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.”
Bill McDonough just sent us an article titled “Teachers Desperately Needed.”
Bill and Marie Claire have been working in Phnom Penh for more than a year, and the Lord has blessed their efforts with phenomenal success. Sense the excitement in Bill’s words:
“In this beautiful Southeast Asian country, there are hundreds of gentle people waiting to study the Bible with you. Bright young university students and professional people are coming to our door daily asking to study with us in English. Last week, four more obeyed the gospel, and scores of others would if there were teachers to share God’s word with them.
“At the lovely Partners in Progress Center, located in the center of this city of three million people, you can have a private room with bath and three meals a day for only $300 per month. (We pay the rent, and you pay for food and utilities.) There is a well furnished teaching room on the third floor dedicated to sharing the message of Christ eight hours a day, five days a week, with our students.
“The receptivity window in Cambodia will not always be as wide open as it is now. Won’t you come and help share the WORD with those who have never even heard of Jesus Christ?”
On May 13, we received an email letter from Snezana Lepki, a young Bosnian woman who immigrated to Canada eleven years ago. Now, Snezana wants to form a summer mission team and share the Good News with people in her homeland.
Snezana says, “Soon after my immigration, I became a Christian, and since then I have been praying for opportunities to spread the Good News to my family, friends, and the lost in Bosnia. So far, I have not found any Christians there, and I haven’t come across any work that is being planned there.
“Last summer, while I was helping the church in Lithuania, I came across some World English Institute booklets. So I took some of them with me when I went to Bosnia and started going over them with my Mom. Since that time, she has read the first three booklets three times each. I am praying that her heart will continue to soften.”
“I am hoping and praying that you might be able to help me get a team together to go to Bosnia and establish a congregation in my city of Banjaluka. As a female, I am uncomfortable in leading this process, but I would love to be a support to the best of my ability.”
It seems that God is using Snezana as a key to unlock the door to Bosnia. Who will join forces with Snezana and walk through the door?
Three kinds of Christians are needed in order to establish the church in Bosnia. First, someone needs to step up and say, “I will lead this summer mission effort.” Second, a team of teachers needs to go and stay for at least a month. Third, someone needs to go and stay for a few years and nurture the new church until it reaches maturity. Are you a retired preacher, elder, college Bible teacher, or church leader? Here is your chance to extend your usefulness in God’s kingdom. .
Let’s help this young Christian woman plant a church in Bosnia. To contact Snezana directly, email her at psalm119_9to16@hotmail.com or telephone her at (780) 437-6627. Her mailing address is 11831-135 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5L 1W7, Canada.
In a recent report, Shkelqim (Çimi) Kafexhiu wrote, “God is at work in the city of Durrës. The church has been growing tremendously in numbers and in faith. The membership is 41 Christians not including those who have moved abroad. The attendance each Sunday is between 43 and 47.
“Most of these people have come to Christ through the English language. World English Institute has been a great blessing to Albanians. By learning English, we hear the word of God.
“I personally came to Christ through studying English first. The word of God had power to change me from someone who wanted to become successful into someone who wants to be faithful to God.
“Sofia, a student of Theresa, was baptized into Christ on Friday, the 12th of March. She had expressed her desire to become a Christian long before, but finally with the approval of her parents, she made the decision.
“By God’s grace and providence, I believe the future of the church in Durrës is bright.”
Carrol distributed Arabic and English Bibles and CDs containing the WEI Bible and English courses. He also handed out business cards directing people to study the Bible on our WEI web site at www.weiady.org.
Thank God for military men and women who serve their Lord while they serve their country.
The Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland, Texas recently hosted a Continent of Great Cities seminar focusing attention on Latin America. WEI was represented by Bob Patterson and Bob and Jan Towell.
At the conference, the Towells handed out 40 WEI CDs to missionaries and church leaders.
To their surprise, they ran into Marco, a former WEI student from Peru. Marco is now in Florida at the Sunset satellite school and is on the Mission to Miami team that reaches out to Hispanics in south Florida.
“What a blessing and joy World English Institute has afforded us to travel, meet, and visit with so many wonderful Christians in churches of Christ. Everywhere we go, we are warmly received, and we are thankful to God for the evangelistic zeal that so many of you have for world missions.
“This new WEI office in Maryville, TN has now been open for 5 months. We are so appreciative to the Maryville church of Christ for sponsoring us, and to those of you who have made it possible for us to meet our financial responsibilities.
“We still lack about 45% of the funds necessary to continue growing this ministry which is so effective in fulfilling the great commission. If you believe in this ministry, then please give prayerful consideration to partnering with us. We invite you to share in the joy and blessing of sowing God’s word in a needy world. The fields are ripe for harvest!”
Prayer Needs
Please pray for Tom and Angie Langley as Tom serves as Executive Vice-President of WEI and organizes summer mission teams for Romania and other countries.
Pray that God will also provide adequate funding for the Gresham office as we continue to recruit teachers and students, write and publish materials, and serve the needs of teachers, students, and national churches all over the world.
Pray for Tom Bonner as he works alone in Lushnja, Albania. It gets lonely on the mission field when you are the only American in town.
Pray for Bob Patterson as he manages the WEI web sites and for Bob and Jan Towell as they head up the Internet outreach ministry.
Thank You, Dear Friends
Because of your generous partnership, God is now using WEI as an evangelistic tool in 172 countries. Doors are opening right and left, and the name of Christ is being exalted.
Even though we have lost $1,250 a month in regular support, you have made up the shortfall with generous onetime contributions. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May God bless you.
—Dick and Maudine Ady
