 45 minutes to Tirana along the highway past half completed buildings. At one point the highway stopped and the road was completely unmade, no signs were posted, just a free for all. Tirana grew up after the fall of communism in 1991 and initially there was lots of illegal building work in the vacuum that ensued. High rise flats sit beside ramshackle houses, potholed roads abound. There don't seem to be any rules about driving - whoever gets to the spot in the road has right of way. So long as you don't look the other driver in the eye. You’re all right. Traffic mingles in a chaotic way. Since Eddie Rama, the artisan mayor, took over the concrete flats have been painted bright colours to brighten the grey skyline.
I had the opportunity to visit the Way of Hope Baptist Church where the Pearces worship. It’s led by Mat Wilson, a dynamic pastor who was at Spurgeon's College with Gavin and Sally Murray. The church is 60 or so people, and the average age is quite young. It is thriving and reaching out into their community Rob, a BMS worker, has set up an IT training programme. Mat's wife Hannah has used her social work background to work in women’s prisons, setting up hairdressing and beauty training and a church within the prison.
The church's motto is "Holding forth the word of life" - familiar to many of us at HBC, as it used to be ours. A team from Bluntisham Baptist near Cambridge had visited the church the preceding week to do a football mission and also get involved in the local women's prison. Click here to see some pictures from their visit.
We sang some familiar songs - "Come now is the time to worship" and "Our God is a great big God" - in Albanian!
Roger is director of the GDQ School, a Christian school whose aim is to "train minds, bodies, and hearts for the work of life and to carry into all we do the highest ideals of character and service". He mixes some teaching with all the multitude of other tasks that a headteacher does. Whilst I was there the school was moving to a new site. A major logistical task, masterminded by Nikki and some of the other teachers.I helped, was to pack up the library and then unpack at their much improved site. It was rewarding but tiring in the heat.
The school, which mainly serves missionary kids, is multi-national and has a very committed group of teachers. It's a great resource for those whom God has called to serve him in Albania.
Nikki works as a nurse in the ABC clinic, a general practice literally round the corner from where Roger and Nikki live. It’s a warm and welcoming place where there is a sense of God's presence. The clinic serves Albanians, embassy staff and missionaries who come to find high quality medicine and a compassionate Christain practice. New Albanian doctors have had little exposure to patients after they qualify and the clinic employs and trains new doctors. Eralda, one of the Albanian doctors there told me that over the last year the clinic has run a 15 week course with final year medical students which has been really well received. Although there is supposed to be free medical care in Albania many doctors will only treat if you give extra money. Antonetta, another doctor at the clinic, took me on a visit to the sprawling hospital in Tirana. It was an eye opener - very cramped and dirty conditions, although some new building work is taking place.
Roger, Nikki, James and Beth were great company and so hospitable. James managed to show me the delights of indoor football in their house and Beth delighted me by reading me stories. Part of family life for them is welcoming and helping new families who are starting work in Tirana and they are great at this, although I realise that there is quite a cost to this. I could sense that Roger and Nikki are settled and have found their place in God's plans. Both of them are fluent in Albanian, and Roger even feels he speaks French like an Albanian!
They were really blessed by the gifts people at HBC had given and expressed their thanks for the support and prayers of everyone. There will be an opportunity to find out more about their work on the weekend of the 20th/21st August.
Please continue to pray for the Pearces:
* For their summer trip to BMS supporting churches
* For rest and relaxation on a week's holiday they have in the Lakes
* That God will equip them for the challenges of the next year