April 17, 2004
On Sunday, January 25th, the church in Durrës, Albania gave a party for Kevin and Allison Morrill and said goodbye. The following Tuesday, Kevin and Allison took their belongings to Pogradec (pronounced “Po’ gra dets”) and, with the help of Xhumert Nuro, their fellow worker, and Dashi, their landlord, they moved into their apartment above the WEI Center. Soon after their arrival in Pogradec, the Morrills began interviewing prospective WEI students. By the end of February, they had enrolled thirty-nine.
Kevin and Allison were married in July of 2000 while actively involved in the Master’s Apprentice Program (MAP) at York College. In this missions program, they studied foreign cultures and went on mission trips to the Ukraine and Finland. They were practically newlyweds when they moved to Durrës in August 2002. Now, this young couple is launching a new church in Pogradec.
Pogradec is a town of 38,000 people located on the shores of beautiful Lake Ohrid in Southeastern Albania. Forty rivers and springs flow into the lake—one of the deepest and clearest lakes in Europe.
Xhumert (pronounced “Ju mairt’) grew up in Fier, Albania and graduated from the National Military Academy in Tirana. After becoming a Christian in the mid 90’s, Xhumert enrolled in British Bible School at Corby, England and earned a degree in Bible. Now, he is back in Albania serving the Lord among his people.
Xhumert teaches two WEI students each morning and spends his afternoons out on the streets—talking to people, making friends, and setting up Bible studies. He and the Morrills make up an excellent team.
One of the panels on the Morrill’s web site says, “Coming Soon: New Christians.”
