February 17, 2002
Those of you who have contributed to the Tirana building fund will be glad to know that God has finally answered our prayers. Actually, God’s timing is perfect.
During the past ten years, the church in Tirana has moved seven times, and we have lost members with every move. In 1997, the church rented the Historical Museum auditorium, in the heart of the city.
The problem is, Albanian law prohibits the use of government property for religious purposes, and the Historical Museum is government property. We have known for four years that we were living on borrowed time, and we have tried desperately to locate a piece of property on which to erect our own multipurpose building.
In early March this year, the ax finally fell. The church received notice that it was being evicted as of March 31.
Amazingly, on March 28, one minute before I had to leave for the airport, and three days before the church was to meet in the Historical Museum for the last time, I signed documents that gave us ownership of the building we have been renting for three years. Now, the church has a place to meet for worship, fellowship, and Bible study. Now, there is plenty of space for missionaries to teach their students, for summer campaigns, and for a Nations University leadership training program.
God has provided the makings of a wonderful facility located in the heart of the city, approximately one block north of the Historical Museum.
Unfortunately, the rooms in the building are relatively small. The largest room seats approximately 75 people, and the average Sunday morning attendance is 150. In order to seat everybody, the tables and divider walls have to be removed from the WEI teaching area in order to make room for chairs. Ellen Walker says in her April newsletter, “It isn’t a perfect situation as we can’t see half the congregation, but we can’t be turned out. It’s home.”
As you can see in the picture, our two-story building is rather crude. Both floors need to be remodeled. When completed, these two floors will contain classrooms, library, offices, fellowship hall, and two small apartments for visiting professors. A third floor will be added with an auditorium that will seat 400 to 500 people. Erik Qirjaqi, Director of WEI in Tirana and a construction engineer, will supervise the building project.
Thanks to fundraising efforts and gifts from generous individuals, we were able to pay cash for the property. In order to complete the construction project, however, and furnish the building with computers, library books, desks, tables, and chairs, we need to raise another $150,000.
Once this building is finished, it will house a growing church, a year-around missionary program, summer campaigns, and a branch of NationsUniversity designed to train evangelists who will spread the Good News about Christ to every city, town, and village in Albania and Kosova.
Wouldn’t you like to have a part in this exciting evangelistic project? Please support us with your prayers and, if you are able, with a generous contribution. I am praying that God will raise up 150 people who will give $1,000 each.
